What do you think?
Rate this book
Downside Ghosts #1.5
Wrong Ways Down
It’s a thin line between right and wrong. It’s an even thinner one between wrong and dead…
Terrible has always been on the wrong side of the law, living up to the only name anyone ever gave him. As the chief enforcer for Downside’s most powerful criminal, it’s his job to collect debts and protection money by any means necessary. And he’s very good at his job.
But part of that job is also to keep Bump’s various employees safe. So when a street dealer is found dead and a prostitute is brutally attacked, Terrible immediately starts using his fists to hunt down the ones responsible.
He’s determined to find and destroy them. They’re determined to use his desire for the woman he secretly loves to break him.
Terrible has always been on the wrong side of the law, living up to the only name anyone ever gave him. As the chief enforcer for Downside’s most powerful criminal, it’s his job to collect debts and protection money by any means necessary. And he’s very good at his job.
But part of that job is also to keep Bump’s various employees safe. So when a street dealer is found dead and a prostitute is brutally attacked, Terrible immediately starts using his fists to hunt down the ones responsible.
He’s determined to find and destroy them. They’re determined to use his desire for the woman he secretly loves to break him.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 4, 2013
19 people are currently reading
1231 people want to read
About the author
Stacia Kane
35 books2,534 followersStacia Kane is the author of the light-hearted romantic urban fantasy "Megan Chase" series starting with PERSONAL DEMONS.
She currently writes the gritty dystopian urban fantasy "Downside" series starring Chess Putnam and featuring ghosts, human sacrifice, drugs, witchcraft, punk rock, and a badass '69 Chevelle. She bleaches her hair and wears a lot of black.
She currently writes the gritty dystopian urban fantasy "Downside" series starring Chess Putnam and featuring ghosts, human sacrifice, drugs, witchcraft, punk rock, and a badass '69 Chevelle. She bleaches her hair and wears a lot of black.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews
January 1, 2015
I get all swoony and melt into a gooey puddle of lust when I read Terrible with his sexy Downside slang.
I loved everything about Terrible’s POV. Everything. From the rest of the series, we know who and what Terrible is. We know he’s Bump’s muscle and enforcer. But we never really saw the full extent of what he does and the violence involved until reading this story from his point of view. So, really, he’s right. Terrible is not a hero. He’s the complete antihero and I love it. He’s unattractive, uneducated and works for a drug lord. But, at the same time, turns around and says the sweetest things in the simplest of ways. All this without losing his character. He never changes from badass to good guy, he’s all of those things, always. I could ramble on and on about my infatuation with Terrible as it never ends.
Of course, Ms. Kane starts off the book with a bang and some dead bodies. The whole "investigation" and suspense was complete awesome and then the last 20% or so keeps you on the edge. Obvs. This is a Downside Ghosts book, after all. Yeah, yeah, yeah... that's great and everything but you know what I want... CHESS & TERRIBLE!
This being book 1.5 in the series, all this happens before Chess & Terrible get together. GAWD, I loved how he loved her so early on. He’d be thinkin on whatany else (<--see how I did that? I can do Downside) and then he would start thinking about Chess and all these sweet things and...*sigh* But it did take us back to the angsty part of their relationship where, we as readers, knew what (or who *shudder*) she was doing. Just thinking of him makes me want to punch a hole in the wall.
Yet(!)
I loved it. I knew I would. This is, without a doubt, my favorite series. Ever.
"But Chess laughed and looked at him like she weren’t so unhappy anymore. Made him feel like a hero, and he’d never been a hero. He was the villain. He was the dude who beat people for money and cause he liked it and killed em if he had to, and it ain’t bothered him a bit doing it. And that made him the bad guy. He could live with that. He were right up with that; just the way it was, the way he was."
I loved everything about Terrible’s POV. Everything. From the rest of the series, we know who and what Terrible is. We know he’s Bump’s muscle and enforcer. But we never really saw the full extent of what he does and the violence involved until reading this story from his point of view. So, really, he’s right. Terrible is not a hero. He’s the complete antihero and I love it. He’s unattractive, uneducated and works for a drug lord. But, at the same time, turns around and says the sweetest things in the simplest of ways. All this without losing his character. He never changes from badass to good guy, he’s all of those things, always. I could ramble on and on about my infatuation with Terrible as it never ends.
Of course, Ms. Kane starts off the book with a bang and some dead bodies. The whole "investigation" and suspense was complete awesome and then the last 20% or so keeps you on the edge. Obvs. This is a Downside Ghosts book, after all. Yeah, yeah, yeah... that's great and everything but you know what I want... CHESS & TERRIBLE!
"Pretty cool way to start his day; maybe that were why he was thinking this were a good morning. Causen he were seeing her first."
This being book 1.5 in the series, all this happens before Chess & Terrible get together. GAWD, I loved how he loved her so early on. He’d be thinkin on whatany else (<--see how I did that? I can do Downside) and then he would start thinking about Chess and all these sweet things and...*sigh* But it did take us back to the angsty part of their relationship where, we as readers, knew what (or who *shudder*) she was doing. Just thinking of him makes me want to punch a hole in the wall.
"Hard to remember sometimes that she weren’t his, that just cause he wished she was and sometimes felt like she was, ain’t meant she was for real."
Yet(!)
I loved it. I knew I would. This is, without a doubt, my favorite series. Ever.
August 10, 2013
Terrible is Bump's enforcer in Downside and has come across a murder of one of their dealers and an assault of one of their prostitutes. Determined to find the culprit(s), Terrible sets out on his own...well, maybe with a little help from Chess.
♦ Just a little advice...I know this says Book #1.5 in the series and that is correct because of when the events take place, but...and this is a big but, you might not appreciate Terrible to the fullest if you read this after the first book. I suggest waiting till at least after the second book, Unholy Magic. ♦
Terrible, Chess and the series is an acquired taste. Meaning it does take at least two books to get into the series. The series is dark and gritty. There are bad people, drug addicts and prostitutes and most of them are not pretty. But somewhere along the line, you fall for them. It's really hard to explain.
And I haven't even mentioned the slang or Downside-speak or Downspeech...whichever you prefer. This book is extremely heavy in that regard because of course, it's coming from Terrible, who unlike Chess, does speak that way all the time. A lot of people get turned off by it and it does take a bit to get used to it but it is one of the things that makes it so unique!
Still interested? Well, as I mentioned in the beginning, this book has a mystery to solve but my favorite things were the interactions between Terrible and Chess. Both Chess and Terrible have vulnerable sides and since we've always seen Chess', it was great to see Terrible's for a change.
I enjoyed seeing Terrible figure out the mystery as well. Sometimes he doesn't get himself enough credit in the "smarts" department so hopefully this will give him a badly needed boost.
I do have to mention that I was a bit disappointed...I just wanted more Terrible and Chess. But with this being a novella and the way it's fitting in with the overall story arc, it just couldn't incorporate all that. I'm hoping there will be more novellas in between the other books so we can get his POV on those certain scenes. ;)
Iffen you a Terrible and Chess fan, whatany you waiting for, dig?
Favorite quotes:
♥ "The sun hit the back of her head and made her hair glow. F*ck, she was so pretty."
♥ "But when he was with Chess he wasn’t the bad guy no more. He was the one keeping her safe, making her smile. He still wasn’t good enough for her, but he were better than he’d ever been. That mattered."
♥ " Her head was on his thigh." ♥
♦ Just a little advice...I know this says Book #1.5 in the series and that is correct because of when the events take place, but...and this is a big but, you might not appreciate Terrible to the fullest if you read this after the first book. I suggest waiting till at least after the second book, Unholy Magic. ♦
Terrible, Chess and the series is an acquired taste. Meaning it does take at least two books to get into the series. The series is dark and gritty. There are bad people, drug addicts and prostitutes and most of them are not pretty. But somewhere along the line, you fall for them. It's really hard to explain.
And I haven't even mentioned the slang or Downside-speak or Downspeech...whichever you prefer. This book is extremely heavy in that regard because of course, it's coming from Terrible, who unlike Chess, does speak that way all the time. A lot of people get turned off by it and it does take a bit to get used to it but it is one of the things that makes it so unique!
Still interested? Well, as I mentioned in the beginning, this book has a mystery to solve but my favorite things were the interactions between Terrible and Chess. Both Chess and Terrible have vulnerable sides and since we've always seen Chess', it was great to see Terrible's for a change.
I enjoyed seeing Terrible figure out the mystery as well. Sometimes he doesn't get himself enough credit in the "smarts" department so hopefully this will give him a badly needed boost.
I do have to mention that I was a bit disappointed...I just wanted more Terrible and Chess. But with this being a novella and the way it's fitting in with the overall story arc, it just couldn't incorporate all that. I'm hoping there will be more novellas in between the other books so we can get his POV on those certain scenes. ;)
Iffen you a Terrible and Chess fan, whatany you waiting for, dig?
Favorite quotes:
♥ "The sun hit the back of her head and made her hair glow. F*ck, she was so pretty."
♥ "But when he was with Chess he wasn’t the bad guy no more. He was the one keeping her safe, making her smile. He still wasn’t good enough for her, but he were better than he’d ever been. That mattered."
♥ " Her head was on his thigh." ♥
January 27, 2016
The tale told through Terrible's head turned out to be enjoyable. I wouldn't have thought otherwise, since Terrible is the best character in the Downside Ghost series. This extra dished out from the author is no mere short story - but instead this in-between book is over 200 pages, filled with Terrible trying to solve a mystery crime on his own while worshiping Chess in his head.
I knew he loved her, but seeing her through his eyes even made me see her a little differently, and I'd been in her head for five books and two re-reads. His perceptiveness of her, how he could tell she was having a bad day, to see when there were issues in her eyes he tried to avoid raising by dropping subjects...and hearing his views on what happened between them that night at the bar, heartbreak. We readers know that wasn't what was going on in her mind, but like Chess, Terrible has low self-esteem and just assumes the worst conclusion to be the true one.
