Unspeakable horrors have been unleashed on Asheville, North Carolina. Spectral demons tear victims apart from the inside out, leaving nothing but gory destruction in their wake. And their next victim is one of the biggest extradimensional crime lords around—the One Guy. To survive a fate equal to but also worse than death, he’ll have to convince Black Box Inc. to save his sorry ass.
Chase Lawter and his crack team—an omnisexual yeti, an ex-Fae assassin, and a business savvy zombie—are tasked with transporting the One Guy to Washington, D. C. where the Department of Extradimensional Affairs will put the crime lord into protective custody. That is, if Chase and Black Box Inc. can evade blood ghasts, dimentionalist rednecks, vengeance-seeking kobolds, and whatever other enemies are in hot pursuit of the One Guy.
He’s made a lot of enemies. Including Chase, who knows you can’t trust the One Guy as far as you can throw him.
I love Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. It's been four years since "Skin Game" was published. Four LOOOONG years. If you've read any of the Dresden Files, Harry Dresden has a certain je ne sais quoi that no other character manages...until now.
Snarky with a sarcastic wit, Chase Lawter is the "defiler of dimensions"; that's a lower case d. You'd think this sounds like a prodigious title, but alas, no, it's completely an insult. Chase wields dim to form and store boxes in between dimensions, and he's the only one that does. He has made a business, Black Box, Inc., out of doing so. His merry bunch of misfits consists of Lassa, the handsome omnisexual shaven yeti; Sharon, zombie business manager extraordinaire; and Harper, savage, ex-fae assassin. This is actually the second book in the series, but as the title says is a standalone ass whompin'. No prior experience needed.
Set in Asheville, North Carolina, BBI is tasked with delivering the One Guy to Washington D.C's Department of Extradimensional Affairs into their custody. Fleeing blood ghasts, spectral beings that explode their victims from the inside out, the team hits the road. With double-crossing from all sides and multiple agendas, it's not as simple as it seems. They run the gauntlet with not only the blood ghasts, but unforgiving kobolds, hostile rednecks in pickup trucks, and ginormous catfish. They meet some worthy adversaries, who jump on the meat wagon (literally) and help them throw some lead, among other things, at those who come after them.
Blood Ghast Blues is an uproariously fun action-packed wild ride. Chase is the best kind of hero, in that he doesn't believe he is one. The One Guy is the guy you love to hate. Lassa is a charming horndog. Harper is deadpan and deadly. Sharon has the brains. Jake Bible writes all his characters uniquely, and with charisma. He melds all of them together in a rambunctious, rip-roaring good time. This won't be my last Jake Bible book.
If you hate sarcasm, blood and guts, and language, pass this one, but if you are like me and needing a Dresden fix, Blood Ghast Blues goes a long way to filling that niche.
5 Paws Up!
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Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review!
About the Author
Jake Bible, Bram Stoker Award nominated-novelist, short story writer, independent screenwriter, podcaster, and inventor of the Drabble Novel, has entertained thousands with his horror, sci/fi, thriller, and adventure tales. He reaches audiences of all ages with his uncanny ability to write a wide range of characters and genres.
Jake is the author of the bestselling Z-Burbia series set in Asheville, NC, the bestselling Salvage Merc One, the Apex Trilogy (DEAD MECH, The Americans, Metal and Ash) and the Mega series for Severed Press, as well as the YA zombie novel, Little Dead Man, the Bram Stoker Award nominated Teen horror novel, Intentional Haunting, the ScareScapes series, and the Reign of Four series for Permuted Press.
Find Jake at jakebible.com. Join him on Twitter @jakebible and find him on Facebook.