The Apocalypse Waltz

by Bruce McCandless III, Danny Ramirez

Six Heroes. Two Worlds. One Chance.
Except for the fact that he’s been chased out of this corner of the galaxy by demons he helped to create, formerly famous comic book artist Danny Ramirez is a lot like you and disillusioned, depressed, often profane. Unfortunately, Danny soon finds that his new home in Ythedra is under attack by the same forces besieging Earth. A dark spirit of unimaginable powers is leading an army of monsters and murderers north to enslave the last free peoples of the Ninelands. Someone’s going to have to act like a hero, and maybe it’s Danny himself–even if it means picking up a sword instead of his pen. He’ll have some help from a grizzled infantry commander, a burly, down-on-his-luck petty thief, an exotic warrior princess, and an irascible but dangerous blue troll from a cave kingdom far to the north. Together they make a formidable fighting force. But time is running out, and salvation for Danny Ramirez may mean saying so long to his dream of returning to a world he realizes he loves after all.

Genres: Fantasy

304 pages, Paperback

First published June 21, 2013

About the author

Bruce McCandless III recently edited his grandfather's World War II memoir, Iron and Fire: The Pacific War Story of Destroyer Captain Bruce McCandless. The narrative starts at Pearl Harbor and follows a trail of steel and smoke through Guadalcanal, Kwajalein, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa to the bittersweet end of America's conflict with the Empire of Japan. Iron and Fire will be published in October of 2026 by the U.S. Naval Institute Press.

Bruce's other publications:

Star Bound: A Beginner's Guide to the American Space Program, from Goddard's Rockets to Goldilocks Planets and Everything in Between (2025) (with Emily Carney).

Wonders All Around: The Incredible True Story of Astronaut Bruce McCandless II and the First Free Flight in Space, an Amazon bestseller that was named a Best Book of 2021 by both Men's Journal and Kirkus Reviews.

The American Paladin Series: In the Land of Dead Horses, Sour Lake, and The Black Book of Cyrenaica.

The Beatrice MacIlvaine Adventure Series: Beatrice and the Basilisk and Beatrice at Bay.

With his daughter, Carson McCandless: Carson Clare's Trail Guide to Avoiding Death (And Other Unpleasant Consequences), a book of poems for middle-schoolers that Indie Reader gave a perfect 5.0 score and that Kirkus Reviews calls an "amusing and friendly handbook" with "delightful verse and surprisingly useful tips."

Reviews

[Glen]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A comic book writer, who contributed to the what is now called The Dark Ages of comics, the 1990's, finds himself pursued by his own creations.

He gets pushed into a washing machine and travels to another world, one he thought he created, but apparently remembered from a sort of past life.

From there, there's the usual prophecies, journeys, spells, and monsters that make up this genre. One of the monsters is fairly original and memorable.

It's okay, but not a classic in the genre.

[Katrina]

I received a copy of “The Apocalypse Waltz” through a First Reads Giveaway, and I’d like to start with this: I love the way McCandless writes fantasy. I think he would be an excellent – if infuriating – Dungeon Master. The world of Ythedra is complicated in a realistic way and has great depth. I enjoyed the unpronounceable names that seemed well and truly foreign (unlike one-letter name changes in series like “Game of Thrones”) and the complex history of Ythedra as occasionally told through expository passages.

Unfortunately, I feel McCandless has gone for too many facets to make his story unique. As far as I can tell, there is absolutely no reason to have the story be a “true account” regaled from notes the author ‘found.’ The concept is so very Blair Witch or Slenderman that it hurts. Don’t try to sell me on the realism of your story. I won’t believe it and it just makes it seem so much more fake. Also, the bringing to life of the comic book characters doesn’t make sense once the character of Ramirez is given more background to explain the whole existence of Ythedra and his connection to it. And since the story is all a very detailed first-person account, it doesn’t even seem plausible that this was ‘pieced together’ by someone else. Get rid of the ‘realism’ and the weird comic-book-characters-into-life aspects and this is an enjoyable (if a bit dense) book.

[Margaret Bechtol]

I usually don't read this type of book. I enjoyed it, I doubt I'll read the rest of the series but I recommend it for people who enjoy fantasy worlds ad good vs evil. It was entertaining and moved along well, so you won't be bored. I also like that it had humor and irony.

[Katya]

A well-written adventure story, I really enjoyed this :) A slightly snarky guy who feels like he's failing at life gets dropped into a dangerous fantasy world...

[Arnie Shunneson]

Not bad, not bad at all. I got this book from the first read program for free. The start seemed a little off kilter and maybe a little juvenile. But once it settled in and the Mr. Ramirez settled into his homelands it started making a bit more sense.

The spoiler free quick is review is it is worth your time and I will be interested in picking up and reading the second book. The book surprised with its ability to get emotions out of me. The prose was lyrical and generally good. I had a few problems with the very end and at times the book felt rushed. Almost half of the story takes place in the last fourth of the book. But as I said not bad at all, good lead character who was able to draw emotions out as the story and he progressed. The battle scenes were well done I thought. And although sometimes I felt the characters were not really fleshed out enough I did not have any problems cheering for them.

spoilers

The part of the book I disliked the most was the last page. When Ramirez and Quinn return its nice how they eek out an existence and I liked picturing Quinn as a doorman. And then all of sudden the tone and everything just swings and Ramirez is talking about the battle between angels and devils that he is participating in outside of our view. Say what? Did not make any sense at all. It was only the last page basically so if you just discard it the ending was fine.

[C.L.]

I've been reading fantasy stories for as long as I can remember, and one of my favorite tropes within the genre is the idea of someone from our world being transported into another one. It's something that's been done over and over (and over!) again. And I'll admit I picked up this novel because the back blurb brought back that nostalgia.

But nothing prepared me for the masterful way this one is written.

Pulling me in from page one, the despondent (and drunken) Danny Ramirez didn't waste time painting his little apartment in Manhattan--it wasn't important anyway--but slid us right into the thick of it, as the world he'd created in the back catalog of his comic writing career came crashing in around him, literally chasing him through Central Park. With the assistance of a dwarf named Edward, he slipped through a portal straight into... well, yes, that world.

And he could've been like every other human finding themselves whisked away. He could've shouted, raved like a madman. Insisted that he didn't belong, that he needed to return to his 'home world' of Earth, or Manhattan, or even Texas where he grew up. But no, Danny was smarter. He knew this place like the back of his hand, right?

Without spoiling it for you, the adventure that ensued was a great one that kept me coming back for more. (It's not a one night read, for sure.) The characters that gathered around him, the layers of intrigue and undertones of plot lines--I don't know how many times I sat there gasping or --kept me engrossed in what happened with every page turn and invested in Danny and company.

That captivation rides on the excellent writing within a story pieced together by Bruce McCandless III after he received a mystery box he believed to be from Danny, (hence 'memoir'). If you've read my reviews, then you know I love a book I can see in my head, that I dream about, and this one checked both those boxes. The world building is fantastic: details without being overly details, characters that felt realistic (aside from being fantasy characters, of course) and one of my favorite things, dialogue that flowed like real people talking.

To say I'm happy there's another book coming is an understatement.

And I'll happily recommend this to everyone who loves this trope as much as I do. Bravo, Bruce. Danny would be proud.

[Tima]

There is humour, there is fantasy, and there is a mixture of life in the social world mingled with the world of fantasy. The story follows a comic artist who made millions, but there is a twist. The central character of the novel is Danny Ramirez. The setting shifts from Earth to Ninelands. The comic artist created this world, but it has become a commanded army of monsters and evil creatures.


So Ramirez drops his pen and picks up the sword to defend Earth and Yethedra. He is joined by a ragtag group of allies. There are many characters in the plot, including dwarves, elves, and monsters of different kinds. This is an amazing arc, with the character rising to the ranks of heroism and developing from a reluctant individual to someone who sacrifices himself for others.


The narrative is in the first person and is written in rich, imaginative detail. The Apocalypse Waltz: A Memoir is a fine fine read.

[Eileen H.]

Riveting read

I read the book to the end, and some parts more than once, but I'm still not sure if I missed the part where this is a made-up story... or a memoir? If I didn't, then McCandless might have intentionally used ambiguity to keep the boundary between reality and imagination unclear.

The story has metafictional elements, where the creator becomes entangled in his own creation. After Beatrice and the Basilisk, this is my second McCandless read and once again, the storyline is unique and ambitious in an intriguing way.

Above all, I love how "the imperfect" Ramirez's cynical tone balances the dark themes. If you enjoy fantasy and character-driven adventures, you might find THE APOCALYPSE WALTZ worth exploring.

[Joan Mitchell]

Good Wins Again

A riveting story of the fight between good and evil. Monsters, wizards, trolls and men fight for ultimate control. Well written and packed with action and adventure. I recommend this book to people who enjoy action exciting drama. I received this book from Goodreads for free.

[Pineywood Reader]

Not my usual genre, but well-written and occasionally even funny. I enjoyed it.

[Chel]

Read this during some extensive travel so I had hours or minutes to read. That might have contributed to the craziness of the story. I will definitely read this one again.

[Clara]

Overall, I vastly enjoyed this book. It doesn’t pull punches, and shares the spot light on the characters. Though the premise was originally why I picked up the book, it was the humorously cynical voice and unique writing style that I liked the most. I found myself often times smiling at Ramirez in his fish-out-of-water scenes. I like it when a story can address the reader’s questions (i.e. how did he get to another world?) and still keep its sense of humor without sacrificing the severity of the situation. Strangely enough, it’s hard to find authors that are truly good at that. McCandless is one of those authors. Ramirez is a bitter, damaged man, but relatable in his plight. Even if the next book was just him going through his taxes, I would still want to read it.

The best way to describe the writing style is fluid. Not everyone can immediately keep up with it (as I’ve been told). Jumping from one reference or description, sometimes without a link, doesn’t bother me. I find it refreshing. Not a ton of authors do this, and I love it when I find an author that can do it well. Maybe I’m not explaining that very clearly, but in a way, I guess you could say that the style isn’t hand-feeding you every solitary detail, but gives you a glimpse of the world and lets you fill in the details.

The theology of Ythedra is probably one of my favorite parts, one that I wish I could have learned more about, though I understand that explaining it further could kill the mystery of it. Having multiple deities, with some even familiar, is difficult to juggle, but I admire how the pieces fall into place. With gods, the God, angels, demons, and the like, Ythedra’s world kept me guessing, wondering what would be linked or used next. The ending scene (without spoiling it) didn’t disappoint. Just enough information to know what’s happening, but not enough that you’ll choke on the details or be forced to think in one specific way.

The names can be difficult to keep track of, at least for me. I love fantasy, though I end up knowing the characters more by what the names look like than by knowing how to say them. The difficult to pronounce names are a staple of fantasy worlds, but honestly, it takes minimal energy to keep up with them. Of the six members of the party, each was interesting of their own right. Parts of the journey had a Lord of the Rings quality to them, but with a new look and new faces and a new perspective. The blending of the worlds, and the twists supplied leave me wanting more. I’m would have loved to see more interactions between the characters, even if they’re doing nothing plot relevant. When the next book comes out, I’ll be first in line.

[Victoria]

I also won this book through the GoodReads Giveaway and was not impressed. Although this book is written clearly and well, I found the story to be too fantastical for my liking. I have never read fantasy or sci-fi before and I was willing to give this title a try. I immediately got lost while reading and this did not allow me to understand what was happening in the book. You can give me character names to identify, but that's probably all I would know. I also found the premise for this book to be far-fetched and unrealistic. I refuse to believe that this truly happened. Sorry guys, but if anything your book was not for me. Maybe I'll reread it and change my mind in the future.

[Amber]

Usually don't choose these type of books to read, but was pleasantly surprised. I do actually look forward to reading more by this author.