Beat Down 1 - Clones

by Michael S. Hunter

Russell T. Goode is the most badass thing in existence. Borderline immortal, he is the only seven-times Olympic Power Wrestling Champion in history (and was so good he fought himself in each final), and is the current star of the World Wrestling Organisation, for which he is the reigning Inter-Regional Champion. He can breathe underwater, chew through steel, send messages in radio frequencies only a dog can hear, plus his sweat has magical properties that make it a trace ingredient in the awesome soft drink Beat Down!, as well as a top seller on internet auction sites. On top of everything, he's a champion for the environment, and has won numerous Nobel Prizes for various things, including persuading every government in the entire world to ban private cars.


However, his arch enemy, Kurt Sniveller, a retired wrestler himself, is up to no good. Always on a mission to take over the world - or at the very least, disrupt Russell's life - he is in constant need of a good Beat Down. Luckily, Russell is on hand to dish one out.

Fleshed out by a colourful cast of characters including Russell's best friend Mart - a talking shark, his manager Rip T. Chest, his beautiful girlfriend Belinda, his assistant Marny, and of course the eccentric part chav / part pirate Cap'n Nerv, Beat Down! is a comedy action adventure series like no other.

In Episode 1 - Clones, Kurt Sniveller and his henchmen, the Sprite Squadron, have kidnapped Russell's brother, Gary. Also missing are hundreds of sharks. As Sniveller's sinister plot to take over the world is revealed, Russell and his friends must go on a mission to bring the madman and his cronies to their knees.

Michael S. Hunter is a former wrestler. Just like Russell T. Goode, he is also extremely good-looking and muscular. He lives wherever he damn well wants, and spends his time snapping trees with his bare hands and chewing through rocks.

70 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 4, 2012

About the author

Michael S. Hunter is a former professional wrestler, who, like his creation Russell T. Goode, is extremely good-looking, cool and muscular. He lives wherever he damn well likes, where he spends his time chewing rocks and snapping trees with his bare hands.

You can find more information on his blog. He would love to hear from you, but be aware that there is a 100% chance he will address you as "dear punk".

You can contact Michael directly at michaelshuntersbeatdown@gmail.com, or join the new releases mailing list at - http://eepurl.com/sRWK9

He is also extremely good friends with the incredibly awesome sci-fi/horror writer Chris Ward, who occasionally pops around for a chat and a cup of Earl Grey.

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every once in a while I like to take a “Walk on the Wild Side,” step off my normal reading path and widen my reading horizon-for me, Beat Down 1 –Clones by Michael S. Hunter was more like a giant leap down the rabbit hole, and you know? I liked it! Campy, clichéd, and actually very detailed, Beat Down 1 – Clones has the potential for creating a cult following, for sure! Comic book pictures would be a bonus!

Our hero, Russell T. Goode, is, well, super awesome, super strong, super everything, including being full of super narcissism! His sidekicks are his manager, Rip T. Chest, a retired wrestler, himself. The villain is Kurt Sniveller, who would have been the wrestling champion of the world, if not for never being able to beat Russell, see a pattern of tongue-in-cheek going on here? Trust me, it gets better, or goofier as each character is introduced and the plot thickens! You need to know that gasoline driven cars have been banned, the world is waking up to being environmental guardians, but twisted minds have found a way to clone beings and create a workforce that can change the future and give world domination to the evil fiend, Kurt Sniveller. Still with me? He has kidnapped Russells’ brother, Gary, (basically a nerdy wimp in Russell’s well-muscled mind), giving him both his workforce and getting one over on the awesome Russell! Ahh, revenge at its finest!

Often we learn that authors write about topics they know about, and Michael S. Hunter is no exception, seems he KNOWS the world of wrestling, so, of course, we must trust him on the facts he cleverly mixes into the plot! After reading about Russell and his super-human awesomeness, I am leaning toward giving up on the notion that wrestling on TV is not real, because behind the scenes, the beat goes down with the same larger-than-life pace, at least in Mr. Hunter’s world! Is Beat Down 1 for everyone? Probably not, unless you are sipping Peach Schnapps while you’re reading, but I have to admit, I have never laughed or rolled my eyes as much as I did reading this short novella and I DO have to compliment Mr. Hunter on his INTENSE detail of each scene and his COLORFULLY and creatively drawn characters, not to mention his imagination! My only question is: “What exactly is a Bounder?”

My thanks to the author for generously providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest review! I’m going with 4 stars here, because I can!

Publication Date: November 2, 2012
Publisher: AMMFA Publishing
Series: Beat Down, #1
Number of Pages: 65
Genre: Fiction/Action and Adventure
My Rating: 4 stars
Available at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

NOTE: Beat Down 1 is FREE on Amazon & Barnes & Noble today!

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[Jess Mountifield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't a book that you're meant to take too seriously. The characters have larger than life personalities with sweat that's bottled and sold to power an energy drink. The main character is also the face of this particular energy drink and some how super human after drinking it.

On top of that, you have his assistant (the guy who collects his sweat), his trainer/agent and a pirate chav with a parrot that says chav at regular intervals through out the story. There's also the big bad enemy and an annoying brother who works for a bank.

All in all the book had me laughing aloud at several points and I found mmyself having to read lines to the people around me when they noticed me chuckling away to myself. This resulted in one of my companions pulling out his kindle and grabbing a copy too. For a while the amused giggling could be heard from two people in the room.

So if you're looking for a very funny action book with crazy but hilarious characters, this novella is worth a read.

[Bear Boxall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely over the top insane and pointless. A fun evening read :)

[alice Tileston · Rating 4 out of 5]

received free for review :
This is a quick short story. it felt a little juvenile to me, but I think would be greatly enjoyed by preteen kids.
Reminds me of the type of books my grandson read at that age.....