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The Crow Novels #8
The Crow: Hellbound
Librarian note: A replica of this book printed on-demand by Amazon with the same ISBN can be found here.
A demon named Dren is looking for salvation. Satan's fiery underworld has become a foreign place to him. He feels he is different from the other souls. He's changed over time. He's ready for redemption.
But getting out of hell is no easy task.
Escaping was the easy part. But now, alone in a world unfamiliar to him, Dren must save a single soul in order to pass on to the heavens above.
Billy is a young hoodlum working for a big-time mobster. Like Dren he has also changed. He wants out of the seedy underworld he calls his home. Just, one more run, one more big payday, and he's finished with it all. He'll, get his cash, grab the woman he loves, and be gone forever.
But the mob doesn't look kindly on deserters.
Satan has sent two rogue demons from hell to stop Dren. The mob has hired a conjurer named Nadja to kill Billy. In the end, the two must call on the powers of the Crow to, save them both - waging a full-scale war on the mobsters of Earth above and the lord of darkness below.
A demon named Dren is looking for salvation. Satan's fiery underworld has become a foreign place to him. He feels he is different from the other souls. He's changed over time. He's ready for redemption.
But getting out of hell is no easy task.
Escaping was the easy part. But now, alone in a world unfamiliar to him, Dren must save a single soul in order to pass on to the heavens above.
Billy is a young hoodlum working for a big-time mobster. Like Dren he has also changed. He wants out of the seedy underworld he calls his home. Just, one more run, one more big payday, and he's finished with it all. He'll, get his cash, grab the woman he loves, and be gone forever.
But the mob doesn't look kindly on deserters.
Satan has sent two rogue demons from hell to stop Dren. The mob has hired a conjurer named Nadja to kill Billy. In the end, the two must call on the powers of the Crow to, save them both - waging a full-scale war on the mobsters of Earth above and the lord of darkness below.
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 26, 2001
2 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
A.A. Attanasio
47 books360 followersI’m a novelist and student of the imagination living in Honolulu. Fantasies, visions, hallucinations or whatever we call those irrational powers that illuminate our inner life fascinate me. I’m particularly intrigued by the creative intelligence that scripts our dreams. And I love carrying this soulful energy outside my mind, into the one form that most precisely defines who we are: story.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 15, 2021
Still my favorite of the novel series, this book takes a both deeply visceral and spiritual aim on 'The Crow' mythos; taking James O'Barr's original earthy story, already shrouded in old legends, to an even grittier plane.. orphans, demons, vice, angels, love, redemption, fate, and the pains all mortals are predisposed to endure.
I will never say this book is as good as the original, James O'Barr graphic novel. But I'd say it will definitely resonate with us Blackbirds on the same level.
I will never say this book is as good as the original, James O'Barr graphic novel. But I'd say it will definitely resonate with us Blackbirds on the same level.
August 1, 2024
I was amazed that someone could describe what a soul would suffer while in hell and make me feel it. That lone ability made me a fan. Again, a book my beautiful bride lifted me based on my likes for stories. How she finds these amaze me. Love the whole "Crow" story series.
March 18, 2025
Well, over eight years ago, I wrote this review after reading these again after well over a decade after my Amazon review,
************
The story begins with a sense of claustrophobia, mirroring the character Dren’s experience in Hell. As a demon in a chaotic, creature-filled environment, Dren seeks moments of stillness, where he can hear voices and reflect. This atmospheric setup in Hell serves as a compelling introduction to the story, creating a vivid sense of confinement and tension.
As the narrative progresses, we’re introduced to Billy Max and Amy Darien, two young adults leaving the orphanage. Their arc feels predictable, but it works within the context of the story. The character of Nadja Crimco, however, feels out of place. She’s summoning a demon to kill Amy, and her motivations don’t quite land for me. Although I don’t warm to her throughout the story, she does turn out to be more formidable than I initially expected, despite her somewhat obnoxious demeanor.
The story leans heavily into themes of angels and demons, which, influenced by shows like Supernatural, led me to expect certain outcomes. While the plot doesn’t take the turns I anticipated, I didn’t find that detracted from the overall experience. This book remains the best of the Crow novels published by HarperPrism, successfully pushing beyond the series' usual boundaries while maintaining its core essence.
A.A. Attanasio goes to great lengths to expand the Crow universe, offering a fascinating exploration of the possible connection between science and religion. This premise is intriguing, and I especially enjoyed the connection to the etymology of the word “enthusiasm,” which adds an intellectual layer to the narrative.
The conclusion of the story, though I had read it years ago, still surprised me. The ending is one of the most satisfying and unexpected in a Crow novel. Although Attanasio includes a chapter after the story explaining his approach to writing, which may feel like over-explanation, it’s an interesting insight into his process.
In the end, The Crow: Hellbound stands as one of the closest examples of a fully realized Crow novel, blending the franchise’s dark atmosphere with an intellectual depth that adds something new to the series.
**********************
This is my most current and likely final review for this book, on March 18,2025.
The Crow: Hellbound starts off with a captivating premise—Dren, a demon caught in the chaotic, claustrophobic landscape of Hell, grapples with feelings of displacement and the pull of something more. The exploration of Hell itself is intriguing, rich in atmosphere, and deeply abstract, creating a suffocating yet fascinating world. Attanasio does an excellent job of immersing us in the torment of his characters, and at first, the bleakness seems like it could lead to something profound.
However, as the story progresses, the focus shifts, and we’re introduced to Billy, Amy, and the increasingly odd characters they interact with. While their interactions provide moments of charm, the narrative becomes difficult to follow. Dren’s journey from Hell to Earth leads to a series of disjointed, bleak encounters, like the moment where he attempts to stop a man from jumping off a ledge—only for the jumper to succeed anyway. This moment encapsulates the book’s deeper existential themes: the futility of intervention, the weight of suffering, and the inability to truly save others.
What makes Hellbound particularly hard to engage with is its imbalance between the Crow elements and the exploration of Hell and demons. As a Crow novel, it misses the mark—there’s very little of the dark, revenge-driven justice we’ve come to expect. Instead, the story leans heavily into existential dread and metaphysical ponderings, which, while thought-provoking, sometimes leave the reader feeling disconnected from the core of what made The Crow franchise compelling in the first place.
Despite its flaws, The Crow: Hellbound is still an interesting read. If you're a fan of philosophical horror and don't mind a more abstract take on the universe, it’s worth checking out. But if you're looking for something that stays true to the Crow mythology and delivers the same visceral impact, you might find this one lacking. For me, this was a decent read, but not the Crow story I was hoping for.
************
The story begins with a sense of claustrophobia, mirroring the character Dren’s experience in Hell. As a demon in a chaotic, creature-filled environment, Dren seeks moments of stillness, where he can hear voices and reflect. This atmospheric setup in Hell serves as a compelling introduction to the story, creating a vivid sense of confinement and tension.
As the narrative progresses, we’re introduced to Billy Max and Amy Darien, two young adults leaving the orphanage. Their arc feels predictable, but it works within the context of the story. The character of Nadja Crimco, however, feels out of place. She’s summoning a demon to kill Amy, and her motivations don’t quite land for me. Although I don’t warm to her throughout the story, she does turn out to be more formidable than I initially expected, despite her somewhat obnoxious demeanor.
The story leans heavily into themes of angels and demons, which, influenced by shows like Supernatural, led me to expect certain outcomes. While the plot doesn’t take the turns I anticipated, I didn’t find that detracted from the overall experience. This book remains the best of the Crow novels published by HarperPrism, successfully pushing beyond the series' usual boundaries while maintaining its core essence.
A.A. Attanasio goes to great lengths to expand the Crow universe, offering a fascinating exploration of the possible connection between science and religion. This premise is intriguing, and I especially enjoyed the connection to the etymology of the word “enthusiasm,” which adds an intellectual layer to the narrative.
The conclusion of the story, though I had read it years ago, still surprised me. The ending is one of the most satisfying and unexpected in a Crow novel. Although Attanasio includes a chapter after the story explaining his approach to writing, which may feel like over-explanation, it’s an interesting insight into his process.
In the end, The Crow: Hellbound stands as one of the closest examples of a fully realized Crow novel, blending the franchise’s dark atmosphere with an intellectual depth that adds something new to the series.
**********************
This is my most current and likely final review for this book, on March 18,2025.
The Crow: Hellbound starts off with a captivating premise—Dren, a demon caught in the chaotic, claustrophobic landscape of Hell, grapples with feelings of displacement and the pull of something more. The exploration of Hell itself is intriguing, rich in atmosphere, and deeply abstract, creating a suffocating yet fascinating world. Attanasio does an excellent job of immersing us in the torment of his characters, and at first, the bleakness seems like it could lead to something profound.
However, as the story progresses, the focus shifts, and we’re introduced to Billy, Amy, and the increasingly odd characters they interact with. While their interactions provide moments of charm, the narrative becomes difficult to follow. Dren’s journey from Hell to Earth leads to a series of disjointed, bleak encounters, like the moment where he attempts to stop a man from jumping off a ledge—only for the jumper to succeed anyway. This moment encapsulates the book’s deeper existential themes: the futility of intervention, the weight of suffering, and the inability to truly save others.
What makes Hellbound particularly hard to engage with is its imbalance between the Crow elements and the exploration of Hell and demons. As a Crow novel, it misses the mark—there’s very little of the dark, revenge-driven justice we’ve come to expect. Instead, the story leans heavily into existential dread and metaphysical ponderings, which, while thought-provoking, sometimes leave the reader feeling disconnected from the core of what made The Crow franchise compelling in the first place.
Despite its flaws, The Crow: Hellbound is still an interesting read. If you're a fan of philosophical horror and don't mind a more abstract take on the universe, it’s worth checking out. But if you're looking for something that stays true to the Crow mythology and delivers the same visceral impact, you might find this one lacking. For me, this was a decent read, but not the Crow story I was hoping for.
March 6, 2011
Welcome to hell. No, not the hell of reading another one of my book reviews, or the hell of hearing Jennifer Lopez's latest song, but the hell that is Satan's fiery domain. For here a demon named Dren is looking for salvation and redemption and must escape the underworld and save a single soul to pass on to the heavens above.
I'm a huge fan of 'The Crow' whether it be the original movie, the graphic novel, memorabilia, or whatever...it doesn't really matter as I'm intrigued and drawn to it all. Admittedly, a few of the movies were terrible, I never cared for the tv show and some of the literature has been somewhat lacking. However, one of the better literary offerings, if not the best, is 'The Crow: Hellbound' by A A Attanasio.
I had never read any of Alfred Angelo's work before this novel and since then have only tasted his wares a couple of other times, in the Crow anthology 'Shattered Lives & Broken Dreams', but I hold firm in my belief that he is one of the most talented writers whose work I have ever read. Of course, that opinion is very much backed up in this book where the characters, the pace of the story, the overall bleak and suffocating atmosphere and the story itself are absolutely spot on in relation to what he is trying to accomplish in the novel. At times the atmosphere generated in this novel was so evil that I had to put the book down and gather myself for a few moments. I only ever recall doing that once before, reading about the Holocaust, but never have I had to pull away from a work of fiction before. Such is the depth of the writing, in the choice of words, that it's as if the writer is a perfectionist who wrote and rewrote every page until he reached the point of having the perfect choice of words...nothing less sufficing.
At first this doesn't seem like a Crow novel but more like a demon possessed book, forged of evil and filled with blasphemies and eternal darkness. As the story progresses and Dren leaves hell the story arcs into the human world and the world of The Crow, without ever leaving it's sulphuric soaked roots, where good and evil meet for the battle over a human soul. That battle is a fascinating one and even if you don't believe in heaven and hell Attanasio will drag you kicking and screaming into a world where, for a while at least, you surely will believe.
I'm a huge fan of 'The Crow' whether it be the original movie, the graphic novel, memorabilia, or whatever...it doesn't really matter as I'm intrigued and drawn to it all. Admittedly, a few of the movies were terrible, I never cared for the tv show and some of the literature has been somewhat lacking. However, one of the better literary offerings, if not the best, is 'The Crow: Hellbound' by A A Attanasio.
I had never read any of Alfred Angelo's work before this novel and since then have only tasted his wares a couple of other times, in the Crow anthology 'Shattered Lives & Broken Dreams', but I hold firm in my belief that he is one of the most talented writers whose work I have ever read. Of course, that opinion is very much backed up in this book where the characters, the pace of the story, the overall bleak and suffocating atmosphere and the story itself are absolutely spot on in relation to what he is trying to accomplish in the novel. At times the atmosphere generated in this novel was so evil that I had to put the book down and gather myself for a few moments. I only ever recall doing that once before, reading about the Holocaust, but never have I had to pull away from a work of fiction before. Such is the depth of the writing, in the choice of words, that it's as if the writer is a perfectionist who wrote and rewrote every page until he reached the point of having the perfect choice of words...nothing less sufficing.
At first this doesn't seem like a Crow novel but more like a demon possessed book, forged of evil and filled with blasphemies and eternal darkness. As the story progresses and Dren leaves hell the story arcs into the human world and the world of The Crow, without ever leaving it's sulphuric soaked roots, where good and evil meet for the battle over a human soul. That battle is a fascinating one and even if you don't believe in heaven and hell Attanasio will drag you kicking and screaming into a world where, for a while at least, you surely will believe.
January 5, 2016
An interesting book This book is about an angel that is stuck in hell and wants to save a human soul so he will be allowed entry into heaven. One of the demonic character was really annoying, since it is a snake so it pronounced everything it said a certain way. This book is like all the other crow book, because the main character isn't resurrected until 100-160 pages into the book, and it t is 237 pages long. This book is about demons in hell that come to earth to pursue a renegade angel that was in hell and escaped to save a hell bound soul that was currently suffering or in pain in some way and would need his help. However his is a liar and cannot be trusted. If you like reading about angels, demons in the human world possessing and tormenting human beings then you will like this book. I liked some of the phrases used in this book such as "summinaries of darkness" and "vessels of inequity" but I forgot what that means.I did like this book, but I wish it was more connected to the original graphic novel it gains inspiration from.All of these books are original stories but don't really relate to the crow much, which is a bit annoying that they are using the name the crow and it is only very loosely connected to James O'Barr's work.
December 18, 2013
This installment of The Crow novels was WAY more existential than I'm used to. The reader doesn't really learn to like any of the characters, although Attanasio has some really good features (Voodoo priestesses, a girl who can hear demons, etc.) The bad guys in this novel appear to be very smart, then wind up being complete bumblers who are easily possessed by the demons chasing an angel.
Dren the demon seems very fatalistic as well as clumsy. The novel itself goes into winding descriptions of the universe, of abysses, and of atoms, which are nice up to a certain point. I have two more Crow novels left, and this is one of my least favorites, second only to The Crow: Clash by Night.
Dren the demon seems very fatalistic as well as clumsy. The novel itself goes into winding descriptions of the universe, of abysses, and of atoms, which are nice up to a certain point. I have two more Crow novels left, and this is one of my least favorites, second only to The Crow: Clash by Night.
July 27, 2011
This is an interesting and different take on 'The Crow', much darker and horrific in places, but gives a good insight into the afterlife as well as the Crow. A must for any fans.
July 21, 2010
Hell.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews