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Swallow You Whole
For two villainous nobles, it is a desperate means to an end. For two clever demons...it is one hell of a tax break.
Henry and James have accidentally staked claim on the same soul. Elliot Dosett, the bitter and sickly son of a successful steel magnate, summoned a demon in hopes of solving his trouble with his father and inheriting the estate. Violet Clifton, his aunt, also summoned a demon in order to rid herself of a useless husband and take over the business he leaves behind. In order to delay her own death, she also signs away Elliot's soul. And so the paperwork begins to fly.
Lady is a fallen angel. He is also one of Hell's top auditors. He is sent to monitor the activity of Henry and James. Once he finds out which demon is trying to cheat Hell, his job is to send them back in chains.
Henry will do anything to avoid being reported, dragging James and Lady down the path of a capricious scheme. Yet Satan is hot on their heels and will stop at nothing to hunt them all down; even if that means interrupting God's latest round of golf.
Henry and James have accidentally staked claim on the same soul. Elliot Dosett, the bitter and sickly son of a successful steel magnate, summoned a demon in hopes of solving his trouble with his father and inheriting the estate. Violet Clifton, his aunt, also summoned a demon in order to rid herself of a useless husband and take over the business he leaves behind. In order to delay her own death, she also signs away Elliot's soul. And so the paperwork begins to fly.
Lady is a fallen angel. He is also one of Hell's top auditors. He is sent to monitor the activity of Henry and James. Once he finds out which demon is trying to cheat Hell, his job is to send them back in chains.
Henry will do anything to avoid being reported, dragging James and Lady down the path of a capricious scheme. Yet Satan is hot on their heels and will stop at nothing to hunt them all down; even if that means interrupting God's latest round of golf.
217 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 4, 2016
248 people want to read
About the author
Jasper Black
6 books16 followersJasper Black is the author of Swallow You Whole. He attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and studied English as well as Classical Civilizations, but he did not graduate when he realized he could indulge in both of those subjects at home and it would cost significantly less. He also holds interest in theology and has an unnatural love for Judeo-Christian mythology. He lives in Wilmington, North Carolina with his wife, their child, and his other partners.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 7, 2017
4 Stars
Full Review:
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This has not influenced my review.*
This was such an oddly fun book! It was gory and disturbing but also funny in an absurd, irreverent, "I probably shouldn't be laughing at this" kinda way.
The thing about this book is, it didn't take itself too seriously. It wasn't completely ridiculous either though---it just skirted that line between realism and absurdity and did it in a way that worked. So while I cannot say everything in this book was completely realistic, I can say that I didn't mind because it made me laugh, it made me cringe, and sometimes it made me do both at once.
But, while the book did have its comical (and sometimes downright weird and awkward) moments, it also had it's darker and more somber ones. The book is classified as horror on Amazon, but it wasn't scary, just gruesome. And there were demons, but they were living out in the world. So I would also classify it as urban/paranormal for those reasons.
Speaking of the demons, one thing I liked about them was that they weren't too human. They may have been playing human for a while, but they weren't brooding over their sins and secretly hiding hearts of gold. Nope, they were still demons on the inside who wanted nothing more than the simple pleasure of eating some juicy, bitter souls. But that was also what made it so interesting seeing Henry kinda maybe having feelings and not being sure how to decipher them. *SPOILER ALERT* *END SPOILER ALERT*
Henry and James themselves were entertaining characters. (It's kind of hard to tell from the blurb, but they were the protags.) I feel like I didn't get to know them that well, but I got to know enough that I want to keep reading about them. At first I didn't like Henry, but his mischievousness grew on me.
The only real issue I had with the book was that the POV was omniscient but felt more like head hopping and confused me in some scenes. This wasn't the type of book that had tons of emotion or that required me to get deep in the character's POVs in order to enjoy it though, so it wasn't that big of a problem.
One other thing, I'm not clear on how the soul taking/sorting thing works. See, the soul exists as little jelly-like balls inside the chest cavity, and I understand why the author made this choice (I imagine he wanted something visible and tangible in order to add to the gore and gluttony when the demons eat it), but there was all this talk about quotas for Heaven and Hell (they're like corporations), so I don't understand how or when that soul gets up to Heaven or down to Hell if it's not eaten by a demon and how humans haven't discovered souls yet. I'd just like to know more about that and Heaven and Hell in general since I love seeing how they're portrayed by different authors.
So overall, even though this book was somewhat slow-paced, I got hooked once I started reading, I enjoyed the gory yet quirky nature of it, and I'd love to see what Henry and James get up to next!
