The Castle Doctrine

Daniel Faust #6

by Craig Schaefer, Adam Verner (Narrator)

Out of prison and back on the streets, Daniel Faust returns home to a city on fire. The Chicago mob is making their play for control of Las Vegas, with an army of gunmen and a lethal shapeshifter on their side, while Daniel's friend Jennifer marshals the forces of the Vegas underworld. Staying on the sidelines isn't an option, especially when a Metro detective orders him to get the war under control -- and if he can't, he'll expose Daniel's secrets to the FBI.

It's a bad time for ghosts of the past to come calling, but Damien Ecko is on his way with a hit list and a legion of walking corpses. Marked for death by the courts of hell, the mad necromancer plans on making sure that everyone who framed him, Daniel first and foremost, dies along with him.

Hunted by the living and the dead, pushed to his limits, Daniel will have to be smarter, faster, and more ruthless than he's ever been. He'll need to call upon new, dark powers, and darker allies. His enemies thought they took everything he had. They couldn't take his hunger. When this war is over, Daniel Faust will rise like a phoenix...or go down in flames.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Demons, Fiction, Audiobook

Audible Audio

First published September 26, 2016

About the author

Craig Schaefer's books have taken readers to the seamy edge of a criminal underworld drenched in shadow (the Daniel Faust series), to a world torn by war, poison and witchcraft (the Revanche Cycle), and across a modern America mired in occult mysteries and a conspiracy of lies (the Harmony Black series).

Despite this, people say he's strangely normal. Suspiciously normal, in fact. His home on the Web is www.craigschaeferbooks.com.

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 5 out of 5]

➽ And the moral of this rerereread is: self-mummifying villains + Boris Karloff + one of the longest-running evil schemes in the history of longest-running evil schemes + Prince Citron + Daniel Faust and fudge (practically the same thing) + the sheer brilliance of the First Story =



➽ And the other moral of this rerereread is: “Now watch me pull a rabbit out of this fucking hat” is still one of the best lines ever, in case you were wondering.

Until next time and stuff 👋.



[May 2020]

🃏 Get Those Magic Decks Of Cards Out of Storage We're Doing the Danny-Boy-IS-MINE⁠ Thingie Again Buddy Reread (GTMDoCOoSWDtDBIMTABR™) with the MacHalos and Stuff 🃏

➽ And the moral of this rereread is: demons and mobsters and zombie conga lines, oh my bloody shrimping my!



➽ And the other moral of this rereread is: very little scares the Las Vegas occult underworld. But show them this ↓↓ and I guarantee they'll bolt faster than it takes to shoot someone in the back between the eyes, asking for their mommy.



Noooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not the Salad Garden of Doom and Oblivion (SGoDaO™)!!!!!!!!! (That's Lauren Carmichael Traumatizitis—LCT™—for you.)



[June 2018]

☢ Daniel Faust and Cait are Mine Mine Mine Buddy Reread with my MacHalo Wives and Daughters and Stuff (DFaCaMMMBRwmMWaSaS™) ☢

10 star rating still stands. Just so you know.

➽ And the moral of this reread is : that body count. Pretty sure we've entered Guinness Book of World Records territory with this instalment *exoskeleton starts tingling uncontrollably* It looks like my Danny Boy is turning into quite the vindictive, vengeful homicidal maniac *insert dreamy sigh here* He and my Jimmy Stark really are the perfect brother-husband team any nefarious girl could ask for. Most blissfully contended I feel right now.



Oh, and by the way: the twins are MINE. Because they're the best "still-thing-helpers" anyone could ever dream of. Also, they're "too hot to be poor." Also also, they "make everything awesome." But, most importantly, because they know what pinky swearing entails. Yes they do. Just ask Danny Boy.



Actual rating: 10 stars. Hell yeah.

“Now watch me pull a rabbit out of this fucking hat.”

And, just like this, Daniel Faust went from best UF series with a male lead to Mostest Awesomest UF series ever. That's right, people, I'm bumping this one up up up to the top of my Utmostest Brilliantest UF List (UBUL™). Which means MY Danny Boy will now have to share the #1 spot on said list with the somewhat wondrous chick named Kate Daniels. Uh-oh, I have a bad feeling about this. Better make sure these two don't get too uncomfortably close. Calling His Furriness as we speak. I'm not that possessive, but he is, so I'm pretty sure he'll know how to deal with this potentially dangerous situation.



Yep, looks pretty good to me. I think that'll work beautifully, your Fussiness.

Sooooo, why did The Castle Doctrine propel Daniel Faust he is MINE, by the way. I might have mentioned it before, but I don't think so. Besides, rehashing these things never hurts. So many Book Boyfriend Snatchers (BBS™) out there, you gotta try and discourage them somehow into Galactically Invicible UF Territory (GIUT™)? Because…

➽ This is UF for grown-ups, my Little Barnacles! This ain't for the silly faint of heart, my Lovely Decapods! This ain't for lovers of fluffy bunnies, cute kitties, and pastel colored rainbows, my Enchanting Arthropods! Such disgusting, revolting things are not allowed in Danny Boy's world! And for that alone, I slightly worship Craig Schaefer. This glorious world here is beautifully dark. And getting darker by the minute, too. It's deliciously gritty. It's delightfully overflowing with shady, devious, unscrupulous and downright evil types. And it's exquisitely sprinkled with a generous dose of blood and gore. And, with each new instalment, Schaefer takes things up a notch. Or two. Or three. This. Is. Pure. Freaking. Bliss.



➽ Daniel Faust is most decidedly not a good guy. You know how sometimes you have Supposedly Wicked Anti-Hero Wannabes (SWAHW™) who end up being 90% good guy and 10% bad guy EW. EW. EW. YUCK. YUCK. YUCK)? Well Danny Boy sure ain't one of them. Alleluliah to Jesus and stuff. The guy is 95% bad guy and 5% good guy. Well, that's when he's in a good mood. Try to screw with him or his beautifully murderous family (also known as the rainbow coalition of scumbags), and he turns into 150% bad guy. Who will do anything, and go to any lengths, to make you pay. No mercy. All ruthlessness. Caleb Shepperd, you've just been dethroned (sorry, Pippa!) Danny Boy, Book Boyfriend #1 forever!



A note to the fluffy bunny lovers : MY Danny Boy might be sorta ruthless and stuff, but he's not the Totally Villainous Type (TVT™). His moral compass might be slightly screwed up, but hey, at least he's got one! Besides, as my friend Gavin the Astute said, it's not Danny Boy you have to worry about, it's Caitlin, his girlfriend. Now that chick really is something. She's the awesome kind of girl who thinks going out to commit a murder (or two, or three) is the perfect date. She's got a thing for snapping necks, too. And she's got a divine set of deliciously serrated teeth. Caitlin baby, you are so hot. Can I interest you in a slightly polygamous relationship with Danny Boy and my little self? I'm pretty sure we'd have a ferociously lethal grand time together.



➽ This series might Urban freaking Fantasy, but it feels bloody real. Because it's brilliantly written, and fantastically developed, and because characterization is amazing. It's a constantly evolving world. Characters grow, relationships evolve ,people drop like flies. My mind is spectacularly blown. I kid you not. And if you know of my stellar UF track record, I have no doubt you will be kinda sorta flabbergasted by this Slightly Momentous Somewhat Historic Event (SMSHE™).

» And the moral of this Hands Off MY Boyfriend or I'll Put a Lovely Bullet through your Lovely Head Crappy Non Review (HOMBoIPaLBtyLHCNR™) is: Danny Boy is MINE. So QED and stuff.

PS: read this and weep, Jim Butcher. Because yeah, compared to Danny Boy here, Harry Dresden is a total wimp who lives in Care Bears Land.
PPS: Craig Schaefer, congratulations. You just made it to my very exclusive Official Worshipping List (OWL™). Because, yeah, you are that cool.



· Book 1: The Long Way Down ★★★★★
· Book 1.5: The White Gold Score ★★★★★
· Book 2: Redemption Song ★★★★★
· Book 3: The Living End ★★★★★
· Book 4: A Plain-Dealing Villain ★★★★★
· Book 5: The Killing Floor Blues ★★★★★
· Book 6.1: Sweet, Blissful Certainty ★★★
· Book 7: Double or Nothing ★★★★★
· Book 7.1: A Drive in the Country ★★★★
· Book 7.2: Sixty Six Seconds ★★★★
· Book 8: The Neon Boneyard ★★★★★
· Book 9: The Locust Job ★★★★★
· Book 10: Down Among the Dead Men ★★★★★
· Book 11: Dig Two Graves ★★★★★

[Lo9man88 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The biggest enemy to Daniel Faust in this thrilling novel is himself, sure there is an inter-metropolitan gang war going on , a three millennia old necromancer with a huge grudge in his "stony" heart, and a certain "smiley" enemy lurking in the shadows ... but all of that comes secondary to his internal struggle with who he is and what he should be.

[carol. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sixth installment in the Daniel Faust series is a solid entry into one of the better urban fantasy series out there.