Bump is never a likeable sort (although sometimes he's funny...) but I enjoyed the thrown in interactions Terrible had with him, highlighting the respect the two hold for one another. A little is told about his loyalty to Bump, although it doesn't go into graphic memory detail, but enough for the reader to clearly get a proper picture. I was especially interested in Bump's warning to Terrible to stay away from Chess romantically, saying from experience that you can't trust a junkie.
We learn a little more about Terrible in this book, although the majority of it was already learned in the series. Being in his head was an experience worth reading about.
Why then, three stars? I get why Terrible is who he is, and why Chess is who SHE is, but the book covered a lot of how Terrible worked - with his fists. I find it disturbing and not terribly interesting in terms of interrogation. The best parts of the story was when he was with Chess, thinking about her, talking to Bump, or doing something other than violence. He's a good guy, this doesn't make me think less of him - actually I think a wee bit more of him now because his intentions towards Chess are so extremely pure - but I can't rate reading about all the fighting higher. Just not my thing and it couldn't hold my interest enough during those scenes.
Overall still worth reading if you're a Downside fan.
August 6, 2013
ALL THE STARS!
Review closer to release day, but I will leave you with a quote ...
"Thinkin people still be scared on me, I standing back here lookin all happy?" ... "Maybe you should take up knitting." She sipped her beer. "It's hard to be scared of somebody while they're knitting."
"Aw, naw, don't tell nobody on that, aye? Got people sellin blankets I'm making in the Market."
You are welcome.
What can I say - I've not read anything new in the Downside world in a while, and it is just like riding a bike. You hop on, hold on tight, and enjoy the ride of your life (and you can read whatever innuendo into that you want - it would be appropriate).
This story takes place between Unholy Ghosts and Unholy Magic, and it is all in Terrible's POV. I felt like a cat in a field of catnip, and wanted to just roll around in his mind and make myself comfortable and just stay there.
He'd just slapped together a cold steak sandwich later that day when his phone rang.
When I found out Kane was writing this novella, months ago, some friends and I joked with her that it didn't matter WHAT he was doing, we would read it, and love it. Somehow we all wrote a scene on twitter about him making a sandwich, and speculating what kind it would be. Steak, of course. I said roast beef, which is close. ;-)
He was careful not to sit too close. If he sat too close he might forget and touch her, like resting his hand on her knee or some shit. Hard to remember sometimes that she weren't his, that just cause he wished she was and sometimes felt like she was, ain't meant she was for real.
Of course my favorite parts were his interactions with Chess. I knew how he felt, having read all the other books in this series many times, but I didn't know, you know? Holy crap, he made my heart hurt all over again. There is a difference between knowing and knowing. And being in his head you know.
Trouble was, every fucking time he saw that look in her eyes, every fucking time he saw her frown like that, it got harder and harder not to tell her to write down a list of names for him. Every single name she had a recall on, causen he wanted to hunt em all down one by one and make sure they knew why as they died.
I have MAD LOVE for Kane and this series. If this is your first time at the blog, stick around for a minute. This won't be the last time you hear about it. If you've been here before then you know. I'll be the first to tell you, this series is not for everyone. It is dark. It is gritty. It deals with drugs, murder, magic, low self-esteem. The hero isn't a pretty boy, and the heroine doesn't (or at least hasn't yet) had a major turn around where she realizes how awesome she is. BUT, all that being said, you should try it. The world is so ... I don't have the words. Beautiful and horrible. The people are disgusting and heartbreaking, yet loveable.
I could go on and on. And on. But I will stop. Just trust me, this book, this series, is worth your time. Would I steer you wrong?
Review closer to release day, but I will leave you with a quote ...
"Thinkin people still be scared on me, I standing back here lookin all happy?" ... "Maybe you should take up knitting." She sipped her beer. "It's hard to be scared of somebody while they're knitting."
"Aw, naw, don't tell nobody on that, aye? Got people sellin blankets I'm making in the Market."
You are welcome.
What can I say - I've not read anything new in the Downside world in a while, and it is just like riding a bike. You hop on, hold on tight, and enjoy the ride of your life (and you can read whatever innuendo into that you want - it would be appropriate).
This story takes place between Unholy Ghosts and Unholy Magic, and it is all in Terrible's POV. I felt like a cat in a field of catnip, and wanted to just roll around in his mind and make myself comfortable and just stay there.
He'd just slapped together a cold steak sandwich later that day when his phone rang.
When I found out Kane was writing this novella, months ago, some friends and I joked with her that it didn't matter WHAT he was doing, we would read it, and love it. Somehow we all wrote a scene on twitter about him making a sandwich, and speculating what kind it would be. Steak, of course. I said roast beef, which is close. ;-)
He was careful not to sit too close. If he sat too close he might forget and touch her, like resting his hand on her knee or some shit. Hard to remember sometimes that she weren't his, that just cause he wished she was and sometimes felt like she was, ain't meant she was for real.
Of course my favorite parts were his interactions with Chess. I knew how he felt, having read all the other books in this series many times, but I didn't know, you know? Holy crap, he made my heart hurt all over again. There is a difference between knowing and knowing. And being in his head you know.
Trouble was, every fucking time he saw that look in her eyes, every fucking time he saw her frown like that, it got harder and harder not to tell her to write down a list of names for him. Every single name she had a recall on, causen he wanted to hunt em all down one by one and make sure they knew why as they died.
I have MAD LOVE for Kane and this series. If this is your first time at the blog, stick around for a minute. This won't be the last time you hear about it. If you've been here before then you know. I'll be the first to tell you, this series is not for everyone. It is dark. It is gritty. It deals with drugs, murder, magic, low self-esteem. The hero isn't a pretty boy, and the heroine doesn't (or at least hasn't yet) had a major turn around where she realizes how awesome she is. BUT, all that being said, you should try it. The world is so ... I don't have the words. Beautiful and horrible. The people are disgusting and heartbreaking, yet loveable.
I could go on and on. And on. But I will stop. Just trust me, this book, this series, is worth your time. Would I steer you wrong?
August 7, 2013
I started this novella expecting to fangirl the entire time. After all, it's Terrible's book, yo. And I did squee and swoon a lot, but my heart also felt like it was being ripped to shreds again. I cried, I ached, and I smiled.
Similar to Chess and her Church cases, this book took us behind the scenes to one of Terrible's assignments. One of Bump’s dealers was brutally murdered and a prostitute was attacked, and it’s up to Terrible to find out who’s behind all these and deliver the proper punishment.
There are no fade-to-black scenes when we see Terrible in action. It made me wince at times because the visuals that Ms. Kane’s writing provides are so vivid and clear you can almost hear bones cracking. And now I know why Terrible doesn’t want Chess to see him when he’s doing his job. It’s not pretty. Then again, nothing in Downside is.
This book continues the gloomy, dark feel of the series. Faithful to the Downside world, Terrible's POV was done entirely in Downspeech. How brilliant is that? Not only did he manage to sound incredible male (finding Chessie's grooming bag "cute"), he also sounded well... like himself. Bump is still Bump, still speaking in third person, and still providing comic relief when I need it the most.
"You fuckin' out with she all the fuckin time, yay, buzzin around she like a fuckin fly with a hard-on, so why he ain't would fuckin assume on it?"
I thought I’d get some reprieve from Chessie’s self-loathing by taking a break from her POV but Terrible’s thoughts were just as sad and heartbreaking, if not more. If Chess found her escape through drugs, then Terrible found it by beating people up. Fighting is second nature to him, and it’s important that we saw how this wasn’t just a job to him. It’s who he is and what he does to fight the memories that continue to torture him every so often. We got a glimpse of his past and got to know him better (notebook? He could be a detective or PI in an alternate universe! Oh, and he makes sandwiches.) We also got to see when he realized his feelings for Chess and what went on his mind every time he was with her or thought of her. I wanted nothing more than to take this book and physically show Chess my highlighted passages to show what Terrible thought of her so she could ease on the self-deprecating thoughts already!
Iffen he'd been asked two months past he'd have said she may have been the prettiest dame he'd ever met but she seemed like one of the bitchiest too. But turned out she weren't a bitch at all. She was fucking amazing, and iffen he could spend all his time with her he would.
And seriously, if I thought that I couldn’t love Terrible even more then I was so, so wrong. He just further proved to me how he’s become one of my favourite fictional male characters ever! I don’t know how Stacia Kane did it, but somehow, somewhere along my reading adventure, she’s made this unattractive, seemingly emotionless thug into a multi-layered, swoony anti-hero who gives me the heart flutters all the time. I care for him so much, I just want him to be happy and to succeed, you know? And he has to know – I think the world of him.
I think I’m gonna go reread Home to make myself feel better now...
Terrible,
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
OMG!!! SK just announced the release date and it's... *drumroll* AUGUST 6th!!! That's 3 freakin' weeks from today! I am sooooo excited! ❤❤❤
![Profile Image for Namera [The Literary Invertebrate].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1647896333i%2F31792110._UX200_CR0%2C96%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
February 9, 2022
This one's relatively short and (for the series) sweet. It's told from Terrible's perspective, and it was AMAZING getting into his head and seeing just how in love with Chess he is. I wish Kane would write more of these.
August 6, 2013
Wrong Ways Down is the long awaited novella in the Downside Ghosts series that focuses on Terrible and is from his point of view. Fans of the series who adore Terrible, including this girl, have been desperately wanting to get inside that head of his and I can certainly say we were rewarded for our patience - or lack thereof - with Wrong Ways Down.
First of all, this feels like a Downside book. The mood and themes of the story are the same as all the other books in the series, despite the fact that this is a novella and the story is told from Terrible's third person POV instead of Chess'. Starting a Downside book always feels like coming home and this novella is no different. The novella - we'll loosely call it a novella since its almost the length of a full-length novel - is set in between books one and two in the series, with some overlap into book two.
It is completely awesome to read things from Terrible's side, especially his thoughts and feelings about everything that has gone on between him and Chess up until the start of book two. I almost forgot the incident in book one when Chess was insanely messed up and started making out with Terrible before he realized she was wasted. That incident had both given Terrible hope that she might be interested in him and then completely squashed any hope he might have had. In the novella he still carries that hurt with him.
