A review by awesomemark
The Damned Busters by Matthew Hughes
4.0
This was a tough review for me. There are parts to this story I REALLY enjoyed and others I'm not so sure about but I do give it a solid 4/5 stars and will do my best to try to elaborate on my grading.
Full disclosure: I actually started reading this a while ago and stopped. I tend to read anywhere from 5 to 8 books at a time. I like to have different stories marinating and to choose which one I continue based on what I feel like reading at the moment so it's not uncommon to have a biography and comedic fiction and a horror story all being read at once. I typically finish them all eventually but this book, initially, got lost and I didn't return until this week at which point, I started over.
I liked the concept behind this story. A rather boring man accidentally performs a ritual designed to summon an emissary from Hell to arrange a contract and creates a major problem when he tries to take it back. Eventually, a deal is struck granting him super powers but, when dealing with Hell, there are always stipulations and someone doing their best to make you fail.
I also liked our protagonist, Chesney. It took me a little while to get there and I think it's because I spent so much time wondering if the author had intended for him to come across as having high-functioning autism. It was settled about half way through the story when Chesney himself addresses the matter. I also liked Chesney's "sidekick." I almost wrote "antagonist" and those who've read the story will understand why.
I did not like the story's true antagonist, the villain. He was introduced late in the story and motives seemed a bit unclear which led to him never really feeling like he posed a true threat.
I think what I liked least though was ultimately revealed in the extras at the end of the book after I'd finished it. There's a section where the author writes about how this story came to be and reveals that it's contracted as three stories with an option for a fourth. Perhaps that's why this story seemed to conclude so abruptly. Was it to save material for a planned second and third part?
All concerns aside, I'm still going to read the second book. The concept and main characters interested me enough to hope the bumps get smoothed out by the sequel.
Full disclosure: I actually started reading this a while ago and stopped. I tend to read anywhere from 5 to 8 books at a time. I like to have different stories marinating and to choose which one I continue based on what I feel like reading at the moment so it's not uncommon to have a biography and comedic fiction and a horror story all being read at once. I typically finish them all eventually but this book, initially, got lost and I didn't return until this week at which point, I started over.
I liked the concept behind this story. A rather boring man accidentally performs a ritual designed to summon an emissary from Hell to arrange a contract and creates a major problem when he tries to take it back. Eventually, a deal is struck granting him super powers but, when dealing with Hell, there are always stipulations and someone doing their best to make you fail.
I also liked our protagonist, Chesney. It took me a little while to get there and I think it's because I spent so much time wondering if the author had intended for him to come across as having high-functioning autism. It was settled about half way through the story when Chesney himself addresses the matter. I also liked Chesney's "sidekick." I almost wrote "antagonist" and those who've read the story will understand why.
I did not like the story's true antagonist, the villain. He was introduced late in the story and motives seemed a bit unclear which led to him never really feeling like he posed a true threat.
I think what I liked least though was ultimately revealed in the extras at the end of the book after I'd finished it. There's a section where the author writes about how this story came to be and reveals that it's contracted as three stories with an option for a fourth. Perhaps that's why this story seemed to conclude so abruptly. Was it to save material for a planned second and third part?
All concerns aside, I'm still going to read the second book. The concept and main characters interested me enough to hope the bumps get smoothed out by the sequel.