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Demon Squad #10
Institutionalized
Blood on his hands, bridges burnt, ancient entities unleashed, the world falling into chaos, and it’s all Frank “Triggaltheron” Trigg’s fault. So what does he do?
He joins the enemy, of course.
Out of options, Frank surrenders to the DSI in hopes of working out a deal that will save DRAC and end the supernatural rebellion he instigated. As it turns out, the punishment for his crimes is the absolute worst thing he could imagine.
They offer him a job.
Now tasked to hunt down the former head of the DSI, Frank is caught up in a chess match that just might determine the fate of the universe.
Who really needs a happy ending, anyway?
He joins the enemy, of course.
Out of options, Frank surrenders to the DSI in hopes of working out a deal that will save DRAC and end the supernatural rebellion he instigated. As it turns out, the punishment for his crimes is the absolute worst thing he could imagine.
They offer him a job.
Now tasked to hunt down the former head of the DSI, Frank is caught up in a chess match that just might determine the fate of the universe.
Who really needs a happy ending, anyway?
- GenresUrban FantasyHorror
ebook
Published February 7, 2017
20 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Tim Marquitz
103 books214 followersTim Marquitz is the author of the Demon Squad series, The Enemy of My Enemy series (Kurtherian Gambit) along with Michael Anderle, the Blood War Trilogy, co-author of the Dead West series, as well as several standalone books, and numerous anthology appearances alongside the biggest names in fantasy and horror. Tim also collaborated on Memoirs of a MACHINE, the story of MMA pioneer John Machine Lober.
"Horror becomes art when it flows from the pen of Tim Marquitz." ~ Bobby D. Whitney - BookWenches
"Witty, sarcastic and hilarious." Michelle - Publishers Weekly
"Horror becomes art when it flows from the pen of Tim Marquitz." ~ Bobby D. Whitney - BookWenches
"Witty, sarcastic and hilarious." Michelle - Publishers Weekly
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 31, 2016
The Demon Squad series is basically a literary comic book with a regular output and no end in sight of the adventures of Frank Trigg a.k.a the Devil's Nephew. The books are a kind of offbeat dirtier Dresden Files with aliens, Lovecraftian entities, Babylonian gods, angels, and demons as regular opponents in the strange world which Tim Marquitz has created. As much as I love Tim Marquitz's Blood War books, I think the Demon Squad books will be what he's remembered for.
Institutionalized brings us to Frank trying to figure out how he's going to get the US government off his back, which is kind of hilarious given he's the ruler of Hell now. However, the United States government is an elephant in the room even for the Lord of Evil(ishness). So, he goes to make a sacrifice to get his friends back only to be given the leadership of the Department of Supernatural Investigations. It turns out they have bigger fish to fry than Frank and need the new Devil to take her own.
Newcomers may be overwhelmed by the amount of continuity which is present in the books as we've got Frank as the ruler of Hell, Frank having murdered his ex-wife, Frank's dead wife Karra, the prison dimension where God kept the gods of other pantheons, and the current war against the Great Old Ones with God and Lucifer teamed up. This is no more difficult than your typical comic book to follow, though, and is well worth the continuity. Fans of the series will love seeing oft-ignored characters get used to their maximum potential with a couple of ones I didn't expect to return, well returning.
The book is mostly a fast-paced action story with lots and lots of craziness crammed into two hundred pages. I'm actually a little disappointed by the size of the book since I think the book could have slowed down a bit in order to allow the story to breathe. There's a bunch of events, twists, turns, and changes before everything explodes in the big finale. I certainly was satisfied with the story but I hope the next book will take a little more time to work on the characters.
I think my favorite part of the book is the fact it nicely wraps up the storyline of Shaw, the insufferable Amanada Waller-esque bureaucrat who has been a perpetual thorn in the side of Frank Trigg. No matter how powerful Frank has gotten, he's remained the punching bag of mortals as well as gods. Shaw has never treated him as anything other than an insufferable annoyance, so it's fascinating to watch us see just how dastardly our protagonist can be in taking down the most dangerous (human) woman on Earth.
Frank gets some decent character development here as we see him slowly come out of the rut he's been in ever since Karra died. A natural grieving process is a good thing when you kill off a major character, especially a love interest, but it's been awhile so seeing Frank develop feelings for other people would be welcome after this book. We also get to see Frank's devious treacherous side and just how dangerous he might be if he really turned evil.
One problem I do have with the book is the Babylonian Pantheon is set up as a major group of antagonists which have a reason to hate Frank given he killed their chief deity. The Babylonians were wronged in this reality by being unfairly imprisoned by God for no other reason than they were rivals. Furthermore, they really haven't shown any sign of being bad guys. Frank has devoted himself to exterminating them preemptively, though, and I think that could have been an interesting plot to develop. I don't think that's going to happen after this book, though.
I am a little confused abouy the introduction of yet another faction to the world with the existence of a secret power behind the DSI. A power strong enough that their agents don't see anything wrong with invading God's prison dimension, talkings mack to the second Devil, and are capable of hiding from Heaven. I actually liked the idea of Frank being the head of the DSI and am sorry it didn't last more than one major plotline. I suppose Frank has enough on his plate, though.
In conclusion, I think Institutionalized is a fine new entry in the series. The Demon Squad books are loud, funny, crash, and enjoyable. Frank Trigg is the kind of character you could easily do a hundred books with and I don't see any sign of the series dying down anytime soon. I also wouldn't like it if it did.
9/10
Institutionalized brings us to Frank trying to figure out how he's going to get the US government off his back, which is kind of hilarious given he's the ruler of Hell now. However, the United States government is an elephant in the room even for the Lord of Evil(ishness). So, he goes to make a sacrifice to get his friends back only to be given the leadership of the Department of Supernatural Investigations. It turns out they have bigger fish to fry than Frank and need the new Devil to take her own.
Newcomers may be overwhelmed by the amount of continuity which is present in the books as we've got Frank as the ruler of Hell, Frank having murdered his ex-wife, Frank's dead wife Karra, the prison dimension where God kept the gods of other pantheons, and the current war against the Great Old Ones with God and Lucifer teamed up. This is no more difficult than your typical comic book to follow, though, and is well worth the continuity. Fans of the series will love seeing oft-ignored characters get used to their maximum potential with a couple of ones I didn't expect to return, well returning.
The book is mostly a fast-paced action story with lots and lots of craziness crammed into two hundred pages. I'm actually a little disappointed by the size of the book since I think the book could have slowed down a bit in order to allow the story to breathe. There's a bunch of events, twists, turns, and changes before everything explodes in the big finale. I certainly was satisfied with the story but I hope the next book will take a little more time to work on the characters.
I think my favorite part of the book is the fact it nicely wraps up the storyline of Shaw, the insufferable Amanada Waller-esque bureaucrat who has been a perpetual thorn in the side of Frank Trigg. No matter how powerful Frank has gotten, he's remained the punching bag of mortals as well as gods. Shaw has never treated him as anything other than an insufferable annoyance, so it's fascinating to watch us see just how dastardly our protagonist can be in taking down the most dangerous (human) woman on Earth.
Frank gets some decent character development here as we see him slowly come out of the rut he's been in ever since Karra died. A natural grieving process is a good thing when you kill off a major character, especially a love interest, but it's been awhile so seeing Frank develop feelings for other people would be welcome after this book. We also get to see Frank's devious treacherous side and just how dangerous he might be if he really turned evil.
One problem I do have with the book is the Babylonian Pantheon is set up as a major group of antagonists which have a reason to hate Frank given he killed their chief deity. The Babylonians were wronged in this reality by being unfairly imprisoned by God for no other reason than they were rivals. Furthermore, they really haven't shown any sign of being bad guys. Frank has devoted himself to exterminating them preemptively, though, and I think that could have been an interesting plot to develop. I don't think that's going to happen after this book, though.
I am a little confused abouy the introduction of yet another faction to the world with the existence of a secret power behind the DSI. A power strong enough that their agents don't see anything wrong with invading God's prison dimension, talkings mack to the second Devil, and are capable of hiding from Heaven. I actually liked the idea of Frank being the head of the DSI and am sorry it didn't last more than one major plotline. I suppose Frank has enough on his plate, though.
In conclusion, I think Institutionalized is a fine new entry in the series. The Demon Squad books are loud, funny, crash, and enjoyable. Frank Trigg is the kind of character you could easily do a hundred books with and I don't see any sign of the series dying down anytime soon. I also wouldn't like it if it did.
9/10
October 31, 2016
Another great edition
Another great edition to the series. And it does open a door for the introduction of new characters and plots that are hinted at throughout the novel. I look forward to the next.
Another great edition to the series. And it does open a door for the introduction of new characters and plots that are hinted at throughout the novel. I look forward to the next.
March 14, 2017
I discovered this series a couple of years ago and have been engrossed with it ever since. I think it is easily as good as anything in the urban fantasy genre, and better than most. From characters, plotting, dialogue, setting and general attitude, this series is my champion for Urban Fantasy, edging out my beloved Dresden Files. Ok, now on with the review.
After the events of Aftermath, where Frank basically is blackmailed into working to stop the original gods of this universe from being released from their interdimensional prison, Frank Trigg, aka Triggaltheron, son of the absent Lucifer, and now the reigning monarch of Hell, for what thats worth, is coerced into taking over the DSI, the US governments secret squirrel department tasked with handling the supernatural, and hunting down its former director, Rebecca Shaw. Unfortunately, she seems to be one step ahead in her plan to unleash a horde of ancient gods onto earth, in a quest to destroy the leadership of the DSI. Can Frank and the DSI team keep Shaw from completing her goals, while keeping the DSI brass from erasing them? Only one way to find out, and thats listening!
As always, the characters are what make these stories great. Even the minor characters are well rounded, and play integral parts of the story. Frank's evolution has been amazing, going from basically a low level thug character to Superpowered Lucifer, all while somehow keeping his humanity. His feelings about his murdered love, Kirra, and their daughter Abigail and her safety really resonate. It really gives the character humanity. Still a lot of quality dialogue, filled with snark, self-depricating humor, and just well thought out prose. The plotting is fast paced, but logical in the framework. As always, the fight and battle scenes are things of beauty, and I think they are the best in the business, regardless of genre. Visceral, realistic and pulse pounding excitement. The author also avoids all the needless exposition that so bogs down and pads novels today, stripping it down to the essentials to tell a taut, lean urban fantasy tale.
As far as narration, what can I say? Noah Michael Levine. If you are familiar with his work, then you know that means quality narration. Lots of different voices, accents, tones, and a narrative flow and pacing that is top notch. He really helps bring the story to life. This is a must listen for any fan of urban fantasy!
After the events of Aftermath, where Frank basically is blackmailed into working to stop the original gods of this universe from being released from their interdimensional prison, Frank Trigg, aka Triggaltheron, son of the absent Lucifer, and now the reigning monarch of Hell, for what thats worth, is coerced into taking over the DSI, the US governments secret squirrel department tasked with handling the supernatural, and hunting down its former director, Rebecca Shaw. Unfortunately, she seems to be one step ahead in her plan to unleash a horde of ancient gods onto earth, in a quest to destroy the leadership of the DSI. Can Frank and the DSI team keep Shaw from completing her goals, while keeping the DSI brass from erasing them? Only one way to find out, and thats listening!
As always, the characters are what make these stories great. Even the minor characters are well rounded, and play integral parts of the story. Frank's evolution has been amazing, going from basically a low level thug character to Superpowered Lucifer, all while somehow keeping his humanity. His feelings about his murdered love, Kirra, and their daughter Abigail and her safety really resonate. It really gives the character humanity. Still a lot of quality dialogue, filled with snark, self-depricating humor, and just well thought out prose. The plotting is fast paced, but logical in the framework. As always, the fight and battle scenes are things of beauty, and I think they are the best in the business, regardless of genre. Visceral, realistic and pulse pounding excitement. The author also avoids all the needless exposition that so bogs down and pads novels today, stripping it down to the essentials to tell a taut, lean urban fantasy tale.
As far as narration, what can I say? Noah Michael Levine. If you are familiar with his work, then you know that means quality narration. Lots of different voices, accents, tones, and a narrative flow and pacing that is top notch. He really helps bring the story to life. This is a must listen for any fan of urban fantasy!
February 8, 2017
Meet the new Boss, hunting the old boss or something like that it's a bit more complicated than that really but then it is Frank and he still hasn't changed much! 10 books in and the Demon Squad continues to be one of my favourite series of books. Funny, fast paced, intelligent, detailed and with a good depth of mythology knowledge that brings a genuine feel to the books missing in so much of the genre.
Still I didn't see the job offer coming and it did make me laugh I could almost imagine the face Trigg was making in the meeting!
Now this is a bit of a spoiler but with Lucifer back in town, opening up his memories to Frank and helping out a bit towards the end Tim has once again completed a book and left me wondering whats next? One things for sure with Dad back in Hell Trigg's life is going to be eventful!
Giving Trigg control of the DSI and the command to hunt down the previous boss Shaw is the basic synopsis and if you read book 9 this will come as no surprise, she was getting hunted down DSI resources or no DSi resources! It's good to see Trigg turning hell into his own domain and housing the remains of DRAC there and using his new position to get them fully pardoned. Even the devil looks out for his own right?
Without too many other spoilers the action seldom stops, everyone has an angle and power plays going on which does give it a good sense of tension through out with you wondering just what exactly is going to happen next for most of the book.
Apart from the return of Lucifer there are other set-ups for future stories in particular Noah(really that one you think?) and the DSI staff who all show potential to be involved in the future again and of course the old ex-wife and Rala are sure to cause Frank future strife and issues. I sense that the convergence of gods Alien war is upon Trigg and comrades its gonna be a hell of a fight!
Tim knows I love chatterbox so he is expecting me to say not enough chatterbox but actually this story didn't miss him so much and I loved the 'Tallica comment during the big fight!
Book 11 can't come soon enough!
Still I didn't see the job offer coming and it did make me laugh I could almost imagine the face Trigg was making in the meeting!
Now this is a bit of a spoiler but with Lucifer back in town, opening up his memories to Frank and helping out a bit towards the end Tim has once again completed a book and left me wondering whats next? One things for sure with Dad back in Hell Trigg's life is going to be eventful!
Giving Trigg control of the DSI and the command to hunt down the previous boss Shaw is the basic synopsis and if you read book 9 this will come as no surprise, she was getting hunted down DSI resources or no DSi resources! It's good to see Trigg turning hell into his own domain and housing the remains of DRAC there and using his new position to get them fully pardoned. Even the devil looks out for his own right?
Without too many other spoilers the action seldom stops, everyone has an angle and power plays going on which does give it a good sense of tension through out with you wondering just what exactly is going to happen next for most of the book.
Apart from the return of Lucifer there are other set-ups for future stories in particular Noah(really that one you think?) and the DSI staff who all show potential to be involved in the future again and of course the old ex-wife and Rala are sure to cause Frank future strife and issues. I sense that the convergence of gods Alien war is upon Trigg and comrades its gonna be a hell of a fight!
Tim knows I love chatterbox so he is expecting me to say not enough chatterbox but actually this story didn't miss him so much and I loved the 'Tallica comment during the big fight!
Book 11 can't come soon enough!
January 9, 2017
Really enjoyed this one. A solid self contained story for fans to sink their teeth into.
After a slightly awkward introduction a few books ago, the DSI team really make their mark in this book. Especially Kit and Grace, though Thud gets a few moments to shine.
More CB next time :)
After a slightly awkward introduction a few books ago, the DSI team really make their mark in this book. Especially Kit and Grace, though Thud gets a few moments to shine.
More CB next time :)
August 10, 2018
Meh
Lackluster of an ending to be honest. Tim does a good job of wrapping things up but it's anticlimactic and lacking much action
Lackluster of an ending to be honest. Tim does a good job of wrapping things up but it's anticlimactic and lacking much action
June 1, 2023
A very entertaining novel series. I hope there is a follow up adventure.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews