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Kelly Driscoll Series #1
The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse
When hundreds of fallen angels and dimension-hopping monsters take over a highrise condo building, a down-on-her-luck bounty hunter must team up with an unlikely group of allies to prevent the apocalypse.
Kelly Driscoll tracks down monsters for a living, but the job isn't what it used to be. Vampire hunters are the new big thing, but Kelly doesn't swing that way. When a reclusive client hires her to locate a rival angel, Kelly's search takes her to a downtown highrise that has become home to hundreds of fallen angels and dimension-hopping monsters.
As the fallen angels take over the condo board, argue over who's handling pizza delivery, and begin planning for a little shindig otherwise known as the apocalypse, Kelly must team up with an unlikely group of allies to find her target and keep the fallen angels at bay. In the process, she befriends a reluctant Angel of Destruction, gets tips from a persistent ferret, uncovers the mysteries behind Pothole City's hottest snack food empire, and tries to prevent the end of the world.
Kelly Driscoll tracks down monsters for a living, but the job isn't what it used to be. Vampire hunters are the new big thing, but Kelly doesn't swing that way. When a reclusive client hires her to locate a rival angel, Kelly's search takes her to a downtown highrise that has become home to hundreds of fallen angels and dimension-hopping monsters.
As the fallen angels take over the condo board, argue over who's handling pizza delivery, and begin planning for a little shindig otherwise known as the apocalypse, Kelly must team up with an unlikely group of allies to find her target and keep the fallen angels at bay. In the process, she befriends a reluctant Angel of Destruction, gets tips from a persistent ferret, uncovers the mysteries behind Pothole City's hottest snack food empire, and tries to prevent the end of the world.
292 pages, Paperback
First published February 29, 2012
148 people are currently reading
560 people want to read
About the author
Nina Post
13 books69 followersNina Post is the author of ten novels, including The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse, One Ghost Per Serving, and The Zaanics Deceit.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
July 25, 2014
I knew before I started reading this that it was going to be one strange book.
What did I expect? I played it safe and went in expecting NOTHING.
Because of that, I was rewarded with a very fun abnormal read (that's Abby Normal for those of you in the know).
It only took a few pages to realize that author Nina Post's sense of humor was a grab bag mix of dry, black, offbeat, wicked, and bizarre, with bits of slapstick, all mashed up together with her love of everything from Looney Tunes to Horror, then back again. And while it's not for everyone, somehow it works.
Of course, it didn't hurt any that the cover was very striking, having all kinds of demons & denizens on it, helping to suck me into wanting to read it even more.
Here's what the book says:
When hundreds of fallen angels and dimension-hopping monsters take over a highrise condo building, a down-on-her-luck bounty hunter must team up with an unlikely group of allies to prevent the apocalypse.
Kelly Driscoll tracks down monsters for a living, but the job isn't what it used to be. Vampire hunters are the new big thing, but Kelly doesn't swing that way. When a reclusive client hires her to locate a rival angel, Kelly's search takes her to a downtown highrise that has become home to hundreds of fallen angels and dimension-hopping monsters.
As the fallen angels take over the condo board, argue over who's handling pizza delivery, and begin planning for a little shindig otherwise known as the apocalypse, Kelly must team up with an unlikely group of allies to find her target and keep the fallen angels at bay. In the process, she befriends a reluctant Angel of Destruction, gets tips from a persistent ferret, uncovers the mysteries behind Pothole City's hottest snack food empire, and tries to prevent the end of the world.
Here's what I think:
Kelly Driscoll is a young female bounty hunter hired to track down a fallen angel expected to start the Apocalypse and destroy the Earth. Before she can do that, however, she must confront a whole building full of single purpose Angels, soulless Demons, crazy managers, and lunatic bosses, all of them Monsters. Nearly every single one of them is addicted to the many flavors of Cluck Snack products, where a lot of the laughs occur. Most of the action takes place in the condo of the name title, and the Amenity Tower - both are areas of Pothole City. You may ask, 'Why Kelly?' That may or may not be fully explained. She makes some friends along the way, comes up against a slew of bizarre creatures and outrageous scenarios you could never predict the outcome of, and though it can be a bit confusing sometimes, if you follow along, it gets better the further you're in and if you're the right target audience, you will be fully entertained. I guffawed a couple times, had some genuine knee-slappers, a string of chuckles here & there, and even hooted once or twice, but so you know, I wouldn't call this humor the LOL kind. I had a lot of fun with it!
I look fwd to reading the sequel, The Last Donut Shop of the Apocalypse, & her other work, of which I already own, and will say that Nina Post has made me a fan until at least the day of the Apocalypse and probably Post- as well.
:)
*Although this book is completely Nina's own, it reminded me of several movies, comic books, and books I've read over the years, some more than others, all of which I'm a fan of. For fun, here are a few of them.
~ Harry Tuttle (Robert De Niro), the Heating Engineer, as he descends down the office building in Terry Gilliam's cool Steampunk-like movie, Brazil (1985) ~
~ Ghostbusting the monsters in Ghostbusters (1984) ~
~ The strange creatures and off-beat humor in Will Vinton's Claymation Comedy of Horrors (1991) ~
~ The big red monster Gossamer from Looney Tunes ~
~ A touch of the off-the-wall office politics minus the technobabble in Charles Stross' The Atrocity Archives ~
December 15, 2012
Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy Reading Level: Adult
Disclosure: I received a free ebook copy of this text from Curiosity Quills (the publisher) in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: When hundreds of fallen angels and dimension-hopping monsters take over a highrise condo building, a down-on-her-luck bounty hunter must team up with an unlikely group of allies to prevent the apocalypse.
Kelly Driscoll tracks down monsters for a living, but the job isn't what it used to be. Vampire hunters are the new big thing, but Kelly doesn't swing that way. When a reclusive client hires her to locate a rival angel, Kelly's search takes her to a downtown highrise that has become home to hundreds of fallen angels and dimension-hopping monsters.
As the fallen angels take over the condo board, argue over who's handling pizza delivery, and begin planning for a little shindig otherwise known as the apocalypse, Kelly must team up with an unlikely group of allies to find her target and keep the fallen angels at bay. In the process, she befriends a reluctant Angel of Destruction, gets tips from a persistent ferret, uncovers the mysteries behind Pothole City's hottest snack food empire, and tries to prevent the end of the world.
My Thoughts: This is Nina Post’s debut novel, which was followed by One Ghost Per Serving , which I just reviewed. (Link to that review by clicking the title.)
Kelly has been barely scraping by ever since that vampire huntress stole all her press (“What kind of a world do we live in...?). Now she’s been asked to find a fugitive in a luxury condo tower with over 500 units in just two days. I have to tell you, this book was very weird – extremely surreal, and full of ridiculousness, just like her other book.
She’s apparently obsessed with titanium sporks, as they have showed up in both books. Also weird names for things – in her 2nd book it is business names, in this book it is Cluck Snacks. Here is a listing of a few of the Cluck Snacks named: Cluck Snack Krispy Baked B’nana Bitz for Dogs and Ferrets (‘Can Be Used As Cereal!’), Cluck Snack Cereal (‘Can Be Used As Cereal!’), Cluck Snack Cake Crisps Cereal, Cluck Snack Top’n (‘Makes Anything Taste like Cluck Snack’), Cluck Snack Sweet n’ Savory Breakfast Syrup, Cluck Snack Pizza Flav’r Gum (‘Not for Dogs and Ferrets’), Cluck Snack P’nut Butt’r Chunks (‘For Ferrets, Not Dogs’), Cluck Snack Frozen-Like Dess’rt Bars, Cluck Snack Steamie Pock’tz and Cluck Snack Meal’n a Box Totez (‘Take Your Cluck Snake With You’). There were many more Cluck Snack offerings named throughout the book – that was just a section with a big chunk of them all together.
I really don’t know what to tell you about this book, other than it was surreal, strange, and often silly – the various single-purpose angels were a never-ending source of amusement. I laughed a lot, that’s for sure. But I often had trouble keeping up with what was going on; it was like one of those cartoons with all the flashing lights; hard to track, but amusing. So, if that sounds like your sort of book, be sure to check it out.
Disclosure: I received a free ebook copy of this text from Curiosity Quills (the publisher) in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: When hundreds of fallen angels and dimension-hopping monsters take over a highrise condo building, a down-on-her-luck bounty hunter must team up with an unlikely group of allies to prevent the apocalypse.
Kelly Driscoll tracks down monsters for a living, but the job isn't what it used to be. Vampire hunters are the new big thing, but Kelly doesn't swing that way. When a reclusive client hires her to locate a rival angel, Kelly's search takes her to a downtown highrise that has become home to hundreds of fallen angels and dimension-hopping monsters.
As the fallen angels take over the condo board, argue over who's handling pizza delivery, and begin planning for a little shindig otherwise known as the apocalypse, Kelly must team up with an unlikely group of allies to find her target and keep the fallen angels at bay. In the process, she befriends a reluctant Angel of Destruction, gets tips from a persistent ferret, uncovers the mysteries behind Pothole City's hottest snack food empire, and tries to prevent the end of the world.
My Thoughts: This is Nina Post’s debut novel, which was followed by One Ghost Per Serving , which I just reviewed. (Link to that review by clicking the title.)
Kelly has been barely scraping by ever since that vampire huntress stole all her press (“What kind of a world do we live in...?). Now she’s been asked to find a fugitive in a luxury condo tower with over 500 units in just two days. I have to tell you, this book was very weird – extremely surreal, and full of ridiculousness, just like her other book.
She’s apparently obsessed with titanium sporks, as they have showed up in both books. Also weird names for things – in her 2nd book it is business names, in this book it is Cluck Snacks. Here is a listing of a few of the Cluck Snacks named: Cluck Snack Krispy Baked B’nana Bitz for Dogs and Ferrets (‘Can Be Used As Cereal!’), Cluck Snack Cereal (‘Can Be Used As Cereal!’), Cluck Snack Cake Crisps Cereal, Cluck Snack Top’n (‘Makes Anything Taste like Cluck Snack’), Cluck Snack Sweet n’ Savory Breakfast Syrup, Cluck Snack Pizza Flav’r Gum (‘Not for Dogs and Ferrets’), Cluck Snack P’nut Butt’r Chunks (‘For Ferrets, Not Dogs’), Cluck Snack Frozen-Like Dess’rt Bars, Cluck Snack Steamie Pock’tz and Cluck Snack Meal’n a Box Totez (‘Take Your Cluck Snake With You’). There were many more Cluck Snack offerings named throughout the book – that was just a section with a big chunk of them all together.
I really don’t know what to tell you about this book, other than it was surreal, strange, and often silly – the various single-purpose angels were a never-ending source of amusement. I laughed a lot, that’s for sure. But I often had trouble keeping up with what was going on; it was like one of those cartoons with all the flashing lights; hard to track, but amusing. So, if that sounds like your sort of book, be sure to check it out.
January 1, 2018
Ok, that's more like it. Very whimsical and not strictly for whimsy's sake. For sheer entertainment value this one does very well to start off the reading year. I don't normally go for this sort of paranormal fantasy, when I do I expect it to have Christopher Moore's cleverness, which seems like something of an impossible standard. So with that disclaimer out of the way, in its own right this was lots of fun. Just look at where it takes place...Amenity Towers, a luxury condominium building for decommissioned angels and interdimensional creatures of all kinds. How fun is that. And the author does a terrific job of world building or world populating with as much weirdness as possible. She's also very funny. Does the book get too busy at times? Yes, sort of, at least for me. It simply has too much going on, like too many snacks all on the same plate, but it does work out in the end, cohesively and logically, but not so finally as to not be sequelized, of course, since that seems to be the way. This is an every day or even a frequent fare for me, but for a venture into a seldom visited genre this did nicely. I appreciated the quirkiness, the originality, the imagination. Charming diversion for the afternoon and a very quick read.
September 28, 2012
I didn't know what to think of LAST CONDO BOARD at first. I didn't even understand the title. In truth, I was scratching my head for the first few chapters. But luckily, I kept going, and this turned out to be unlike ANYTHING I've ever read before.
Nina Post has a fantastic dry sense of humor. I imagine that she's the kind of person who can tell a joke and have people stare back at her blankly, in a room full of silence - except for the small few that get her joke. Those are the ones who will be cracking up and looking at the confused people with pity on their faces. This is very much like my father's sense of humor was, so I really felt like I got it.
I thought the world building in LAST CONDO BOARD was done very well, and even though everything was very far-out, it was explained, and I felt like I was in Pothole City with the characters. I LOVED Tubiel and the other SP's, and really loved the concept of SP's in general.
I think Nina is a great writer, and CONDO BOARD was a fun read. I am currently proofreading the next book in the series, and I'm really enjoying it. Review on that to follow.
So. Would I recommend this book? Yes. To the right person. If you don't have a sense of humor, don't read this book. And I don't mean slapstick Adam Sandler comedy sense-of-humor - I mean dry, somewhat sarcastic, and often subtle humor. (Too bad you didn't know my dad - you'd get what I'm trying to explain and probably failing at miserably. lol! Anyway, he would have loved this book.)
Nina Post has a fantastic dry sense of humor. I imagine that she's the kind of person who can tell a joke and have people stare back at her blankly, in a room full of silence - except for the small few that get her joke. Those are the ones who will be cracking up and looking at the confused people with pity on their faces. This is very much like my father's sense of humor was, so I really felt like I got it.
I thought the world building in LAST CONDO BOARD was done very well, and even though everything was very far-out, it was explained, and I felt like I was in Pothole City with the characters. I LOVED Tubiel and the other SP's, and really loved the concept of SP's in general.
I think Nina is a great writer, and CONDO BOARD was a fun read. I am currently proofreading the next book in the series, and I'm really enjoying it. Review on that to follow.
So. Would I recommend this book? Yes. To the right person. If you don't have a sense of humor, don't read this book. And I don't mean slapstick Adam Sandler comedy sense-of-humor - I mean dry, somewhat sarcastic, and often subtle humor. (Too bad you didn't know my dad - you'd get what I'm trying to explain and probably failing at miserably. lol! Anyway, he would have loved this book.)
November 13, 2012
I'm not sure what I was expecting from The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse, but the title was amusing, so I assumed the book would follow suit. Little did I expect how on the head Nina Post would hit my humor nail.
The Last CB of the A is about a woman (Kelly Driscoll) who's been hired to track down a fallen angel who will most likely destroy Earth, but the plot is actually more of a detail—a vehicle for Post's wit, which takes center stage in this book. Usually the term "dream logic" (and so help me if that phrase makes you stop reading this review, I will hunt you) is something applied exclusively to Kafka or Calvino, whose works are evocative of one of those naked-on-finals nightmares. Post, though, uses the "and not or" dream logic to give one the sense of a dream that one accepts as normal while dreaming, but which, on waking, seems laughably (rather than horrifyingly) absurd. This can produce a certain sense of disorientation in the reader (initially I was constantly asking myself, "Wait, when was that character introduced?", or, "Did I miss that detail that seems to have been presented as background information?", etc.), but that disorientation is intentional, and part of the fun—that is, rather than stopping to ask, "Wait, is that right?", one should instead plow right through and say, "Yes, that's true now".
There's a fine line between total disorganization and the kind of controlled chaos that Post has mastered. When an attempt at a story like this fails, it fails badly—and the failures are much more common than the successes. It's for this reason (if for no other [and I'd like to suggest that there are others]) that writers like Post should be encouraged to keep doing what they're doing. If you like Tom Robbins, Mission Hill or Keith Haring, you'll like this book—and if you like them all, you'll love this book. Give it a try! Then we can all sing the Cluck Snack song together. (Cluck cluck cluck cluck cluck cluck snack!)
The Last CB of the A is about a woman (Kelly Driscoll) who's been hired to track down a fallen angel who will most likely destroy Earth, but the plot is actually more of a detail—a vehicle for Post's wit, which takes center stage in this book. Usually the term "dream logic" (and so help me if that phrase makes you stop reading this review, I will hunt you) is something applied exclusively to Kafka or Calvino, whose works are evocative of one of those naked-on-finals nightmares. Post, though, uses the "and not or" dream logic to give one the sense of a dream that one accepts as normal while dreaming, but which, on waking, seems laughably (rather than horrifyingly) absurd. This can produce a certain sense of disorientation in the reader (initially I was constantly asking myself, "Wait, when was that character introduced?", or, "Did I miss that detail that seems to have been presented as background information?", etc.), but that disorientation is intentional, and part of the fun—that is, rather than stopping to ask, "Wait, is that right?", one should instead plow right through and say, "Yes, that's true now".
There's a fine line between total disorganization and the kind of controlled chaos that Post has mastered. When an attempt at a story like this fails, it fails badly—and the failures are much more common than the successes. It's for this reason (if for no other [and I'd like to suggest that there are others]) that writers like Post should be encouraged to keep doing what they're doing. If you like Tom Robbins, Mission Hill or Keith Haring, you'll like this book—and if you like them all, you'll love this book. Give it a try! Then we can all sing the Cluck Snack song together. (Cluck cluck cluck cluck cluck cluck snack!)
June 10, 2018
3.5 Stars
This is one of the most absurd books I've read but I enjoyed it a lot.
Kelly hunts monsters and fallen angels for a living, but the job isn't the same any more and vampire hunting is the new best thing. When she takes a job to find a fallen angel in a large condo in Pothole City she does so in the most ridiculous disguises. Along the way she promotes several Cluck Snack products and meets a Condo board not only planning the next renovation but also the Apocalypse.
It is so weird, but so much fun. I can't really tell too much about it, because it won't make any sense unless you've read the book. The Single Purposes really stole my heart (some of them anyway). If you're looking for some rather absurd urban fantasy which is definitely different from the last thing you've read, give The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse a try.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This is one of the most absurd books I've read but I enjoyed it a lot.
Kelly hunts monsters and fallen angels for a living, but the job isn't the same any more and vampire hunting is the new best thing. When she takes a job to find a fallen angel in a large condo in Pothole City she does so in the most ridiculous disguises. Along the way she promotes several Cluck Snack products and meets a Condo board not only planning the next renovation but also the Apocalypse.
It is so weird, but so much fun. I can't really tell too much about it, because it won't make any sense unless you've read the book. The Single Purposes really stole my heart (some of them anyway). If you're looking for some rather absurd urban fantasy which is definitely different from the last thing you've read, give The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse a try.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
May 26, 2017
Having picked this up purely because of its title (seriously, how could I not) I wasn't completely sure what I would make of it. Thankfully Post has a certain Pratchettesque approach to writing combining the mundane day to day things with the weird, wacky and outright crazy. Not only does this story have angels thrown out of heaven but not bad enough for hell, the risk of total global annihilation and a mortal private detective tasked with finding a certain fugitive angel, it also has giant invertebrates with cravings for pizza (and pizza boys), single purpose angels with some of the most interesting and inventive roles I've read for quite a while and addictive junk foods that you just can't get enough off...if you're a supernatural being anyway. All this is wrapped up in Amenity Tower, a mutlistory apartment block that you could find anywhere. While this does get a little silly at times, it manages to just toe the line and pull itself back every so often, putting me in mind of Discworld and Hitchhiker's Guide (not quite as iconic but not far off). I must say I am glad I picked this up.
March 29, 2012
As urban fantasies go, The last Condo Board of the Apocalypse has got to be one of the oddest. That is not a criticism - it is odd in a very good way. The story is both unique and very, very funny.
My one criticism of the book is the number of secondary characters - there were so many and so many of the names were similar that, at times, I found it confusing but, once i realized that the names really weren't that important, I was able to relax and enjoy this tumble down the rabbit hole or, in the case of this book, through the air ducts of Amenity Towers in Pothole City.
This is definitely a book which can only be appreciated by people able to completely suspend their disbelief and let their sense of humour be their guide.
Oh, and one more question, where can I get myself some of those yummy sounding Cluck Snacks (Not for Dogs or Ferrets)?
My one criticism of the book is the number of secondary characters - there were so many and so many of the names were similar that, at times, I found it confusing but, once i realized that the names really weren't that important, I was able to relax and enjoy this tumble down the rabbit hole or, in the case of this book, through the air ducts of Amenity Towers in Pothole City.
This is definitely a book which can only be appreciated by people able to completely suspend their disbelief and let their sense of humour be their guide.
Oh, and one more question, where can I get myself some of those yummy sounding Cluck Snacks (Not for Dogs or Ferrets)?
January 23, 2016
Review: Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse by Nina Post
This novel is an absolute gem!! I totally enjoyed every moment and every sentence. What a freewheeling world is Pothole City, the setting! It has practically everything, including an interdimensional portal admitting all kinds of monsters; a 500-unit condo complex with the amenities, which is confinement for a host of fallen angels; the lazy, good-for-nothing Destroying Angel of the Apocalypse; the CluckSnack Holding Company, purveyor of foodstuffs beloved of angels, ferrets, and domestic pets; and single-purpose angels. Pothole City also has the talented Kelly Driscoll, sole survivor of a family of skilled thieves, and now sometime paranormal hunter and protector of single-purpose angels.
This is a joyfully comic paranormal which deserves to be enjoyed. Go ahead: make yourself happy!
This novel is an absolute gem!! I totally enjoyed every moment and every sentence. What a freewheeling world is Pothole City, the setting! It has practically everything, including an interdimensional portal admitting all kinds of monsters; a 500-unit condo complex with the amenities, which is confinement for a host of fallen angels; the lazy, good-for-nothing Destroying Angel of the Apocalypse; the CluckSnack Holding Company, purveyor of foodstuffs beloved of angels, ferrets, and domestic pets; and single-purpose angels. Pothole City also has the talented Kelly Driscoll, sole survivor of a family of skilled thieves, and now sometime paranormal hunter and protector of single-purpose angels.
This is a joyfully comic paranormal which deserves to be enjoyed. Go ahead: make yourself happy!
March 23, 2012
I really enjoyed The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse. I am usually a strictly YA reader but this book was a change. The author writes with a "well what can possibly happen next" attitude. The story is based around our heroine, Kelly, a finder of lost things (paintings, monsters, fallen angels, etc.) and her hunt for a fallen angel who lives in the Amenity Hotel who is about to start the Apocalypse. This is a very light, extremely funny, quick read. There's no angst or overwrought worry. It's just a fun fantasy trip through condo board meetings, acquiring a proper pizza delivery guy, and the duties of single-purpose angels. Oh, and I almost forgot...a new food line "Cluck" (not for dogs or ferrets)!!
did-not-finish
March 3, 2017DNF @ 20%
I didn't want to quit on this not only because it's an ARC but because all the reviews said it was so unique and dry and funny and that's totally my thing but honestly.. whatever they are getting out of this, I'm not. I can't deny it's unique as hell (hah) but Post takes it beyond my realm of understanding. Never in that first twenty percent did I ever get a sense of.. why. Or even what. For any of it. This feels like coming into the middle of a book series and trying to navigate something complicated and weird and yet this was her debut.
I wish this had worked for me but not even the fact that I am a condo owner was giving me a leg up on this one.
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
I didn't want to quit on this not only because it's an ARC but because all the reviews said it was so unique and dry and funny and that's totally my thing but honestly.. whatever they are getting out of this, I'm not. I can't deny it's unique as hell (hah) but Post takes it beyond my realm of understanding. Never in that first twenty percent did I ever get a sense of.. why. Or even what. For any of it. This feels like coming into the middle of a book series and trying to navigate something complicated and weird and yet this was her debut.
I wish this had worked for me but not even the fact that I am a condo owner was giving me a leg up on this one.
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
July 10, 2017
Weird, but entertaining.
February 17, 2012
Nina Post's debut novel, The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse is a fun book, which definitely needs to be read tongue in cheek. I don't know whether it was written that way, but I think it definitely needs to be read as such. There are some flaws to the book, but they didn't lessen my enjoyment of it too much. While the reads very quickly and easily, some elements get dropped into the plot rather suddenly and without explanation. Though, on further pondering, it isn't so much that the plot is messy, because I don't think it is, but because there are a lot of sudden shifts in scene and point of view. For instance, the book is 296 pages long but contains sixty-one chapters; which makes for a lot of really short chapters, some medium sized and a few longer ones. This means that in the space of less than fifteen pages you might have seen three different locales and two different points of view. In addition, the chapter headings where often a bit hit and miss for me, I'd have preferred a simple numbering instead.
The characterizations are fun, especially those of the SP's, the Single-Purpose angels, who were really cute and funny. They are what amount to Kelly's sidekicks in the novel, especially Tubiel. Kelly is developed somewhat more as a character than most of the other characters in the book, with the exception of Af. We learn about her youth and her motivations behind becoming a monster hunter. While Af is the other main character and we do see more of his current motivations, we learn far less about his background and why he's actually kind of pleased to be bound to Amenity Tower. Perhaps Post will focus more on his story in the next book, but I would have liked to have seen more in this one.
The world building is limited; the main locations where the action takes place are Amenity Tower and the building where Kelly is housed by her employers. Any other places we visit are, with the exception of one or two, all in Pothole City. As the names suggest these are all fictitious places and while reminiscent of our world at the same time very different. Post doesn't spend much time on these differences, instead relying on her readers to just go with the flow and accept her alternate world vision. And much of this is left to the reader's imagination as well. While it's clear we're in an urban environment, the reader gets to fill in the blanks as to how this city looks and operates; for the author it is no more than the backdrop against which her story plays out.
The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse is a funny novel. Despite my quibbles with some of the aspects of the characterization, world building and pacing, I did keep reading and finished the book in under twenty-four hours. Don't expect deep ruminations on the meaning of life or the reason for existence; this is a fun story about how an unlikely group of people safe the world – or at least Pothole City – from its end, no more. If you accept it as such, the book is a good diversion on a cold winter afternoon, driving away the gloom with its humour and its author's easy writing style. If you're looking for a quick, diverting read, I suggest you give The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse a try. The book will be out from Curiosity Quills Press on February 29th.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
The characterizations are fun, especially those of the SP's, the Single-Purpose angels, who were really cute and funny. They are what amount to Kelly's sidekicks in the novel, especially Tubiel. Kelly is developed somewhat more as a character than most of the other characters in the book, with the exception of Af. We learn about her youth and her motivations behind becoming a monster hunter. While Af is the other main character and we do see more of his current motivations, we learn far less about his background and why he's actually kind of pleased to be bound to Amenity Tower. Perhaps Post will focus more on his story in the next book, but I would have liked to have seen more in this one.
The world building is limited; the main locations where the action takes place are Amenity Tower and the building where Kelly is housed by her employers. Any other places we visit are, with the exception of one or two, all in Pothole City. As the names suggest these are all fictitious places and while reminiscent of our world at the same time very different. Post doesn't spend much time on these differences, instead relying on her readers to just go with the flow and accept her alternate world vision. And much of this is left to the reader's imagination as well. While it's clear we're in an urban environment, the reader gets to fill in the blanks as to how this city looks and operates; for the author it is no more than the backdrop against which her story plays out.
The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse is a funny novel. Despite my quibbles with some of the aspects of the characterization, world building and pacing, I did keep reading and finished the book in under twenty-four hours. Don't expect deep ruminations on the meaning of life or the reason for existence; this is a fun story about how an unlikely group of people safe the world – or at least Pothole City – from its end, no more. If you accept it as such, the book is a good diversion on a cold winter afternoon, driving away the gloom with its humour and its author's easy writing style. If you're looking for a quick, diverting read, I suggest you give The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse a try. The book will be out from Curiosity Quills Press on February 29th.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
March 5, 2012
Please don't read this book if you don't have a sense of humour. The people who will enjoy this book the most are those people with a zany, off-kilter sense of humour.
I really loved the idea of this book. A bunch of fallen angels and monsters trying to exist within the confines of a condo. Having recently moved to a condo for the first time and now having to deal with condo regulations etc, I can see where this could become very funny. Add a kick-butt female lead and a whole lotta random and you have the Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse in a nutshell.
For me, the first half of this book was a bit slow and maybe distracted, but it picked up steam in the 2nd half (the really turning point takes place in a periodontal clinic). It was a little too random for my taste, but if that's your style, you will love it!
My favourite part of the book was the Single Purpose Angels (SPs). They are so adorable! And they sure do love them some Cluck Snacks! They have one purpose and one purpose only, to which they are entirely devoted, such as HVAC systems or the 3 o'clock hour.
Also, the author, Nina Post, is super cool, so check her out on twitter!
Favourite Scene:
The scene where Kelly and Af ride the elevator up and down repeatedly while drinking margaritas.
Favourite Character:
Tubiel, single purpose angel of returning small pet birds to their owners and all-around cutie!
I really loved the idea of this book. A bunch of fallen angels and monsters trying to exist within the confines of a condo. Having recently moved to a condo for the first time and now having to deal with condo regulations etc, I can see where this could become very funny. Add a kick-butt female lead and a whole lotta random and you have the Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse in a nutshell.
For me, the first half of this book was a bit slow and maybe distracted, but it picked up steam in the 2nd half (the really turning point takes place in a periodontal clinic). It was a little too random for my taste, but if that's your style, you will love it!
My favourite part of the book was the Single Purpose Angels (SPs). They are so adorable! And they sure do love them some Cluck Snacks! They have one purpose and one purpose only, to which they are entirely devoted, such as HVAC systems or the 3 o'clock hour.
Also, the author, Nina Post, is super cool, so check her out on twitter!
Favourite Scene:
The scene where Kelly and Af ride the elevator up and down repeatedly while drinking margaritas.
Favourite Character:
Tubiel, single purpose angel of returning small pet birds to their owners and all-around cutie!
August 12, 2017
This book has a fun-sounding title but don't be fooled: it's NOT GOOD. Despite being quite short this was a slog. Paper-thin characters, incoherent plot, frustrating pay-off and a faux-cleverness that was physically draining to read.
July 6, 2017
This was not one of my favorite reads. The storyline jumped around too much, often out of no where becoming very random and difficult to follow along.
July 21, 2017
Too weird for me. I enjoy odd books but this was too much. Too many characters, too much going on, too much everything. I will not be reading the sequels. Sorry.
March 4, 2017
Provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Reading The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse (hereafter referred to as TLCBOTA) is somewhat akin to having a carpet whipped out from under you, rapidly and repeatedly. It's a madcap dash through Pothole city, where magical creatures and demons roam around and have petty fights with their exes. In Pothole city, Single-Purpose angels (SPs) fulfill very specialised roles (the angel of returning small birds to their owners, the angel of 3am, the angel of HVAC Units and so on), and will only eat CluckSnacks snack foods (Cluck Snack P’nut Butt’r Chunks - ‘For Ferrets, Not Dogs’).
And at luxury condo Amenity Tower, fallen angels attend condo board meetings to sort out the pizza delivery issue, vote on whether Deathworms should be allowed in the building (they make great pets, but the shrieking is horrible), and make plans for their apocalyptic escape. Bounty hunter (and master of disguise) Kelly Driscoll has 2 days to infiltrate Amenity Tower, prevent the apocalypse, and maybe flirt a little with that handsome Angel of Destruction.
TLCBOTA is very strange, and very funny - it's extremely surreal, offbeat humour can be a little hard to keep up with (plot points whizz by like SPs on a CluckSnack overdose, conversations take extreme left-turns and in general logic shakes its head dolefully and hides in the bathroom so it doesn't have to be involved in this). It's messy and chaotic and just plain oddball, but it's worth it. The whole experience is like a Discworld fever-dream, or perhaps Jasper Fforde writing on just a wee bit of LSD.
This is definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but for fans of whacked-out humour, lighthearted storytelling and a bit of a detective story hidden in the middle, TLCBOTA is definitely a great way to spend an afternoon.
"When hundreds of fallen angels and dimension-hopping monsters take over a highrise condo building, a down-on-her-luck bounty hunter must team up with an unlikely group of allies to prevent the apocalypse."
Reading The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse (hereafter referred to as TLCBOTA) is somewhat akin to having a carpet whipped out from under you, rapidly and repeatedly. It's a madcap dash through Pothole city, where magical creatures and demons roam around and have petty fights with their exes. In Pothole city, Single-Purpose angels (SPs) fulfill very specialised roles (the angel of returning small birds to their owners, the angel of 3am, the angel of HVAC Units and so on), and will only eat CluckSnacks snack foods (Cluck Snack P’nut Butt’r Chunks - ‘For Ferrets, Not Dogs’).
And at luxury condo Amenity Tower, fallen angels attend condo board meetings to sort out the pizza delivery issue, vote on whether Deathworms should be allowed in the building (they make great pets, but the shrieking is horrible), and make plans for their apocalyptic escape. Bounty hunter (and master of disguise) Kelly Driscoll has 2 days to infiltrate Amenity Tower, prevent the apocalypse, and maybe flirt a little with that handsome Angel of Destruction.
TLCBOTA is very strange, and very funny - it's extremely surreal, offbeat humour can be a little hard to keep up with (plot points whizz by like SPs on a CluckSnack overdose, conversations take extreme left-turns and in general logic shakes its head dolefully and hides in the bathroom so it doesn't have to be involved in this). It's messy and chaotic and just plain oddball, but it's worth it. The whole experience is like a Discworld fever-dream, or perhaps Jasper Fforde writing on just a wee bit of LSD.
This is definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but for fans of whacked-out humour, lighthearted storytelling and a bit of a detective story hidden in the middle, TLCBOTA is definitely a great way to spend an afternoon.
Read
August 14, 2018"The Last Condo Board Of The Apocalypse" reminded me of a Groucho Marx quote:
"It's nice work if you can get it... but I don't get it."
This novel is stuffed with creative ideas, comic juxtapositions, Single Purpose Angels that seem like loner-Minions with a snack obsession, Angels of destruction wearing business suits and grimly determined smiles and through all of it runs our I'm-good-with-disguises-perhaps-because-I-have-no-idea-who-I-am heroine.
The plot seems to be onion-paper thin. It doesn't drive the action so much as give a group of potentially comic personalities a place to bump into one another and produce random flashes of humour.
This kind of thing either works for you and carries you away or leaves you feeling like the only sober, celibate, vegetarian at a drunken orgy in a steakhouse.
Add to this the irritation of low production standards: missing words, duplicate words, typos and weird fonts in the ebook and my but-it-may-get-better hopefulness was replaced by: "I used to be an optimist, but I knew it wouldn't last." I'm moving on.
"It's nice work if you can get it... but I don't get it."
This novel is stuffed with creative ideas, comic juxtapositions, Single Purpose Angels that seem like loner-Minions with a snack obsession, Angels of destruction wearing business suits and grimly determined smiles and through all of it runs our I'm-good-with-disguises-perhaps-because-I-have-no-idea-who-I-am heroine.
The plot seems to be onion-paper thin. It doesn't drive the action so much as give a group of potentially comic personalities a place to bump into one another and produce random flashes of humour.
This kind of thing either works for you and carries you away or leaves you feeling like the only sober, celibate, vegetarian at a drunken orgy in a steakhouse.
Add to this the irritation of low production standards: missing words, duplicate words, typos and weird fonts in the ebook and my but-it-may-get-better hopefulness was replaced by: "I used to be an optimist, but I knew it wouldn't last." I'm moving on.
August 21, 2017
This is a super fun book. It's completely absurd, but that works for me. I was pleasantly surprised by the development of the romance, if that's what you want to call it. Loved Af, Murray, and Tubiel. The absurdity of the plot made it hard to follow sometimes, but I was intrigued. I liked the author's interpretation of angels, especially the single purpose angels, like the Angel of HVAC Systems. I know the author was looking to leave readers hanging a little bit to allow for the series to continue (and I do plan to read the next book), but I still thought she could have explained a few things a little better. The "surprise" at the end didn't feel like a surprise so much as the author just decided on the last page, "Oh this is how I'll end it." But that didn't detract from the experience for me. If you like funny books and can handle completely illogical situations, you'll probably enjoy this book.
May 20, 2017
Fifth Grade Story Project
I gave this book one star because I don't know how to give a 1\2 star. I suspect this is a generation so difference. I have been reading very dense History of The First World War, and needed something light as a break. This is so light the Continuity floats away on every page. I was never sure who the significant characters were, nor what they were doing and why. There were Angels and Death Worms. I'm not sure why. I reread the book, hoping for a firmer grasp of the plot. There IS no plot. The author is only marginally coherent. I've graded stories by fifth grade students and found them more cohesive and amusing. I just admire the grammar, punctuation, and proofreading. The concept shows promise. It is imaginative and certainly fantasy. I hope this author can glue this together better. I didn't hate it, but I was very confused.
I gave this book one star because I don't know how to give a 1\2 star. I suspect this is a generation so difference. I have been reading very dense History of The First World War, and needed something light as a break. This is so light the Continuity floats away on every page. I was never sure who the significant characters were, nor what they were doing and why. There were Angels and Death Worms. I'm not sure why. I reread the book, hoping for a firmer grasp of the plot. There IS no plot. The author is only marginally coherent. I've graded stories by fifth grade students and found them more cohesive and amusing. I just admire the grammar, punctuation, and proofreading. The concept shows promise. It is imaginative and certainly fantasy. I hope this author can glue this together better. I didn't hate it, but I was very confused.
May 25, 2017
I will agree with other reviewers that this was an entertaining read. My problem with it is that it was pointless.
There's not a story arc as much as there's a series of events. While they do serve to introduce us to the world and some of its players and rules, the whole situation remains pretty static. Kelly doesn't grow as a character, nor does almost anyone else. And the world is so random that actions are pretty meaningless therein.
I think between the various systems of "magic" and the equivalent, there's nothing that's impossible- and so I greeted events, even outrageous ones, with a shrug, because- why not??
I did very much like the Single Purpose angels, and am curious about their devotion to a particular brand of snack food. However, I found Kelly bland, and the arbitrary nature of the world and plot diminished its flow.
I will not be reading #2 or 3 in the series.
There's not a story arc as much as there's a series of events. While they do serve to introduce us to the world and some of its players and rules, the whole situation remains pretty static. Kelly doesn't grow as a character, nor does almost anyone else. And the world is so random that actions are pretty meaningless therein.
I think between the various systems of "magic" and the equivalent, there's nothing that's impossible- and so I greeted events, even outrageous ones, with a shrug, because- why not??
I did very much like the Single Purpose angels, and am curious about their devotion to a particular brand of snack food. However, I found Kelly bland, and the arbitrary nature of the world and plot diminished its flow.
I will not be reading #2 or 3 in the series.
June 25, 2017
*** 3.5 Stars
My review will be up on the 26th of June 2017
If you would like to see all my thoughts on this book, be sure to check out the review on my blog:
www.abooktropolis01.blogspot.co.za
But here is a snippet and overview of what I thought:
Overall, I enjoyed the story. I thought it was great and entertaining but I don't see myself continuing on with the series. I wouldn't say that it is my least favourite Curiosity Quills Press book but it definitely was not my favourite. There were some high points for this book but it just wasn't enough for me. I really hope that I would love it but it just ended up being one of those books that just didn't really catch my attention. This book is definitely for those who want a good laugh every now and again! Thank you so much to Curiosity Quills Press for providing me with a copy of this book to review!
My review will be up on the 26th of June 2017
If you would like to see all my thoughts on this book, be sure to check out the review on my blog:
www.abooktropolis01.blogspot.co.za
But here is a snippet and overview of what I thought:
Overall, I enjoyed the story. I thought it was great and entertaining but I don't see myself continuing on with the series. I wouldn't say that it is my least favourite Curiosity Quills Press book but it definitely was not my favourite. There were some high points for this book but it just wasn't enough for me. I really hope that I would love it but it just ended up being one of those books that just didn't really catch my attention. This book is definitely for those who want a good laugh every now and again! Thank you so much to Curiosity Quills Press for providing me with a copy of this book to review!
October 9, 2019
Perfect for comic fantasy fans
Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy meets the Magic Roundabout meets Stephanie Plum - that’s probably the best way I can sum this comic fantasy romp up. I really enjoyed meeting the residents and visitors of Amenity Towers, especially the single purpose angels who reminded me a bit of the various gods in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. Kelly Driscoll was a fun protagonist with a mission and a deadline but always made time for a snack - a great change from some of the lead female characters in other fantasy genre books I’ve read of late. Short, punchy chapters kept the action speeding along towards an apocalypse being dreamed up by a bureaucratic sub-committee of fallen angels. A book to read during your commute, if you don’t mind people looking at you when you snigger or chuckle!
Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy meets the Magic Roundabout meets Stephanie Plum - that’s probably the best way I can sum this comic fantasy romp up. I really enjoyed meeting the residents and visitors of Amenity Towers, especially the single purpose angels who reminded me a bit of the various gods in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. Kelly Driscoll was a fun protagonist with a mission and a deadline but always made time for a snack - a great change from some of the lead female characters in other fantasy genre books I’ve read of late. Short, punchy chapters kept the action speeding along towards an apocalypse being dreamed up by a bureaucratic sub-committee of fallen angels. A book to read during your commute, if you don’t mind people looking at you when you snigger or chuckle!
July 9, 2018
What a strange book. Flavors of Christopher Moore; but not quite as biting. Humorous. Fun and interesting characters. The plot was okay, but I felt it ended with a whimper and that was disappointing. And I felt it ended as a whimper because it was clearly trying to entice you to read the next book in the series. For me, it didn't work. Imagine fallen angels and monsters living side-by-side in a luxury condominium building. Some adjusting to the prosaic life some not so much; and add a free lance bounty hunter hired by a mysterious client to locate and trap an unknown target in this building of oddities. A fun read. A little violent, but probably okay for most older teens and up.
December 16, 2020
Even tough I have to admit it was entertaining, it turned out to be confusing and difficult to read. I would say it has three parts. First, the intro of the characters and a lot of " nothing-really-happening with it-is-going-in-the-direction-of-good-stuff. The second part is really good with a lot of action and a lot of stuff explained, that may have been better put in the first part. Last, a really lo g and weird ending giving space for what I suspect is a line of more eird books. There is quite a lot of normal stuff for a book with monsters and fallen angels. I mean really board meetings or more like bored meetings. But if you like fantasy books probably you will love it.
January 23, 2022
I went into this book looking for a funny, sarcastic lead character, and I wasn't disappointed. Yes, the book had a few problems (character development wasn't great, the plot could have been tighter, and there were too many things just left hanging), but I enjoyed the humor a lot. The short chapters made the book fly for me. I like it didn't take itself too seriously, and as long as you understand all this, I think you will enjoy it. A strong main character was a plus, and making her a bounty hunter who hunts vampires, while trying to avert the apocalypse, was what caught my eye in the first place, so the absolute zaniness of it all was just icing on the cake for me.
4/5 stars.
4/5 stars.
October 7, 2017
Not something I care for. Quirky demons and spontaneously combusting tax accountants may seem like fun, but gets tiring after a while. Too random for my taste. Something an ADD gamer might go for simply for the occasional attention-getting explosion or disintegration into a puddle of goo. Read the whole thing to give it a chance so I could do a fair review. Speed-read the last half. Sorry I couldn't give it better rating. Not at all my cup o' tea (or even my pan-galactic gargle blaster for that matter).
June 2, 2020
Fun! Fantastic! Fatalistic! Feather-like! Fantasmagorical! Fresh! Feel-Good! Flying Fists and Feet! Felicitous! Farting! Finagling! (Okay, so I made that last one up... or did I?) So yeah - Fun read, I liked the characters. It had a very cool vibe to it and I have read other books that have the same playing it fast and loose feel - specifically Jasper Fforde's Nursery Crime books - both wonderful stories. Pick this one up - it's light reading - like a book version of chinese food - yummy, and you may just be hungry for more a half hour after you've read it!
June 3, 2018
I have absolutely no idea what I just read. The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse can best be described as though you had washed down an acid trip with a glass of full strength Absinth. It's a farcical ride that takes a human, a bunch of special purpose angels, the odd Angel of Absolute Destruction and a Ferret who is also a Notary Republic.
It was funny, weird, daft, stupid and engaging all at once. I recommend giving it a read. It's a hell of a ride.
It was funny, weird, daft, stupid and engaging all at once. I recommend giving it a read. It's a hell of a ride.
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