I've been looking forward to reading this book. I loved My Best Friend's Exorcism. The style of the writing is completely fresh. You don't get to say that often. A deal with the devil over Heavy Metal music. What could go wrong? I was a bit worried that I wouldn't enjoy it because I really hate Metal. I'm more a fan of the Grunge and Alt Rock that the book mocks, but it didn't ruin anything for me. Kris starts as so pathetic that you can't help but be behind her as she pushes toward taking her life and herself back. Even watching Melanie as she decides to take control of her life was a surprise. Not where I saw her character going at all. That's another thing I don't get to say very often. I am now looking up the other books by this author and adding them to my list.

In the 90s a band called Dürt Würk was close to the success, but the lead singer Terry Hunt had other plans, made his band sign a contract that would give everything to him, at the same night they had a car accident and don't remember much what happened. Terry went solo and got famous, while the other members had to go back to normal lives.

Kris the main character is badass and a fighter, I loved her, she is in her forties and lost herself after her band broke up, now working in a hotel at night shifts alone. She goes after her former bandmate that stole her music and her soul, while connecting with the people of her past. There is also Melanie, that we don't know why she is in the story until later, she's a young woman that's trapped with student loans and a lazy boyfriend, she wants to see the last concert of her favourite band that helped her in difficult times.

Both women that I could totally related to, I felt it could be any woman working near me, both have man in their lives that's always putting them down, they want more, but is hard and scary to be alone. There are a lot tense scary moments, gross, humour, and moments I wasn't expecting to happen which keep me glued in the book.

This book personally offended me, new metal kid here, I still gave it five stars because it's great! I like that I recognized most of the bands and references here, another Hendrix book that gave me nostalgic feelings, before with My Best Friend's Exorcism again with all the music, I tried learn how to play bass when I was a teenager, made me remember of a lot of things and bands.

Thanks Quirk Books and NetGalley for the eARC, in exchange for an honest feedback.

Not a big fan of the plot/characters and style of writing. Will not be recommending it as a purchase.

This was a fun, fast paced, crazy ride of a book, it's not normally something I'd pick up but after reading My Best Friends Exorcism I definitely wanted to check out more of Grady Hendrix.

Kris Pulaski used to spend her time doing what she loved, touring the road and rocking out with the other members of Dürt Würk, the heavy metal band she played guitar for, but one night all that changed and now life has turned to shit, but what happened on contract night and how come Kris's former band mate Terry is now hugely successful

I think this is one definitely for metal fans..lotsa name dropping and heavy metal style lyrics but it's a fun read for anyone

Kris, a guitarist for a '90s metal band called Dürt Würk, finds herself broke and working the night desk at a Best Western. Her former bandmate Terry went on to become a rock star and she thinks something fishy happened with some contracts that had been presented to them by Terry's devilish manager back in the day. Oh, no! Terry sold their souls for rock and roll and Kris wants what's hers!

This was my first Grady Hendrix novel and I liked it a lot. The current timeline and backstory were equally compelling. I enjoyed the music and pop culture references throughout the book. I flew through it in less than a week and intend on reading more of this author's fiction.

Note: I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, it was really pretty good.

Metal band Durt Wurk was on the brink of success, when front man Terry Hunt (aka The Blind King) cuts a deal for himself and on behalf of the band. But guitarist, Kris Pulaski, knows something isn’t quite right about this deal. The night the contracts are signed goes very badly, the band breaks up, but Terry becomes wildly successful.

The year is 2019 now, Kris is driving home from her night shift at the Best Western when she sees a billboard advertising The Blind King’s tour. She knows she has to see Terry and the rest of her band mates. Then the obscure, funny, disturbing adventure begins as Kris tries to make her way to Hellstock ‘19.

This is the second Grady Hendrix book I’ve recently read, and I am fan. “Horror” seems too simplistic a genre for his books. They are funny, satirical, subtly complex, nostalgic, creative - pure escapism. And damn, he can write a kick-ass, strong woman protagonist. Next up: Horrorstor.

Thanks Net Galley and Quirk for the arc of this book.

After hearing so many marvelous reviews about Grady Hendrix and this book as well, I decided to dive into ‘We Sold Our Souls’. While I was entertained I didn’t love this book. After finishing it I was kind of bummed out and felt I could’ve gone on in life without reading it.

I don’t like heavy metal not one bit but I was told I didn’t need to like it to enjoy this book which was true but there was a lot of references to heavy metal which left me a bit lost. The first half of the book had me hooked but then it just fell flat for me at the other half. I enjoyed Kris’ journey to finding out what really happened all those years ago on ‘contract night’.

This was my first Grady Hendrix read and I have Paperbacks from Hell on my shelf waiting to be read. I won’t let this book stop me from reading more of Hendrix’s work, hopefully I’ll enjoy something else.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this ARC an exchange for an honest review

At its very core, We Sold Our Souls reads like a love song to metalheads and music lovers everywhere. I didn’t grow up listening to metal, I was metal-adjacent; buying the same music magazines and hanging out in the same clubs, but heading to the bar whenever the songs got too heavy for my delicate constitution.
But, for a long time in my life (maybe not so much anymore, or maybe it is still there and just lurking in the recesses of my mind), music was one of the most important things in my life. It was my guiding light, my home, the only place for a long time, that I found acceptance. And, no matter what kind of music plays that role for you, We Sold Our Souls taps into that love that, I suppose, at one point in our lives, nearly everyone has experienced.
Therefore, I don’t think you necessarily need to like metal to appreciate this book, to see yourself within its pages. Although, let’s be honest, to understand the plethora of bloody hilarious pop culture references, it probably helps.
It is a horror novel that becomes all the more powerful by tapping into that fervour, that obsession. It uses it to heighten the action, grounds the devilish story in a weird sort of distant but familiar environment of the gig scene. One that, even in real life, is characterised by excess, and emotion, and extremes; and makes the idea of soul sacrifice all the more plausible. I don’t think the song lyrics worked as well as they could have, but the entirety of the world-building and the grounding of them in the shitty-band scene that we all know and love, really worked in Grady Hendrix’s favour, to make them less of a problem than they probably would have been otherwise.
Altogether, We Sold Our Souls was like no horror novel I have ever experienced and I know, I will be considering for a long time which of the rock gods that we know and love or loathe, followed in Terry Hunt’s footsteps and made the same deal.
My vote would be for Jared Leto. I mean, that dude has it all. It is just not possible without some kind of devilish intervention.

Kris Pulaski was a rock star who almost made it, but now she lives paycheck to paycheck at a boring (if she's lucky) job as a cheap hotel desk clerk. All she has is memories of what almost was and the band member who ripped everybody off and went on to stardom, then obscurity, until she sees a billboard advertising his return tour.

This was a wild ride that earns its Horror category well and truly. Heavy on rock and roll, mainly Heavy Metal, but also you'll encounter conspiracy theories, supernatural stuff, cults, social commentary and a whole list of triggers with claustrophobia topping the list and some notable gore. If you've got a trigger, just assume it's in here somewhere.

I should mention that the characters were all distinctive and well developed, especially Kris, and the plot had unpredictable twists and all sorts of surprises.

Some parts of this were difficult for me to read, but I had to know what would happen so I persevered. The end was worth it. For the Horror fan, this is a work of art. For those who don't like Horror or tend to be squeamish, best steer clear. I can see this story developing its own cult following. Black Iron Mountain has touched the souls of all who read it.

We Sold Our Souls is sort of like a heavy metal concept album in novel form, but that doesn’t mean it’s the kind of slapdash narrative you would normally find on a long-player. Instead, it’s a propulsive read that rides on the momentum of a lost album full of revolutionary rock songs.

The author of that lost album, Kris Pulaski, is a washed-up former rock guitarist riding the desk at a Best Western. She’s stuck in that customer-service wasteland because Terry Hunt, the lead singer of her old band, Dürt Würk, sold her out, stole her music, and sued her into oblivion. It doesn’t help that the rest of the band hates her because of something terrible she did on “contract night” – the night the band fell apart in spectacular fashion.

When Kris sees a billboard for Koffin, Terry’s sell-out cash-grab nu metal band formed in the ashes of Dürt Würk, she’s at absolute rock bottom. She’s broke, friendless and soon-to-be homeless after her brother kicks her out of her dead mother’s house.

The billboard is the catalyst that sets off a bottomless store of anger she’d kept tamped deep down inside. She decides that it’s time to confront the former members of Dürt Würk and ask them why the events of contract night don’t line up in her memory.

This is a horror novel called We Sold Our Souls, though, so I’m sure it isn’t surprising to learn that something bizarre is going on behind the scenes and Kris gets caught up in its wake as soon as she gets back in touch with her old band.

I was so caught up in this book that I read the last 2/3rds in one marathon sitting, which I think is a pretty resounding endorsement. There are also two harrowing set-pieces that kept me on the edge of my seat and wincing.

I’ve read a few of Grady Hendrix’s novels now, and although this one isn’t as good as My Best Friend’s Exorcism, it delivers some solid scares while also painting a compelling picture of how music can save your life.

I loved We Sold Our Souls. It went right to that 70s and 80s horror movie soul of my own. It had action, paranoia, and a feeling of impending doom that make for a good horror read for me. Grady has quickly become a MUST BUY, and MUST READ author for me; ever since Horrorstor. I like that his characters are flawed and not really prepared for what they encounter. It could be any of us. Most people don't have special ops training that could help them fight. It made the story seem more real; like it COULD actually happen.

And the music. I am an 80's girls and I did enjoy all the references to that time.

Was it perfect? No. Nothing ever is.
I would have loved more on the actual creatures/demons. That would have made this "scarier" for me. It felt more like an end of the world thriller than horror for me. I also wanted more info on Terry and why he did what he did. It woudl have been great to hear his side.
But those are small gripes in an otherwise fun filled roller coaster ride of a book.

My suggestion? Read it. and then go back and read Grady's pother books. Now. Go on. I can wait.

I received a copy of the book form netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All options are my own (unpopular though they may be sometimes).

One thing I’ll say about Grady Hendrix: he really knows how to tell stories about the things he’s passionate about. His newest book We Sold Our Souls is described as a version of the famous Faust legend but with a heavy metal twist, and the entire thing reads very much like a love letter to the music genre. Still, whether or not you consider yourself a metal head, I predict anyone with an appreciate for horror and dark fiction will be able to rock out to the beat of this zany in-your-face novel of fun and frights.

Opening in the 90’s, the story introduces readers to protagonist Kris Pulaski, just another awkward teenager hiding out in her basement, strumming out a few tentative chords on her new guitar. Fast forward about three decades later, she is now a middle-aged woman, barely making ends meet as she works night shifts at her local Best Western. Looking at her, few would suspect she was once a rising star in the rock music scene, playing lead guitar for Dürt Würk, a band that was on the verge of making the big time. However, that was before their front man, Terry Hunt, decided to sell out his bandmates on what has become known as “contract night”—for that was the night Terry made them all sign their names to a deal which would eventually lead to his own stardom, while the rest of them were left behind and forgotten.

Now in the present day, the former members of Dürt Würk are all barely scraping by, save of course for Terry, who has raked in millions and is making headlines again with the recent announcement about a farewell tour for his solo act, Koffin. Though she cannot recall exactly what happened, Kris does find it very strange how nothing in her life has gone her way ever since contract night, and as it turns out, Terry’s success might not have been his own doing after all, but rather bought in exchange for his bandmates’ souls all those years ago. Furious when she discovers what has been done to her, Kris decides it’s high time to get the band back together again. After making plans to track down her old pals Scottie the guitarist, Tuck the bassist, and Bill the drummer to tell them the truth of what Terry did, our protagonist embarks upon a cross-country journey to finally confront the man who ruined all their lives.

Of the three novels I’ve read by the author so far, We Sold Our Souls may be the darkest and most complex of them all. Taking readers forwards and backwards in time, Hendrix gives us a rather bleak glimpse into the lives of a group of aging rockers, which is a dreary enough subject all by itself even without the evil supernatural shenanigans. If there is an analogous term for a “coming of age” type of story that explores on the growth of a protagonist into middle age and beyond, it would suit this book well. Filled not with the themes of hope, ambition, and dreams for the future but instead focusing on the failures, regrets, and what-could-have-beens of the past, the novel follows a flat broke and worn-down Kris who once did what she loved but has now hit rock bottom. But even so, her love for the music never died, and I believe this, in the end, is what made the story’s conclusion so triumphant and satisfying.

Also, when it comes to Hendrix’s work, nothing is ever straightforward and simple—and I mean that in a good way. Often his books are associated with plenty of humor as well as some kind of “hook” (like Horrorstör, a novel about a haunted IKEA-like furniture big box crafted to look like a catalog). Heavy metal is obviously the main selling point here, though as usual, Hendrix’s way of handling the topic, as well as his clear love for the music and understanding of the culture kept this from becoming a mere gimmick. It’s also fascinating how he’s incorporated the idea of “selling out” with the concept of making a deal with the devil—not a new idea, obviously, but I did like how he’s managed to tie in all the references to rock musical culture, fandom, and history to create something that will resonate to the readers who knew the 80’s and 90’s metal scene well.

And then, of course, there is the horror, which is as always the author’s forte. While We Sold Our Souls is in no way a typical horror novel, I still think it would appeal to most horror fans, simply because of the way it employs certain classic themes of the genre. Even though no part of the story was particularly scary to me, there were plenty of bits I found creepy or psychologically uncomfortable, like the kind of dread you feel as you read about or anticipate bad stuff happening to good characters. In any case, it’s easy to immerse yourself in Hendrix’s stories, because he’s so good at creating atmosphere. As I alluded to earlier though, it was the climax and conclusion that really killed it. This was the sort of ending that would leave your heart racing hours after you finish the book. It was just that epic.

All told, I thought We Sold Our Souls was Grady Hendrix best book to date, and it also shows how far he’s come as a writer. With each novel, he seems to be coming up with even bigger and better ideas, and if he keeps it up, he could become a new favorite horror author. I’m looking forward to what he comes up with next.

We’ve all heard folk tales about musicians selling their souls to demons at a crossroads in exchange for fame and fortune. But what if the most famous musician in the world really had done just that, and what if, rather than selling his own soul, he sold those of his bandmates instead? That’s the premise behind We Sold Our Souls which Sophie read earlier this month.

Written by Grady Hendrix (and could there be a more perfect author’s name for such a book?) – this novel is a love poem to metal, right down to its chapter titles which are the names of classic albums. In its pages, Kris Pulaski, the former guitarist of Durt Wurk who now works the graveyard shift at a run-down Best Western, embarks upon a voyage across America to finally stop the former bandmate who ruined her life. It’s a homage to the power of metal and its fantasy universes filled with metaphor and dragons to change our lives by showing us the door to a less mundane existence. In We Sold Our Souls, music really can change the world.

The story is told between snippets of radio interviews and magazine reviews which add an extra sense of realism for all of us who grew up buying music magazines every week to learn the latest from our favorite bands, and it intricately laces today’s internet conspiracy theories with 80s fantasy metal concepts to create something utterly unique. Sophie would have liked a slightly cleaner ending that tied off a few of the loose strings, but the one that’s given works well.

