The Paragon of Man; Smokepit Fairytales Part III

by Tripp Ainsworth

A classical epic told from the point of view as modern warriors would see it. What happens when the war’s over, but the world didn’t survive? Communications are down. Food, fuel, and ammunition are low, and there’s no one to watch your back besides your demons. Continue with Hank and Doc on their odyssey from Russia back to their homes in California. Are the cannibals, giants, ghosts, and goddesses real? Or are they just flames from the fire in an insane man’s mind? The bombs have been dropped, the Earth has been set ablaze, and intruders are desecrating the home front. Hank’s sharpening the axe, and fanning the flames on the bloodstains.

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 5, 2018

About the author

Tripp Ainsworth joined the Marines as a combat cameraman so he could steel people’s souls—sorry, bad handwriting; he meant steal. He’s put his boots down in every time zone and refused to take a nap in any of them. Somewhere between firefights and film reels, he outwitted a sphinx, gave cured ham the disease it needed the injection for, and started writing stories to make sense of the absurd.
Legend has it that after Afghanistan, he found God—or at least inspiration—in a burrito behind the Purple Church in Oceanside. When the woman who made that divine creation, Sister Maria, was deported and took a vow never to cook again, Tripp went AWOL, stole a nuclear submarine, grafted its reactor into an AMC Javelin, and cooled it with Jägermeister. Time travel happened. Mussolini challenged him to a race, Dracula refused a drink, and Stalin tried to weaponize Maria’s recipe. Somewhere between chaos, faith, and a hangover, a writer was born.
Today, Tripp writes books like Smokepit Fairytales and The Litany of Vise—gritty, darkly funny tales about war, ghosts, and the long, strange road to redemption. He’s still chasing the perfect burrito.

Reviews

[Joe Jackson]

Wow, I did not see that ending coming at all. What a strange but fascinating journey. Not a huge fan of the ending, but it fits.

[Peter Richardson]

What I love the most about these books is that although narratively they all follow an overarching story; the tale of Hank and Doc, a Marine and a member of the Navy who have some seriously messed up things thrown their way; every book so far is unique enough, with it's own distinct feel to it, to make reading them an absolute treat.

Part of the twisted enjoyment that comes from reading these novels, is just how the protagonists are able to adapt, overcome and walk away (sometimes crawl away) from the terrible situations that life keeps throwing at them.

Without going into the plot, this book is a fantastic, enjoyable, and downright haunting at times, tale of two men and their unit doing everything they can to return back to their homes after facing some truly horrific things during their deployment. It reminded me a lot of a mixture of Mad Max and The Road, and the characters, situations and locations that are visited throughout are all gripping in their own right. The story also gave me serious Rambo: First Blood vibes in the second half of this story, and I was all the way invested and wanting to see how everything turned out for the characters.

From the first book to here, Tripp is just going from strength to strength and it shows in his writing, which at this point incorporates many epic qualities from all walks of literature.

If you loved the first two books then I highly recommend this. And if you haven't read any of the Smokepit Fairytales then you should go and pick up number one. If you're into military fiction, heck, if you enjoy sci-fi, romance, adult, pop culture, historical and fantasy stories, then this will be right up your street.

[Heather Carson]

If Odysseus was a Marine...

Hank is still kicking, this poor dude is never going to be able to stop. The third installment to this series channels Homer in a twisted Odyssey plot that, of course, leaves readers gasping in suspense until the final page. This is probably my favorite book so far though, I really enjoyed the journey... even though I always want to scream at the author for the torture he inflicts on his main characters! Time to jump into book 4, I need more answers.

[Damien Larkin]

The epic saga continues as Hank and the surviving Marines find themselves cut off and isolated in Russia. With no contact with the outside world, they break into smaller groups to search for a way home.

The Paragon of Man is another action packed book in the Smokepit series. Just like all the others it's filled with moments of sorrow and joy, blood, guts and plenty of cigarettes. From savage cannibals to ruthless bounty hunters, the author continues to do a fantastic job of creating a story that entertains and sucks you in.

I look forward to diving straight into book 4.

[Michele Packard]

The roller coater of emotions this series takes you on is phenomenal. The writer makes you feel you are personal best friends with the characters and you experience the highs and lows of their journey, which sometimes can be over the top! Already purchased book 4 by time I was in first chapter!

[Gordon Hadley]

Most marine written book of all time. Actually kinda enjoyed the plot and the ideas behind the book but there was so much corny shit/romance stuff I couldn’t get over it (probably still gonna read the other books in the series because they were fast brainless reads)

[Ben]

Explosively good

[A Farm]

deeply enjoyable read, a continuation of the story in a natural progression. I recommend a strong drink and a quiet minute when you finish this book. maybe a cigar too.

[Andrii]

Not the best remake of odyssey I've seen this year, still entertaining!