Cassie is a 20 something goth girl who’s just moved to a sprawling old house in the country with her father. Her sister recently committed suicide. She discovers that there is a gateway to Hell in her new house and embarks on a journey into Hell, to save her sister’s damned soul. City Infernal chronicles her journey through the Mephistopolis, the capital city of Hell, in glorious detail. This is where Lee’s gore mongering and incredible inventiveness really shine. He spends a great deal of the novel describing the workings of the City Infernal, from Hell’s police patrols that butcher people in the streets without warning, to the rivers of blood, the arcane magic system, Hell-spawned wildlife, grotesque curio shops, famous residents, and internal politics. Lucifer rules over everything from his high rise in the center of the city and the fallen angel Ezoriel is the head of a resistance army that carries out terrorist style attacks against Lucifer. The plot itself is pretty straight forward. Cassie goes to Hell and eventually joins forces with Ezoriel’s army in an attack on Lucifer in an attempt to free her sister’s soul from his grasp. (I won’t reveal if they are successful or not. There is a sequel.) So if the idea of a gorey, humorous, inventive description of Hell as a functioning city like New York, but with its own insane rules, doesn’t appeal to you, there probably won’t be much here for you. But if it does, this book is a great, fun ride.