From Chess' POV we only get what she suspects Terrible might be thinking, and her thoughts are often skewed by her own insecurities. But, one thing is for sure - Terrible is already SO in love with Chess in the novella and we get to see him come to realize this fact. But, he also has no hope that she might want to be with him. I almost want to go back and reread the whole series now, knowing everything I do about his feelings for her and how real they were so early on.
The absolute best thing for me in reading Wrong Ways Down was getting to see Chess from Terrible's POV. After reading all of Chess' self-criticisms, self-doubts, and the shitty image she has of herself, it was refreshing to see her the way Terrible sees her. He sees her as the most beautiful woman in the room all the time, like a breath of fresh air. All the brief moments they shared early on in the series were like little rays of sunshine for Terrible and the way he notices all of the little details about her is beautiful. There's a thought that Terrible has to himself after spotting Chess at Trickster's that was so simple yet really true to how he feels about her:
"What the fuck was wrong with every other man in the room, that they weren't all killing each other just to stand next to her?"
Its also sad to read how below Chess he imagines himself to be and how much he really never thought early on that she would want him. The two of them are just plain idiots early in the series, both feeling the same way about each other but neither thinking they were good enough for the other. And all the ways they hurt each other until they finally come to their senses? Sheesh. Knowing what I know about them now, five books into the series, I found myself giving Terrible a little knowing smile when he'd be down on himself for wanting her and thinking she was too good for him. A few more books, Terrible, just give it a few more books.
The plot for this novella felt really true to the series as well. There were enough magical elements involved to feel like other Downside books, but the plot was still for Terrible. We get to see Terrible be even more rough and ruthless than we have in the previous books of the series and we also get to learn how Terrible feels about his job as an enforcer for Bump. In fact, we get to learn a little more of his back story including more about his relationship with his daughter's mother and his relationship with Katie, his daughter. All of these things give us a deeper understanding of Terrible and make him an even more complicated and layered character than he was before.
This is another gritty, spectacular, emotional book in the Downside Ghosts series that will more than whet the whistle of readers waiting for the next full-length installment. Fans of Terrible will fall over themselves swooning at his undeniable love for Chess - I know I did. Who wouldn't want to be seen the way he sees her? Even with her emotional baggage and her laundry list of faults he finds her to be perfect. Major swoon.
Recommended for fans of: TERRIBLE!!!
This review is based on an early copy of the book provided by the author.
First of all, this feels like a Downside book. The mood and themes of the story are the same as all the other books in the series, despite the fact that this is a novella and the story is told from Terrible's third person POV instead of Chess'. Starting a Downside book always feels like coming home and this novella is no different. The novella - we'll loosely call it a novella since its almost the length of a full-length novel - is set in between books one and two in the series, with some overlap into book two.
It is completely awesome to read things from Terrible's side, especially his thoughts and feelings about everything that has gone on between him and Chess up until the start of book two. I almost forgot the incident in book one when Chess was insanely messed up and started making out with Terrible before he realized she was wasted. That incident had both given Terrible hope that she might be interested in him and then completely squashed any hope he might have had. In the novella he still carries that hurt with him.
From Chess' POV we only get what she suspects Terrible might be thinking, and her thoughts are often skewed by her own insecurities. But, one thing is for sure - Terrible is already SO in love with Chess in the novella and we get to see him come to realize this fact. But, he also has no hope that she might want to be with him. I almost want to go back and reread the whole series now, knowing everything I do about his feelings for her and how real they were so early on.
The absolute best thing for me in reading Wrong Ways Down was getting to see Chess from Terrible's POV. After reading all of Chess' self-criticisms, self-doubts, and the shitty image she has of herself, it was refreshing to see her the way Terrible sees her. He sees her as the most beautiful woman in the room all the time, like a breath of fresh air. All the brief moments they shared early on in the series were like little rays of sunshine for Terrible and the way he notices all of the little details about her is beautiful. There's a thought that Terrible has to himself after spotting Chess at Trickster's that was so simple yet really true to how he feels about her:
"What the fuck was wrong with every other man in the room, that they weren't all killing each other just to stand next to her?"
Its also sad to read how below Chess he imagines himself to be and how much he really never thought early on that she would want him. The two of them are just plain idiots early in the series, both feeling the same way about each other but neither thinking they were good enough for the other. And all the ways they hurt each other until they finally come to their senses? Sheesh. Knowing what I know about them now, five books into the series, I found myself giving Terrible a little knowing smile when he'd be down on himself for wanting her and thinking she was too good for him. A few more books, Terrible, just give it a few more books.
The plot for this novella felt really true to the series as well. There were enough magical elements involved to feel like other Downside books, but the plot was still for Terrible. We get to see Terrible be even more rough and ruthless than we have in the previous books of the series and we also get to learn how Terrible feels about his job as an enforcer for Bump. In fact, we get to learn a little more of his back story including more about his relationship with his daughter's mother and his relationship with Katie, his daughter. All of these things give us a deeper understanding of Terrible and make him an even more complicated and layered character than he was before.
This is another gritty, spectacular, emotional book in the Downside Ghosts series that will more than whet the whistle of readers waiting for the next full-length installment. Fans of Terrible will fall over themselves swooning at his undeniable love for Chess - I know I did. Who wouldn't want to be seen the way he sees her? Even with her emotional baggage and her laundry list of faults he finds her to be perfect. Major swoon.
Recommended for fans of: TERRIBLE!!!
This review is based on an early copy of the book provided by the author.
August 4, 2013
5 stars? Maybe 5 gazillion stars! Stacia Kane is a genius. That is all.
*************************************
Wow! If you've read the brilliant Stacia Kane's Downside Ghosts series, and you are fan of Terrible, you will only love him more after this "novella." And by "novella," I mean almost-full-length novel. Terrible has been one of my favorite male characters in urban fantasy for years, and this book only bolsters his credibility as a leading man. If you thought you understood Terrible, you will find that you are mistaken. Kane takes an already beloved character and adds layers to his persona, allowing the reader to understand him on a more personal level. Terrible's thoughts and feelings about Bump, his job, his life, Chess, and most of all, himself, are studied in detail. Stacia hit this one out of the park, y'all, and I feel a Terrible Fever coming on!
Let's start with the cover. This is by far my favorite Downside Ghosts cover. It's artistic and the color palette is perfect for Downside. The cover shows important parts of this book - Terrible's arm, the well-known Chevelle and a whore in the midst of a magicked circle somewhere in Downside. It's a beautiful cover that captures what Downside looks like as I picture it in my mind.
This book takes place soon after the events of Unholy Ghosts. Terrible has only been working with Chess for a short while, but they have shared enough to have a sweet, yet oftentimes confusing, relationship. Remember, the events of Trickster's bar and one very fucked up Chess have already occurred. We get to read Terrible's reaction to that fateful night and it's heartbreaking.
Terrible is on the move in this book. Bump's men begin turning up dead, and his whores are being raped and attacked. Terrible is charged with solving this problem. A street man close to one of Bump's girls is giving Terrible a bad feeling and it's up to Terrible to prove without a doubt that this guy is bad news. Bump is the Lord of Downside, and Terrible is his chief enforcer. These are some bad dudes who will go to any length to protect the business. One thing that is made clear in this book is that Terrible and Bump both live by their own code - it's okay to dabble in drugs and whores, but fuck with a member of Bump's business, his family, and Terrible will hunt you down and kill you. Bump and Terrible are compassionate about the whores and what is happening to them.
Whores had secrets they never told men.
The bond between Terrible and Bump is also explored a bit more. Terrible would do anything for Bump. Bump gave Terrible safety and a purpose at a very young age. We hear glimpses of Terrible's past, including the introduction of a character named Darren, but we are left with a murky picture. Bad things happened to Terrible when he was a child - things that are alluded to but not fully fleshed out. I hope we get to hear more about Terrible and his childhood, however heartbreaking that might be, in future installments.
Which weren't bad, true thing. Aye, Bump weren't perfect, but so fucking what? Bump saved him. He wouldn't be alive if it weren't for Bump. Bump taught him everything he knew. Bump made him able to sleep at night. And he never forgot that.
It is clear that Terrible doesn't think very highly of himself. He says more than once that he's not very smart, and this seems to be something that bothers him quite a bit. However, we see in this book how intelligent Terrible really is. His thought processes and his investigative skills are showcased in this book and it is obvious that he is anything but stupid. Which begs the question - if Terrible thinks he's stupid when he's actually quite smart, then wouldn't that lead one to believe that he's not quite as ugly as he thinks he is? I love Terrible no matter what, but I think he doesn't give himself enough credit in any area.
Arrogance made people stupid. Being convinced they were smart made people stupid.
And to the part you've all been waiting for. Chess. She is not in a large portion of this book. This is Terrible's story, after all. She is felt throughout this entire story, though, in Terrible's thoughts. Chess makes a few appearances, including a scene at Terrible's apartment that had me squealing in Terrible delight. The big show in this book are Terrible's thoughts about his life and finding a partner, and how he feels about Chess. Terrible might be all tough guy on the outside, but when it comes to Chess, he is a gooey ball of sweet, lick-able candy. We find that Terrible had some pretty serious feeling for Chess very early on. We see the devastation he felt after the night at Trickster's, and we see how Chess' trust changes Terrible and his opinion of himself. I could really go on and on about the Terrible-Chess scenes, but you really need to read this for yourself.
Touching Chess made him feel like somebody shoved a live wire down his throat and electricity was sizzling through his whole body, but not causen of magic. Or not causen of that kind of magic. Were some other kind of magic did that. The kind a lot more dangerous, a lot fucking scarier. The kind nobody could just do a spell to get rid of, because she carried it around with her everywhere she went and it made her glow from the inside when he looked at her.
There are a few things in this book that offer foreshadowing to books that are already written. We learn something that I feel is very important about Terrible and the sex magic that Chess succumbs to Unholy Magic. I don't want to spoil it, but when you read this, please let me know your thoughts. We also learn how Terrible is looking for someone that is his equal in fighting. He says in WWD that he "wants a real match," which I think alludes to his what happens to Terrible in Chasing Magic. Stacia Kane makes it clear in this book that Terrible is left handed. I feel like it's important, but I can't think of why. If you have any theories on that, I'd love to hear them!
Stacia Kane is hands down my favorite author. I could read her books day in and day out and never tire of them. Downside is one of my favorite places in urban fantasy - with it's gritty, dark and haunted setting full of churchwitches, thugs and drugs, it is one of the best planned and vivid places in the genre. Stacia's Downspeech is perfect in this book. It brings such a texture and even a clarity to the characters. And the writing is beautiful. Kane is able to weave a multi-layered story with serious continuity and a twisty plot.
I am in love with Terrible and Downside so hard, I can barely breathe, to paraphrase a quote from this book. I highly recommend this book to all lovers of dark urban fantasy, damaged characters with shady pasts and ghost stories with a twist. I will be waiting impatiently as always for the next Downside Ghosts book.
*************************************
Wow! If you've read the brilliant Stacia Kane's Downside Ghosts series, and you are fan of Terrible, you will only love him more after this "novella." And by "novella," I mean almost-full-length novel. Terrible has been one of my favorite male characters in urban fantasy for years, and this book only bolsters his credibility as a leading man. If you thought you understood Terrible, you will find that you are mistaken. Kane takes an already beloved character and adds layers to his persona, allowing the reader to understand him on a more personal level. Terrible's thoughts and feelings about Bump, his job, his life, Chess, and most of all, himself, are studied in detail. Stacia hit this one out of the park, y'all, and I feel a Terrible Fever coming on!
Let's start with the cover. This is by far my favorite Downside Ghosts cover. It's artistic and the color palette is perfect for Downside. The cover shows important parts of this book - Terrible's arm, the well-known Chevelle and a whore in the midst of a magicked circle somewhere in Downside. It's a beautiful cover that captures what Downside looks like as I picture it in my mind.
This book takes place soon after the events of Unholy Ghosts. Terrible has only been working with Chess for a short while, but they have shared enough to have a sweet, yet oftentimes confusing, relationship. Remember, the events of Trickster's bar and one very fucked up Chess have already occurred. We get to read Terrible's reaction to that fateful night and it's heartbreaking.
Terrible is on the move in this book. Bump's men begin turning up dead, and his whores are being raped and attacked. Terrible is charged with solving this problem. A street man close to one of Bump's girls is giving Terrible a bad feeling and it's up to Terrible to prove without a doubt that this guy is bad news. Bump is the Lord of Downside, and Terrible is his chief enforcer. These are some bad dudes who will go to any length to protect the business. One thing that is made clear in this book is that Terrible and Bump both live by their own code - it's okay to dabble in drugs and whores, but fuck with a member of Bump's business, his family, and Terrible will hunt you down and kill you. Bump and Terrible are compassionate about the whores and what is happening to them.
Whores had secrets they never told men.
The bond between Terrible and Bump is also explored a bit more. Terrible would do anything for Bump. Bump gave Terrible safety and a purpose at a very young age. We hear glimpses of Terrible's past, including the introduction of a character named Darren, but we are left with a murky picture. Bad things happened to Terrible when he was a child - things that are alluded to but not fully fleshed out. I hope we get to hear more about Terrible and his childhood, however heartbreaking that might be, in future installments.
Which weren't bad, true thing. Aye, Bump weren't perfect, but so fucking what? Bump saved him. He wouldn't be alive if it weren't for Bump. Bump taught him everything he knew. Bump made him able to sleep at night. And he never forgot that.
It is clear that Terrible doesn't think very highly of himself. He says more than once that he's not very smart, and this seems to be something that bothers him quite a bit. However, we see in this book how intelligent Terrible really is. His thought processes and his investigative skills are showcased in this book and it is obvious that he is anything but stupid. Which begs the question - if Terrible thinks he's stupid when he's actually quite smart, then wouldn't that lead one to believe that he's not quite as ugly as he thinks he is? I love Terrible no matter what, but I think he doesn't give himself enough credit in any area.
Arrogance made people stupid. Being convinced they were smart made people stupid.
And to the part you've all been waiting for. Chess. She is not in a large portion of this book. This is Terrible's story, after all. She is felt throughout this entire story, though, in Terrible's thoughts. Chess makes a few appearances, including a scene at Terrible's apartment that had me squealing in Terrible delight. The big show in this book are Terrible's thoughts about his life and finding a partner, and how he feels about Chess. Terrible might be all tough guy on the outside, but when it comes to Chess, he is a gooey ball of sweet, lick-able candy. We find that Terrible had some pretty serious feeling for Chess very early on. We see the devastation he felt after the night at Trickster's, and we see how Chess' trust changes Terrible and his opinion of himself. I could really go on and on about the Terrible-Chess scenes, but you really need to read this for yourself.
Touching Chess made him feel like somebody shoved a live wire down his throat and electricity was sizzling through his whole body, but not causen of magic. Or not causen of that kind of magic. Were some other kind of magic did that. The kind a lot more dangerous, a lot fucking scarier. The kind nobody could just do a spell to get rid of, because she carried it around with her everywhere she went and it made her glow from the inside when he looked at her.
There are a few things in this book that offer foreshadowing to books that are already written. We learn something that I feel is very important about Terrible and the sex magic that Chess succumbs to Unholy Magic. I don't want to spoil it, but when you read this, please let me know your thoughts. We also learn how Terrible is looking for someone that is his equal in fighting. He says in WWD that he "wants a real match," which I think alludes to his what happens to Terrible in Chasing Magic. Stacia Kane makes it clear in this book that Terrible is left handed. I feel like it's important, but I can't think of why. If you have any theories on that, I'd love to hear them!
Stacia Kane is hands down my favorite author. I could read her books day in and day out and never tire of them. Downside is one of my favorite places in urban fantasy - with it's gritty, dark and haunted setting full of churchwitches, thugs and drugs, it is one of the best planned and vivid places in the genre. Stacia's Downspeech is perfect in this book. It brings such a texture and even a clarity to the characters. And the writing is beautiful. Kane is able to weave a multi-layered story with serious continuity and a twisty plot.
I am in love with Terrible and Downside so hard, I can barely breathe, to paraphrase a quote from this book. I highly recommend this book to all lovers of dark urban fantasy, damaged characters with shady pasts and ghost stories with a twist. I will be waiting impatiently as always for the next Downside Ghosts book.
August 9, 2013
4.4 stars
The inside of Terrible's mind is a sad and lonely place. His past broke my heart, but it also made him the outstanding character he is. The thoughts behind his work, his interactions with Bump, Amy, Chess and other street folks from his perspective was enlightening. His lack of self-esteem battles with his known physical abilities. It was beautifully painful.
He fears, as tough as he is he fears what we all fear. Terrible is even more vulnerable than I knew.
Chess, and her drug use. He does have worries, who wouldn't and what does she say...
I loved his voice, even if I had some difficulty with the flow as I stumbled over some of the slang. I wanted more Chessiebomb but that comes later in the story. I hope there will be more of Terrible's words from Terrible. I will be ready with my finger on the buy now button.
The inside of Terrible's mind is a sad and lonely place. His past broke my heart, but it also made him the outstanding character he is. The thoughts behind his work, his interactions with Bump, Amy, Chess and other street folks from his perspective was enlightening. His lack of self-esteem battles with his known physical abilities. It was beautifully painful.
He fears, as tough as he is he fears what we all fear. Terrible is even more vulnerable than I knew.
Chess, and her drug use. He does have worries, who wouldn't and what does she say...
I loved his voice, even if I had some difficulty with the flow as I stumbled over some of the slang. I wanted more Chessiebomb but that comes later in the story. I hope there will be more of Terrible's words from Terrible. I will be ready with my finger on the buy now button.
October 30, 2025
I really like this series, but sometimes the Downspeech is a little too much for my tiny brain to absorb. In the regular series, it's tolerable because it's mixed with regular speech, but since this book was told from Terrible's POV, it was mostly told through how he and most of the downsider's talk. It was like if Dyslexia had Dyslexia. I found myself having to read paragraphs over again and again to try and understand exactly what it was therefore making this read a bit unbearable for me.
August 14, 2013
It’s safe to say that Wrong Ways Down is the best thing that happened to urban fantasy in a very long time. With this long-awaited, anxiously anticipated and rather longish novella told from Terrible’s POV, Stacia Kane gave her readers exactly what they desperately needed – a glimpse into the complicated psyche of a well-beloved character.
If you know anything about Stacia’s books, you might have noticed that she doesn’t have almost-fans or lukewarm readers. People either hate or love her books, but for those who have loved the previous five novels, Wrong Ways Down will seem like a gift fallen from the sky. Not only do we get to see the inner workings of Terrible’s mind, but we get to see Chess through his eyes: a beautiful, confident and well-put-together version of her.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was always painfully aware of Terrible’s insecurities, although it’s easy enough to forget them while seeing his strength through Chess’s eyes. In Wrong Ways Down, Stacia Kane brings them all skillfully to light, thus giving a new and much needed dimension to a well-loved character. Suddenly, Terrible doesn’t seem neither untouchable nor invincible. He is as vulnerable as you and me, but all the better for it.
And when he was doing it, using his fists, his whole body... he felt right. Like his body did the thinking he mind couldn't seem to get, and when he was fighting he thought faster than anyone else. If fists were brains he was the smartest dude in the city, and he couldn't help how that made him feel good.
Terrible’s POV means that Downspeech is heavier than ever. Chess’s education is evident in her narration, as is Terrible’s lack of one. Stacia proved herself as a writer a hundred times over even before this novella, but for this, she should get a standing ovation. Everything about Terrible’s language was consistent and well-thought-out and Kane’s attention to details. I hope someone someday will write a paper about it, purely from a grammatical standpoint.
I realize $6 seems like a lot for a novella (that’s the EU price, I’m not sure about US), but Wrong Ways Down is actually the length of a short novel, and brilliant to boot, so trust me when I say it’s money well spent. In addition, I don’t often see a self published work that is so well edited and has such a wonderful, non-generic cover.
