What do you think?
Rate this book
Jack Bloodfist #1
Fixer
Jack Bloodfist fixes things. That's what his card says, anyway...
When the orcs and goblins of Summervale, Virginia need something done they call Jack.
He's the one who convinces the local PD to ignore any tribal violence. The guy who makes sure the goblins aren't evicted whenever they do something decidedly goblin.
He does the little things that no one else is willing to do. Like handing keys over whenever a prodigal son returns, or identifying the body of said prodigal.
He's always believed himself capable of fixing any issue his extended family needs fixed, even those they create for themselves, but when a powerful paladin comes to town and starts killing orcs, Jack may be out of his depth.
With the help of Drow detective, a reporter that is more than she seems, and a wizard with plans of his own, Jack hopes to, if not fix the problem, at least make sure it doesn't get any worse.
That's when the paladin's angry god shows up with a whole army of holy knights.
All in a day's work.
When the orcs and goblins of Summervale, Virginia need something done they call Jack.
He's the one who convinces the local PD to ignore any tribal violence. The guy who makes sure the goblins aren't evicted whenever they do something decidedly goblin.
He does the little things that no one else is willing to do. Like handing keys over whenever a prodigal son returns, or identifying the body of said prodigal.
He's always believed himself capable of fixing any issue his extended family needs fixed, even those they create for themselves, but when a powerful paladin comes to town and starts killing orcs, Jack may be out of his depth.
With the help of Drow detective, a reporter that is more than she seems, and a wizard with plans of his own, Jack hopes to, if not fix the problem, at least make sure it doesn't get any worse.
That's when the paladin's angry god shows up with a whole army of holy knights.
All in a day's work.
325 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2015
20 people are currently reading
382 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
March 11, 2018
Jack Bloodfist: Fixer has made it to the final stages of the Self Published Fantasy Blog Off and I read it as part of Fantasy Book Review's contribution to the contest.
Jakins' entry is an urban fantasy novel that's set mainly within the city of Summervale. Jack is a suit-wearing and likable half-orc and half-goblin. He is a fixer which is a professional who looks after any problems or issues the orc or goblin communities may face including tenancy disputes, crime issues and arranging funerals. Up until twenty years ago, these races resided in the 'old world' which was a typical fantasy setting but following a confrontation they escaped for pastures new. The environment depicted throughout this narrative where they now find themselves reminded me of an alternative New York City but one in which orcs, goblins, elves, werewolves, and even gnomes frequent, albeit operating slightly below the surface of human existence. All seems to be going fine with Jack perfectly administering the lives of his family and cousins until a mysterious knight they last crossed twenty years ago turns up with a vendetta and personal objectives to murder all orcs. And he's got the power of a formidable but irate God on his side.
Urban fantasy isn't a genre I find myself reading or enjoying too often. I wasn't expecting to like Jakins' novel however following completion I can confirm it was an exciting read and pretty action packed. It was even cartoonish at certain points, with good humour and Jack himself often provided the reader with a bit of first-person perspective banter. The novel presents moments featuring epic past battles and extremely powerful legendary warriors intertwined with often random pop culture references such as the Power Rangers and Ian McKellan. This was an interesting mix and I think Jack Bloodfist: Fixer worked for me because it didn't take itself too seriously.
For quite a short narrative there was a good range of pretty well developed and standout characters including an alcoholic female orc, an elf-cop, and a legendary wizard. The world-building isn't too complex or genre defining but it's pleasant enough and nicely crafted my internal imagery of all events and happenings. It's decently written yet could have used some tighter editing with regards to certain lexical choices and also I noticed a handful of errors with missing speech marks or when they were entered in the wrong place. The pacing of this book is probably it's greatest asset and was a highlight to me. The final thirty percent is "balls to the wall" action set-piece after action set-piece. Magic influenced duels, awesome showdowns, large-scale brawls and a bit of gore. I can't see the violence as upsetting anyone even though there are a fair few heads and limbs lopped off here and there. Whether or not it was the author's intention, I read this as comic and cartoony. The ending was neatly done and everything was wrapped up nicely. When I started this I didn't think there was any way I would pick up a sequel but Jakins has won me over. Jack Bloodfist: Fixer is well-worked urban fantasy with likable characters, exciting action segments, and gripping pace which led me to finish this within twenty-four hours. I don't think this will win the #SPFBO but I am happy I got to check it out and generally had a pleasant reading experience. Recommend if you'd like to read a story that mixes modern-life with fantasy tropes yet doesn't take itself too seriously.
6.5/10
Jakins' entry is an urban fantasy novel that's set mainly within the city of Summervale. Jack is a suit-wearing and likable half-orc and half-goblin. He is a fixer which is a professional who looks after any problems or issues the orc or goblin communities may face including tenancy disputes, crime issues and arranging funerals. Up until twenty years ago, these races resided in the 'old world' which was a typical fantasy setting but following a confrontation they escaped for pastures new. The environment depicted throughout this narrative where they now find themselves reminded me of an alternative New York City but one in which orcs, goblins, elves, werewolves, and even gnomes frequent, albeit operating slightly below the surface of human existence. All seems to be going fine with Jack perfectly administering the lives of his family and cousins until a mysterious knight they last crossed twenty years ago turns up with a vendetta and personal objectives to murder all orcs. And he's got the power of a formidable but irate God on his side.
Urban fantasy isn't a genre I find myself reading or enjoying too often. I wasn't expecting to like Jakins' novel however following completion I can confirm it was an exciting read and pretty action packed. It was even cartoonish at certain points, with good humour and Jack himself often provided the reader with a bit of first-person perspective banter. The novel presents moments featuring epic past battles and extremely powerful legendary warriors intertwined with often random pop culture references such as the Power Rangers and Ian McKellan. This was an interesting mix and I think Jack Bloodfist: Fixer worked for me because it didn't take itself too seriously.
For quite a short narrative there was a good range of pretty well developed and standout characters including an alcoholic female orc, an elf-cop, and a legendary wizard. The world-building isn't too complex or genre defining but it's pleasant enough and nicely crafted my internal imagery of all events and happenings. It's decently written yet could have used some tighter editing with regards to certain lexical choices and also I noticed a handful of errors with missing speech marks or when they were entered in the wrong place. The pacing of this book is probably it's greatest asset and was a highlight to me. The final thirty percent is "balls to the wall" action set-piece after action set-piece. Magic influenced duels, awesome showdowns, large-scale brawls and a bit of gore. I can't see the violence as upsetting anyone even though there are a fair few heads and limbs lopped off here and there. Whether or not it was the author's intention, I read this as comic and cartoony. The ending was neatly done and everything was wrapped up nicely. When I started this I didn't think there was any way I would pick up a sequel but Jakins has won me over. Jack Bloodfist: Fixer is well-worked urban fantasy with likable characters, exciting action segments, and gripping pace which led me to finish this within twenty-four hours. I don't think this will win the #SPFBO but I am happy I got to check it out and generally had a pleasant reading experience. Recommend if you'd like to read a story that mixes modern-life with fantasy tropes yet doesn't take itself too seriously.
6.5/10
January 22, 2018
I picked up this one to read as it's one of the SPFBO finalists, but usually it wouldn't have been a book I'd typically go for. It's a cross between an urban fantasy and a noir fantasy where we follow a half Goblin half Orc who helps out the police force in trying to figure out who has been murdering his cousins, the Orcs. Typically, I am more of an epic fantasy reader, and I find it quite hard to get into and enjoy an urban fantasy story, but this one was better than some noir-fantasy books I have recently read.
We're following Jack Bloodfist, a young Orc-Goblin who is the tie between the two groups of magical creatures who now inhabit his world. They are two very different communities, and yet his parents both came from one community and so he connected them all together and is kind of in charge of sorting out a lot of the problems within the groups.
When the murders start happening Jack is swept into an adventure far over his head and he ends up getting pulled into quite a few directions trying to investigate who is involved and just what the motivations may be.
Overall, I think this world and set up worked okay for me and I liked the character of Jack at first too. I did find that as the story went on it all started to get a bit tedious and predictable for me, and there were quite a few elements or revelations which I saw coming right from the beginning too. In the end I gave it a 2.5*s, likeable but predictable, so for SPFBO it would get a 5/10*s from me.
We're following Jack Bloodfist, a young Orc-Goblin who is the tie between the two groups of magical creatures who now inhabit his world. They are two very different communities, and yet his parents both came from one community and so he connected them all together and is kind of in charge of sorting out a lot of the problems within the groups.
When the murders start happening Jack is swept into an adventure far over his head and he ends up getting pulled into quite a few directions trying to investigate who is involved and just what the motivations may be.
Overall, I think this world and set up worked okay for me and I liked the character of Jack at first too. I did find that as the story went on it all started to get a bit tedious and predictable for me, and there were quite a few elements or revelations which I saw coming right from the beginning too. In the end I gave it a 2.5*s, likeable but predictable, so for SPFBO it would get a 5/10*s from me.
Read
December 17, 2017I've not read this book yet, but it's one of the ten finalists in the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off 2017.
So there's that!
Review here:
https://lynns-books.com/2017/12/14/sp...
More about the SPFBO here:
http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.co.uk...
List of finalists here:
http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.co.uk...
So there's that!
Review here:
https://lynns-books.com/2017/12/14/sp...
More about the SPFBO here:
http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.co.uk...
List of finalists here:
http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.co.uk...
June 22, 2018
This was a fast paced and fun urban fantasy story!
I liked the main character being an Orc and no human, though often it could have been just a green human who has anger issues... I'd have preferred the Orcs and Goblins more differentiated for it to be even better. Jack is a good guy at heart, who does what needs to be done. I liked following him around, and I quickly cared about what happened to him and his friends.
The magic was a bit over the top powerful, and the worldbuilding has a bit too much crammed into it, and I think this is a good example for "less is more". Especially as it is a short book all the details could have spaced out over the next couple of books a bit.
All in all really entertaining and easy to read. I'll make sure to keep an eye on the author in future!
I liked the main character being an Orc and no human, though often it could have been just a green human who has anger issues... I'd have preferred the Orcs and Goblins more differentiated for it to be even better. Jack is a good guy at heart, who does what needs to be done. I liked following him around, and I quickly cared about what happened to him and his friends.
The magic was a bit over the top powerful, and the worldbuilding has a bit too much crammed into it, and I think this is a good example for "less is more". Especially as it is a short book all the details could have spaced out over the next couple of books a bit.
All in all really entertaining and easy to read. I'll make sure to keep an eye on the author in future!
March 6, 2018
Actual rating: 3.5 /5
This book was chosen as Lynns-books’ finalist in SPFBO 2017 contest. Additionally, it’s first Urban Fantasy book that made it to SPFBO finals. Cool. There’s much more out there than epic/high/low fantasy and it’s good to see books from other fantasy subgenres appreciated.
I love Dresden Files, but I’m not really Urban Fantasy biggest fan. On the other hand, the book has a nice synopsis.
Jack is half-orc (his mother is Goblin) who lives in Virginia and is responsible for fixing delicate supernatural community issues (making sure the goblins aren’t evicted whenever they do something too goblin, identifying bodies of orcs/goblin whose temperament brought them doom, being a host to newcomers). He dates a reporter. He cares about family bounds. Jack is a decent guy who leads mostly normal life. Things change when a powerful Paladin comes to town and starts killing orcs.
Together with his family, Drow detective, powerful wizard and a reporter that is more than she seems, Jack tries to survive and overcome obstacles. Things get tricky when an angry god appears with the whole army of orc-bloodthirsty paladins.
Orcs are cool. I like those guys. In James Jakins world orcs aren’t that different than humans. Sure, they have to trim their tusks a bit and filling official paperwork gets tricky when it comes to marking a race, but they mostly success at integrating into the human society. Goblin cuisine is greasy and unhealthy so these smaller folks mixed easily in American society ;)
I have to say that Jack Bloodfist was an entertaining read. It’s fast-paced, humorous and quite creative in places. While the story is a bit linear some interesting subplots that may pay off in the future are hinted.
The cover doesn’t do the book justice. It looks a bit shoddy. It’s 100% subjective, though.
The story is told mostly in the first person. I needed time to get used to Jack’s voice and I didn’t fully succeed. The thing is he talks too much and some of his constant jokes weren’t funny to me. They weren’t dad’s jokes, mind you. They’re just tiring. Here’s an example of the way Jack describes a certain doctor:
.
It’s not bad in itself. However, that’s the way Jack tells the story all way through. He speaks too much and some of it is meaningless. At times I felt tired of his voice and I can’t help it. Also, it’s the reason the book won’t get four stars from me.
To be fair, though, I have to say that some lines were genuinely funny.
The POV swaps in places and I enjoyed this. I think it was nice to take a closer look at other characters. And they’re a nice bunch. Apart from orcs and goblins, we meet werewolves, dwarfs, wizards, gods and at least one other creature that’s identified in the end of the book, so I won’t spoil it to you. We learn quite a bit about orcs traditions and we see nicely executed moments presenting an orc in berserker mode.
Other characters felt moderately developed but that doesn’t mean they weren’t enjoyable. They were. Also, I appreciate a bit of genre twist. Paladins are usually good guys. Here, they’re the bad guys and they are really dangerous freaks.
The prose is unobtrusive and mostly clean. I’m not sure if I’m fully satisfied with dialogues – some of them felt dry and a bit dull.
Overall, it’s a fun book I would recommend to most readers looking for an entertaining and fast-paced book.
Even though it's the first book in the series, it works very well as a standalone and doesn’t end with some nasty cliffhanger. It’s not perfect. Jack’s voice may be tiring at times and not all readers will enjoy his antics. On the other hand, Jack has some charisma and is the nice chap with a heart in the right place. I’m not in awe but I think it’s a book worth reading, especially if you look for a fresh take on Urban Fantasy.
Edit - check The Nerd Book Review podcast - they have interview with James Jakins here
This book was chosen as Lynns-books’ finalist in SPFBO 2017 contest. Additionally, it’s first Urban Fantasy book that made it to SPFBO finals. Cool. There’s much more out there than epic/high/low fantasy and it’s good to see books from other fantasy subgenres appreciated.
I love Dresden Files, but I’m not really Urban Fantasy biggest fan. On the other hand, the book has a nice synopsis.
Jack is half-orc (his mother is Goblin) who lives in Virginia and is responsible for fixing delicate supernatural community issues (making sure the goblins aren’t evicted whenever they do something too goblin, identifying bodies of orcs/goblin whose temperament brought them doom, being a host to newcomers). He dates a reporter. He cares about family bounds. Jack is a decent guy who leads mostly normal life. Things change when a powerful Paladin comes to town and starts killing orcs.
Together with his family, Drow detective, powerful wizard and a reporter that is more than she seems, Jack tries to survive and overcome obstacles. Things get tricky when an angry god appears with the whole army of orc-bloodthirsty paladins.
Orcs are cool. I like those guys. In James Jakins world orcs aren’t that different than humans. Sure, they have to trim their tusks a bit and filling official paperwork gets tricky when it comes to marking a race, but they mostly success at integrating into the human society. Goblin cuisine is greasy and unhealthy so these smaller folks mixed easily in American society ;)
I have to say that Jack Bloodfist was an entertaining read. It’s fast-paced, humorous and quite creative in places. While the story is a bit linear some interesting subplots that may pay off in the future are hinted.
The cover doesn’t do the book justice. It looks a bit shoddy. It’s 100% subjective, though.
The story is told mostly in the first person. I needed time to get used to Jack’s voice and I didn’t fully succeed. The thing is he talks too much and some of his constant jokes weren’t funny to me. They weren’t dad’s jokes, mind you. They’re just tiring. Here’s an example of the way Jack describes a certain doctor:
Doctor Terzi is kind of an asshole. Mostly because he treats his patients like idiots. At least, he treats me like one.
Look, just because the rulebooks say we have a negative modifier on our intelligence score doesn’t mean we’re actually stupid.
So what if just one generation ago we were living in the woods? It was a choice, damn it.
Anyway, all I’m trying to say is that Doctor Dave Terzi is a dick. A short, fat, curly-haired, Greek penis.
He jokingly calls himself “the vet.” In front of his patients. Who does that? Just because we’re not human?
.
It’s not bad in itself. However, that’s the way Jack tells the story all way through. He speaks too much and some of it is meaningless. At times I felt tired of his voice and I can’t help it. Also, it’s the reason the book won’t get four stars from me.
To be fair, though, I have to say that some lines were genuinely funny.
The POV swaps in places and I enjoyed this. I think it was nice to take a closer look at other characters. And they’re a nice bunch. Apart from orcs and goblins, we meet werewolves, dwarfs, wizards, gods and at least one other creature that’s identified in the end of the book, so I won’t spoil it to you. We learn quite a bit about orcs traditions and we see nicely executed moments presenting an orc in berserker mode.
Other characters felt moderately developed but that doesn’t mean they weren’t enjoyable. They were. Also, I appreciate a bit of genre twist. Paladins are usually good guys. Here, they’re the bad guys and they are really dangerous freaks.
The prose is unobtrusive and mostly clean. I’m not sure if I’m fully satisfied with dialogues – some of them felt dry and a bit dull.
Overall, it’s a fun book I would recommend to most readers looking for an entertaining and fast-paced book.
Even though it's the first book in the series, it works very well as a standalone and doesn’t end with some nasty cliffhanger. It’s not perfect. Jack’s voice may be tiring at times and not all readers will enjoy his antics. On the other hand, Jack has some charisma and is the nice chap with a heart in the right place. I’m not in awe but I think it’s a book worth reading, especially if you look for a fresh take on Urban Fantasy.
Edit - check The Nerd Book Review podcast - they have interview with James Jakins here
July 9, 2018
Jack Bloodfist: Fixer has an interesting premise but it ultimately ends up being an average fantasy read.
The unique elements are the above average world building and the fact that the protagonist is an orc (I read this book before The Grey Bastards). The not so unique elements are the storylines and plot, which have a sense of deja-vu around them. James Jakins writing compensates for some of this and would be quite enjoyable if it were backed by a stronger story.
The unique elements are the above average world building and the fact that the protagonist is an orc (I read this book before The Grey Bastards). The not so unique elements are the storylines and plot, which have a sense of deja-vu around them. James Jakins writing compensates for some of this and would be quite enjoyable if it were backed by a stronger story.
February 27, 2018
You can hear my interview with the author here The Nerd Book Review
I’m going to file this book under the same heading I listed a couple of books I read from CT Phipps this year. “I don’t think it’s going to win a Pulitzer but I was entertained as hell”. The book is a modern urban fantasy with a D&D flavor with races and classes. It is really an action thriller that happens to include fantasy characters. If you like detective novels or thrillers you’ll also enjoy this book.
Jack Bloodfist is a half orc/goblin who acts a “fixer” for both his orc and goblin kin in a town in Virginia. Orcs and goblins are not native to earth in this series but a few families of each species were brought to earth by a wizard who was trying to save them from vengeful paladins who follow a god that the orca and goblins stole from at the wizards behest.
Dwarves, gnomes, and elves are also in the story and it would seem they are native to earth.
When one of those vengeful paladins regains his powers and brings his buddies back to wipe out the orcs and goblins Jack and his kin are forced to fight for their survival.
I actually listened to the book and found audiobook to be a really good medium to consume the story which is action packed and has a fair amount of dry humor.
As I said it’s not going to change your life but I had a great time listening to the book.
I’m going to file this book under the same heading I listed a couple of books I read from CT Phipps this year. “I don’t think it’s going to win a Pulitzer but I was entertained as hell”. The book is a modern urban fantasy with a D&D flavor with races and classes. It is really an action thriller that happens to include fantasy characters. If you like detective novels or thrillers you’ll also enjoy this book.
Jack Bloodfist is a half orc/goblin who acts a “fixer” for both his orc and goblin kin in a town in Virginia. Orcs and goblins are not native to earth in this series but a few families of each species were brought to earth by a wizard who was trying to save them from vengeful paladins who follow a god that the orca and goblins stole from at the wizards behest.
Dwarves, gnomes, and elves are also in the story and it would seem they are native to earth.
When one of those vengeful paladins regains his powers and brings his buddies back to wipe out the orcs and goblins Jack and his kin are forced to fight for their survival.
I actually listened to the book and found audiobook to be a really good medium to consume the story which is action packed and has a fair amount of dry humor.
As I said it’s not going to change your life but I had a great time listening to the book.
March 6, 2018
As we can see from the cover, Jack Bloodfist is a fixer. This means a multitude of things, but we quickly learn that he acts as a kind of liaison for the local police for the local orcs and goblins, of which he is born from. Their main police officer is Denelle, a dark elf, and while most of the cast can pass themselves off as being mostly human (with a few self-care techniques such as grinding down tusks and things), Jack himself with his green skin doesn’t really have that luxury. Luckily, humans are pretty eager to explain things off for themselves so they don’t have to think too hard.
When we first meet Jack it’s because he has to ID one of his many, many family members. The only problem is he’s a bit busy getting ready to invite in some other new relocatees and set up a trailer for them (also family, of course). Things get both a little easier and a little harder when the UID turns out to be one half of the couple he’s supposed to be welcoming in. …The girl is soon dispatched also, and Jack is thrown around a bit for ‘sins of his father’, which certainly gives both himself and Denelle something to start with.
Throughout Jack is called for various family things, such as an uncle building a bonfire on the top of an apartment building. He constantly walks the line of what his mother’s goblin side, and his father’s orc side demand, which sometimes leaves little time for his own life, such as dating a reporter that has thankfully improved his use of grammar. And even less time when a Paladin comes crashing down on them, seeking revenge for what Jack’s father did oh so long ago, and their reason for coming to hide among the humans in the first place. The first chapter, of this man escaping a top notch prison style place was incredibly engaging, and I’d love to see a short story or two based in that facility alone.
This is urban fantasy, much like Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series, with a focus on the lore and how the characters fit together with nods to their history, which adds to the worldbuilding. I haven’t read the full Dresden series, but I feel this one is ever so slightly closer to Rivers of London than that. Told in first person as many urban fantasies are, it works well, with Jack’s voice helping with his characterisation and the world building around it. I especially liked that this wasn’t set in San Fran or New York, etc, which gives it an additional touch of realism showing how magic could be spread throughout various countries.
Overall this was enjoyable. Jack has a good nature where you don’t exactly want to be his friend, or agree with everything he says or does, but he feels pretty constant throughout the novel (which has been something I found other entries to the SPFBO have struggled with.) The only issue I had was with the pacing, which could use some work – both with the interactions of Jack between a few characters which felt rushed and therefore, not as realistic as they could have been (if the character has significant ties to the main character, it should be evident in their page time, too, else there’s little point to them having said ties), as well as the ending. At 277 pages this was a quick, engaging and humourous read. I almost feel with a bit of editing assistance this book could be a little longer to give relevant characters and plot devices the time needed to develop them, and we’d have a very strong book on our hands.
When we first meet Jack it’s because he has to ID one of his many, many family members. The only problem is he’s a bit busy getting ready to invite in some other new relocatees and set up a trailer for them (also family, of course). Things get both a little easier and a little harder when the UID turns out to be one half of the couple he’s supposed to be welcoming in. …The girl is soon dispatched also, and Jack is thrown around a bit for ‘sins of his father’, which certainly gives both himself and Denelle something to start with.
Throughout Jack is called for various family things, such as an uncle building a bonfire on the top of an apartment building. He constantly walks the line of what his mother’s goblin side, and his father’s orc side demand, which sometimes leaves little time for his own life, such as dating a reporter that has thankfully improved his use of grammar. And even less time when a Paladin comes crashing down on them, seeking revenge for what Jack’s father did oh so long ago, and their reason for coming to hide among the humans in the first place. The first chapter, of this man escaping a top notch prison style place was incredibly engaging, and I’d love to see a short story or two based in that facility alone.
This is urban fantasy, much like Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series, with a focus on the lore and how the characters fit together with nods to their history, which adds to the worldbuilding. I haven’t read the full Dresden series, but I feel this one is ever so slightly closer to Rivers of London than that. Told in first person as many urban fantasies are, it works well, with Jack’s voice helping with his characterisation and the world building around it. I especially liked that this wasn’t set in San Fran or New York, etc, which gives it an additional touch of realism showing how magic could be spread throughout various countries.
Overall this was enjoyable. Jack has a good nature where you don’t exactly want to be his friend, or agree with everything he says or does, but he feels pretty constant throughout the novel (which has been something I found other entries to the SPFBO have struggled with.) The only issue I had was with the pacing, which could use some work – both with the interactions of Jack between a few characters which felt rushed and therefore, not as realistic as they could have been (if the character has significant ties to the main character, it should be evident in their page time, too, else there’s little point to them having said ties), as well as the ending. At 277 pages this was a quick, engaging and humourous read. I almost feel with a bit of editing assistance this book could be a little longer to give relevant characters and plot devices the time needed to develop them, and we’d have a very strong book on our hands.
June 16, 2018
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: I was very excited about Jack Bloodfist: Fixer as it was an urban fantasy with a non-human protagonist. It also reminded me a bit of Myke Cole Shadow Ops series with its mix of fantasy and other dimensions. I dove in with a lot of anticipation and after finishing it, I certainly saw why it was a finalist.
Jack Bloodfist is the half-orc half-goblin hybrid who’s tasked with keeping the peace between the human world and the non-human races who reside in a tiny part of Virginia. Swamped with family troubles, politics and magical happenings, Jack is a pretty normal guy doing the best he can in an imperfect world. Things go haywire when an angry being comes with murderous intent and that’s when Jack has to call out for his cohort to deal with the issue at hand.
Jack Bloodfist: Fixer has all the hallmarks of an urban fantasy with a talkative, quippy protagonist, quirky sidecast and an interesting world scenario of magic mixed with the mundane life realities. The action is certainly not over the top and the magic scenario is very well explained. The book ends on a solid note and this story would certainly qualify as a standalone if you were to stop here. Clearly this is the first of a series but I enjoyed the standalone nature of the main plot.
Overall Jack Bloodfist: Fixer was an enjoyable read which mixed urban fantasy tropes with some epic fantasy ones. James Jakins has come up with an intriguing premise to interest the urban fantasy fans and hopefully attract the epic fantasy ones as well.
Jack Bloodfist is the half-orc half-goblin hybrid who’s tasked with keeping the peace between the human world and the non-human races who reside in a tiny part of Virginia. Swamped with family troubles, politics and magical happenings, Jack is a pretty normal guy doing the best he can in an imperfect world. Things go haywire when an angry being comes with murderous intent and that’s when Jack has to call out for his cohort to deal with the issue at hand.
Jack Bloodfist: Fixer has all the hallmarks of an urban fantasy with a talkative, quippy protagonist, quirky sidecast and an interesting world scenario of magic mixed with the mundane life realities. The action is certainly not over the top and the magic scenario is very well explained. The book ends on a solid note and this story would certainly qualify as a standalone if you were to stop here. Clearly this is the first of a series but I enjoyed the standalone nature of the main plot.
Overall Jack Bloodfist: Fixer was an enjoyable read which mixed urban fantasy tropes with some epic fantasy ones. James Jakins has come up with an intriguing premise to interest the urban fantasy fans and hopefully attract the epic fantasy ones as well.
February 18, 2016
This. Was. Awesome!!!! It's the story of Jack Bloodfist. Jack is a fixer, or so they call him, he fixes things for the families, very mobesque ;) When goblins and orcs start turning up dead, it's up to Jack to figure out what's going on.
I loved Jack!! He is the go to man for his family and does at great job at what he does. When his friends start turning up dead and his family is in danger, Jack knows that he needs to get answers before it's too late. Jack also finds out some answers about himself and his abilities.
The plot of this was well written, fast paced and entertaining. The author really captured my attention right from the start and didn't let go till the very last page, and even then, I couldn't stop thinking about the book and hoping there will be another one soon!!!!
In all, this was a fun and exciting first book (in what I hope will become a series). I absolutely loved this and can recommend it to everyone. A fun, engaging and addictive book!!
Rich Remedios was amazing in his different tones and voices for each character. There are a lot and yet, I had no trouble distinguishing who was talking at any given time. I thoroughly enjoyed his performance.
*I received a copy of this for review. This in no way affected my thoughts.*
I loved Jack!! He is the go to man for his family and does at great job at what he does. When his friends start turning up dead and his family is in danger, Jack knows that he needs to get answers before it's too late. Jack also finds out some answers about himself and his abilities.
The plot of this was well written, fast paced and entertaining. The author really captured my attention right from the start and didn't let go till the very last page, and even then, I couldn't stop thinking about the book and hoping there will be another one soon!!!!
In all, this was a fun and exciting first book (in what I hope will become a series). I absolutely loved this and can recommend it to everyone. A fun, engaging and addictive book!!
Rich Remedios was amazing in his different tones and voices for each character. There are a lot and yet, I had no trouble distinguishing who was talking at any given time. I thoroughly enjoyed his performance.
*I received a copy of this for review. This in no way affected my thoughts.*
February 10, 2019
There’s a lot of things I appreciated in this book: the humor, the angle on mediation, the family-ties, the not-too-preachy commentary on other races trying to blend into society and exist in the world like everyone else.
More than that though, I enjoyed hanging out with the main character. He’s the kind, level-headed, humorous main character I feel is sometimes overshadowed by other larger than life characters. (Which oddly enough, I feel Jack Bloodfist would be OK hearing). He’s not someone who is leading a rebellion. He’s not a great hero who is oogly the love interest. He’s a kind and decent half-orc/half-goblin who is trying to take care of his family and make a decent living as being a “fixer”. A “fixer” meaning, he does whatever is asked of him and tries to maintain the peace.
This book is not one that is an “omg, this is the most amazing book ever”, but rather a book where you’re like, “wow, that guy has it rough. I only have to deal with my extended family around on Christmas and he has to go and convince the local police to not evict goblins preforming sketching rituals out on the fire escape”.
It’s refreshing and amusing, and I laughed because I really feel for the guy. I also admire him for his level-headedness, and I enjoyed his nervousness when oh my god, the love interest sort of seems like she might like me too.
It’s an odd kind of world, but I like it. You feel dropped into the world right away and fully convinced that it’s an everyday thing that orcs grind their teeth down and elves hide their tipped ears. I mean, why wouldn’t they?
Being more serious, it’s a pretty special thing for an author to just invite you in that quickly.
I mostly gave 4-stars because I’m pretty sure book two is going to completely blow this one away, so I needed to save the 5-stars for that one.
More than that though, I enjoyed hanging out with the main character. He’s the kind, level-headed, humorous main character I feel is sometimes overshadowed by other larger than life characters. (Which oddly enough, I feel Jack Bloodfist would be OK hearing). He’s not someone who is leading a rebellion. He’s not a great hero who is oogly the love interest. He’s a kind and decent half-orc/half-goblin who is trying to take care of his family and make a decent living as being a “fixer”. A “fixer” meaning, he does whatever is asked of him and tries to maintain the peace.
This book is not one that is an “omg, this is the most amazing book ever”, but rather a book where you’re like, “wow, that guy has it rough. I only have to deal with my extended family around on Christmas and he has to go and convince the local police to not evict goblins preforming sketching rituals out on the fire escape”.
It’s refreshing and amusing, and I laughed because I really feel for the guy. I also admire him for his level-headedness, and I enjoyed his nervousness when oh my god, the love interest sort of seems like she might like me too.
It’s an odd kind of world, but I like it. You feel dropped into the world right away and fully convinced that it’s an everyday thing that orcs grind their teeth down and elves hide their tipped ears. I mean, why wouldn’t they?
Being more serious, it’s a pretty special thing for an author to just invite you in that quickly.
I mostly gave 4-stars because I’m pretty sure book two is going to completely blow this one away, so I needed to save the 5-stars for that one.
January 6, 2019
A shot in the arm of urban fantasy, meet Jack, half Orc half Goblin, Jack is a fixer for the town of Summervale.... he dresses in a dishevelled suit that makes him look like a used car salesman.... gets around in a beat up car, has a strained relationship with the local Drow Detective, hell he even files his tusks. Jack spends his days 'fixing' local problems caused the magical element of Summervale and he's pretty good at coasting through it, think nice guy with a bad temper. That is until an angry holy knight shows up and starts killing Orcs oh and there's a wizard to contend with and a annoying reporter that is definitely more than she seems. As with the other book I've read by this author the pacing is brilliant, ramping up until near the end its released In a hell of finish, magic duels, fist fights.... the works... over the top crazy but it really worked the only question is as tough as he is will Jack still be standing at the end? One minor niggle, I didn't like the audio, narrators voice droned too much for me..... ended up reading it instead, but that doesn't take away from the fact this was a quality fun read.
February 13, 2025
Urban fantasy told from the perspective of a half-orc, half-goblin offers an enjoyable story that is very much in tune with modern culture and uses RPG classes as a reference to help ease the reader into worldbuilding.
The characters were well-developed, and the plot was engaging. The narrative is primarily in the first person but switches to the third person when following secondary characters. One of the storylines was a bit confusing, which may have been intentional to allow for more revelations in the sequels. However, I felt that it didn't provide enough closure or information.
Overall, I had a good time reading it, and I'm intrigued enough to read the sequels in the future.
The characters were well-developed, and the plot was engaging. The narrative is primarily in the first person but switches to the third person when following secondary characters. One of the storylines was a bit confusing, which may have been intentional to allow for more revelations in the sequels. However, I felt that it didn't provide enough closure or information.
Overall, I had a good time reading it, and I'm intrigued enough to read the sequels in the future.
March 5, 2016
There were so many interesting and different creatures in this story! This book was so original and unlike anything I've ever read. I really liked Jack as the main character. His job was like a cross between an FBI agent, and also being involved with the mob somehow. There was plenty of action, and it sucked me in right away. I liked that there was a little romance in the story, but it wasn't the main focus. The ending was perfect with everything being wrapped up, but we also got a peek into the future of the series. I really enjoyed this audiobook, and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!
**I was provided this audiobook in exchange for an honest review
**I was provided this audiobook in exchange for an honest review
November 8, 2018
Read this review and more at Book Geeks Uncompromised!
Twenty years ago, families of orcs and goblins fled from their homeworld through a magic portal that led them to urban Virginia. Now it seems that the danger they fled has followed them to their sanctuary and is threatening to destroy the home they've made.
Garak "Jack" Bloodfist is the son of the cheiftan that led this group of orcs and goblins on their exodus. He now operates as a "fixer" by helping the communities in any way that he can. Because of this, he is the first person that is called when a fellow orc turns up murdered which leads Jack straight into the middle of the threat his small community is facing.
Probably my favorite part of this book all comes down to it having a non-human main character. Between this book and Jonathan French's The Grey Bastards , I am becoming more and more captivated by orc main characters, which is not something I thought I would ever say. Having long been portrayed as the mindless pawns of villains in scores and scores of fantasy stories, I find that I am really enjoying reading about them as the main cast of characters.
There were some magical abilities that orcs have that was briefly explored in this book. The warcriers were the only ones really talked about in this installment but I would be really curious in future books to see what other abilities and roles other orcs may have.
I mean, our main character here is an orc whose magical ability turns out to be singing. As bizarre as that sounds on paper, it really worked well. I definitely want to know what else the orcs are capable of.
Jack Bloodfist: Fixer is a fun balance of action and humor that reminded me a lot of The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. The humor and style are very similar and throughout the book, I could not help but picture Jack Bloodfist and Harry Dresden sharing a beer in a hole in the wall pub somewhere.
Highly recommended for fans of urban fantasy.
Twenty years ago, families of orcs and goblins fled from their homeworld through a magic portal that led them to urban Virginia. Now it seems that the danger they fled has followed them to their sanctuary and is threatening to destroy the home they've made.
Garak "Jack" Bloodfist is the son of the cheiftan that led this group of orcs and goblins on their exodus. He now operates as a "fixer" by helping the communities in any way that he can. Because of this, he is the first person that is called when a fellow orc turns up murdered which leads Jack straight into the middle of the threat his small community is facing.
Probably my favorite part of this book all comes down to it having a non-human main character. Between this book and Jonathan French's The Grey Bastards , I am becoming more and more captivated by orc main characters, which is not something I thought I would ever say. Having long been portrayed as the mindless pawns of villains in scores and scores of fantasy stories, I find that I am really enjoying reading about them as the main cast of characters.
There were some magical abilities that orcs have that was briefly explored in this book. The warcriers were the only ones really talked about in this installment but I would be really curious in future books to see what other abilities and roles other orcs may have.
I mean, our main character here is an orc whose magical ability turns out to be singing. As bizarre as that sounds on paper, it really worked well. I definitely want to know what else the orcs are capable of.
Jack Bloodfist: Fixer is a fun balance of action and humor that reminded me a lot of The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. The humor and style are very similar and throughout the book, I could not help but picture Jack Bloodfist and Harry Dresden sharing a beer in a hole in the wall pub somewhere.
Highly recommended for fans of urban fantasy.
January 3, 2018
This book was a hoot. I adored Jack Bloodfist as a main character. I can't recall ever reading a book about a half orc/half goblin before, but if there are others like this one, sign me up. I bonded with Jack from the first chapter, when he was noticing trees. He thought they might be one kind, or they could be a different kind, so decided to just think of them as trees. Simple. Direct. And funny as all get-out. I loved the humor, and the characters. There were many urban fantasy characters, such as orcs, goblins, elves, werewolves and wizards. The cast was delightfully zany, and there were plenty of battle scenes. Can't wait for the sequel. I would have rated the book a 4.5 rather than a 4, but docked it for the typos and grammatical errors. There were enough of those to throw me out of the story now and then.
June 3, 2020
I love Jack the Fixer! He spends his time smoothing over the problems between his two clans and the authorities. Actually, he's half-Orc, half Goblin, but I won't hold that against him. He scrapes up a living. Not too bright, but he's smart enough to know that. Suddenly, he finds himself in the middle of an ancient grudge, a crime his family committed, which saw them flee from their old world to earth. An old enemy stalks his family. Very confused at first, the story of the clan's past slowly emerges. Despite being used as a tool by a wizard, Jack steps up to save both his clans. Recommended reading.
August 4, 2020
Orcs have been staples of fantasy novels since Tolkein, but never the hero. Jack Bloodfist changes all that. A funny, noir-ish tale of a big galoot who discovers his talents is a good start to what will be a fun series. A quick, mind-candy read
December 29, 2017
Excellent first novel
Looking forward to more from this author. Would have made a better plot line than the one for Bright !
Looking forward to more from this author. Would have made a better plot line than the one for Bright !
February 28, 2020
Review coming soon ...
October 6, 2016
This book is like the Dresden Files with an orc...and a more realistic libido. Had a lot of fun with Fixer. Jack is a fun character, smart, tenacious, caring, and, being an orc, tough as hell. The story itself is interesting, engaging, and clips along nicely. Great pacing. I'm giving it 4.5 stars, ultimately, cause of a few minor text issues and a slight personal preference. Nothing read breaking, certainly, and things I'm sympathetic to with being an author-publisher as well. It's really hard to edit and proof by yourself. As for the preference issue, the book is primarily told from Jack's first-person POV, with third-person sections sprinkled through out. I tend not to like that kind of split but, again, that is entirely personal preference and it doesn't break the read. Beyond that, everything else was great and I can't wait to see where James goes with the next book. Speaking of which, why isn't the next book out already? I need it.
October 19, 2015
Wow! What a ride! From the first page this story grips you by the throat and pulls you in. This is not a genre of books that I normally read, but having experienced other work by the author I was interested to read it. I was not disappointed. There are some clever twist and idea and I thoroughly enjoyed the humor that was laced throughout the story. I think I may have even enjoyed it more on my second reading of it.
Looking forward to more from Jack Bloodfist and from this author.
Looking forward to more from Jack Bloodfist and from this author.
January 8, 2016
**I received this book in a GoodReads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.**
I didn't quite know what to expect when I picked this book up, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was hilarious at parts and kept me wanting to know what happened on the next page. Well written, a hoot. Good main character. I'll probably read it again. I would recommend it. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
I didn't quite know what to expect when I picked this book up, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was hilarious at parts and kept me wanting to know what happened on the next page. Well written, a hoot. Good main character. I'll probably read it again. I would recommend it. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
November 20, 2015
This book is great. I have read the book more than once and have enjoyed it every time, I'm actually rereading it now, and I still enjoy it. The narration can be hilarious. I look forward to seeing what the follow up stories hold for Jack Bloodfist.
October 15, 2015
This book was awesome I gave it a 5 star the main character is very cool and the wizard is epic as well. I love the story line its well written. The humor is great.
June 4, 2019
“Jack Bloodfist” is such a unique story. The author really pays attention to details. I really enjoyed the book. It made me laugh quite a bit with perfect timing humor.
March 5, 2019
I’m not a regular reader of Urban Fantasy although it is a genre I have enjoyed in the past, so I enjoyed the chance to give some UF a whirl with Jack Bloodfist: Fixer. As one of the ten finalists in the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off for 2017, I was fairly confident I would enjoy it.
Jack Bloodfist is a half-orc, half-goblin fixer. What that means is that he deals with any problems the orc and goblin communities have, such as preventing the goblins form getting evicted and settling in newcomers to the area.
The action mostly takes place in Summervale, a city that has a high population of non-human races. The orcs and goblins settled there after fleeing their home world (a typical fantasy world) some twenty years ago. They settled in and made new lives for themselves alongside elves, werewolves and goblins, not to mention a few other races they don’t know about yet.
All is mostly peaceful until a powerful warrior from their home world shows up and starts killing orcs. Jack takes him on with the help of a drow police officer, a powerful wizard and the reporter he’s sort-of dating.
This was a fun, fast-paced read. The story is told largely from Jack’s perspective in first person and his voice is well defined. Occasionally there’s an interlude from another character’s point of view, which is a technique that I usually don’t like, however, Jakins uses it well in this story, letting us see things that are essential to the development of the story but outside of Jack’s knowledge.
This is a quick read and the characters are not massively developed but they have enough roundness for the purposes of this story and since it opens a series, I would expect to see more development in future books. Jack is obviously the most realised character but there are enough others to keep your interest. Luke Goretusk is promising, as is Jack’s love interest, Mogayne.
Jack makes a lot of pop culture references, and I know that this isn’t always a popular choice, but I enjoyed them. For me, they served to cement this fantastical tale in the world we live in, with mentions of such familiar TV shows as The Power Rangers.
This is short book for a fantasy and I did feel that it may have benefited from being a little longer, allowing the plot and characters to develop a bit more, however that would have changed the pacing, and may not have been what the author was aiming for.
As the first book in a series, Jack Bloodfist: Fixer does stand alone well enough, but I, for one, will be happy to read more of Jack’s adventures.
Jack Bloodfist is a half-orc, half-goblin fixer. What that means is that he deals with any problems the orc and goblin communities have, such as preventing the goblins form getting evicted and settling in newcomers to the area.
The action mostly takes place in Summervale, a city that has a high population of non-human races. The orcs and goblins settled there after fleeing their home world (a typical fantasy world) some twenty years ago. They settled in and made new lives for themselves alongside elves, werewolves and goblins, not to mention a few other races they don’t know about yet.
All is mostly peaceful until a powerful warrior from their home world shows up and starts killing orcs. Jack takes him on with the help of a drow police officer, a powerful wizard and the reporter he’s sort-of dating.
This was a fun, fast-paced read. The story is told largely from Jack’s perspective in first person and his voice is well defined. Occasionally there’s an interlude from another character’s point of view, which is a technique that I usually don’t like, however, Jakins uses it well in this story, letting us see things that are essential to the development of the story but outside of Jack’s knowledge.
This is a quick read and the characters are not massively developed but they have enough roundness for the purposes of this story and since it opens a series, I would expect to see more development in future books. Jack is obviously the most realised character but there are enough others to keep your interest. Luke Goretusk is promising, as is Jack’s love interest, Mogayne.
Jack makes a lot of pop culture references, and I know that this isn’t always a popular choice, but I enjoyed them. For me, they served to cement this fantastical tale in the world we live in, with mentions of such familiar TV shows as The Power Rangers.
This is short book for a fantasy and I did feel that it may have benefited from being a little longer, allowing the plot and characters to develop a bit more, however that would have changed the pacing, and may not have been what the author was aiming for.
As the first book in a series, Jack Bloodfist: Fixer does stand alone well enough, but I, for one, will be happy to read more of Jack’s adventures.
July 11, 2022
Fixer has been on my tbr-pile for quite a while now. I think I originally saw it in the SPFBO and it sounded intriguing, but then as usually there were other books...
Fixer was pretty much what I hoped it to be: A fun and rather fast-paced urban-fantasy story. This time, however, with a half-Orc, half-Goblin - Jack Bloodfist - as protagonist. The antagonists are a God and his fervent followers - paladins. I liked the reversal of the usual fantasy-trope (there are more in there). Jack Bloodfist is an interesting character, most of the story is shared through his inner monologue. There are some parts that are told through a different character's eyes to give insight into things Jack simply was not able to know or experience, but that were more or less important for the reader to know.
The worldbuilding was convincing, but there are definitely some questions that still need to be answered. I did have a problem with the magic here being somewhat unpredictable and way too powerful.
The story was actually quite simple, but well executed - a popcorn-book (and I don't mean this in a negative way). I enjoyed Fixer and will definitely continue the story and read more of James Jakins' books.
Fixer was pretty much what I hoped it to be: A fun and rather fast-paced urban-fantasy story. This time, however, with a half-Orc, half-Goblin - Jack Bloodfist - as protagonist. The antagonists are a God and his fervent followers - paladins. I liked the reversal of the usual fantasy-trope (there are more in there). Jack Bloodfist is an interesting character, most of the story is shared through his inner monologue. There are some parts that are told through a different character's eyes to give insight into things Jack simply was not able to know or experience, but that were more or less important for the reader to know.
The worldbuilding was convincing, but there are definitely some questions that still need to be answered. I did have a problem with the magic here being somewhat unpredictable and way too powerful.
The story was actually quite simple, but well executed - a popcorn-book (and I don't mean this in a negative way). I enjoyed Fixer and will definitely continue the story and read more of James Jakins' books.
November 5, 2023
Full review on Fantasy-Faction.
http://fantasy-faction.com/2018/fixer...
"Urban fantasy done well is a glorious thing to behold. The mix of magic and the mundane can be a real joy to read. It makes imagining the setting easy, but they twist the world around you, make you puzzle and wonder. Hrm… I now wonder whether Harry Potter is urban fantasy?
In this fast paced and fun urban fantasy tale, our main character is a Half-Orc. Orcs…didn’t last year’s winner also involve orcs? Oh and he is also half-goblin because…well…you know. And the Fantasy-Faction winner this year, for round one, had a half-dwarf in it. Does it seem to you that we are branching out with the species of our main characters?
The judge who read this book is all for branching out and non-human characters. However, they also commented that here, our Half Orc/Goblin could have easily been an angry green skinned human – but that may be trademarked. An even more “alien” viewpoint, morals, ethics, cares and worries would have made the book a bit more unique and interesting." - GR Matthews
http://fantasy-faction.com/2018/fixer...
"Urban fantasy done well is a glorious thing to behold. The mix of magic and the mundane can be a real joy to read. It makes imagining the setting easy, but they twist the world around you, make you puzzle and wonder. Hrm… I now wonder whether Harry Potter is urban fantasy?
In this fast paced and fun urban fantasy tale, our main character is a Half-Orc. Orcs…didn’t last year’s winner also involve orcs? Oh and he is also half-goblin because…well…you know. And the Fantasy-Faction winner this year, for round one, had a half-dwarf in it. Does it seem to you that we are branching out with the species of our main characters?
The judge who read this book is all for branching out and non-human characters. However, they also commented that here, our Half Orc/Goblin could have easily been an angry green skinned human – but that may be trademarked. An even more “alien” viewpoint, morals, ethics, cares and worries would have made the book a bit more unique and interesting." - GR Matthews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews