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Chasing the Demon
Jared Strong is chasing a monster.He has been haunted by bigfoot since his childhood. This early life experience drove his passion for capturing the beast. Now he has given up everything to find the elusive creature. Determined to succeed, his passion and discipline have taken him to some of the greatest finds ever recorded. But he’s not satisfied with mere evidence. He wants to bring the world a bigfoot. There are things that stand between him and his dream. The creature doesn’t want to be found. But it is not alone. His estranged wife has moved on with her life and other forces stand ready to block Jared’s path. Powerful people who don’t want him to succeed. Now Jared must make a choice between focusing on his crumbling marriage or giving everything he has for this last chance to prove this monster exists, even as he is threatened from all sides. Who will win in the end?
297 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 10, 2018
44 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Paul Sating
42 books71 followersJoin Paul's newsletter and get three free stories: https://www.paulsating.com/free-books
Paul Sating is a fantasy author and podcaster who spends most of his time traveling the Pacific Northwest in search of elusive monsters everyone claims aren't real.
The creator of the Audio Fiction podcast, Paul began adapting many of those scripts to novel form and published his first three books in 2018. He is now fooling around with his first love--dark fantasy. He writes epic, urban, and even litrpg (a trust jack of all trades and master of none).
He stays grounded by rooting for bad soccer teams, traveling around his beautiful corner of the world, and spending every moment he can with the three people who don't let him think too highly of himself--his wife and daughters.
Paul Sating is a fantasy author and podcaster who spends most of his time traveling the Pacific Northwest in search of elusive monsters everyone claims aren't real.
The creator of the Audio Fiction podcast, Paul began adapting many of those scripts to novel form and published his first three books in 2018. He is now fooling around with his first love--dark fantasy. He writes epic, urban, and even litrpg (a trust jack of all trades and master of none).
He stays grounded by rooting for bad soccer teams, traveling around his beautiful corner of the world, and spending every moment he can with the three people who don't let him think too highly of himself--his wife and daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 5, 2018
Chasing the Demon is, put simply, brilliant. While a casual glance at the back cover blurb might lead you to think it's a story about monsters - which it is, in a way - it's primarily a human story. It's about obsession, the need to answer our deepest questions, and what that need can drive us to do.
Originally released as an audio drama, this book reads quite well as a novel. I purposely did NOT listen to the audio drama before reading it, because I wanted to approach it with no preconceptions, and I was blown away by Sating's use of dialogue, and his deftness at crafting characters. Protagonist Jared Strong is, at times, frustrating because there are choices he makes that are detrimental to his personal life, but that tendency only makes him feel more real. At the same time, he's sympathetic. As a reader, I was rooting for him to succeed. The fact that one character evokes both of these responses is, I feel, a testament to the author's dedication.
But Jared is not the only character in this novel.
His friends Lucas and Peter, very different people, indulge him in his obsession, to a point, but they also speak truth to him, the way only real friends can. Their relationship is well-developed, and mixes humor with natural skepticism and real concern. We could all use friends like this.
Then there is Maria. There is a lot of reflection about Maria - Jared muses about the way their marriage has been crumbling - but we don't really hear from her until about a third of the way into the story. That's fine. It's Jared's story. But where I was prepared to be disappointed in her minimal presence, I was instead impressed by the way Sating wrote the initial phone call between the estranged husband and wife. He has captured the tone of such conversations - the poignance, the annoyance, the very real sorrow and regret - perfectly.
Overall, Chasing the Demon is an excellent first novel. While it is a little bit exposition-heavy (of necessity, I feel), that choice doesn't detract from the flow or pacing of the story. It's a satisfying read, with crisp dialogue, a compelling plot, and dimensional characters.
Goes well with a cold beer - maybe a microbrew IPA - and hot dogs roasted over a campfire.
Originally released as an audio drama, this book reads quite well as a novel. I purposely did NOT listen to the audio drama before reading it, because I wanted to approach it with no preconceptions, and I was blown away by Sating's use of dialogue, and his deftness at crafting characters. Protagonist Jared Strong is, at times, frustrating because there are choices he makes that are detrimental to his personal life, but that tendency only makes him feel more real. At the same time, he's sympathetic. As a reader, I was rooting for him to succeed. The fact that one character evokes both of these responses is, I feel, a testament to the author's dedication.
But Jared is not the only character in this novel.
His friends Lucas and Peter, very different people, indulge him in his obsession, to a point, but they also speak truth to him, the way only real friends can. Their relationship is well-developed, and mixes humor with natural skepticism and real concern. We could all use friends like this.
Then there is Maria. There is a lot of reflection about Maria - Jared muses about the way their marriage has been crumbling - but we don't really hear from her until about a third of the way into the story. That's fine. It's Jared's story. But where I was prepared to be disappointed in her minimal presence, I was instead impressed by the way Sating wrote the initial phone call between the estranged husband and wife. He has captured the tone of such conversations - the poignance, the annoyance, the very real sorrow and regret - perfectly.
Overall, Chasing the Demon is an excellent first novel. While it is a little bit exposition-heavy (of necessity, I feel), that choice doesn't detract from the flow or pacing of the story. It's a satisfying read, with crisp dialogue, a compelling plot, and dimensional characters.
Goes well with a cold beer - maybe a microbrew IPA - and hot dogs roasted over a campfire.
February 10, 2020
From the first few pages, I was instantly drawn into this title. I actually read them at the end of another of Sating's books called 12 Deaths of Christmas, and from that I knew I just had to read the rest. So, I bought it and had a blast reading it. I love all the different mentions of locations in Washington State and I have always been interested in titles that have to do with Bigfoot and or cryptozoology. Now I am onto reading the other titles in this series.
June 20, 2018
This was one of the best novels I’ve read in a long time. Sure, it is “genre fiction” and a creature feature (and those are not bad things at all), but it’s also a look into the mind of an obsessive or addict, as well as the capacity for one to “recover” from that mode of living.
I’ve read so many god damn books, from the King James Bible and Beowulf to the trashiest detective novels and horror pulp rags. This novel is one of the most enjoyable and moving books I’ve had the pleasure of reading.
Keep up the good work, Paul!
I’ve read so many god damn books, from the King James Bible and Beowulf to the trashiest detective novels and horror pulp rags. This novel is one of the most enjoyable and moving books I’ve had the pleasure of reading.
Keep up the good work, Paul!
January 7, 2020
What a ride!
I loved Paul’s vision and writing in this fantastic tale. It took me back to my childhood fantasies of finding Bigfoot and then mixed in just enough intrigue and action that my adult mind was entertained. What a fun read!
I loved Paul’s vision and writing in this fantastic tale. It took me back to my childhood fantasies of finding Bigfoot and then mixed in just enough intrigue and action that my adult mind was entertained. What a fun read!
October 1, 2022
This book felt so comfortable and approachable, and I was immediately caught up in the thrill of the hunt, and I love how Sating brings the real world of the protagonist into the tale and makes these things just as real and as tangible as the quest to find Bigfoot is.
January 14, 2021
This is the book that introduced me to Paul Sating and his writing. I loved the story. This is a great and twisted story of monsters in the woods.
August 24, 2022
This is a tough one. A step above what might be expected in this genre. The "science" is well researched and comes across as intriguing rather than pedantic and is perfectly interspersed in the narrative to not be distracting.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews