Yes, you're right, curious. Hades and hell are not synonymous. Just a figure of speech
Sorry the demo sucked for you—it is a very heavy combat hack-n-slash game, lacking in subtlety as far as rpg elements, but I find the skill masteries a lot of fun—and I like to mindlessly kill things. I can understand that it might not be a role player's dream.

OT: The novel sounds quite interesting. I'll keep a lookout for it at my favorite used bookstore—they're an internet outlet and sell all books for $1 or less, so I can feed my reading habit fairly cheaply. Picked up a copy of "The Hunger" there today.