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9 AM EST: A senator shoots himself on national television.
10:32 AM EST: An entire floor of government agents leap to their death from their office building.
12:57 PM EST: All the police officers inside a station murder each other.
And the day has just begun.
Lieutenant Asher Benson left Iraq with a traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and a Purple Heart. His doctors warned that the symptoms would be life altering. They had no idea. As his body healed, the thoughts of those around him began to echo through Ash’s mind, stretching the boundaries of his sanity.
Five years later, Ash is drowning the voices with copious amounts of booze and self-loathing.
When unidentified intelligence agents abduct him in broad daylight, Ash is thrust into a world of espionage and assassinations. A unique terrorist is operating on U.S. soil, and the government needs Ash, and the malady that has plagued him for half a decade, to find the killer.
*Ash is the first book in the Asher Benson thriller series, which is full of snarky humor and nonstop action.
10:32 AM EST: An entire floor of government agents leap to their death from their office building.
12:57 PM EST: All the police officers inside a station murder each other.
And the day has just begun.
Lieutenant Asher Benson left Iraq with a traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and a Purple Heart. His doctors warned that the symptoms would be life altering. They had no idea. As his body healed, the thoughts of those around him began to echo through Ash’s mind, stretching the boundaries of his sanity.
Five years later, Ash is drowning the voices with copious amounts of booze and self-loathing.
When unidentified intelligence agents abduct him in broad daylight, Ash is thrust into a world of espionage and assassinations. A unique terrorist is operating on U.S. soil, and the government needs Ash, and the malady that has plagued him for half a decade, to find the killer.
*Ash is the first book in the Asher Benson thriller series, which is full of snarky humor and nonstop action.
215 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2013
2076 people are currently reading
2883 people want to read
About the author
Jason Brant
35 books279 followers"JASON BRANT" is an anagram for Bas Trojann, a former Bigfoot hunter who, after being abducted (and subsequently returned) by aliens, decided to hang up his ghillie suit and enter the world of professional arm wrestling. Despite back-to-back first place finishes in the South Dakota World International Championship League, Bas receded from athletics to invent cheese and give Al Gore the initiative to create the internet.
Nearly a decade after writing the bestselling self-help series, Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese (Cut into Four Pieces) for the Soul, Bas has left his life of notoriety and critical acclaim behind him to write existential, erotic poetry.
His wife washes their clothing on his abs.
Nearly a decade after writing the bestselling self-help series, Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese (Cut into Four Pieces) for the Soul, Bas has left his life of notoriety and critical acclaim behind him to write existential, erotic poetry.
His wife washes their clothing on his abs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 362 reviews
January 12, 2015
Discharged from the army after a debilitating brain injury, Asher Benson is a hard case. He lives in a run down efficiency apartment on skidrow, his only income coming from his disability payments. He suffers from PTSD, survivor's guilt, and more. Worse, somehow the injury has changed him. Unless he exercises the most extreme mental discipline - which is exhausting - or drinks himself numb, he can slip past the barriers in people's minds. He can read minds.
Much like Miriam Black, the ability to read minds is much less of a gift than it first sounds. Without being able to keep walls up, he is constantly getting flooded with other people's experiences. He really doesn't want to know what the neighbor upstairs is thinking at two in the morning. Walking down the street, he has a hard time just making it from point A to point B.
Of course, there are those that appreciate powers like his. Asher comes to the attention of a shadowy government organization after stopping a bank robbery. A terrorist is threatening to use psychic powers to cause havoc on the streets of US cities. They need Asher to find, and stop, this guy. Or is there something more subtle going on?
Four stars out of five. This book was a lot of fun and better than I had expected. It is not in the least deep, but it is loads of fun - an action packed romp.
Much like Miriam Black, the ability to read minds is much less of a gift than it first sounds. Without being able to keep walls up, he is constantly getting flooded with other people's experiences. He really doesn't want to know what the neighbor upstairs is thinking at two in the morning. Walking down the street, he has a hard time just making it from point A to point B.
Of course, there are those that appreciate powers like his. Asher comes to the attention of a shadowy government organization after stopping a bank robbery. A terrorist is threatening to use psychic powers to cause havoc on the streets of US cities. They need Asher to find, and stop, this guy. Or is there something more subtle going on?
Four stars out of five. This book was a lot of fun and better than I had expected. It is not in the least deep, but it is loads of fun - an action packed romp.
June 15, 2020
This book made me laugh very often. When you can hear everyone's thoughts, I didn't realize how it gives an author a great opportunity to make everyone the straight man. I laughed out loud more than a few times in this action thriller.
Ash the hero has returned from Afganistan as a combat vet in bad shape mentally. He can hear everyone and tries to drown it out with alcohol.
He gets some meaning in his life by getting drawn into trying to stop an ex telepathic government operative who wants revenge on everyone, lots of people die.
Nonstop action.....This was a very good book.
Strongly recommend.
Review by Mike Slavin author of award-winning Kill Crime (action-packed thriller on Amazon to buy or KU)
Ash the hero has returned from Afganistan as a combat vet in bad shape mentally. He can hear everyone and tries to drown it out with alcohol.
He gets some meaning in his life by getting drawn into trying to stop an ex telepathic government operative who wants revenge on everyone, lots of people die.
Nonstop action.....This was a very good book.
Strongly recommend.
Review by Mike Slavin author of award-winning Kill Crime (action-packed thriller on Amazon to buy or KU)
July 25, 2018
This was......not a good book.
Mostly from a subjective standpoint. For instance, if you like those slasher flicks with female characters with big boobs and no bras, running from a killer as their friends are picked off in gory ways...you might enjoy this book.