Recommended For:
Anyone looking for something that's both gory and humorous with mischievous demons.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
Full Review:
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This has not influenced my review.*
This was such an oddly fun book! It was gory and disturbing but also funny in an absurd, irreverent, "I probably shouldn't be laughing at this" kinda way.
The thing about this book is, it didn't take itself too seriously. It wasn't completely ridiculous either though---it just skirted that line between realism and absurdity and did it in a way that worked. So while I cannot say everything in this book was completely realistic, I can say that I didn't mind because it made me laugh, it made me cringe, and sometimes it made me do both at once.
"Right," he said. "They gave me a name. I guess they didn't think I was smart enough to come up with one on my own." He plunged his hands into his pockets, pulling out an assortment of folded papers, crinkled and stained, as well as an assortment of other objects including a pen, a rubber band, and a lint covered hard candy in the shape of a flower.
"You are the demon I summoned?" Elliot glanced over his shoulder out the window once more, as if there had been some sort of mistake. "I thought you would be less..."
"Awkward?"
"Disappointing."
But, while the book did have its comical (and sometimes downright weird and awkward) moments, it also had it's darker and more somber ones. The book is classified as horror on Amazon, but it wasn't scary, just gruesome. And there were demons, but they were living out in the world. So I would also classify it as urban/paranormal for those reasons.
Speaking of the demons, one thing I liked about them was that they weren't too human. They may have been playing human for a while, but they weren't brooding over their sins and secretly hiding hearts of gold. Nope, they were still demons on the inside who wanted nothing more than the simple pleasure of eating some juicy, bitter souls. But that was also what made it so interesting seeing Henry kinda maybe having feelings and not being sure how to decipher them. *SPOILER ALERT* *END SPOILER ALERT*
Henry and James themselves were entertaining characters. (It's kind of hard to tell from the blurb, but they were the protags.) I feel like I didn't get to know them that well, but I got to know enough that I want to keep reading about them. At first I didn't like Henry, but his mischievousness grew on me.
The only real issue I had with the book was that the POV was omniscient but felt more like head hopping and confused me in some scenes. This wasn't the type of book that had tons of emotion or that required me to get deep in the character's POVs in order to enjoy it though, so it wasn't that big of a problem.
One other thing, I'm not clear on how the soul taking/sorting thing works. See, the soul exists as little jelly-like balls inside the chest cavity, and I understand why the author made this choice (I imagine he wanted something visible and tangible in order to add to the gore and gluttony when the demons eat it), but there was all this talk about quotas for Heaven and Hell (they're like corporations), so I don't understand how or when that soul gets up to Heaven or down to Hell if it's not eaten by a demon and how humans haven't discovered souls yet. I'd just like to know more about that and Heaven and Hell in general since I love seeing how they're portrayed by different authors.
So overall, even though this book was somewhat slow-paced, I got hooked once I started reading, I enjoyed the gory yet quirky nature of it, and I'd love to see what Henry and James get up to next!
Recommended For:
Anyone looking for something that's both gory and humorous with mischievous demons.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
May 29, 2019
Book – Swallow You Whole
Author – Jasper Black
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 206
Cover – Gorgeous!
POV – 3rd person, omni-present.
Would I read it again – Definitely.
Genre – Historical Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK, BY THE AUTHOR, IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **
WARNING: murder, gore, cannibalism (kind of), death
I was thrilled when Jaspar Black asked me to review this. The premise sounded incredible – I love demons! – and I knew the writing would be fantastic. I wasn't disappointed.
First off, the characterisation of the main characters – Elliot, Violet, James and Henry – was fantastic. There was so much detail about their inner workings – Elliot and Violet in particular – their behaviours and just how despicable they could be, that I was left in no doubt that they were a pair of schemers, intent on revenge. James began as this innocent, naïve demon that had no clue what he was doing. Henry, on the other hand, was an old hand, who was playful and arrogant, with a great sense of humour. He's a total troublemaker and he has a clear effect on James, who becomes just as playful as him the further on they travel together. Lady and Francis were minor characters, as were God, Satan, Greed, Michael and Raziel, but they all had their part to play and they were all diverse and unique in their own way.
I LOVED the idea of Hell being a corporation, with Satan as the CEO and the demons having to file paperwork. It was so great to actually see demons being held accountable for their actions, having quotas to meet and being pretty much reprehensible, despite any feelings of their own that they might harbour. They even had an auditor, which was so much fun.
The really fun parts were when Satan got involved, especially when he had to visit God. When the blurb said that he interrupted his golf game, I somehow assumed that it was a euphemism for God being useless. But he actually did it!
The detail, as you can imagine from what I've said above, is spectacular. The entire world – from Hell, to Heaven, to Earth – are all equally explored in great detail, but not so much that it got bogged down with description. We know things when it's appropriate and when we need to.