“Now I was free and clear. Free to answer one burning question. What do you do when you lose it all?”

If you remember–and surely, I eventually won’t–book five in the series, The Killing Floor Blues, was set in a prison, with Faust eventually breaking free–although the price was remaining legally dead, at least to law enforcement. Las Vegas is in the midst of a turf war, with Chicago mobsters trying to move into the vacancy left by former head Nikki, who hasn’t been seen in months. Faust and friends are hoping a talk with the head of the Chicago Family will pull the invaders out, but needless to say, the result is a full-scale war. One of Faust’s old enemies from the fourth book, A Plain Dealing Villain, is also out for revenge, but on the plus side, so is Freddie the fashion designer.

“‘Say the words,’ Freddie told Halima.
‘I’m not saying it.’
Freddie waved a checkbook at her. ‘One thousand dollar donation to the Field Museum, right here and now, but you have to say the words.’
Halima let out a weary sigh and looked our way.
‘Come with me if you want to live,’ she said.
Freddie squealed with delight as we piled into the backseat.”

As always, characterization of the protagonist team shines. Opposition may be a little color-by-number, a detail that perhaps prevents a truly amazing book, but is otherwise unnoticeable. Caitlin plays her usually strong supporting role, and I found myself impressed by her at the end. Schafer captured that sense of Hell’s patience and time. I also appreciated what appears to be developments in Faust’s character, but honestly, I felt a little like I was watching a re-run. I’m not sure if that sense is from the stereotypical ‘rite-of-passage’ personal resolution or that Faust has done it before. I kind of feel it’s the latter. It reminds me more than a bit of the third book in the series, The Living End, where Faust and friends band together to solve a problem.

Like other books, this one is packed with action. I did have a couple troubles with the plotting, the first being Faust’s ‘legally dead’ status being used to brow-beat him into action, when he had enough motivation to do so anyway. The second issue was the trip to Chicago, which made virtually no sense to me in light of Faust’s non-existent standing in the crime scene. That said, it’s a great ride if you just go along with it. For those who want to know about cliffhangers, while the Las Vegas issue is certainly resolved, the issue about the Eternal Story and the mysterious Enemy working against Faust is not.

My edition isn’t as full of outlining as it normally is in a Faust book, but one lovely bit stood out:

“Hospital time is the dark twin to casino time. Both move at their own pace, untouched by the world outside the walls, playing tricks on you and skewing your vision.”

If I debated giving this four stars, it's only because my standards for the series have been set so high. Without doubt, fans of the series will be satisfied by this installment. For those who enjoy urban fantasy with a bit of pseudo-antihero, what are you waiting for?

[Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another fantastic instalment in the Daniel Faust series. This series is easily the best UF series I've read. It has a bit of everything in the form of action, mystery, humor, and even a touch of romance. Not that the inclusion of humor should lead you to believe this is a light read. This series can be pretty dark at times and the occasional bursts of humor stopped it from becoming to grim.

After escaping prison and faking his own death Faust is dead in the eyes of the FBI. Unfortunately for him he has far more powerful enemies and most of them want to see him dead for real. Faust and his friends in the Vegas underworld have to deal with the Chicago mob, who are intent on making Vegas their own. On top of that Faust has a personal nemesis to deal with in the form of Damien Echo, the crazed but powerful necromancer is in Vegas and determined to see Faust dead. As if that was not enough Faust still has looming threat of The Enemy and his minions to deal with. It all made for an action packed and exciting story.

The main thing that stood out in this Faust story was its darker than normal tone. Faust's enemies will stop at nothing to achieve their goals and he had to toughen up to deal with them.

The other think I really loved about this book was the continuing development of the Faust/Caitlin relationship. They make a great couple and are very easy to like but Schaefer again teased us with hints that Caitlin might not be completely trustworthy.

All in all I loved this one. The story was packed with likeable anti-heroes, plenty of cool magic, action, and hilarious moments. It all resulted in a very engaging and enjoyable read.

Rating: 4.5 stars.

Audio Note: I really love Adam Verner's narration of the Faust books. I've even gotten used to his weird accent for Caitlin!

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Castle Doctrine (Daniel Faust #6) by Craig Schaefer just keeps taking this series higher, faster, and adds that special brand of awesomeness to each one! Daniel may be out of prison but his choices are still limited if he wants his friends, family, and town to survive...and himself! He is up against a necromancer that never gets 'dead tired', lol! There are all sorts of people, of sorts, not happy to see him alive after told he was dead. He has to go to some very dangerous lengths to get the power and help he will need. Always exciting, action packed, unpredictable, and love these characters!
The narrator is top notch!