Downside fans, get yourselves a copy as soon as possible. The rest of you don’t know what you’re missing. :)
If you know anything about Stacia’s books, you might have noticed that she doesn’t have almost-fans or lukewarm readers. People either hate or love her books, but for those who have loved the previous five novels, Wrong Ways Down will seem like a gift fallen from the sky. Not only do we get to see the inner workings of Terrible’s mind, but we get to see Chess through his eyes: a beautiful, confident and well-put-together version of her.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was always painfully aware of Terrible’s insecurities, although it’s easy enough to forget them while seeing his strength through Chess’s eyes. In Wrong Ways Down, Stacia Kane brings them all skillfully to light, thus giving a new and much needed dimension to a well-loved character. Suddenly, Terrible doesn’t seem neither untouchable nor invincible. He is as vulnerable as you and me, but all the better for it.
And when he was doing it, using his fists, his whole body... he felt right. Like his body did the thinking he mind couldn't seem to get, and when he was fighting he thought faster than anyone else. If fists were brains he was the smartest dude in the city, and he couldn't help how that made him feel good.
Terrible’s POV means that Downspeech is heavier than ever. Chess’s education is evident in her narration, as is Terrible’s lack of one. Stacia proved herself as a writer a hundred times over even before this novella, but for this, she should get a standing ovation. Everything about Terrible’s language was consistent and well-thought-out and Kane’s attention to details. I hope someone someday will write a paper about it, purely from a grammatical standpoint.
I realize $6 seems like a lot for a novella (that’s the EU price, I’m not sure about US), but Wrong Ways Down is actually the length of a short novel, and brilliant to boot, so trust me when I say it’s money well spent. In addition, I don’t often see a self published work that is so well edited and has such a wonderful, non-generic cover.
Downside fans, get yourselves a copy as soon as possible. The rest of you don’t know what you’re missing. :)
August 10, 2013
Spoilers
Pretty much loved it, I had one or two issues but nothing major. I do prefer Chess's POV overall, but Terrible's was still enjoyable to read.
-I was a bit reluctant to start Wrong Ways Down because I'm not always impressed with novels/novellas written from the hero's perspective. Most of the time the heroes go from being mysterious and charismatic to dull and whiny. Thankfully, that wasn't the case with Terrible. He wasn't some stereotypical misunderstood boring douche, his POV was engaging and he still managed to be appealing and intriguing.
I liked how Terrible's thuggish and brutal ways was balanced by his sweetness and insecurity when it came to Chess, his vulnerability around her just made him all the more endearing.
I also loved how protective and respectful Terrible was with women in general. His relationship with Amy was actually kind of sweet, I'm glad that even though he cared about her, it was clear that he was all about Chess. I'm sick of all those bastard heroes that treat every women they meet like blow up dolls, Terrible was actually rather gentlemanly.
-It was interesting to read how Terrible thought he wasn't good enough for Chess, when it's clear from the novels that Chess thinks the exact opposite. In a way, they both aren't worthy of the other — which actually kind of makes them perfect for each other.
It was just great 'seeing' Chess through Terrible's eyes, it was easy to see why he fell for her — in his eyes she's amazing, clever, and strong, and understands him in a way no-one else does. In most UF/PNR books, it's impossible to see why the hero and heroine fall for one another so it made a nice change to actually read about a couple who's feelings made perfect sense.
-I wasn't all that invested in the Downside murder and investigation. Also, the mystery with the rapes didn't interest me much, it was entertaining enough but I was more engrossed with Terrible's feelings and thoughts about Chess. Yea, they were so cute around each other.
-I did like the Downside dialogue/narration, but there were certain parts that I had to re-read because things weren't all that clear.
-One pet peeve was Katie, it just annoys me that so many UF heroes have kids but the heroines never have any. Why can't it be the other way around? There's only one UF book that I've come across that has a heroine with a kid, yet there's LOADS of heroes with kids. It just really grates on me.
All in all, it was a great read. If there's another Terrible novella, I'll definitely be reading it.
Pretty much loved it, I had one or two issues but nothing major. I do prefer Chess's POV overall, but Terrible's was still enjoyable to read.
-I was a bit reluctant to start Wrong Ways Down because I'm not always impressed with novels/novellas written from the hero's perspective. Most of the time the heroes go from being mysterious and charismatic to dull and whiny. Thankfully, that wasn't the case with Terrible. He wasn't some stereotypical misunderstood boring douche, his POV was engaging and he still managed to be appealing and intriguing.
I liked how Terrible's thuggish and brutal ways was balanced by his sweetness and insecurity when it came to Chess, his vulnerability around her just made him all the more endearing.
I also loved how protective and respectful Terrible was with women in general. His relationship with Amy was actually kind of sweet, I'm glad that even though he cared about her, it was clear that he was all about Chess. I'm sick of all those bastard heroes that treat every women they meet like blow up dolls, Terrible was actually rather gentlemanly.
-It was interesting to read how Terrible thought he wasn't good enough for Chess, when it's clear from the novels that Chess thinks the exact opposite. In a way, they both aren't worthy of the other — which actually kind of makes them perfect for each other.
It was just great 'seeing' Chess through Terrible's eyes, it was easy to see why he fell for her — in his eyes she's amazing, clever, and strong, and understands him in a way no-one else does. In most UF/PNR books, it's impossible to see why the hero and heroine fall for one another so it made a nice change to actually read about a couple who's feelings made perfect sense.
-I wasn't all that invested in the Downside murder and investigation. Also, the mystery with the rapes didn't interest me much, it was entertaining enough but I was more engrossed with Terrible's feelings and thoughts about Chess. Yea, they were so cute around each other.
-I did like the Downside dialogue/narration, but there were certain parts that I had to re-read because things weren't all that clear.
-One pet peeve was Katie, it just annoys me that so many UF heroes have kids but the heroines never have any. Why can't it be the other way around? There's only one UF book that I've come across that has a heroine with a kid, yet there's LOADS of heroes with kids. It just really grates on me.
All in all, it was a great read. If there's another Terrible novella, I'll definitely be reading it.
September 5, 2019
Terrible's POV between books 1 and 2 and if you like Terrible then it was as awesome as you'd think it'd be.
(I read this AFTER reading books 1 -3 and I liked that I ended up reading this in that order.)
(I read this AFTER reading books 1 -3 and I liked that I ended up reading this in that order.)
February 6, 2016
The more I thought about this read, the more I knew I had to rewrite my first review.
Take two:
Terribly (pardon the pun) awesome!
This is a short novella set in the Downside Ghosts world, featuring our anti-hero, Terrible. No last name (that I know of, yet), just Terrible. He's the 6'4 "ugly" enforcer for a local drug dealer.
I'm reading this series in order, because I'm anal that way, and I'm really enjoying it. When we first met Terrible in book one, he seemed like this big bad dude you didn't want to mess with. Even Chess, a Churchwitch, was a bit afraid of him. He is an enforcer for a local drug dealer. He "takes care" of things and people that need taking care of. Prostitutes. Drug buyers. Even murder isn't off the table. But as you dig deeper in to this story, told from Trouble's point of view, you get a perfect example of not judging someone by how their outward appearance may be.
Trouble never know his parents, but he does know the man he works for. The man who is a drug dealer, but also took him in, fed and clothed him, taught him to read and write, pays him a salary. Loyalty.
Trouble works as an enforcer, dealing with the lowest common denominator at times. He watches after "the girls", prostitutes in the employ of his boss. When someone starts doing bad things to the girls, Trouble sets out to find them. Honor.
Trouble is a big guy at 6'4. I see him in my mind as more lean than musclebound. He settles things with his fists, but also with his wits, his street smarts. He knows his capabilities and uses them to the maximum efficiency. Courage.
Trouble is also in love with Chess in a big way, but he doesn't let her know that he is. He won't touch her, because to touch her would tempt him in ways he is not sure he could control. He tries to find ways to be around her without being obvious. He "knows" in his mind that if things went beyond friendship, he would lose her. He sacrifices his own feelings for hers. He considers her "his" but not. He looks out for her in ways never come across until you read them from his point of view. Commitment.
Stacia Kane is fucking brilliant.
Take two:
Terribly (pardon the pun) awesome!
This is a short novella set in the Downside Ghosts world, featuring our anti-hero, Terrible. No last name (that I know of, yet), just Terrible. He's the 6'4 "ugly" enforcer for a local drug dealer.
I'm reading this series in order, because I'm anal that way, and I'm really enjoying it. When we first met Terrible in book one, he seemed like this big bad dude you didn't want to mess with. Even Chess, a Churchwitch, was a bit afraid of him. He is an enforcer for a local drug dealer. He "takes care" of things and people that need taking care of. Prostitutes. Drug buyers. Even murder isn't off the table. But as you dig deeper in to this story, told from Trouble's point of view, you get a perfect example of not judging someone by how their outward appearance may be.
Trouble never know his parents, but he does know the man he works for. The man who is a drug dealer, but also took him in, fed and clothed him, taught him to read and write, pays him a salary. Loyalty.
Trouble works as an enforcer, dealing with the lowest common denominator at times. He watches after "the girls", prostitutes in the employ of his boss. When someone starts doing bad things to the girls, Trouble sets out to find them. Honor.
Trouble is a big guy at 6'4. I see him in my mind as more lean than musclebound. He settles things with his fists, but also with his wits, his street smarts. He knows his capabilities and uses them to the maximum efficiency. Courage.
Trouble is also in love with Chess in a big way, but he doesn't let her know that he is. He won't touch her, because to touch her would tempt him in ways he is not sure he could control. He tries to find ways to be around her without being obvious. He "knows" in his mind that if things went beyond friendship, he would lose her. He sacrifices his own feelings for hers. He considers her "his" but not. He looks out for her in ways never come across until you read them from his point of view. Commitment.
Stacia Kane is fucking brilliant.
March 1, 2013
I was lucky to have read this in advance and let me tell you, if you adore Terrible, you will eat this one up! We gain a lot of insight on who Terrible is and how he really feels for Chess, which is so sweet, like uber-sweet like cotton candy.
I bow down to Stacia's writing skills and this one is another great addition to the Downside Ghosts series. You'll be craving more Terrible POV's and short stories.
A must read.
I bow down to Stacia's writing skills and this one is another great addition to the Downside Ghosts series. You'll be craving more Terrible POV's and short stories.
A must read.
February 18, 2019
Definite must read for fans of the Downside series and more importantly, fans of Terrible.
One of the things I adore about this series is Kane's super creative (and oftentimes, hard to decipher) street talk, a little something she invented called Downspeech. It's not the usual street slang; Kane invented her own. But she didn't stop there - while many characters speak the language, it varies widely from character to character depending on many socioeconomic factors. Terrible's own version is a little more understood than others (like Bump's, or most of the people living at the docks), and I love that this whole entire story was told using Downspeak. Kudos, Stacia Kane. That had to get confusing at times. Seriously.
This story is told from Terrible's POV. Really, I could stop there because that's the hook. That's all you need to know since many, many fans of this series have been waiting for that. Well, wait no more and read it happily. What I loved was getting a deeper insight to Terrible and finally getting more about what he thinks not only of himself, but of Chess. Despite being a tougher than average street thug, Terrible is really quite a gentlemen. He doesn't get down with violence against women and unfortunately in this story, he had to witness the aftermath when Bump's whores are getting beaten and raped. Not only that, but we get to see his softer side when things don't work out with Amy. He feels and feels deeply, fearing he really mistreated her and I loved seeing his protective attitude towards women; whether they are hookers, casual screws like Amy or Sela, or something more, something great in his eyes, like Chess, they all deserve respect and protection. I absolutely loved getting his thoughts and feelings concerning Chess and they were much deeper than we were shown in the actual series books.
Another thing I liked was his general thoughts about himself. Not that I like that he thinks so lowly of himself, but rather, he, very much like Chess, also has some deep insecurities. He thinks of himself as stupid, not much to look at, just someone who is good at what he does - collecting and enforcing and all the violence that comes along with it. He's completely unaware that Chess sees through all of that and really sees him for who he is - despite a lack of education, he is a smart man, much smarter than everyone gives him credit for and the part where he was reading the book loaned to him by Chess really proves that point. Another interesting comparison between Terrible and Chess, aside from their insecurities, is they both come from similar backgrounds. Terrible's beginnings were always hinted at, never explained in such depth and in Wrong Ways Down, so much of his past is revealed. What I didn't expect was for his tragedies to somewhat mirror Chess'. It really adds a deeper connection and hopefully one day, they can each overcome their horrid pasts. Terrible is such a complex and highly tangible character and he's certainly the highlight of this series for me.
As I said before, a definite must read for fans of both the series and Terrible. And despite this being labeled as a novella, it's almost a full length novel at about 250 pages. That's 250 pages of Terrible goodness that I didn't want to end. This was a nice bridge while waiting for the as-yet unpublished and untitled sixth book, which I really am looking forward to. Stacia Kane - please keep this series going for as long as possible. I'll wait as long as I need to between books, just please keep 'em coming :)
One of the things I adore about this series is Kane's super creative (and oftentimes, hard to decipher) street talk, a little something she invented called Downspeech. It's not the usual street slang; Kane invented her own. But she didn't stop there - while many characters speak the language, it varies widely from character to character depending on many socioeconomic factors. Terrible's own version is a little more understood than others (like Bump's, or most of the people living at the docks), and I love that this whole entire story was told using Downspeak. Kudos, Stacia Kane. That had to get confusing at times. Seriously.
This story is told from Terrible's POV. Really, I could stop there because that's the hook. That's all you need to know since many, many fans of this series have been waiting for that. Well, wait no more and read it happily. What I loved was getting a deeper insight to Terrible and finally getting more about what he thinks not only of himself, but of Chess. Despite being a tougher than average street thug, Terrible is really quite a gentlemen. He doesn't get down with violence against women and unfortunately in this story, he had to witness the aftermath when Bump's whores are getting beaten and raped. Not only that, but we get to see his softer side when things don't work out with Amy. He feels and feels deeply, fearing he really mistreated her and I loved seeing his protective attitude towards women; whether they are hookers, casual screws like Amy or Sela, or something more, something great in his eyes, like Chess, they all deserve respect and protection. I absolutely loved getting his thoughts and feelings concerning Chess and they were much deeper than we were shown in the actual series books.
Another thing I liked was his general thoughts about himself. Not that I like that he thinks so lowly of himself, but rather, he, very much like Chess, also has some deep insecurities. He thinks of himself as stupid, not much to look at, just someone who is good at what he does - collecting and enforcing and all the violence that comes along with it. He's completely unaware that Chess sees through all of that and really sees him for who he is - despite a lack of education, he is a smart man, much smarter than everyone gives him credit for and the part where he was reading the book loaned to him by Chess really proves that point. Another interesting comparison between Terrible and Chess, aside from their insecurities, is they both come from similar backgrounds. Terrible's beginnings were always hinted at, never explained in such depth and in Wrong Ways Down, so much of his past is revealed. What I didn't expect was for his tragedies to somewhat mirror Chess'. It really adds a deeper connection and hopefully one day, they can each overcome their horrid pasts. Terrible is such a complex and highly tangible character and he's certainly the highlight of this series for me.
As I said before, a definite must read for fans of both the series and Terrible. And despite this being labeled as a novella, it's almost a full length novel at about 250 pages. That's 250 pages of Terrible goodness that I didn't want to end. This was a nice bridge while waiting for the as-yet unpublished and untitled sixth book, which I really am looking forward to. Stacia Kane - please keep this series going for as long as possible. I'll wait as long as I need to between books, just please keep 'em coming :)
November 14, 2013
As if I couldn't love Terrible more. This short that is not all that short, which was nice is set during a time when Terrible and Chess are still working out what their feelings are for each other. We get Wrong Ways Down in Terrible's point of view and it's very fun to be in his head. To see Chess through his eyes and how much love and respect he has for her. Yes this book is about Terrible solving the mystery of who is going around hurting Bumps prostitutes but that story came second fiddle for me when It came to the moments where Chess and Terrible were on the page. Magnetic, fueled with passion and never ending attraction and people nothing happened but small touches and long looks.
Having finished Wrong Ways Down, I feel the need for a reread of Downside Ghosts, one of my favorite Urban Fantasy Series. If you haven't picked up this series for any number of reasons then today is your day. Grab it and fall in love with these real, damaged, amazing characters.
Now i'm off to dive into Close to You... Can't wait!!
Having finished Wrong Ways Down, I feel the need for a reread of Downside Ghosts, one of my favorite Urban Fantasy Series. If you haven't picked up this series for any number of reasons then today is your day. Grab it and fall in love with these real, damaged, amazing characters.
Now i'm off to dive into Close to You... Can't wait!!
May 18, 2017
Are you reading the Downside Ghosts series and can't decide if this short story (really a novella) is worth buying or not? IT IS. It's told from Terrible's point of view and it's important. There's so much you wonder about when you haven't read this story that gets answered.
Like you don't want to know what Terrible thinks about? I promise that you do.
Like you don't want to know what Terrible thinks about? I promise that you do.
May 27, 2017
Prostitutes are being brutalized, a dealer is found dead. Sex magic felt in each case. These are all problems for Terrible, Bump's chief enforcer to deal with. All while he's got nothing but Chess on the brain. Using his street smarts, and all the things Chess has taught him, he sets out to find the assholes and make them pay. All the while thinking about how much he loves Chess. This series keeps getting better and better!! I want them together now!! The suspense is killing me!!
August 11, 2013
RATING: 4 stars.
WARNING: some spoilers for the Downside Ghosts series.
Terrible: giving depth to thugs everywhere. You'll never look at Thug A from Action Movie 12495 the same way again! And that's a damn feat in my book.
Stacia Kane's characters are so human I actually want to meet them. They are so appealing I actually want to forgive Terrible for his crimes. Damn.
Wrong Ways Down is a novella from Terrible's (the unlikely male protagonist/hero of the Downside Ghosts series) point of view. Terrible is the "chief enforcer" for Bump, one of Downside's drug dealers. As such, he is expected to make sure all of Bump's operations run smoothly. However, when one of Bump's dealers is murdered and Bumps' prostitutes are brutally attacked, it is up to Terrible to investigate. So he does it the way he knows best... with his fists.
This story takes place between books 1 and 2 of the series, so, as many readers have already remarked upon, there aren't many "aww moments" between Chess and Terrible. This isn't really about our drug addict of a heroine (erm... no pun intended or whatever); it's about Terrible. And that's fine.
I loved this story because I got to know more about Terrible. Not just how much he cares for Chess (although I must admit that part was too cute for words) but also what makes him tick, how he feels about what he does (and his feelings aren't pretty sometimes) and how he sees himself (as a dumb, ugly goon). We also get to see a bit of how Chess sees him and how that changes him. This interaction helps explain their mutual attraction.
As for the plot itself, it was pretty run of the mill. It served mostly to make the characters interact, which is a constant in Kane's books. Although she has constructed a pretty believable and interesting dystopian world, with solid supernatural elements, it isn't actually the world or even the stories/mysteries that make the series shine, in my humble opinion; it is the characters, that are so excellently written and developed that make me come back to these books again and again. I think did mention in my last review(s) that I was a bit frustrated with the lack of world development; Kane's world remains static (we still don't know much about Haunted Week, there are no factions that we know of, that question the Church's version of events, there are no alternate explanations, etc) and the characters are too absorbed by their little worlds to think about the bigger picture.
But that is a rant for another review. Suffice to say we got little to no world building/development in this short story, but we do find out more about Terrible, which was great to me.
In general, a great read. As compulsive and compelling as always!
WARNING: some spoilers for the Downside Ghosts series.
Terrible: giving depth to thugs everywhere. You'll never look at Thug A from Action Movie 12495 the same way again! And that's a damn feat in my book.
Stacia Kane's characters are so human I actually want to meet them. They are so appealing I actually want to forgive Terrible for his crimes. Damn.
Wrong Ways Down is a novella from Terrible's (the unlikely male protagonist/hero of the Downside Ghosts series) point of view. Terrible is the "chief enforcer" for Bump, one of Downside's drug dealers. As such, he is expected to make sure all of Bump's operations run smoothly. However, when one of Bump's dealers is murdered and Bumps' prostitutes are brutally attacked, it is up to Terrible to investigate. So he does it the way he knows best... with his fists.
This story takes place between books 1 and 2 of the series, so, as many readers have already remarked upon, there aren't many "aww moments" between Chess and Terrible. This isn't really about our drug addict of a heroine (erm... no pun intended or whatever); it's about Terrible. And that's fine.
I loved this story because I got to know more about Terrible. Not just how much he cares for Chess (although I must admit that part was too cute for words) but also what makes him tick, how he feels about what he does (and his feelings aren't pretty sometimes) and how he sees himself (as a dumb, ugly goon). We also get to see a bit of how Chess sees him and how that changes him. This interaction helps explain their mutual attraction.
As for the plot itself, it was pretty run of the mill. It served mostly to make the characters interact, which is a constant in Kane's books. Although she has constructed a pretty believable and interesting dystopian world, with solid supernatural elements, it isn't actually the world or even the stories/mysteries that make the series shine, in my humble opinion; it is the characters, that are so excellently written and developed that make me come back to these books again and again. I think did mention in my last review(s) that I was a bit frustrated with the lack of world development; Kane's world remains static (we still don't know much about Haunted Week, there are no factions that we know of, that question the Church's version of events, there are no alternate explanations, etc) and the characters are too absorbed by their little worlds to think about the bigger picture.
But that is a rant for another review. Suffice to say we got little to no world building/development in this short story, but we do find out more about Terrible, which was great to me.
In general, a great read. As compulsive and compelling as always!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2013
FINALLY! The much awaited novella told through Terrible’s POV is here and it’s right up, aye!
Fair warning the Downside slang is very heavy in Wrong Ways Down but it’s to be expected since it’s Terrible’s POV. It’s not a fast read. Even though I’ve listened and read all the books, I found myself having to re-read few times to get the meaning. But it was worth it. I can’t imagine how hard it was for Stacia Kane to write from Terrible’s POV with the very dense slang.
Terrible is working a case be himself. Someone is attacking Bump’s street gals and killed one of his dealers. Rumors are flying that it’s ghosts but Bump’s thinking it’s Slobag. Terrible’s not sure which is true and part of he would like it to be ghosts so that he can call Chess up and work with her.
But the natural of the attacks on the whores makes Terrible think twice on involving Chess cause of her childhood. So he keeps her out of it. But don’t worry, we get to see Chess a little. The best apart is seeing what Terrible thinks and feels about Chess. There are tons of swoon worthy parts where Terrible is thinking about Chess and what she means to him.
Wrong Ways Down is set between book 1, Unholy Ghosts and book 2, Unholy Magic. But I recommend you reading all of the series so you get the full impact of Terrible’s feelings for Chess. Plus you will have more knowledge on the slang.
If you’ve read the series you know that Chess has her own problem with self-hate, thinking she’s not good enough. Not worthy of Terrible. We get to see that Terrible has the same feelings when it comes to himself about Chess.
"But just like always, having her in the car made him feel better. No matter who he was or how he looked. Chess was willing to ride around with him, be seen with him. Spend her time with him. That was pretty fucking cool."
"But when he was with Chess he wasn’t the bad guy no more. He was the one keeping her safe, making her smile. He still wasn’t good enough for her, but he were better than he’d ever been. That mattered."
I loved that we get to see the world through Terrible eyes while he’s thinking of Chess. And even when he is wailing on people. Chess uses her pills to deal with things from her pass and Terrible uses is fists in the same way. These two characters could not be more prefect for each other. And it’s sad and sweet at the same time that Terrible realizes he loves Chess and that it means he is in trouble. Which makes later events in other books break my heart even more. (sigh). Reading this novella has me craving a re-read of the series.
Wrong Ways Down is a MUST read for Downside fans, dig!
Fair warning the Downside slang is very heavy in Wrong Ways Down but it’s to be expected since it’s Terrible’s POV. It’s not a fast read. Even though I’ve listened and read all the books, I found myself having to re-read few times to get the meaning. But it was worth it. I can’t imagine how hard it was for Stacia Kane to write from Terrible’s POV with the very dense slang.
Terrible is working a case be himself. Someone is attacking Bump’s street gals and killed one of his dealers. Rumors are flying that it’s ghosts but Bump’s thinking it’s Slobag. Terrible’s not sure which is true and part of he would like it to be ghosts so that he can call Chess up and work with her.
But the natural of the attacks on the whores makes Terrible think twice on involving Chess cause of her childhood. So he keeps her out of it. But don’t worry, we get to see Chess a little. The best apart is seeing what Terrible thinks and feels about Chess. There are tons of swoon worthy parts where Terrible is thinking about Chess and what she means to him.
Wrong Ways Down is set between book 1, Unholy Ghosts and book 2, Unholy Magic. But I recommend you reading all of the series so you get the full impact of Terrible’s feelings for Chess. Plus you will have more knowledge on the slang.
If you’ve read the series you know that Chess has her own problem with self-hate, thinking she’s not good enough. Not worthy of Terrible. We get to see that Terrible has the same feelings when it comes to himself about Chess.
"But just like always, having her in the car made him feel better. No matter who he was or how he looked. Chess was willing to ride around with him, be seen with him. Spend her time with him. That was pretty fucking cool."
"But when he was with Chess he wasn’t the bad guy no more. He was the one keeping her safe, making her smile. He still wasn’t good enough for her, but he were better than he’d ever been. That mattered."
I loved that we get to see the world through Terrible eyes while he’s thinking of Chess. And even when he is wailing on people. Chess uses her pills to deal with things from her pass and Terrible uses is fists in the same way. These two characters could not be more prefect for each other. And it’s sad and sweet at the same time that Terrible realizes he loves Chess and that it means he is in trouble. Which makes later events in other books break my heart even more. (sigh). Reading this novella has me craving a re-read of the series.
Wrong Ways Down is a MUST read for Downside fans, dig!
September 9, 2013
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Out of the novels I chose not to review, this is perhaps the least heavy. And yet, The Downside Ghosts Series makes my stomach flip every time. After five books, we're finally given a glimpse into Terrible's head - and what a heart-breaking, but wonderful experience it is! I wouldn't encourage new readers to this series to read this novel after Unholy Ghosts, only because its full impact is felt only after the latter installments have been read. It is incredible to see how fully Terrible understands Chess - an understanding that we, the reader, only obtain after five books in her head while he claims this same understanding after a mere few meetings. Even more than the relationship between Terrible and Chess, though, this novel is so very emotional because of Terrible's own insecurities. We've seen Chess battle her inner demons, but Terrible's are also just as deep, secret, and dark. And, oh, Terrible made my heart shatter (as always). I feel like Stacia Kane just stabs me with a fork in all her books, so I'm still bleeding, but it's slow. And yet I love it. A definite must-read for fans of this series; trust me, you don't want to pass this one up.
Out of the novels I chose not to review, this is perhaps the least heavy. And yet, The Downside Ghosts Series makes my stomach flip every time. After five books, we're finally given a glimpse into Terrible's head - and what a heart-breaking, but wonderful experience it is! I wouldn't encourage new readers to this series to read this novel after Unholy Ghosts, only because its full impact is felt only after the latter installments have been read. It is incredible to see how fully Terrible understands Chess - an understanding that we, the reader, only obtain after five books in her head while he claims this same understanding after a mere few meetings. Even more than the relationship between Terrible and Chess, though, this novel is so very emotional because of Terrible's own insecurities. We've seen Chess battle her inner demons, but Terrible's are also just as deep, secret, and dark. And, oh, Terrible made my heart shatter (as always). I feel like Stacia Kane just stabs me with a fork in all her books, so I'm still bleeding, but it's slow. And yet I love it. A definite must-read for fans of this series; trust me, you don't want to pass this one up.
August 22, 2013
Posted at PaperbackWonderland
Now, this was...
Right up...dig? ;)
Terrible is...amazing. He's probably the most considerate character that i've ever read about. And i guess, that's what makes him so great...
....even while he's beating the crap out of someone...
Reading this from his pov was intense and heartbreaking...the way he sees himself, the way he sees Chess (sigh)...well, good thing i already read all the previous books or i would be in serious anxiety mode...
Appreciated the fact that the author tried to give a little more background to a character who isn't familiar with it.
Also, it was enlightening to see how his relationship with Bump started, and why Terrible will always be there for the guy.
His moments with Chess, and the way he sees her were...yeah, i have to admit it:
Swoon worthy ;)
Can't wait to read more about this world!!
.
Now, this was...
Right up...dig? ;)
Terrible is...amazing. He's probably the most considerate character that i've ever read about. And i guess, that's what makes him so great...
....even while he's beating the crap out of someone...
Reading this from his pov was intense and heartbreaking...the way he sees himself, the way he sees Chess (sigh)...well, good thing i already read all the previous books or i would be in serious anxiety mode...
Appreciated the fact that the author tried to give a little more background to a character who isn't familiar with it.
Also, it was enlightening to see how his relationship with Bump started, and why Terrible will always be there for the guy.
His moments with Chess, and the way he sees her were...yeah, i have to admit it:
Swoon worthy ;)
Can't wait to read more about this world!!
.
August 11, 2013
Oh how good it is to have new Downside material! I have really missed this world and I've fallen in love all over again and some with Terrible. There's so much more to him than meets the eye and I really enjoyed reading his POV. If you haven't tried the Downside Ghosts book yet WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?! They will make you smile, laugh, cry, get mad, etc, etc. This insight into Terrible's head was great! I loved hearing how he felt about Chess and his life. Terrible is such a complex character and he's so much smarter than he thinks is. I can't gush enough about him! Again kudos to Mrs. Kane for another solid gold addition to the Downside Books and I hope we get more of Terrible's POV in the future!
