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Alexi Sokolsky: Hound of Eden #3
Zero Sum
Hitmage Alexi Sokolsky used to sling spells for the Russian Mafia. That was before the man he loved was murdered, before his boss tried to turn him into his vampire slave, and before he learned about the Organizatsiya's dirty trade in supernatural children.
He's still a hitman - but now he hunts monsters.
An FBI agent has been raped and murdered in her home, seemingly by the same cult Alexi and his new friends have been fighting for months. The Government wants him to hunt down the cult’s assassin before he kills again... and they're not taking no for an answer.
Drawn into a grand conspiracy with world-shattering implications, Alexi finally has the chance to answer the questions that have haunted him ever since the Fruit of Eden first appeared in New York City - assuming he can survive long enough to discover the truth.
All Books in the Hound of Eden
Burn Artist (FREE!) -
Book 1: Blood Hound ($2.99) -
Book 2 Stained Glass ($2.99) -
Zero Sum (Book 3) -
He's still a hitman - but now he hunts monsters.
An FBI agent has been raped and murdered in her home, seemingly by the same cult Alexi and his new friends have been fighting for months. The Government wants him to hunt down the cult’s assassin before he kills again... and they're not taking no for an answer.
Drawn into a grand conspiracy with world-shattering implications, Alexi finally has the chance to answer the questions that have haunted him ever since the Fruit of Eden first appeared in New York City - assuming he can survive long enough to discover the truth.
All Books in the Hound of Eden
Burn Artist (FREE!) -
Book 1: Blood Hound ($2.99) -
Book 2 Stained Glass ($2.99) -
Zero Sum (Book 3) -
571 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 20, 2017
15 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
James Osiris Baldwin
26 books265 followersDragon Award-nominated author James Osiris Baldwin is a transgender man from Australia who writes gritty LGBT-inclusive, dark fantasy and science fiction. He was the former Contributing Editor for the Australian Journal of Dementia Care and has also worked for Alzheimer's Australia.
He currently lives in Seattle with his lovely wife, a precocious flame-point Siamese cat, and far too many rats. His obsession with the Occult is matched only by his preoccupation with motorcycles.
He currently lives in Seattle with his lovely wife, a precocious flame-point Siamese cat, and far too many rats. His obsession with the Occult is matched only by his preoccupation with motorcycles.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 27, 2017
So...Zero Sum the 4th book of the series and if I'm honest, my least favorite of the series. It doesn't mean it's bad, no, it's cool and a must read if you already started the series, because oh man, what's coming looks promising ;).
Then, what didn't i like? Mostly the fact that there's too many things going on at the same time and i didn't expect the incorporation of aliens and other stuff that, to me, didn't feel organic to the whole supernatural universe revolved around Alexi. I guess i'd have accepted it more had it been like the druids and shapeshifters in book 2. Also the first part of the book is overcharged with action and there's no rest for Alexi nor for you as a reader, giving me anxious feelings just by reading the whole thing, haha. Some scenarios were hard to follow and in addition with the discovery of the men in black, new characters, etc. it felt convoluted and scattered with no clear path. It got better in the end, and there's a chapter that i loved due to the amazing descriptions of magical realms that reminded me why i fell in love with this series. That's why i'm giving this a 4-star rate. Also i appreciate the inclusion of characters like Angkor, it's refreshing to see a character like him where his identity isn't such a Big Deal(tm), while i have mixed feelings about the developing relationship he has with Alexi since to me it felt forced in the sense that we didn't get to see the progression of Alexi's feelings but sudenly they just were there (idk, maybe it's just me and that just read a lot of romance so i have some expectations whenever there's some romantic side on a story), i'm just glad Angkor is a big part of the mission to heal GOD.
I'm rambling at this point xD, i understand now why this book needed to be written before Cold Cell, i understand why it must have been difficult to write, i wish the beginning were quieter. Nevertheless I can't wait to read the next book.