When it comes to romance, there's very little, which is perfect for the characters and the plot. Henry had a bit of a romance with Violet, though he's a demon and incapable of love, so there is some explicit MF sex. There is a hint of an MM romance, but nothing explicit there or even explored, which perfectly works in with the Victorian/Edwardian time frame of the era.
Honestly, I really loved the brutal/gory aspects, which isn't normally something I say. I'm a squeamish reader, but there's such skill here that it all seemed perfectly natural. However, I much preferred James and Elliot's treatment of his father and brother, to the way Violet chose to dispose of those in her way. This is where the omnipresent part really came into play. We got to see every aspect of the story, from all different POV.
~
Overall, I loved every minute of it. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. There were equal parts Eww! and equal parts giggles. The humour was well placed, well managed and totally appropriate, while the gore and Hellish aspects are always as equally arranged and appropriate. I was pleasantly surprised by a lot of the twists and turns the story took, but never disappointed when things didn't go how I expected. It's a story of unapologetic demonic behaviour, even when you secretly wonder if they'll slip up and be a little “human” just for a minute or two.
I can't wait to read the next book!
Author – Jasper Black
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 206
Cover – Gorgeous!
POV – 3rd person, omni-present.
Would I read it again – Definitely.
Genre – Historical Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK, BY THE AUTHOR, IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **
WARNING: murder, gore, cannibalism (kind of), death
I was thrilled when Jaspar Black asked me to review this. The premise sounded incredible – I love demons! – and I knew the writing would be fantastic. I wasn't disappointed.
First off, the characterisation of the main characters – Elliot, Violet, James and Henry – was fantastic. There was so much detail about their inner workings – Elliot and Violet in particular – their behaviours and just how despicable they could be, that I was left in no doubt that they were a pair of schemers, intent on revenge. James began as this innocent, naïve demon that had no clue what he was doing. Henry, on the other hand, was an old hand, who was playful and arrogant, with a great sense of humour. He's a total troublemaker and he has a clear effect on James, who becomes just as playful as him the further on they travel together. Lady and Francis were minor characters, as were God, Satan, Greed, Michael and Raziel, but they all had their part to play and they were all diverse and unique in their own way.
I LOVED the idea of Hell being a corporation, with Satan as the CEO and the demons having to file paperwork. It was so great to actually see demons being held accountable for their actions, having quotas to meet and being pretty much reprehensible, despite any feelings of their own that they might harbour. They even had an auditor, which was so much fun.
The really fun parts were when Satan got involved, especially when he had to visit God. When the blurb said that he interrupted his golf game, I somehow assumed that it was a euphemism for God being useless. But he actually did it!
The detail, as you can imagine from what I've said above, is spectacular. The entire world – from Hell, to Heaven, to Earth – are all equally explored in great detail, but not so much that it got bogged down with description. We know things when it's appropriate and when we need to.
When it comes to romance, there's very little, which is perfect for the characters and the plot. Henry had a bit of a romance with Violet, though he's a demon and incapable of love, so there is some explicit MF sex. There is a hint of an MM romance, but nothing explicit there or even explored, which perfectly works in with the Victorian/Edwardian time frame of the era.
Honestly, I really loved the brutal/gory aspects, which isn't normally something I say. I'm a squeamish reader, but there's such skill here that it all seemed perfectly natural. However, I much preferred James and Elliot's treatment of his father and brother, to the way Violet chose to dispose of those in her way. This is where the omnipresent part really came into play. We got to see every aspect of the story, from all different POV.
~
Overall, I loved every minute of it. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. There were equal parts Eww! and equal parts giggles. The humour was well placed, well managed and totally appropriate, while the gore and Hellish aspects are always as equally arranged and appropriate. I was pleasantly surprised by a lot of the twists and turns the story took, but never disappointed when things didn't go how I expected. It's a story of unapologetic demonic behaviour, even when you secretly wonder if they'll slip up and be a little “human” just for a minute or two.
I can't wait to read the next book!
June 2, 2016
Hey, unmistakably, this guy and his characters ENJOY the gore. Well, the characters that get eaten probably don't ...
Good horror novel. Deftly combines true, nasty macabre - explicitly physical - with entertaining humor.
Excellent writing, vivid imagery, very nice language and precise use of words - gets the voice right - not modern, but not fake/stupid affected. That's hard to do, and Black does it well. The dialogue doesn't jar on the ear or slow down the reading.
One gets the immediate impression, this is naturally well written - author has a gift/flair for expressing himself in English, loves the language. (The guy also knows his tea.)
The plot summary is accurate, I won't go into it any further than to say there are still some nice plot twists that will sneak up on you.
Personal preference - something I personally like, and I think it's a great device but maybe not to everyone's taste: you don't immediately follow what's going on, and you can't, becasue the information is bled out to the reader. I think it's a good use of technique, forcing the readers to draw themselves in so they can comprehend the backstory, meaning they invest in the story.
With or without that, to start and once you know what's happening, the plot has good hooks, draws you in.
Again, explicit gore, genuine, nasty cruelty; clever; humorous touches. (Oddly - or maybe not - the gore won't turn your stomach. There's just enough silliness that it doesn't bite that badly.)
On p20, I'm going to allow myself one pedanticism - it's "straitlaced", Mr. Black, not straightlaced.
Good horror novel. Deftly combines true, nasty macabre - explicitly physical - with entertaining humor.
Excellent writing, vivid imagery, very nice language and precise use of words - gets the voice right - not modern, but not fake/stupid affected. That's hard to do, and Black does it well. The dialogue doesn't jar on the ear or slow down the reading.
One gets the immediate impression, this is naturally well written - author has a gift/flair for expressing himself in English, loves the language. (The guy also knows his tea.)
The plot summary is accurate, I won't go into it any further than to say there are still some nice plot twists that will sneak up on you.
Personal preference - something I personally like, and I think it's a great device but maybe not to everyone's taste: you don't immediately follow what's going on, and you can't, becasue the information is bled out to the reader. I think it's a good use of technique, forcing the readers to draw themselves in so they can comprehend the backstory, meaning they invest in the story.
With or without that, to start and once you know what's happening, the plot has good hooks, draws you in.
Again, explicit gore, genuine, nasty cruelty; clever; humorous touches. (Oddly - or maybe not - the gore won't turn your stomach. There's just enough silliness that it doesn't bite that badly.)
On p20, I'm going to allow myself one pedanticism - it's "straitlaced", Mr. Black, not straightlaced.
April 11, 2016
Lord William Clifton (steel magnate) has passed away, leaving Lady Violet Clifton (Aunt) not sure what to do with herself.
Elliot Dosett (wealthy, William’s son) is not sure what to do with himself either.
Henry (elder demon) & Dr. James Highmore (demon) are both competing for Lord William Clifton soul.
What did Edward do to survive?
Will Henry or Dr. James prevail?
Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive to some readers.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A failry well written erotic parnormal book. It wasn’t always very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish, but never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great erotic parnormal movie, animated cartoon, or a mini TV series. The book was really not what I was expecting. That said I will rate it at 3/5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Smashwords; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Elliot Dosett (wealthy, William’s son) is not sure what to do with himself either.
Henry (elder demon) & Dr. James Highmore (demon) are both competing for Lord William Clifton soul.
What did Edward do to survive?
Will Henry or Dr. James prevail?
Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive to some readers.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A failry well written erotic parnormal book. It wasn’t always very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish, but never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great erotic parnormal movie, animated cartoon, or a mini TV series. The book was really not what I was expecting. That said I will rate it at 3/5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Smashwords; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
August 13, 2016
A point of clarification on the front end, I would not consider this a romance. Maybe I'm the only one who mistakenly thought it would be, but I don't think it is. Whatever it is, horror-slash-humor maybe, I quite enjoyed.
I liked both James and Henry. I thought God, Satan and the other angels/sins that show up were well characterized. Violet and Elliot, the peevish, evil humans, were suitably evil. There were a few unexpected turns. The author stuck with the inevitable ending, which pleased me and there were quite a few ironic, funny moments.
I did find the fact that the celestial realms seemed to run on a different time than earth jarring and anachronistic. I understand it was purposeful, but it still pulled me out of the story. Lastly, I think it could have done with another editing pass. But the truth is I'd almost forgive it this for the awesome cover.
Note: I won a copy here on Goodreads.
I liked both James and Henry. I thought God, Satan and the other angels/sins that show up were well characterized. Violet and Elliot, the peevish, evil humans, were suitably evil. There were a few unexpected turns. The author stuck with the inevitable ending, which pleased me and there were quite a few ironic, funny moments.
I did find the fact that the celestial realms seemed to run on a different time than earth jarring and anachronistic. I understand it was purposeful, but it still pulled me out of the story. Lastly, I think it could have done with another editing pass. But the truth is I'd almost forgive it this for the awesome cover.
Note: I won a copy here on Goodreads.
May 11, 2016
Well-written with interesting characters. A bit too gory for my own personal taste but I loved the author's sense of humor. A unique take on the age-old idea of selling souls to demons. If you do not mind gores, extreme violence and horrible things happening to some of the protagonists, and are looking for something different, this could be just your book.
April 28, 2018
Very happy that I've read this
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews