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Mr. Mann: The afterlife and times of the Devil's Acquisitor ad Infinitum
My name is Marten Mann. I work for the Devil, or The Prince of Lies, as you people are so fond of calling him. Yes. You read that last line correctly. I am employed by the Powers of Evil as Acquisitor Ad Infinitum. Catchy, huh? To put it in simpler terms, I am a broker of sorts. You know, the guy who finds out what it is that you want the most. I make it readily available to you for a price. I think we all know just how costly that one thing that you think you need so much can be. Which is why I urge all of my clients to choose wisely.
291 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2014
15 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
John Byron
3 books17 followersI have always loved books.
Ever since I learned how to read, I could not get enough material.
I was/am a voracious reader, and by the time I was in fourth grade I was at a twelfth grade reading level!
Problems on the home front edged into my studies though and I began to rebel against authority at a young age. Which is a sanitized way of saying that I was definitely a troublemaker and no stranger to the law. Nothing serious, mind you, but it was definitely “gateway” trouble.
I think there some subconscious policing going on in the back of my mind, because at the age of 17, I was done with the broken home life. I dropped out of high school and joined the military in search of something that I wasn’t quite sure of as of yet, but whatever it was that I was looking for, I would not find it within military life.
After I left the Army, I moved to Missouri, where my mother and step father had moved during my stint in the Army. I quickly discovered that time does not always heal all wounds, and after a couple years in Missouri, I packed all of my necessities into a duffle bag and thus began a three year hitchhiking odyssey that would take me across the continental United States, Canada and Mexico. I met a lot of people, some interesting, some not so much, and others who were just plain unsavory.
I should be dead by now, but somehow, I survived all of that, and it was during my travels that I began writing poetry.
I kept my scribbles in a binder in which I would fill with thoughts twisted into a dramatic monologue that finally gave me the outlet that I had been searching for. I still have that binder to this day and I am working on a trilogy set of the poetry that will see the light of day at some point.
It took me 10 years to tire of writing poetry. I felt like I was being lazy with myself, and whenever I find myself getting a bit too comfortable, I tend to push myself into a “point of no return” position.
So, since I felt that my writing was ready for more of a challenge, I began writing some of the ideas that had been bouncing around my mind over the years. Over the next 15 years, I would pen screenplays, short stories and novellas before eventually writing my first novel, Mr Mann.
Until I became that full time writer that I have always dreamed of, I had to work. You know… money and that kind of stuff. Eventually, I found a career in the industry of Information Technology. I am “basement taught” as I like to put it. I learned my computer and networking “skills” using the break/fix method at home and eventually landed myself a position at a firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I have been for going on 20 years now.
I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota with my wife, Brenda and two insane cats.
I’m currently working on my next novel entitled, Blood and Moonlight - The New Methuselah.
Ever since I learned how to read, I could not get enough material.
I was/am a voracious reader, and by the time I was in fourth grade I was at a twelfth grade reading level!
Problems on the home front edged into my studies though and I began to rebel against authority at a young age. Which is a sanitized way of saying that I was definitely a troublemaker and no stranger to the law. Nothing serious, mind you, but it was definitely “gateway” trouble.
I think there some subconscious policing going on in the back of my mind, because at the age of 17, I was done with the broken home life. I dropped out of high school and joined the military in search of something that I wasn’t quite sure of as of yet, but whatever it was that I was looking for, I would not find it within military life.
After I left the Army, I moved to Missouri, where my mother and step father had moved during my stint in the Army. I quickly discovered that time does not always heal all wounds, and after a couple years in Missouri, I packed all of my necessities into a duffle bag and thus began a three year hitchhiking odyssey that would take me across the continental United States, Canada and Mexico. I met a lot of people, some interesting, some not so much, and others who were just plain unsavory.
I should be dead by now, but somehow, I survived all of that, and it was during my travels that I began writing poetry.
I kept my scribbles in a binder in which I would fill with thoughts twisted into a dramatic monologue that finally gave me the outlet that I had been searching for. I still have that binder to this day and I am working on a trilogy set of the poetry that will see the light of day at some point.
It took me 10 years to tire of writing poetry. I felt like I was being lazy with myself, and whenever I find myself getting a bit too comfortable, I tend to push myself into a “point of no return” position.
So, since I felt that my writing was ready for more of a challenge, I began writing some of the ideas that had been bouncing around my mind over the years. Over the next 15 years, I would pen screenplays, short stories and novellas before eventually writing my first novel, Mr Mann.
Until I became that full time writer that I have always dreamed of, I had to work. You know… money and that kind of stuff. Eventually, I found a career in the industry of Information Technology. I am “basement taught” as I like to put it. I learned my computer and networking “skills” using the break/fix method at home and eventually landed myself a position at a firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I have been for going on 20 years now.
I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota with my wife, Brenda and two insane cats.
I’m currently working on my next novel entitled, Blood and Moonlight - The New Methuselah.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
February 9, 2016
Listened to this one via audible. Narrator (Todd McLaren) is fantastic, but I'm not sure How I felt about the content. Marten's 'good' choices are fascinating, because I'm honestly never sure why he makes them. The text makes me uncomfortable though, as it several times acknowledges the reader as someone who takes sadistic pleasure in the book's descriptions of violence. Honestly, those descriptions are my least favorite part of the text. Marten's seemingly unconscious decisions to do 'nice' things for people are way more fun since they confuse everyone and piss off Abby.
When I was nearly halfway done, I was beginning to become frustrated because the actual plot had been fairly limited for most of the first part. Introspection on the human condition is all fine and dandy, but I think I'd enjoy a plot in addition to reflective musings. I must admit though, the time travel aspect has been well applied--used sparingly but providing grounds for elaborate foreshadowing of events without jumbling the timeline too badly (and only one truly jarring paradox.)
I have never before seen or heard the phrase "object lesson" applied so frequently or repetitively. That is a simple way of identifying my main complaint with this book--it gets mired down in repetitive phrasing and often superfluous descriptions of violence. The book seems convinced that the strength of the narrative lies in its most graphic moments, with Marten addressing the reader (or in my case listener) and directly accusing them of reading purely for the violence of the hell and torture descriptions. The book's true strength tends to shine through in the vignette-ish stories about the individuals who have made deals with Marten during his many years as acquisitor. The human aspect in these stories, which offer several surprising insights into motivation and the influence of personal history on the individual are more interesting than wading through blood and guts looking for a sense of coherency.
Character development is another slightly weak spot throughout the book. Marten, Abby, and Shepard are all exceptionally well rounded. However, Gabrielle and Michael are Marten's best and closest friends, yet they get minimal and inconsistent character development. Both of these characters have the perfect backgrounds to help advance and enrich the story, but for me they were disappointingly underused and underdeveloped. The overly pretty love interest and the cheerful best friend could have been stronger than mere placeholders. (Michael's drunken conversations helped to establish his character and the nature of heaven, but he was a little too inconsistent in the things he said in a way that felt more like disorganization and poor editing than an intentional character trait.
This book is good, but it tries to do too many things at once. I think it could have made an exceptional short story or novella, but in its current form it comes across as a little too ambitious in its worldbuilding.
When I was nearly halfway done, I was beginning to become frustrated because the actual plot had been fairly limited for most of the first part. Introspection on the human condition is all fine and dandy, but I think I'd enjoy a plot in addition to reflective musings. I must admit though, the time travel aspect has been well applied--used sparingly but providing grounds for elaborate foreshadowing of events without jumbling the timeline too badly (and only one truly jarring paradox.)
I have never before seen or heard the phrase "object lesson" applied so frequently or repetitively. That is a simple way of identifying my main complaint with this book--it gets mired down in repetitive phrasing and often superfluous descriptions of violence. The book seems convinced that the strength of the narrative lies in its most graphic moments, with Marten addressing the reader (or in my case listener) and directly accusing them of reading purely for the violence of the hell and torture descriptions. The book's true strength tends to shine through in the vignette-ish stories about the individuals who have made deals with Marten during his many years as acquisitor. The human aspect in these stories, which offer several surprising insights into motivation and the influence of personal history on the individual are more interesting than wading through blood and guts looking for a sense of coherency.
Character development is another slightly weak spot throughout the book. Marten, Abby, and Shepard are all exceptionally well rounded. However, Gabrielle and Michael are Marten's best and closest friends, yet they get minimal and inconsistent character development. Both of these characters have the perfect backgrounds to help advance and enrich the story, but for me they were disappointingly underused and underdeveloped. The overly pretty love interest and the cheerful best friend could have been stronger than mere placeholders. (Michael's drunken conversations helped to establish his character and the nature of heaven, but he was a little too inconsistent in the things he said in a way that felt more like disorganization and poor editing than an intentional character trait.
This book is good, but it tries to do too many things at once. I think it could have made an exceptional short story or novella, but in its current form it comes across as a little too ambitious in its worldbuilding.
September 2, 2015
The writing in MR. Mann was good, I am a sucker for hard boiled detective noir stories. That is why Harry Dresden and Jake Sullivan are such favorite characters of mine.
Mr. Mann, however is not the most endearing character, he is written as arrogant and having all the answers. He always seems to be in the best position at anytime, even though he himself doesn't know it. All the people he meets are pathetic, or weak, or a poor excuse for something and this becomes very hard to read. Since he is the narrator of this story, it makes him seem like a sneering aristocrate, not a fedora ed everyman with a few extra knacks. I did not see any real character development, Mr. Mann goes from Demi God (which seems the antithesis of the typical noir protagonist) to DEMI GOD...
All in all, I found the story tedious, with no likable character, or even a plot I could cleave to, but Mr. Byron's writing is good, and the tone of voice he uses is easy to read...I just wish the story was different.
Mr. Mann, however is not the most endearing character, he is written as arrogant and having all the answers. He always seems to be in the best position at anytime, even though he himself doesn't know it. All the people he meets are pathetic, or weak, or a poor excuse for something and this becomes very hard to read. Since he is the narrator of this story, it makes him seem like a sneering aristocrate, not a fedora ed everyman with a few extra knacks. I did not see any real character development, Mr. Mann goes from Demi God (which seems the antithesis of the typical noir protagonist) to DEMI GOD...
All in all, I found the story tedious, with no likable character, or even a plot I could cleave to, but Mr. Byron's writing is good, and the tone of voice he uses is easy to read...I just wish the story was different.
October 19, 2015
Meh. This book had lots of ingredients that i like in my plots - damnation, immortality, jokes about stock brokers going to hell, time travel - but strung out upon a flaccid and meandering narrative. At no point did the noiresque narrative acquire the drive and necessity of a real noir detective story; instead, the plot leans upon a "diabolo ex machina" device, where satan declares things need to be some way for Reasons, then the plot wobbles on until he's changed his mind.
I'd read more stuff by John Byron because this is a first book and I'm sure he could get a handle on this ; for now, however, if you want to see diabolical noir done well, try Ian Tregillis's Something More Than Night (Which IMO is better than anything else Tregillis has done)
Couldn't finish.
I'd read more stuff by John Byron because this is a first book and I'm sure he could get a handle on this ; for now, however, if you want to see diabolical noir done well, try Ian Tregillis's Something More Than Night (Which IMO is better than anything else Tregillis has done)
Couldn't finish.
March 18, 2016
Although I'm far from religious, or perhaps because of it, I've always enjoyed tales of the war between good and evil, especially those that tell of the clash between heaven and hell. Mr. Mann offers an incredibly intriguing version of that mythos told from the perspective of the Devil's High Inquisitor, aka lead sales guy.
The book stumbles a bit at the ending by being a bit too predictable, and tried too hard to see up every loose end. Sacrificing some of the completeness to tighten up the closing would have been preferred.
All in all, it's a fun read and well worth a look.