March 18, 2023
I loved this book. I just wish there were more from this series. I've had this book on my wish list and finally determined my library wasn't going to purchase so it was up to me. I should have bought it a lot earlier. It's mostly about Terrible with glimpses of Chess. It also lets you know why he's so committed to Bump and what any kind of betrayal to Bump would make him feel. Very good book. 5 stars.
August 7, 2013
Well, it's about half past 5 a.m. and I just finished reading this, that should tell you something...
Like all Downside Ghosts books - and do not be fooled by this being called a novella, it was practically the same length as a regular book (yay!) - this was incredibly addictive (ironic, really).
We always get to see things from Chess' pov, and while we are perfectly able to infer what Terrible feels and thinks most of the time, it's a delightful treat to really get something from his pov, even if it's in-between books 1 and 2, so to be honest, I spent a lot of time going, "No, wait, you got past that, you guys!! Don't put me through this again, please!!"
There were mentions of Terrible's issues in the other books, we get that he doesn't feel all that confident about his looks, about his intellect, but damn, Stacia Kane has no problem whatsoever with ripping you heart out in her books. The reader can't help but feel down with Chess' pov, she has so little in the way of self-esteem (and who could blame the poor girl?) - I thought we'd kind of get a break from that with Terrible, but no. He really, really does not feel worthy of Chess, and it's all so horribly heartbreaking, that these two love each other so much, and are so afraid they'll never be good enough for each other, are certain that the other one deserves better.
But about the plot!Someone offed one of Bump's guys - they're thinking Slobag and Lex, of course, and then the plot takes the usual Downside dark turn when Bump's girls start getting raped. I read all the books in one go, not even a month past, so I can safely say this book is darker than the others. Of course, it would be, what with it being Terrible's pov.
There's a lot more violence, for one thing.
And we get to learn more about Terrible's past, and his relationship with Bump - awesome surprise that! I always disliked Bump, after this, I'm not exactly about to start singing his praises, but I kind of like him now, it's sweet that he cares about Terrible, that he worries about him. That he took him in during a really fucked up situation. And I understand the loyalty Terrible owes him now.
Another awesome thing about this book! We get a lot of Chess/Terrible "chatter". They meet up, and they talk and spend time together and it's all so sweet! But of course, this being Stacia Kane, all of those meetings have the constant worry of the participants not to hurt the other one by dredging up the past. No lie, it's painful to read about Terrible worrying how he should phrase things around Chess so she won't slip away into sad memories.
Check out this roundhouse kick to the reader's heart, courtesy of Stacia Kane:
“Trouble was, every fucking time he saw that look in her eyes, every fucking time he saw her frown like that, it got harder not to tell her to write down a list of names for him. Every single name she had a recall on, causen he wanted to hunt em all down one by one and make sure they knew why as they died. He honestly couldn’t think of much he’d like more."
Yeah...
August 9, 2013
Oh man. OH MAN. This book. This god damn book.
Stacia Kane is a genius. There, I said it, it's been decided. I'm actually almost mad that I finished it, and so fast. But it was too good.
Stacia has been slowly creeping her way onto my favourite authors list (and by slowly I mean the first book was pretty good and then over the last couple weeks I have compulsively devoured this entire series) and is firmly cemented there after this one.
How can you take a character like Terrible and make him so....swoon-worthy? He's a big, brutal, ugly enforcer. Grew up on the streets, lives in the slums, beats people up for money. But fuck...he is so sexy. The way he talks and thinks about Chess...damn. The (technically) later love scenes... DAMN. We got some glimpses of what was going on in his head, from Chess' POV - things he would say to her that told you exactly how he was feeling. But to hear it in his own words, to know how long he's loved her, how he notices little things about her, it's heart wrenching. In the best possible way.
I can't really talk about this book without just word-vomiting love all over the place. But this had everything I loved about the Downside series: grit, violence, mystery, a little humor, and a damn good love story.
There are so many failures in the UF and PNR world. Gushing over hunks that treat girls like crap, because they're "misunderstood", or they've had a hard life or something and can't let people in, or some stupid crap like that. Terrible has had a shitty life, and all he wants to do is treat Chess right, "like she deserves". SWOOOOOOOOON! Terrible is so different from any other male interest or lead in this genre, and he is absolutely, hands down, without question or contest, my favourite.
Well done, Stacia. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give us more of Terrible's POV!! It's driving me crazy that I've finished this series. I might have to do an immediate re-read - something I've VERY rarely done. Squeeee!
Stacia Kane is a genius. There, I said it, it's been decided. I'm actually almost mad that I finished it, and so fast. But it was too good.
Stacia has been slowly creeping her way onto my favourite authors list (and by slowly I mean the first book was pretty good and then over the last couple weeks I have compulsively devoured this entire series) and is firmly cemented there after this one.
How can you take a character like Terrible and make him so....swoon-worthy? He's a big, brutal, ugly enforcer. Grew up on the streets, lives in the slums, beats people up for money. But fuck...he is so sexy. The way he talks and thinks about Chess...damn. The (technically) later love scenes... DAMN. We got some glimpses of what was going on in his head, from Chess' POV - things he would say to her that told you exactly how he was feeling. But to hear it in his own words, to know how long he's loved her, how he notices little things about her, it's heart wrenching. In the best possible way.
I can't really talk about this book without just word-vomiting love all over the place. But this had everything I loved about the Downside series: grit, violence, mystery, a little humor, and a damn good love story.
There are so many failures in the UF and PNR world. Gushing over hunks that treat girls like crap, because they're "misunderstood", or they've had a hard life or something and can't let people in, or some stupid crap like that. Terrible has had a shitty life, and all he wants to do is treat Chess right, "like she deserves". SWOOOOOOOOON! Terrible is so different from any other male interest or lead in this genre, and he is absolutely, hands down, without question or contest, my favourite.
Well done, Stacia. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give us more of Terrible's POV!! It's driving me crazy that I've finished this series. I might have to do an immediate re-read - something I've VERY rarely done. Squeeee!
August 27, 2013
It has been too long since I visited Stacia Kane's Downside world, but Wrong Ways Down was a great return. I loved being in Terrible's head and getting his perspective on all things Downside and, of course, on Chess.
Wrong Ways Down is set between books one and two of the series so Chess and Terrible are not a couple yet. It was fun to see how eager they were to spend time with each other, while at the same time still being wary of crossing any boundaries. Terrible is investigating a murder which then leads to a string of hookers being brutally beaten and raped. He is trying to protect Bump's girls but he has no clue who could be hurting them or why. It was intriguing to see the way Terrible investigates, sometimes violently, compared to Chess' usual procedures. The mystery was well-done and felt like it organically belonged in the Downside universe.
I think the best part of Wrong Ways Down was getting a deeper look into Terrible's character. He is not a physically attractive man and ends up doing a lot of bad things, but somehow Stacia still makes him a loveable anti-hero. He has had a hard life and here we learn about some specific things from his past. We learn more about how thinks of himself, his line of work, Bump, his child, and Chess. Stacia nailed his characterized and helped to expand his persona without softening him any. Terrible is such a complex character and Stacia's Downside world is one of the most multi-layered and real in urban fantasy today. This novella just reinforces the fact that the Downside Ghosts series deserves its place in the shortlist of top urban fantasy. True thing!
Wrong Ways Down is set between books one and two of the series so Chess and Terrible are not a couple yet. It was fun to see how eager they were to spend time with each other, while at the same time still being wary of crossing any boundaries. Terrible is investigating a murder which then leads to a string of hookers being brutally beaten and raped. He is trying to protect Bump's girls but he has no clue who could be hurting them or why. It was intriguing to see the way Terrible investigates, sometimes violently, compared to Chess' usual procedures. The mystery was well-done and felt like it organically belonged in the Downside universe.
I think the best part of Wrong Ways Down was getting a deeper look into Terrible's character. He is not a physically attractive man and ends up doing a lot of bad things, but somehow Stacia still makes him a loveable anti-hero. He has had a hard life and here we learn about some specific things from his past. We learn more about how thinks of himself, his line of work, Bump, his child, and Chess. Stacia nailed his characterized and helped to expand his persona without softening him any. Terrible is such a complex character and Stacia's Downside world is one of the most multi-layered and real in urban fantasy today. This novella just reinforces the fact that the Downside Ghosts series deserves its place in the shortlist of top urban fantasy. True thing!
August 21, 2015
Absolutely loved this!! It was such a treat to get to experience things from Terrible's point of view. The way he lives and loves is simple, yet complicated, but oh so beautiful. I really hope this isn't the only story we get from is POV, because I already can not wait to experience it again.
If for any reason you have found yourself on this page but have yet to read any of the Downside novels, Get Them Now!!! Do not wait, go straight to the library or more accurately your favorite book retailer because you will want to keep these on your shelves and get the first book in the series. If you are an Urban Fantasy reader it will not be long before you are back at your book store getting the rest in the series!
Happy Reading!!!
SO EXCITED FOR THIS NOVELLA!!!
(As I'm sure you can tell with my abuse of the caps and exclamation marks, but I cant help myself, I'm just that stoked)
*Edited 08/2015
If for any reason you have found yourself on this page but have yet to read any of the Downside novels, Get Them Now!!! Do not wait, go straight to the library or more accurately your favorite book retailer because you will want to keep these on your shelves and get the first book in the series. If you are an Urban Fantasy reader it will not be long before you are back at your book store getting the rest in the series!
Happy Reading!!!
SO EXCITED FOR THIS NOVELLA!!!
(As I'm sure you can tell with my abuse of the caps and exclamation marks, but I cant help myself, I'm just that stoked)
*Edited 08/2015
November 5, 2019
3.5
How Terrible feels about Chess, and thinks about her, and worries about her, and cares about her just gets me in the feels. I just find it so adorable that he not only think she's amazing, but respects her too. He is such a champion for her, and when he talks her up its so cute.
It was also good to get a look inside his head, and get to see his smarts too!
How Terrible feels about Chess, and thinks about her, and worries about her, and cares about her just gets me in the feels. I just find it so adorable that he not only think she's amazing, but respects her too. He is such a champion for her, and when he talks her up its so cute.
It was also good to get a look inside his head, and get to see his smarts too!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews