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Nightwise #1
Nightwise
In the more shadowy corners of the world, frequented by angels and demons and everything in-between, Laytham Ballard is a legend. It’s said he raised the dead at the age of ten, stole the Philosopher’s Stone in Vegas back in 1999, and survived the bloodsucking kiss of the Mosquito Queen. Wise in the hidden ways of the night, he’s also a cynical bastard who stopped thinking of himself as the good guy a long time ago.
Now a promise to a dying friend has Ballard on the trail of an escaped Serbian war criminal with friends in both high and low places—and a sinister history of blood sacrifices. Ballard is hell-bent on making Dusan Slorzack pay for his numerous atrocities, but Slorzack seems to have literally dropped off the face of the Earth, beyond the reach of his enemies, the Illuminati, and maybe even the Devil himself. To find Slorzack, Ballard must follow a winding, treacherous path that stretches from Wall Street and Washington, D.C. to backwoods hollows and truckstops, while risking what’s left of his very soul . . . .
Now a promise to a dying friend has Ballard on the trail of an escaped Serbian war criminal with friends in both high and low places—and a sinister history of blood sacrifices. Ballard is hell-bent on making Dusan Slorzack pay for his numerous atrocities, but Slorzack seems to have literally dropped off the face of the Earth, beyond the reach of his enemies, the Illuminati, and maybe even the Devil himself. To find Slorzack, Ballard must follow a winding, treacherous path that stretches from Wall Street and Washington, D.C. to backwoods hollows and truckstops, while risking what’s left of his very soul . . . .
352 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2015
80 people are currently reading
1591 people want to read
About the author
R.S. Belcher
34 books743 followersR.S. (Rod) Belcher is an award-winning newspaper and magazine editor and reporter.
Rod has been a private investigator, a DJ, a comic book store owner and has degrees in criminal law, psychology and justice and risk administration, from Virginia Commonwealth University. He's done Masters work in Forensic Science at The George Washington University, and worked with the Occult Crime Taskforce for the Virginia General Assembly.
He lives in Roanoke Virginia with his children: Jonathan and Emily .
Rod has been a private investigator, a DJ, a comic book store owner and has degrees in criminal law, psychology and justice and risk administration, from Virginia Commonwealth University. He's done Masters work in Forensic Science at The George Washington University, and worked with the Occult Crime Taskforce for the Virginia General Assembly.
He lives in Roanoke Virginia with his children: Jonathan and Emily .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews
August 29, 2015
This book got a Kirkus star, a bunch of early rave reviews, and it promises a dark, adult urban fantasy world full of grit, the occult, and a protagonist who embodies the definition of antihero.
Sounds amazing, no? And yet, I just don't buy it.
The writing itself is densely embedded around a rather uninteresting plot, which I think is supposed to disguise the lackluster story. The book brings together flashbacks, scene after scene of shocks in the form of brutal murders, BDSM torture and actual torture, and features numerous self-indulgent rants from our supposed antihero. All of this barely masks the plot no one cares about.
Maybe, for some people, Laytham Ballard is an antihero, but he's definitely not the kind of antihero I want to read about. He's a walking cliche of trench coat, cigarettes and nihilism. He's so convinced that he possesses a superior intelligence and attributes his insights to his supernatural gifts - insights that include his ability to see how dark the world really is.
The rest of us, apparently, are living in "Disneyland" with our heads in the clouds. What the hell is he talking about? I find this notion laughable. There are nihilists and emos and Metal bands everywhere that think the world is shitty. This guy is kidding himself if he thinks he's one of the few SPESHUL beings who views the world without rose-tinted glasses.
I find him ridiculously cheesy.
Everything Laytham does is supposed to prove how badass he is, how actually bad he is, and how many fucks he doesn't give. I almost sprained my eyeballs from rolling them so much.
Oh god, Laytham, will you get over yourself?
I felt like I was being hit over the head with the message that Laytham Ballard is an antihero. It was comical - and not in a good way. Throw in the fact that there are no interesting side characters and some poor editing and this book just didn't work for me.
Another major problem is that I'm not sure why we're supposed to care about the main story. Laytham makes a promise to his dying friend to seek revenge for him against Dusan Slorzack (a Serbian war criminal), but 1) as the reader, I didn't get caught up in a sense of vengeance and never really cared if Laytham found him, and 2) as we're repeatedly reminded, Laytham is NOT a good person, so why even keep this promise? It's not like he's sold as someone with any honour.
I'm giving this two stars because of some instances of enjoyable writing and amusing dialogue. Other than that, though, this was really disappointing.
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Sounds amazing, no? And yet, I just don't buy it.
The writing itself is densely embedded around a rather uninteresting plot, which I think is supposed to disguise the lackluster story. The book brings together flashbacks, scene after scene of shocks in the form of brutal murders, BDSM torture and actual torture, and features numerous self-indulgent rants from our supposed antihero. All of this barely masks the plot no one cares about.
Maybe, for some people, Laytham Ballard is an antihero, but he's definitely not the kind of antihero I want to read about. He's a walking cliche of trench coat, cigarettes and nihilism. He's so convinced that he possesses a superior intelligence and attributes his insights to his supernatural gifts - insights that include his ability to see how dark the world really is.
The rest of us, apparently, are living in "Disneyland" with our heads in the clouds. What the hell is he talking about? I find this notion laughable. There are nihilists and emos and Metal bands everywhere that think the world is shitty. This guy is kidding himself if he thinks he's one of the few SPESHUL beings who views the world without rose-tinted glasses.
I find him ridiculously cheesy.
Everything Laytham does is supposed to prove how badass he is, how actually bad he is, and how many fucks he doesn't give. I almost sprained my eyeballs from rolling them so much.
“I know these monsters, I have fought them, and if I am to be honest with you and myself, more often than not I have been the monster.”
Oh god, Laytham, will you get over yourself?
I felt like I was being hit over the head with the message that Laytham Ballard is an antihero. It was comical - and not in a good way. Throw in the fact that there are no interesting side characters and some poor editing and this book just didn't work for me.
Another major problem is that I'm not sure why we're supposed to care about the main story. Laytham makes a promise to his dying friend to seek revenge for him against Dusan Slorzack (a Serbian war criminal), but 1) as the reader, I didn't get caught up in a sense of vengeance and never really cared if Laytham found him, and 2) as we're repeatedly reminded, Laytham is NOT a good person, so why even keep this promise? It's not like he's sold as someone with any honour.
I'm giving this two stars because of some instances of enjoyable writing and amusing dialogue. Other than that, though, this was really disappointing.
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do-not-want
February 10, 2016Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
DO NOT WANT.
I couldn't even finish the preview of this book.
I'm not saying no one will like it. In fact, if you like the grittier urban fantasy à la Stacia Kane, Jaye Wells, or Chuck Wendig, there's a significant chance it might go better for you.
But I'm not one of those.
I did not like the MC:
and:
This guy sounds like the adult version of one of my high school crushes, but after awhile having hair long enough to pull back in a ponytail and smoking cigarettes are no longer small, attractive signs of rebellion.
I can't say that long hair on a guy is stupid the same way I think smoking is, I just no longer think it's hot. Or professional. But a two pack a day smoking habit . . .?
1. Gross, man.
2. There is nothing ironic about calling cigarettes nails in your coffin even as you light up.
If you're that hellbent on killing yourself, there are more efficient, less painful ways to do it. I'll even help if you ask nicely. *mutters* Idiot.
And, yes, smoking and long hair are superficial things to get hung up on, but they're more illustrations than they are minor details.
The tone of NIGHTWISE is that of a middle-aged man trying to relive his glory days, not realizing that the rest of us have outgrown those ideals.
And the clichés, ye gods, the clichés.
Over the course of a mere handful of pages he:
1. Refers to Hitler as the guiding light to evil psychopaths everywhere. YES. Hitler is the "Henry Ford" of evil bastards.
*rolls eyes* *sits back and waits for the Vlad Tepesh and/or Caligula references*
2. Goes on a long tangent to convince you that EVIL IS REAL. It's out there, man, maybe "watching your kids" even as we speak. He didn't grow up in "Disneyland" like all of us "sane" people, a category he clearly excludes himself from.
*REALLY rolls eyes*
Ever heard of CSI ? How about Criminal Minds or one of the multitudes of similar TV shows/books/movies that our culture currently thrives on? We know evil is real. We're damn near enthralled by it.
3. Informs us that more often than not, he himself is one of the monsters.
*eyes get stuck b/c rolled too many times*
Go away, dude. Nobody likes you.
DO NOT WANT.
I couldn't even finish the preview of this book.
I'm not saying no one will like it. In fact, if you like the grittier urban fantasy à la Stacia Kane, Jaye Wells, or Chuck Wendig, there's a significant chance it might go better for you.
But I'm not one of those.
I did not like the MC:
I pulled out an American Spirit, only three left in the pack, second pack today.
and:
I took a long draw on the cigarette, ran a hand over my shaggy hair. I had pulled it back, tight, into a ponytail to keep it out of my way.
This guy sounds like the adult version of one of my high school crushes, but after awhile having hair long enough to pull back in a ponytail and smoking cigarettes are no longer small, attractive signs of rebellion.
I can't say that long hair on a guy is stupid the same way I think smoking is, I just no longer think it's hot. Or professional. But a two pack a day smoking habit . . .?
1. Gross, man.
2. There is nothing ironic about calling cigarettes nails in your coffin even as you light up.
If you're that hellbent on killing yourself, there are more efficient, less painful ways to do it. I'll even help if you ask nicely. *mutters* Idiot.
And, yes, smoking and long hair are superficial things to get hung up on, but they're more illustrations than they are minor details.
The tone of NIGHTWISE is that of a middle-aged man trying to relive his glory days, not realizing that the rest of us have outgrown those ideals.
And the clichés, ye gods, the clichés.
Over the course of a mere handful of pages he:
1. Refers to Hitler as the guiding light to evil psychopaths everywhere. YES. Hitler is the "Henry Ford" of evil bastards.
*rolls eyes* *sits back and waits for the Vlad Tepesh and/or Caligula references*
2. Goes on a long tangent to convince you that EVIL IS REAL. It's out there, man, maybe "watching your kids" even as we speak. He didn't grow up in "Disneyland" like all of us "sane" people, a category he clearly excludes himself from.
*REALLY rolls eyes*
Ever heard of CSI ? How about Criminal Minds or one of the multitudes of similar TV shows/books/movies that our culture currently thrives on? We know evil is real. We're damn near enthralled by it.
3. Informs us that more often than not, he himself is one of the monsters.
*eyes get stuck b/c rolled too many times*
Go away, dude. Nobody likes you.
January 10, 2016
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2016/01/10/b...
It has been a few years since I last read R.S. Belcher’s The Six Gun Tarot, but I remember his distinctively imaginative style and vivid prose well. Now he brings his unique brand of gritty dark magic out of the Old West and into urban fantasy, taking readers off the beaten track into a world of the occult as seen through the lens of a classic noir mystery.
Laytham Ballard is the star of this show, a middle-aged and self-professed redneck wizard with long hair and a multiple-pack-a-day-smoking habit. His appearances and inclinations notwithstanding, Laytham’s actually something of a big deal in magical circles. At the tender age of ten, he performed his first act of necromancy. His achievements have only grown since, though his early struggles and some of the horrible things he’s seen have left a mark on his soul. Now he’s haunted by the past, and the burden of his experiences have made him into a rather cynical bastard.
But cynical bastard or not, Laytham is determined to honor a promise he made to a dear and dying friend. His task sets him on the trail of Dusan Slorzack, a Serbian war criminal responsible for numerous acts of atrocity. In spite of Laytham’s efforts, his hunt is made difficult by the fact that his quarry is an extremely powerful wizard with friends in very high places, which has helped him disappear off the grid while wiping away all clues to his whereabouts. Locating and destroying Slorzack will force Laytham to make some tough choices and pull out every trick in the book, but luckily, our protagonist has some talented allies of his own.
If you’re looking for an urban fantasy that feels fresh and doesn’t feel like it follows the usual formula, then Nightwise is definitely going to be up your alley. Belcher has taken the genre and transformed it, so that at the heart of this novel readers will still find the themes we know and love, but on the whole it is a different beast entirely. Take the main character, for example. Cynical and narcissistic trash-talking protagonists are nothing new, but I guarantee you’ve never known one quite like Laytham Ballard. He’ll go to great lengths to try and convince you that he’s a monster, an anti-hero, but I wasn’t fooled. It’s true you might need to dig a little deeper to find his conscience, but I assure you it’s there.
Still, it would be a mistake to underestimate Laytham’s capacity for destruction and his willingness to do some truly terrible things. In many ways, his mind is still that of a child’s, an angsty and cocksure teenager suffering from delusions of grandeur and believing he is smarter than he really is. He also recognizes when something is wrong, but would not hesitate to do it again and again as long as it would help him achieve his aims. It seems that age has not brought Laytham much wisdom or maturity, and it’s easy to see why his attitude will likely not win him many fans.
Instead of turning me off though, Laytham’s twisted psyche made him even more intriguing; in my eyes, he was an enigma simply begging to be unraveled. It made the character painfully fallible. And painfully human. That Laytham is a powerful wizard is also something no one can deny, but perversely, I also wanted to see just how far he would go and what he would be willing to do if push came to shove. Belcher, perhaps recognizing that same potential in his protagonist, obliged me by showing me exactly what would happen. Nightwise is a darkly suspenseful tale, often infused with brutal violence and freaky action, and we get to see exactly what Laytham Ballard is capable of, both at his best and at his worst.
Nightwise exemplifies why I enjoy reading dark urban fantasy, and I also thought the story had an interesting take on secret societies and conspiracy theories. Belcher’s prose is a genuinely unique blend of piercing clarity and staccato bleakness, working hand in hand with his cutting humor to provide the driving force behind this atmospheric and fast-paced, no-nonsense novel. The weakest part of this book was unfortunately its ending, where I felt the plot veered wildly off its tracks. The conclusion also came across too rushed and rather inadequate, especially when compared to the rest of the story which was richly detailed and developed.
That stumbling block aside though, I had myself a great time with this novel. Nightwise is a dark and gritty urban fantasy, but it’s nonetheless a gem that shines out from the rest. With this book, R.S. Belcher has also shown himself to be a talented and versatile author, and I can’t wait to see what he’ll come up with next.
It has been a few years since I last read R.S. Belcher’s The Six Gun Tarot, but I remember his distinctively imaginative style and vivid prose well. Now he brings his unique brand of gritty dark magic out of the Old West and into urban fantasy, taking readers off the beaten track into a world of the occult as seen through the lens of a classic noir mystery.
Laytham Ballard is the star of this show, a middle-aged and self-professed redneck wizard with long hair and a multiple-pack-a-day-smoking habit. His appearances and inclinations notwithstanding, Laytham’s actually something of a big deal in magical circles. At the tender age of ten, he performed his first act of necromancy. His achievements have only grown since, though his early struggles and some of the horrible things he’s seen have left a mark on his soul. Now he’s haunted by the past, and the burden of his experiences have made him into a rather cynical bastard.
But cynical bastard or not, Laytham is determined to honor a promise he made to a dear and dying friend. His task sets him on the trail of Dusan Slorzack, a Serbian war criminal responsible for numerous acts of atrocity. In spite of Laytham’s efforts, his hunt is made difficult by the fact that his quarry is an extremely powerful wizard with friends in very high places, which has helped him disappear off the grid while wiping away all clues to his whereabouts. Locating and destroying Slorzack will force Laytham to make some tough choices and pull out every trick in the book, but luckily, our protagonist has some talented allies of his own.
If you’re looking for an urban fantasy that feels fresh and doesn’t feel like it follows the usual formula, then Nightwise is definitely going to be up your alley. Belcher has taken the genre and transformed it, so that at the heart of this novel readers will still find the themes we know and love, but on the whole it is a different beast entirely. Take the main character, for example. Cynical and narcissistic trash-talking protagonists are nothing new, but I guarantee you’ve never known one quite like Laytham Ballard. He’ll go to great lengths to try and convince you that he’s a monster, an anti-hero, but I wasn’t fooled. It’s true you might need to dig a little deeper to find his conscience, but I assure you it’s there.
Still, it would be a mistake to underestimate Laytham’s capacity for destruction and his willingness to do some truly terrible things. In many ways, his mind is still that of a child’s, an angsty and cocksure teenager suffering from delusions of grandeur and believing he is smarter than he really is. He also recognizes when something is wrong, but would not hesitate to do it again and again as long as it would help him achieve his aims. It seems that age has not brought Laytham much wisdom or maturity, and it’s easy to see why his attitude will likely not win him many fans.
Instead of turning me off though, Laytham’s twisted psyche made him even more intriguing; in my eyes, he was an enigma simply begging to be unraveled. It made the character painfully fallible. And painfully human. That Laytham is a powerful wizard is also something no one can deny, but perversely, I also wanted to see just how far he would go and what he would be willing to do if push came to shove. Belcher, perhaps recognizing that same potential in his protagonist, obliged me by showing me exactly what would happen. Nightwise is a darkly suspenseful tale, often infused with brutal violence and freaky action, and we get to see exactly what Laytham Ballard is capable of, both at his best and at his worst.
Nightwise exemplifies why I enjoy reading dark urban fantasy, and I also thought the story had an interesting take on secret societies and conspiracy theories. Belcher’s prose is a genuinely unique blend of piercing clarity and staccato bleakness, working hand in hand with his cutting humor to provide the driving force behind this atmospheric and fast-paced, no-nonsense novel. The weakest part of this book was unfortunately its ending, where I felt the plot veered wildly off its tracks. The conclusion also came across too rushed and rather inadequate, especially when compared to the rest of the story which was richly detailed and developed.
That stumbling block aside though, I had myself a great time with this novel. Nightwise is a dark and gritty urban fantasy, but it’s nonetheless a gem that shines out from the rest. With this book, R.S. Belcher has also shown himself to be a talented and versatile author, and I can’t wait to see what he’ll come up with next.
March 3, 2017
An urban fantasy with a dark wizard, who is a bit like Harry Dresden, but missing the the witty humor of the Dresden series. It's a bad, dark, R rated wizard story with bad wizards doing bad things to each other. There were a few clever parts but not enough to make me want to read on in the series. The gold lining was Bronson Pinchot's performance.
November 12, 2018
Nightwise by R. S. Belcher is an audible book with a necromancer that is well known for a strange event he performed at the age of ten! There is a great cast of characters, living and dead! He goes on a mission and things get crazy, twisted, and then totally out of this world! There is not one minute that goes by that something strange, suspenseful, or magical is happening! I really enjoyed this book!
The narration by Bronson Pinchot was perfect! So many voices, emotions, beings, and more...He performed them all wonderfully!
The narration by Bronson Pinchot was perfect! So many voices, emotions, beings, and more...He performed them all wonderfully!
August 25, 2015
I guess everything old can be made new. I feel like I time travelled to the 80’s and 90’s goth club scene. Parts of this reminded me distinctly of ‘Constantine’ and the movie 8 MM. It had some moments that brought us into current times. iPads and smart phones are mentioned. It had the economic cynicism of present day, but mostly its steeped in references of the past including a musical set list of the Violent Femmes, Rob Zombie and Depeche Mode. This isn’t going to be for everyone but it will have a strong niche audience. Belcher’s ‘Nightwise’ reminded me of an actual belch. It’s potentially satisfying but leaves you with a gross aftertaste in your mouth …and maybe some acid reflux. It will offend polite company and find it’s place with a grittier crowd.
Laytham is a fiftyish year old wizard, Wisdom, whatever, Laytham isn’t one for labels. He describes himself as a ZZ Top look-alike who is still somewhat physically fit. He’s a man-child who quit emotionally connecting with the world at 15. Trauma pursues this West Virginian man, but a lot of it he welcomes into his life. He is a badass with a reputation, and as he says himself, he will not bow or serve any God other than himself. While I like stoic, older, curmudgeon characters I’m not a fan of braggers – or older men who frequent nightclubs and sleep with young women. Laytham does that. Grinner, one of the few people in the world who still helps Laytham, tells him explicitly to leave Maggie/Magdalena alone but he just can’t help himself. Both he and Grinner agreed she didn’t need his special brand of darkness in her life. He tells her that he has no business sleeping with her. It’s too dangerous to be around him. It isn’t a scheme to sleep with her blah, blah, blah…magic is real, blah, blah, blah. Big words for a man who kisses her an hour later and sleeps with her. Now , Magdalena, has her own responsibility in making her choices, but this is the heart and soul of who Laytham is. He likes to choose to make mistakes. It’s not that he doesn’t know right from wrong, or light versus dark magic. He states he is just too lazy to do the right thing.
Given the character analysis above, it comes as a shock that he chooses to risk himself and seek revenge for a colleague who is dying. When he learns Baj has come to him to cash in a favor he takes the job. He surprises everyone, including himself, and seeks out a very bad man. It appears that there is a shred of loyalty left in his dark soul. That might be a stretch, but it allows him to appear to be a good guy and court death. To Laytham’s disbelief this causes a few characters in his life to rally behind his damned soul. Even Laytham believes that they will end up regretting it and half heartedly tries to chase them away. Belcher takes his character through the city seeking out power and magic in nightclubs, S&M clubs, and the general seedier sides of the city. He will find the bad man even the bad men despise.
You could say this is a coming of age tale. A teenager grows up. He’s just does it really late in life. He’s the consummate late bloomer. Laytham learns some lessons, learns a bit about who he really wants to be, and decides to make some changes…maybe.
The writing isn’t bad. There is a lot thrown in to make it grittier. There is some S&M content, but I have a feeling those in the BDSM scene might not really like how it is portrayed. A lot of it seems to be for shock value, purely rooted in gaining power and/or dysfunction. Smoking is used to help darken the world and give credence to it being filled with vice along with sex and drugs.
Truth be told this isn’t my general fare, although I do love ‘Constantine.’ It’s fun if you enjoy this kind of thing, however, it’s not mainstream fare. Belcher worked very hard for it not to be. It reminds me of the punk kid back in the day who would get pissed off if you knew of the obscure band they were talking about. It is distinctly not cool if the general public knows about it. It wants to appeal to misfits, people who want to be misfits, and the anti-establishment crowd. This book will have its niche following.
I don’t think I would have made it through the book if not for two things. One, I received and agreed to read it in exchange for a review. I feel I have an obligation to finish in those scenarios. Two, the narrator was fantastic. I received this from Audible in exchange for an honest review. Beware, Bronson Pinchot speaks very slowly. It fits the character, but I believe it will be to slow for some. If you need to change the audio speed it doesn’t hurt anything. He had a great West Virginian American accent. His Australian was rough, but for the range of characters he narrated, he did a fantastic job. His low booming voice for an ancient god and his interpretation of the devil was truly enjoyable.
If this sounds like something you would be interested in give it a chance. The writing and range of magics is good. The way financial disenfranchisement and the ‘Corporate Man’ is used is clever. It’s not anything new, but Belcher did his research and the hodgepodge of magic he combined worked. It fit Belcher’s Laytham, and the story.
Laytham is a fiftyish year old wizard, Wisdom, whatever, Laytham isn’t one for labels. He describes himself as a ZZ Top look-alike who is still somewhat physically fit. He’s a man-child who quit emotionally connecting with the world at 15. Trauma pursues this West Virginian man, but a lot of it he welcomes into his life. He is a badass with a reputation, and as he says himself, he will not bow or serve any God other than himself. While I like stoic, older, curmudgeon characters I’m not a fan of braggers – or older men who frequent nightclubs and sleep with young women. Laytham does that. Grinner, one of the few people in the world who still helps Laytham, tells him explicitly to leave Maggie/Magdalena alone but he just can’t help himself. Both he and Grinner agreed she didn’t need his special brand of darkness in her life. He tells her that he has no business sleeping with her. It’s too dangerous to be around him. It isn’t a scheme to sleep with her blah, blah, blah…magic is real, blah, blah, blah. Big words for a man who kisses her an hour later and sleeps with her. Now , Magdalena, has her own responsibility in making her choices, but this is the heart and soul of who Laytham is. He likes to choose to make mistakes. It’s not that he doesn’t know right from wrong, or light versus dark magic. He states he is just too lazy to do the right thing.
Given the character analysis above, it comes as a shock that he chooses to risk himself and seek revenge for a colleague who is dying. When he learns Baj has come to him to cash in a favor he takes the job. He surprises everyone, including himself, and seeks out a very bad man. It appears that there is a shred of loyalty left in his dark soul. That might be a stretch, but it allows him to appear to be a good guy and court death. To Laytham’s disbelief this causes a few characters in his life to rally behind his damned soul. Even Laytham believes that they will end up regretting it and half heartedly tries to chase them away. Belcher takes his character through the city seeking out power and magic in nightclubs, S&M clubs, and the general seedier sides of the city. He will find the bad man even the bad men despise.
You could say this is a coming of age tale. A teenager grows up. He’s just does it really late in life. He’s the consummate late bloomer. Laytham learns some lessons, learns a bit about who he really wants to be, and decides to make some changes…maybe.
The writing isn’t bad. There is a lot thrown in to make it grittier. There is some S&M content, but I have a feeling those in the BDSM scene might not really like how it is portrayed. A lot of it seems to be for shock value, purely rooted in gaining power and/or dysfunction. Smoking is used to help darken the world and give credence to it being filled with vice along with sex and drugs.
Truth be told this isn’t my general fare, although I do love ‘Constantine.’ It’s fun if you enjoy this kind of thing, however, it’s not mainstream fare. Belcher worked very hard for it not to be. It reminds me of the punk kid back in the day who would get pissed off if you knew of the obscure band they were talking about. It is distinctly not cool if the general public knows about it. It wants to appeal to misfits, people who want to be misfits, and the anti-establishment crowd. This book will have its niche following.
I don’t think I would have made it through the book if not for two things. One, I received and agreed to read it in exchange for a review. I feel I have an obligation to finish in those scenarios. Two, the narrator was fantastic. I received this from Audible in exchange for an honest review. Beware, Bronson Pinchot speaks very slowly. It fits the character, but I believe it will be to slow for some. If you need to change the audio speed it doesn’t hurt anything. He had a great West Virginian American accent. His Australian was rough, but for the range of characters he narrated, he did a fantastic job. His low booming voice for an ancient god and his interpretation of the devil was truly enjoyable.
If this sounds like something you would be interested in give it a chance. The writing and range of magics is good. The way financial disenfranchisement and the ‘Corporate Man’ is used is clever. It’s not anything new, but Belcher did his research and the hodgepodge of magic he combined worked. It fit Belcher’s Laytham, and the story.
August 21, 2015
The nitty-gritty: A dark and dangerous magical world, an awesome anti-hero, stellar writing—what more do you need?
My skin was covered with tattoos and scars. A lot of my ink was work related, you might say. Symbols, formulas, pacts, and wards. My scars, ah, my scars. They came from motorcycle accidents, knives, bullets, claws, broken bottles, bites, whips, self-mutilation, and a bunch of other stuff, not the least of which was the wound in my back from being impaled by a giant mosquito woman.
I loved the first two books in Rod Belcher’s Golgotha series, and I was curious to see what else he could do. And boy am I glad I picked up this book! I was blown away by his fascinating magic system, not to mention the characters. Best of all, Belcher has some mad writing skills, in case you appreciate that sort of thing, which I do. While his Golgotha books contain multiple points of view, this story is told in first person from the perspective of Laytham Ballard, a powerful wizard with an attitude problem, who blazes through his friends and enemies—often killing them in the process—in order to get what he wants. Belcher definitely takes a risk with Laytham, because he is not a likeable guy at all. But the fact that he freely admits to everyone around him that he knows he’s an a-hole made him compelling, and yes, I grew to like and even sympathize with him by the end of the book.
But there is so much to love about Nightwise besides the characters—and I’ll get to them later, because there wasn’t one in the bunch that I didn’t enjoy. Belcher starts with a simple but strong hook that relentlessly propels the story forward. Laytham makes a promise to his dying friend Boj to track down and kill the wizard who killed Boj’s wife. Sounds simple, right? But of course, it’s not. Dusan Slorzack is a nasty piece of work, a Serbian war criminal who tortured and killed Mita, and now that Boj is dying of AIDS (he’s a heroin addict), he calls upon Laytham to help him seek revenge. But finding Slorzack is nearly impossible. Even with all of Laytham’s many contacts in the magical community, he seems to have completely fallen off the face of the earth.
As Laytham follows the clues that lead him closer and closer to Slorzack, he knows he’ll have to call in favors, and maybe even make a deal with the devil, to avenge his friend.
I love stories that bring the real world and the fantasy world together, and Nightwise does this amazingly well. In Belcher’s world, magic is hidden just out of view of the majority of the population, but it’s everywhere. Politicians, celebrities, and major corporations are all part of the Life (what Laytham calls magic), manipulating and controlling the economy, politics, and even history’s most tragic events (for example: 9/11). Since the story is told from Laytham’s point of view, the reader is given a front row seat for all the amazing and terrifying things that are going on right under our noses, and like most horror, it’s very hard to look away. I wasn’t surprised to find the Masons and the Knights Templar playing roles in Belcher’s world, and even Cthulhu gets a nod, suggesting that H.P. Lovecraft’s work is simply reality disguised as fiction. Very cool stuff, and I gobbled up every word.
And right in the middle of this fantastic world is Laytham Ballard, one of the most interesting characters I’ve come across in a long time. I know there are readers out there who don’t like him, based on some reviews I’ve read recently, so maybe there’s something wrong with me, LOL! But I’m telling you, this guy will grow on you. I’m not sure “obnoxious” is a strong enough word to describe him, but it’s a start. He’s a wizard with a reputation (he raised his granny from the dead when he was only ten years old), kind of like the rock star of magic. But what’s funny is that he calls himself a rock star, so obviously he doesn’t have a problem with self-esteem. Laytham is despised by many of his so-called “friends,” and he’s not afraid to use or betray them in order to get what he wants. In this case, what he wants is information—the location of Slorzack—and he won’t let anyone get in his way.
But Laytham has people in his life that love him, and that’s what sealed the deal for me. One unexpected scene in a cemetery between Laytham and his dead lover Torri Lyn could have come across as completely out-of-place, but somehow Belcher made it work.
The other characters ain’t too shabby either! I absolutely loved Ichi, another powerful wizard with Ninja skills to boot, who helps Laytham in his quest. He also gets help from a guy named Bruce, an “Acidmancer” who yes, drops acid while he’s traveling through time and space in a one-of-a-kind quantum machine.
(By this time you should be salivating to read this book!)
I also loved all the details that Belcher adds to his story, which led me to Google so many things in Nightwise. There’s a cool urban myth about how white cigarette lighters are bad luck (which of course I immediately had to Google to see if it was true! Go ahead. I’ll wait.). Laytham obsesses about a soft drink called Cheerwine, which I’ve never heard of, and I Googled that as well. He spends a large portion of the story trying to find Cheerwine, which I thought was pretty funny, and it isn’t until he travels south of New York that he is finally successful. And many, many more details, but I don’t want to spoil too much, so I’ll let you discover those for yourself.
Near the end of the story, Laytham meets a trucker named Jimmie who belongs to an occult organization called the Brotherhood of the Wheel, which I was thrilled to run across, because that’s the name of Belcher’s next book. (spin-off perhaps??) To be honest, there wasn’t anything in Nightwise that I didn’t like, although I do have an issue with the book cover, of all things. Laytham tells us early on that at one point he lost his shadow to an evil loan shark (!!), and you can clearly see his shadow on the cover art. But hey, I’m willing to forgive such a small thing.
Nightwise is a must-read for fantasy fans who are looking for something different, and who don't mind challenging main characters. Rod Belcher is a rock star, and I can't wait to read his next book.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.
My skin was covered with tattoos and scars. A lot of my ink was work related, you might say. Symbols, formulas, pacts, and wards. My scars, ah, my scars. They came from motorcycle accidents, knives, bullets, claws, broken bottles, bites, whips, self-mutilation, and a bunch of other stuff, not the least of which was the wound in my back from being impaled by a giant mosquito woman.
I loved the first two books in Rod Belcher’s Golgotha series, and I was curious to see what else he could do. And boy am I glad I picked up this book! I was blown away by his fascinating magic system, not to mention the characters. Best of all, Belcher has some mad writing skills, in case you appreciate that sort of thing, which I do. While his Golgotha books contain multiple points of view, this story is told in first person from the perspective of Laytham Ballard, a powerful wizard with an attitude problem, who blazes through his friends and enemies—often killing them in the process—in order to get what he wants. Belcher definitely takes a risk with Laytham, because he is not a likeable guy at all. But the fact that he freely admits to everyone around him that he knows he’s an a-hole made him compelling, and yes, I grew to like and even sympathize with him by the end of the book.
But there is so much to love about Nightwise besides the characters—and I’ll get to them later, because there wasn’t one in the bunch that I didn’t enjoy. Belcher starts with a simple but strong hook that relentlessly propels the story forward. Laytham makes a promise to his dying friend Boj to track down and kill the wizard who killed Boj’s wife. Sounds simple, right? But of course, it’s not. Dusan Slorzack is a nasty piece of work, a Serbian war criminal who tortured and killed Mita, and now that Boj is dying of AIDS (he’s a heroin addict), he calls upon Laytham to help him seek revenge. But finding Slorzack is nearly impossible. Even with all of Laytham’s many contacts in the magical community, he seems to have completely fallen off the face of the earth.
As Laytham follows the clues that lead him closer and closer to Slorzack, he knows he’ll have to call in favors, and maybe even make a deal with the devil, to avenge his friend.
I love stories that bring the real world and the fantasy world together, and Nightwise does this amazingly well. In Belcher’s world, magic is hidden just out of view of the majority of the population, but it’s everywhere. Politicians, celebrities, and major corporations are all part of the Life (what Laytham calls magic), manipulating and controlling the economy, politics, and even history’s most tragic events (for example: 9/11). Since the story is told from Laytham’s point of view, the reader is given a front row seat for all the amazing and terrifying things that are going on right under our noses, and like most horror, it’s very hard to look away. I wasn’t surprised to find the Masons and the Knights Templar playing roles in Belcher’s world, and even Cthulhu gets a nod, suggesting that H.P. Lovecraft’s work is simply reality disguised as fiction. Very cool stuff, and I gobbled up every word.
And right in the middle of this fantastic world is Laytham Ballard, one of the most interesting characters I’ve come across in a long time. I know there are readers out there who don’t like him, based on some reviews I’ve read recently, so maybe there’s something wrong with me, LOL! But I’m telling you, this guy will grow on you. I’m not sure “obnoxious” is a strong enough word to describe him, but it’s a start. He’s a wizard with a reputation (he raised his granny from the dead when he was only ten years old), kind of like the rock star of magic. But what’s funny is that he calls himself a rock star, so obviously he doesn’t have a problem with self-esteem. Laytham is despised by many of his so-called “friends,” and he’s not afraid to use or betray them in order to get what he wants. In this case, what he wants is information—the location of Slorzack—and he won’t let anyone get in his way.
But Laytham has people in his life that love him, and that’s what sealed the deal for me. One unexpected scene in a cemetery between Laytham and his dead lover Torri Lyn could have come across as completely out-of-place, but somehow Belcher made it work.
The other characters ain’t too shabby either! I absolutely loved Ichi, another powerful wizard with Ninja skills to boot, who helps Laytham in his quest. He also gets help from a guy named Bruce, an “Acidmancer” who yes, drops acid while he’s traveling through time and space in a one-of-a-kind quantum machine.
(By this time you should be salivating to read this book!)
I also loved all the details that Belcher adds to his story, which led me to Google so many things in Nightwise. There’s a cool urban myth about how white cigarette lighters are bad luck (which of course I immediately had to Google to see if it was true! Go ahead. I’ll wait.). Laytham obsesses about a soft drink called Cheerwine, which I’ve never heard of, and I Googled that as well. He spends a large portion of the story trying to find Cheerwine, which I thought was pretty funny, and it isn’t until he travels south of New York that he is finally successful. And many, many more details, but I don’t want to spoil too much, so I’ll let you discover those for yourself.
Near the end of the story, Laytham meets a trucker named Jimmie who belongs to an occult organization called the Brotherhood of the Wheel, which I was thrilled to run across, because that’s the name of Belcher’s next book. (spin-off perhaps??) To be honest, there wasn’t anything in Nightwise that I didn’t like, although I do have an issue with the book cover, of all things. Laytham tells us early on that at one point he lost his shadow to an evil loan shark (!!), and you can clearly see his shadow on the cover art. But hey, I’m willing to forgive such a small thing.
Nightwise is a must-read for fantasy fans who are looking for something different, and who don't mind challenging main characters. Rod Belcher is a rock star, and I can't wait to read his next book.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.
March 4, 2016
I just really can't be bothered to give a detailed review of this. It served its purpose, but is mostly forgettable. Laytham Ballard is another precocious preternaturally adept modern-day wizard, full of grimdark and angst over the deep dark things he did on his way to becoming a legend in the sorcerous underworld. The story is a basic revenge bloodbath in which Laytham goes a'huntin' for the monster (literal and figurative) who committed a whole bunch of atrocities and war crimes, but what Ballard really cares about is that he raped and killed the wife of a dying friend, whose dying wish, naturally, is for Ballard to go get some vengeance. So Ballard goes scouring all the deepest, darkest pits of the world, from his backwoods Appalachia home to the halls of power in Wall Street and Washington, with many references to BDSM and trendy bands.
Like Harry Dresden, on whose coattails this series is obviously trying to catch a ride, Laytham Ballard is supposed to be one of the biggest badasses in the wizarding world, but spends much of the book being beaten down and tortured. R.S. Belcher goes into much more detail, though - at times, this book is practically torture porn. Laytham Ballard also does not have Harry Dresden's white knight fetish; instead, even though he's the protagonist and ostensibly a good guy, he spends the entire book denying he has any good left in him, and occasionally trying to prove it.
So daaaaaaaaark, man!
It's your basic urban fantasy with an urban dark wizard, reminiscent of Harry Dresden and the Nightwatch series, but with none of the occasional humor and creativity of the Dresden series, nor the wit and philosophy of Nightwatch. It's just bad wizards doing bad things to each other. The only clever bit had to do with the Illuminati using the U.S. financial system as an elaborate, extended magical ritual, but other than that, it's all just deals with the devil, magical duels, and spitting up gobbets of blood.
If you love the genre, this book is probably entertaining enough, but it's got nothing new and did not induce in me any interest at all in the next book in the series.
Like Harry Dresden, on whose coattails this series is obviously trying to catch a ride, Laytham Ballard is supposed to be one of the biggest badasses in the wizarding world, but spends much of the book being beaten down and tortured. R.S. Belcher goes into much more detail, though - at times, this book is practically torture porn. Laytham Ballard also does not have Harry Dresden's white knight fetish; instead, even though he's the protagonist and ostensibly a good guy, he spends the entire book denying he has any good left in him, and occasionally trying to prove it.
So daaaaaaaaark, man!
It's your basic urban fantasy with an urban dark wizard, reminiscent of Harry Dresden and the Nightwatch series, but with none of the occasional humor and creativity of the Dresden series, nor the wit and philosophy of Nightwatch. It's just bad wizards doing bad things to each other. The only clever bit had to do with the Illuminati using the U.S. financial system as an elaborate, extended magical ritual, but other than that, it's all just deals with the devil, magical duels, and spitting up gobbets of blood.
If you love the genre, this book is probably entertaining enough, but it's got nothing new and did not induce in me any interest at all in the next book in the series.
August 27, 2015
I've seen positive and negative reviews, but honestly, in my opinion whatever its worth, this is the best urban fantasy I have read this year. I loved it to pieces.
March 10, 2022
I really enjoyed this supernatural-ish, magical realism book. A strong and gritty world is well constructed and defined and through this world travels our leading man, anti-hero Laytham Ballard.
Latham was born somewhere in America where they have accents that apparently stigmatise them (I am hazy on USA localities or traditions), in his family people with his gift were called 'Wisdom' rather than 'Wizard' and his beloved grandmother tried to teach child Laytham the compassion to use that gift to help people. This gift he failed to learn, instead he has become a cynical and joyless man full of magic that he has often used for quite nasty stuff. It is about to get nastier.
At the start of this quite fascinating story, Lytham promises to hunt down a man. The promise is made to a dying friend and leads down some even nastier paths than Lytham usually travels.
And there we have it, a cynical magic user on a nasty quest through a world that is ours; but has all these subtexts that we do not see. And I found it terrific fun. just the sort of book I like and have not read for a while. There are lots of geeky and pop-culture references, which I most enjoyed but some which bewildered me: If any American would like to enlighten me about a pizza chain that has a rodent as a mascot, I would like to know. I can't even guess how I would google that.
Anyone who likes this sort or genera is drawing comparisons in their mind, I was no exception. I did keep comparing Lytham to John Constantine (Hellblazer early years, not other travesties), in how much I enjoyed the character at least. Lytham has a little less humour about him than Constantine, but many other similar characteristics. There is a hint of Alex Verus in Benedict Jacka's great series, which I loved, at east in the early books and I imagine GR is going to add some Jim Butcher to the 'readers also loved' shelf.
The world building was not as strong as the cover blurb suggested, but I really did love the way so many different magical traditions from so many different cultures were mixed in. Some of the secondary character were also pretty amazing: Being Australian, I especially loved the Dreamtime club and it's proprietor, as well as the Brotherhood pf the Wheel - an offshoot of the Knights Templar, that went back to protecting pilgrims on the road.
There was actually a lot of fun in the story for anyone who enjoys a bit of magic/supernatural fiction. Loved the clever integration of all the magical traditions and the quest style of the book. There was one long, preachy ,exposé toward the end, as Lytham is getting close to the end of his hunt, that was a little annoying and over explaining, but that's the guy who mansplained it all met a nasty end.
The end of the book is satisfying, leaving the option open for future adventures of the dark and nasty kind and I am quite intrigued to see where Lytham and R. S. Belcher might take us next.
Latham was born somewhere in America where they have accents that apparently stigmatise them (I am hazy on USA localities or traditions), in his family people with his gift were called 'Wisdom' rather than 'Wizard' and his beloved grandmother tried to teach child Laytham the compassion to use that gift to help people. This gift he failed to learn, instead he has become a cynical and joyless man full of magic that he has often used for quite nasty stuff. It is about to get nastier.
At the start of this quite fascinating story, Lytham promises to hunt down a man. The promise is made to a dying friend and leads down some even nastier paths than Lytham usually travels.
And there we have it, a cynical magic user on a nasty quest through a world that is ours; but has all these subtexts that we do not see. And I found it terrific fun. just the sort of book I like and have not read for a while. There are lots of geeky and pop-culture references, which I most enjoyed but some which bewildered me: If any American would like to enlighten me about a pizza chain that has a rodent as a mascot, I would like to know. I can't even guess how I would google that.
Anyone who likes this sort or genera is drawing comparisons in their mind, I was no exception. I did keep comparing Lytham to John Constantine (Hellblazer early years, not other travesties), in how much I enjoyed the character at least. Lytham has a little less humour about him than Constantine, but many other similar characteristics. There is a hint of Alex Verus in Benedict Jacka's great series, which I loved, at east in the early books and I imagine GR is going to add some Jim Butcher to the 'readers also loved' shelf.
The world building was not as strong as the cover blurb suggested, but I really did love the way so many different magical traditions from so many different cultures were mixed in. Some of the secondary character were also pretty amazing: Being Australian, I especially loved the Dreamtime club and it's proprietor, as well as the Brotherhood pf the Wheel - an offshoot of the Knights Templar, that went back to protecting pilgrims on the road.
There was actually a lot of fun in the story for anyone who enjoys a bit of magic/supernatural fiction. Loved the clever integration of all the magical traditions and the quest style of the book. There was one long, preachy ,exposé toward the end, as Lytham is getting close to the end of his hunt, that was a little annoying and over explaining, but that's the guy who mansplained it all met a nasty end.
The end of the book is satisfying, leaving the option open for future adventures of the dark and nasty kind and I am quite intrigued to see where Lytham and R. S. Belcher might take us next.
October 25, 2021
This is the darkest urban fantasy book I've read so far. And that's saying something. Nightwise is definitely well named and the lead character is as dark gray as a hero can get. Some might not even call him a hero. Think John Constantine, and you're close to getting an idea of Laytham Ballard, but throw in some Appalachian style homespun and generational magical heritage. Laytham came into his power under the tutelage of his beloved granny, but she was unable to save him from the dark path he eventually ended up traveling. Many years later, Laytham has been in places that angels would fear to tread, and has perfected the ability to be highly selfish. It's not that he doesn't do good, but there's always a bit of an ulterior motive. While he's the lead character, and not exactly a good guy, he's the guy you'd want standing between you and those creatures lurking in the dark.
The writing is very good, and that made some of the scenes that much more disturbing. I'd definitely give this one a content warning for sure. I'll never forget this book, partly because of some of the circumstance under which I listened to the audiobook. I drove home in one of the worst blizzards I've ever had to drive in. I could barely see the roads, so I was praying the whole way. It was me and Bronson Pinchot's voice reading this book. There was such an eerie feeling, but at the same time it was comforting, because that voice was a point of connection as I almost blindly navigated through a sea of white. I think that in this sense I'll remember this book fondly, although at the same time, I have in some ways tried to block out some of the most skin crawling moments that I didn't want to pull out of my memory for reflection.
I am truly in love with the urban fantasy genre. I especially love occult detectives. I like my share of anti-heroes, but I suppose I like the more romanticized versions of them. Laytham is not in any way romanticized. He doesn't pretend to be a good buy. He is just himself. But I am so glad that there was one thing in the book that I was praying he would do the right thing on, and he did it. I think down deep that boy that loved his Granny so much is still there deep inside, and it's a pale light in the darkness of his heart that is a source of hope for him.
Will I read the next book? Of course I will.
The writing is very good, and that made some of the scenes that much more disturbing. I'd definitely give this one a content warning for sure. I'll never forget this book, partly because of some of the circumstance under which I listened to the audiobook. I drove home in one of the worst blizzards I've ever had to drive in. I could barely see the roads, so I was praying the whole way. It was me and Bronson Pinchot's voice reading this book. There was such an eerie feeling, but at the same time it was comforting, because that voice was a point of connection as I almost blindly navigated through a sea of white. I think that in this sense I'll remember this book fondly, although at the same time, I have in some ways tried to block out some of the most skin crawling moments that I didn't want to pull out of my memory for reflection.
I am truly in love with the urban fantasy genre. I especially love occult detectives. I like my share of anti-heroes, but I suppose I like the more romanticized versions of them. Laytham is not in any way romanticized. He doesn't pretend to be a good buy. He is just himself. But I am so glad that there was one thing in the book that I was praying he would do the right thing on, and he did it. I think down deep that boy that loved his Granny so much is still there deep inside, and it's a pale light in the darkness of his heart that is a source of hope for him.
Will I read the next book? Of course I will.
October 15, 2015
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy:
If you are looking for the ultimate bad-boy wizard, Laytham Ballard, the "hero" of NIGHTWISE will be right up your alley. Unfortunately, you'll have to swamp through the first third of the book to get to the really interesting stuff.
As a rock-star-famous wizard, Laytham waltzes in and out of the scene, spending money and getting laid wherever he goes. He's done some dark things, and the first third of the book is devoted to proving that to the reader. I nearly gave up on this book when it tried to prove how edgy the magic scene was by showing how closely magic can be linked to kinky sex. Seen it! I sometimes felt like the author was trying too hard to prove how hardcore his characters were, like a goth thirteen year old covered in mascara and wearing a Black Sabbath shirt; it was hard to take him seriously.
I know Lantham is supposed to be an anti-hero; it just took me a really long time to even begin to enjoy hearing him tell his story.
There are quite a few references that dated the book. I kept being reminded that this book was set in the immediate present, with references to things like 140 character Twitter spells, and the like. It felt a bit like pandering to me.
On the flip side, I have rarely seen such a variety of magical theory so well explained and illustrated. There are wizards who need LSD to interact with the framework of life, wizards who perform Australian-inspired walkabouts through time and space, demon summoners, and literal techno-wizards who can write computer viruses that you could conceivably catch, if they wanted you to.
NIGHTWISE was like a really long rollercoaster, with a few good surprises along the way and an excellent final ride. The clever magic lingo and theories will entertain long enough to get you to warm up to the characters, and the denouement is worth it.
If you are looking for the ultimate bad-boy wizard, Laytham Ballard, the "hero" of NIGHTWISE will be right up your alley. Unfortunately, you'll have to swamp through the first third of the book to get to the really interesting stuff.
As a rock-star-famous wizard, Laytham waltzes in and out of the scene, spending money and getting laid wherever he goes. He's done some dark things, and the first third of the book is devoted to proving that to the reader. I nearly gave up on this book when it tried to prove how edgy the magic scene was by showing how closely magic can be linked to kinky sex. Seen it! I sometimes felt like the author was trying too hard to prove how hardcore his characters were, like a goth thirteen year old covered in mascara and wearing a Black Sabbath shirt; it was hard to take him seriously.
I know Lantham is supposed to be an anti-hero; it just took me a really long time to even begin to enjoy hearing him tell his story.
There are quite a few references that dated the book. I kept being reminded that this book was set in the immediate present, with references to things like 140 character Twitter spells, and the like. It felt a bit like pandering to me.
On the flip side, I have rarely seen such a variety of magical theory so well explained and illustrated. There are wizards who need LSD to interact with the framework of life, wizards who perform Australian-inspired walkabouts through time and space, demon summoners, and literal techno-wizards who can write computer viruses that you could conceivably catch, if they wanted you to.
NIGHTWISE was like a really long rollercoaster, with a few good surprises along the way and an excellent final ride. The clever magic lingo and theories will entertain long enough to get you to warm up to the characters, and the denouement is worth it.
April 10, 2018
I read this after it was reccomended to me. i
I love my Urban Fantasy and this seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately it was not. The writing was top notch, and I must commend the author for providing a dark gritty and at times disturbing UF world. However I felt it really missed the mark on the plotting aspect. The story just didnt seem to move at any pace. In a nutshell, the protagonist Laytham is a badass wizard, who supposedly has achieved all there is at being the best, saving the world etc, he goes on to help a friend whos wifes been raped by some guy, and hunt down the culprit. Along the way in this revenge UF, we meet a host of characters, we get some back story and we really are witnesses to alot of grimey places with torture scenes. I really love my UF when they balance out the world buidling( it can be as dark and horrible as you like) but it also mustn't take itself too seriously. I got the feeling this was like a poor version of Constantine but without the cool factor of the main character. And for Laytham whos meant to be very strong wizard, he spends alot of time being hit and worked over all the time. I found that a little confusing. If you're a massive UF fan, you can probably give this a miss but if you dont read alot of UF then this might hit the spot.
I love my Urban Fantasy and this seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately it was not. The writing was top notch, and I must commend the author for providing a dark gritty and at times disturbing UF world. However I felt it really missed the mark on the plotting aspect. The story just didnt seem to move at any pace. In a nutshell, the protagonist Laytham is a badass wizard, who supposedly has achieved all there is at being the best, saving the world etc, he goes on to help a friend whos wifes been raped by some guy, and hunt down the culprit. Along the way in this revenge UF, we meet a host of characters, we get some back story and we really are witnesses to alot of grimey places with torture scenes. I really love my UF when they balance out the world buidling( it can be as dark and horrible as you like) but it also mustn't take itself too seriously. I got the feeling this was like a poor version of Constantine but without the cool factor of the main character. And for Laytham whos meant to be very strong wizard, he spends alot of time being hit and worked over all the time. I found that a little confusing. If you're a massive UF fan, you can probably give this a miss but if you dont read alot of UF then this might hit the spot.
August 18, 2015
This was definitely different and not at all what I had expected. Every urban fantasy I have read has a formula and I always love the main character. This was not so with Nightwise and I found myself struggling to love Laytham. But you know what, R.S. Belcher managed to make me like him and let me tell you it was not easy.
I'll start with characters since that is what I opened my review up with. Laytham is not your normal UF hero. Nope he was dirty and not in the sexy way. He was the chain smoking, long haired, Kid Rock of this world and it took me a looonnnggg time to like him. I still don't know if I really do honestly. He's selfish and not shy about saying it, but well I got sucked into his badassness. I hate to admit it, but I did. After a point in the story I just couldn't help it. Laytham is not swoon worthy in the slightest, but I think he might have potential in there somewhere. I am hoping that his charm or whatever he has underneath all that yuckiness comes out in the next one because I need to see it. Yes he says darlin' and baby just the right way and yes his magical skills are quite impressive, but a girl needs more than just that.
Story was actually really good. It did take me a long time to fall into this one, but I think that had more to do with Laytham than the story. He was a roadblock, but once I got passed him everything clicked and I saw him and the story like a Nicholas Cage movie. Think 60 Seconds meets National Treasure. The story definitely had a historical adventure feel to it and in the end it was actually really interesting. Now some might start thinking a little too much on what unravels in the end and really its kinda hard not to go there myself. Conspiracy theorist could have a hay day with this bad boy and I have to give the author huge credit for thinking this up.
I think my favorite part was finding out who Laythams dad was. What a hoot! I can't wait to see where all that goes!
The two things that bugged me were the filler chapters. There were a few of them and they felt really out of place. I think a few could have been moved to the beginning and if they had I would have gotten to know more about Laytham and maybe liked him from the get go. As it stands though those chapters just felt strange and took the story away from what was going on. The other thing was the drinking in bad situations. If you are a badass wizard stop drinking when you need to think!! Every time I would scream at him!
Other than those two things I did enjoy this quite a bit. If you are looking for a typical UF this isn't what you need, but if you are looking for a selfish, badass wizard with a debt to pay adventure this is for you! Fun story and series that I will definitely continue on with!
I'll start with characters since that is what I opened my review up with. Laytham is not your normal UF hero. Nope he was dirty and not in the sexy way. He was the chain smoking, long haired, Kid Rock of this world and it took me a looonnnggg time to like him. I still don't know if I really do honestly. He's selfish and not shy about saying it, but well I got sucked into his badassness. I hate to admit it, but I did. After a point in the story I just couldn't help it. Laytham is not swoon worthy in the slightest, but I think he might have potential in there somewhere. I am hoping that his charm or whatever he has underneath all that yuckiness comes out in the next one because I need to see it. Yes he says darlin' and baby just the right way and yes his magical skills are quite impressive, but a girl needs more than just that.
Story was actually really good. It did take me a long time to fall into this one, but I think that had more to do with Laytham than the story. He was a roadblock, but once I got passed him everything clicked and I saw him and the story like a Nicholas Cage movie. Think 60 Seconds meets National Treasure. The story definitely had a historical adventure feel to it and in the end it was actually really interesting. Now some might start thinking a little too much on what unravels in the end and really its kinda hard not to go there myself. Conspiracy theorist could have a hay day with this bad boy and I have to give the author huge credit for thinking this up.
I think my favorite part was finding out who Laythams dad was. What a hoot! I can't wait to see where all that goes!
The two things that bugged me were the filler chapters. There were a few of them and they felt really out of place. I think a few could have been moved to the beginning and if they had I would have gotten to know more about Laytham and maybe liked him from the get go. As it stands though those chapters just felt strange and took the story away from what was going on. The other thing was the drinking in bad situations. If you are a badass wizard stop drinking when you need to think!! Every time I would scream at him!
Other than those two things I did enjoy this quite a bit. If you are looking for a typical UF this isn't what you need, but if you are looking for a selfish, badass wizard with a debt to pay adventure this is for you! Fun story and series that I will definitely continue on with!
April 1, 2016
I wrote a review and then because of a technical issue, I lost it. Now I'm upset and will write a short review instead.
This book is super cliched with all the urban fantasy tropes used in the 1990s thrown in it. The main character is a nihilist with some serious magic ability. He smokes, hates everyone, is only out for himself, but wants to take revenge on someone that hurt his friend. The plot is wrapped up in conspiracy theories that made me want to put a tin foil hat on(the Illuminati is actually in this book). The book seemed really dated, from the 90s, but was actually written in 2015. There was S&M, occult stuff, and rave scenes from Blade. The author thought that having Latin spells would be cool but it was actually annoying.
Regardless of all these things the plot had moments of surprises and the pacing was excellent. The main character, Ballard grew on me, but I especially liked his backstory. The backstories of all the characters were fantastic and Ballard's friends were fun to read about. If you like your urban fantasy with a Constantine-like character, occult mumbojumbo, and a conspiracy theorist's wet dream of a plot line, then you'll like this. I just thought it was OK. At times, I disliked it and at other times I liked it. Bronson Pinchot was a super amazing narrator though and his accents were so good.
2/5
Plot - 2(OK)
Character - 2(OK)
World Building - 2(OK)
Writing -2(OK)
Heart & Mind Aspect - 1(Weak)
This book is super cliched with all the urban fantasy tropes used in the 1990s thrown in it. The main character is a nihilist with some serious magic ability. He smokes, hates everyone, is only out for himself, but wants to take revenge on someone that hurt his friend. The plot is wrapped up in conspiracy theories that made me want to put a tin foil hat on(the Illuminati is actually in this book). The book seemed really dated, from the 90s, but was actually written in 2015. There was S&M, occult stuff, and rave scenes from Blade. The author thought that having Latin spells would be cool but it was actually annoying.
Regardless of all these things the plot had moments of surprises and the pacing was excellent. The main character, Ballard grew on me, but I especially liked his backstory. The backstories of all the characters were fantastic and Ballard's friends were fun to read about. If you like your urban fantasy with a Constantine-like character, occult mumbojumbo, and a conspiracy theorist's wet dream of a plot line, then you'll like this. I just thought it was OK. At times, I disliked it and at other times I liked it. Bronson Pinchot was a super amazing narrator though and his accents were so good.
2/5
Plot - 2(OK)
Character - 2(OK)
World Building - 2(OK)
Writing -2(OK)
Heart & Mind Aspect - 1(Weak)
April 29, 2016
this book was great fun! Laytham is such a mean, bad ass and he knows it too. granny women, the illuminati, demons from all over the place. who could ask for more!
September 29, 2018
We both liked this intro into Laytham's world, for the most part. The beginning of the story was over the top, but if you can make it past that it does get better. Some of the aspects of magic were hard to follow in the audio version, so if we continue with the series it'll be in print.
(Listened to the audiobook w/hubby)
(Listened to the audiobook w/hubby)
December 17, 2015
Nightwise was not without it's redeeming qualities, but there were a lot of things that annoyed me about the book. I certainly didn't enjoy it as much as Belcher's first two books, both weird westerns with a steampunk flavor.
For starters, I think the author worked better with a large cast of characters who intersected with each other. Working in the first person narrative didn't seem to suit his voice.
There were also some specific things that bugged me, some of which are just pet peeves. The word 'Chakra' is a good example. For starters, it's not a real thing, even though many people believe in it. So to me, using it in a book is reinforcing a belief. That's not really fair considering the same guy using Chakra in the book is also fighting beasts from other realms, but it is a pet peeve of mine. I'd feel the same way had he referenced acupuncture multiple times. On top of that, Chakra was used in the book as a lazy description. Whenever some heightened supernatural sense needed to be described, all we got was 'his chakra opened.' That didn't impress me at all.
Probably the worst bit of writing in the whole novel was the sex scene. It reminded me of poorly-written erotica or young-adult romance. I hope RS Belcher never writes another sex scene. At least not one like this. Let me paraphrase for you:
"He gasped, kissing her slowly.
She moaned as he kissed her.
They gasped and moaned together.
They kissed passionately, gasping and moaning all the while.
When it was over, they lay back and gasped, moaning."
The second half of the book is far better than the first. This is somewhat due to the fact that Belcher works best when his characters are in motion, fighting demons or being chased through sewers. When they stop to contemplate things the writing gets stale.
Also, the lead character seems very inconsistent from the first half ot the book to the second. In the first half he walks by a room where snuff porn is being filmed and doesn't even stop and wonder if he should do something about it. In the second half of the book he's saving the world. Even though he's still a relunctant hero, an anti-hero, his moral compass seems to have drastically shifted by the end of the book. Honestly, from the time he ignores the murder room I became unattached to the character. Bad guys can make great leads as long as we're attached. But that didn't happen here.
I think the best way to handle that kind of scene is to give your anti-hero a reason to stop the murder that's more selfish than noble. that way he's not a monster but he still keeps his I-don't-give-a-shit cred.
I found the idea of the greenway at the end very interesting, though I thought credit cards should have been included somehow. America is becoming cashless and that could have been expressed somehow. It's still a very cool bit of magic though the final fight left something to be desired.
Belcher's next book is Brotherhood of the Wheel, which I didn't realize was introduced in this novel. They are apparently a bunch of magic-wielding truckers and bikers who keep America's highways safe from evil threats. It sounds more like something I'd like. And I can't imagine truckers talking about their Chakra unfolding. I'll just have to read it an see.
For starters, I think the author worked better with a large cast of characters who intersected with each other. Working in the first person narrative didn't seem to suit his voice.
There were also some specific things that bugged me, some of which are just pet peeves. The word 'Chakra' is a good example. For starters, it's not a real thing, even though many people believe in it. So to me, using it in a book is reinforcing a belief. That's not really fair considering the same guy using Chakra in the book is also fighting beasts from other realms, but it is a pet peeve of mine. I'd feel the same way had he referenced acupuncture multiple times. On top of that, Chakra was used in the book as a lazy description. Whenever some heightened supernatural sense needed to be described, all we got was 'his chakra opened.' That didn't impress me at all.
Probably the worst bit of writing in the whole novel was the sex scene. It reminded me of poorly-written erotica or young-adult romance. I hope RS Belcher never writes another sex scene. At least not one like this. Let me paraphrase for you:
"He gasped, kissing her slowly.
She moaned as he kissed her.
They gasped and moaned together.
They kissed passionately, gasping and moaning all the while.
When it was over, they lay back and gasped, moaning."
The second half of the book is far better than the first. This is somewhat due to the fact that Belcher works best when his characters are in motion, fighting demons or being chased through sewers. When they stop to contemplate things the writing gets stale.
Also, the lead character seems very inconsistent from the first half ot the book to the second. In the first half he walks by a room where snuff porn is being filmed and doesn't even stop and wonder if he should do something about it. In the second half of the book he's saving the world. Even though he's still a relunctant hero, an anti-hero, his moral compass seems to have drastically shifted by the end of the book. Honestly, from the time he ignores the murder room I became unattached to the character. Bad guys can make great leads as long as we're attached. But that didn't happen here.
I think the best way to handle that kind of scene is to give your anti-hero a reason to stop the murder that's more selfish than noble. that way he's not a monster but he still keeps his I-don't-give-a-shit cred.
I found the idea of the greenway at the end very interesting, though I thought credit cards should have been included somehow. America is becoming cashless and that could have been expressed somehow. It's still a very cool bit of magic though the final fight left something to be desired.
Belcher's next book is Brotherhood of the Wheel, which I didn't realize was introduced in this novel. They are apparently a bunch of magic-wielding truckers and bikers who keep America's highways safe from evil threats. It sounds more like something I'd like. And I can't imagine truckers talking about their Chakra unfolding. I'll just have to read it an see.
March 1, 2016
Full review over at Fantasy Book Critic
Overall rating = 3.5 stars
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: I've really enjoyed R. S. Belcher's Golgotha series and so when this book was announced as noir urban fantasy, I knew I had to read it. This book is a tad difficult to describe and even more to summarize my feelings about it. The best way I can think of blurbing it is Constantine meets Dresden Files meets Angel Heart (in an oblique sort of way)
Laytham Ballard is our sole narrator who is also the mojo man and the subject of a whole host of legends. He's resurrected the dead at the tender age of ten, fought and escaped the Mosquito queen's clutches & even knows where the Philosopher's stone is. He's also a redneck from West Virginia who forged a legend that is dark and alluring at the same time. He's a loner who goes from place to place and leaves his mark with his occult magic.
He gets called for a last favor by his dying comrade, who then asks him to track down a war criminal named Dusan Slorzack. Unable to say no, he finds that there's more to Slorzack's disappearance than simply wanting to go off the grid. Forced to dig deep within his knowledge and contacts, Laytham will have to use all his wits in trying to locate and kill Slorzack but he doesn't know that powerful forces are protecting his quarry and they are hunting him in return,
This book is very much a noir look through an urban fantasy lens. Laytham Ballard is a bastard of a person and an obnoxious character who admits it openly. However it's to the author's credit as he masterfully showcases his thoughts and past, which humanizes him quite a lot. He's a hard man who has made some hard choices and he doesn't apologize for being that way. The book also talks about a lot of urban legends and drops some intriguing hints about Laytham’s past. The story also deals with a lot of intriguing facts about the US currency and banking system and I loved how the author explored this aspect and yet managed to tie it all in and it made sense in the end.
Nightwise is a hard story that reminded me a lot of old noir stories and even though it is a urban fantasy, it makes no bones about its influences and ends on a strange note. The story ends with a couple of threads open for the sequel. I can’t wait to see what new avenue the author explores in the sequel and where Laytham lands.
February 28, 2017
i can't imagine the circumstances under which i would recommend this book. it is somewhat interesting in premise, with a few interesting characters. sadly, the protagonist is unsympathetic and fake feeling. i could not care less what he did or why even if it was in an interesting place under interesting circumstances. it wasn't that i didn't like him, it's that he was a boring caricature of a person. how can you care about the life of something so lifeless? just ugh.
also, re the "relationship/sexual" content: the unnecessary and uninteresting bdsm references were so poor that it was embarassing to read and the may december dalliance of the main charcter was some super boring authorial wish fulfillment. i am not here for this guy's 5 paragraph penthouse letters when they are wrapped in a bad book.
also, re the "relationship/sexual" content: the unnecessary and uninteresting bdsm references were so poor that it was embarassing to read and the may december dalliance of the main charcter was some super boring authorial wish fulfillment. i am not here for this guy's 5 paragraph penthouse letters when they are wrapped in a bad book.
August 24, 2015
I received this as an arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Laytham ballard is a legend. Now on a promise to a dying friend has ballard on the trail of an escaped serbian war criminal. Lots of magic and power is needed.
wow. fantastic read. Could not put it down. Read in 2 days. I loved the plot and ballard.
This is a must read.
Laytham ballard is a legend. Now on a promise to a dying friend has ballard on the trail of an escaped serbian war criminal. Lots of magic and power is needed.
wow. fantastic read. Could not put it down. Read in 2 days. I loved the plot and ballard.
This is a must read.
September 28, 2015
Out of my interest range
September 27, 2018
This is Andrew, live from the Dreamtime night club, where I currently have the honor of meeting with the one and only “rock star” of the Life, Laytham Ballard. He is known all throughout the Life, or the magic underworld, for selling parts of his soul to the devil for immense power, surviving the bite of the Mosquito Queen, and for generally being the most powerful magician in the world. I managed to get this interview by speaking to the owner of the club, Didgeri Doo, who many of you may know from her extensive modeling career, and as being a close friend of Mr. Ballard. As many who read the documentary Nightwise, by R.S. Belcher know, he just came back from killing Dusan Slorzack, one of his greatest achievements since stealing the Sorcerer’s Stone back in ‘99.
I just wanted to say that it is such an honor to finally meet you Laytham. Since I don’t have a ton of time for this interview, I want to get to the real questions right away. Just answer as honestly as you can.
Question 1: Who do you think has influenced you the most throughout your life?
My gran. She tried to teach me right from wrong, teach me how my powers work and how to save the world. If only she’d lived long enough to stop me from being the person I am now. Don’t matter now, no point in thinking about how different things would be if something didn’t happen.
Question 2: What is your greatest achievement?
Killing Slorzack. Took a lot of effort to track him down, and a lot of good people got hurt. Certainly got me a lot of attention, although not all of it is good.
Question 3: Who would you say is your closest friend?
One of the guys that I worked with years ago, did some of my best stuff with him. Name’s Boj, and I killed Dusan Slorzack for him, cause Slorzack murdered his wife. It was his last wish before he died of AIDS, too much reckless needle work in his youth.
Question 4: Is there anything that you are truly afraid of?
I’m afraid of being alone, no one to have my back. Just the cold emptiness of the knowledge that when you die, you’re going to die alone. At this point, I probably deserve that.
Question 5: After you’ve killed Dusan Slorzack, what are you planning to do?
I made some deals that I’m not real proud of, but it was necessary. Only one way to find a man that has totally disappeared is to get some cosmic favor. Gotta repay that, but then it’s back to business as usual, living life as exciting as possible.
Question 6: Have you ever considered living a normal life?
A normal life would be boring. Living life on the run, with only your mind, skills, and a wallet full of stolen money. Now that, that’s the life.
Question 7: What is the saddest moment in your life?
When my granny died, definitely. I was just a kid back then, and I hadn’t learned enough. I resurrected gran, damning her soul forever. It still haunts me.
Question 8: What is your biggest regret?
I wish that I could have killed Dusan Slorzack before Boj died. After all we’d been through, he deserved better. Everyone deserves better.
Question 9: What made you want to become a “rock star” of magic?
I had nothing left after my gran died, so I decided to live my life on the edge, teasing death. Best decision I ever made. Drugs, alcohol, and rock and roll. What else does a guy need?
Question 10: Have you ever considered teaching magic?
Not any time soon. I got so much left to do, so much left to explore. I can’t settle down while I’m ahead. I’m planning on staying at the top until I die, and then I’ll stay on top even a little after that.
I just wanted to say that it is such an honor to finally meet you Laytham. Since I don’t have a ton of time for this interview, I want to get to the real questions right away. Just answer as honestly as you can.
Question 1: Who do you think has influenced you the most throughout your life?
My gran. She tried to teach me right from wrong, teach me how my powers work and how to save the world. If only she’d lived long enough to stop me from being the person I am now. Don’t matter now, no point in thinking about how different things would be if something didn’t happen.
Question 2: What is your greatest achievement?
Killing Slorzack. Took a lot of effort to track him down, and a lot of good people got hurt. Certainly got me a lot of attention, although not all of it is good.
Question 3: Who would you say is your closest friend?
One of the guys that I worked with years ago, did some of my best stuff with him. Name’s Boj, and I killed Dusan Slorzack for him, cause Slorzack murdered his wife. It was his last wish before he died of AIDS, too much reckless needle work in his youth.
Question 4: Is there anything that you are truly afraid of?
I’m afraid of being alone, no one to have my back. Just the cold emptiness of the knowledge that when you die, you’re going to die alone. At this point, I probably deserve that.
Question 5: After you’ve killed Dusan Slorzack, what are you planning to do?
I made some deals that I’m not real proud of, but it was necessary. Only one way to find a man that has totally disappeared is to get some cosmic favor. Gotta repay that, but then it’s back to business as usual, living life as exciting as possible.
Question 6: Have you ever considered living a normal life?
A normal life would be boring. Living life on the run, with only your mind, skills, and a wallet full of stolen money. Now that, that’s the life.
Question 7: What is the saddest moment in your life?
When my granny died, definitely. I was just a kid back then, and I hadn’t learned enough. I resurrected gran, damning her soul forever. It still haunts me.
Question 8: What is your biggest regret?
I wish that I could have killed Dusan Slorzack before Boj died. After all we’d been through, he deserved better. Everyone deserves better.
Question 9: What made you want to become a “rock star” of magic?
I had nothing left after my gran died, so I decided to live my life on the edge, teasing death. Best decision I ever made. Drugs, alcohol, and rock and roll. What else does a guy need?
Question 10: Have you ever considered teaching magic?
Not any time soon. I got so much left to do, so much left to explore. I can’t settle down while I’m ahead. I’m planning on staying at the top until I die, and then I’ll stay on top even a little after that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2019
“The banker was crucified on the wall of his Wall Street office, fountain pens rammed through both wrists, an Armani Jesus.”
Well hello there. You have my attention.
When that’s your opening sentence to the story, you just know you’re embarking on a dark and gritty ride.
Laytham Ballard was born a Wisdom, as his grandma called him. It ran in the family. She tried her best to instill the whole, “With great power comes great responsibility,” thing in him, but sometimes, life throws more at a little boy than he can handle. With lots of power swirling within him and a broken heart, Laytham lashed out on a level no normal parent has to deal with. He raised the dead and caused a slaughter.
That was only the beginning of his moral down slide. He spent his life hunting other people in the Life and building a legend of himself as the biggest bad ass in town. It doesn’t matter how dirty he has to fight to build that image, he’s sold half his soul already.
Even villains have their own strange loyalties, so when one of his only friends is dying, he makes a promise to avenge his wife’s brutal death. The one thing his friend was never able to do while living. But the target hasn’t been seen in nearly 11 years, and has some very big friends that Laytham will have to get past first. He’ll have to use every trick in his book to find him and then, will he even have the power to take him down?
It really hurts your pride when you doubt just how bad ass you are.
This is a dark urban fantasy with an anti-hero that you can’t trust but you also, can’t wait to see what he does next.
Well hello there. You have my attention.
When that’s your opening sentence to the story, you just know you’re embarking on a dark and gritty ride.
Laytham Ballard was born a Wisdom, as his grandma called him. It ran in the family. She tried her best to instill the whole, “With great power comes great responsibility,” thing in him, but sometimes, life throws more at a little boy than he can handle. With lots of power swirling within him and a broken heart, Laytham lashed out on a level no normal parent has to deal with. He raised the dead and caused a slaughter.
That was only the beginning of his moral down slide. He spent his life hunting other people in the Life and building a legend of himself as the biggest bad ass in town. It doesn’t matter how dirty he has to fight to build that image, he’s sold half his soul already.
Even villains have their own strange loyalties, so when one of his only friends is dying, he makes a promise to avenge his wife’s brutal death. The one thing his friend was never able to do while living. But the target hasn’t been seen in nearly 11 years, and has some very big friends that Laytham will have to get past first. He’ll have to use every trick in his book to find him and then, will he even have the power to take him down?
It really hurts your pride when you doubt just how bad ass you are.
This is a dark urban fantasy with an anti-hero that you can’t trust but you also, can’t wait to see what he does next.
September 16, 2019
Nightwise is an interesting supernatural thriller. The only problem I had with it? By the third chapter I had totally given up on calling the main character (a magician by the name of Laytham Ballard) by his given name. You see Nightwise is possibly the greatest John Constantine novel never written. The Constantine character first appeared in 1985 and has had a feature film and television series centered around him-all long before R S Belcher penned Nightwise for publication in 2015. Let me be clear-I do not think any literary borrowing took place here. All I am saying is that the two anti-heroes are such remarkably congruent characters it is difficult not to draw parallels. I still enjoyed the book and am looking forward to reading the sequel.
March 9, 2021
Dark urban fantasy that reads like a season from the CW series Supernatural, the only difference being the lead character who is sort of a callous asshole trying to do his own version of good. I liked how Belcher melded the story as a crime caper and the uncanny, giving it the required dose of thrill and suspense to keep the readers going. This reads like a lighter version of Neil Gaiman's American Gods, but with blood and gore, snarky humour and action.
The characters were layered too, and Ballard is one complex persona whom I would never like to meet. Apart from the few supporting cast of Magdalena, Christine, Didgeri, Grinner, I didn't like anyone. Belcher also blends several mythologies, and draws a subtle critique on the corporate capitalism, power and ideology in his narrative. I liked how he reconstructed the entire history of America, it's materialism, and the politics of the Dollar that influences the rest of the world.
I'll read the sequel for sure, just to see how Ballard evolves as an asshole.
The characters were layered too, and Ballard is one complex persona whom I would never like to meet. Apart from the few supporting cast of Magdalena, Christine, Didgeri, Grinner, I didn't like anyone. Belcher also blends several mythologies, and draws a subtle critique on the corporate capitalism, power and ideology in his narrative. I liked how he reconstructed the entire history of America, it's materialism, and the politics of the Dollar that influences the rest of the world.
I'll read the sequel for sure, just to see how Ballard evolves as an asshole.
June 18, 2015
As I graced the first page of Chapter One, I was already hooked with the narration. R.S. Belcher is a good storyteller. Nightwise is short but it's full of action. The plot moves at a quick trot, almost with no respite that you can't quite catch your breath before you're plunged into the next heart-thumping scene.
I don't know how old Laytham Ballard is but let me assume him to be in his mid-thirties. He's your typical male alpha. And no, this isn't one of those romantic books, nor a romantic one for that matter. Nightwise is a real thriller book with a knockout antihero to boot.
Anyway, if you're a male reader, you could imagine yourself in Laytham's shoes while reading especially that it's written in the first-person POV. Laytham's a real badass. If you're a female reader like me, you can simply swoon.
Reviewed on: zirev.com
I say that Laytham is an antihero because as how the publishers put it, "he's also a cynical bastard who stopped thinking of himself as the good guy a long time ago". He's selfish and yet, practical (if summoned evil things are following his trail, he'd drop his items on someone so these things will pounce on that unsuspecting victim). He's quick to react to possible danger unless much of his energy's already exhausted from his various chakras or he's too stoned or too occupied battling his hangover. He's also conceited.
There's a great touch of the mystic in this book. More often than not, the author would use terminologies you'd usually find in books for meditation and perhaps, books from the underworld. If you're not into this kind of things, don't let a complicated word put you off, you can simply move on.
The story revolves mostly around New York with high places like the Wall Street and Times Square with a few mentions of outside places from past events.
For a contemporary thriller story of urban fantasy, this book is quite typical. You'd come across the Illuminati and have a peak into the BDSM scene. And one must not forget, the character must always go to a pub/club.
While so much mojo is involved in the story, technology is quite utilized here. But still, with a touch of magic. The author also made use of modern things to keep with our time like Minecraft and P90X. Moreover, Laytham is well-connected. He has an ex-military friend who's good in hacking, collecting intel, and in covering his tracks. I'm not sure if Laytham's ex-military himself.
Nightwise is a quick read with its small size and fast-paced plot that will have you reeling when hell starts breaking lose. And just when everything starts getting so good, it ended at an effing cliffhanger.
I don't know how old Laytham Ballard is but let me assume him to be in his mid-thirties. He's your typical male alpha. And no, this isn't one of those romantic books, nor a romantic one for that matter. Nightwise is a real thriller book with a knockout antihero to boot.
Anyway, if you're a male reader, you could imagine yourself in Laytham's shoes while reading especially that it's written in the first-person POV. Laytham's a real badass. If you're a female reader like me, you can simply swoon.
Reviewed on: zirev.com
Belief has power. Getting someone else to believe what you believe has even greater power. I’ve always been all about the power, not so much with the following or the believing. I believe in me, that’s pretty much it. Believe in someone else too much and they’ll fail you or screw you, or both.
I say that Laytham is an antihero because as how the publishers put it, "he's also a cynical bastard who stopped thinking of himself as the good guy a long time ago". He's selfish and yet, practical (if summoned evil things are following his trail, he'd drop his items on someone so these things will pounce on that unsuspecting victim). He's quick to react to possible danger unless much of his energy's already exhausted from his various chakras or he's too stoned or too occupied battling his hangover. He's also conceited.
"What do you believe in?"
"I believe in how amazingly badass I am."
There's a great touch of the mystic in this book. More often than not, the author would use terminologies you'd usually find in books for meditation and perhaps, books from the underworld. If you're not into this kind of things, don't let a complicated word put you off, you can simply move on.
The story revolves mostly around New York with high places like the Wall Street and Times Square with a few mentions of outside places from past events.
For a contemporary thriller story of urban fantasy, this book is quite typical. You'd come across the Illuminati and have a peak into the BDSM scene. And one must not forget, the character must always go to a pub/club.
While so much mojo is involved in the story, technology is quite utilized here. But still, with a touch of magic. The author also made use of modern things to keep with our time like Minecraft and P90X. Moreover, Laytham is well-connected. He has an ex-military friend who's good in hacking, collecting intel, and in covering his tracks. I'm not sure if Laytham's ex-military himself.
Nightwise is a quick read with its small size and fast-paced plot that will have you reeling when hell starts breaking lose. And just when everything starts getting so good, it ended at an effing cliffhanger.
I spent my life at the frayed edges. I didn’t have anyone to be that invested in, to make my breath catch or my heart race. No one to protect or to avenge. Most times I was cool with it, part of the price I had chosen to pay for the power and the Life.
December 2, 2019
I very much enjoy the Golgotha books, and I absolutely adored Brotherhood of the Wheel, so I'm disappointed with Nightwise. There are a lot of Harry Dresden comparisons out there for this book, but I mean; Laytham Ballard is a pale imitation. Actually-- ok; imagine Harry Dresden, except if Harry were an enormous wanker who simultaneously thought he was the absolute shit as well as *an* absolute shit, and was not wrong. Ballard is actually a comedically antiheroic antihero who other characters keep saying isn't as bad as he thinks he is, but by all evidence available, he kind of has been. As a character later in the book points out, he's constantly trying to do the right thing these days, but often fails at it in some fashion because of his own hubris. I can get behind a protagonist who isn't perfect, but it's hard to sympathize with one that just seems like an extremely shitty asshole. As a hardcore Dresden nerd, I feel comfortable saying that Harry would find Ballard to be at the very least distasteful, definitely part of the problem, and a potential future candidate for a well-placed pyrofuego.
Noir detective story as it is, women tend to be set dressing: a 17-year old babysitter is described in terms of her tits and ass and lack of smarts; the one woman he manages to sleep with is a gorgeous woman who needs a teacher and likes to be dominated who was done wrong and needs saving, and the woman he lost is the perfect young mom cut down in her prime; eyyy, whore-madonna-mother trifecta bingo! Laytham also tends to call a trans woman by her deadname because he can, even though he otherwise appears to have zero issue with her trans identity and she's obviously one of his favorite people on the planet.
I don't mean to make this book sound terrible; it's not, mostly. It's a competent supernatural noir read; Ballard gets his ass kicked constantly (and graphically, and have I mentioned repeatedly), runs into many trials and tribulations, pulls off capers by the skin of his teeth with the help of a lovely, diverse set of sidekicks, and eventually gets the job done. Some of the ideas are super fun (the Greenway is great, as is the vast network of occultists), and the side characters are diverse and entertainingly drawn. Still, our antihero spends all his time brooding and smoking, and pulling impossibly badass feats off while telling nigh unbelievable tales of other exploits. It's hard to keep up the suspension of disbelief (i know, yes, i've seen the other things i read, too; take that however you like) and though I read this fairly quickly, I won't be picking up the sequels.
Finally though: even though the Nightwise series is overall a miss for me, Jimmie's cameo was the best part, and I'm super psyched to read King of the Road, which I am FINALLY going to do very shortly.
Noir detective story as it is, women tend to be set dressing: a 17-year old babysitter is described in terms of her tits and ass and lack of smarts; the one woman he manages to sleep with is a gorgeous woman who needs a teacher and likes to be dominated who was done wrong and needs saving, and the woman he lost is the perfect young mom cut down in her prime; eyyy, whore-madonna-mother trifecta bingo! Laytham also tends to call a trans woman by her deadname because he can, even though he otherwise appears to have zero issue with her trans identity and she's obviously one of his favorite people on the planet.
I don't mean to make this book sound terrible; it's not, mostly. It's a competent supernatural noir read; Ballard gets his ass kicked constantly (and graphically, and have I mentioned repeatedly), runs into many trials and tribulations, pulls off capers by the skin of his teeth with the help of a lovely, diverse set of sidekicks, and eventually gets the job done. Some of the ideas are super fun (the Greenway is great, as is the vast network of occultists), and the side characters are diverse and entertainingly drawn. Still, our antihero spends all his time brooding and smoking, and pulling impossibly badass feats off while telling nigh unbelievable tales of other exploits. It's hard to keep up the suspension of disbelief (i know, yes, i've seen the other things i read, too; take that however you like) and though I read this fairly quickly, I won't be picking up the sequels.
Finally though: even though the Nightwise series is overall a miss for me, Jimmie's cameo was the best part, and I'm super psyched to read King of the Road, which I am FINALLY going to do very shortly.
May 24, 2017
I kept thinking I was missing a few books when I started listening to this series. Laytham, is such a developed character with an intricate past, and the reader/listener is given little bits and pieces. I kept wanting more of those stories. I like to grow with the characters, I would have loved to been on all those journeys with Laytham and watched him turn from the young man to the incredibly jaded one. Getting it in flashbacks just didn’t feel complete. I really hope Belcher goes back and fills in the blanks.
Nightwise is an incredibly well developed and intricate Urban Fantasy steeped in today’s culture. Belcher turned modern and past events and made them his own, from the founding of our country all the way to 911. His story is brilliant in its intricacy.
Laytham is the epitome of the anti-hero. Every time in the story I think he is going to do something to redeem himself, he turns right around and proves to be a bastard. I wanted to like him but he made it hard, this line sums it up pretty well.
“…you are a villain with a heart dipped in the blackest of blood and yet you still cling to the notion that you are a hero.”
Laytham is a character that is going to stick with me for a while and so is this story. It is raw and gritty as hell. My only complaint is I want the backstory. I never start a series in the middle and this felt like it.
Pinchot did a superb job with the narration, I will be looking for more works by him. Anytime I find a great narrator I always look for more from them.
Overall I am giving Nightwise 4 Boundless Stars, I really enjoyed it.
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Nightwise is an incredibly well developed and intricate Urban Fantasy steeped in today’s culture. Belcher turned modern and past events and made them his own, from the founding of our country all the way to 911. His story is brilliant in its intricacy.
Laytham is the epitome of the anti-hero. Every time in the story I think he is going to do something to redeem himself, he turns right around and proves to be a bastard. I wanted to like him but he made it hard, this line sums it up pretty well.
“…you are a villain with a heart dipped in the blackest of blood and yet you still cling to the notion that you are a hero.”
Laytham is a character that is going to stick with me for a while and so is this story. It is raw and gritty as hell. My only complaint is I want the backstory. I never start a series in the middle and this felt like it.
Pinchot did a superb job with the narration, I will be looking for more works by him. Anytime I find a great narrator I always look for more from them.
Overall I am giving Nightwise 4 Boundless Stars, I really enjoyed it.
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May 18, 2016
Move over Dresden, there's a new wizard in town!
Even though I personally liked Belcher's Six-Gun Tarot much more than this, I would highly recommend this book as well to any and all who like urban fantasy, occult mystery and horror (although it's much more the first two than the third). If you're a fan of Dresden Files or the Felix Castor novels, you're sure to like this.
I really liked the fact that Laytham is a complete asshole. There are so many PI/detective/cop/whatever that are rough around the edges, jaded, world-weary etc and it's become quite cliche. Belcher draws on this cliche, but dares to push it a bit further. (Don't get me wrong, it's not like he's a completely original character, he's a LOT like John Constantine - but hey I'm not complaining). Laytham is a really enjoyable character, despite being neither the good-guy or really even a good guy. I think maybe it's because he acknowledges himself that he's an asshole, the way he's unapologetic and at the same time humble about it, that makes us (me the reader and the other characters) really like him despite all the crap. He's not trying to fool anyone, he won't trick or sleaze you, he'll tell you to your face that he's doesn't give a crap about you and is just using you and he doesn't expect you to give a shit back, but that's why you feel you can trust him and like having him around.
And if you're into audiobooks, definately listen to this one - Bronson Pinchot does an amazing job!
Even though I personally liked Belcher's Six-Gun Tarot much more than this, I would highly recommend this book as well to any and all who like urban fantasy, occult mystery and horror (although it's much more the first two than the third). If you're a fan of Dresden Files or the Felix Castor novels, you're sure to like this.
I really liked the fact that Laytham is a complete asshole. There are so many PI/detective/cop/whatever that are rough around the edges, jaded, world-weary etc and it's become quite cliche. Belcher draws on this cliche, but dares to push it a bit further. (Don't get me wrong, it's not like he's a completely original character, he's a LOT like John Constantine - but hey I'm not complaining). Laytham is a really enjoyable character, despite being neither the good-guy or really even a good guy. I think maybe it's because he acknowledges himself that he's an asshole, the way he's unapologetic and at the same time humble about it, that makes us (me the reader and the other characters) really like him despite all the crap. He's not trying to fool anyone, he won't trick or sleaze you, he'll tell you to your face that he's doesn't give a crap about you and is just using you and he doesn't expect you to give a shit back, but that's why you feel you can trust him and like having him around.
And if you're into audiobooks, definately listen to this one - Bronson Pinchot does an amazing job!
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