The book stumbles a bit at the ending by being a bit too predictable, and tried too hard to see up every loose end. Sacrificing some of the completeness to tighten up the closing would have been preferred.
All in all, it's a fun read and well worth a look.
February 2, 2016
Used words and phrases often. Not in a way that seemed purposeful, more like they couldn't think of many ways to say similar things so they had to repeat phrases. I don't think I've ever seen the word apoplectic repeated so often.
February 11, 2016
A must read!
June 1, 2016
I absolutely love this book, the character progression is amazing. You seriously feel bad for an unspeakably horrible villain. I could not get enough of it.
March 17, 2016
The fascinating story of Mr. Marten Mann, who has been harvesting souls for the Devil for 300 years, told in his own words.
March 23, 2016
Intriguing concepts.
Once you get into the what the book is about you start questioning what your own beliefs are.
I loved the sarcasm too!
Once you get into the what the book is about you start questioning what your own beliefs are.
I loved the sarcasm too!
March 28, 2016
Took me a minute to get into it but after I was in I was hooked great story. Gruesome start to devilish finish
April 19, 2016
This book really had me questioning why I had bothered to pick it up in the first place. Right until the very end and then it got very interesting.
January 28, 2023
After I finished Mr. Mann, I was left just scratching my head and wondering, "What was the point of this and what are all those rave Audible reviews about?" This fantasy novel uses a religious base for world-building and since mythology and religion are often used as the launching point for fantasy, that made sense. The religious mores used are kind of a combination of the monotheist religions (heaven/hell, one God, one Satan), some Hindu/Buddhist teachings (reincarnation), with a touch of Puritanism (work righteousness, no salvation through grace) thrown in. Since this is a fantasy novel and not a theological treatise, I'm fine with mixing different theologies and adding some new ones (humans were created by angels and the breath of human life coming from the sacrifice of one special angel), but I still expect a fantasy world to be consistent and have internal logic and Mr. Mann came up short there.
Marten Mann is recruited by Abaddon (Satan) to gather souls from among the living. Marten finds his targets by reading their auras and targets the blackest souls that he finds. His pitch is, "You are already damned. You've done such horrible things so you are going to hell. But if you sign my contract, you can have anything you want for the next 20 years before you are consigned to the flames." Big surprise - most people sign, but there is major puzzlement in this process:
1. If you are already damned, why wouldn't you sign - you have nothing to lose! Usually when a story is about selling your soul to the devil, the assumption is that you haven't already lost it.
2. If you are already damned, why is the devil bothering to recruit you and give you something you want - sounds like he already has you for free.
3. If you know you are damned and you have "one last wish", why not wish for redemption or a clean aura or something that would negate your damnation?
4. Marten learns that reincarnation is available to all, even the damned, so anybody who doesn't make it to heaven on the first try (apparently most don't), will get as many chances as necessary. OK, so what is the point of hell and why bother with those contracts??
In addition to this central strange tenet of the contracts that didn't make any sense, there are other inconsistencies that I found odd and confusing:
1. Marten says he can read an aura and tell how good or bad a person is, but he is badly mistaken at one point (spoilers to give more detail) and the reason for that is never explained.
2. Marten could read auras as a living human, but after death, his ability is greatly enhanced - as an Aquisitor, Marten actually knows exactly what you did to get your blackish aura until he doesn't. After "reading" his marks in detail through most of the book, he meets a Vietnamese woman and has no idea why she is damned. No explanation for why he loses the ability with that one woman.
3. Marten is a man given to violent rages and anger and when you get his backstory, that facet of his personality is fairly understandable. However, he is also supposedly a man of great empathy and compassion, yet he admits to beating other children growing up just because they were different or he didn't like them and he lives a greedy, selfish life until he dies. So he only found his empathy and compassion after death?
4. After being told that there is no path to redemption other than living a good enough life through however many incarnations that takes, a group of people suddenly find heaven through - wait for it - forgiveness. I love the concept, but this runs completely counter to everything that was previously lined out for Byron's "world".
In the end I thought the characters in Mr. Mann were interesting and the story wasn't boring, but the "magic system" is inconsistent and confusing and the conclusion was pretty limp. I felt like John Byron used Mr. Mann more as a vehicle to comment on religion, culture, and rock music than to tell a great story or make a concise point.
Todd McLaren did a good job with narration and I would definitely listen to him again. He had a lot of nice character voices, although the women from Vietnam seem to sound a bit more Italian than Pacific Rim.
In real life, theology may be inconsistent, but the inconsistency doesn't work well in a fiction novel since it stymies the process of suspending disbelief.
Marten Mann is recruited by Abaddon (Satan) to gather souls from among the living. Marten finds his targets by reading their auras and targets the blackest souls that he finds. His pitch is, "You are already damned. You've done such horrible things so you are going to hell. But if you sign my contract, you can have anything you want for the next 20 years before you are consigned to the flames." Big surprise - most people sign, but there is major puzzlement in this process:
1. If you are already damned, why wouldn't you sign - you have nothing to lose! Usually when a story is about selling your soul to the devil, the assumption is that you haven't already lost it.
2. If you are already damned, why is the devil bothering to recruit you and give you something you want - sounds like he already has you for free.
3. If you know you are damned and you have "one last wish", why not wish for redemption or a clean aura or something that would negate your damnation?
4. Marten learns that reincarnation is available to all, even the damned, so anybody who doesn't make it to heaven on the first try (apparently most don't), will get as many chances as necessary. OK, so what is the point of hell and why bother with those contracts??
In addition to this central strange tenet of the contracts that didn't make any sense, there are other inconsistencies that I found odd and confusing:
1. Marten says he can read an aura and tell how good or bad a person is, but he is badly mistaken at one point (spoilers to give more detail) and the reason for that is never explained.
2. Marten could read auras as a living human, but after death, his ability is greatly enhanced - as an Aquisitor, Marten actually knows exactly what you did to get your blackish aura until he doesn't. After "reading" his marks in detail through most of the book, he meets a Vietnamese woman and has no idea why she is damned. No explanation for why he loses the ability with that one woman.
3. Marten is a man given to violent rages and anger and when you get his backstory, that facet of his personality is fairly understandable. However, he is also supposedly a man of great empathy and compassion, yet he admits to beating other children growing up just because they were different or he didn't like them and he lives a greedy, selfish life until he dies. So he only found his empathy and compassion after death?
4. After being told that there is no path to redemption other than living a good enough life through however many incarnations that takes, a group of people suddenly find heaven through - wait for it - forgiveness. I love the concept, but this runs completely counter to everything that was previously lined out for Byron's "world".
In the end I thought the characters in Mr. Mann were interesting and the story wasn't boring, but the "magic system" is inconsistent and confusing and the conclusion was pretty limp. I felt like John Byron used Mr. Mann more as a vehicle to comment on religion, culture, and rock music than to tell a great story or make a concise point.
Todd McLaren did a good job with narration and I would definitely listen to him again. He had a lot of nice character voices, although the women from Vietnam seem to sound a bit more Italian than Pacific Rim.
In real life, theology may be inconsistent, but the inconsistency doesn't work well in a fiction novel since it stymies the process of suspending disbelief.
February 7, 2021
Martin Mann is a guy with a rough past: an abusive childhood with parents who blamed him for everything. As an adult, he is turns his life into a huge financial success--some might say on the backs of others, though he certainly wouldn'g-- when he finds himself a victim of a convenience store hold up. The thief has the extraordinary of knowing the sins of everyone in the line and pronouncing guilt on them before he executes them. Martin quickly runs through his own life and decides he is certainly guilty of this fate, but no; the man bypasses him and kills the next person in line.
The man, as the title of the book might have already told you, is the Devil himself. The Devil likes Martin and spares him, and through a strange turn of events, hires him as his Acquisitor of Souls.
I expected this book to be funny, but it is not. This is a serious book about the consequences of actions and how, apparently, intent does not matter when you are being judged.
Martin ends up being a bit of a "boy scout", as the Devils labels him, and tries to give the people whose souls he is taking, a fair chance--something the Devil is not thrilled about.
This is a novel about justice and knowledge, about power and the use of it for a purpose. Why is there a Hell to begin with? What is the purpose of suffering? And where is God in this entire equation?
I listened to this on Audible and the narration was great. It bumped my rating up from a 3.5 to a 4. The ending of the book bumped it from a 3 to a 3.5. I feel like some of Martin's angst was a bit repetitive (I mean, we get it already, lol), and the use of description for seemingly meaningless actions (lifting cups to lips, blowing out smoke, etc) just slowed down the pacing of an otherwise very good story. I'd recommend it for those who like tales of about justice and power.
The man, as the title of the book might have already told you, is the Devil himself. The Devil likes Martin and spares him, and through a strange turn of events, hires him as his Acquisitor of Souls.
I expected this book to be funny, but it is not. This is a serious book about the consequences of actions and how, apparently, intent does not matter when you are being judged.
Martin ends up being a bit of a "boy scout", as the Devils labels him, and tries to give the people whose souls he is taking, a fair chance--something the Devil is not thrilled about.
This is a novel about justice and knowledge, about power and the use of it for a purpose. Why is there a Hell to begin with? What is the purpose of suffering? And where is God in this entire equation?
I listened to this on Audible and the narration was great. It bumped my rating up from a 3.5 to a 4. The ending of the book bumped it from a 3 to a 3.5. I feel like some of Martin's angst was a bit repetitive (I mean, we get it already, lol), and the use of description for seemingly meaningless actions (lifting cups to lips, blowing out smoke, etc) just slowed down the pacing of an otherwise very good story. I'd recommend it for those who like tales of about justice and power.
February 10, 2025
I went into this expecting more comedy—after all, a guy working for the Devil should have ample opportunity for satire, flair, and a bit of dark humor. But Mr. Mann doesn’t take that road. Instead, it leans hard into noir, trading punchlines for existential dilemmas and fast talk for slow-burning, weighty reflections. And you know what? I loved it.
The prose drips with atmosphere, like an old detective novel where the cases aren’t just about missing persons but missing souls (sometimes literally). There’s a depth of perspective here, the kind that makes you pause mid-page and reconsider everything you thought you knew about morality, free will, and the fine print on infernal contracts.
Jon, this feels like something you'd want on your shelf—it has that philosophical undercurrent that gives Good Omens its weight, but without the whimsy. And Phoebe, if you ever wondered what Murderbot might be like if instead of managing awkward human interactions it was navigating the bureaucracy of Hell, you might want to give this one a go.
Unexpected, thought-provoking, and slick as sin—an easy 5 stars.
The prose drips with atmosphere, like an old detective novel where the cases aren’t just about missing persons but missing souls (sometimes literally). There’s a depth of perspective here, the kind that makes you pause mid-page and reconsider everything you thought you knew about morality, free will, and the fine print on infernal contracts.
Jon, this feels like something you'd want on your shelf—it has that philosophical undercurrent that gives Good Omens its weight, but without the whimsy. And Phoebe, if you ever wondered what Murderbot might be like if instead of managing awkward human interactions it was navigating the bureaucracy of Hell, you might want to give this one a go.
Unexpected, thought-provoking, and slick as sin—an easy 5 stars.
October 9, 2022
Tried three times…
Just couldn’t get into this one. Narrator Todd McLaren seemed rather good, but “Mr. Mann” never kept my attention. But what comes to mind: My editor, dear friend and mentor wisely told me in 1979, “If everyone liked the same things, the world would indeed be a boring one.” RIP Dan Di Leo
Just couldn’t get into this one. Narrator Todd McLaren seemed rather good, but “Mr. Mann” never kept my attention. But what comes to mind: My editor, dear friend and mentor wisely told me in 1979, “If everyone liked the same things, the world would indeed be a boring one.” RIP Dan Di Leo
July 23, 2021
It's fine. It reads more like a guy telling stories at a bar than a novel with a plot, which worked better as an audiobook than I'd imagine it does in text. The story didn't really focus or get interesting until the end, and the beginning leaned too much on the shock/gore for my taste.
April 20, 2019
Eh. Probably worth skipping this one
July 13, 2019
This will get you thinking about how you view lofe, death and religion.
January 22, 2020
enjoyed this book. not sure if this is a series or not....I would read more
November 14, 2020
Such original content! I have actually been away from goodreads for a bit...so just now getting around to reviewing this.
April 12, 2021
An interesting tale but didn’t grab me as I had hoped. I completed the whole story and enjoyed it but wanted more.
August 29, 2017
I wanted this to have some humor but I couldn't find it. The story felt all over the place to me and I couldn't tell how all the pieces were connected. It may have been ok if the ending weren't so lame. I wanted to like it but I just couldn't recommend it.
February 24, 2017
An interesting twist on the timeless tale of god and the devil, good and evil, angels and demons and selling your soul. Darkly humorous and even touching.
June 18, 2016
The story was very engaging, as was the main character, and the narrator had a great voice for the role; very menacing and contemptuous when needed and a good fit for the devil's servant.
However, I felt like many obvious logical and ethical questions were left unasked by this book. As a staunch atheist, I understand that when your mythology is based so heavily on the Abrahamic God and devil, there will be certain questions that just don't have good answers, but there are ways in which you can acknowledge these questions and then answer, half-answer, dismiss or avoid it in such a way as to dodge the logical inconsistency or whatever while maintaining the reader's suspension of disbelief.
Also, some questions just weren't raised soon enough, such as "why bother with the contracts if they're damned anyway?". This was something I'd been wondering from the start, and even though it wasn't appropriate for the narrative to answer it until the last quartile or so, it could have been acknowledged earlier so that instead of having a feeling that shit just doesn't make sense, we feel a sense of mystery as we await the purpose for these actions to be revealed.
The book did elaborate on some of its mythology in the last chapter, and it was total bullshit. Makes me think the author is probably a Christian, and not the kind of Christian that could put their personal beliefs aside and just focus on the story. But that was just the ending, and it was just one aspect of the ending.
Also the narrator's female voice was not great, and it was especially terrible when he did the upset female voice.
Rating: 80%
However, I felt like many obvious logical and ethical questions were left unasked by this book. As a staunch atheist, I understand that when your mythology is based so heavily on the Abrahamic God and devil, there will be certain questions that just don't have good answers, but there are ways in which you can acknowledge these questions and then answer, half-answer, dismiss or avoid it in such a way as to dodge the logical inconsistency or whatever while maintaining the reader's suspension of disbelief.
Also, some questions just weren't raised soon enough, such as "why bother with the contracts if they're damned anyway?". This was something I'd been wondering from the start, and even though it wasn't appropriate for the narrative to answer it until the last quartile or so, it could have been acknowledged earlier so that instead of having a feeling that shit just doesn't make sense, we feel a sense of mystery as we await the purpose for these actions to be revealed.
The book did elaborate on some of its mythology in the last chapter, and it was total bullshit. Makes me think the author is probably a Christian, and not the kind of Christian that could put their personal beliefs aside and just focus on the story. But that was just the ending, and it was just one aspect of the ending.
Also the narrator's female voice was not great, and it was especially terrible when he did the upset female voice.
Rating: 80%
January 30, 2016
Ignoring some of the odd decisions around word-choice and tone, I'm reminded of a few things that I've concluded from reading other bad books:
* Riddles make really poor plot devices. (See Dan Brown) Even if they're really clever (this wasn't), riddles become cliches. Everyone knows them before they read your book, so all of that tension you're trying to build is a failure and it makes the people you're trying to pass off as clever seem like assholes.
* An interesting protagonist usually is a consistent protagonist. Reasonable thought-processes usually make for reasonable decisions in unreasonable circumstances. Unreasonable thought-processes usually make for silly and unpredictable decisions regardless of circumstances--which can be fun. Reasonable thought-processes, however, rarely result in ridiculously stupid decisions.
* Writing about your emotional connection to music is like dancing about your understanding of geometry. It's pointless and no one cares.
The best thing I could say to the author is "Congratulations on writing a novel. Good for you, that's not easy."
I think I'll take this opportunity to write about my emotional connection to music to describe my impression of this book. I suspect I can't do worse than Mr. Byron. He's sort of like The Velvet Underground. Horrible, but everyone who experiences it comes away thinking, "Well shit. I could do that" and thus inspires a whole generation of shitty practitioners of his craft.
May God have mercy on his soul.
* Riddles make really poor plot devices. (See Dan Brown) Even if they're really clever (this wasn't), riddles become cliches. Everyone knows them before they read your book, so all of that tension you're trying to build is a failure and it makes the people you're trying to pass off as clever seem like assholes.
* An interesting protagonist usually is a consistent protagonist. Reasonable thought-processes usually make for reasonable decisions in unreasonable circumstances. Unreasonable thought-processes usually make for silly and unpredictable decisions regardless of circumstances--which can be fun. Reasonable thought-processes, however, rarely result in ridiculously stupid decisions.
* Writing about your emotional connection to music is like dancing about your understanding of geometry. It's pointless and no one cares.
The best thing I could say to the author is "Congratulations on writing a novel. Good for you, that's not easy."
I think I'll take this opportunity to write about my emotional connection to music to describe my impression of this book. I suspect I can't do worse than Mr. Byron. He's sort of like The Velvet Underground. Horrible, but everyone who experiences it comes away thinking, "Well shit. I could do that" and thus inspires a whole generation of shitty practitioners of his craft.
May God have mercy on his soul.
January 7, 2017
This was a really fun ride! I have no idea how to describe it, thought... Martin Mann suddenly becomes the Devil's Acquisitor - aka, his Contractor Collector. He goes out, finds damned souls, and offers them whatever they want in exchange for their souls after 20 years. (Yes, if they're already damned why offer them a contract, blah blah, look, that's addressed, alright?) Told from the first person, we hear from Martin his whole story from how he got the 'job' right up to when he... well. Spoilers, sweetie.
It's full of awful revelations and questions about damnation and salvation and really puts a new spin on the Heaven/Hell mythology.
And the end? The end is heartbreaking but well worth it.
It's full of awful revelations and questions about damnation and salvation and really puts a new spin on the Heaven/Hell mythology.
And the end? The end is heartbreaking but well worth it.
December 5, 2015
Two things to keep in mind when reading this book. #1 This is not a book on theology; it is complete fiction and fun to read. #2 The language is f'ing rough if you get my point, but most of it is used during intense emotion. Most of the bad language is from f'ing demons and would you expect them to speak differently?
I listened to the audio performance and highly recommend it in that format. I don't know if I would have caught all the sarcasm from a print copy. I will have to check out a few more books by John Byron, so dig it and enjoy.
I listened to the audio performance and highly recommend it in that format. I don't know if I would have caught all the sarcasm from a print copy. I will have to check out a few more books by John Byron, so dig it and enjoy.
November 20, 2015
You get told the story of Marten from his lovely tequila and cigarette filled point of view. Getting to see what it's like to be the Devils little helper. Marten isn't a bad guy, as in if you bump into him he'll probably say sorry and carry on. But if he comes to visit you don't fuckin sign anything this guy puts in front of you. Think of a salad fork and your spine.
But even with infinite damnation this book made me laugh out loud more then once.
But even with infinite damnation this book made me laugh out loud more then once.
November 25, 2015
I can't help but think this is like a remake of CS Lewis' Screwtape Letters. The language is more...colorful and there's a lot of violence, similar to any older work getting updated. Once you learn how to push that aside this book makes you think about life, death, forgiveness, consequences, heaven, he'll, karma...life and death in general.
November 6, 2015
I liked the story of the accquisitor. In the movie in my head, it starred Don Draper. The book was five stars right up until the end, when I was sick to death of the heavenly plan. I do love the character Mr. Mann and I'm willing to give the author another go.
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