You don’t have to be a fan of classic metal to like this book (Sophie admits she’s far from a metalhead herself) but fans will find even more layers to love. If you ever wanted to be in a band, or even just grew up loving one, you’ll enjoy this book.

In the 90s, heavy metal band Dürt Würk was on the brink of stardom. But after creative differences, their singer Terry Hunt embarked on a solo career that eventually saw him rise to the top of the music world.

Today, Würk’s former ace guitarist Kris works the night shift at a Best Western hotel, and she discovers Terry’s stardom may have come at a price she and her former band mates were never aware of.

What follows is a wild road trip tale full of conspiracies, endless heavy metal references, a dash of occultism, and one satisfying finale centered around an unreleased metal album.

Music fans and musicians will love some of the band situations here, and any horror fan will be happy with Hendrix’s addictive prose. I loved the section with conspiracy nut JD, who steals every scene.

A fun ride worthy of two devil horns up!

Here's a book that I liked so much in spite of certain parts being totally bonkers.
We Sold Our Souls is about survival, friendship, and one woman's quest to know the truth about her life's biggest and ultimate betrayal.
Kris has fought all her life to be a member of a band called Durt Wurk and she is one hell of a guitarist. But an untimely betrayal and a bad decision break the band. While dire consequences are suffered, their lives are never the same. A life that has all its joy sucked in, a life with a huge void.

But Kris wants answers and she won't stop until she gets them.

'We Sold Our Souls' is all about heavy metal and that, heavy metal never dies, and the only way in an album is to move forward. All that is combined with a bit of supernatural, and a lot of other scarier stuff and only strengthens the mystery.
While the supernatural beings didn't convince me much, I liked the concept of selling souls for fame and an entire album based around the same. The problems and the solutions- all revolving around these songs that guide the plot very maturely.

The thrill is certainly well written and I was more than anxious for the climax because a concept like this will never have a regular ending. And boy, did it surprise me?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though these are the genres I never read. And I never thought I would like this book so much.

Kris Pulaski used to be the guitarist in a heavy metal band called Dürt Würk. Right before they hit the big time, the band's frontman, Terry Hunt, decided to go solo as Koffin, becoming rich and famous so fast it's as if he sold his soul to the devil.

Twenty years later, Kris works at a Best Western and finds out, via a giant billboard, Koffin is returning for a farewell tour. The information floods Kris with past resentment and anger, fueling her to embark on a journey to confront Terry and find out what really happened on the night the band broke up.

I loved this book! The journey Kris goes through is so epic, it's reminiscent of Lord of the Rings. The plot has lots of twists that I didn't see coming and scenes that shocked me, making me stay up late reading to see what happened next.

Kris was such a kickass heroine. She goes through so much in this book—crawling through tunnels, watching people die in front of her, being held prisoner at a rehab centre, and so much more—and never gives up, she just keeps fighting. All the characters are relatable and I liked all the bandmates Kris reunited with along the way.

You don't have to be a huge heavy metal fan (I'm not) to enjoy We Sold Our Souls. There are probably lots of references to metal music that went over my head, so if you're a fan of metal (or just a horror fan) you need to read this book.

We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix is a 2018 Quirk Books publication.
It’s the 90s and heavy metal rules the rock and roll music machine.
Dürt Würk is right on the cusp of fame when suddenly their singer, Terry Hunt, pulls out, goes solo, changes his name and becomes a mega-superstar. He leaves his former bandmates in the dust, taking everything with him, including the rights to their music.

Decades pass, and Dürt Würk’s guitarist, Kris Pulaski, is barely scraping by, working as the night manager at a Best Western motel. Her dreary, miserable days suddenly explode into a fight for her very soul when she makes a shocking discovery about Terry’s meteoric rise to fame. It is imperative she reconnect with her former bandmates and get the band back together.

Meanwhile, Terry, aka, ‘Koffin’, is headlining a massive rock show in Las Vegas with record breaking crowds expected to attend. If Kris doesn’t get there in time, many more souls may be lost.

Full disclosure- I read Grady Hendrix’s ‘Paperbacks from Hell’ and loved it. The book highlighted pulp horror novels from an era I was familiar with, and it was done with humor, and intelligence. So, when I saw this book by Hendrix, I couldn’t resist. The thing is I don’t read horror novels a lot, except around Halloween, and I was never into the type of metal featured in this story, but…



I have a son who was just at the right age to appreciate pure metal and I heard my fair share of it bleeding through his bedroom walls. The 'nu-metal' was also in the house, which is, evidently, according to this novel- frowned upon by purists. Anyway, my point is, I am familiar enough with the culture to recognize the bands and understood most of the references.

At the end of the day, the story is one that has endured for ages- the classic myth of selling one’s soul for fame and fortune, with the devil getting the last laugh. Except in this case, souls were sold without their knowledge, and they are desperate to free themselves from the contract which has sealed their fate. This is a nice twist, and I loved that Kris is a kick-butt female guitarist in an overwhelmingly male dominated environment.

Of course, this is a cautionary tale and there is a moral to the story. I love that about this book. It’s a gory, supernatural, futuristic horror story, featuring hardcore metal music, but there is still message and a lesson to be learned from it. While the legend of ‘selling one’s soul’ conjures up woo-doo, a thing about chickens, and visions of crossroads, and is often taken in the literal sense, I think it’s allegorical and yes, many a musician has fallen into the trap.

There are other points the author zooms in on, that while not entirely original, will still make you think. The one downside was the ending. I was expecting a huge, epic showdown, but it ended up being a whimper instead of a roar. Other than that, this story is an homage to heavy metal, to rock and roll, and horror novels. It’s a little tense, has some gross out gore, but also a healthy dose of humor and satire. It will also give you nightmares about UPS trucks, but overall, this is rip-roaring, spine-tingling tale of horror, but was also a whole lot of fun to read!

Heavy metal meets the devil in this third novel from Grady Hendrix. I LOVED Hendrix’s first two novels, Horrorstör and My Best Friend’s Exorcism, so I was really psyched to get an eARC copy of this new release in time for Halloween. We Sold Our Souls centers around Kris, a woman who played guitar for a popular heavy metal band in the 1990s. The band broke up under mysterious circumstances before they could make it big and now, 30 years later, Kris has to reconnect with her band mates to find out how and why they drifted apart.As much as I love Grady Hendrix and his ironic brand of horror writing, I wasn’t crazy about this one. It was almost too action-packed. There just wasn’t enough downtime in the story to explain what the hell was going on. I finished it last night and I’m still a little confused. I’m also not exactly a heavy metal fan, so I had to Wikipedia a lot of the more obscure band references 😬. But hey, if metal and action-heavy stories with lots of blood and gore are your thing, you should definitely look this one up.

What a fun horror book! I have read Hendrix's previous two novels and devoured them. I stayed up late to finish "We Sold Our Souls". It took me a bit to get into it but once I did I could not put this book down. I also started listening to Dolly Parton again. I love that Hendrix love to tell stories that are campy and amazing.

I’d read, and really enjoyed My Best Friend’s Exorcism so I was really happy to get my hands on We Sold Our Souls.
Kris Pulaski is working a dead end job in a hotel reception. She and her band Durt Wurk had looked destined for stardom until their lead singer abandoned them and reached meteoric status with his new band Koffin. Something about his level of success never seemed to add up, and as Koffin’s farewell tour is announced, Kris decides its time she was paid her dues.
As with NBFE Hendrix creates a really evocative feeling of time and place. The descriptions of the American underbelly feel authentic and he creates characters you really root for. For a male writer, I feel he writes s female perspective and experience really well.
The novel rattles along at a great pace and is thoroughly enjoyable. I deducted one star, from the four I would have given it, because I felt a little disappointed by the ending.