[Choko · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** 4.65 ***

"...“Ahem, yes,” he said. “I arrived this morning to find my workplace quite violated, and the security video is harrowing in its stark portrayal of a nigh-unthinkable reality. The dead became restless and perambulated as one, formed in a line like…like…”
“Like a conga line,” Freddie said. “But without the booze. Or the fun.”..."

Best book in the series so far! Smart, funny, dark, raw and a lot of the Twins!!!! Those girls, the murderous sociopaths that they are, natural monsters with no common sense at all, are my favorite characters in the whole series!!!

"...“We need…a jay. Oh. Bee.” “A job?” I asked. The twins flinched at the word, as if I’d slapped them across the face. “You’re always stealing things,” Juliette said. “We can steal things! We can be your steal-thing-helpers!”

Justine bounced on her tiptoes. “You promise? Pinky swear? That means we can cut your pinky off if you don’t do it.”
“That is not what that means,” I said....

This is where Echo comes after Danny and our magician finally steps up and plays to win!!!

If you are a fan of Faust, you need to get to this one - it is totally worth it!

[Milda Page Runner · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Nicky told me once,” I said, “back when the feds were rustling the bushes, about the castle doctrine. You familiar with the concept?”
“Sure.” She nodded. “Somebody invades your home, you got the right to blow ’em away.”
“He phrased it as more of a…moral imperative. If you don’t fight for your home, if you don’t fight for what you’ve got, with everything you’ve got, you deserve to lose it.”
=====

“To the future,” I said. “May it be bright and shining, as rich and pure as solid gold.” I gazed across the table, meeting every eye, and smiled. “Because we’re going to steal it.”
=====

[Alissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up because this series is getting more and more interesting, thanks to its author’s skill but also thanks to an ever-questing, always developing main character.

And what are you now? A beggar and a trickster, adrift and aimless. You are a boat with no oars and no rudder, a helpless pawn of the tides.

I can’t say I agree with Daniel’s decisions, but it’s easy to connect with him and his fierce love for his chosen family. Again there is little in this book about his newest, deadly foe but enough to move the story forward and set the pieces of this ancient and never-ending curse into motion. I’d loved a less rushed-in finale, but it’s still a highly additive and recommended series.


Hey, maybe my life doesn’t fit some ideal road map, with goalposts and milestones. But whose does? Human lives are messy. We screw up, we make bad decisions. Then we pick ourselves up and try again. That’s how it works.”

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best book of the series. It closes several storylines, and at the same time, leaves the reader hanging, begging for more.

The best part of this book was the growth of Daniel himself. He’s no longer “just” a small-time hustler looking for the next target. This may sound crazy, but I was reminded of Michael Corlione in The Godfather, taking control of his father’s empire. Good stuff.

According to the author, we won’t have to wait as long for the next installment. I hope not!

[Pippa DaCosta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's talk about resurrection, Daniel Faust style. After events of the previous book, Faust has lost everything. But neither the Chicago Outfit or Damien Ecko are going to wait for Faust to get his act together. They're bringing the fight to him. Is he going to take it lying down? Of course not, he's the guy!.

This series is superb. No wishy-washy characters here. Everyone is made of grit and steel. Characters and plot are fully fleshed out, and Schaefer expertly weaves it all together, creating the perfect crescendo.

Down and dirty, bullet to the head, urban fantasy. A genre must read.


"Now watch me pull a rabbit out of this fucking hat." Best. Line. Ever. Bravo, Schaefer, Bravo!

[Mihir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review over at Fantasy Book Critic

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: The Castle Doctrine is the sixth book and like The Living End brings to a solid conclusion one of the main plot arcs introduced in A Plain-Dealing Villain. With this being the sixth book, I'll have to discuss some plot and character details which will be spoiler-ific (in a mostly minor way) for the preceding volumes so be warned.

The plot opens after the events of The Killing Floor Blues when Daniel has returned to Las Vegas and is enjoying his newfound freedom. He plans to start with a new identity and is laying down the foundation for it when he finds out that Damien Ecko is gunning for him. Ecko has been slowly targeting those he believes to be special to Faust and he’s been making his way to Las Vegas. All of this while the Chicago mob is making moves on the Las Vegas scene and it's up to Jennifer and her fellow gang affiliates to thwart them. Faust is forced to take counter measures against Ecko, help out Jennifer and will have to finally take a stand and figure out what does he want to do with his life.

There's obviously a lot more going on but I can’t talk about it while spoiling the plot in a major way. What I can say is that this is the book that reveals so much more about background series arc that has only been hinted at so far. In fact I would say that this is the book that overwhelmingly ties together all of the author's published series so far (the Daniel Faust books, the Harmony Black series as well as The Revanche Cycle). Let’s start with the title: “The Castle Doctrine”, this specific precedent had been referenced in the earlier books and plays out grandly within this volume. So far within all of the previous books, Faust has been reacting to things and his failures have started adding up. This is the book wherein all of his mistakes comes to roost and Faust will have to determine what type of person he wishes to be. Whether he wishes to invoke the castle doctrine and defend those he loves and protect what he cherishes.

As always is the case, Danielis front and center of the story but we get to see him realize his mistakes. After five and half books worth of horrific shenanigans this book is ultimately about the first solid transformation that Daniel Faust takes. Sure it hasn’t been a smooth ride for Faust but as he hears from the Mourner Of The Red Rocks, he seems to be wasting his potential and this book heralds the beginnings of a new chapter in Daniel’s life. As a reader, it was exciting to read this and I can’t wait to see where the author takes Faust next. Characterization has been Craig’s forte and this volume also does the needful with us getting to meet new characters and older ones as well. The character cast is a suitably wide one and yet even with the singular, limited POV. The author is able to showcase a wide variety of folks with an equally wide variety of reasons for the things that they do. I thoroughly enjoy how the author is able to do this and it’s even better when we get to see the same characters from Harmony’s POV in her series. With this volume, the horror aspect is played down a little and considering how the author has been generous with this facet, this was a tad surprising.

This book also serves as the arc conclusion to the Damien Ecko plot introduced in book four (A Plain-Dealing Villain) and similar to the first three books, we get another trilogy ending that will sit right with most of the fans. This book is chronologically set after the events of Red Knight Falling and features a small clue about possible events occurring in Glass Predator (book 3 of the Harmony Black series) and it hints at further co-mingling of plots and characters down the line. Another point of note, this book doesn't really bring to an end to the Cheshire Smile's plots as I think he's going to be around for a longer while and possibly might be one of the ultimate big bad of the universe that the author is writing.

There's a subplot to this book that's very meta and is done splendidly. For me this part of the book was the best part as it revealed a lot of the future. I believe this section ties in to the whole grand plan for the series and so readers will have to be on the lookout for it. For most fans of this series, this book will be the big payoff as a lot of things get resolved while things are set into motion that will have plot ramifications further down the line. This book also features a nice tip of the hat to The White Gold Score which while chronologically being book# 1.5, was written along with this book. It reintroduces us to characters featured in the novella and readers who have read The White Gold Score will really love to the see the sequel to the fight featured in it.

Lastly this book brings to a grand conclusion to the events that have been in motion since A Plain-Dealing Villain. However one important plot thread regarding Caitlin is left hanging. This book also highlights an important point about a future trilogy that the author is planning and most readers of the Revanche Cycle should be able to spot it. This book though doesn’t work as a standalone as too many events, characters are referenced from previous books for it to be read on its own. That would be my only pseudo-complaint about the book. Truly though there’s nothing much to rant about this one.

CONCLUSION: The Castle Doctrine brings to a strong conclusion to the Damien Ecko trilogy and as for Faust, it heralds a new beginning for him. The Castle Doctrine is a slim volume which packs more of a punch than you might expect. It’s exactly what Faust would have planned in a fight so get ready and read this one ASAP. So like me you can then be hooked onto the wonderfully addictive universe that Craig Schaefer is crafting quietly and solidly.

[Elena Linville-Abdo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stars: 5 out of 5.

Craig Schaefer doesn't disappoint.

Longer review to come.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Another fun and fast paced entry into the Daniel Faust series, The Castle Doctrine brings Daniel back to Las Vegas in a big way.

Out of prison and back in Vegas, Daniel Faust is trying to lie low. It doesn’t work so well for him. Between a mob war in the streets with his friends fighting the Chicago Outfit, necromancer Damien Ecko looking to extract to some bloody vengeance, and his growing obsession with figuring out who this mysterious “Enemy” is, Daniel is pushed hard simply to survive.

This is the first Faust book I’ve read since reading the Harmony Black series. I’m honestly not sure which series I prefer, as they both have the same tone and feature the same frenetically paced action. The biggest difference is the characters. In the beginning of The Castle Doctrine, I started getting a bit frustrated with Daniel. He made a series of bad decisions and seemed intent on self-destruction. At times I found myself agreeing with some of the characters who got on to Daniel for being aimless and lacking direction. Craig Schaefer brought him back in the second half though, which made up for my initial irritation.

As always, there is plenty of action, and it is brutal and bloody. Schaefer raises the bar in this one, bringing even bigger and more inventive scenes. One particular sequence toward the end was particularly memorable.

As has become a trend in this series, the epilogue showed a twist that sets up the next book. Overall, the book delivers for fans of the series and those looking for a fun, quick read with plenty of action.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars



The Castle Doctrine by Craig Schaefer is a terrific book and the sixth and in the Daniel Faust series. Many people draw comparisons of this book to that of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, but this one leans more to the 'R' Rated side than does the really 'PG' Dresden Files. I confess that the whole urban fantasy series has become my guilty pleasure reads. My love for the genre elevates everything I read. I only know that right now, I cannot seem to get enough from a genre filled with everything from ghosts and spirits, to Wolves and vamps, Gods and Demons, and sorcerers and cops. I love it.

Our main protagonist Daniel Faust is a sorcerer, a Thief, and pretty much not a good guy. He is however perfect for our lead role. Faust is not 'PG'. I loved the pacing, the world building, and the magic. I only wish that there was more. Caitlyn is a fantastic character and she pretty much steals all the pages that she is on.

These are not good people.

The Castle Doctrine can be summed up by saying that it is the darkest, dirtiest, and most graphic of the series, and oh yeah it is the best so far.

The writing was great as usual and made for an easy page Turner. A real guilty pleasure of mine. I love the characters, the magic, and the dark grit. I am a fanboy of the urban fantasy genre and of Craig Schaefer.



Highly recommended!

[Maraya21 (The Reading Dragon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

💀 *Hums "Thriller" while strolling the MacHalo Mansion checking the defences* 💀


DAYMN SON! ♥

[Desinka · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can this series keep being so good?

[THE BIBLIOPHILE (Rituranjan) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid continuation to the series: action-packed, dark and humorous, with a touch of the old gritty noir. This book remoulds Faust's character a little, and is a sort of battle to sort out all the mess left throughout the books.

This starts right after the Killing Floor Blues. Daniel discards his old identity, and tries to mop out the mess he is in. The Chicago Underworld is on a bid to bring bloodbath to Vegas. A mad necromancer is out for revenge. And, in the midst of all, the mysterious Enemy is pulling his strings in a cosmic game. Daniel tries to juggle all these with his own vigour, a little help from Caitlin and his friends, and somehow succeeds.

This was a pretty dark book. The killings and torture weren't that graphic, but leaves very little to the imagination. I loved the part where Daniel goes to meet the "mourner of the red rocks", and I'm guessing the purpose and also the identity. But, I'll keep that to myself.

The epilogue was intriguing, as it hints of something catastrophic that's going to happen, in The Wisdoms Grave trilogy. I can't wait to read that. Schaefer is excellently bringing the varied threads of the overarching plot together, and I don't have any doubts that the end results will be great. I've already finished the 7th book, and it's my favourite so far.

[Efka · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's more to say regarding this book than the things I've said in previous five cases? Not much, I guess. Same quick and solid fun, same four stars.

[Terrible Timy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Queen's Book Asylum where you can check out my choice of song too :)

My actual rating: 4.5*

This being a review for a 6th book in a series, mild spoilers for previous books might appear.

After a little… err… “vacation” in the Iceberg prison, Daniel Faust is out and about once again. Now, with a clean slate and a big pile of trouble landing in his lap. It’s time for Daniel to learn about the consequences of his actions, and decide what he wants to do with his life. And it’s time to fight a war for Las Vegas and face one very angry Damien Echo.

The Castle Doctrine, being the 6th book in the Daniel Faust series, makes it that much harder to review it, so this might be shorter than usual. I could start raving about how much I love this series, but I think that should be clear by now. I’m a Schafer fangirl, and I’m not ashamed of that.

This book closes off the second story arc within the series, bringing solutions, but also opening up new ways for the characters to follow in later installments. It also delves deeper into the First Story. A story arc spanning through different series, bringing together different characters, making them exist in the same universe. Daniel, among others, will play an important part in it. As I previously read The Wisdom’s Grave Trilogy, that gave me some background info about how this story is playing out, even though the official reading order places that trilogy after book 8 in the Daniel Faust series. And yes, I *finally* bothered to check the reading order, lol. Don’t worry though, you can go in whatever order with each series, but it’s something to consider in any way. That said, it’s exciting to see these characters coming into play and see how they’ll get to where they need to be at certain points.

As usual, there are a lot of things happening in The Castle Doctrine, several plotlines are coming together, and Daniel has to use his tricks and his friends to save his neck. And still, for me, the focus was on Daniel finding his own way in the chaos. Yes, he had Damien Echo chasing him down, the Chicago Outfit trying to take control, and a cop pressuring him to close down that business, but he also has to make decisions for the long term. He lost everything and got obsessed with a problem that shouldn’t be his priority so he could ignore the important decisions, and avoid taking charge of his life. Happens to the best of us, and after what he went through in The Killing Floor Blues, it’s quite understandable. We see a much more human side of him. One that we all can relate to, especially in these times.

It’s also interesting to witness how Daniel transits from a morally grey antihero into a kind of villain. Maybe. I’m not sure I’m expressing myself well here. It’s not that he is an entirely bad person – he cares about his family and friends and at least tries not to hurt innocents – but he also develops a bit of ruthlessness as things escalate and lines start to blur. I find myself fascinated by his character, and that’s a big reason why I’m sticking to the series. He is definitely not a hero, he’s got snark and a good heart. I really would like to see him have a companion other than Caitlyn. A cat, say. I’m sure that would be fun.

I also liked how this story arc got closure (both regarding Damien Echo and Angelo Mancuso who earned a tiny bit of respect from me for being a man in the end), but I also look forward to seeing how Daniel’s story will continue. I’m especially interested in how he’ll be able to get on the same page with Emma regarding Melanie (I’m totally on Daniel’s side, for the record, as he advocates for Melanie having a say in her own future and which side of her inheritance she wants to choose), and how his relationship with Caitlyn will continue. And of course, there are those mysterious characters such as The Enemy and The Thief, among others who definitely are up to no good.

The Castle Doctrine was another great installment in the Daniel Faust series, with a satisfying closure to a trilogy, probably my favorite within this story arc. On to the next one, then.

[Ashley Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciated the choice to have Dan give his life a long, hard look, and make a concrete decision about how to move forward. The first five books were fantastic but this truly feels like a turning point for his character. Loved the callback to simpler times with the hat and wand. The inclusion of Ecko + the Chicago Outfit felt like it could've easily snowballed out of control, but Schaefer kept things moving so well. And I'm always down for musical theatre references.

We're officially into Ambitious territory, and I'm excited to see how everything pans out from here.

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure why but I didn't like this one as much as the last two. I think my bad mood was the issue. Parts of this were bleak, so that and my piss poor mood just weren't mixing. Nonetheless this was still a damn good book.

Faust definitely had the odds stacked against him. All his past deeds were coming back to bite him in the ass. As always he finds a way of getting himself in more trouble while managing to save the day. It's ironic that his determination to do what's right has turned him into a bad guy. The saying the road to hell is paved with good intentions most definitely applies to him. This time around Faust finally decided to take control of his fate instead of just dealing with shit as it came his way.

I'm beginning to think there is more to Daniel Faust. He's gotten out of too many tricky situations and has too many high profile people interested in him to be a run of the mill sorcerer. IDK what to think of Caitlin. The seed was set in book 3 to cast doubt on her intentions. I desperately want to trust her. The chances of a woman like her being interested in a guy like him are slim. There was one scene in this book where she was talking to him. It could have been nothing, but it almost seemed like she was trying put him under a spell.

The epilogue was shocking as hell! Who would have thought? What is her interest in him anyway and what are her ultimate goals? I hope it won't be much longer until the next book is out.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fresh out of prison, Daniel Faust must survive a powerful necromancer and an all-out mob war, with a little help from his friends, of course.

The latest installment in the series, I love how Schaefer manages to keep building the stakes while somehow making it still feel personal. Most of the familiar faces of the series return here and, as usual, their interactions remain a highlight for me.

The Vegas setting is still wonderfully described and I can picture scenes well. I enjoy Schaefer's straightforward style that's descriptive without slowing things down much, if at all. Recommended to fans of the series and I look forward to continuing Faust's journey.

[Darek Zawisko · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another amazing addition to the series. In this one, Daniel definitely did a lot of growing. He has been through a lot and has been worn down by the trials he had to face. Unfortunately, that means that he left a lot of stories unfinished and they came back to bite him on the butt. And there was a lot of collateral damage as a result. Luckily, he manages to pull himself out of his slump and step up to be the person that he needs to be. There was a ton of action and they fight back against the Chicago mob. I'm really excited to see where this series is going to go now. Whatever it is, I know it's going to be great.

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really don't know how Schaefer can keep churning out such high-quality urban fantasy at such an insane pace, but I'm damned glad he is. This is very much a transition book, with Daniel finally having to face the consequences of many of his actions in previous books. This can be a hard thing for authors to tackle, as it usually precedes a shift in the sorts of stories they are telling - essentially, it represents the author moving out of his or her comfort zone. Schaefer handles it beautifully, and I, for one, cannot wait for the next book.

[Oleksandr Zholud · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sixth volume of the Daniel Faust series. In the last installment, The Killing Floor Blues, where he was incarcerated in a high-security private prison and broke away. So, now he is dead to the world, and in his activities, he should not cross the cops, for if his fingerprints are checked, he goes back behind bars.

He should lie low, but he cannot, for the Chicago Outfit wants to get Faust’s home city, Las Vegas, under its control. And they don’t care if civilians are caught in a crossfire. On the one hand, they are represented by Angelo, son of Dominic Mancuso, one of Chicago's families. On the other hand, formally a subordinate of Angelo, Las Vegas is visited by a potent and old (pharaohs of Ancient Egypt old) necromancer and faithful of the King of Worms, Damien Ecko. In A Plain-Dealing Villain, Faust stole a Judas coin, but shifted blame to Ecko, who is currently hunted by two infernal courts, so he is chiefly interested in revenge. “So. There we are. I have survived upon this Earth for thousands of years, peerless in magic and skill, but now…now I see the last sands in my hourglass finally running down. I might survive for another year, another decade, another century if I’m lucky, but eventually they’ll corner me. Hell doesn’t forget. Nor does it forgive. So in the time I have left, I’ve resolved to turn my hand to pleasant work.”

So, now Faust once again should do the impossible: stop the mobsters, protect his city, family and friends, and all that without getting unwanted attention from the police or FBI. Meanwhile, his old boss and a shadowy kingpin Nicky Agnelli disappeared, leaving his crazy twin lovers-bodyguards-companions-half-demons Juliette and Justine, who are poor as hell now:
“So, any chance you two are still looking for work?”
“Payment first. We want a new cherry-red Porsche, a pony named Buttercup, and ten bars of gold bullion. Also, you must henceforth refer to us in public as your immortal, benevolent, and adored queens.”
“I’ll write you a check for five hundred bucks, you have to wait a week to cash it, and you can keep anything you steal on the job. Also, I will tell people that I find your company not entirely intolerable.”
“You drive a hard bargain, but you talked us into it. Deal!”

Another solid installment.

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Castle Doctrine is, so far, my favorite Faust novels. Daniel’s past and his choices come back to hurt him. Together with his old pal Damien Ecko and his army of zombies and Chicago mob prepared to burn Las Vegas.

And that’s not even the beginning. However it’s sixth book in the series and I don’t want to spoil things to you.

There's a strong meta subplot to this book – at least parts of the overarching plot are revealed. It’s a big payoff for sticking with the series.

As I mentioned it’s my favorite Faust books. There’s few reasons for that. Firstly this book is quite dark. Daniel’s sins and past choices have deadly consequences. We finally see Daniel for who he can be – a cruel cold-blooded killer. And yet I still like the guy. I relate to him and wish him all the best even when it means murdering some people (not nice people, so there’s that).

Also, the way plots of his other series converge with Faust series is done skillfully.

The Owl lives guys.

The Owl lives.

[Steffan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5 stars

[Lawrence FitzGerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfectly acceptable entry in the series...but nothing special.

[kartik narayanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the full review at my site https://wp.me/p89tYT-g1

He held out his hand. “Give it to me,” he hissed as his fingernails lengthened into claws. “If you insist,” I said. Then I shot him in the face.

The "Daniel Faust” series, written by Craig Schaefer, is an urban fantasy starring an anti-hero. The series consists of 7 books and a novella so far. Unlike other urban fantasy series like The Dresden Files, this series is far more violent, gritty and is noir in its approach to this setting. The protagonist, the eponymous Daniel Faust, is a violent con-man and sorcerer who has few moral qualms remaining but guards those jealously. In one way, you could of this of as The Saint moved to modern times, with a lot of occult and magic thrown in. This series is also a backbone for the universe, Craig Schaefer is building, with multiple references to the 'Revanche Cycle' and 'Harmony Black' characters and series.

But enough about the setting and comparisons, what is this series really like?

I had a blast reading the series. It was unique, funny, violent and profane. It has all the elements that I now expect from the author. The pacing is brilliant and the characters are well fleshed out. You end up caring about all the main characters and even the ones on the sidelines.

Read the full review at my site https://wp.me/p89tYT-g1