Prison of Hope (The Hellequin Chronicles Book 4)

Take a basic historical setting, mix with gritty, action-packed urban fantasy, add a generous helping of favourite mythology, and stir well. If you want to know what this recipe makes, read Prison of Hope, book 4 of the Hellequin Chronicles by master-chef Steve McHugh. Pandora has escaped again, and Nate Garrett aka Hellequin has been given the task of recapturing her, as he has done many times before. But Pandora is not imprisoned behind stone walls or barred windows, she has been put into the body of a human female named Hope. The story moves between 1936 Germany and the present day, and many plot twists guarantee the reader is held captive right until the closing words of this brilliant story by Steve McHugh, the leading British writer of urban fantasy. A feast fit for a King, no less!

Anyone who enjoys stories about magic,mythology and the ongoing war between good and evil will love these books!I love that whilst there is a long term story line you could genuinely pick up any of the books I've read, in any order and be able to read them as individual books but if you enjoy the bigger picture then always start from the beginning.I have picked this up at every opportunity and snuck in a chapter whenever I've had a spare minute, it's so addictive.

Bought this on a whim as it was on a 99p special offer with Amazon Kindle, what an absolute revelation!!!Stories are excellent, the characters are funny and interesting and the magic, monsters and mythology is a great spin onand old story, absolutely brilliant find and I can't put these books down.

Seriously getting more and more impressed with this season. The story again runs in present and in the past bringing together two threads to show how Nathan's has become the man who he is.The story telling is definitely evolved as well and it felt a like a more mature story but still flowed seamlessly throughout with a welcome return to most of the best characters in the series. Nates powers are continuing to grow and I'm sure there will be a surprise in there somewhere which will be a belter.Again I'm sure some people will say it isn't for them but in all honesty if you want a good read that will keep you entertained and hooked you can't go wrong. My only issue is that I read themover a couple days and the wait till the next one seems an age away.Can not wait till the next one.

I keep buying these books one after the other. Because I'm hooked. The plots are amazingly well written, the badies aren't always bad, the Goodies have very dark sides, god's, magic, history..... What more could u ask for!?You learn more about Nate's passed and his pain. That man gets beated up way too much. But brilliant book. Can't wait to get started on the next book

I'm generally not fond of fantasy books written by male writers because they tend to be over-violent for my taste. However, I have been addicted to the Hellequin Chronicles since I tried the second one in the series (silly place to start I know!). Yes, there is violence but also lots of humour, good characterisation and sub-plots within the stories which leave you wanting more. The underlying question of who is Hellequin is tantalisingly revealed a little more with each story.The sign of a good book for me is when I know I can go back and re-read it - finding little things I'd overlooked or forgotten about - they become like old friends. I'm always delighted when I find a new author where I can't wait for the next book - I already have it on pre-order.

This has been my favourite story in the series so far.Brilliant plot, characters that really came to life and the attention to detail that I have come to expect from McHugh's work.There were also a few laugh out loud moments which I always love! A little bit of romance too.I have to go start the next one.....thanks

Fantastic plot line with passed and present stories blending beautifully.Wonderful characters, relatable, easy to empathise with and a nice dash of wit thrown in.I've already started the next book.Enjoy.

Just love this series and listening to it on audiobook make it come to life. I love how the author takes mythology and explains that the gods and heroes existed.A marvellous book, highly recommended

Good easy read. Lots of action and a lovable hero. Good moments of humour.

Prison of Hope is yet another amazing book in the series "The Hellequin Chronicles". I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to start reading the next book in the series!

Zwar sind heute solche Romane meist Aufgüsse alter Ideen, aber die entwickelte Welt ist stimmig und es gibt eine Charakterentwicklung, die Spaß macht.

Filled a few more gaps in the series. Its amazing all the new powers and skills this 1600 year old sorcerer has gained in his latest 40-50 years. Like the backfill histories.

Great read!!

Great books, great fantasy.

Very enjoyable series.

The latest Hellequin novel continues this series in fine style, and my only regret is that now I need to wait for the next one.

this is a great series of books, if you like the Dresden Files or Monster Hunter inc. you will love this series

Good book!Can't tell you more, still reading!

After reading the first book in this series, "Crimes against Magic", I was curious as to where the author would take his characters. The synopsis of "Prison of Hope" sounded promising, so I bought it and began reading. The categorisations of blood magic and necromancy and the slightly shifted portrayals of mythological characters was at first interesting but tends to become a bit worn. Somehow I seem to miss the truly "magical" (in the sense of arcane, awe-inspiring, full of wonder) in the portrayal of the magic that Nate uses. Some things seem a bit formulaic: all of the ancient gods and famous characters seem to be incredibly rich, the fights start to resemble each other and always nearly kill Nate, there is a great deal of explaining and telling as opposed to showing. The novel is nevertheless entertaining and, if half stars were allowed, I'd rate it three and a half.

The Hellequin stories really start picking up here, perhaps with better editing which cleans up the duration of battle scenes and cutting the "travel here, excessive detail about rooms and clothing" bit out of the stories. I can name a few "epic novelist" authors who would benefit from a lot of that type of editing (cough wheel of time cough).Prison of Hope highlights Pandora, who I find to be a supremely interesting addition to the Hellequin story. She's a wildcard, and presents a strategy challenge both to Hellequin and the rest of the growing cast of characters. I'm enjoying the character development and evolution of the story.

Aside from the usual twist and retake on mythology, loved that there was a Naruto reference in here!!Nate Garett is such an interesting man. Here you learn about two loves in his past and we delve a bit more into the past of the Hellequin and Pandora. The Pandora of this story is nothing like I would have imagined. This books brought home the fact that sometimes the best thing for all may not always be the easiest or right path. It's about tough choices and consequences. It's a bit crazy and sad to me that Nate is always the one cleaning up the mess and racking up bad guys.As usual this is a must read in the series that won't leave fans disappointed. There are twists till the very end. Now I'm addicted. I've read three of these books in one weekend lol.

This is Nathan Garret's fourth adventure. It's a complete story on its own and does a good job of explaining the key concepts and characters, but also builds heavily on previously known characters and established backstory. Best to not to start here - go back to Crimes against Magic (book 1).Tartarus, like all mythical things, isn't quite as legends say. But it is the involuntary home of beings too dangerous to stay free. In 1936, the only known breakout occurred when the demon/human hybrid Pandora escaped and was tracked by sorcerer Nathan Garret. Now someone else hopes to become a second "success" story...Prison of Hope promises to be the most ambitious Hellequin novel right off the bat by opening with a "List of Characters" section, naming key persons in both the flashback and current time periods. It's a nice touch. Since the list is quite long it of course helps as a reference to keep everyone straight as the reader progresses, but it also raises anticipation for the appearances of some of the familiar mythological beings named that haven't shown up in the series before. The skill with which McHugh blends numerous mythologies and magic systems into a cohesive world is masterful, as is his ability to then turn things on their head in believable, logical ways. His take on both Pandora and the Greek pantheon is fascinating and adds a lot of intrigue to the plot.The flashback and modern time stories parallel and complement each other beautifully and the pace stays brisk and gripping throughout. McHugh has really found the perfect balance at this point of answering old questions and organically creating new ones in each new book to keep the series from getting stale without losing the suspense and atmosphere at the center of Hellequin's appeal. Each new clue or detail about Nate's past is a treat. There's strong appearances by established supporting cast members as well as several new characters who are all well developed and distinct. And often annoying, but antagonists are supposed to be.I'm going to wrap up here to avoid spoiling any of the surprises Prison of Hope has in store. One key reveal is actually spoiled in the book description, so if you've somehow found my review without reading that try to avoid it.Prison of Hope is another great entry into the Hellequin series, which just keeps getting better and better. Bring on book 5!