This is an enjoyable historical fantasy woven around Dante's Inferno, the Grail legends, and the history of the Knights Templar. The focus, however, is less on knights than it is on poets and theologians. Wisehart obviously loves medieval poetry and has studied theology, but the book never gets bogged down in "clever" asides. The substance of the poetry and beliefs have a direct impact on the plot, and you don't need to have an understanding of those topics to enjoy it.

This is not a great novel, but it's unique and a pleasure to read. ( )

As someone who has enjoyed reading Dante's Inferno, and has a strong interest in Medieval Europe, I was looking forward to reading this book. I was not expecting the depth of knowledge of the period from the author. Mr. Wisehart obviously has a love for Medieval texts, and quotes from them often through the philosophical and theological arguments of William of Ockham (a noted English Franciscan friar best remembered for developing the principle of Occam's Razor) and the poet Giovanni Boccaccio (author of the Decameron, among others). Other notable figures from this era in Europe are also mentioned, or have small parts to play in the story. If you have an interest in Medieval literature or history, you will probably love this story.

As other reviewers have noted, there are a fair amount of passages in Latin scattered throughout. Please don't let this deter you from reading the story and enjoying it. While I agree it would have been translation of the text (even in an appendix or footnote), the tale can be enjoyed without the Latin if you don't want to look it up yourself.

I do also agree that some of the vocabulary and erratic writing style can be a bit disjointed. I think that with a bit of judicious editing, these problems could be fixed. I think the characters are fairly well-developed, although I did not feel terribly attached to any of them. I am reminded a little of Umberto Eco's writing, but without the dense and overly intellectual feel of his style that is a distinct turn-off for many readers. This novel is more accessible to the general public.

Overall I enjoyed the story. Mr. Wisehart has an obvious passion for Medieval Europe, and this passion translates well in his work. I am looking forward to reading more from Mr. Wisehart in the future. ( )

Disclaimer: I received this ebook via the LibraryThing Member Giveaway direct from the author.

I'm a sucker for biblical mythology so when I saw this would play heavily with Dante's Inferno, I had high hopes. When I discovered that the story takes place in a world where the Inferno was a travelogue rather than a work of fiction, I was even more excited. I sat back, set my mind to the mid-fourteenth century, and let the cart pull me forth.

Devil's Lair reads like a by-the-book screenplay; enter the scene late, exit it right before the viewer (reader) fits all the pieces together. I'd wager a practiced screenwriter could adapt this work and leave very little out as this appears to be a tightly woven tale. Aside from the premise, there's really nothing new here - we've got a small but varied party setting out on an adventure, encountering obstacles and enduring hardships from battles to disbelieving patrons, finding strength in themselves and each other - but all of those little pieces are done exceptionally well and they add up to a fulfilling whole. The pacing and subplots kept me interested from cover to cover and I enjoyed seeing the familiar faces--some in new places--when the group traverses the levels of Hell. For the most part, the pacing enabled Devil's Lair to feel much shorter than its true length as I flicked the pages by.

The chemistry and tension between the characters seemed believable if a little simple at times. The medieval setting aids in the belief as the religious fervor of that age could compel people to do things that some rational thinking would oppose. Regardless, their interactions and qualities more than made up for any arched eyebrows I may have made.

One section did jump out at me as feeling misplaced but it appears much later in a fairly stress-laden chapter. The slight vulgarity just didn't sit well with me as being in-character but that's really a very minor nit to pick. It simply made me do the literary equivalent of a double-take in an otherwise beautifully smooth narrative.

The ending itself was perfect. Upon reflection it was completely telegraphed but done so in that clever "ah, so that's why you set it up like that" way. You've no doubt seen it before but again, like many things in this book, that familiar element was portrayed exquisitely. It manages to wrap up the story completely as well as keep in mind that the Inferno's reality just may be our own. ( )

I went into Devil’s Lair with a lot of excitement, eager for a read on one of my favorite historical eras. That it promised to include generous helpings of Dante’s Inferno made me even more eager.

I have to say that I was not disappointed. Wisehart does a magnificent job with character development, painting a vivid portrait of deep characterization on very different people—the wounded knight, the fallen priest, Giovanni the poet, and the epileptic woman with visions.

I felt the development of the characters was exceptionally well done in the first half of the book, while action and a faster pace dominated the second half. I have read Dante’s Inferno a few times, and I enjoyed it, but I wonder if someone not familiar with Dante would find as much pleasure in Devil’s Lair.

The only complaint I have is Wisehart’s use of his obviously extensive vocabulary. I love being sent to the dictionary now and then to learn a new word, or to get clarification on what I thought was the proper definition of a word, but I found myself going a little too often in Devil’s Lair. Ordinarily I wouldn’t mind so much, with electronic reading and the dictionary literally at your fingertips, but—and this might be an annoyance for some—many of the words weren’t even listed in the Kindle dictionary, so I was forced to look them up on Google. While this was enlightening in one sense, it was frustrating in another. I felt that 90% of the time the author could have made his point just as well with a simpler word.

Devil’s Lair is not a typical page-turner in the sense of action, or mystery; it is more a book that must be devoured one delicious page at a time, and I did just that. It took me longer to read than most books, but then again, this one made me stop and think—something I relish, as I don’t do enough of it. The descriptions in Wisehart’s book are detailed, the story is true to the era and the masterpiece it draws so well from, and the dialogue can be thought provoking and enlightening.

If you are a fan of Dante’s Inferno, or enjoy that era of Italian history, by all means I would recommend you pick up Devil’s Lair. You won’t be disappointed. ( )

Devil's Lair started off pretty slow in the beginning and kind of lost my attention. It didn't actually start picking up for me until they actually reached Hell and start descending down the circles. The characters were good, I really enjoyed William the Friar and Marco. Mr. Wisehart did an excellent job in developing the character's personalities and telling their different backrounds.

I really enjoyed the ending but it just wasn't enough. I really wish we could have seen the same sort of intensity throughout most of the book rather than the last few chapters. ( )