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Bodymore #0
Bodymore Zero
You Don't Invite the Devil in by Chance; You Must Play with Intent.
Taking place ten years before the events of Bleed More, Bodymore, Ralph Reagan is the drummer for his best friend’s band, Bad Ass Idiot Train. Baltimore locals know it for the unique sound, the wild concerts, and the even wilder frontman, KC. The two are as close as brothers, but couldn’t be more different. Ralph is quiet, laidback, and doesn’t seem to fit in with the lifestyle while the only appropriate way to describe KC is hellion. Riots, street brawls, and fierce resistance to authority leaves a path of destruction in KC’s wake.
While trouble can be avoided for a time, it can’t be entirely dodged. The ghosts of KC’s past haunt him through the handprints left in his house, the voices in his head, and the way Baltimore calls out to him in the graffiti. The voices call endlessly, hoping to tempt KC into killing the person beside him who doesn’t belong.
Rage and regret guide his hands to Ralph’s neck after a concert. His saving grace is KC’s defiance. Ralph escapes with his life, but KC does not.
Ralph's mourning the loss of his brother and the only family he’s ever known when he receives a phone call from the last person he expected: KC. Not dead, but waiting to be picked up from a nearby Taco Bell. Reunion proves something’s off with KC. He’s bloodthirsty, angry, and shorter-tempered than ever. Though he wants to continue where they left off, it appears as though no one recognizes him, but Ralph and their bassist. Ralph will do anything it takes to make things go back to normal, even if it means giving up a part of himself. Meanwhile, the trail of bodies he’s leaving puts Ralph at the center of a detective’s crosshairs, and the unfathomable spirit inhabiting Baltimore hasn’t given up on its mission to find Ralph.
Taking place ten years before the events of Bleed More, Bodymore, Ralph Reagan is the drummer for his best friend’s band, Bad Ass Idiot Train. Baltimore locals know it for the unique sound, the wild concerts, and the even wilder frontman, KC. The two are as close as brothers, but couldn’t be more different. Ralph is quiet, laidback, and doesn’t seem to fit in with the lifestyle while the only appropriate way to describe KC is hellion. Riots, street brawls, and fierce resistance to authority leaves a path of destruction in KC’s wake.
While trouble can be avoided for a time, it can’t be entirely dodged. The ghosts of KC’s past haunt him through the handprints left in his house, the voices in his head, and the way Baltimore calls out to him in the graffiti. The voices call endlessly, hoping to tempt KC into killing the person beside him who doesn’t belong.
Rage and regret guide his hands to Ralph’s neck after a concert. His saving grace is KC’s defiance. Ralph escapes with his life, but KC does not.
Ralph's mourning the loss of his brother and the only family he’s ever known when he receives a phone call from the last person he expected: KC. Not dead, but waiting to be picked up from a nearby Taco Bell. Reunion proves something’s off with KC. He’s bloodthirsty, angry, and shorter-tempered than ever. Though he wants to continue where they left off, it appears as though no one recognizes him, but Ralph and their bassist. Ralph will do anything it takes to make things go back to normal, even if it means giving up a part of himself. Meanwhile, the trail of bodies he’s leaving puts Ralph at the center of a detective’s crosshairs, and the unfathomable spirit inhabiting Baltimore hasn’t given up on its mission to find Ralph.
490 pages, Paperback
Published October 31, 2024
8 people want to read
About the author
Ian Kirkpatrick
10 books127 followersIan Kirkpatrick is an award-winning author and Majima stan.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 6, 2024
Bodymore 0, a prequel to Bodymore Bleed More series, is my first read of this series and author, and definitely not my last. We are introduced to our MC Ralph Raegan and KC, an unlikely match of chosen family through tragic ends and new wild beginnings in a city that hungers for violence.
We follow the band brothers in a literal and figurative sense, and their coming-to-be in an action packed, tragic upbringing in the streets of Baltimore, where they are haunted by the anger, violence and string of bad decisions made for them and by them. Start off strong by the violent death of KC after their band, Bad Ass Idiot Train, play what might be their last gig, only to be changed later on by his even more violent return, and it kicks off what might be a cascade of supernatural incidents around them, who can they trust?
It was filled with action, tragic ends and beginnings, schizophrenic streets literally talking to you, birds, oh so many birds and supernatural strings pulling behind the scenes.
Overall it was a thrill of a ride, can’t mention much without spoiling some of the book, but it was such a good read that plays like a comic book in your head.
I was left of lots of questions after finishing the book, which I’m sure some can be answered in the books after.
I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
We follow the band brothers in a literal and figurative sense, and their coming-to-be in an action packed, tragic upbringing in the streets of Baltimore, where they are haunted by the anger, violence and string of bad decisions made for them and by them. Start off strong by the violent death of KC after their band, Bad Ass Idiot Train, play what might be their last gig, only to be changed later on by his even more violent return, and it kicks off what might be a cascade of supernatural incidents around them, who can they trust?
It was filled with action, tragic ends and beginnings, schizophrenic streets literally talking to you, birds, oh so many birds and supernatural strings pulling behind the scenes.
Overall it was a thrill of a ride, can’t mention much without spoiling some of the book, but it was such a good read that plays like a comic book in your head.
I was left of lots of questions after finishing the book, which I’m sure some can be answered in the books after.
I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 4, 2024
The latest installment in the Bodymore series, this prequel dives into the origin story of KC and Ralph and explores deeper the mythos surrounding the ghosts that haunt Baltimore City.
In a very different but weirdly similar Baltimore, Ralph and KC are the core members of an alt-indie band, Bad Ass Idiot Train, which is probably the most alt-indie band name of all time. From the very start, we learn Ralph is the quiet one, and KC is the wild one. KC’s wildness gets him killed within the first few pages. Why? Because he goes into every fight like he’s got nothing to lose, but of course he could lose his life, and he finally does.
Ralph’s grief is deep and authentic. I’m there with him, wasting away, forgetting what day it is and refusing to take any calls. You see similar strong characterization in the rest of the book. Every character, for good or ill, feels very real. KC and his temper, his disrespect for authority, his quiet shame. Ralph’s desperate, foolish hope. Detective Grant trying to do his job and bring a tiny bit of order to his corner of Baltimore. Even Charon, Val, and Sol, strange and cold in the fulfillment their duties.
Being honest, I found both KC and Ralph frustrating at the start of the book. Ralph is a pushover/martyr, and KC is a jerk. Ruby, the bass guitarist for the band, calls both of them out on it, and she’s right. The book eventually dives into their backstories, a fair amount of trauma, physical and emotional. Given what a hot mess they both are, I’m not surprised. Ralph’s utter passiveness grates on my nerves. As it does for everyone else who meets him. I guess that’s the point.
As usual, the city of Baltimore plays a major role in the story. Not the pretty parts like the Inner Harbor, but the miles and miles of row houses. Cramped and dark, thin-walled, these spaces close in on me. Trash in the streets, boarded up windows, people watching through curtains, the atmosphere is desolate and foreboding. For KC and Ralph, it is home.
The language shines, as it does in all of Kirkpatrick’s novels. Descriptions and character insights are the highlights they always are. My only complaint, and it was almost enough to dock a star, is some exposition that happens in Caedis Silvis when Ralph takes on a new role. I get that certain things require explanations in a story, but this exposition slowed what had been a fast pace down to a crawl.
The pacing is otherwise solid. The book spends a few scenes setting up “normal” before busting it to pieces, and poor Ralph spends the rest of the novel trying to get back to something approximating what KC so foolishly lost. At no point did I stop and think, what is the point, and why are we here? The plot rolls forward, and I was along for the ride. Seriously, it’s a tight plot. Even the flashbacks feel timely and story-relevant.
Bodymore 0 ends on a satisfying note. I mention this for people who read the other Bodymore books featuring Joey, where you have to read all 3 to arrive at the story’s satisfying conclusion. Also, for those who care about such things, it has a positive, hopeful ending. My only wish is that KC had become the character he is by the end, a little sooner, so I could enjoy him more.
I received a free ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
In a very different but weirdly similar Baltimore, Ralph and KC are the core members of an alt-indie band, Bad Ass Idiot Train, which is probably the most alt-indie band name of all time. From the very start, we learn Ralph is the quiet one, and KC is the wild one. KC’s wildness gets him killed within the first few pages. Why? Because he goes into every fight like he’s got nothing to lose, but of course he could lose his life, and he finally does.
Ralph’s grief is deep and authentic. I’m there with him, wasting away, forgetting what day it is and refusing to take any calls. You see similar strong characterization in the rest of the book. Every character, for good or ill, feels very real. KC and his temper, his disrespect for authority, his quiet shame. Ralph’s desperate, foolish hope. Detective Grant trying to do his job and bring a tiny bit of order to his corner of Baltimore. Even Charon, Val, and Sol, strange and cold in the fulfillment their duties.
Being honest, I found both KC and Ralph frustrating at the start of the book. Ralph is a pushover/martyr, and KC is a jerk. Ruby, the bass guitarist for the band, calls both of them out on it, and she’s right. The book eventually dives into their backstories, a fair amount of trauma, physical and emotional. Given what a hot mess they both are, I’m not surprised. Ralph’s utter passiveness grates on my nerves. As it does for everyone else who meets him. I guess that’s the point.
As usual, the city of Baltimore plays a major role in the story. Not the pretty parts like the Inner Harbor, but the miles and miles of row houses. Cramped and dark, thin-walled, these spaces close in on me. Trash in the streets, boarded up windows, people watching through curtains, the atmosphere is desolate and foreboding. For KC and Ralph, it is home.
The language shines, as it does in all of Kirkpatrick’s novels. Descriptions and character insights are the highlights they always are. My only complaint, and it was almost enough to dock a star, is some exposition that happens in Caedis Silvis when Ralph takes on a new role. I get that certain things require explanations in a story, but this exposition slowed what had been a fast pace down to a crawl.
The pacing is otherwise solid. The book spends a few scenes setting up “normal” before busting it to pieces, and poor Ralph spends the rest of the novel trying to get back to something approximating what KC so foolishly lost. At no point did I stop and think, what is the point, and why are we here? The plot rolls forward, and I was along for the ride. Seriously, it’s a tight plot. Even the flashbacks feel timely and story-relevant.
Bodymore 0 ends on a satisfying note. I mention this for people who read the other Bodymore books featuring Joey, where you have to read all 3 to arrive at the story’s satisfying conclusion. Also, for those who care about such things, it has a positive, hopeful ending. My only wish is that KC had become the character he is by the end, a little sooner, so I could enjoy him more.
I received a free ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 29, 2024
2.5 stars
I am not quite certain this storyline in particular is for me. I found myself quite confused about a lot of elements of the plot, and I kept having to go back and reread certain parts thinking I missed something. I am a little disappointed in my thoughts on this, because the premise really, really intrigued me!
The graffiti words throughout kept pulling me out of the story, which could be an effect that was meant to happen, although I am not certain. I'm not sure if that appears in the rest of the series since I have not read them, but figuring this is a prequel, I felt that was no matter to forge ahead in picking this up.
I did however, really enjoy the atmospheric elements of the book. The writing really puts a reader in that eerie, creepy kind of moment that's being described. The characters were complex and had some intense moments. There was a strong presence of problematic families, a journey through brotherhood friendship, and a whole lot of traumatic history from our two main characters.
I think you would enjoy this if you're a fan of creepy premises, complex characters, and obviously if you already know and love the Bodymore series.
Much appreciation to the publisher Steak House Books through NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.
I am not quite certain this storyline in particular is for me. I found myself quite confused about a lot of elements of the plot, and I kept having to go back and reread certain parts thinking I missed something. I am a little disappointed in my thoughts on this, because the premise really, really intrigued me!
The graffiti words throughout kept pulling me out of the story, which could be an effect that was meant to happen, although I am not certain. I'm not sure if that appears in the rest of the series since I have not read them, but figuring this is a prequel, I felt that was no matter to forge ahead in picking this up.
I did however, really enjoy the atmospheric elements of the book. The writing really puts a reader in that eerie, creepy kind of moment that's being described. The characters were complex and had some intense moments. There was a strong presence of problematic families, a journey through brotherhood friendship, and a whole lot of traumatic history from our two main characters.
I think you would enjoy this if you're a fan of creepy premises, complex characters, and obviously if you already know and love the Bodymore series.
Much appreciation to the publisher Steak House Books through NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.
June 5, 2025
After finishing Bleed More, Bodymore I was immediately hungry for more. Since Bodymore Zero is a standalone prequel and the newest in the series, I decided to read it next. Please note: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
For anyone unfamiliar with the Bodymore world, you will find that most of the story takes place in a kind of in-between state, filled with ghostly whispers. The two main characters are polar opposites. K.C. is the egotistical, insensitive front man of a rock band and his loyal friend, Reagan, cleans up the constant mess he leaves behind in life, always defending him even when he doesn't deserve it.
Readers who enjoy occult/supernatural fiction centering on death and the afterlife will be drawn to this book and the series overall. The story explores themes centered on loyalty and kinship in the aftermath of abuse, abandonment, and loss.
The biggest drawback is that I didn't feel any real empathy towards the main characters until the last third of the book when more of KC's backstory is revealed. If you can bear with not fully understanding the character's motivations at first, the end of the book makes everything worthwhile, especially if you have read the first Bodymore.
For anyone unfamiliar with the Bodymore world, you will find that most of the story takes place in a kind of in-between state, filled with ghostly whispers. The two main characters are polar opposites. K.C. is the egotistical, insensitive front man of a rock band and his loyal friend, Reagan, cleans up the constant mess he leaves behind in life, always defending him even when he doesn't deserve it.
Readers who enjoy occult/supernatural fiction centering on death and the afterlife will be drawn to this book and the series overall. The story explores themes centered on loyalty and kinship in the aftermath of abuse, abandonment, and loss.