But if you're not a fan of one of the 2 female characters in a book being introduced as a pair of boobs (almost literally, I'm not even exaggerating here) then that's strike one. And it gets literally no better from there for her. She's borderline a bimbo throughout the whole book. The other female character, by the way? A thirty year old foul mouthed woman who everybody thinks looks like a child. It's played for laughs, of course, but personally I think there's enough (again, almost literal) infantilizing of women, especially women of color, in media.
Not to mention that the characters are just....dumb. I specifically recall a scene where the main character (the titular Ash) is being interrogated (or something) by an agent, and, despite the agent speaking in plain terms that anybody with half a brain would be able to follow, Ash is confused by the "code" the agent is speaking in.
There's also that the book takes place over the course of two days, when it would've been served much better to have been stretched out over longer. As it is, you have the main character being beat to shit and in fights constantly, only /just/ running out of energy at the very end of the book. A truly herculean effort for someone who's a barely in shape alcoholic.
I mean, in general, the book reads like a big power fantasy. And I understand that. Though this particular one is hyper masculine in a way that grosses me out. There's a way to make a power fantasy that's at least veiled enough to be a fun, engaging, deep story. This book does not do that.
Having said all that, I /did/ read all the way to the end, mostly out of a morbid curiosity. But yeah, it never really got better. The ending wasn't even satisfying. And not even in a sequel hook kind of way. It was just bleh. The plot is a loosely tied together string of events. Which, again, felt super rushed because it happened over the course of 2 days.
The "magic system" that I'm so fond of talking about felt fairly inconsistent. Granted, it's not /that/ crazy that Ash wouldn't have a very good grip on his powers or know the extent of his abilities. But to go from "This character has telepathy but he can't shut it off so he has to drink to drown it all out" to "This character not only has literally no issues but can also use his telepathy to control others, even multiple people at once" is such a point of whiplash my neck is still sore.
Also at the end Ash gains precognition? Or something? That helps him save the day? Super convenient, and also with zero grounds anywhere else in the book (considering that agent from earlier shot down multiple psychic abilities).
So yeah, a pretty gross, mediocre book. I stuck with it for my own morbid curiosity and because I'm a sucker for magic systems, but this was ultimately very unsatisfying. I don't expect to read the rest of the series.
Mostly from a subjective standpoint. For instance, if you like those slasher flicks with female characters with big boobs and no bras, running from a killer as their friends are picked off in gory ways...you might enjoy this book.
But if you're not a fan of one of the 2 female characters in a book being introduced as a pair of boobs (almost literally, I'm not even exaggerating here) then that's strike one. And it gets literally no better from there for her. She's borderline a bimbo throughout the whole book. The other female character, by the way? A thirty year old foul mouthed woman who everybody thinks looks like a child. It's played for laughs, of course, but personally I think there's enough (again, almost literal) infantilizing of women, especially women of color, in media.
Not to mention that the characters are just....dumb. I specifically recall a scene where the main character (the titular Ash) is being interrogated (or something) by an agent, and, despite the agent speaking in plain terms that anybody with half a brain would be able to follow, Ash is confused by the "code" the agent is speaking in.
There's also that the book takes place over the course of two days, when it would've been served much better to have been stretched out over longer. As it is, you have the main character being beat to shit and in fights constantly, only /just/ running out of energy at the very end of the book. A truly herculean effort for someone who's a barely in shape alcoholic.
I mean, in general, the book reads like a big power fantasy. And I understand that. Though this particular one is hyper masculine in a way that grosses me out. There's a way to make a power fantasy that's at least veiled enough to be a fun, engaging, deep story. This book does not do that.
Having said all that, I /did/ read all the way to the end, mostly out of a morbid curiosity. But yeah, it never really got better. The ending wasn't even satisfying. And not even in a sequel hook kind of way. It was just bleh. The plot is a loosely tied together string of events. Which, again, felt super rushed because it happened over the course of 2 days.
The "magic system" that I'm so fond of talking about felt fairly inconsistent. Granted, it's not /that/ crazy that Ash wouldn't have a very good grip on his powers or know the extent of his abilities. But to go from "This character has telepathy but he can't shut it off so he has to drink to drown it all out" to "This character not only has literally no issues but can also use his telepathy to control others, even multiple people at once" is such a point of whiplash my neck is still sore.
Also at the end Ash gains precognition? Or something? That helps him save the day? Super convenient, and also with zero grounds anywhere else in the book (considering that agent from earlier shot down multiple psychic abilities).
So yeah, a pretty gross, mediocre book. I stuck with it for my own morbid curiosity and because I'm a sucker for magic systems, but this was ultimately very unsatisfying. I don't expect to read the rest of the series.
April 8, 2016
A "hero" who despises people and lives a hermit-like life as a vagrant suddenly decides to get involved in a bank robbery, saving the day.
A "heroine" who is described by her "big breasts" and little else, who is saved by said hero, is somehow intensely attracted to our him despite the fact he looks and smells (and lives) like a homeless man.
A "villain" who kills because he is bad, intent on destroying America.
Dialogue where every other line is an off-handed quip or action movie one-liner.
Sigh ... bored yet?
Speaking solely as a reader, I had a very difficult time finishing this novel. I realize it has a ton of great reviews and admit there are those who might enjoy reading about a one-dimensional woman defined by her "large tracts of land." I was a little offended, however, that that was the ONLY attribute our leading lady could be defined by.
The thing is, Jason Brant is a good writer. His prose was smooth and polished and you can tell he has talent. But this just read like one of those hurried B-movie scripts from a guy who's trying to write a tent-pole movie while copying everything he's ever seen in a movie to get there. Just wasn't my cup of tea.
