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The Grind Show
For those who can see demons there is but one maxim: hunt them down until your luck runs out, and then hope for an easy death.
Or so Jason thought until one hellish night in a desert ghost town leaves his life in ruins and his soul tainted with demonic power.
Now the tables are turned and he's the prey, forced to fight a running battle to keep himself and his friends alive. But at what price is he willing to buy his freedom? The demons care nothing for collateral damage, and as the death toll mounts the darkness within him grows stronger, making it ever harder for Jason to resist the allure of his newfound powers...
Or so Jason thought until one hellish night in a desert ghost town leaves his life in ruins and his soul tainted with demonic power.
Now the tables are turned and he's the prey, forced to fight a running battle to keep himself and his friends alive. But at what price is he willing to buy his freedom? The demons care nothing for collateral damage, and as the death toll mounts the darkness within him grows stronger, making it ever harder for Jason to resist the allure of his newfound powers...
- GenresHorror
264 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2011
19 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
Phil Tucker
49 books1,288 followersThanks for visiting my page! I'm Phil Tucker, a Brazilian/Brit who currently resides in Asheville, NC, where I resist the siren call of the forests and mountains to sit inside and hammer away on my laptop.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 18, 2011
This is quite different from Philip Tucker's Crude Sunlight yet very similar. Both books are horror and both books has the struggle against good and evil as the major theme. They both frame this struggle in a spiritual if not necessarily religious way. Yet Crude Sunlight is quietly scary implying much of its terror. The Grind Room is a roller coaster ride with one action packed scene after another. Tucker's demons are definitely made from nightmares and the protagonist Jason and his cohorts are reluctant and troubled heroes. Yet there is much more than slash-and-burn here. Demon hunter Jason struggles with his fate and when he is inadvertently connected with a demon soul, life becomes even more confusing. I like the mental struggles between good and evil that are in this novel as well as the more violent types. They elevate it to more than just another demon gore fest. Another excellent novel from a new and promising author.
November 15, 2012
There were several things about The Grind Show that, when added together, made a read that I didn't enjoy.
The premise is pretty simple. Jason is a demon hunter. He has been for some time. It ruined his life until a fellow demon hunter found him and showed him the ropes. He showed him that Jason wasn't the only one out there.
Now that should be interesting enough. Take something cool like demons, throw a few shotguns and explosions in there and you have a pretty tried and true formula for a fun read.
The problem with The Grind Show is that, in between the long action sequences (of which there are several) the plot and the characters fall a little flat.
Honestly, I felt nothing for the characters. Not for Jason or his supporting cast or the supposed villain at the end. As the story goes, there used to be quite a few demon hunters that were trained directly by Angels, but some ten years ago all the Angels disappeared. The mass culling of the defenders was perpetrated by a man known as Mr. Aschenbrenner. We see very little of this supposed 'important' villain and when we do, he's pretty two dimensional.
The story itself seems to be there just as glue to hold action sequences together. The action sequences involve many 'flayed' and 'leathery' looking demons. There is even a passage where Jason is being 'transported' from point A to B and we get a five to six page description of the Las Vegas desert landscape as he sees it from above. Once again, took me right out of the story.
Story aside, there was also the matter of writer's style that I didn't enjoy. The way the sentences were formed honestly took me out of the story. Now, I'm no English major but when I see passages like this: "My shotgun fell to the ground with a loud clang, sending dust pluming into the air. I walked over to it. Picked it up and pumped the barrel." Sentence fragments like that last one are all over the novel and it made for a stunted read.
~I'm not trying to berate the author, but I'm merely saying why I didn't enjoy the book. Just being honest! Not trying to be scathing!~
There are also a few mechanics to the story that didn't make much sense to me. Only people who have been marked by demons can see demons. If the whole idea behind the book is for the villain to be plotting world domination, why would these demons want people to actually see them?
In the end, this novel gets many good reviews so you can take my two cents with a grain of salt. The Grind Show is a book that just didn't strike a chord with me in any way shape or form. I suppose not everything is for every one and I seem to be the exception to the rule.
The premise is pretty simple. Jason is a demon hunter. He has been for some time. It ruined his life until a fellow demon hunter found him and showed him the ropes. He showed him that Jason wasn't the only one out there.
Now that should be interesting enough. Take something cool like demons, throw a few shotguns and explosions in there and you have a pretty tried and true formula for a fun read.
The problem with The Grind Show is that, in between the long action sequences (of which there are several) the plot and the characters fall a little flat.
Honestly, I felt nothing for the characters. Not for Jason or his supporting cast or the supposed villain at the end. As the story goes, there used to be quite a few demon hunters that were trained directly by Angels, but some ten years ago all the Angels disappeared. The mass culling of the defenders was perpetrated by a man known as Mr. Aschenbrenner. We see very little of this supposed 'important' villain and when we do, he's pretty two dimensional.
The story itself seems to be there just as glue to hold action sequences together. The action sequences involve many 'flayed' and 'leathery' looking demons. There is even a passage where Jason is being 'transported' from point A to B and we get a five to six page description of the Las Vegas desert landscape as he sees it from above. Once again, took me right out of the story.
Story aside, there was also the matter of writer's style that I didn't enjoy. The way the sentences were formed honestly took me out of the story. Now, I'm no English major but when I see passages like this: "My shotgun fell to the ground with a loud clang, sending dust pluming into the air. I walked over to it. Picked it up and pumped the barrel." Sentence fragments like that last one are all over the novel and it made for a stunted read.
~I'm not trying to berate the author, but I'm merely saying why I didn't enjoy the book. Just being honest! Not trying to be scathing!~
There are also a few mechanics to the story that didn't make much sense to me. Only people who have been marked by demons can see demons. If the whole idea behind the book is for the villain to be plotting world domination, why would these demons want people to actually see them?
In the end, this novel gets many good reviews so you can take my two cents with a grain of salt. The Grind Show is a book that just didn't strike a chord with me in any way shape or form. I suppose not everything is for every one and I seem to be the exception to the rule.
July 14, 2014
The Grind Show, is about a demon-hunter named Jason, who absorbs a bit of extra power during a hunt gone bad. Now every demon appears to be after him and he's having trouble finding anyone brave or suicidal enough to stand beside him.
The phrase that best describes this book is "action-packed". There is a demon attack, car chase, shoot-out, and/or disembowelment per chapter. And with an adventure that spans 40 chapters, the story only takes place over the course of 3 days. This book reads a little like an episode of Supernatural, gore followed by welcomed - despite being a little cliched- wit, a must read for Winchester fans.
Things I love: Finally! A female counterpart who is up to the role she's been given. Twain, a musician, victim turned demon hunter, who knows how to aim the business end of a gun. She's strong AND emotional. I'm thrilled Phil Tucker didn't feel the need to make it one or the other. I like that Jason isn't all pure and good, he's got a little demon in him, he's willing to do what it takes to save himself and his friends. I like the little bit of betrayal; his friends turning against him. Its not some crazed-demon-hunter-Utopia. They don't all get along.
Things I wasn't crazy about: mainly grammar, I admit I noticed a lot of run on sentences...But then the character opened his mouth and spoke in run-ons and I decided to attribute the mistakes to Jason the ramble-y narrator. Misplaced commas, but the story moved so fast its easy to stop grammar checking and just read. I really think this was a bit of an evolution of writing for the author...The descriptions in the beginning were a little wishy-washy, but by the end I could see everything as if I were there.
On the GR scale I was torn; I felt it was better than 3 not enough to be 4 and I rounded up since half stars aren't an option and it was a story I had fun reading.
The phrase that best describes this book is "action-packed". There is a demon attack, car chase, shoot-out, and/or disembowelment per chapter. And with an adventure that spans 40 chapters, the story only takes place over the course of 3 days. This book reads a little like an episode of Supernatural, gore followed by welcomed - despite being a little cliched- wit, a must read for Winchester fans.
Things I love: Finally! A female counterpart who is up to the role she's been given. Twain, a musician, victim turned demon hunter, who knows how to aim the business end of a gun. She's strong AND emotional. I'm thrilled Phil Tucker didn't feel the need to make it one or the other. I like that Jason isn't all pure and good, he's got a little demon in him, he's willing to do what it takes to save himself and his friends. I like the little bit of betrayal; his friends turning against him. Its not some crazed-demon-hunter-Utopia. They don't all get along.
Things I wasn't crazy about: mainly grammar, I admit I noticed a lot of run on sentences...But then the character opened his mouth and spoke in run-ons and I decided to attribute the mistakes to Jason the ramble-y narrator. Misplaced commas, but the story moved so fast its easy to stop grammar checking and just read. I really think this was a bit of an evolution of writing for the author...The descriptions in the beginning were a little wishy-washy, but by the end I could see everything as if I were there.
On the GR scale I was torn; I felt it was better than 3 not enough to be 4 and I rounded up since half stars aren't an option and it was a story I had fun reading.
July 6, 2012
It was okay. I was surprised by the content from the cover art and the title, and that's not always a good thing. The writing was good - the characters likeable. I thought it moved a bit quickly, not really taking time to flesh out the characters as much as it could have. Considering how many of these free downloads are badly written with no editing, this once was fine in that respect. But I don't think I will bother to recommend it to anyone.
August 22, 2012
This really was a fun book. The only reason I gave it an average rating is that I think a lot of the ideas and concepts were not as fleshed out as they could have been. Basically, there was a lot of style, but not as much substance. This is just a nit-pick and a personal preference though, so it shouldn't discourage anyone from checking it out. I will look for more books from this author for sure.
January 23, 2014
Action packed and with it's main focus on world building this book is an engaging read.
The maxim is safe and predictable and reminds a lot of Supernatural if Dean or Sam were to die.
The story however and the author has a voice it's own.
The action never stops in this book and that is part of what makes it a very entertaining read.
I liked the world building and found myself rooting for the characters which is a clear indication that the author is doing his job.
WaAr
The maxim is safe and predictable and reminds a lot of Supernatural if Dean or Sam were to die.
The story however and the author has a voice it's own.
The action never stops in this book and that is part of what makes it a very entertaining read.
I liked the world building and found myself rooting for the characters which is a clear indication that the author is doing his job.
WaAr
June 5, 2012
The best part of The Grind Show - and the thing that saves the novel from being just another guilty pleasure read about fighting demons - is Jason, the quippy hero. While it's clear that he's a stand in for every teenage D&D fantasy Philip Tucker had, lines like "First you take their coats and then you offer them refreshments!" yelled as a battlecry make up for a lot.
June 24, 2012
For fans of Richard Kadrey, this fast paced quick witted smart ass protagonist would be right at home in Kadrey's LA. It would be a lot of fun for Paul and Sandman Slim to meet up some day! Full of demons, guns and a Han Solo type renegade hero. I'd love to learn more about Paul both before and after the events in this story.
September 2, 2012
I was pleasantly surprised. The characters were great! Judging from the cover I wasn't sure I would like it. Plus I has not even heard of this author before.
I will look for more books by this author in the future!
I will look for more books by this author in the future!
June 21, 2012
A good fantasy about demons in the contemporary US. The ending is satisfying, yet leaves things wide open for a sequel.
July 18, 2012
I love this book its a brilliant mix between demons and love i would love to read anothert book about these characters
October 29, 2012
Jumpy writing style, didn't care for the characters either. Some potential there but didn't hit the mark for me
November 6, 2012
Yes, this was much better compared to "Crude Sunlight". I really enjoyed it.
May 28, 2013
Wow, pretty violent. I didn't think anything was going to be resolved and that I was just reading about a total massacre. I felt like I was getting beat up reading this.
May 30, 2013
Bloody good demonic romp!
Well written, tight plot and I'm looking forward to more.
Well written, tight plot and I'm looking forward to more.
January 11, 2014
This book had a nice flow and plenty of action to keep you interested. The descriptive storyline presented vivid images throughout. Highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews