Ash Kickers

Smoke Eaters #2

by Sean Grigsby

It's dragons vs firefighters vs the Phoenix in the scorching fantasy sequel to  Smoke Eaters .

With ex-firefighter Cole Brannigan in command of the Smoke Eaters, the dragon menace is under control. Thanks to non-lethal Canadian tech, the beasts are just tranquilized and locked up. But for Tamerica Williams, a job filled with action and danger has become routine. She’s so bored she nearly gets her whole team killed, and Brannigan has to step in. When a new threat emerges, the legendary bird of fire – the Phoenix – spreading fire like a plague and whipping dragons into a frenzy, it’s a perfect task for Williams, but killing the Phoenix just brings it back stronger. Is that too much excitement, even for Williams? 

File Under: Fantasy [ Smoke Em | Catch and Release | Fire Bird | Arson About ]

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Adventure

361 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 9, 2019

About the author

Sean Grigsby is a professional firefighter in central Arkansas, where he writes about lasers, aliens, and guitar battles with the Devil...when he’s not fighting dragons.

Find him at www.seangrigsby.com

Reviews

[Geek Furioso · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Recibí este ARC de manos del autor a cambio de una reseña honesta*

Nota actual: 3,5/5 estrellas

Todo me dice que debería haber disfrutado mucho más este libro de lo que lo he hecho. Aunque disfruté de Smoke Eaters, en más de una ocasión me tuvo alzando una ceja, pero decidí dejarlo pasar todo porque estaba claro a donde quería ir Grigsby con esto: una novela divertida, chabacana. Tampoco puedes esperar mucho más de una novela que se vende como "bomberos contra dragones" que se desarrolla en un futuro distópico con armas láser y perros robot. Sin embargo, por algún motivo no puedo acabar de decir que me haya gustado.

Las cosas les van bien a Parthenon City con Cole Brannigan al mando de los Smoke Eaters. Los días en los que los dragones y los espectros eran serias amenazas parecen ser cosa del pasado, y encima ahora que se ha descubierto que la sangre de dragón es una panacea contra cualquier enfermedad, Parthenon parece ser un oasis de civilización en Estados Unidos. Pero para Tamerica Williams esto se ha convertido en una rutina aburrida. Dejar roques a los dragones para sacarles la sangre es mucho más aburrido que matarlos, y ha descubierto que ha perdido la emoción en su trabajo.(Des)afortunadamente para ella, una nueva amenaza más peligrosa que ningún dragón ha surgido: el ave fénix, cuyo fuego puede quemar incluso a los Smoke Eaters y que renace de sus cenizas cada vez que muere.

Grigsby hace un montón de cosas bien en esta secuela. Las escenas de acción son soberbias (es sin duda lo mejor que tiene el libro), el cambio de protagonista sienta genial ya que, aunque disfruté de Brannigan, creo que no habría quedado bien verle volver a encarar la narración de la historia, y la inclusión de política en manos del grupo neo-Nazi "PC Primero" y del Nuevo Ejército de los Estados Unidos le queda genial después del casi estereotipado alcalde Rogola. Y encima, como bonus, hay buenos momentos dramáticos. En algunos de ellos casi podía sentir que procedían de verdaderas experiencias del trabajo de Grigsby como bombero. Me encantaría poneros alguno, pero por desgracia no tengo permiso xD

Sin embargo, esto hace que el "cheesyness" y la chabacanería que caracterizan los libros de Grigsby se sientan cargantes en ocasiones. Da igual cuanto mole, es un poco absurdo que los neo-Nazis tengan un coliseo subterráneo donde llevan a inmigrantes que secuestran para que se los coma un dragón. También se nota que algunos momentos de drama Grigsby no los sabe manejar bien. Pero creo que el peor fallo es el final. En el espacio de unas pocas páginas, Grigsby ha cargado a su libro con un cliffhanger espantoso y muy mal metido para crear hype para el tercer libro, tan brusco que casi parece que tuviese prisa por acabar este libro y poder ponerse con el siguiente. El final ha arruinado en gran medida el libro para mí, y es el principal motivo por el que no se lleva más nota.

Eso no quiere decir que no me lo haya pasado bien. Sigo queriendo ver cómo concluye la trilogía. Pero espero que sea mejor que Ash Kickers.

[Beth Tabler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Angry Robot and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review.
If you would like to see more of my reviews please visit me on beforewegoblog.com

Sometimes you need to kick a little ash.

It's all fun and games till someone gets their ash kicked.

I am here to chew bubble gum and kick a little ash

To punny? Nah, there is always time for punny ash kicking.

First off, I LOVE THIS BOOK.

I love this story for a myriad of reasons. These are not limited to: the protagonist kicks absolute ass, the depiction of badass firefighting, the dragons, the Phoenix, the camaraderie, the dialog. Seriously, I can go on and on. This isn't a deep book, this is pure unadulterated fun. And we need to have some fun once in a while, not all books should be serious and thoughtful. Some books should be action-packed, full of jokes, and ones that make you fist pump. This one is like that. I fist pumped and said. "YEAH!" many times.

Ash Kickers is the second of the Smoke Eaters series following the cataclysm of the rise of dragons and later destruction of much of humanity. Firefighters are humanities last hope in fighting dragons. Specifically, specialized firefighters that are immune to dragon smoke. The first of this series, Smoke Eaters is about Brannigan. A veteran firefighter who is conscripted into the Smoke Eaters after 30 years of regular firefighter service. The second book of the series is about Tamerica Williams. Brannigan makes frequent cameos in Ash Kickers. But, the action centers around Williams who is first a firefighter and then becomes a chief with her own team investigating mysterious ash and burning dragons.

Tamerica is a great character. She is strong, weak, and everything you would think a real person, under the circumstance, with that kind of job would feel. She manages a team, personal conflict, guilt, regret, and decision making with as much aplomb as she can. Every so often she breaks down and shows a softer side that a reader can empathize with. It is not all ass kicking and rainbows. She may be an amazing firefighter, but her job is hard and she has lost many friends along the way. Every now and then a person needs to emotionally reset.

Ash Kickers also does a great job adding current events into the mix. Such as how communities feel about immigration. It doesn't feel hackneyed or contrived in an attempt to relate it to current events. Rather, it is a nod to what is going on in the world and shows it in a different light.

Also, I don't think a reader will have any issues picking up the second book and going forward with the story. I never read the first book and had no issues. I will, however, go back and read the first book tuite suite.

This story is all adventure and exactly what I needed. I had so much reading it. If you are looking for a whole lot of fun and great world-building centered around firefighters, you will love this. And dragons, I mean dragons always kick ash.

[LordTBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ★★★★☆+

Synopsis

Dragons vs Firefighters vs the Phoenix. The scorching fantasy sequel to Smoke Eaters.

With ex-firefighter Cole Brannigan in command of the Smoke Eaters, the dragon menace is under control. Thanks to non-lethal Canadian tech, the beasts are tranquilized and locked up, rather than killed. But for Tamerica Williams, this job filled with action and danger, has become tediously routine.

When a new threat emerges, a legendary bird of fire – the Phoenix – it’s the perfect task for Williams. But killing the Phoenix just brings it back stronger, spreading fire like a plague and whipping dragons into a frenzy. Will it prove to be too much excitement, even for adrenalin-junkie Williams?

Review

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of Ash Kickers (Smoke Eaters #2) in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this e-ARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel.

You ever feel like you just need a fun, easy read? One that doesn’t take a whole lot of concentration or require the ability to remember 500 names of people, places, objects… A read where you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the hell out of it? That is exactly what the Smoke Eaters series is like: a fast-paced, no holds barred romp that instantaneously grabs your attention and keeps it in its talons. An ingenious premise that I am amazed hasn’t been thought of before. The 368 pages flew by in the matter of hours. It was that good.

Ash Kickers is exactly what I wish for in every single sequel: an engaging read that tops its predecessor; really ups the ante, gets the juices flowing. How in the world can you not love a book that has firefighters vs dragons, laser weapons galore, AND A FREAKING PHOENIX. Constant action, fire-breathing monstrosities, characters that curse like sailors, YOU NAME IT.

Though books like these don’t normally have lasting characters, Brannigan still holds a place in my heart after his story in Book 1. It was great seeing his role, though diminished, in Book 2 and I still enjoy the heck out of his demeanor. I also can’t remember if Book 1 had one or not, but Book 2 left a heck of a cliffhanger, so one can only imagine what is in store for Book 3.

I’m not really sure why this series hasn’t received more hype. Angry Robot and Grigsby are sitting on something that I believe would make a hell of a movie franchise, let alone books that should be selling way more than they are. Sure, there are tons of books out there, but not so many give me this level of entertainment. It is absolutely mental in the best way possible.

Read Smoke Eaters? What’re you waiting for?
Haven’t checked out Smoke Eaters? Get on the hype train.
Want to know what it compares to? Well, nothing really. I would say people who enjoy books in the military sci-fi or urban fantasy genres will find tons to love.

[Permanently_Booked · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely enjoying this trilogy so far. What started as a world ravaged by dragons and egg protecting wraiths in Smoke Eaters has slowly morphed into a new phase of chaos when the power balancing Phoenix from legends appears.

I love when a series moves forward and changes character perspectives between books. In Smoke Eaters we followed the hilarious and craggy Brannigan around as he goes from Firefighter to Smoke Eater. In this installment we get the perspective of Tamerica and her take no prisoners personality. As a character I love her persona as a female smoke eater. I especially enjoyed her back and forth banter with Brannigan and her semi- ex who works with her. Not a lot of background was added to this book like I had hoped for, but it is a fantasy and a highly entertaining one at that. Action packed and loads of new tech, dragons and wraith intrigue. I don’t want to get too far into the plot because spoilers, so I will move forward on the narration.

I was all for the narrator in book one but not so much on book two. It’s hard for me to concentrate when the narratives feel choppy and more bedtime story than audiobook immersion. About partway through the voice began to grow on me and I was pretty deep into the plot at that point too. However, I would recommend the physical book over the audio for this second installment. The novel ended on a pretty decent cliffhanger of sorts that triggered all of the dystopian vibes for me. Book three releases this month on the 22nd, so expect to see an update on my thoughts when this high-octane trilogy comes to a close. Cannot wait to see who runs the show in the finale.

[Moony (Captain Mischief) MeowPoff · Rating 1 out of 5]

ARC from NetGalley
DNF.
Could'nt connect to any of the characters.

[Valerie - Cats Luv Coffee Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I struggle with the fictional portrayal of firefighting. You see, I'm married to a firefighter. Over the years, I've become one of those people who pick apart shows when firefighters are represented. I couldn't even get past the first five minutes of Chicago Fire without yelling at the tv multiple times. I hate the dramatizing and romancing of the fire life. It couldn't be further from the truth. I'm the same way when it comes to written fiction so when I saw Ash Kickers I almost passed it by, expecting the same. I'm so glad I didn't because this book was awesome!

Read more at Cats Luv Coffee

[Judy Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's 2123 and the Smoke Eater's Division has made so much progress with fighting the dragons that appear out of nowhere to kill people and start fires that they have been given a new directive: don't kill them, capture the dragons so their blood can be used for medicine. There has also been a method devised to contain the wraiths (ghosts of dragon victims) so they can't guard nests of dragon eggs. Lots of advancement in how to deal with dragons since the end of book one, Smoke Eaters. All of this made for a great beginning to the second book. I was disappointed that Chief Brannigan wasn't heading up all the action but Tamerica Williams was definitely a character who managed to keep this story racing ahead. Unfortunately all of this regulation has tamed the job for Tamerica to the point where she's bored with her work. Well, she was until the phoenix came along.

Ash Kickers is a non-stop action story that shows great imagination, plotting and planning on the part of author Sean Grigsby. The fight against the phoenix presented multiple trial and error opportunities and the suicide arsons added an interesting diversion plot line that was sufficiently interesting to keep me tuned in. There is a comment from the author in the Acknowledgements section indicating that he is hoping there will be a third book for the series. That offers some explanation for the almost definite ending for this story. Maybe there will be another one, or two.

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for an e-Galley of this novel.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like others have said, it's a fun and easy read. I think Sean's creativity and imagination beats many others established authors! He has the best dragons.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

As good as the first novel and brimming with exuberance and chutzpah, Ash Kickers is a worthy sequel. The story, which began with Brannigan, now passes to Tamerica Williams, a brash young woman moving up through the Smoke Eaters ranks. Yes, it still feels like a marty stu - even with a female protagonist who, if I am honest, seems more like an amalgamation than a person. But in all, this is great fun with a lot of heart. I think the biggest inspiration must have been Ghostbusters - this feels so much like it, but with dragons instead of ghosts and firefighters instead of academics. It would make an incredible movie!

Story: Tamerica Williams is a woman with a mission - to get action destroying as many dragons as she can. It's raising her in the ranks but also getting her in trouble as often as not. When her team chances upon a phoenix, they begin to notice the animal has a strange effect on dragons and people. As dangerous as this fiery creature is - how do you kill something that won't stay dead?

What I liked most about this book is that it had a lot of lore - the world building greatly expanded here and things are looking to be getting out of hand just as they are getting under control. It's an interesting dichotomy that the writer has fun exploring with his very diverse range of main and side characters.

Tamerica is fun to follow, as irreverent as Brannigan but in her own way. At least this time we don't have all the male team members falling all over themselves trying to get her into bed as we did with the women and Brannigan. Similarly, the side characters (returning and new) are fun and showcase our main character nicely.

The action flows, is easy to follow, and there is a lot of fun to be had reading it. Especially with this book, I felt like we had the first Ghostbusters movie given a modern redux - complete with politicians getting in the way and a team of four (though not equals) dealing with an escalating situation that no one predicted happening. Instead of ghosts suddenly becoming more prevalent, we have dragons (and now a phoenix) rising from the ground to terrorize people.

In all, I look forward to every installment of this series. It's great fun, an easy and uncomplicated read, and we have characters who get to sass and quip their way in and out of strange situations. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Michael Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sean Grigsby delivers a fiery good time with Ash Kickers, his sequel to Smoke Eaters. This series has a whole has a really fun premise hung on the bones of familiar sci-fi staples with its Futuristic Firefighters vs Dragons schtick that ultimately feels like a Ghostbusters meets Reign of Fire mashup with a smidgen of Pacific Rim tossed in for extra seasoning, all wrapped up in a big 80s action-movie blockbuster aesthetic.

Early in the 2100s, the whole damn world was caught with its pants down by the surprising reveal that dragons were no-shit for-real. Entire cities were laid waste and some select special people discovered they were genetically gifted with an immunity to heat and the ability to breathe smoke. A new municipal division of civil servants was created within America's firefighting departments to respond to the growing emergency.

In Ash Kickers, Tamerica Williams is tasked with handling an emergent threat that makes the dragons look tame by comparison - a newly risen phoenix. This magical beast drives dragons crazy and seems to be infecting human beings, causing them to spontaneously combust! Although it sounds like just the right kind of job Tamerica needs as she copes with burnout from her job as a smoke eater, it's not without its own share of complications as tensions begin to boil between the threat of the phoenix and a far-right neo-Nazi group targeting Parthenon City's immigrant population.

While Grigsby's book has lots of flash and spectacle, there's also a welcome dose of social and political commentary. Despite being set 100 years hence, Parthenon City's problems are distinctly contemporary and reflect our present-day upheavals in racism under the Trump presidency and orange ogre's public love affairs with, and emboldening of, white supremacists and neo-Nazi groups. Gigsby uses his future fantasy potboiler to explore Trump-era issues, creating a Dick Spencer counterpart with the just as badly hair-styled Duncan Sharp, leader of the racist PC First organization. For as hilariously satisfying as it was to see Spencer punched during an on-air interview a few years back, Grigsby exercises some highly satisfying creative wish fulfillment in dealing with Sharp during his high-octane climax!

And that climax... oh my goodness. Not only does it have a ton of exciting, big-screen ready action, Grigsby closes off this volume with an enticing lead-in to book three. The series ender, Flame Riders can't get here quick enough.

[Anna Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
As bonkers as the first one, this is a fast-paced sequel with a new threat mingled in with the old. I enjoyed the politics in this one as an added bonus. There were a few things I would have liked some more explanation of, particularly how PC First got hold of dragon blood and wraith containment fields, but it was still a fun ride - with an unexpected and emotional ending.
Good stuff!

[Rachel Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Free copy for an honest review.

I was a beta reader for this book so I was very curious to see what changes, if any had been made. I can't tell you what changed from that read to this one, but I can say, both readings put me through the emotional wringer, and I mean that in the best possible way. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book, especially after the second reading.

Though this is a sequel, I don't think you have to have read the first one to understand what's going on. It would certainly help, but this book almost feels like a world of its own. Almost all of the main characters we meet are ones from the last book so it would explain some of the relationships and stories.

My favorite part about this book is that we get to see so many new types of dragons and hear about so many more. Grigsby gets really creative with his dragons and their abilities. They range in size from a few feet to two-stories tall and everything in between. They range in their elements as well. We get to see an ice, water, fire, acid, flammable oil and more. Each one presents their own challenges and I loved finding out there's so many types!

Grigsby also does a nice job of incorporating contemporary concerns into this book set in the future. Since the dragonblood curate, Pantheon City's been getting an influx of people hoping for access to it for themselves and their families. Rather than embrace these fellow Americans, fellow humans, the PC First people decide to call them "rats" and demand they be removed from the city. They are very easy to hate and Grigsby does a wonderful job of making sure they are unsympathetic in every way and that every character we like knows that PC First are Nazi wannabes.

Then there's Tamerica (T), herself. She is an amazing character who goes through so much in such a short amount of time. She not only goes through the sudden responsibility of managing her own team, but she also has to take care of parents. On top of that, she endures the emotional pain of Survivor's Guilt while also enduring repeated physical pains of literally being burned by the hottest fire she's ever experienced. I was actually grateful when we got to see her break down once in a while because it really helped to empathize with her. She is human, an incredibly strong human, and Grigsby writes her as such.

This book was an incredible read into an ever expanding world. This series has been a wonderful adventure full of endearing characters that you want to see win the day. I happily give 5 hoots and encourage you to pick up a copy!

[Ben Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, for pulpy vaction fiction can't be beat. The sequel lags a bit and some plot holes are apparent- but that's to be expected when you juggle ghosts, dragons, and a gerd damnned Phoenix. He handles the change in personalities fairly well. I always knew who was talking.

Some abrupt characterizations were odd and didn't really flow. But if we look at this as somethimg written between shifts, it makes more sense.

As I said. Pulpy, vacation escapist fiction that I nevertheless couldn't put down.

[Brian's Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Home Run

4.5 out of 5 stars

I absolutely loved Grigsby’s first novel in this series, Smoke Eaters. So, when I found out that Ash Kickers was being written and released I was excited.

Thankfully, my excitement wasn’t all for nothing. Grigsby wrote another stellar novel and this time took down the action (a little) but still wrote an absolutely compelling novel that touches on more than just fighting dragons.

Also, let’s take a moment to recognize two things here: the cover and the title of the book. I love the name Ash Kickers and as it’s finally used in the book it ends up growing on some characters as well. And that cover is so eye-candy attention grabbing that I love it. It also gives a little hint into what you’re getting yourself into.

Grigsby didn’t shy away from action either. The scenes where they are trying to capture and then later were intense, real, and overall extremely well written

I think the biggest strength in Ash Kickers was the characters. They were compelling and human. I mean, of course they’re human, but they really feel real. I was rooting for them all and wanted things to work out.

Overall, a fantastic novel that will be in my top list of the year for sure. Grigsby hits another home run.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ash Kickers Review

I received an early copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Ash Kickers is the sequel to Smoke Eaters. If you read and enjoyed that, then you’ll really enjoy this one.
Once again, it is firefighters vs dragons in the future. But this time, with a Phoenix thrown into the mix.
The action was top notch and the dialogue was fun.
Where the first book had a couple of slow moments to it, this one moved at a more breakneck speed. The action didn’t let you go and even the character moments were sharp.
If I can use a movie comparison, Smoke Eaters was The Terminator and Ash Kickers is Terminator 2.
I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a beta reader for this book last year and thoroughly enjoyed it! A great follow up to SMOKE EATERS that continues the story and expands on the mythology and lore. Lots of fun!

UPDATE: After reading the final version of the book I stand by my 5 star rating. Grigsby's growth as a writer and storyteller is very evident here and the story is a fun romp with an emotional gutpunch ending. Can't wait to see where he goes from here!

[Hidekisohma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book at a half price books clearance section for $2.00 a while ago and thought it looked interesting. The strange thing was, it wasn't like there was a single good condition copy. There were at least 3 and they looked brand spanking new. That should have been my first indication.

However, I didn't realize it was the 2nd book in the series and went back, grabbing the first book and read that. Then i was onto this one.

And if you couldn't tell by now, this one was MUCH worse than the first one.

The first issue was this author decided to switch main characters. and i have literally no idea why he decided to do this. In the first book it was from the point of view of an older fireman named "Brannigan" and it was his story of moving from being a normal firefighter to being a special firefighter called a 'smoke eater'. Despite it being written a bit childishly, i really enjoyed that one. However, then they decided to move it onto this new character in book two. it stars this african american lady whose name i have already forgotten as she's our first person point of view. She's brash and sarcastic just like Brannigan so it's not even like she's a different kind of character. the author literally just replaces male jokes with female jokes.

I REALLY didn't like the author switching the main character. I spent an entire novel learning about Brannigan, his wife, his robotic dog, and in this one they're like "oh. he's a side character. have fun with new lady" and i'm like "...but..but why? i want old crotchety dude." So starting the book it already left a bad taste in my mouth.

The story itself REALLY outstays its welcome to be sure. the first book is almost exactly as long as the second one (about 340 pages) but this one FEELS like it's 340 pages. the book just keeps going and going and going. Normally a book i'm really into can take me 2-5 days. This book took me 10. I would read 2 chapters for the day and put it down. At some points i definitely feel like i was forcing myself.

There's a secondary main character in this one named Afu as he's the main girl's ex-boyfriend love interest and jesus christ did i hate these two's love dynamic. They broke up for a few reasons, but the main one being, that main girl never wants kids. Afu does. A very legitimate and realistic reason to break up. But then later in the story they start going on dates and talk about getting back together. But i'm sitting there like not wanting kids isn't something you can meet halfway. it's not like you can agree on having half a kid. if they DO get back together, one of them is going to have regrets. either the one who DOES have the kid but doesn't want it, or the one who DOESN'T have the kid but DOES want it. it was very poor writing to try to bring these two back together as it doesn't make sense.

For being so long, this book sure does like squeezing the final climactic resolution into the last 10 pages like the author forgot that he had to end the book. Without marking this book as spoilers i'll say the way this book handled Brannigan towards the end was AWFUL and dropped the entire book by about half a star in my opinion just on the last 10 pages. I see what the author was trying to do, but it wasn't earned and it felt cheap.

The only thing positive i can say about this book was that i like the author's writing style. it's as easy to follow as the first book, and i wasn't ever really lost or confused by descriptions. it was straight forward and to the point. Some of the characters were fine, but others were annoying as hell (i'm looking at you Afu).

There's one more book in the series, but seeing where this book ends (very abruptly i might add) i'm not sure i'm going to read book 3. I mean...MAYBE i will if i find it at another goodwill for $2, but i'm not nearly as in a rush to read 3 after finishing 2 as i was in a rush to read 2 after finishing 1. Which is sad. But eh, it happens.

2.5 out of 5 rounded down to a 2.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5

Author Sean Grigsby has done done something here that I don't think I've seen very often in the world of sequels ... using a different character's point of view (a character that was prominent in the first book - while the main protagonist from the first book is still prominent here) and dialing up the action, and the threat level.

Tamerica Williams is a smoke eater. Smoke eaters are sort of like firefighters with the bonus that they can breathe normally even when in a room full of smoke. Smoke eaters don't fight fires ... they fight dragons. But since the events of the previous book, smoke eaters aren't supposed to kill dragons any more, they're supposed to capture them. Dragon blood can be used to sure all sports of maladies (it is also what gives a smoke eater the ability to breathe smokey air).

At the start of the book, Tamerica is doing everything she can to provoke the dragon she's been sent to capture. She can kill a dragon if it's in self defense. But old habits die hard and Tamerica wants this dragon to die harder.

Things happen quickly and Tamerica's partner is nearly killed, the dragon is dead and explodes in a rush of flame that she's never seen happen before. Chief Brannigan has every right to kick her out of the force for endangering her partner the way she did, but instead of kicking her out or even placing her on unpaid leave, he promotes her to Captain status. (A good play, as it turns out, as she becomes hyper-aware of what her teammates are doing and if they're following the book.)

If we thought that the ghosts and dragons that we saw in the first book were terrifying (and they were!) the smoke eater battles are about to get exponentially worse as the intense fires are a result of a conversion in which a phoenix rises from the dragon ashes. And a cult of phoenix worshipers are going to give the smoke eaters some extra trouble.

This book was just hot fun.

I liked the first book a lot, though I was disappointed with the teen-boy attitude of the mature Brannigan. Tamerica doesn't have that same issue, but she is just a little bland - which is strange, since in her off time she's a DJ. Still, Grigsby creates a really spectacular world (ghosts, dragons, and a phoenix?!) and moves the story along swiftly. The characters could be a little more nuanced, but I would continue to read stories set in this world.

Looking for a good book? Ash Kickers, by Sean Grigsby, is a fun, energetic urban fantasy. The characters might not capture your interest, but the story and world definitely will.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This and more reviews at superstardrifter.com!~

This is the continuing story of the Smoke Eaters, an offshoot of the fire department in a somewhat far-ish flung future Ohio. Dragons reemerged from… wherever it was they were hiding 10 years ago and have been wreaking absolute havoc on the world. It’s up to Smoke Eaters to deal with them, and where it used to be their job to kill them, now it is their job to tranquilize them, since dragon’s blood is known to have healing properties.

Ash Kickers follows Tamerica Williams, who was a secondary (perhaps closer to tertiary at times) character in the first book. She’s finding the job more and more boring these days, with all the tranquilizing and not killing of dragons. She signed up to be a dragon slayer! So, when she accidentally nearly gets her whole crew killed on what should be a fairly routine job, her boss hauls her in for a good talking to… but meanwhile, there is a Phoenix in town, and it’s getting all the dragons really riled up. How can you kill a Phoenix when it just keeps on coming back stronger? Shenanigans, is how. Dragon-slaying firefighter shenanigans!

I did end up liking this one a lot more than Smoke Eaters. It was partially the point of view, which was thankfully a lot less male-gazey than the first, and yet still full of the dragon (and phoenix in this case) fighting action that I had enjoyed. I liked Tamerica as a character. She was relatable, to me. She has strengths and weaknesses, and doesn’t immediately succeed at everything she does. The overall vibe I got from this one was a Ghostbusters-only-dragons, which I really liked. It’s not going to be for everyone, obviously, but what is for everyone? 😀

I listened to the audiobook, and I thought that Adenrele Ojo did a great job with the narration. She brought Tamerica and company to life for me, and made it easy to just sit there and listen to almost an entire audiobook in one work day (alas, I was not willing to stay at work another two hours to finish it out. Sorry not sorry, lol… ^_^).

So all told, I thought this book was great fun! It also stood alone pretty well. It obviously makes reference to things that happened in the first book, but not, I think, in a way that made reading that one a requirement to finding enjoyment in this one. So, anyone who was on the fence about book one who still wants some dragon-butt-kicking firefighter action can jump right in here.

[Nerine Dorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ash Kickers by Sean Grigsby is another casualty of my vain attempt to tame my TBR pile. The book was out in 2019. It's 2023. Go figure. But anyhoo, better late than never, hey? In this action-packed caper we meet Tamerica Williams right in the midst of dealing with a dragon. She and her team, garbed in mech suits and armed with laser swords and other, assorted gadgets and weapons, are the thin wedge standing between humanity and certain extinction, now that the dragons have returned and weaponised human wraiths to do their bidding.

In a nut shell, I'd describe this book at Ghostbusters, by way of Reign of Fire, with light sabres.

Tamerica is a smart mouthed, kick-ass heroine who doesn't take flak from anyone, least of all her boss, veteran fire-fighter Cole Brannigan. But even she feels way out of her depth when a new beastie arises from the ashes – an honest-to-goodness phoenix that noms on dragons. Surely that would be a good thing, right? Nope, it's not, for Reasons I'm not going to go into for fear of spoilers.

Grigsby's prose is sharp and quick, his dialogue is snappy, and he delivers a fast-paced, no-punches-pulled, high-octane race against a big bad to end all big bads. He doesn't give readers time to get too comfortable, but foregrounds teamwork, camaraderie, and doing what's right, even if it means upsetting authority figures. And might just get you killed in the process.

I did find the world building to be completely bonkers, but if you can dive into genres such as Ghostbusters and suspend disbelief, then you shouldn't have a problem with this setting. I'll admit I'm always a sucker for dangerous megafauna, and dragons, fire-breathing or not, are most certainly my jam.

I'll close by saying if you're looking for a measured, sedate story that unpacks gradually, with nuanced layers, this is probably not going to be it. This one's all about kicking scaly posteriors and slaying one heck of a nasty bird.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another winner from Sean Grigsby.
While I think the first book was a lot better, I still very much enjoyed this sequel. I was definitely not expecting the character POV shift from the first book, but it worked out really well and gave a fresh feel to the world from a character totally different from Brannigan.
There were a couple world-building passages that added to my excitement to see the Smoke Eaters world expanded on in later books (fingers crossed there's more books).
And I really enjoyed the new dragon types Sean introduced in this book.

There's a bit more emotion in this one, but Sean has a way of blowing something up right when you start feeling teary so you don't forget you're reading a blockbuster story about dragon firefighters.

Great and creative story, great characters, great new additions to the world, just great all around.
I look forward to more in the series, especially after that ending.
---
The only negative thing I can say, and this doesn't alter my rating, has to do with the eBook (I hope it was just the e-edition). There were a lot of errors throughout: some weird letter replacements like a '?' instead of 'ff', missing prepositions and pronouns. All little things, but enough to stall my reading which took away from some of the enjoyment of the great story. Coming from a reputable publisher I'd expect more -- I'm thinking it's just an honest mistake of having edits not being made on both the print and ebook files.
:::::
Cover Review:
Art: Lee Gibbons did another great job on this one. I love it, probably even more than the first cover.
Design (typography): I'm still not a huge fan of the design/typography, but it does kinda work, so I'll deal with it heh.

[Rosie Rizk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tried starting this book a long while ago, but held off on continuing because I hadn't read the first book and wanted to catch up. Then I tried starting the first book, but got turned off by the heavy swearing. I decided to give it another try recently, and this time, I bypassed the first book and listened to the audio book instead. There's still an over abundance of swearing, but that aside, this made for an excellent audio book.

There's near constant action, and the narrator did a fantastic job voicing the characters as they panicked and fought their way through each dragon fight or political mess. This book helped keep my brain awake during several tedious hours of working on the weekend. There's nothing like having a fiery phoenix trying to kill everyone to make a work day more exciting.

Aside from the vivid action scenes, the plot was pretty good too. I didn't like the way the main character handled everything, but that didn't detract too much from my overall enjoyment of the story. I appreciated how the author showed that human nature can be worse and more destructive than murderous dragons and a phoenix. Humans are their own worst monsters.

If I continue this series, it will probably be by audiobook. I just enjoyed that version much better than the text, although I hardly ever say that about a book.

[Laurie Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED EVERY MINUTE

What a fabulous book two. Rather than continue to follow Brannigan we now follow Tamerica, a front line kick-ass Smoke Eater. Brannigan is still around and still his surly self but now he's the boss and Tamerica just keeps getting into trouble. The scalies are almost an manageable problem now only its drawn something new to town. There's a bigger fish... in this case... phoenix. And talk about difficult to fight, how to you kill something that keeps coming back to life?

Full of brilliant action sequences and MOOD. Book two is as much fun if not more than the first. Author Sean Grigsby knows how to make a tense fight scene really sing. I read this on the train and for two days in a row nearly missed my stop. (I read it in two days so who knows what would have happened on the third day.) I want more from this author. This is a brilliant series, a entertaining concept and one day I hope movie series. Netflix get onto this now! Ash Kickers is out on 4th June 2019. Pre-order it as soon as you can. You wont be sorry.

[Chad · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I was expecting non fiction. I really need to start reading some descriptions ahead of time. If you like game of thrones, dungeons and dragons, Chicago fire (tv show), time travel, and every firefighter cliche you can imagine... if you wear “I fight what you fear” T-shirt’s on your days off from the fire station, or if you just want to waste about 8 hours, this book is for you.

This book has all of that. Including the many stereotypes suspected of being found inside the firefighter profession. The author even uses some big firefighter names from the profession. (Brannigan, Murphy, etc). Oh, and the dialogue is filled with meaningless expletives that really do more to take away from conversations than to develop them. Even the language inside the actual firehouse is not this vulgar.

I never got into this one. The opening paragraphs, though meant to grab the reader, left me wondering what I had done.

[Baroness Ekat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not long after the events of Smoke Eaters, Tamerica Williams is having a hard time adapting to the new rules regarding Dragons and Wraiths. Smoke Eaters like her are no longer supposed to kill the beasts.

But after a call goes south badly... she finds herself "punished with responsibility" and made Captain of her own crew and tasked with finding out what why captured dragons are exploding, why wraiths are acting strangely and why people are murder-suiciding by arson.

Add to that, the emergence of a new creature that can only be called a Phoenix. All Tamerica wants to do is kick scaley ass and survive the night.

++++++

I enjoyed this book as much as the first and have already moved to the next. It's not groundbreaking but for a sci-fi/fantasy modern dystopian trilogy - it's not bad.

[PointyEars42 · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 17% I don't think it was a particularly good move changing protagonists for this second book as all of the first book's secondary characters were too thinly sketched for me to appreciate being in one of their heads now.

All of the un-curious, unquestioning, brainless machismo baked into these first few chapters is so trite and annoying. How is it that not one of the main characters have questioned why her reckless and unprofessional behaviour has resulted in a promotion and been properly suspicious of it? You would think the ex who blabbed about her poor mental health would approach the situation with an appropriate degree of scepticism, but no - he's instantly gone from telling their boss about her instability to being cool with being commanded by someone who nearly killed her previous team 24 hours ago because she needed to get her adrenalin fix. No thanks, this is not the book for me.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the series following on from Gigsby’s debut Smoke Eaters see’s us return to our Dragon killing firefighters. Only this time they aren’t killing, they’re capturing instead.

In a brilliant narrative decision this time we are following Tamerica rather than Brannigan. This gives us a fresh perspective on the role and world the Smoke Eaters inhabit.

Frustrated with the change in remit the Smoke Eaters are working under Tamerica is desperate for some action. She certainly gets it. A new threat has literally risen from the ashes – a huge flaming Phoenix is causing chaos and it’s so hot even the Smoke Eaters are having trouble getting near it.

Still present is the gritty realism of firefighting, the women feel more rounded as characters than the first time and the action sequences are fast paced and gripping.

An excellent second outing (I was thrilled to see Brannigan’s robo-dog again too). Action packed with heart as well, this is an enjoyable read.The second book in the series following on from Gigsby’s debut Smoke Eaters see’s us return to our Dragon killing firefighters. Only this time they aren’t killing, they’re capturing instead.

With thanks to Angry Robot and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ash Kickers is available 09 July 2019

[Tom Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of beta reading this for Sean.
It is a fast-paced adventure following hot on the heels of Smoke Eaters. If you haven't already read Smoke Eaters, stop reading this right now and go pick it up.
In book 2 of the series, Grigsby switches from Cole Brannigan's perspective to his ex-partner Tamerica William's POV.
Tamerica is a veteran smoke eater who gives zero fucks and takes no shit when doing her job and is an entertaining protagonist. As with book 1, the story flows nicely and is over all too soon.
If you like apocalyptic stories, dragon stories, robot stories or just want an entertaining read, grab it!

[Jack Vinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 2nd book in this series takes the Smoke Eaters into a new realm. In the first book, they solved a mystery and setup the new way of operating that was supposed to make everyone safer. But this book is a few years later and there are some surprising unintended consequences of keeping dragons trapped and milking their blood for the healing properties.

I like that the main character has shifted, though it took me a few chapters to figure out who exactly she was.

While this book is complete fantasy, there are some interesting parallels to the us-vs-them approach in politics (local, national, global).

[Brian Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A high-octane thrill ride that's exactly what you think it is when you see a tagline of "Firefighters vs. Dragons vs. Phoenix." Definitely has some on-point social commentary given our current social and political climate, so there's plenty of subtext here as well.

The only real issue I had was this story could've used another copyedit because there were a number of mistakes/missing words/etc. that jumped out to me (but I'm a copyeditor and my eyes unfortunately catch those things even when I'm reading a book for fun). Other than that this was a fun, quick (for me) read.