A hurried 2 1/2 stars.
A "heroine" who is described by her "big breasts" and little else, who is saved by said hero, is somehow intensely attracted to our him despite the fact he looks and smells (and lives) like a homeless man.
A "villain" who kills because he is bad, intent on destroying America.
Dialogue where every other line is an off-handed quip or action movie one-liner.
Sigh ... bored yet?
Speaking solely as a reader, I had a very difficult time finishing this novel. I realize it has a ton of great reviews and admit there are those who might enjoy reading about a one-dimensional woman defined by her "large tracts of land." I was a little offended, however, that that was the ONLY attribute our leading lady could be defined by.
The thing is, Jason Brant is a good writer. His prose was smooth and polished and you can tell he has talent. But this just read like one of those hurried B-movie scripts from a guy who's trying to write a tent-pole movie while copying everything he's ever seen in a movie to get there. Just wasn't my cup of tea.
A hurried 2 1/2 stars.
January 9, 2016
Entertaining & fast paced. Omg! I loved the character Nami - hilarious.
January 26, 2020
It Started out OK....
It started out ok, I had high hopes for a good read.....those hopes were soon dashed. It turned out to be the biggest load of twaddle I've read in a long time.
It started out ok, I had high hopes for a good read.....those hopes were soon dashed. It turned out to be the biggest load of twaddle I've read in a long time.
December 30, 2013
For five years Asher Benson has lived alone, in squalor and almost perpetually drunk in order to shut out the voices in his head from his brain injury induced telepathy. On the way home from a beer run, he decides to walk into a bank he knows is being robbed so he can help. That one decision is the first step in a series of events that have him kidnapped, arrested, attacked, shot at and generally running for his life not only from the feds and the police, but from a psychotic telepath who is able to control the minds of those around him.
This book is an expansion on one of Brant’s novellas and it is wonderfully done. As always Brant’s writing is filled with well placed humor. The pacing is perfect, making it a quick, action-packed read. The changes/additions really help to further develop Ash's character and give more depth to the story. I think the prologue is an especially good addition. Ash's struggle to do the right thing and to help people while still trying to manage his affliction is very well done. I love his reactions and smart a** comments and how sometimes they add the slightest hint of vulnerability to him. The dynamic between he the other characters is great, especially his “bromance” style relationship with Drew. I can’t wait to see where Brant takes the series from here.
*I received a free copy of this book from the author as a beta reader
This book is an expansion on one of Brant’s novellas and it is wonderfully done. As always Brant’s writing is filled with well placed humor. The pacing is perfect, making it a quick, action-packed read. The changes/additions really help to further develop Ash's character and give more depth to the story. I think the prologue is an especially good addition. Ash's struggle to do the right thing and to help people while still trying to manage his affliction is very well done. I love his reactions and smart a** comments and how sometimes they add the slightest hint of vulnerability to him. The dynamic between he the other characters is great, especially his “bromance” style relationship with Drew. I can’t wait to see where Brant takes the series from here.
*I received a free copy of this book from the author as a beta reader
August 26, 2016
Okay, well first of all after recently reading Devoured and Consumed: the first two books in The Hunger by Jason Brant I was very much looking forward to Ash. I've only read four of Jason Bran'ts books (One of them co-authored with another author) but they were more than enough for him to become one of my new favorite authors and earned him his very own folder on my Kindle which pretty much means I will be buying every single book he has out or will one day put out. His books are just that good and Ash...Ash was something else entirely. It is in a league of it's own Aka in JamieSpeak: it was Freaking Amazing!!!
While serving his country, Ash who is the main hero of the tale was wounded and while recovering at the hospital he started hearing voices in his head only he wasn't going crazy like he initially thought he was but was actually hearing other people's thoughts. Think Professor X of the X-Men only it's not quite as cool as you would think. Imagine being able to constantly hear what everyone was thinking around you. Just think about some of the things that runs through your mind at times, all of your most private thoughts, all of the bad things about other people not to mention all of the insane and crazy things that happen to go through your mind each and every day, Just imagine what it would be like to be privy to all of that. Do you really want to know that your coworkers hate you or that they think you're ugly? What about the people who think you're sexy? That wouldn't be much better honestly. I can only imagine what it would be like and I doubt it would be very pleasant especially if you couldn't tune them out or shut it off at will.
Fast forward a few years and Ash is pretty much living like a bum. He found that alcohol can help dampen the echoes (that's what he calls hearing other people's thoughts) that constantly bombard him. The more exhausted he is the harder time he has shutting out other people's thoughts. When he first wakes up it's not so bad but as the day progresses he has to drink in order to literally stay sane. I don't know if I'd consider him an alcoholic at least not now, maybe back when he first started hearing the thoughts of others but an old army buddy named Drew (who also happens to be the only person who knows of his ability) has been helping him. He's been getting him back into the real world, helping him to exercise and stay in shape which seems to help hone his ability.
Fortunately for us Ash is a good person. He doesn't use his powers to harm others, to make himself rich. He doesn't like intruding on other peoples private thoughts so he pretty much lives like a bum. What little money he has from his Service Disability he spends on rent and beer. So on one very ordinary morning our extraordinary hero heads out to buy some beer and on his way home he happens to be passing by a bank that is being robbed. He knows he should just keep on going, to just not worry about it but that's just not the person Ash is. He was born to help others. He enlisted in the military to help make a difference so using his unique abilities he strolls right into danger with nothing more than a case of beer in his hands and a snarky attitude and ends up setting off a chain of events that will have far reaching consequences for our hero, his best friend and the most hilarious and unlikely group of ragtag heroes ever to grace the pages of a book. The rest is just one pure adrenaline ride of pure awesomeness.