The biggest drawback is that I didn't feel any real empathy towards the main characters until the last third of the book when more of KC's backstory is revealed. If you can bear with not fully understanding the character's motivations at first, the end of the book makes everything worthwhile, especially if you have read the first Bodymore.
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November 2, 2024This is the 4th Bodymore book that I have read, and it was just as good, if not better than the other 3.
In this installment, we meet K.C. and Ralph, two friends since childhood who are the founding members of the band, Bad Ass Idiot Train. Ralph if the quiet, introverted one and K.C. is the wild one who really only cares about himself and how others can serve him.
Very early on in the book, K.C. is killed, his wild nature taking its toll. Ralph is beside himself and lost. Weeks go by, with him not knowing what the day is or even eating or showering. The only person checking in on him is Ruby the bass guitarist.
I don't want to give away too much of the story. The pacing on this story is fantastic. The back stories, the flashbacks, all of it. This is a great book series. The city of Baltimore plays a huge roll in these books, and it makes the books and the characters feel real.
In this installment, we meet K.C. and Ralph, two friends since childhood who are the founding members of the band, Bad Ass Idiot Train. Ralph if the quiet, introverted one and K.C. is the wild one who really only cares about himself and how others can serve him.
Very early on in the book, K.C. is killed, his wild nature taking its toll. Ralph is beside himself and lost. Weeks go by, with him not knowing what the day is or even eating or showering. The only person checking in on him is Ruby the bass guitarist.
I don't want to give away too much of the story. The pacing on this story is fantastic. The back stories, the flashbacks, all of it. This is a great book series. The city of Baltimore plays a huge roll in these books, and it makes the books and the characters feel real.
July 31, 2025
I was thoroughly captivated by Bodymore Zero. Ian Kirkpatrick’s ability to craft compelling characters shone through every chapter. Ralph Reagan’s layered personality—intelligent, loyal, and driven by love—made me genuinely care about his journey to save KC, even as he faces terrifying truths. The band’s energy is palpable, and the relationships amongst the members feel so real—they add a lively backdrop to the darker elements of the story. The twist of KC’s resurrection, transformed into a bloodthirsty entity, was both shocking and riveting. Kirkpatrick balances urban grit, punk attitude, and supernatural horror with finesse, creating a world that’s both familiar and unsettling. The pacing is tight, the plot well-planned, and the ending left me eager for more. If you enjoy stories that explore loyalty against a backdrop of shadows and spirits, this will be right up your alley.
August 20, 2024
I never expected a prequel to the Bodymore series, so I was surprised by this book. I also didn't expect it to be this long! But it's an important part of Bodymore, as it gives us KC and Ralph's story, which is really central to Joey's story (she's not in this prequel).
I love how this series is written. It really illustrates well how the graffiti shows up and how the characters' minds work. There is a natural, excellent growth arc for KC and Ralph and their relationship in this book. It's a little scary, very weird, and kind of a love letter between brothers who are found family, which is very Bodymore. You'll love it.
I love how this series is written. It really illustrates well how the graffiti shows up and how the characters' minds work. There is a natural, excellent growth arc for KC and Ralph and their relationship in this book. It's a little scary, very weird, and kind of a love letter between brothers who are found family, which is very Bodymore. You'll love it.
August 2, 2025
Terrific
From the very first page, Bodymore Zero pulled me into Baltimore’s gritty streets and refused to let go. Ian Kirkpatrick’s characterization is nothing short of masterful; I felt like I was right there with Ralph Reagan, immersed in the chaos of the band, the Bad Ass Idiot Train. The dynamic between the band members felt authentic, lively, and raw, which made the subsequent tragedy hit even harder. Ralph’s determination to reconnect with KC, now possessed by a dark, bloodthirsty evil, kept me hooked. The story melds urban fantasy with elements of horror. I was utterly immersed. Terrific!
From the very first page, Bodymore Zero pulled me into Baltimore’s gritty streets and refused to let go. Ian Kirkpatrick’s characterization is nothing short of masterful; I felt like I was right there with Ralph Reagan, immersed in the chaos of the band, the Bad Ass Idiot Train. The dynamic between the band members felt authentic, lively, and raw, which made the subsequent tragedy hit even harder. Ralph’s determination to reconnect with KC, now possessed by a dark, bloodthirsty evil, kept me hooked. The story melds urban fantasy with elements of horror. I was utterly immersed. Terrific!
August 15, 2024
I've been enjoying the Bodymore series and thought this was a great introduction to this world. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall story going on with this horror series. I've been enjoying the way Ian Kirkpatrick wrote this and the rest of the series. I can't wait to read more in this series and from Ian Kirkpatrick.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 31, 2025
Pacing is 100%. The tension builds through every page, and the author uses the supernatural to create a winning tale that makes you turn the pages. I just became a fan of Ian Kirkpatrick.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews