Hell's Key

Siblings of the Underworld #1

by Linzi Baxter

Re-released - Hell's Key was part of the Shadows and Sorcery boxed set.

Magic, Wolves, and a Kick Ass Heroine.

At the age of eighteen, I was banned from my pack. It wasn’t what I wanted. Nobody could explain the magic which coursed through my body.

Although I’ve worked hard to forget what happened ten years ago, I needed to face my past. It’s time to take down the person responsible for erasing my memories. Plus, I must deal with the sexy Alpha of the Mystic Ash Pack who swears I’m his mate.

Then the devil makes my life harder by appearing whenever he wants, wrecking my plans to kidnap the adorable pandacorn. On top of everything, I must figure out who my birth mom is, even if it means risking the lives of my loved ones. If I don’t figure out my powers soon, I might accidentally open the gates of hell to the human world.

Genres: Paranormal, Paranormal Romance

173 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 19, 2019

About the author

Linzi Baxter hails from Bismarck, North Dakota, but currently lives in Orlando, Florida. She received her bachelor’s degree in information technology from the University of Central Florida and is currently in the process of earning her MBA from the same university.

Baxter works as an IT Manager for the local government and spends her free time playing with her basset hound, watching college sports, traveling to Europe’s great cities, and reading romance. It was that last passion that inspired her to write her debut novella, Hacker Exposed.

Reviews

[Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story line is great and I loved the characters. I really enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it! Unexpected twists and turns had me reading this book in one sitting. Great storyline and character development made this book a hot and enjoyable read!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Katyana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't bad, just meh. I think that ... a lot happened in this pretty short book, which meant we were speeding through things so fast nothing had weight or emotional resonance. And there was a lot of telling, rather than showing.

I feel like there was a good book in there, if we could have just slowed it down by at least half, and let things unfold with more drama and tension.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (10/25/2020)! 🎁

[TXBRITGAL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paldon grew up believing herself a wolf shifter. One that was unceremoniously banned from her pack with no reason and physically scarred as warning. Living life as a supernatural bounty hunter, everything changed the day she learned her true parentage. Or at least part of it....SURPRISE! Lucifer is your daddy and you're immortal! Couple that with the fact the seven deadly sins are your sisters! WTH?! That's a mind trip for anyone to get in one day. Complicating things further...it appears someone or something has messed with Lucifer 's memories. For some strange reason he kids nothing about Paldon, not can he recall her mother. Shifters keep vanishing, and odd red eye demons keep popping up chanting "key, key, key". Obviously something strange is going on. Thankfully she has her hunky wolf Ryker by her side, and her wacky newly discovered sis Wrath who just appeared to help with the hunt. The book is so much fun! Lots of humor, supernatural hijinx, mystery, suspense, and hot guys...oh and did I forget to mention the awesome pandacorn that makes an appearance? This book is far from boring! Be warned though it did end with a cliffhanger making you beg for the release of book two now!!! I've yet to be disappointed by anything this author has written. Well done to the start of another exciting series! I can't wait to see what happens next!

[Nina Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hell’s Key by Linzi Baxter is the first book in the Siblings of the Underworld series. This book focuses on the characters of Paldon, a snarky werewolf Private Investigator and Ryker, the gorgeous Alpha werewolf of the local pack who wants Paldon as his mate. The story is intriguing mix of romance with action because it is full of numerous adventures and dangerous situations the couple gets into while trying to solve several mysteries. These adventures involve a wonderful, uniquely original paranormal world filled with some unusually quirky characters that are sprinkled throughout the story. This book had me giggling, laughing, with the witty dialogue and humorous situations the characters continually ended up in. Next, I’d be gasping for breath when they landed in danger which made me read fast and furiously to find out what happens next. In my opinion, this book is the perfect blend of action, adventure, mystery, and romance. Hell’s Key is an amazing 5+ star paranormal adventure romance!

[Blake · Rating 1 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

DNF

First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: No

Would you recommend?: No


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Dew · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s a small world

I had to double-check that this book wasn’t the 2nd in a series and that this series wasn’t an off-shoot of another series. Why? Because in the first chapter the vampire king of the world shows up from NOLA to tell Padlon (what a terrible character name) that she is the “key” to the “underworld” and she must come to NOLA immediately to remain safe. Oh, and by the way, the North American Pack Alpha is/was under a spell and something about a council. Then a werewolf alpha shows up to tell Padlon that she must move in with him immediately to remain safe. Without any time passing or resolution, Padlon goes home where she discovers that the pack Beta and some trolls must have killed her best friend who was the most powerful witch in the world and they are holding her other best friend hostage.

[2TNWalkers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had too many inconsistencies…the Vampire King is a lion shifter…WTF…FMC is Lucifer’s daughter but was turned into wolf shifter? So was her mother human…but Lucifer implies that she wasn’t so you can change other species into shifters with a bite…FMC has no teeth left as she grinds them 24/7 at EVERYTHING. Complains about her mate..that he only wants her for other reasons…cus she is 29, but was exiled from her pack at 18 so no ones loves her for her, cuz the 18 years she lived her pack she was treated well, So she must have blanked out everything to make her more pitiful and why she does not trust anyone. But yet trust a stranger with first meeting versus her mate she has known for 8 years who has done nothing but protect her..she is just cuntastic…I was intrigued by the blurb but story had no bite or execution..and the name Paldon…yeah I googled and got referencing to doomsday book. Should have just called her Ashley or Makayla…

[Christina Luberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have suspense, humor, and supernatural. Paldon was kicked out of her pack and marked. She becomes a PI and only works for humans. Now the council shows up wanting to put her into hiding. Ryker is Paldon's mate but she won't admit it yet, but he is always there to protect her. Now she has to find out who her mother is, so they can figure out my powers. Their scared of the hell opening up. The devil keeps showing up, but I want his Pandacorn. Can Paldaon find her mother? Can she figure out what her connection is? Can she find the missing supernaturals? Can she save her self and her friends? Will she get her wish and get the Pandacorn and Leprechaun? "Not if Ryker gets his way."

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Philleys Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent new paranormal romance and the first book of the series. Although I have to say that when I first started reading I felt as if I had missed out on a few chapters because it felt like I should have already known all these characters interacting with Paldon. It was a bit confusing at first but as the story came together I definitely got in to it! I actually liked the storyline and the fact that it is the first of a trilogy. I just love series, and Paldon is my favorite kind of heroine, kickass and badass, and an awesome wolf shifter too? And let us not forget about that amazing alpha wolf mate of hers! Great storytelling and still deserving of its five stars from me!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good from the first page. Some books take a bit of warming up, but this one jumps right in. The world building is great, with a host of other intriguing characters I’d like to see more of in future books, and her sister is a hoot. Although it’s not particularly clear why she and Ryker aren’t together (they both admit they want each other, but it’s not immediately clear why she thinks he wants her for the wrong reasons), they’re great together. There is a cliff-hanger, but it’s just the lead in to the next book — the story in THIS book resolves nicely.
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it.

[Sivakhami Sivanesan]

Good but

So I liked the sample enough to buy the book, and the story enough to finish it, but there was something a little off with the pacing or writing in parts which made me stop being engaged with the story itself and more trying to figure out what wasn't right. Parts might be due to editing and maybe longer scenes may have been cut shorter and maybe that made bits feel a bit disjointed in places. One bit felt like it was a different author at one point as it didn't feel at all like the authors voice from the rest of the book.
Still a good enough story to get me to the end.
Not sure yet if I am invested enough to get book two.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bad writing

I was intrigued by the concept but I made it to the first page of chapter two before I noped out. The world building is non existent so it’s confusing when she describes the vampire king as a shifter/lion, but she’s a shifter and apparently not a vampire?? She’s supernatural but doesn’t know what the underworld is? What? And there is no showing, it’s all telling. “He walked to the door. She looked out the window. He said this isn’t finished. He was tall.” Like it felt very stilted and just not engaging at all. It was also she knows every important person ever for no apparent reason? Just no.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story, it had a little of everything but most of all it was unpredictable, which for a shifter book , is quite an achievement. Paldon has been exiled from her pack and believes that she has no choice but to live in the human world, when a paranormal council member tells her she holds the key to the end of the world she has trouble coming to terms with the information what follows is a page turning novel with so many twists and turns you will never guess how the story ends, Highly recommend

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pacing is everything

I couldn't finish this book, and it's not that the storyline was bad, it's that it was like a runaway freight train. This book and the things that are happening are alarmingly to fast, and the information just dropped? It's like a sucker punch out of know where. I wished this story was like fine wine, sipped, enjoyed ( took time to explain and work through the storyline at a normal pace). Instead it's like being flipped upside down while being waterboarded by a beer bong.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. The concept sounded great, but a quarter through the book, I still felt like I had come into the middle of a series having no idea how anyone knew each other or any concept of the world the characters lived in. I even went back and checked that this wasn't a spinoff of another series. The story is pretty disjointed, the characters are only briefly acknowledged and in no way are their relationships explained, and the world building is non-existent. Definitely needs some work.

[Raveen Vann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good book and one I could not lut down at all. Paldon is a shifter and also has magic but no clue where it comes from or how to control it. After she was banned from her old pack she left. Now she finds out there are shifters and other supernatural beings going missing and has to go back home to face a past she isnt ready for. Along with all of this the Alpha of the pack she lives by is her mate but shes scared to let anybody get close. Just really enjoyed this one so much.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Śhifters are going missing and someone wants to open the gates to help which would be disastrous. He is an ex pack member and he may be the only one to solve what is happening. He needs to stop the gates being opened. Can he get all the clues needed? Can he find the missing shifters? Can he stop the gates from being opened? See how he gets on

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written paranormal romance with strong characters and an interesting story line. The author brings suspense and intrigue as well as humor and love. It's an entertaining story,moves quickly and fluidly and I enjoyed reading.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, my favorite thing about this book was the pandacorn. It's the animal-hybrid we never knew we needed in life but do. It just made me happy. That and the fact she wanted to keep it and the leprechaun as pets. Those little bouts of humor were great. The ending was a little fast for my taste. Resolved too quickly.

[Helen Wawrejko · Rating 2 out of 5]

2stars

The worldbuilding was poorly written. It needed better character development. Immortal powerhouses being controlled by the villain, then they pop out of bindings saying "surprise" they can't keep me down, then they are controlled again. Juvenile dialog, story all over the place. Just no.

[Kathy Zuercher Diveley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paldon & Ryker

Paldon is Rykers' fated mate they are both wolf shifters. Paldon has other magic, but can't control it. Come to find out Hades is her father, but no one knows her mother. So the search is on, and red eyed demons are turning up, and shifters are missing.
Good paranormal read !!!

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very Disappointing

Started out pretty good. It was like she built up to something great and then decided to finish it quickly without putting any effort into it. The first part of the book was fairly well written and then towards the end it was like she quit trying. Ended totally stupid.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Banished Wolf

I knew when Paldon explained why she was banished there was Something not right about it. I wonder exactly what Ryker is and how he was able to stay away from Paldon for so long. Wrath, Lucifer and Paxton were too funny. I enjoyed the heck out of this book and I'm definitely ready for another.

[Karen Sebeika · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really enjoyed all the twists and turns of this book loved the relationship between paldon and ryder the whole supernatural side of the story was woven nicely through out the story i look forward to the next book in the series i received a copy of this book via booksprout in exchange for a review

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling action adventure read with lots of amazing characters and storyline. Strong characters and I was gripped. I simply couldn’t put book down. I recieved a copy via Booksprout and this is my honest review

[Lucinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book that was very well put together. I loved how the story played out and I could not put it down! The book was really engaging and I would recommend it to others!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jessica Luyckx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good from start to finish! cannot wait until the next one!
I could not put it down.
I realy like paldon and cannot wait to see what will happen in the next book.

[Punkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

.

This one was full of odd details and skipped a lot of what could have been interesting ones. Interesting creatures and wonky mystery but the style was just blah.

[Cassie]

DNF. Comes across pretty stilted and juvenile