Once again Jason Brant shows that he can not only write some of the best action scenes ever but also how well he can walk that fine line between action and character depth/character development. The pacing is perfect and the characters (both good and bad) are the heart and soul of this book and Ash is at their center. All of the characters were rich and had their own distinct personalities and the dialogue between Ash and his friends had me cracking up throughout the whole book, especially between him and Drew who is his best and probably only friend. Then there's Sammy who is just an innocent bystander (and a really hot one at that) who gets sucked into the middle of everything along with Nami whom I'm not even going to say anything about other than every single scene with her in it was just too much fun. You'll just have to read for yourself but she's just larger than life and had me laughing so hard I thought I'd broken something. Jason Brant has a wicked sense of humor and his characters really shine because of it.
There's just so many things to love about this book. The storyline was excellent with plenty of action, humor, witty dialogue and characters you will be thinking about long after you've finished reading the book. This is not only the best book by Jason Brant that I've read but one of the best books I've read period. The man has a real knack for telling a great story. I literally could not put my kindle down. I'd been having a bit of a reading slump because I've had so much going on but this book officially ended that slump. I loved this book and cannot wait to read more about Ash. The ending leaves it off in such an excellent place for a sequel and I am eagerly looking forward to the day that I get to continue my adventures with Ash along with all his friends. I really hope Nami and Sammy will be in the sequels. They were just too much fun and I would love to know more about both characters.
I cannot recommend this book enough. If you love any type of paranormal, action/adventure or thrillers then this book will be right up your alley. Even if that's not your normal cup of tea then I'd still urge you to give Ash a try. It's just written in such a unique voice that I think this tale will pretty much appeal to everyone It's just that good! Stories like this are why I read. I say it every single time I find a great book but it's the truth. I love the escape. I love identifying with characters on an emotional level and I love the way a good book makes me feel. Ash deserves at least 10 stars for doing all of that but unfortunately I can only give it 5 because that's all that's allowed.
http://jamiesbookblog.com/ash-jason-b...
While serving his country, Ash who is the main hero of the tale was wounded and while recovering at the hospital he started hearing voices in his head only he wasn't going crazy like he initially thought he was but was actually hearing other people's thoughts. Think Professor X of the X-Men only it's not quite as cool as you would think. Imagine being able to constantly hear what everyone was thinking around you. Just think about some of the things that runs through your mind at times, all of your most private thoughts, all of the bad things about other people not to mention all of the insane and crazy things that happen to go through your mind each and every day, Just imagine what it would be like to be privy to all of that. Do you really want to know that your coworkers hate you or that they think you're ugly? What about the people who think you're sexy? That wouldn't be much better honestly. I can only imagine what it would be like and I doubt it would be very pleasant especially if you couldn't tune them out or shut it off at will.
Fast forward a few years and Ash is pretty much living like a bum. He found that alcohol can help dampen the echoes (that's what he calls hearing other people's thoughts) that constantly bombard him. The more exhausted he is the harder time he has shutting out other people's thoughts. When he first wakes up it's not so bad but as the day progresses he has to drink in order to literally stay sane. I don't know if I'd consider him an alcoholic at least not now, maybe back when he first started hearing the thoughts of others but an old army buddy named Drew (who also happens to be the only person who knows of his ability) has been helping him. He's been getting him back into the real world, helping him to exercise and stay in shape which seems to help hone his ability.
Fortunately for us Ash is a good person. He doesn't use his powers to harm others, to make himself rich. He doesn't like intruding on other peoples private thoughts so he pretty much lives like a bum. What little money he has from his Service Disability he spends on rent and beer. So on one very ordinary morning our extraordinary hero heads out to buy some beer and on his way home he happens to be passing by a bank that is being robbed. He knows he should just keep on going, to just not worry about it but that's just not the person Ash is. He was born to help others. He enlisted in the military to help make a difference so using his unique abilities he strolls right into danger with nothing more than a case of beer in his hands and a snarky attitude and ends up setting off a chain of events that will have far reaching consequences for our hero, his best friend and the most hilarious and unlikely group of ragtag heroes ever to grace the pages of a book. The rest is just one pure adrenaline ride of pure awesomeness.
Once again Jason Brant shows that he can not only write some of the best action scenes ever but also how well he can walk that fine line between action and character depth/character development. The pacing is perfect and the characters (both good and bad) are the heart and soul of this book and Ash is at their center. All of the characters were rich and had their own distinct personalities and the dialogue between Ash and his friends had me cracking up throughout the whole book, especially between him and Drew who is his best and probably only friend. Then there's Sammy who is just an innocent bystander (and a really hot one at that) who gets sucked into the middle of everything along with Nami whom I'm not even going to say anything about other than every single scene with her in it was just too much fun. You'll just have to read for yourself but she's just larger than life and had me laughing so hard I thought I'd broken something. Jason Brant has a wicked sense of humor and his characters really shine because of it.
There's just so many things to love about this book. The storyline was excellent with plenty of action, humor, witty dialogue and characters you will be thinking about long after you've finished reading the book. This is not only the best book by Jason Brant that I've read but one of the best books I've read period. The man has a real knack for telling a great story. I literally could not put my kindle down. I'd been having a bit of a reading slump because I've had so much going on but this book officially ended that slump. I loved this book and cannot wait to read more about Ash. The ending leaves it off in such an excellent place for a sequel and I am eagerly looking forward to the day that I get to continue my adventures with Ash along with all his friends. I really hope Nami and Sammy will be in the sequels. They were just too much fun and I would love to know more about both characters.
I cannot recommend this book enough. If you love any type of paranormal, action/adventure or thrillers then this book will be right up your alley. Even if that's not your normal cup of tea then I'd still urge you to give Ash a try. It's just written in such a unique voice that I think this tale will pretty much appeal to everyone It's just that good! Stories like this are why I read. I say it every single time I find a great book but it's the truth. I love the escape. I love identifying with characters on an emotional level and I love the way a good book makes me feel. Ash deserves at least 10 stars for doing all of that but unfortunately I can only give it 5 because that's all that's allowed.
http://jamiesbookblog.com/ash-jason-b...
April 24, 2020
Throughly entertaining book that I got to read for free…thanks, Amazon! And, of course, thanks to the author who I assume had some say in that. Basically, this tale is an action-adventure story along the lines of Gerard Butler's Angel Has Fallen (or one of its predecessors) but with a superhero or supernatural twist--the lead character, Asher Benson, an honorably discharged soldier with PTSD--has telepathy due to a head injury sustained in battle. This protagonist ends up getting conscripted into working for the government (or is it??) to help in the fight against a domestic terrorist with even more powerful telepathy than Asher's. This is sort of a comic book story but with a lead that's quite realistic despite his paranormal ability--all he can do is read minds. He isn't gifted like Superman with imperviousness to injury or any of that which makes him very relatable. This is a fun story which I more than enjoyed enough to read the next book in this series.
May 14, 2021
Hlavny hrdina Ash je velmi sympaticky chlapik. Byvaly vojak, ktory pocas zasahu prisiel o celu jednotku a utrpel zranenie hlavy. Vdaka tomu ziskal nove schopnosti-dokaze citat myslienky inych.
No Ash namiesto toho, aby to vyuzil vo vlastny prospech, zije ako bezdomovec, utapa svoje schopnosti v alkohole a snazi sa prezit dalsi den.
Ked sa jedneho dna ASh zapletie do potycky v banke, prezradi svoje schopnosti a uz je iba otazka casu, kedy si ho vsimnu CIA ci FBI.
Bolo to fajn, on je sympatak, so svojim kamosom sa stale natahuju a ich humor mi sadol. Urcite si precitam aj dalsi diel.
No Ash namiesto toho, aby to vyuzil vo vlastny prospech, zije ako bezdomovec, utapa svoje schopnosti v alkohole a snazi sa prezit dalsi den.
Ked sa jedneho dna ASh zapletie do potycky v banke, prezradi svoje schopnosti a uz je iba otazka casu, kedy si ho vsimnu CIA ci FBI.
Bolo to fajn, on je sympatak, so svojim kamosom sa stale natahuju a ich humor mi sadol. Urcite si precitam aj dalsi diel.
April 20, 2019
So- its not a great book as in "it changes your life". Its a great book as in- it's a tornado in a trailer park 😜 I though its silly macho non stop action was enjoyable. A nice break from reality #entertaining #absurd #finewhateverI'llenjoyit
July 11, 2023
Easy and interesting read! First in the series & I will be reading more!
February 10, 2020
A protagonist who can read people's thoughts is recruited to catch a man who not only can read people's thoughts but control their actions.
I like action thrillers but they have to have some semblance of being plausible. This one does not hit any of my marks. Not my cup of tea at all. Read about a quarter of the book and decided I had read as much as I needed.
I like action thrillers but they have to have some semblance of being plausible. This one does not hit any of my marks. Not my cup of tea at all. Read about a quarter of the book and decided I had read as much as I needed.
January 1, 2014
ASH is the first in Jason Brant’s newest series, Asher Benson, and is a remodel of his previous novella Echoes.
Asher Benson is a Veteran who’s trying to live a semi-normal life, but is failing miserably. It’s kind of hard to be anything resembling normal when you’re a telepath. He can hear everyone’s thoughts, and he can barely stand to be near anyone because of it. Alcohol helps, though it gives him a bad rep from those around him who see his excessive drinking. The only person who knows of his ability is his friend Drew, the Detective who saved Ash’s life years before by bringing him back to civilization when Ash tried to hide away in the mountains.
All of Ash’s troubles begin when he steps into a bank to halt a robbery. After saving everyone he’s taken hostage to a government facility who claim to have other telepaths under their command. They warn Ash of a threat to the US: a powerful telepath codenamed Murdock who can not only read minds, but control them.
Murdock is out for revenge against the United States, and it’s up to Ash to stop him. We’re all screwed.
I hadn’t gotten around to reading the previous novella, Echoes, before reading this and I’m thankful for that. I didn’t have any preconceived ideas about what this would be like. I went in perfectly blind with nothing more than the tentative synopsis given by the author before it’s release. Despite my blindness going in, I was by no means worried. I’ve read Jason Brant’s works before and knew that he would bring to the plate another whopper. Which is exactly what he did with his newest novel, ASH.
Everything about this novel is brilliant; the pacing, the action, the humor. It’s all done very well. Jason Brant continues to bring hit after hit with his novels, and I’m more than excited to get my hands on the next book in this series!
Asher Benson is a Veteran who’s trying to live a semi-normal life, but is failing miserably. It’s kind of hard to be anything resembling normal when you’re a telepath. He can hear everyone’s thoughts, and he can barely stand to be near anyone because of it. Alcohol helps, though it gives him a bad rep from those around him who see his excessive drinking. The only person who knows of his ability is his friend Drew, the Detective who saved Ash’s life years before by bringing him back to civilization when Ash tried to hide away in the mountains.
All of Ash’s troubles begin when he steps into a bank to halt a robbery. After saving everyone he’s taken hostage to a government facility who claim to have other telepaths under their command. They warn Ash of a threat to the US: a powerful telepath codenamed Murdock who can not only read minds, but control them.
Murdock is out for revenge against the United States, and it’s up to Ash to stop him. We’re all screwed.
I hadn’t gotten around to reading the previous novella, Echoes, before reading this and I’m thankful for that. I didn’t have any preconceived ideas about what this would be like. I went in perfectly blind with nothing more than the tentative synopsis given by the author before it’s release. Despite my blindness going in, I was by no means worried. I’ve read Jason Brant’s works before and knew that he would bring to the plate another whopper. Which is exactly what he did with his newest novel, ASH.
Everything about this novel is brilliant; the pacing, the action, the humor. It’s all done very well. Jason Brant continues to bring hit after hit with his novels, and I’m more than excited to get my hands on the next book in this series!
February 2, 2023
I really enjoyed it. I would love to read more in this series.
January 10, 2014
I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I honestly loved it! I read the original novella, Echos, a long time ago and enjoyed it tremendously, but thought there could have been so much more to Asher Benson. I was hoping for a sequel, but this is so much better! I really got to know Ash better in this book, and his “friends” in this story are completely original and wonderful characters!
Ash is a horribly flawed person, though not through any fault of his own. He’s an alcoholic who lives in squalor, and barely gets by on his disability check. After suffering an injury in Afghanistan, he awakes to the realization he can hear people’s thoughts. All of them. Alcohol and isolation helps him to drown them out and numb himself. A routine beer run changed his life when he walked past a bank and heard the terrified thoughts of the bank patrons as the bank was being robbed. He stepped into the bank and his world turned on its axis.
Government corruption, espionage, a mass-murdering psychic, and a whole lot of action make up this book. It was incredibly well written and had me on the edge of my seat (literally). The thing I love the most about Jason Brants book is that his characters always make me laugh, even in the worst situations. This book is no different. The characters are completely different, yet meld together perfectly to create a comedic masterpiece in the midst of complete terror. That’s the only way I can think to describe them. Brilliant!
I am really hoping to see more of Asher Benson and his interesting group of friends, and the ending of this book seems to leave that possibility open. I have my fingers crossed for many sequels!
Ash is a horribly flawed person, though not through any fault of his own. He’s an alcoholic who lives in squalor, and barely gets by on his disability check. After suffering an injury in Afghanistan, he awakes to the realization he can hear people’s thoughts. All of them. Alcohol and isolation helps him to drown them out and numb himself. A routine beer run changed his life when he walked past a bank and heard the terrified thoughts of the bank patrons as the bank was being robbed. He stepped into the bank and his world turned on its axis.
Government corruption, espionage, a mass-murdering psychic, and a whole lot of action make up this book. It was incredibly well written and had me on the edge of my seat (literally). The thing I love the most about Jason Brants book is that his characters always make me laugh, even in the worst situations. This book is no different. The characters are completely different, yet meld together perfectly to create a comedic masterpiece in the midst of complete terror. That’s the only way I can think to describe them. Brilliant!
I am really hoping to see more of Asher Benson and his interesting group of friends, and the ending of this book seems to leave that possibility open. I have my fingers crossed for many sequels!
March 13, 2015
Some people didn't recognize an Adonis when they saw one.
"We had a disagreement."
"It looks like he disagreed all over your face."
I had been going to give this three stars because it was a humorous, fast paced read. But the ending. It ruined things for me. I mean the whole plot was ridiculous, but that took things into unfathomable ridiculousness, despite the foreshadowing.
The plot was lacking a bit. All the steps were there, but I think having things be a bit more intricate would have really bolstered the read. More details, twists and turns, things like that. It just felt a little bland.
More time spent on characterization for the side characters would have helped a lot too.
I liked Nami, but like the others, she was one dimensional.
Sammy was useless. Absolutely useless. And having her play a major role at all, just ruined the feel. Having her be just the eye candy wasn't good enough. She could have at least had some brains. And if she had to be the typical bimbo, then she had no place participating in events that unfolded later. It just really didn't fit.
Murdock had the potential to be a really great character. The interactions between him and Ash were superficial fluff. He was degraded a lot, really. It was hard to see him as this evil, vengeful villain that he was supposed to be while he's being reduced to an idiot. It didn't sit well.
The story itself has a lot of potential. It's decent, funny and a quick, easy read.
I would probably read the next one if I stumbled across it. But it's not something I would be racing out to get.
"We had a disagreement."
"It looks like he disagreed all over your face."
I had been going to give this three stars because it was a humorous, fast paced read. But the ending. It ruined things for me. I mean the whole plot was ridiculous, but that took things into unfathomable ridiculousness, despite the foreshadowing.
The plot was lacking a bit. All the steps were there, but I think having things be a bit more intricate would have really bolstered the read. More details, twists and turns, things like that. It just felt a little bland.
More time spent on characterization for the side characters would have helped a lot too.
I liked Nami, but like the others, she was one dimensional.
Sammy was useless. Absolutely useless. And having her play a major role at all, just ruined the feel. Having her be just the eye candy wasn't good enough. She could have at least had some brains. And if she had to be the typical bimbo, then she had no place participating in events that unfolded later. It just really didn't fit.
Murdock had the potential to be a really great character. The interactions between him and Ash were superficial fluff. He was degraded a lot, really. It was hard to see him as this evil, vengeful villain that he was supposed to be while he's being reduced to an idiot. It didn't sit well.
The story itself has a lot of potential. It's decent, funny and a quick, easy read.
I would probably read the next one if I stumbled across it. But it's not something I would be racing out to get.
January 2, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a fast paced action thriller with great characters and a very unusual and interesting story line.
Ash, the main character, was a confident well-adjusted soldier leading a team in Iraq but after a devastating incident in which he was injured, he was sent back home to a future he could not come to terms with. He could not cope with what was happening to him and the bottle became his escape, that is, until someone wanted to use him and his gift/curse for their own gain. He then began to take his life back.
He certainly has my sympathy – I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to live with the thoughts of random strangers taking up space in my head – I have trouble organizing my own thoughts and having everyone else’s thoughts vying for space would drive me nuts within a few minutes, but it sure made for interesting reading and Jason Brant’s storytelling ability made this a very interesting and entertaining read.
I sincerely hope we get to read more about Ash and his friends in the near future – this is a great story. I loved it :)
ps I love the cover too.
Ash, the main character, was a confident well-adjusted soldier leading a team in Iraq but after a devastating incident in which he was injured, he was sent back home to a future he could not come to terms with. He could not cope with what was happening to him and the bottle became his escape, that is, until someone wanted to use him and his gift/curse for their own gain. He then began to take his life back.
He certainly has my sympathy – I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to live with the thoughts of random strangers taking up space in my head – I have trouble organizing my own thoughts and having everyone else’s thoughts vying for space would drive me nuts within a few minutes, but it sure made for interesting reading and Jason Brant’s storytelling ability made this a very interesting and entertaining read.
I sincerely hope we get to read more about Ash and his friends in the near future – this is a great story. I loved it :)
ps I love the cover too.
June 24, 2015
Action-packed thriller.
Lead character has telepathic abilities as a result from a TBI while he was a lieutenant in a war in the middle east. He's had too much difficulty dealing with hearing other people's thoughts, so he has turned to alcohol and lives like a pig.
Apparently, there are others like him out in the world with various abilities in varying strengths. One seeks him out to allegedly find an evil man out for revenge against the U.S. government for leaving him behind in the war to be tortured.
Ash's best friend is an interesting character with depth, like Ash. However, the two females they team up with may be good for a laugh or to stare at boobs, but they are the reason I don't give this book five stars. Offensive to women. Maybe men are the author's target. Too bad. Overall, it was rich with detail and funny at times. I like Ashes moral character, but I don't like his lifestyle. So, I probably won't buy more in the series. I can empathise with men and women who have been in bloody battles, but not give them sympathy when they turn to booze and drugs for relief. Life isn't fair, but it goes on.
Lead character has telepathic abilities as a result from a TBI while he was a lieutenant in a war in the middle east. He's had too much difficulty dealing with hearing other people's thoughts, so he has turned to alcohol and lives like a pig.
Apparently, there are others like him out in the world with various abilities in varying strengths. One seeks him out to allegedly find an evil man out for revenge against the U.S. government for leaving him behind in the war to be tortured.
Ash's best friend is an interesting character with depth, like Ash. However, the two females they team up with may be good for a laugh or to stare at boobs, but they are the reason I don't give this book five stars. Offensive to women. Maybe men are the author's target. Too bad. Overall, it was rich with detail and funny at times. I like Ashes moral character, but I don't like his lifestyle. So, I probably won't buy more in the series. I can empathise with men and women who have been in bloody battles, but not give them sympathy when they turn to booze and drugs for relief. Life isn't fair, but it goes on.
March 8, 2015
Ash is the story of Asher Benson, a U.S. army veteran who served in Iraq. After suffering major head trauma and losing his entire team, Ash is sent back to the States on a military disability pension. To say that Ash suffers from PTSD is like saying that Pooh Bear kind of likes honey. But this is not your normal PTSD, Ash can barely function, the only thing that helps him is copious amounts of alcohol.
This story is filled with non-stop action. Asher Benson’s “problem” brings government agencies to his doorstep and puts him and his friend’s lives at risk. Jason Brant has a knack for creating a great fast paced story with some “interesting” characters. These characters provide balanced humor with the tension and action of the story.
Many of my favorite books are ones like Ash, where from what I can tell, the author had as much fun writing the book as I did reading it.
The second book in the series, Blaze, is due out later this year and will definitely be going on my TBR!
This story is filled with non-stop action. Asher Benson’s “problem” brings government agencies to his doorstep and puts him and his friend’s lives at risk. Jason Brant has a knack for creating a great fast paced story with some “interesting” characters. These characters provide balanced humor with the tension and action of the story.
Many of my favorite books are ones like Ash, where from what I can tell, the author had as much fun writing the book as I did reading it.
The second book in the series, Blaze, is due out later this year and will definitely be going on my TBR!
March 27, 2015
If you like non-stop action and urban fantasy at its best, read this book. It's exciting, and goes, if I may use a cliche', at a breathtaking pace.
Asher Benson (Ash) can read minds by virtue of an injury suffered in Iraq. People's thoughts just come into his mind, so when a lot of people are around it's a lot of noise. This noise is dulled by alcohol. I understand this, because just being around most people is enough to drive you to drink, let alone knowing what the cretins are thinking.
I don't plot in reviews, so you'll have to read it. All you need to know is that the action is nearly non-stop, the characters are well-drawn, and there is a lot of humor between the characters. They're fun, even when they are not in fun situations. And the girl Ash takes up with has big bazoombas, which is a tag waved around quite a bit. The feminists among you may not appreciate that, but I doubt that such people are the target audience.
Asher Benson (Ash) can read minds by virtue of an injury suffered in Iraq. People's thoughts just come into his mind, so when a lot of people are around it's a lot of noise. This noise is dulled by alcohol. I understand this, because just being around most people is enough to drive you to drink, let alone knowing what the cretins are thinking.
I don't plot in reviews, so you'll have to read it. All you need to know is that the action is nearly non-stop, the characters are well-drawn, and there is a lot of humor between the characters. They're fun, even when they are not in fun situations. And the girl Ash takes up with has big bazoombas, which is a tag waved around quite a bit. The feminists among you may not appreciate that, but I doubt that such people are the target audience.
May 27, 2015
Explosions. Blood. Fighting. Violence. Killing. Suspense. Sarcasm. Vulgarity. This book has it all.
It also has short sentences. Sentence Fragments. Jumps in action. Unexplained details. Switching narration. Over the top action scenes. No backstory of the main character.
I'll say this: at least the book moves quickly. Sometimes so quickly the reader can't quite follow what is going on.
I could have given the book 2 stars if it hadn't been for the degrading way the author describes women. The two female characters are straight out of a horny man's exotic fantasy movie collection. Seriously.
I really thought this book had promise after the first chapter. I was hooked. Then the rest of the book happened. This is a definite skip. Unless you like any of the above characteristics and don't mind immature testosterone-filled writing.
It also has short sentences. Sentence Fragments. Jumps in action. Unexplained details. Switching narration. Over the top action scenes. No backstory of the main character.
I'll say this: at least the book moves quickly. Sometimes so quickly the reader can't quite follow what is going on.
I could have given the book 2 stars if it hadn't been for the degrading way the author describes women. The two female characters are straight out of a horny man's exotic fantasy movie collection. Seriously.
I really thought this book had promise after the first chapter. I was hooked. Then the rest of the book happened. This is a definite skip. Unless you like any of the above characteristics and don't mind immature testosterone-filled writing.
March 5, 2014
I have no clue how this character went through hell and back without wanting to throw in the towel. This book is jam-packed full of fast-paced action (Brant's obvious specialty), and is also very in-depth when it comes to Asher's special talents. Not only were we told the story of how he could read minds, we actually felt his turmoil as he battled the fine line between normalcy or going bat-sh*t crazy from the voices in his head. Ash's motivation to do the right thing as he tried to stop a telepathic nutcase was refreshing. He's truly a good man with some serious baggage and I was rooting for him the entire way.
Pick it up and give the Ash a try. Definitely a great read.
Pick it up and give the Ash a try. Definitely a great read.
October 16, 2016
Strange topic for a book - telepathy. Strange, but attention grabbing & interesting. Not your typical action book about "psychics" but one that was very interesting. Ash was brain injured in a war battle & as a result, can read people's minds. As you can assume, all kinds of murders, bank robberies, kidnappings & shootouts occur. Very interesting premise for a book. I enjoyed all but the ending, which left me hanging - there was no resolution for Sammy or Nami (who, btw, gets called by Ash every N name including states & countries one can think of!), as well as Drew & Ash being left hanging. At least that's how I felt it ended. I would definitely read another book by Jason Bryant.
December 30, 2013
Jason Brant has hit it out of the ball park with his updated version of Echoes. I bought the first one two years ago, and was immediately hooked. When he posted that he was going to improve it, I didn't know how. Yet he made Ash even more amazing!
He goes much more in depth about Ash's past, and the reader can understand why Ash acts, and does what he does. I am also glad that he kept Nami, and added Drew to the book. Several times the book had me laughing, yet turning the pages to see what would happen next. It is an action packed, suspense, thriller that is a must read.
He goes much more in depth about Ash's past, and the reader can understand why Ash acts, and does what he does. I am also glad that he kept Nami, and added Drew to the book. Several times the book had me laughing, yet turning the pages to see what would happen next. It is an action packed, suspense, thriller that is a must read.
September 6, 2015
I liked the concept of this book. Ash is a former soldier who was in a bad accident that caused him the be able to read minds. His best friend is the only one who knows about it until Ash becomes the hero during a bank robbery. He attracts the attentions of some rogue government agents and an abandoned operative. He then becomes entangled in a huge mess. Ash, his friend and 2 women make an odd mixture with some humorous scenes. There is a lot of fighting and a lot of blood. Sadly I think Ash was just a little too "indestructible" which made him a little too unbelievable.
June 23, 2016
I loved the idea of this series - ex-vet, ESP, government missions - sounded amazing. But by the end of this book, I was totally over it. The sense of hopelessness brought on by the hero's snowballing physical condition and lack of power over his own life, combined with the nonstop pointless action and murder of innocent people.... this was clearly written by a boy. It left me feeling irritated and empty, which is a shame because the writing style was great.
September 21, 2025
I honestly don’t remember why I read this. Maybe it was free at the time because it doesn’t seem like something I’d read otherwise. So, yeah, this wasn’t for me. Dropped it real quick.
The first half of the summary reminds me so much of Death Note (not the anime but the Netflix film), The Happening, and Bird Box. Like, damn.
The first half of the summary reminds me so much of Death Note (not the anime but the Netflix film), The Happening, and Bird Box. Like, damn.
June 10, 2015
A few thoughts:
The plot had potential, but there was not enough character development. There were too many action sequences too close together. The short length was disappointing. A more complex "villain" would have been nice. Some good humor.
The End
The plot had potential, but there was not enough character development. There were too many action sequences too close together. The short length was disappointing. A more complex "villain" would have been nice. Some good humor.
The End
February 5, 2015
This book was the perfect mix of action and humor. I loved it.
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