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Chance Lee #1
Chance in Hell
Chance is a Texan vampire hunter until a botched raid kills his team and sends him running for his life. Looking for a place to lie low, Chance takes what looks like an easy job in California. Dispose of a mysterious object. No vampires involved. But Chance’s life is never that simple. Within hours of reaching the West coast, his contact is murdered and Chance is left holding the key to a demonic weapon of mass destruction. To make matters worse, the weapon was stolen from the ruthless head of a multi-national corporation who will do anything to get it back. With supernatural hit men on his heels, Chance has no choice but to turn to the creatures he once hunted. Soon he’s neck deep in otherworldly seductresses, rival werewolf gangs, ravenous witches, and dysfunctional vampires. His only hope is to gain their trust, and their help, before all Hell breaks loose.
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
18 people are currently reading
636 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
December 31, 2015
Hmm, not bad...ok, I suppose. This is yet another book that was entertaining enough to read but contains nothing spectacular. It's funny. I'll give it that. And Chance seems like a nice, honorable guy. I respect that. The writing is pretty good and nothing about the editing threw me off. So, on the whole it was all right.
But it's a bro-book; not that that's necessarily a bad thing. I don't just mean all the car, motorcycle and gun specs, or even all the 'this is how you flatter a girl' nonsense (a good bit of which is wrong, from a female's point of view, BTW) but much of the actual humor and all of the romance is geared toward guys. Again, that's fine. Men deserve books too.
But I have to confess that, while some sexual innuendo can be fun, this book is drowning in it. Add to that a diarrhea-mouth, 17-year-old 'player' who constantly hits on anything that walks and what you end up with is a ceaseless barrage of frankly juvenile jokes. Scaled back it could have been great, I thought it was really funny in the beginning. By the end, it had lost all of its lustre.
And the 'romance' was just as bad. Essentially, two ultra-sexy, powerful, possessive, competitive alpha-type females lay claim to Chance practically on sight ad then throw themselves at him. Isn't that every man's fantasy? No need to work for it. Plus, he seems to have a decided preference for one, so I never could figure out why he strung the second along (and according to the synopsis of book two, continues to throughout the series).
There is very little world-building or character development. I never felt Chance's history as a hunter. He felt too much like an average college student to have also been a hardened hunter. And you learn none of the other characters' history.
Plus, the whole 'this is a dangerous artifact that I can't give the bad guy' is all just stated and not really supported in any way, so that it feels very random. A lot of people put their lives on the line for something no one seemed to need to verify. I honestly thought the plot twist at the end might turn out to be that the urn was actually empty the whole time and every one had just jumped to unfounded conclusions. This all left the book feeling shallow and a bit like a gloss.
All-in-all, an ok book that I didn't hate but didn't love either.
But it's a bro-book; not that that's necessarily a bad thing. I don't just mean all the car, motorcycle and gun specs, or even all the 'this is how you flatter a girl' nonsense (a good bit of which is wrong, from a female's point of view, BTW) but much of the actual humor and all of the romance is geared toward guys. Again, that's fine. Men deserve books too.
But I have to confess that, while some sexual innuendo can be fun, this book is drowning in it. Add to that a diarrhea-mouth, 17-year-old 'player' who constantly hits on anything that walks and what you end up with is a ceaseless barrage of frankly juvenile jokes. Scaled back it could have been great, I thought it was really funny in the beginning. By the end, it had lost all of its lustre.
And the 'romance' was just as bad. Essentially, two ultra-sexy, powerful, possessive, competitive alpha-type females lay claim to Chance practically on sight ad then throw themselves at him. Isn't that every man's fantasy? No need to work for it. Plus, he seems to have a decided preference for one, so I never could figure out why he strung the second along (and according to the synopsis of book two, continues to throughout the series).
There is very little world-building or character development. I never felt Chance's history as a hunter. He felt too much like an average college student to have also been a hardened hunter. And you learn none of the other characters' history.
Plus, the whole 'this is a dangerous artifact that I can't give the bad guy' is all just stated and not really supported in any way, so that it feels very random. A lot of people put their lives on the line for something no one seemed to need to verify. I honestly thought the plot twist at the end might turn out to be that the urn was actually empty the whole time and every one had just jumped to unfounded conclusions. This all left the book feeling shallow and a bit like a gloss.
All-in-all, an ok book that I didn't hate but didn't love either.
October 7, 2014
I have wanted to write a review for this book for a while, but it is hard to do so without spoiling it or sounding like a generic urban fantasy review. Chance in Hell, Chance Lee book 1, is a well written and light hearted take on the Urban Fantasy genre. The book does a great job with its take on the normal Urban Fantasy, and manages to implement them in a unique way. Some differences from other such books:
1) This is not a zero to hero story. While the protagonist has had a hard life, he is not written as teen nerd wish fulfillment like many other Urban Fantasy and Comic books.
2) This is not paranormal romance, but there are some well done sexual and romantic elements.
3) While there is definite humour noir, the book is mostly entertaining and funny.
4) The book is set in Silicon valley. I have never read a book featuring a supernatural Silicon Valley. As a Silicon Valley native, I loved it.
If you enjoyed the Demon Accords series by John Conroe, but would prefer a less overpowered protagonist, you will like this book.
Follow up:
If you like snarky kick ass women who don't take men too seriously, you will love this book. Book 1 has 3 such characters, and Book 2 adds 2 more, without it getting crowded, and without them becoming the MCs obedient supernatural harem.
1) This is not a zero to hero story. While the protagonist has had a hard life, he is not written as teen nerd wish fulfillment like many other Urban Fantasy and Comic books.
2) This is not paranormal romance, but there are some well done sexual and romantic elements.
3) While there is definite humour noir, the book is mostly entertaining and funny.
4) The book is set in Silicon valley. I have never read a book featuring a supernatural Silicon Valley. As a Silicon Valley native, I loved it.
If you enjoyed the Demon Accords series by John Conroe, but would prefer a less overpowered protagonist, you will like this book.
Follow up:
If you like snarky kick ass women who don't take men too seriously, you will love this book. Book 1 has 3 such characters, and Book 2 adds 2 more, without it getting crowded, and without them becoming the MCs obedient supernatural harem.
May 7, 2014
A fun, enjoyable read, while I didn't like it as much it, was very similar to John Conroe's "God Touched". The story follows Chance, young man from Texas who hunts vampires, and is now in California on the run after his team was ambushed, leaving him the only one alive.
While in Cali he decides to try to complete the last job his team was contracted to do, he's set to meet his contact who's supposed to give him an artifact, which he is tasked to destroy. Of course nothing goes to plan, his contact ends up dead and he again finds himself in trouble. While in a tight spot he is saved by a sexy vampire and her witch best friend. After spending some with vampire and witch he realizes that everything isn't as cut and dry as he once thought, not every vampire is evil, and he starts to rethink some of his ideals.
During his adventure Chance also runs into a biker gang of werewolves, and catches the eye of the alpha female. So now he has two very hot, very dangerous women vying for his affection, all while he's trying to stay alive and figure out a way to destroy this artifact before it falls into the wrong hands.
Overall it was a light, enjoyable read with good writing, and well fleshed out characters. My only real problem is the whole romantic love triangle thing they got going on. For instance, these two gorgeous women are just instantly attracted to him with no explanation as to why, and because of that I'm having trouble believing the romance portion of the book. Another thing I didn't care for, pertaining to the romance story line, was the way the author wrote his little love triangle. I did however enjoy watching Chance go from a "kill'em all and let god sort'em out" kind of attitude toward vampires and werewolves, to actually becoming friends and trusting them. The author did a good job with the character growth of Chance in that aspect.
While in Cali he decides to try to complete the last job his team was contracted to do, he's set to meet his contact who's supposed to give him an artifact, which he is tasked to destroy. Of course nothing goes to plan, his contact ends up dead and he again finds himself in trouble. While in a tight spot he is saved by a sexy vampire and her witch best friend. After spending some with vampire and witch he realizes that everything isn't as cut and dry as he once thought, not every vampire is evil, and he starts to rethink some of his ideals.
During his adventure Chance also runs into a biker gang of werewolves, and catches the eye of the alpha female. So now he has two very hot, very dangerous women vying for his affection, all while he's trying to stay alive and figure out a way to destroy this artifact before it falls into the wrong hands.
Overall it was a light, enjoyable read with good writing, and well fleshed out characters. My only real problem is the whole romantic love triangle thing they got going on. For instance, these two gorgeous women are just instantly attracted to him with no explanation as to why, and because of that I'm having trouble believing the romance portion of the book. Another thing I didn't care for, pertaining to the romance story line, was the way the author wrote his little love triangle. I did however enjoy watching Chance go from a "kill'em all and let god sort'em out" kind of attitude toward vampires and werewolves, to actually becoming friends and trusting them. The author did a good job with the character growth of Chance in that aspect.
February 10, 2012
originally appeared on:Bookshelf Confessions
Neither did I read the back cover of the book nor the summary of the story when I decided to read Chance in Hell.. so I’m a bit clueless as to why would Mr. Kampman titled it Chance in Hell…I even thought of dark things like maybe the protagonist was really in a literal hell… But I smiled to myself, when it turned out, it was the name of the main character… Chance…So it figures!
What I like most about the book is ..there is no boring page in it..all of it speaks action..from the first page up to the last…I find myself turning it eagerly page by page....and when it comes to an end, I want more of it..I even said..that’s it?
I enjoyed a great deal reading within those words, a lot of vampires, werewolves, witches, demons, vampire hunter all pact into one…what more can a paranormalist ask for (is that even a word?..:) )
The story is well-written,..and each of the characters would gnaw at your soul…yeah..like you want to be sympathetic and understanding to each of them, even though you know you have to side with only one....It was a fast-read....with lots of chasing and hiding...
The struggling war between werewolf gangs though for me seems not really elaborated in the book…it mostly centers on romance and the demon-thing (my very own opinion)…I like it absolutely though, the jealousy between the vamp and the were is too much..i giggled sometimes thinking they don’t even have the right to be since Chance didn’t choose who he really wants yet…
It was fascinating that given how unlucky Chance was to land in that situation, he still is very fortunate to find good friends who helped him a lot…
Mr. Kampman provided us a good telltale about supernatural beings, combined into a book of endless adventure, action and magic….
Definitely love this book!
Neither did I read the back cover of the book nor the summary of the story when I decided to read Chance in Hell.. so I’m a bit clueless as to why would Mr. Kampman titled it Chance in Hell…I even thought of dark things like maybe the protagonist was really in a literal hell… But I smiled to myself, when it turned out, it was the name of the main character… Chance…So it figures!
What I like most about the book is ..there is no boring page in it..all of it speaks action..from the first page up to the last…I find myself turning it eagerly page by page....and when it comes to an end, I want more of it..I even said..that’s it?
I enjoyed a great deal reading within those words, a lot of vampires, werewolves, witches, demons, vampire hunter all pact into one…what more can a paranormalist ask for (is that even a word?..:) )
The story is well-written,..and each of the characters would gnaw at your soul…yeah..like you want to be sympathetic and understanding to each of them, even though you know you have to side with only one....It was a fast-read....with lots of chasing and hiding...
The struggling war between werewolf gangs though for me seems not really elaborated in the book…it mostly centers on romance and the demon-thing (my very own opinion)…I like it absolutely though, the jealousy between the vamp and the were is too much..i giggled sometimes thinking they don’t even have the right to be since Chance didn’t choose who he really wants yet…
It was fascinating that given how unlucky Chance was to land in that situation, he still is very fortunate to find good friends who helped him a lot…
Mr. Kampman provided us a good telltale about supernatural beings, combined into a book of endless adventure, action and magic….
Definitely love this book!
October 15, 2011
This is a great urban fantasy book!
Chance, the vampire hunting protagonist, is very likeable; he's intelligent, fun and slightly sarcastic. The world he moves and lives in contains elements of everything a reader could want in a novel.
Vampires (dysfunctional), werewolves (rival gangs of), witches (ravenous), otherworldly seductresses, and supernatural hitmen make up part of the assorted cast of characters. Strongly unique characters whose traits hold your attention. You can't wait to meet the next one.
The nice twist on this tale, is that Chance has to gain the trust and help of those he once hunted, to stay ahead of the supernatural hitmen.
There's mystery, action, even a bit of romance.
Very entertaining from beginning to end. I would love to see where Chance goes from here. Or even a prequel about Chance's time with the vampire hunters before the rest of the team was massacred. Wherever this author leads, I'll follow his story.
It was hard for me to believe that this book is the author's debut. I definitely want to read Mr. Kampman's future works.
Give us another 'Chance' Patrick! ;)
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free through Goodreads. (Thank you Patrick Kampman for the opportunity to read this book). I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Chance, the vampire hunting protagonist, is very likeable; he's intelligent, fun and slightly sarcastic. The world he moves and lives in contains elements of everything a reader could want in a novel.
Vampires (dysfunctional), werewolves (rival gangs of), witches (ravenous), otherworldly seductresses, and supernatural hitmen make up part of the assorted cast of characters. Strongly unique characters whose traits hold your attention. You can't wait to meet the next one.
The nice twist on this tale, is that Chance has to gain the trust and help of those he once hunted, to stay ahead of the supernatural hitmen.
There's mystery, action, even a bit of romance.
Very entertaining from beginning to end. I would love to see where Chance goes from here. Or even a prequel about Chance's time with the vampire hunters before the rest of the team was massacred. Wherever this author leads, I'll follow his story.
It was hard for me to believe that this book is the author's debut. I definitely want to read Mr. Kampman's future works.
Give us another 'Chance' Patrick! ;)
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free through Goodreads. (Thank you Patrick Kampman for the opportunity to read this book). I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
October 27, 2011
Chance is a Vampire Hunter from Texas until a botched raid kills his team and sends him running for his life.Chance is looking for somewhere he can lie low for awhile so he decides to take this job in California to dispose of a mysterious object.But his life is never that simple. Hours after he reaches the west coast his contact is murdered and Chance is left holding a key to a demonic weapon. To makes things worse the weapon was stolen from a ruthless head of a multinational corporation who will do anything to get it back. With supernatural hit men on his heels Chance has no choice but to ask for help from the creatures he once hunted. Soon he,s neck deep in otherworldy seductresses, rival were wolf gangs, witches and dysfuntional Vampires. His only hope is to gain their trust and help before all hell breaks loose! Fantastic read if you like the Sookie Stackhouse books you will really enjoy Chance in Hell by Patrick Kampman.
February 9, 2012
This book falls into a rather rare category for me - written by a guy, about a guy. This gives the book qualities I liked, and qualities I didn't like as much.
The good: refreshing perspective, funny guy moments (i.e. shopping, girls asking how they look in things, anatomy-related-situations)
The not-so-good: obviously display of "guyism"; meaning lots of gun, motorcycle, car slang (i.e. Corvette=Vette). I'm not opposed to these things, but it just felt like the author was trying too hard to show off his knowledge of these things.
Overall I found the book funny, and pretty well written. Plot was interesting, and there was a decent amount of romance and sexual tension (but no actual sex - you can feel however you want about this, I thought it suited the book perfectly). Power play between the main werewolf and the main vampire (as love interests) was funny and lively - not quite sure who I want to win ;).
I downloaded this book for free, but it was a good read.
The good: refreshing perspective, funny guy moments (i.e. shopping, girls asking how they look in things, anatomy-related-situations)
The not-so-good: obviously display of "guyism"; meaning lots of gun, motorcycle, car slang (i.e. Corvette=Vette). I'm not opposed to these things, but it just felt like the author was trying too hard to show off his knowledge of these things.
Overall I found the book funny, and pretty well written. Plot was interesting, and there was a decent amount of romance and sexual tension (but no actual sex - you can feel however you want about this, I thought it suited the book perfectly). Power play between the main werewolf and the main vampire (as love interests) was funny and lively - not quite sure who I want to win ;).
I downloaded this book for free, but it was a good read.
November 18, 2011
Chance in Hell is a solid debut. The characters are interesting and likable which is probably the best part about the book. Another good thing about the book is that it’s fun and not all doom and gloom that you sometimes see in other UF books. There is action, funny moments and a touch of romance (enough for guys like me to enjoy but not too much to drown out the other stuff). There are times where the characters motivations seem a bit off and the villain Powers certainly has shadows of Butcher’s Marcone. Outside of those two minor points the book is entertaining and I can see myself picking up the next one especially considering that this is a debut and the author will continue to improve.
Also I have to say thanks to Mr. Kampman for personalizing the book and sending it quickly as part of a Goodreads Giveaway. (Which by the way, didn’t factor into my review, it was unbiased.)
Also I have to say thanks to Mr. Kampman for personalizing the book and sending it quickly as part of a Goodreads Giveaway. (Which by the way, didn’t factor into my review, it was unbiased.)
August 14, 2014
Original Review at JC's Book Haven
I was dead. Resigned to my fate, I stared down at my beer, wondering if I should drink it down or swing it around, using the mug as a weapon. When I felt a tapping on my shoulder coupled with a friendly "heya!" I jumped, despite knowing very well what was back there.
The Good
The characters for the most part are fun. Chance does well as the hero with an annoying brother. I didn't like the Bry and kept hoping he would go away. Now Little Lacey, the witch that can out-eat everyone put together livens up a lot of the story. She has plenty of sarcasm and no idea of the word 'tact'. Meagan, the vampire, rocking her expensive cocktail dresses no matter the situation has a thing for Chance. Which blows his mind because he's only ever met feral vamps, so a vamp that can act normal and not try and eat his face but kiss doesn't really fit in his world. She's hot though, so maybe he can give it a try. If Toni the werewolf doesn't claim him first.
I love that they have a vampire coven with two different werewolf packs, a witch coven, and a troll in the dungeon haha. Well, ok, a troll running around town trying to catch Chance and retrieve the item he has.
The Bad
A few things held back this novel for me. One, Bryan and his constant 'let's have a threesome' jokes and yet one of them seems to be slowly falling for him. I mean he does pull a pretty good prank to earn him some points but for the most part, he just comes off as an immature punk who I don't see getting anywhere unless he's talking to a younger girl. The bigger issue for me was the bad guy. Mr. Powers didn't seem that bad or scary. Sure, he sent out some henchmen and a voodoo/shaman, and who could forget his troll, Eric, but I felt like they were the bad guys in the book and he was just a voice on the end of the telephone that made a single appearance which meant nothing. I had no feelings invested toward Powers as a bad guy.
The Romance
Plenty of romance flying about in this book. You got Chance with a werewolf wanting him on one side and a vampire on the other. I'm kinda rooting for the vampire as I think they read better together. Plenty of obstacles though, you got his brother there hitting on anything female and looking to be in their 20's or younger. Though there seems to be tension with him and Lacey. She would have to put up with a lot because he is one immature dude. Of course, vampire Megan's ex and the vampire he cheated on her with just happen to live in town as well. Good times.
Conclusion
I wanted to rank it higher, yet I wanted to rank it lower at the same time. I really need a bad guy to hate, but it has plenty of action and car/bike chases. If you like a little bit of everything (vamps, werewolves, trolls, witches, demons, bikers, etc.), then I recommend giving this series a shot. I got lucky and book 2 was out so I started it already in hopes of finding a bad guy to hate. Wish me luck.
I was dead. Resigned to my fate, I stared down at my beer, wondering if I should drink it down or swing it around, using the mug as a weapon. When I felt a tapping on my shoulder coupled with a friendly "heya!" I jumped, despite knowing very well what was back there.
The Good
The characters for the most part are fun. Chance does well as the hero with an annoying brother. I didn't like the Bry and kept hoping he would go away. Now Little Lacey, the witch that can out-eat everyone put together livens up a lot of the story. She has plenty of sarcasm and no idea of the word 'tact'. Meagan, the vampire, rocking her expensive cocktail dresses no matter the situation has a thing for Chance. Which blows his mind because he's only ever met feral vamps, so a vamp that can act normal and not try and eat his face but kiss doesn't really fit in his world. She's hot though, so maybe he can give it a try. If Toni the werewolf doesn't claim him first.
I love that they have a vampire coven with two different werewolf packs, a witch coven, and a troll in the dungeon haha. Well, ok, a troll running around town trying to catch Chance and retrieve the item he has.
The Bad
A few things held back this novel for me. One, Bryan and his constant 'let's have a threesome' jokes and yet one of them seems to be slowly falling for him. I mean he does pull a pretty good prank to earn him some points but for the most part, he just comes off as an immature punk who I don't see getting anywhere unless he's talking to a younger girl. The bigger issue for me was the bad guy. Mr. Powers didn't seem that bad or scary. Sure, he sent out some henchmen and a voodoo/shaman, and who could forget his troll, Eric, but I felt like they were the bad guys in the book and he was just a voice on the end of the telephone that made a single appearance which meant nothing. I had no feelings invested toward Powers as a bad guy.
The Romance
Plenty of romance flying about in this book. You got Chance with a werewolf wanting him on one side and a vampire on the other. I'm kinda rooting for the vampire as I think they read better together. Plenty of obstacles though, you got his brother there hitting on anything female and looking to be in their 20's or younger. Though there seems to be tension with him and Lacey. She would have to put up with a lot because he is one immature dude. Of course, vampire Megan's ex and the vampire he cheated on her with just happen to live in town as well. Good times.
Conclusion
I wanted to rank it higher, yet I wanted to rank it lower at the same time. I really need a bad guy to hate, but it has plenty of action and car/bike chases. If you like a little bit of everything (vamps, werewolves, trolls, witches, demons, bikers, etc.), then I recommend giving this series a shot. I got lucky and book 2 was out so I started it already in hopes of finding a bad guy to hate. Wish me luck.
July 30, 2012
To read this review and others like it check out my site www.ufreviews.com
I don't often get to read a lot of book writing from the guys point a view, in fact I would say 85-90% of them are from a woman's point of view. So I like when every now and again a book comes my way that break me out of my everyday book I read. I also really enjoy books that are able to mess a lot of different supernatural types into one book. A lot of times you only get one or two that are the primary focus, but this book has a little bit of everything, which I enjoyed.
I think the pace was really good on this book. It really wasn't slow, and the action was strong, there were no real down points where I felt like things were boring or where I wanted to put the book down. It was also pretty well written, and I felt like I could really go along with Chance, and that I really enjoyed him as a character.
Speaking of characters I thought they were really well thought out. I liked finding out more about each one and I also thought that they really compliments Chance well. I thought a lot of the exchanges were really cute and funny and literally made me chuckle out loud. I really like watching the main character get himself into trouble and then have a good cast of characters to fall back on, that feel like they are a part of a team together.
Overall I thought this was a good read, it was fun to read. I think a lot of people will probably enjoy this book, it has an exciting plot, fun characters, and a huge supernatural element. People who are looking for something heavier on the romance will probably find this book to be lacking a little bit. But for those of you who are looking for a fun urban fantasy told from a guy's point of view, you will probably have a fun time reading this book.
I don't often get to read a lot of book writing from the guys point a view, in fact I would say 85-90% of them are from a woman's point of view. So I like when every now and again a book comes my way that break me out of my everyday book I read. I also really enjoy books that are able to mess a lot of different supernatural types into one book. A lot of times you only get one or two that are the primary focus, but this book has a little bit of everything, which I enjoyed.
I think the pace was really good on this book. It really wasn't slow, and the action was strong, there were no real down points where I felt like things were boring or where I wanted to put the book down. It was also pretty well written, and I felt like I could really go along with Chance, and that I really enjoyed him as a character.
Speaking of characters I thought they were really well thought out. I liked finding out more about each one and I also thought that they really compliments Chance well. I thought a lot of the exchanges were really cute and funny and literally made me chuckle out loud. I really like watching the main character get himself into trouble and then have a good cast of characters to fall back on, that feel like they are a part of a team together.
Overall I thought this was a good read, it was fun to read. I think a lot of people will probably enjoy this book, it has an exciting plot, fun characters, and a huge supernatural element. People who are looking for something heavier on the romance will probably find this book to be lacking a little bit. But for those of you who are looking for a fun urban fantasy told from a guy's point of view, you will probably have a fun time reading this book.
July 13, 2015
This was a well-written, light-hearted, humourous urban fantasy with all the usual supernatural characters like werewolves, vampires and witches. It was written by a man, so there were a lot of manly references to cars, motorcycles and guns, and a lot of sexual innuendoes that would probably appeal to guys more than gals. But, nevertheless, I enjoyed the book for the most part.
Chance was a great character and I loved his sense of humour and intelligence. His younger brother, Bryan, now…he was a potty-mouthed, immature punk who hit on every female he encountered and constantly spouted lame, juvenile jokes. While it was funny at first, it quickly became very annoying after a while.
And, unfortunately, a love triangle reared its ugly head, which made me go “Ugh!”. Both Megan (a vampire) and Toni (a werewolf) were sexy, powerful, dangerous women who for some unknown reason decided that Chance was the man for her and were incredibly jealous of the other woman’s interest in him. He seemed to favour one over the other, but for another unknown reason, kept stringing both of them along.
Lacey was a great character—a witch with a voracious appetite for food, sarcastic, snarky, lacking in tact at times but extremely funny.
The “bad guy”, Jonathan Powers, was okay but didn’t really seem all that villainous and evil despite his efforts to get the demon-filled urn from Chance.
All in all, this was an entertaining and fun read. I already have the second book in the series, so I’m looking forward to more of Chance’s adventures. I just hope the extremely annoying Bryan is not featured too prominently in the next one!
Chance was a great character and I loved his sense of humour and intelligence. His younger brother, Bryan, now…he was a potty-mouthed, immature punk who hit on every female he encountered and constantly spouted lame, juvenile jokes. While it was funny at first, it quickly became very annoying after a while.
And, unfortunately, a love triangle reared its ugly head, which made me go “Ugh!”. Both Megan (a vampire) and Toni (a werewolf) were sexy, powerful, dangerous women who for some unknown reason decided that Chance was the man for her and were incredibly jealous of the other woman’s interest in him. He seemed to favour one over the other, but for another unknown reason, kept stringing both of them along.
Lacey was a great character—a witch with a voracious appetite for food, sarcastic, snarky, lacking in tact at times but extremely funny.
The “bad guy”, Jonathan Powers, was okay but didn’t really seem all that villainous and evil despite his efforts to get the demon-filled urn from Chance.
All in all, this was an entertaining and fun read. I already have the second book in the series, so I’m looking forward to more of Chance’s adventures. I just hope the extremely annoying Bryan is not featured too prominently in the next one!
May 28, 2013
Good book. This is really YA or more accurately the new genre being labeled "new adult." It's college-aged protags (unless you count the vampires, which we all know can be 12 or 342 plus). The humor falls right in there with typical guy humor of that age -- groaningly bad puns on occasion, innuendos and eye-rolling type humor. But it fits the characters perfectly and sounds and feels accurate, especially if you have brothers. The mystery is a magical object rather than a "who is the bad guy" and it works well. There are plenty of creatures. Some of the explanations of vamps, weres, trolls and their "cultures" could have been trimmed, but then again, the author does wiggle the more typical rules for some of them and that has to be made clear.
I'm always amused by guys trying to figure out women--this book has just enough of that sort of pondering. It has hot cars, hot guys and hot chicks--and one heck of a mess.
Recommended if you like YA/UF.
I'm always amused by guys trying to figure out women--this book has just enough of that sort of pondering. It has hot cars, hot guys and hot chicks--and one heck of a mess.
Recommended if you like YA/UF.
May 7, 2014
Wow! I just finished Chance in Hell and couldn't wait to find out what happens in book 2, Texas Hold 'Em. Kampman combines adventure, passion, the supernatural, & humor to create an engaging work that leaves you wanting more after reading the first in the series. If you loved the Twilight series, you will love the Chance books: vampires, wolves, witches, & priests come together to align causes & fight. Though much urban fiction is written from the female perspective, the protagonist, Chance, shows us the workings of a male mind when faced with danger. From the ammunition he chooses, to the love triangle he creates, to the cars he steals, Chance is all beef. Women & men alike will enjoy his journeys as he shows us that it is possible to be unlucky & lucky at the same time. I highly recommend finishing book 1 as fast as you can so you can move on to book 2, which so far, is even more enjoyable, if that is at all possible!
April 2, 2012
Loved this book and Chance’s attitude… you have got to love a guy who starts the book off getting kicked, it can only go one way for him.
I only have a few male writers in my long list of book series, normally they are a little too SiFi for me and not enough UF – but I am definitely adding Patrick to my list of favorites.
Great characters and great chemistry between them, I love the tension between the “women” in his life, so often it’s the same old story, 2 guys 1 girl so it’s actually refreshing it the other way around. I have already recommended it to other readers and have gotten a couple hooked in.
The story line and action was good and interesting, I am glad it left room for more Chance to come.
There is more Chance right?????
I only have a few male writers in my long list of book series, normally they are a little too SiFi for me and not enough UF – but I am definitely adding Patrick to my list of favorites.
Great characters and great chemistry between them, I love the tension between the “women” in his life, so often it’s the same old story, 2 guys 1 girl so it’s actually refreshing it the other way around. I have already recommended it to other readers and have gotten a couple hooked in.
The story line and action was good and interesting, I am glad it left room for more Chance to come.
There is more Chance right?????
February 2, 2015
This is a fun book that introduces us to a guy whose lucky to be alive, Chance Lee. Somehow through all of his ridiculous adventures he not only manages to stay alive but attract the attention of Megan and Toni. One is a sweet vampire and the other is a sexy werewolf, both who could do better than our guy Chance.
Chance's only job in this bok is to destroy an old urn that a former business associate gave him. Turns out this thing is wanted by a lot of people and with the help of both the werewolf and vampire factions, Chance may actually get this done.
It's definately a fun start to the series and I will check ou tthe next book just to see how Chance manages to get out of another jam that he will probably get himself into.
Chance's only job in this bok is to destroy an old urn that a former business associate gave him. Turns out this thing is wanted by a lot of people and with the help of both the werewolf and vampire factions, Chance may actually get this done.
It's definately a fun start to the series and I will check ou tthe next book just to see how Chance manages to get out of another jam that he will probably get himself into.
November 29, 2011
I loved how this book starts out in the thick of the action and then keeps up that same pace throughout - there's never a dull moment! Great characters and a new and interesting plot kept me interested and turning the next page the whole time, and I was glad that the story left room for more books to follow either before the timeline in this book or after it - I would definitely read them! There were a couple of small spelling errors ("bye" instead of "by") and a couple of editing errors involving quotation marks, but they didn't retract from the story too much.
November 2, 2014
Is it just me or does this seem like a male version of Twilight?
1. Story starts with protagonist moving to a new state.
2. Love triangle between Hot Vampire, Hot Werewolf, and average looking protagonist.
3. Protagonist has the power to resist vampire mind games
4. Vampire seem to have more private time with protagonist than the werewolf.
5. Both love interests seem too creepily possessive.
6. No one knows who the protagonist will end up with... Who are we kidding, of course it's gonna be the vampire! xD
I demand a renaming of the series to Twilight 2.0!!
1. Story starts with protagonist moving to a new state.
2. Love triangle between Hot Vampire, Hot Werewolf, and average looking protagonist.
3. Protagonist has the power to resist vampire mind games
4. Vampire seem to have more private time with protagonist than the werewolf.
5. Both love interests seem too creepily possessive.
6. No one knows who the protagonist will end up with... Who are we kidding, of course it's gonna be the vampire! xD
I demand a renaming of the series to Twilight 2.0!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
October 21, 2011Recieved from Goodreads today. Thank you so much for the signed copy, both to Goodreads and the author. My daughter is delighted-she loves signed copies!
On that note, she will be reviewing it as soon as she can,she has 1 book ahead of this one to finish reading-we will update review as soon as. Thank you again Patrick for the personilization, we wish much more imagination and creativity your way.
On that note, she will be reviewing it as soon as she can,she has 1 book ahead of this one to finish reading-we will update review as soon as. Thank you again Patrick for the personilization, we wish much more imagination and creativity your way.
July 30, 2014
The adventures of rookie vampire hunter Chance are a tangled tale especially after he acquires competing vampire and werewolf girlfriends, and some people might just want to kill him. An amusing tale, but maybe only worth 3.5 stars.
My rating system (* = star)
1* couldn't finish book
2* finished book, but didn't like it
3* a good read
4* a very good read often with a novel concept or unusual plot
5* an exceptionally good read, a prominent example of the genre
My rating system (* = star)
1* couldn't finish book
2* finished book, but didn't like it
3* a good read
4* a very good read often with a novel concept or unusual plot
5* an exceptionally good read, a prominent example of the genre
January 26, 2016
A fun bag of Doritos--gorging on mindless fun. Not very deep, but lighthearted and fun with likable characters, (well, except Bryan). The end is a disappointment though.(spoilers) The build-up to see if they can exorcise the 72 Solomon demons or if they will escape is a bit of a generic letdown. More of just a big gunfight with not enough about the ritual and urn itself. Other than that, still fun in the Buffy sort of way.
November 24, 2011
I loved this book!! Excellent story and the way the author wove humor throughout the book was ingenious! Would definitely recommend this book to friends interested in this type of fiction. I won a signed copy from Goodreads and it was actually better than I thought it would be!!
July 29, 2012
I received this ARC through the Goodreads giveaways promotion.
I thought the concept was good and the storyline interesting. But what little character development there was felt very forced, and the dialog needs a lot of work.
I thought the concept was good and the storyline interesting. But what little character development there was felt very forced, and the dialog needs a lot of work.
February 28, 2012
I think CHANCE IN HELL deserves a spot in everyone's vampire collection.
Exciting, funny, action-packed, sexy, well-written and charming. This is a YA novel by Patrick Kampman that can be enjoyed by adults.
Exciting, funny, action-packed, sexy, well-written and charming. This is a YA novel by Patrick Kampman that can be enjoyed by adults.
June 27, 2012
Exciting, funny, vampires, werewolves, witches, and trolls!!! What more can you ask? Oh wait, I forgot about Chance, a good ol' boy from Texas who hunts vampires until one catches him. I shall say no more.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
October 1, 2014
The Plot was okay but to be honest the character themselves are hollow, with no real cohesion or depth to them. It was a time passing read. The second book was worse, with the plot being even more silly.
September 15, 2015
Great book!!!!!
It was a great book. I really enjoyed it. I can't Waite to read the next one. It's a bout a guy getting thrown into a supernatural society and has to sink or swim. If you like Sookie Stackhouse or the tv show Supernatural you will love it.
It was a great book. I really enjoyed it. I can't Waite to read the next one. It's a bout a guy getting thrown into a supernatural society and has to sink or swim. If you like Sookie Stackhouse or the tv show Supernatural you will love it.
January 10, 2012
received from goodreads giveaway. good book with an unusual feel.
Want to read
October 19, 2011It was sent to me by GoodReads. I won a contest! I can't wait to read it!
November 16, 2012
Book 1 in the Chance Lee series. I like the book. It is about a college student, part time vampire hunter,
February 13, 2013
Fun read!
A little more supernatural romance then I usually read, but a cool story and fun characters more than make up for it!
A little more supernatural romance then I usually read, but a cool story and fun characters more than make up for it!
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