Reviewed by Kayti Nika Raet for Readers' Favorite

In the King of the Nine Hells by Dean Klein, there is a book of black magic and dark sorcery, a book so evil that to even disparage it is to invite harm and ruin. It is called the Imprecatio Sortiarii and it is alive. After being safely hidden away for centuries, it is released into the world when a London book merchant, in a fit of avarice, steals the ancient tome and eventually sells it to David Carver, a man living in Connecticut. Heeding the book's nefarious whispers, David soon gets his every whim and desire granted; all he has to do is release the book's true master and let him wreak havoc on the world. Now it is up to Peter Ashford, a theologian at Oxford University, to find the book and stop its evil before all hell breaks loose.

King of the Nine Hells by Dean Klein is a fast paced, action packed, exciting book that reads like a movie. It grabs you from the beginning and refuses to let up the suspense as the pages go by. Klein's description of the Imprecatio Sortiarii makes it something you definitely don't want in your house. Once you're finished reading King of the Nine Hells, you might want to sleep with the lights on after encountering its thoroughly creepy ending. An enjoyable read with hints of a sequel, King of the Nine Hells by Dean Klein is perfect for any reader looking for a night of thrills and chills.

Reviewed by K.J. Simmill for Readers' Favorite

There are some books that should never be read. Some power and promises that are better left undelivered, lost in the flow of time. Such could be said about the Imprecation Sortairii. Forged in the Dark Ages, its power is both ancient and terrifying. When an antique bookshop owner happened on it he could hardly believe his luck. It didn't matter that the tome was not for sale, and its acquisition, which should have eased some of his burdens, did nothing but add to them. It was sold and returned, deemed evil, haunted and cursed, but that is just part of its lore. Anyone possessing it can have their dreams come true, for a price. Its last return came with a request, one which was not heeded, and now it threatens to unleash unknown terror on the world and all whose path it crosses.

Dean Klein's King of the Nine Hells is a thriller/horror tale spanning an era from the Dark Ages to the present day, building up the events as they unfold. The author has multiple main characters, from the scribe of the grimoire to those whose hands it touches. With such a vast and timeless tale, the author has ensured a clear indication of time and place at the start of each chapter, making it easy to follow and understand, especially since each chapter adopts only one character's narrative. There are some great scene settings and developments. Threats, fear, and tension build from the first page to the last, with an ever-escalating danger that keeps you intrigued and both eager and terrified to find out what will happen next.

Reviewed by Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite

A book seller keen on making some good money does not know what he sets in motion in King Of The Nine Hells by Dean Klein. During an auction, an antique book seller quite illegally acquires a book he believes will make him a lot of money – money that he desperately wants. Unfortunately, the rather ugly and creepy book that is bound in wolf’s skin is not just any ordinary old book on the occult. It is something far more sinister than just a book. It promises its owner unbelievable powers, but at a price that would be far too high for most people. Unfortunately, the book also has the habit of making bad things happen to people who utter something less than positive about the book while in its presence. The chain of unfortunate events eventually takes the book to someone with a soul dark enough to make use of it. Only a worried Oxford University theologian and a mysterious Scottish gentleman have a chance to set things right before the book fulfills its ultimate goal – which would mean hell on Earth. Literally.

I almost didn’t pick up King Of The Nine Hells by Dean Klein as the description mentioned it was loosely inspired by Harry Potter. But the plot sounded appealing to me as I like stories about mysterious books. Fortunately, this book was a lot more appealing to me than Harry Potter and I did make it to the end without ever feeling bored. It was interesting to see the story was told from different perspectives, i.e. you don’t just get to follow the heroes, but you also see how the new owner of the book slowly turns into someone evil who stops for nothing and no one. The pace of the book was just right and I liked how Scotland played such an important role (it’s where I currently live), but the Scottish accents were a bit hard to read. The end of the novel was a bit of a surprise, and very well done. I wonder whether the end will mean there might be a sequel?

Fabulous! This book is so good it's scary! And it is scary! Thought I was reading something from Stephen King.

Of all the books I've read in the genre of fantasy or horror, this is one of the best. There's nothing simple or slow about it. And it's not a light book to read, either. Some of the text is downright fascinating. And its 'special effects' are as good or better than those of Mr. King himself. Actually, I've never seen better. What a conclusion! A must-read for aficionados of the occult.

One of the best books I have ever read! An amazing story that is downright creepy, but nothing I have ever seen before. Highly recommend!

Super creepy story. Very tense, imaginative and thrilling. What an ending! Hope there's a follow-up to this because, if there is, I can't wait to read it.

My girlfriend mentioned this book to me, saying it was great. So I got it and read it, too. She was right! A wonderful story that you cannot stop reading. This author is amazing!

I'm an avid reader. Have been all my life. Just finished reading this book today. Kind of startled by it. I've never heard of this author but he has produced something that that's different from anything I've read in this genre. The whole story is just riveting to read. No matter where he takes you, the action never stops! My heart was pounding in my chest at certain parts, especially the ending. I don't know who the Readers Favorite reviewer is, but the first part of her review is poorly written and misleading. Plus, if 5 stars is an A, does she really mean this book is a B? If this is a B book, I'd like to see what she thinks is an A book. Sorry, Kayti. 5 stars for me. Six, if possible.

What a story! Unbelievably good. You cannot tear through this book. It feels as though each page holds you tight. Highly, highly recommended.

This is a book I personally would never read. Horror is not my thing. But being click happy on Goodreads one afternoon, I accidentally marked and rated a book I had not actually read. So, by way of an apology to the author I bought it and read it. It has taken me a fortnight to work out how to compose my review. This book should come in a plan wrapper with one word written big across the front of it - WARNING! Because you see we have had some snow days here lately and the inevitable happened, no power. So, I ended up with nothing else to do but finish the latter half of King of the Nine Hells by candlelight, and that dear reader was my mistake, I scared myself witless!! Trust me when I say this is not your normal creaking stairs, fang-dripping-blood horror tale. It is layered beautifully and written in a very clever style, which the author Dean Klein uses with sophistication. I am not going to start picking out certain points in the book because I don't understand how the spoiler button works! If horror is your bag, you need to be reading this. This author needs all the support he can get...he has a wife and Jaguar to support