Then, what didn't i like? Mostly the fact that there's too many things going on at the same time and i didn't expect the incorporation of aliens and other stuff that, to me, didn't feel organic to the whole supernatural universe revolved around Alexi. I guess i'd have accepted it more had it been like the druids and shapeshifters in book 2. Also the first part of the book is overcharged with action and there's no rest for Alexi nor for you as a reader, giving me anxious feelings just by reading the whole thing, haha. Some scenarios were hard to follow and in addition with the discovery of the men in black, new characters, etc. it felt convoluted and scattered with no clear path. It got better in the end, and there's a chapter that i loved due to the amazing descriptions of magical realms that reminded me why i fell in love with this series. That's why i'm giving this a 4-star rate. Also i appreciate the inclusion of characters like Angkor, it's refreshing to see a character like him where his identity isn't such a Big Deal(tm), while i have mixed feelings about the developing relationship he has with Alexi since to me it felt forced in the sense that we didn't get to see the progression of Alexi's feelings but sudenly they just were there (idk, maybe it's just me and that just read a lot of romance so i have some expectations whenever there's some romantic side on a story), i'm just glad Angkor is a big part of the mission to heal GOD.
I'm rambling at this point xD, i understand now why this book needed to be written before Cold Cell, i understand why it must have been difficult to write, i wish the beginning were quieter. Nevertheless I can't wait to read the next book.
October 23, 2017
Powerful and strange.
Never read urban fantasy quite like this. Really glad I came across this series. Can't wait for Alexi's next adventure!!!
Never read urban fantasy quite like this. Really glad I came across this series. Can't wait for Alexi's next adventure!!!
September 25, 2017
Zero Sum is one of those books that you'll understand only if you've read the books that precede it (with the exception of the prequel novella; you can stick only to the novels).
It takes place in a world that is similar to what our own would've been like a couple of decades ago, if magic not only existed, but it was possible to be used by humans. With each new book, we learn more about this intriguing and complicated world and I have to say that while I still believe that there's nothing truly, absolutely 100% original anymore, the world that James Osiris Baldwin has created is high on the originality scale.
And, of course, it is populated by some interesting characters.
Let's take the main one - Alexi, for example.
The novels only cover a few months of his life, but he's changed so much and continues to change - we are probably not even halfway through his journey - and it all makes sense thanks to everything that is happening to and around him. He develops from a mafia drone to someone more independent, he becomes less prejudiced, his magic evolves and he somehow finds time for sexual discovery while you know... Trying to save the world.
The supporting cast are a band of colorful characters with a variety of backgrounds, personalities and motivations.
My only problem with this book, which is in all other books too (save for the prequel novella - Burn Artist), is that the story can get really complicated.
With Book 1 - Blood Hound, I had a problem mainly with the very complex magic system that in my opinion could've used more explanation; while the spells are presented better here, it's the many fractions and characters within these fractions that can get confusing due to the sheer number of them, but also because of the many double/triple/I-was-with-you-but-I've-changed-my-mind-so-I'm-with-them-now agents.
I'd recommend Zero Sum to people who enjoy complicated Fantasy and/or Paranormal Action books with really high stakes. Again, our heroes are trying to save the world. I should also warn you that I've put a mature content warning not because of sex (there's barely any in the book), but due to violence that some might consider extreme.
It takes place in a world that is similar to what our own would've been like a couple of decades ago, if magic not only existed, but it was possible to be used by humans. With each new book, we learn more about this intriguing and complicated world and I have to say that while I still believe that there's nothing truly, absolutely 100% original anymore, the world that James Osiris Baldwin has created is high on the originality scale.
And, of course, it is populated by some interesting characters.
Let's take the main one - Alexi, for example.
The novels only cover a few months of his life, but he's changed so much and continues to change - we are probably not even halfway through his journey - and it all makes sense thanks to everything that is happening to and around him. He develops from a mafia drone to someone more independent, he becomes less prejudiced, his magic evolves and he somehow finds time for sexual discovery while you know... Trying to save the world.
The supporting cast are a band of colorful characters with a variety of backgrounds, personalities and motivations.
My only problem with this book, which is in all other books too (save for the prequel novella - Burn Artist), is that the story can get really complicated.
With Book 1 - Blood Hound, I had a problem mainly with the very complex magic system that in my opinion could've used more explanation; while the spells are presented better here, it's the many fractions and characters within these fractions that can get confusing due to the sheer number of them, but also because of the many double/triple/I-was-with-you-but-I've-changed-my-mind-so-I'm-with-them-now agents.
I'd recommend Zero Sum to people who enjoy complicated Fantasy and/or Paranormal Action books with really high stakes. Again, our heroes are trying to save the world. I should also warn you that I've put a mature content warning not because of sex (there's barely any in the book), but due to violence that some might consider extreme.
October 1, 2017
I have read the other two books in the series and will say this...it's an amazing, ground breaking series that combines both fantasy and gritty modern elements into a fantastic universe all its own, with lore unlike anything else on the market.
In Zero Sum, all of the elements leading up in books one and two come together for what is a crucial and exciting turning point in the series. The author's expert use of slow-build character development is worth the read alone. Not only do we see the main character Alexi grow and stumble and get up again, but we also get insight into a building cast of characters, many who have endeared themselves to readers already in book two, but get even more love in this third installment.
Not only do readers get to experience these satisfying, well-developed characters, but the action is quite frankly, just amazing. The details are breath-taking and the delivery smooth and snappy enough to visualize easily. This particular book in the series has a TON more action, and the pacing is amazing so that it balances hard-core battling with quick witted dialogue and deep reflection on the part of the narrator. The lore details come more and more to life in this installment as well, and the fantasy elements are something unique and set this author apart from the rest of the modern fantasy genre in a whole new way.
Overall, this book is well worth reading, as well as the series as a whole. I highly recommend it to all my friends and have been following this author closely from the start of his self-published career. This novel, and all his other works, are truly something special and unique to adult fiction right now, and I wish more people knew about James Osiris Baldwin and his writing.
tl;dr : Amazing novel with tons of action and intrigue with a unique take on the modern fiction genre. 5/5, READ IT!!
In Zero Sum, all of the elements leading up in books one and two come together for what is a crucial and exciting turning point in the series. The author's expert use of slow-build character development is worth the read alone. Not only do we see the main character Alexi grow and stumble and get up again, but we also get insight into a building cast of characters, many who have endeared themselves to readers already in book two, but get even more love in this third installment.
Not only do readers get to experience these satisfying, well-developed characters, but the action is quite frankly, just amazing. The details are breath-taking and the delivery smooth and snappy enough to visualize easily. This particular book in the series has a TON more action, and the pacing is amazing so that it balances hard-core battling with quick witted dialogue and deep reflection on the part of the narrator. The lore details come more and more to life in this installment as well, and the fantasy elements are something unique and set this author apart from the rest of the modern fantasy genre in a whole new way.
Overall, this book is well worth reading, as well as the series as a whole. I highly recommend it to all my friends and have been following this author closely from the start of his self-published career. This novel, and all his other works, are truly something special and unique to adult fiction right now, and I wish more people knew about James Osiris Baldwin and his writing.
tl;dr : Amazing novel with tons of action and intrigue with a unique take on the modern fiction genre. 5/5, READ IT!!
November 6, 2017
The better part of horror is realizing how much we don't know.
I can recall few books in my long history of reading that have evoked such an intense emotional and visceral response as this one. That can't be attributed to any single thing, but a perfect storm of insights, details, and a solid sense of what the author is trying to create. The first two books could sometimes leave the reader confused and shaken, mirroring Alexi's own journey from the small world he thought he knew to the grander, infinite universe that he's now able to acknowledge. The stakes are much, much higher in this third book, and they're realized in the same few instances that many of Alexi's own struggles with his values and his identity come to breaking points. Said identity issues are handled very frankly, uncomfortably, but with much needed earnestness.
The story does NOT give you a break, nor should it. It was an exhilarating but exhausting read, and closing the back cover left me feeling bereft and seeking answers. It manages to convey the overwhelming "greater than self" nature of the universe and encourages readers to question how they'll choose to move through it.
I can recall few books in my long history of reading that have evoked such an intense emotional and visceral response as this one. That can't be attributed to any single thing, but a perfect storm of insights, details, and a solid sense of what the author is trying to create. The first two books could sometimes leave the reader confused and shaken, mirroring Alexi's own journey from the small world he thought he knew to the grander, infinite universe that he's now able to acknowledge. The stakes are much, much higher in this third book, and they're realized in the same few instances that many of Alexi's own struggles with his values and his identity come to breaking points. Said identity issues are handled very frankly, uncomfortably, but with much needed earnestness.
The story does NOT give you a break, nor should it. It was an exhilarating but exhausting read, and closing the back cover left me feeling bereft and seeking answers. It manages to convey the overwhelming "greater than self" nature of the universe and encourages readers to question how they'll choose to move through it.
September 24, 2017
Too many pieces make for no picture.
I enjoyed the first book a LOT. The second, not as much. This one.....I was so excited to read it, but forced myself to finish it. Too many elements. Too many characters, too many plots and sub plots and things going on at once. I shouldn't need a diagram to keep track of storylines. The main character seemed to change personality entirely, and not in a character-development way. It was like there was literally another character with the same name and memories. Who knows? It could be true. I like urban fantasy. I like fantasy. But fantasy with religious elements, magic, shapeshifters, paramilitary organizations, aliens, manufactured humans, the Garden of Eden, edible people, parallel worlds.....Too much. I wish I liked it more, because the author writes well, but I shouldn't have to work this hard at fantasy.
I enjoyed the first book a LOT. The second, not as much. This one.....I was so excited to read it, but forced myself to finish it. Too many elements. Too many characters, too many plots and sub plots and things going on at once. I shouldn't need a diagram to keep track of storylines. The main character seemed to change personality entirely, and not in a character-development way. It was like there was literally another character with the same name and memories. Who knows? It could be true. I like urban fantasy. I like fantasy. But fantasy with religious elements, magic, shapeshifters, paramilitary organizations, aliens, manufactured humans, the Garden of Eden, edible people, parallel worlds.....Too much. I wish I liked it more, because the author writes well, but I shouldn't have to work this hard at fantasy.
September 23, 2017
I've really been enjoying James Osiris Baldwin's Hound of Eden urban fantasy series. Zero Sum is a worthy addition. The Russian mob "hitmage" backstory of its lead Alexi Sokolsky is really unique. It adds important layers to this complex character who only got stronger as the series' books were published. The overarching series story arc as Alexi seeks out revenge and redemption, is a strong one that works perfectly with the action-filled plot of each book. The characters in Zero Sum, lead and supporting, friend and foe, are well crafted, and the book's revelations (what the FBI's witch hunters really are, why the Gift Horse appeared in NYC, etc) really enhance the reading experience.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
November 14, 2020
But what... that reveal about Kutkha and then no conversation?? No curiosity? I mean, I know that was insanely action packed, but there must have been time to have a chat with your soul - yes the one that enslaved you in a past life??
And - ok I'm very much here for the weird horror and the eating hearts and what not, but there was a lot going on. Too much really, on top of the whole interdimensional warfare, we also had a million characters double crossing each other. I am still very much looking forward to the next book - but I have a feeling by the time it comes out I'll have forgotten half the players (besides the weeders of course, whom I love)
And - ok I'm very much here for the weird horror and the eating hearts and what not, but there was a lot going on. Too much really, on top of the whole interdimensional warfare, we also had a million characters double crossing each other. I am still very much looking forward to the next book - but I have a feeling by the time it comes out I'll have forgotten half the players (besides the weeders of course, whom I love)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2017
Well quite a departure from the previous books, still quite strong, but the story line is very complex in this book.
It makes more sense as you read all the way through, but it is quite confusing some times.
The page of sex could happily have been left out for me, it did nothing to forward the story at all.
It makes more sense as you read all the way through, but it is quite confusing some times.
The page of sex could happily have been left out for me, it did nothing to forward the story at all.
May 19, 2019
It took me a long time due to personal issues to finally finish reading this book but damn what a ride!
As usual James shows us a world that gets more amazing with every page we turn. There wasn't a moment in the book that I felt was bored or hoped to get to the next chapter soon (only to know more of the story haha)
I'm glad this book got me back into my reading habits again. The Hound of Eden series is one of my favourite ones and I will now dive into the world of Dragon Seed.
Keep up the good work James!
As usual James shows us a world that gets more amazing with every page we turn. There wasn't a moment in the book that I felt was bored or hoped to get to the next chapter soon (only to know more of the story haha)
I'm glad this book got me back into my reading habits again. The Hound of Eden series is one of my favourite ones and I will now dive into the world of Dragon Seed.
Keep up the good work James!
March 21, 2018
So good
Just as good if not better than the first two novels. Had to force myself to slow down and not read it all in one sitting.
Just as good if not better than the first two novels. Had to force myself to slow down and not read it all in one sitting.
November 4, 2021
The MC is a very confused/conflicted individual & NOT OP at all...
November 6, 2017
I received this book for free but my review and opinions are my own. This book was a difficult read for me but still drew me in. The twists and turns were unpredictable and i constantly wondered what would happen next. Still incredibly tense but with interesting moments of relief so it didn't get to be too much. I look forward to finding out how Alexi moves ahead from here.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews