The Devil's Apprentice

If you have not added the Devil's Apprentice to your TBR list yet, well you are missing out! This was a fabulous read! Keep reading, cause I cannot wait to share what I thought about this book with you!

Star rating: 5/5

Book Synopsis

Philip is a good boy, a really good boy, who accidentally gets sent to Hell to become the Devil's heir. The Devil, Lucifer, is dying and desperately in need of a successor, but there's been a mistake and Philip is the wrong boy. Philip is terrible at being bad, but Lucifer has no other choice than to begin the difficult task of training him in the ways of evil. Philip gets both friends and enemies in this odd, gloomy underworld—but who can he trust, when he discovers an evil-minded plot against the dark throne?

The Devil's Apprentice is volume 1 in The Great Devil War-series.

My Synopsis

Phillip is a good kid. He is always the one to tell the truth, help out before he is asked, and always does his homework on time. He is also the target of the week of the school bully. As he is doing his best to hide from Sam, something seems off. As he heads home, he finds a kitten stuck in a tree, and after helping the cat, he realizes the cat spoke to him. Phillip goes in search of the cat, wanting to know if he was hearing things, or if the cat really spoke.

On the way to find the cat though, Phillip is attacked by Sam again, and while attempting to get away is struck by a car. He doesn't find himself in Heaven, however, but in Hell. At first, there seems to be a mix-up. He should not be there, but after some back and forth, it seems he was expected, but not for the reason he first thought.

Lucifer is sick, and he needs someone to take over. Phillip was brought to be that person. But again, it was a mistake. It was Sam they were after, not Phillip. But now, there is nothing to be done, but to teach Phillip what he needs to know to take over for Lucifer when the times comes. However, since Phillip is so good, he struggles with the lessons in being evil, until something happens to turn his thoughts another way...




My Thoughts

Oh my goodness, I really enjoyed this book! It was such a fun read and held my attention the entire way through. I found myself laughing at Phillip, trying so hard to be bad, but instead sowing some good deeds and kindness along the way. The Devil's Apprentice has fully developed characters that you can relate to, and find yourself thinking back to when you were in school and some of the shenanigans that went on there. While Phillip has to learn to navigate through hell, he is also trying to solve a mystery and figure out who is trying to kill Lucifer.

This one of those books that needs to be read, and was a lot of fun. You are going to meet an entire cast of characters, some of whom will capture your heart, and the others you are just waiting for something bad to happen to them...




Grab this book now!




About the author




Kenneth B. Andersen (1976) is an award-winning Danish writer. He has published more than forty books for children and young adults, including both fantasy, horror, and science fiction. 

His books have been translated into more than 15 languages and his hit-series about the superhero Antboy has been turned into three movies. A musical adaptation of The Devil's Apprentice, the first book in The Great Devil War series, opened in the fall 2018 and film rights for the series have been optioned. 


Kenneth lives in Copenhagen with his wife, two boys, a dog named Milo, and spiders in the basement.

Website www.kennethbandersen.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriterKennethBAndersen/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenneth_b_andersen/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/K_B_Andersen

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kenneth-b-andersen

Thank you to The_WriteReads and the author for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for my open and honest review. Please check out my other reviews at www.beforewegoblog.com

Phillip's life is the pits. He is 13 years old, which let's be frank, is no good for anyone. On top of that, he is the frequent target of a vicious school bully who takes bullying to a whole new level, he is a genuinely kind person, and most of all, he is dead. Even worse, is that upon dying he finds himself in the fiery pits of hell instead of heaven and he is confused. And, so are all the demons around him.

There has been a grave mistake.

Thus starts Phillip's adventure, which is part Dante's Inferno and part Percy Jackson. Lucifer is dying, and he needs an heir. Is it Phillip? Can Phillip look past all his good ways to be the bad boy that he might be inside? It is a fun and smart thought. Most novels are always on the side of good and looking down their nose at the bad. But not this one. It is fun! Everyone is bad, wrong. Demons, tempters, ghosts, the devil - this story has it all in spades.

Phillip is also a very likable character. His goodness could come off as a goody-goody character with a less skilled writer, but in the hands of Anderson, Phillip is a recognizable and empathetic character. You like him, and you root for him. Plus, the twist at the ending of the story kept this from being predictable.

Overall this is an enjoyable read. I can see it being engaging for a 12-year-old or an adult. It was absolutely engaging for this adult. There are themes in the story that is understandable for everyone. Give this story a try. It will be well worth the read.

When the author reached out to me asking if I would be interested in reading and reviewing his book I read the synopsis and I was immediately intrigued. I thought this would be one of those just ok reads for me but low and behold it was way better then I ever expected it to be. Also I need to point out that this book was translated from Danish but you would never know that was the case because it was done perfectly.

This book takes place in hell and the author has done an amazing job with the world building. He is very creative and it's honestly not what I have ever pictured hell to be like. He is very descriptive but never did I feel like we were getting to much description or information.

The Devil's Apprentice is a fast paced YA novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat with anticipation. It's a story of good and evil with some action and a little bit of cutesy romance thrown in. I am definitely interested to see what the next book has in store for us.