Straight Outta Fangton

Straight Outta Fangton #1

by C.T. Phipps

Peter Stone is a poor black vampire who is wondering where his nightclub, mansion, and sports car is. Instead, he is working a minimum wage job during the night shift as being a vampire isn’t all that impressive in a world where they’ve come out to mortals.

Exiled from the rich and powerful undead in New Detroit, he is forced to go back when someone dumps a newly-transformed vampire in the bathroom of his gas station’s store. This gets him fangs-deep in a plot of vampire hunters, supernatural revolutionaries, and a millennium-old French knight determined to wipe out the supernatural.

Sometimes, it just doesn’t pay to get out of the coffin.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Fantasy, Humor, Paranormal, Horror, Audiobook

198 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 18, 2016

About the author

C.T Phipps is a lifelong student of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. An avid tabletop gamer, he discovered this passion led him to write and turned him into a lifelong geek. He is a regular reviewer on Booknest.EU and for Grimdark Magazine.

He's written the Agent G series, Cthulhu Armageddon, the Red Room Trilogy, I Was A Teenaged Weredeer, Lucifer's Star, Psycho Killers in Love, Straight Outta Fangton, The Supervillainy Saga, and Wraith Knight.

Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blog...

Website: https://ctphipps.com/

C.T. Fanclub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/14917...

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ctphipps

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read audible version 7-6-19
Straight Outta Fangton
A Comedic Vampire Story
By: C. T. Phipps
Narrated by: Cary Hite
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary. Although I have read this book in kindle format, all of Phipps books are worth pre-season again! Especially the funny ones! (Which most are!) This one has an underappreciated black vampire working in some quick shop at night. His boss is a werewolf that is an addict and his best friend is his ...well, he wants to be a vamp too so let's call him a minion. The story starts by them finding a dead body in the bathroom. That is the easiest part for them in the whole book! The rest is down hill! It is a hilarious ride there too! So much craziness, giggles (those were from me), creatures, witty and clever situations and dialogue that kept me glued to the book! Loved it again. Forgot just how funny it was.
The narration was terrific!







E-book version 7-1-17 4 stars
Straight Outta Fangton by C.T. Phipps is an unusual vampire story. It is fun, full of action, a strange world of vamps and weres with humans, and quite a different look at vampire life. Never boring. I was given this book to read and the review was voluntary.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The only reason people aren't all dragging vampires out into the sun or dousing us with gasoline like your group wants to do is because of a concentrated hundred-and-ten-year plan to make us palatable to mankind. From Bram Stoker to that Meyer woman, we have been subtly brainwashing humanity into believing our race could live in peace with yours.

After years of careful media manipulation the ever patient and manipulative vamps are out of the closet! This sets the scene for CT Phipps hilarious dark comedy Straight Outta Fangton! As always Phipps gives the reader a story with likeable characters and tons of humor but counters that by delivering a fairly dark and brutal story. He gets the balance perfect and the result is that this is a very enjoyable dark comedy that alternates between being laugh out loud funny and darkly horrifying!

Life as a vampire is not panning out the way Peter Stone thought it would. He expected to be rich and surround by adoring women but instead finds himself working the nightshift at a gas station store in a backwater town in the middle of nowhere. At least he has his best friend, David (a wannabe vampire who is actually his thrall), alongside him. Life takes an interesting twist for the duo when a newly made vampire, Melissa, is found abandoned in the stores toilet! Peter takes to training her and reporting the incident to his powerful maker in the vampire haven of New Detroit. Before he knows what is going on he is caught up in some tense vampire politics and also in the sights of a crazy vampire crusader who wants to wipe his brethren from the face of the planet.

The whole story was a lot of fun. The banter between Peter, David, and Melissa was hilarious and I did love the fact that Phipps packed the story full of fun pop culture references and jokes. The story turned out to be pretty dark as the vamps were definitely not the fluffy Twilight type. Not a surprise considering human blood is like heroin to them in this world!

The other big plus was that Phipps had a lot of fun using vampirism as an analogy for homosexuality and tearing into bigotry in general! Here was a few of my favourite quotes:

I turned to the seventy-year-old across the counter who'd been waiting for her Slurpee. “I'm sorry, but the machine is busted. Can I get you anything else?”
The woman sniffed the air before grabbing her handbag. “You realize you're going to Hell.”
It was statement rather than a question. I paused, wondering if I should respond to the old bat.
“Yes. Yes, I do.”

"We should probably lock her up until daylight and then then drag her out into the road.”
“You can't do that!” I said, horrified. “That's murder.”
“Can't kill what's already dead,” Steve said, finishing his candy bar and dropping the wrapper on the ground. “No offense.”
“Quite a bit taken,” I said, appalled.

“Which hate group did you belong to?” David asked, showing a complete and admittedly hilarious lack of tact.
“The Human Rights League isn't a hate group,” Melissa said. “It's not even anti-vampire, it's pro—”
“Human?” I finished for her.
Melissa blinked. “Oh Jesus, I never even noticed that before. It is a hate group, isn't it?”

I grimaced. This story was starting to sound familiar. “Let me guess. The girl's baby was actually the vampire's, and the bruises were from her parents trying to make her lose it. That or to make sure she was going to give you the story they wanted.”
“They succeeded,” Melissa said. “Apparently, it's not abortion if it's a half-human monstrosity.”

“It's what you get when everyone knows about vampires,” Fatimah said. “You create just one wrong person and then their friends are created who create their friends and so on.”
I really hoped I never became as classist (speciesist?) as these two.

All in all I had a ton of fun with this story. It was a parody but also had plenty of depth and characters that were easy to root for despite their flaws.

Rating: 4 stars.

Audio Note: Not every voice he chose was a winner but on the whole Cary Hite gave an awesome performance of this one. It really helps when a narrator gets the tone of the story. Hite knew when to be serious and when to be light.

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I liked this one even if I didn't love it. I decided to read this book because I have really enjoyed this author's work in the past and this sounded like a lot of fun. I did enjoy the story but it didn't grab me the way that I had hoped it would. It took me a lot longer to finish this audiobook than a book this length usually does. I actually started the book over about two hours in because I felt like I had missed some key plot points. I did end up having some fun with this one and am glad that I gave the book a chance.

Being a vampire is supposed to be glamorous, right? That has not been the case for Peter Stone. Peter is a poor black vampire working at the local convenience store. Peter is the only employee at the store that is willing to do any work. Peter can't even get his servant to do anything. When a woman turns to a vampire in the store's bathroom, it is up to Peter to keep things under control.

I had a really hard time connecting with the characters in this story. I didn't dislike Peter but I was never really invested in his well-being. There were a couple of characters that died during the story and I have to admit that I wasn't moved by the development. I feel like it is probably a bad sign when character deaths don't elicit any kind of reaction. I thought that some of the special abilities and unique world building were interesting. I also appreciated the complexity of the mystery and the amount of action in the story.

This was my first experience with Cary Hite's narration. I feel like he did a good job with the story overall but I do wonder if his delivery might have taken some of the humor out of the story. This was described as a comedic story but the humor was completely lost on me. I had no issues with Mr. Hite's reading voice but I do wonder if his narration style might have kept me from really connecting with the story. I wouldn't hesitate to listen to his work again though.

I think that this book will work better for a lot of readers. It was a unique take on vampires with a well thought out mystery. I wouldn't hesitate to read more from C.T. Phipps in the future.

I received a review copy of this audiobook from the author.

Initial Thoughts
This was okay for me. I found parts of the book to be amusing but I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters. I felt like the book tried really hard to be funny but often fell flat. This was the first time that I have listened to Cary Hite's narration and I felt like he did a good job overall but I wonder if his delivery might have taken some of the humor out of the story.

[Kara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started out wonderfully for perhaps the first 30 minutes...but for a “comedy” it quickly devolved into not just dark....but disgusting. I’m no fan of sparkle in the sunlight vampires, but when the story includes attempted rape of 8yo girls, and forced feeding/killing of 8yo girls as punishment for trying to protect them...this is no comedy and I’m done at 19%. DNF this POS book.

[Choko · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** 3.65 ***

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vampire Peter Stone is about to debunk, refute and pretty much wipe out any preconceived notions the mortal world has about vampires. It isn’t that he didn’t want to buy into the hot, handsome and wealthy hype, it’s just that he knows better. He can’t even get his blood slave to show him any respect.

Exiled from New Detroit, working at a combo convenience store/gas station was nasty enough, but finding a newly turned vampire corpse in the bathroom, well, that is about to rain a whole bunch of trouble down on our fanged friend…

Welcome to C.T. Phipps’s STRAIGHT OUTTA FANGTON where there is never a dull moment in the undead world. Peter plays pawn to his creator’s whims as blood and body parts fly, heads roll and somehow, through all the gore, the perfectly timed dark humor left me laughing out loud!

Reading this tale is like reading through a Kaleidoscope, one twist and a head goes flying, the next, a perfectly timed, one liner comes out! C.T. Phipps has perfect comedic timing and brutal fight scenes that actually play off each other wonderfully!

Step out of your paranormal box and walk on the wild side with Peter for vampires like you have never seen before! Fun, fast, frantic and over far too soon!

I received a complimentary copy from C.T. Phipps!

Publisher: Crossroad Press; 1 edition (August 18, 2016)
Publication Date: August 18, 2016
Genre: Comedic Paranormal
Print Length: 198 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[C.H. Baum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so happy when CT Phipps got back to gritty vampires without a single, nuanced, romantic sparkle. This is a vampire story, wrapped in layer after layer of pop culture reference. I must be older than the author, cause I got 'em all. My book would be full of My Three Sons, and Dick Tracy references.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vampire fiction has suffered in recent years due to what I consider to be the "Hello Kitty with fangs" effect. The short version of it is that we've had so many people soften the portrayal of vampires we forget the whole thing about "good" vampires is they're meant to be still suffering under a dread curse. Anne Rice, Laurel K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, and others sort of fell under the sway of this and it reached its cultural appex with Twilight. I'm actually not that hard on Twilight because, contrary to popular belief, Stephanie Meyers' vampires are still a bunch of bloodthirsty murderers. It's just the Cullens are the only ones who aren't and that's because they run a little support group for one another.

STRAIGHT OUTTA FANGTON is my attempt to do a comedic story about the various incarnations of vampires from Nosferatus to Langellas to Copollas and more all living together in the city of New Detroit. Peter Stone is representative of the "other guys" who aren't sexy, rich, or particularly powerful. He's also a guy who has done something unforgivable in a moment of hunger and is never going to get over it. It's neither meant to be the last word in undeath or covering things other books haven't but it is meant to be my take on the subject. Mind you, it's been described as "Clerks meets Blade" so at least some people think it's awesome. It's also set in the same universe as my I WAS A TEENAGE WEREDEER books, giving the undead perspective to the world they look at through shifter eyes.

I hope people will give it a try.

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vampires actually slurp rather than suck

Did you know about it? If not, CT Phipps will surprise you more than once with well-guarded secrets of unlife.

Straight Outta Fangton’s protagonist - poor black vampire does his best to make ends meet. He works a minimum wage job with zero perspectives. One night, during his shift he discovers a newly transformed vampire in the bathroom of his gas station’s store. 

What started as another boring night shift culminates in possible supernatural Armageddon.

CT Phipps mastered the craft of humorous storytelling. His pop-culture references and jokes won’t make everyone crack up, but they never impede the story. More importantly, they don’t remove the conflict and the drama. SOF is a creepy vampire story, with simple but tight plot and high stakes’ adventure. 

I enjoyed the portrayal of the vampire race and hierarchies in the supernatural societies. Young vampires (say, under 100 years old) fear overpowered and rich Old Ones who in turn respect Ancients. And Ancients don’t give a fuck about anything anymore. 

Likeable characters and their humorous banter saturated with pop-culture references kept me glued to pages. Serious issues (like racism, bigotry) are well balanced with humour.

Straight Outta Fangton is an excellent popcorn fun. Quick to read, well plotted, clever, and humorous. Highly recommended.

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

DISCLOSURE: I was given a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

In CT Phipps' Straight Outta Fangton (book one in the series of the same name,) a potentially catastrophic threat loomed against the Vampire Nation. But the reader doesn't learn any of that until much later. Instead, the author's initial focus was less on plot, and revolved more around the development of character.

The protagonist, Peter Stone, was working studiously one night at the Quick & Stop, when an unconscious woman was found in an otherwise empty restroom. Peter, an African-American vampire, investigated the unusual occurrence. It was in those early scenes that Phipps slowly unraveled the heart of Stone's character. Inherent in those scenes were also comedic elements which were at times snarky, and in other instances, used as comedic relief. Mostly sarcasm and snark, though, done with an air of expertise.

His companions, David and Melissa, were fairly well-rounded, and that was achieved in two distinctive ways: his long friendship with the former, which became increasingly complex over time, and by what Melissa chose to reveal about herself through dialogue and some questionable decisions. There was enough to satisfy, and Phipps left me wanting more. That was smart, as he'll have the freedom to explore those character further- perhaps intimately-- in future installments.

All of that was shown through Stone's eyes, and the sum of those parts largely helped the maturation of their world. And what a strange world it was. A lot of what made it so inviting (albeit dangerous,) was the mythology that Phipps weaved around the vampire lore. Gone were some of Hollywood's staples, in favor of something different and bold and creative, which shouldn't imply that some of those old tropes weren't present. It was a pleasant mixture of old and new.

Phipps laid the various nuances and rules of his newfound world on the page, seasoning it with details along the way. That made for an easygoing read. There was never too much to absorb at once. To Phipps’ benefit, the admittedly high tensions between humans, vampires, and other magical beings crafted an almost deceptively simple prose.

A lot of the fun derived from learning from and about those characters. They helped inform the dynamics of said world, and the almost tragic consequences. I was utterly fascinated by the reception of the Vampire Nation, and how they'd systematically bailed out the United States and, in turn, devised what became known as New Detroit.

Complicating things further was the grim reality of racism and other prejudices. Like the current US state, these were issues which still divided New Detroit, and the world at large. And Stone seemed to feel the reality of racism and bigotry intensely, not unlike a physical ache, and he tended to call virtually anyone out on it. That became a little too heavy-handed after a time. It was didactic as opposed to theme. It's understandable-even admirable-- that Stone felt incited by past transgressions, but in fiction, reader's don't want preaching. They want results.

Less is almost always more.

It was through those connections, and connections of connections, that the plot gradually emerged, like latent clues on New Age scrolls. But it didn't feel like plot, or even subplot. It was more like cause and effect of their adventures.

Phipps utilized a myriad of pop culture references, which helped enrich his world more and more, while also revealing interesting quirks about the trio of characters. However, they popped up more than necessary. At the same time, it's kind of hard to imagine Fangton with less references, if only because they showcased the wealth of literary knowledge in Phipps' arsenal. Never once did he come across as pretentious.

Along the way, something was always happening. There was never a dull moment. And everything served a purpose: either to move the story forward or as character development. Oftentimes the two worked in conjunction.

The grandiosity of the plot was finally revealed, and with it, many action-infused scenes, unpredictable twists, a plethora of emotions, intrigue, and a very satisfying conclusion.

Why four stars instead of five? Although minimal, there were parts which could have used an additional edit, to rectify some occasional typos, needless words, and awkward dialogue. They briefly took me out of the story, but never to the extent that it took anything away. Otherwise, it was a very solid performance.


I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel, 100 Miles and Vampin’.

[Aubrey Law · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a highly entertaining story about modern vampires with plenty of action and humor blended in. There are cool bloodsucker references from Blade to Buffy to Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned. If you enjoy comedy, supernatural, and paranormal elements, all combined in a gripping story, then you should definitely check out this book.

[Rebekah Teller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Stone hasn't been a vampire very long, but long enough to recognize when the evening is going terribly wrong. What starts out as helping a new vampire with the transition turns into a complex night of lavish parties and unforeseen deceit wrought with conspiracies. Plus what would a vampire story be without bloodthirsty vampire hunters!

Set in New Detroit, where vampires have built up a Vegas-like capital for tourism and glamorized their nightlife, Straight Outta Fangton delivers a daring plan that unfolds into a complex plot that degrades into all-out war.

The more Phipps work I read, the more I enjoy his fun style. The dialogue and characterization bring some lighthearted moments to an otherwise intense conflict. Peter is frustrated with the realities of his dead-end unlife, but begrudgingly still cares for his creator, Thoth. When he finds out a psychotic vampire hunter is in town, he goes to warn Thoth of the hunter's violent plans to attack the Old Ones.

Naturally, there's a lot more history to it than Peter was aware of, and in playing his part to protect his way of life, he must confront his own personal history, from the people he loved to the terrors he took part in.

The tension picks up considerably toward the end, and I enjoyed being fully immersed in this extravagant tale. I loved the variety and depth Phipps brought to the characters and the vampire culture in general. I highly recommend this book to readers looking for a smart urban fantasy with violence and action, and vampires that are decadent and bold without being romanticized.

[David Hambling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straight Outta Fangton is an irreverent and action-packed parody of vampire movies. The tropes are all in here but not like you’ve seen them before.
Protagonist Peter Stone is a vampire who works in a convenience store along with slacker friends David -- Stone’s blood-servant and wannabe vampire -- and drug-addled Steve, who just happens to be a werewolf. When they find a woman mysteriously dumped in the rest room, having just been ‘turned’ and becoming a vampire herself, it’s up to Stone to give her a crash-course in how to handle her new un-life as a vampire. Except that the plot then kicks in and the gang find themselves on a rollercoaster of gratuitous violence and vampire politics.
The plot more elaborate than you might expect, and serves as a vehicle for the gags, which dig up all varieties of bloodsucker from Nosferatu to Orlock to Yorga to Blade and resurrect them as comedy-horror turns. There are even with nods to Chocula and Count Von Count, referencing vampire’s old but rarely-used weakness of having to count scattered mustard seeds as a kind of undead OCD. Twinkly vampires are duly scorned, with the taunt “You got Twilighted!” tossed at victims of vampiric seducers. I can’t think how Duckula got missed, because Phipps certainly knows his vampires, but hey, it’s only the first book of a series.
The style is very much RPG-lit, with a group of snarky characters trading banter as they take on an undead uber-baddie and his army of heavily-armed minions. Machine-guns, explosives and Japanese swords are deployed freely and there’s enough gore to fill a swimming pool, but none of it if very serious.
Fun, frothy and bloody.

[Bookwyrm Speaks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Stone, or just Stone as he likes to be called, is at a bit of a loss. Here he is, one of the mighty undead, who are finally out of the coffin after bailing out the US after a financial collapse, a Vampire and Iraq war vet, and he cant seem to catch a break. No fancy clothes, no riches, no sports cars or exotic models looking to be his thralls. Instead, he's working at a low paying convenience store, exiled from the vampire society, and his only thrall is David, who is no ones idea of a model.

He's going nowhere fast, until one day his werewolf boss tells him that someone has OD'd in the bathroom of the store. Stone checks it out, and it's worse than that. Someone has dumped a newly changed vampire in the bathroom, mad with blood lust. Well, that can't be good. After attacking Stone, the fledgling vampire, Melissa, is subdued, and they discover she was an anti monster activist. They then discover she was turned by an overpowered vampire who used to be a Templar Knight who is almost unkillable, and has been hunting vampires since the middle ages. Stone takes her to see Thoth, his Creator and one of the Masters of New Detroit.

This starts a chain reaction of events, as a power play is taking place, with the Templar trying to take out the lead vampires and some lower rank vampires making moves of their own, which leads to Stone's and crew's final confrontation with the Templar and his expendable allies, with Stone being spectacularly outclassed but still struggling to win in the end.

This is the type of book I expect CT Phipps to write. Comedic, but with interesting characters, much deeper than you'd expect world building, great villains (a real strength of all his books) and a plot that just keeps racing along. Even the supporting characters are fleshed out, which is another strength of this writer. The pop culture references also fly fast and furious, everything from Twilight to Star Wars, again, something he does in all his books.

The only thing I had any issues with was the final battle with the Templar. While it had a satisfying conclusion, it was a bit quick. I suspect that might have been intentional, but it was something unusual for this author. Other than that minor point, this was one excellent novel.

Cary Hite is a revelation as a narrator. He really brings the story to life, giving each character a life of their own. He has a great voice, and his use of accents and inflection is excellent. Definitely on my list of top narrating talent.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone who is into urban fantasy or likes a good supernatural romp. You wont be disappointed

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review is here, on my blog!~

This is the story of Peter Stone, who is a vampire who has been exiled by his maker from his hometown of New Detroit, where vampires are actually quite numerous. He makes his way by working at a convenience store, not unlike a 7-11, with his boss the werewolf drug addict, and his friend and servant (someone who serves a vampire for a time until they change them).

When they find a newly made vampire in the ladies room of the store one night, one who was made and then left there alone without any of the support a newly made vampire would need, Peter steps in to help her out, and to see if he can figure out who she is and why someone would do this to her. In trying to figure it out he runs into all kinds of vampire shenanigans.

This story wasn’t too bad. It was well written and engaging enough that I never had a problem staying interested in it. I liked Peter, as a character, and I rooted for him to win the day, so to speak. This one, like the Weredeer series is full of pop culture references, some of which seemed admittedly a little out of place at times, but not too often.

Cary Hite, the narrator, was probably most of the reason I liked this book as much as I did. He was a fantastic narrator for this book, and he made every character in it come to life for me. I especially loved his narration of the character of Thoth (I dunno if I spelled that right, because audiobook) who is Peter’s maker. He’s described as having a very slight Caribbean accent, and Cary Hite totally nailed it. It was just perfectly slight. So super well done on the narration front. I’ll definitely endeavor to listen to books that he narrates in the future.

All told, I had a pretty good time with this one. It wasn’t my favorite vampire fantasy novel, but it was certainly an interesting idea to see things from the POV of a poor vampire in a city full of vampires and how he makes his way in the world.

Thanks to the author for the review copy of this audiobook!~

[Mihir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review over at Fantasy Book Critic

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Straight Outta Fangton while having a funny, catchy title also has a great story. Charles T. Phipps wrote this book because he wanted to do a slightly different spin on one the most overused supernatural creatures to be found in the speculative fiction genre. He wrote about how he believes that Vampires need to be brought back to their scary days.

The main story begins with Peter Stone, a poor vampire who works in a convenience store. He frequently tries to make sense of his recent status and he’s also hassled by his co-worker who wants him to turn him. Things get hairy when Peter discovers a newly-formed vampire in his store bathroom and no idea about who created the vampire. Forced to return to New Detroit to his maker, Peter tries to make sense of the new horror unfolding. But what he finds are the some of the same issues that previously caused him to leave. He however does make contact with his maker and what he learns will shock him to his core.

That’s the central plot which then spirals into many more twists and goes into full blown horror that’s tinged with dark comedy. I loved this urban fantasy because the story was so unpredictable, imagine if Blade was a broke vampire trying to do the right thing and trying to solve a murder-resurrection. Peter Stone is a fascinating narrator and as a vampire trying to retain what’s left of his humanity He’s the main draw of the story as we see the story almost entirely via his POV. His powers haven’t flowered but he still does his best to do what’s necessary.

Another aspect which I enjoyed is the setting of the New Detroit, which is a weird mix of a vampire mecca and Las Vegas. It has the decadence and the debauchery that vampires have been famous for and some more. The author presents New Detroit in fleeting glimpses and factoids that add to its mystique. Lastly the story is very much like a procedural but flipped completely on its head as the mystery being investigated is who created an undead. I liked how the author managed to make it interesting and yet made it original via the merging of vampires and procedural aspects.

There’s a duality that is enhanced within this book, Peter a vampire trying to be more like a human. This plot is a vampire story that reads like a crime procedural, the comedy and horror aspects often take turns twisting the plot further. Lastly the main antagonist is also doing something good (from a human perspective) while not being entirely of the same species. All of the characters struggle with this duality of purpose and yet strive harder to accomplish their goals.

The only thing that would have made this book a five star read was the world-building wasn’t done all the way. What I mean by this is that while the world is constantly peeked at, we are never given a full accounting. I would loved to see what the rest of the world and the country looks like with the vampire reveal. How would it affect the geo-political situations? What would happen to regions and their predictable reactions? All of this and much more was not entirely shown but just hinted at. Now I realize that this is a short first entry so the author might be planning to further uncover the world in the sequels.

Straight Outta Fangton is a wonderful mix of urban fantasy, dark comedy and scary vampires. It reads very much like a thriller and whose pace will have you flipping pages as fast as you can. Charles Phipps is an author who is revealing himself to be a master of many genres as he continues to thrill and amaze.

[Kit (Metaphors and Moonlight) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

Review:
*I received an audio copy of this book from the author. This has not influenced my review.*

This book just kind of missed the mark for me, but I think it was me, not the book. This was a fun take on vampires that allowed for both the decadent, sexy kind as well as a more down-to-earth, human kind. Our protag, Peter, was Black, a veteran, a little bitter about his current situation but with a good sense of humor, and definitely on the down-to-earth side of the vampire spectrum.

I just never really got into the story though. There was too much plot for one book, at least for the first book in a series, in my opinion. I got a bit lost when it came to the politics (all the different groups and schemes and motivations) and the flashbacks, and I didn't feel an emotional connection with the characters. And although I did chuckle sometimes---and outright laughed at the very last line of the book---not all of the humor worked for me. There were a lot of pop culture references I didn't get.

But I did really like the sweet but banter-y familial relationship between Peter and his creator, some of the stuff about the vampires and how their society worked was interesting, and there was a mix of humor, intensity, action, and realism (including things like bigotry) that a lot of people will enjoy, especially anyone who's looking for a less sexy vampire story.

I listened to the audiobook for this, narrated by Cary Hite. He did a great job at bringing some of the characters to life, especially the main character. His tone matched the humorous, quippy feel of the book. Aside from the more emotional moments (especially if the character was screaming), female voices sounded good enough. Thoth's slight Caribbean accent sounded fine (though I'm not super familiar with Caribbean accents). My one issue was that sometimes the narrator sounded a tiny bit stiff or unnatural with strange pauses and cadence. It was a small enough issue that it was still a decent audiobook though.

*I’ve read this book multiple times. This review was written after my 1st read, slightly updated after my 2nd read.*

Reread Ratings:
3 Stars (1st Read - 2018)
3 Stars (2nd Read - 2020)

Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight

[Tammy - Books, Bones & Buffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free from the Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The nitty-gritty: Gritty, fast paced and full of humor, C.T. Phipps takes the tried and true vampire genre and gives it a unique spin.

A good half of the thugs present pulled out pistols, crossbows, swords, and bats with silver spikes, and one guy grew what look to be Wolverine’s claws.

“Damn,” David said, surveying the main hall. “We’ve been Wrath of Khan-ed!”

“That’s from Moby Dick originally,” Melissa corrected, staring forward in horror.

“Who gives a shit!” I shouted.

As soon as I heard the title of this book, I knew I’d be in for a particular type of humor. I also knew it could go either way for me, since I’m pretty picky about humor in fiction. But I needn’t have worried. Straight Outta Fangton struck my funny bone just right and I had a blast reading this book. 

The story takes place in a world where vampires exist alongside humans in a carefully controlled manner, as only one vampire for every 100,000 humans is allowed to be created. Watching over the denizens of Vampire Nation is a hierarchy of powerful Old Ones who also control the money that feeds into the system. Peter is vampire with a lowly job at a Qwik & Shop, barely eking out a living. But things are about to get interesting, when one evening at work, the body of a young woman is discovered in the bathroom. Only she’s not exactly dead. She’s a newly turned vampire named Melissa, and after Peter uncovers the details behind her turning, he realizes that something fishy is going on.

First of all, Melissa is able to say words like “God” and “Jesus” which most vampires aren’t able to utter at all. Even stranger, when they take a look at the security camera footage to see who did the deed, there’s no one there. This leads Peter to conclude that an Old One, a very old vampire, was probably the culprit, since only vampires who have been around hundreds of years have the power of invisibility. The whole thing feels like a set-up for something bigger, and Peter, David and Melissa are about to find out what that is.

Phipps does a great job of taking everything you’ve ever heard about the vampire mythos and adding his own spin to it. His world-building was an interesting mix of the familiar—vampires drink blood, burn up in the sun, and have servants like Renfield from Dracula— with some new ideas, like biting someone is an intense sexual experience for both the vampire and the victim. I also loved the social hierarchy he’s created. There are lots of rules to this world, about which vampires are on the top of the food chain and which ones are at the bottom. And although it’s illegal to kill vampires, of course there are hate groups out there that don’t want them around. Overall, Phipp’s world feels awfully familiar to our own, except it’s populated with supernatural creatures. The setting of Detroit—in this case called New Detroit and Old Detroit, depending on which part of town you’re in—was a perfect dark and gritty city for this story and added plenty of atmosphere.

I enjoyed the characters, especially Peter, David and Melissa. This is a very big cast and at times it felt a bit overcrowded to me. But I did love the interactions among these three in particular. Melissa, ironically, is a member of the Human Rights League, one of the aforementioned vampire protest groups, so you can imagine how awkward it is when she discovers she is now a vampire. David really grew on me as well. He starts out as sort of annoying, but as the story progresses, he turns out to be an important member of the team. Also, he desperately wants Peter to turn him (he’s a servant and he has to pay his dues first!)

Phipps’ writing is pretty good, I’m happy to report. He really has a knack for funny, punchy dialog, which always gets extra points from me. He’s got a great ear for comedic timing as well, which makes me wonder if he might be really good at writing screenplays. The banter between the characters is so funny at times that I laughed out loud.

I think my favorite parts of Straight Outta Fangton , however, were all the pop culture references that Phipps gleefully throws into the story. It’s clear he’s a big movie buff, because Peter compares everything to the movies he's seen and the books he's read. If you’re a lover of genre pop culture like l am, and you’re of an age where 70s, 80s and 90s entertainment shout-outs make you smile—Stephenie Meyer and Twilight , Buffy , The Matrix , and Star Wars, just to mention a few—then you’ll have a blast with this book. (And big bonus points Mr Phipps, for the Buffy mention!)

The story does get a little confusing at times. Phipps adds in quite a few flashback scenes, as Peter recalls important moments from his past, and although I usually love flashbacks, it wasn’t always easy to tell where they began and ended. I think some simple visual breaks would have made these scenes stand out more, so it could just be a matter of text formatting. The flashbacks definitely added an extra layer to the story, so I’m very glad they were included.

All in all, I had so much fun with Straight Outta Fangton . For a novel with a tagline like “A Comedic Vampire Story,” there is quite a bit of unexpected depth and intricate plotting to this book.

Big thanks to C.T. Phipps for supplying a review copy.This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy

[Miranda Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel???

I enjoyed this book and am curious...Is a sequel coming soon?! It had funny moments but also many references to movies I had no clue about that kinda left me outta the loop. Even thought I didn't connect with a character I still enjoyed the book and would read the sequel!! I recommend the book to anyone who enjoys vampire stories!!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I'd like to thank the author Charles Phipps for sending me a paperback copy of this book free of charge. This was a nice surprise and it turned out to be a cracking read. Rated at 4.5/stars.

I know what you're thinking; another tale about Vampires. Which it is. But this one is about Peter Stone; a black Vampire working in a Quick & Shop. A young Vampire who commands little respect among his kind, Peter is about to enter into a war that even a Vampire might not return from to stop an ancient called Renaud from destroying their kind altogether.

As in this author's other books that I have read; he uses films, comics, actors and actresses from the real world that people will be familiar with to enrich the comedy element in the main plotline. I like this; it gives readers reference points that help them identify with the jokes. Okay, so I didn't get all of them, but that's because I don't watch a huge amount of TV.

A couple of comedy examples. There is a reference to vampire lore being consistent with The Count from Sesame Street, which I laughed at.

Dracula being referred to as - Mr I'm so famous, I'm too cool for my family. (For me, a bit like Macbeth being referred to as 'The Scottish Play in Blackadder').

And my personal favourite: Talking with fangs makes you sound like Sylvester the cat. And that totally destroys any credibility you have as an undead fiend.

If you like a Vampire tale then I'm confident that you will like this. Well done to the author for some great work here that made me laugh and cringe a bit too! I look forward to reading more of your books.

[Martin Owton · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I've read several CT Phipps books and I've got used to the style. Fast-moving action filled kinda pulpy with lots of pop culture geeky references and dreadful puns. So this one is a bit different - there are no puns. All the rest of the Phipps brand is there though, so you'll like this if you've enjoyed his other works as he maintains the standard.

[Matthew Davenport · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a Phipps-Fan. It’s a fact, and anyone reading this blog on any sort of regular basis is well aware of that. With that being said, I was avoiding reading Straight out of Fangton because nothing about it sounded appealing to me. Mostly because it’s labeled as a parody vampire novel, and for some reason I tend to ignore parody books even though I only ever enjoy them. For example, I never crave to read anything by A. Lee Martinez, but then I do and I fall in love with it and don’t know why I didn’t pick it up sooner. To follow that example of my thinking, I’ll then forget how much I love A. Lee Martinez’s work and then do the same damn thing when his next book comes out. They’re great books that never disappoint, but I fall into the same, “But it’s funny, so I won’t like it” kind of thinking every time.
That’s what happened with Straight out of Fangton. I read and loved a bunch of Phipps’ books and then I heard about Fangton, and decided to avoid it. Lucky for me, I ran out of things to read and decided to give it a try.
First of all, allow me to clear something up: Straight out of Fangton is portrayed as a parody, but it’s anything but. When I hear parody, I think of Mel Brooks taking on genre films. This isn’t the case with Fangton. I wouldn’t even label it a comedy, although it has comedic moments. This is an original Vampire story in the vein of Blade or Interview with a Vampire. This is good vampire fiction that doesn’t have a problem questioning the things that are kind of silly in other vampire stories (ie: the phrase “You’ve been Twilighted” is used a few times, and it works wonderfully well).
This story follows Peter Stone in Detroit after Detroit has been converted to New Detroit, a new home for the publicly acknowledged undead. The world is essentially the same, except there are more undead folks everywhere. The story kicks off when a Vampire-Hunter turned vampire is found in a bathroom at the gas station that Peter works. He decides he can’t just leave her there and ends up on a journey to stop an Ancient self-hating vampire from eliminating the Vampire-Nation.
The comedy/parody is kept to minimal levels, nowhere near what’s implied if you read the other reviews. The best part about this entire story is the weight of the world on the characters. I’ve pointed out in previous reviews that most of Phipps’ main characters go through an intense amount of development, but in this story he did something different. Peter Stone’s character is well defined and likable at the beginning and throughout, instead, the Vampire Nation goes through development and growth as Peter stands outside of the nest coaxing them to join him in the open world. It’s very different from the usual Phipps-fare, but very well done.
I give this novel a 5 out of 5 and can’t believe it took me this long to get to it.

[Jennifer (bunnyreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very entertaining. I kind of knew what to expect from this after having read I Was a Teenage Weredeer and wasn’t disappointed in the quality. There is no doubt in Phipp’s skill in balancing comedy with a surprisingly more complicated world and plot than you’d expect from a fun popcorn read.

Peter Stone’s boring and rather less classy life than he expected to have after being made a vamp, is about to get exciting, when he comes across a young woman (Melissa) that has been newly turned in the washroom of the gas station where he works.

There are quite few policies to do with turning humans to Vampires so this unregistered find is a bit of a problem and needs to brought before the elder, kicking off the uncovering of a scheme to change the power structure of the Vampire Nation and efforts to stop it.
From start to finish this book was full. Action, some gore (it is a vampire book after all) witty dialogue, every bit of vampire lore, and pop culture you can think of and some really fun characters. I particularly enjoyed Pater and David’s relationship and I have to appreciate that with a cast this large I didn’t have one issue telling the characters apart, which for me is a big deal.

A huge amount of credit goes to the narrator Cary Hite for his highly entertaining portrayal of Peter and the rest of the characters. I laughed out loud a few times and with a book that has this much dialogue and witty comebacks between characters, it would have been easy to have everyone start sounding the same after awhile. While some of this is credit to the author for keeping his characters clear and distinctive from one another, I never once had an issue telling who was who during the audio (even when a character went off screen and came back later on in the story) and also considering he’s a dude, he even managed to make the women sound a bit different while staying out of that ‘nagging wife voice’ that you sometimes get when men read women characters.

I think I enjoyed this one even more than Teenage Weredeer, although that might have more to do with the audio. Listening to conversation heavy stories over reading them is definitely more fun, especially when you have such a talented reader.

4.5


-Thank you to the author C.T. Phipps, for generously providing an audio copy through Esme’s tbrinder matchmaking reviewer/author service, which you can find here at The Weatherwax Report-

https://weatherwaxreport.blog/2018/04...

[The Drowsy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straight Outta Fangton is a fast-paced urban fantasy told from the perspective of the dryly funny and sardonic (without being annoyingly so) Peter. Peter is like the vampire dude you’d most want to hang out with if you ever became a vampire yourself. The story moved quickly and what interested me was learning about the supernatural world C.T. Phipps has created. It’s always fun to see how different authors write vastly different worlds and backgrounds for their vampire characters. I liked this version’s heirarchy with the “new” younger vampires wanting to revolt against the ancient old ones. This is my second C.T. Phipps book and I enjoyed it even more than the first (I was a Teenager Were-Deer). Peter is a great character and I liked learning about his his past, through just enough snippets here and there to give you insight into his mindset. He’s been through some disturbing s*#$ which is explained without the present storyline being disrupted. Speaking of which, the book itself is not very long so it definitely moves along at lightning speed. There’s the initial mystery of who turned the vamp in the women’s bathroom, which quickly spirals us towards anti-vampire hate groups, species rivalry, mind-controlling villains, and David. (That was the best ending!) Sometimes you just need to read a fun book, and this is the perfect little nugget of entertainment.

[Karyn H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Urban Fantasy- Your Reality

A comical story about Vampires and their survival within the vampire world.
From the last book I read from C.T Phipps- I was a teenage Weredeer, Straight Outta Fangton was weirder, but a highly intelligent read, but with a nice storyline. The sense of humor was amazing. From Peter's opening remarks to the end was enjoyable. 196 pages of humor, fantasy, and mater slave characters were entwined in the pages. As I read this book on the "darker subject matters" I wondered how can so much humor be entwined and weaved into its pages.

Peter, the main character, is a broke black young guy whose fantasies are that of "Blade's". His poverty and the disgusting job he had at a night 7-11 sickened him. He often wondered where are his riches and thought of being a vampire would somehow be a more 'glamorous and productive. Disgusted by his minimum wage job and David, his servant, and master made him further doubt himself as a vampire. However, the story took an exciting twist with Melissa - a vampire who is uncertain about being a "vegan or not".
Although there are too many things going on, the story is intriguing and filled with drama and entertainment.

[Cmoore · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a seriously fun little book! I'm not a real Vampire fan-girl, so I don't normally pick up Vampire books, but this story sounded so tongue-in-cheek and lighthearted that I had to snatch it up... and I'm soooo glad that I did!
I loved Peter Stone, our protagonist in this tale. He's a sci-fi movie-nerd, and even though he's just a poor black vampire that's been exiled by his maker, he's got an upstanding sense of morality! When he saves a newly made vampire from losing her mind, the story heats up. Peter realizes that he's prolly in over his head... and so, swallowing his pride, he asks his Vampire family for help!
You get plenty of action, and the jokes fly, as Peter unravels a plot to destroy New Detroit... and the fragile truce with the humans...
Cary Hite gives us a perfect performance by capturing the essence and nuances of the story. Exactly as we'd hope Peter Stone would sound like!

[Lynn K : Grimmedian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you remember your favorite Vampire in any book or film? Whomever you choose, whatever type of vamps you’ve loved, you’ll find good reason to read this book. I have been a big fan of Anne Rice’s Lestat for decades. I loved The Lost Boys, Van Helsing, and Being Human was an awesome show on both sides of the pond. Then there was Trueblood. Which turned into a huge disappointment in later seasons, but’s that’s because C T Phipps wasn’t writing for them. If he had been we’d still be watching today. Except we’d have a city, like Detroit, in which many Old Ones are seeking to create a vampire utopia, and it would involve a lot more politics.
Now, one of my favorite vamps is Stone. Peter Stone. I’ve never met a vamp like this guy and his current predicament makes a damn fine story.
Straight Outta Fangton is intensely funny and snarky while it maintains a unique view of undead life. Character driven to the core. This would make an extremely well-loved series on screen. We need more black vampires as main characters in this genre. Especially since this is a self described comedy. The quips are intelligently done and fit the characters perfectly, creating a relatable scenario full of nerdy book and film one liners.
Phipps has done some really nice work here. The plot is a mystery which is not so cliched, that you spotted it in chapter one. Kudos on that storyline Charles! The dialogue, while both hysterical and campy at times is quite good. The world building is terrific.

The supernaturals are varied and their plight, their actions, and especially the cold hearted way in which they view mortal lives while playing the long game as they age through centuries is fascinating.

A tangled mix of heated divisive views creates a great weakness in council of the Vampire Nation and now the Vampires, including the Ancient Ones, with their long laid plans, are being hunted by one of their most feared enemies.
A thorough pleasure to read. Looking forward to the next.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Straight Outta Fangton: A comedic Vampire Story by C.T.Phipps is a dark at times supernatural read but with a comedic touch at the same time.

The book is fast paced with pop culture references. It has the reader intrigued from the first sentence. We meet Peter Stone a black vampire that feels he should be living the dream, big fancy house, fast cars and living the life of luxury. Whereas in reality he is poor and working in a gas station store, a rather dull uneventful life. However when a newly transformed vampire gets left in the bathroom to the gas station he works at, his life no longer is dull but rather action packed as he finds himself slap bang in the middle, of a plot by vampire hunters, supernatural revolutionaries and a French knight from millennia's ago hell bent to remove all supernatural's from the earth.

Although I'm not a fan of dark supernatural reads, this was thoroughly enjoyable and I think the edge of comedy written made this worth a read without a doubt.

[Mar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Straight Outta Fangton plays with the title of the beloved movie Straight Outta Compton and the resemblances are there for anyone who wants to go into that direction.
But Straight Outta Fangton has earned the right to be discussed on its own: just follow the story of Peter, a vampire who works in a convenience store and lives a not very glamorous life and then gets thrown into a world where his life (or death?) is always on the line. It’s an urban fantasy, with a splash of thriller, with a great comedic tone, quirky and sarcastic. The pace is quite good and you’ll keep reading until the very end without feeling disappointed.
The author does a brilliant work creating a fantasy world with amazing characters that work very well together. It was a very enjoyable reading.

[Victoria Haugen · Rating 5 out of 5]

HILARIOUS! Yes, it's hilarious. And with vampires! Great combo, it works and it's AWESOME.

Life sucks for hard-working vampire Peter Stone. It sucks even worse when he meets a mysterious stranger, and is tossed into the middle of a world of danger and hurt. NOT FUN. That's what you get for helping people, right?

Great story, loved the characters, and the narration was great too. A definite GEM.
Check it out! :)
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.