Bystanders

Bystanders #1

by Phillip Murrell

"Intrepid reporters end up dead." That's what Claire Kennedy's boss told her. Claire doesn't care. She's willing to risk her life to land an interview with her city's superhero. The mysterious vigilante is a demolition force against the criminal empire operating inside Colberton. He won't identify himself to the public, so Claire will assign him a name herself. She's willing to create other "facts" as necessary, anything to get a promotion at Data to Information News. The hero, Votary, cares not for her goals. Nor does Votary worry about the actions of the police or criminals. The city must be protected from itself and outside threats. Votary is the only person capable of this, though the methods used will lead to death and trauma for many citizens of Colberton. Most will debate the methods of this crusader. Some support Votary, others fear the vigilante, but none will know the person beneath the armor, despite trying.

Genres: Superheroes

432 pages, Paperback

First published June 13, 2017

About the author

I'm a lifelong reader and fan of stories in every medium. I started writing for fun in the second grade (I think my mom may still have my school-assigned short story "The Frozen Eyes," which I shakily wrote on lined paper). I'm also an Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer in the United States Army. While on my second deployment to Iraq, I began to write again. First, I wrote screenplays, then moved on to writing novels, the first being "Bystanders."

I've been married for over sixteen years to my amazing wife. I also have three children. Thankfully, they also love sci-fi, fantasy, and roller coasters as much as I do.

During my free time I'll either be reading/watching TV/playing video games or I'll be spending my hard-earned money doing something that produces copious adrenaline, such as skydiving or whitewater rafting (neither of which are as much fun as a day riding roller coasters!).

Reviews

[Jeffrey Caston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy superhero stories. Always have from the time my mother took me to the first Superman movie.

Dark superheroes also intrigue me too. Somehow being a dark superhero while still doing good means you are doing heroic stuff against the odds and against powerful forces few others have the guts to tackle.

Public opinion can be one of those forces in stories like this.

So Murrell has a different take on storytelling that I found intriguing and unique. The entire book is told in present tense. And instead of narrating the story from the perspective of the hero, Bystanders tells Votary's origin story from the people in the town he fights to protect and from the bad guys he's fighting against. There are only a few passages here and there where the POV is Votary's. I found that very interesting.

Bystanders takes place in a mid-sized city, Colberton. At first, no one knows who Votary is, where he came from, what his motivations are, etc. Votary is an enigma. Votary is kind of like an Iron-Man kind of hero on steroids and with fewer scruples. In fact, you don't even learn if Votary is a male or a female or even a human or an alien or a cyborg. The story ends and you get a glimpse of who Votary is, but not much.. People begin to take sides, whether they are for his efforts or against him. They don't even know who to call this new superhero, so some clever young bloggers begin a naming contest. (There's an interesting way Murrell introduces the character I thought.)

Anyway, we learn, through the eyes of a mother, two teen bloggers, criminals, a few paramedics, some cops, and a few others, what Votary stands for and see what he does through their eyes.

There's tons of action and narrated fight scenes.

Bystanders sets up a good series that I look forward to reading in the future.

[Allison Hurd · Rating 3 out of 5]

First let me say that the author is someone I enjoy interacting with on Goodreads. I bought this book myself, so my opinions are my own, but for the record, Phillip Murrell is an interesting and fun conversationalist.

Onto the book. I don't often read a lot of superhero books, but this one is different from what I've seen. Much more grim, but at the same time the focus is on the regular people, which is really interesting.

CONTENT WARNING: (just a list of topics) misogyny, homophobia, gore, jingoism, extreme violence, racism, drug use, serial killers.

Things that were really great:

-The concept. I loved the angle--we spend very little time with Votary/Beatdown. Instead we follow the bystanders--all of the people who get tangled in the web of superheroes, super villains, organized crime and the rest. It was an interesting spin on making the superhero story "human."

-The action. High octane and in your face!

-The cast. We see all sorts of different people with different backgrounds and goals. It was nice to see a well-populated world.

-The mystery. I had a lot of fun trying to figure out who Votary was. There were so many opportunities, red herrings, and motives from the people we see. Well crafted.

-The last 20%. This is where things really go haywire. Very fast-paced and exciting.

Things I didn't love:

-Debut novel. No one's immune. I can only imagine that things get more polished from here. But there were some authorial tics and filler that I think could have used a bit more editing.

-The social commentary. I think only one male character in this book refrains from calling some woman "bitch." There's a lot of juvenile sexual harassment jokes, homophobic comments etc. which may have been intended as grit but which, I think, would have needed more depth and variety to make it feel organic rather than stereotypical.

-Tense. Present tense is hard because it's so easy to fall into a "sequential" way of telling a story. Third person present also makes it a bit removed. I think it has a lot of potential to make it feel fast-paced and opaque, which I think worked well for the book, but it needed a bit more finesse I think to fully draw me in. I kept expecting the fourth wall to break and to realize we'd been reading the book from Votary's perspective or something, and it distracted me to have that expectation.

All in all, a very novel concept from a confident new voice.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A city is in the grip of a violent crime wave when a vigilante appears, but is the vigilante all that they appear, how will the criminals respond and will the city become safer?

This book had action galore and many good / believable characters – there was plenty of violence but nothing too extreme. The interactions of the media / villains / police / vigilante were all credible and logical, given the well developed city setting they existed in.

My 4 star rating (instead of 5) was because some of the writing wasn’t tight enough – but this is very much a personal preference.

If you like films like ‘The Dark Knight’, you’ll probably enjoy this book.

[D. Peach · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read for anyone who loves action, a plot-driven story, and superheroes. But it’s not typical of superhero reads since the superhero has almost no role in the narrative. Instead, the story focuses on those touched by his actions – a news anchor, hospital workers, EMTs, law enforcement, criminals, and a couple of teenage bloggers.

Don’t expect any deep character development, emotional turmoil, or personal growth. For the most part, the characters are simply reacting to events and don’t have overarching goals that drive the action. But do expect well-rounded personalities revealed through exceptional dialog, the strongest element of the book.

The pace is good throughout, though there are times when the dialog, though realistic, goes off on short tangents. There’s some humor around the superhero’s name, and there’s plenty of violence, so be prepared for blood. An entertaining book that I recommend to readers of plot-driven superhero and action novels.

[Bobby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

I really liked this one a lot, but for different reasons than most superhero books I read. I'll just say right now that this book was very dark and violent. I was expecting that somewhat, but not quite to that extent. That's not a criticism, because I was mostly ready for it, but it's not for the faint of heart. I was kind of expecting superhero's and vigilantes battling it out, but I ended up getting a vigilante/hero battling it out with organized crime. Instead of a vigilante fighting guys in spandex, he's fighting drug dealers and hired killers. I love a good YA superhero origin story, or a lighthearted comedic look at a super powered world, but it's good to have some variety. This is basically a Grimdark style of Superhero book.

When I first started reading, I felt like the narration was a bit detached, but the dialogue was great and engaging, so I had no problem going forward. Then as I got farther into the book, I realized the detached writing really worked well when describing some of the more violent or gory things that happened without getting into more detail than I would have wanted. It's just a different style than I was used to.

I also liked that it focused on the everyday people instead of the "hero." It was interesting to see how certain individuals felt about Votary without the personal perspective of knowing who he is and how he's reacting to what people say about him. We got to see the aftermath of all the violence and how it effected people, but we didn't get to see inside Votary's head, which was a lot different than most superhero books. I think this is the first I read where the hero/vigilante isn't really one of the main protagonists.

Another thing I liked a lot, but wasn't expecting, was the fun of trying to solve the mystery of who Votary is. I spent a lot of time as I was reading, trying to analyze where certain characters were at different times to eliminate them from contention. There are several who are prime candidates based on events in the books, so it's just really hard to tell. The author likes to tease us by having certain characters disappear at convenient times and not be present when something big is going on, thus leaving them open to be Votary. Then there are several moments that could easily be looked back on as clues when Votary is finally revealed in the last book in the series. However, there are multiple characters who give off those kinds of clues, so it's just really hard to tell.

I've narrowed it down to 4 characters I think are most likely, but there's no way to tell at this point beyond a guess. Chances are it won't even be one of the 4 I think it is. I'll go ahead and write my official guess here in spoiler tags just on the off chance that I'm right. I think Votary is Father Tom. I was tempted to go with an off the wall guess, but I figured I'd bite on some of the clues laid out in the book, and hope that mine isn't a red herring.

The book was good at holding my attention the whole way through, but there was a certain point where the action ramped up, and I couldn't take my eyes off the page. The only reason I haven't been reading the second book already is because I've been out of town and I didn't have it with me. I can't wait to get back to the story and see how the new developments at the end change things. I'm also a very curious person, so I'm glad that all 4 books are out and I don't have to wait forever to find out who Votary is.

[I.M. Redwright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first volume of a series. The story is pretty straight forward, lots of action and fast pacing. The approach is pretty dark, Phillip Murrell is not afraid of showing the real consequences of a war between a hero and his enemies, that is, destruction and death of innocent people, which makes the story more realistic and different to the usual "let's not even mention that innocent people died" approach.

At first, I thought it was just a book about a hero, Votary, but the author narrates the story from the point of view of lots of characters (the hero itself, of course, a reporter, two kids who love videogames and comic books and therefore are amazed by the idea of having a true hero in their city, the police, etc) which is interesting since you can see how different groups of people think so differently about the same event: the rise of a hero.

This novel plays with the idea of who the hero, Votary, really is, there's a lot of mystery surrounding this character, I felt a bit bad when the book ended without revealing who Votary was, however, being this book part of a series I can wait.

I thought there were some stereotypical comments, which as a result made me aware I was reading a story, instead of being part of it. There was like some effort to make particular characters "badasses" using mean jokes and insults, which I found too much sometimes.

Anyway, this story met my expectations, I wanted a hero story like in comic books and I got it. Willing to read the second volume :)

[Thomas Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s difficult to know where to begin when talking about Bystanders. I wanted to like this book better than I did. It’s a comic book in novel format that reminded me of the work of Howard Chaykin in American Flagg. The protagonist, Votary, is an enigmatic superhero who has placed the small city of Colberton under his protection, whether the residents want it or not. Votary is a true vigilante, killing or maiming anyone who he deems as a threat to his vision of law and order. The story is told cinematically, in snippets, the POV jumping back and forth between many residents of Colberton; Claire Kennedy, an intrepid reporter, Dominic Power, a drug dealer and a thug Benji, Maria and Mendez, city cops, and Kyle and Keith, teenage bloggers, to name a few. No one knows who the hero is and everyone has their own name for him. The plethora of characters and the multiple names make the story hard to follow. The writing is terse, choppy and in present tense, which contributes to the cinematic atmosphere, but becomes somewhat monotonous after a while. There are many unexpected plot twists, most of which seem to come out of thin air, further contributing to the confusion. The snippets get shorter and shorter as the climax is reached, ostensibly to add to the suspense, but the climax isn’t really a climax, just a breather before lurching into book two. I was actually relieved to escape from the chaos when I finished.

[Bethany Salway · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the print equivalent of a B movie - right down to the snappy dialogue and beautiful people. (Truly, I seldom read a book with so much effort devoted to describing how attractive and fit everyone is.)

It's fun, preposterous, and full of blood. I liked how the book poked fun at its own tropes of "superheroes" and "supervillains." The heroes are smart asses and the bad guys are bloodcurdling. Naturally, be prepared to suspend disbelief on multiple fronts.

I didn't enjoy the writing style, which I found too choppy and abrupt. The blunt flavor is exacerbated, probably intentionally, by being written entirely in the present tense. On some level, I applaud authors who shake up their style by defying established writing norms. On the other hand, I'm so used to those established norms. Reading prose in the present tense is very distracting! Every time I started getting into the story, I got jerked away by the uncomfortable dissonance.

I wouldn't call the ending a cliffhanger, but it certainly leaves a lot of unresolved questions. Luckily, there are three more book in the series waiting for those that want them.

If you enjoy over the top action and a sense of humor that straddles the border between smart and cheesy, you will probably love this.

[Joshua Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phillip Murrell captures all the best aspects of vigilante superhero thrillers while also taking a different approach to the trope in Bystanders! As reporter Claire Kennedy zeros in on the mysterious vigilante Votary, questions are raised as to both their motives and the high cost of justice. I really enjoyed Murrell’s actiony story, but especially his more realistic take on the impact to the general citizens and the city itself. Check this one out if you love a good gritty vigilante thriller with depth!

[Leezie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book. Action but with a plot. Not just random violence.

[Mandy (MP Book Reviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Claire Kennedy is a reporter in the city of Colberton. There is a new vigilante who is currently demolishing the criminal empire that has been operating there for some time. Clare is desperate to interview him but he is very elusive and so she decides to name him herself. Votary is the vigilante and he is not interested in her desire to interview him just that he has to protect the city even if there will be some collateral damage and some do not agree with his methods.

I enjoyed the underlying premise of the story for this book but I didn't enjoy reading it as much as I hoped. There was a lot of action which was good but there were times when it felt a bit needlessly violent which I struggled with at times. I can see that it would appeal to any person who enjoyed playing first-person shooter video games but I found it a little bit much at times. The story was easy to understand and very broadly enjoyable.

[Florian Armas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bystander is filled with action and humor. The main character, Votary, is an enigmatic superhero in Colberton, a small city. The story is told in snippets, the POV jumping back and forth between Claire, a keen reporter, Power, a drug dealer, Benji, Maria and Mendez, a team of cops. They all have a story to tell, and their stories mix with smaller stories of some episodic characters until it becomes hard to follow them. No one knows who Votary is, so everyone has a name for him. There are many twists in the novel, including some related to Votary; the writing is energetic and abrupt, which contributes to create a dynamic atmosphere, but it also creates chaos and a sense of being lost behind the lines. The snippets get shorter and shorter toward the end, which makes an introduction to the next novel in the series.
Overall, the novel is complex, chaotic and wild.

[Godswill Sambo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A city is in the grip of a violent crime wave when a vigilante appears, but is the vigilante all that they appear, how will the criminals respond and will the city become safer?

This book had action galore and many good / believable characters – there was plenty of violence but nothing too extreme. The interactions of the media / villains / police / vigilante were all credible and logical, given the well developed city setting they existed in.

My 4 star rating (instead of 5) was because some of the writing wasn’t tight enough – but this is very much a personal preference.

If you like films like ‘The Dark Knight’, you’ll probably enjoy this book.

[Jimmy Haight · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that grips you from start to finish. Murrell takes a new twist on the traditional superhero tale and provides a more realistic portrayal of the collateral consequences that follow. He breathes life into the characters with a complex set of motivations and personalities. Overall, Bystanders is an enjoyable experience that switches point of view to tell a fun story from new perspectives.

[Tristen Kozinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bystanders has a strong concept and a strong conclusion but struggles throughout with inorganic dialogue and initially with distractingly heavy-handed and bluntly implemented characterization. It boasts a plethora of characters, but only one has a narrative arch and the rest exist mostly to fill roles or to just exist. The story veers quite grim in places and while I think this improves the narrative, and the author's theme, it may off-put some readers.

[R. Pierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very engaging story with well fleshed-out characters. Well-written, with a wide variety of characters, lots of action, solid plot twists -- leaves the reader wanting more. Fast-paced and exciting story for sure.

[Spacechik · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another DNF

A book written completely in Present tense is just not my cup of tea. Again, an author that uses unnecessary adjectives makes me scream. DNF

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Misogyny
Racism
Drug use

[Mike Siedschlag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Phillip Murrell provided the first three books in the Bystanders series for review. Apologies to him for taking so long to get to them. I wrestled with the decision to read all three books and review them as a series or to do them individually. I am currently half way through the second book, and even though they are not stand alone books I think individually is the way to go.



After reading the first chapter of Bystanders I seriously thought my testosterone levels had probably increased. The action while not completely nonstop, it was darn close. We start with a superhero (maybe?) suddenly making an appearance in the small town of Colberton.



Many interweaving story lines with pretty well developed characters, quite a complex story. This would be my complaint about this book: too much. It seems like the author doesn't want to leave out any social group almost too much of a nod to inclusivity. There are strong females able to kick male butt, sensitive males, hardcore toxic males, gays, mental disorders, military style tech, females fighting the patriarchy, teenage angst and parental dysfunction, the usual assortment of good guys and bad guys. I was overwhelmed by the diversity of the characters and their own stories. By the time I finished this first installment I came to the conclusion that there really weren't any of the characters that should be edited out of the story. It just requires a bit more attention on the part of the reader.



Good start to the series, we aren't given much in the way of backstory for our semi-superhero which was another argument in favor of completing the three books as one. But I have since learned that the series extends beyond three books so that pretty much ends the argument.



Overall really enjoyed the book and looking forward to continuing the story. But I am hoping for more answers. Over the top in all aspects (that's a good thing) taking the reader on a very wild ride. Open the book, start reading and hang on! Enjoy!