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The Death-Cursed Wizard #1
Death's Collector
Cursed to take lives for the God of Death. Sorcerers must give up things and people they love, or accept things they despise, to gain magical power. The sorcerer Bib saves his daughter by accepting a curse to murder people, and only Death knows how many Bib must kill. He tries to slay only evil people, but soon finds he's also killing people who are merely bad, or who might someday become bad. Bib chases a brutal sorcerer to help a woman rescue her boy, mainly because he expects a lot of killing. But he doesn't expect to unearth obscure magic, enslave spiteful supernatural beings, and strike ghastly bargains with the childish gods. And the last thing he expects is to face the question--is he a good man cursed to crave murder, or has he always been a murderer at heart?
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 17, 2019
383 people are currently reading
699 people want to read
About the author
Bill McCurry
21 books83 followersBill McCurry was born in Fort Worth, Texas and now lives thirty-five miles away in Dallas, Texas. That short distance produces more divergence than one might think. If both cities were apples, Dallas would be sliced and resting on a bed of arugula and kale with some nice vinaigrette, while Fort Worth would be sitting in a bin at the Farmer’s Market behind a sign that reads, “These are good old apples. If you’re looking for kale, Dallas is over there.”
In childhood Bill came to love fiction late, preferring history and science books instead. In his mid-teens he discovered science fiction and fantasy novels, particularly Roger Zelazny, Ursula Le Guin, Robert Heinlein, J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, Harry Harrison, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Richard Brautigan, Robert Saberhagen, Piers Anthony, and Gordon R. Dickson. Michael Moorcock was also a favorite. Bill inhaled all five Elric books in one day while home with a bad cold. More recently he has particularly enjoyed the work of Christopher Moore, Orson Scott Card, Neil Gaiman, John Steakley, and Sir Terry Pratchett.
Death’s Collector is Bill’s first published novel, to be followed by Wee Piggies of Radiant Might and Death’s Book of Tricks, all part of “The Death-Cursed Wizard” series. Three unpublished novels preceded Death’s Collector, all of which he loves like children despite their irredeemable flaws.
Bill earned a M.A. in Sociology from the University of Texas at Arlington. (Arlington lies halfway between Fort Worth and Dallas. The implications may best be imagined.) The most important thing he learned in college is that nobody is under any obligation to teach him anything, including professors. Especially professors, since they’ve attended classes on how to look down upon the uneducated. That detail may be fabricated, but the principle stands.
People have paid Bill to do an odd variety of things, including construction, market research, acting, and managing software projects. He lives with his four cats, who are aspiring internet celebrities, and his lovely wife, a woman so keenly determined that she would always be able to kill him if it came to a knife fight.
In childhood Bill came to love fiction late, preferring history and science books instead. In his mid-teens he discovered science fiction and fantasy novels, particularly Roger Zelazny, Ursula Le Guin, Robert Heinlein, J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, Harry Harrison, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Richard Brautigan, Robert Saberhagen, Piers Anthony, and Gordon R. Dickson. Michael Moorcock was also a favorite. Bill inhaled all five Elric books in one day while home with a bad cold. More recently he has particularly enjoyed the work of Christopher Moore, Orson Scott Card, Neil Gaiman, John Steakley, and Sir Terry Pratchett.
Death’s Collector is Bill’s first published novel, to be followed by Wee Piggies of Radiant Might and Death’s Book of Tricks, all part of “The Death-Cursed Wizard” series. Three unpublished novels preceded Death’s Collector, all of which he loves like children despite their irredeemable flaws.
Bill earned a M.A. in Sociology from the University of Texas at Arlington. (Arlington lies halfway between Fort Worth and Dallas. The implications may best be imagined.) The most important thing he learned in college is that nobody is under any obligation to teach him anything, including professors. Especially professors, since they’ve attended classes on how to look down upon the uneducated. That detail may be fabricated, but the principle stands.
People have paid Bill to do an odd variety of things, including construction, market research, acting, and managing software projects. He lives with his four cats, who are aspiring internet celebrities, and his lovely wife, a woman so keenly determined that she would always be able to kill him if it came to a knife fight.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
October 3, 2019
“Death's Collector” is the first audiobook in the “Deals with Death” series which is a dark fantasy book filled with mythical lands oozing with sarcasm and humor. One gets a good idea of what to expect in this from the author’s Audible page and the publisher’s company name. How does one get any writing done with four cats in their home, along with the author acknowledging who would win a knife fight between family members in his household. This audiobook appears to be the premiere work of author Bill McCurry. It is very well narrated by one of my favorite voices Daniel Penz who is also the narrator of the wonderfully written Easytown sci-fi noir series. The book follows our main character who made a deal with one of the many gods that require him to murder an undisclosed number of persons to fulfill a debt he incurred. The book is filled with surrivial, relationships, emotions, moral choices, and communications with the gods; having a feeling of greek mythology. If you are a person who likes fantasy books having a fair amount of cynicism, I think you will enjoy listening to this audiobook.
Early on in the book you begin to sense the storytelling ability of the author when our main character runs into a riddle giving water spirit in the likes of Monty Python’s Holy Grail. The book involves a rescue mission for a kidnapped individual and there is plently of murder and mayhem along the way. I liked the complex interactions between the party of searchers and even the many people they find along the way. As the book progresses, we begin to see the difficult internal moral struggle with Bib and the need to fulfill his ever-present debt to the gods. The initial story setup was a bit slower than I would have liked, but I feel the author was attempting to establish the setting and characters prior to jumping right into the action. I thought having an apprentice sorcerer along for the ride felt like a magical duo similar to Batman and Robin.
I found the ability for the mortals to speak with the various gods a rather unique and interesting aspect of the story. Often times, these gods were in conflict with one another and each provided offers to humans in exchange for magical power (squares) permitting humans to leverage the magic for healing and other non-human abilities. We also see at times a god would open an auction type event with more than one mortal and the winning offer would grant that individual a number of squares; for a price.. Such offers may be to murder more people to appease the god, kill someone you love, murder a moral person, and even attack children. Oftentimes, mortals needed to sacrifice something to receive magical powers to continue their arts. Not only are there gods, we also have some creatures from the spirit world who in many ways are like genies due to their attitudes trickery. These two aspects made the audiobook rather interesting, and one never knew how the interaction between gods would occur.
For an audiobook that is as light hearted as it portrays itself in most places, it is really a veneer because the book contains overtones and undertones of despair and conflict from start to finish. Not only the moral issues faced by our main character, but the many consequences which come from choices made. There are times that suffering of one is necessary to prevent the suffering of many others. All of this activity is occuring while the adventure to ultimately save the kidnapped individual is the driving main goal. We see many side quests and other events that take the characters off the beaten path for one reason or another. We are also shown just how hard it is to be a sorcerer in this place. One needs to not only survive the harsh world in which they live, but the potential of magic going wrong, and even all the interactions with the various gods.
What would I have liked to see more of? Well, for me, I wanted to know more about the characters. Maybe a chapter dedicated to the background on at least the main characters to make them more personable and likable. I think a bit more time spent on world building and more side quests to provide some downtime from the main plotline. This would have also filled in some of the aspects of both characters or environment. As well, I found the ending of the story to be more abrupt than I would have liked. It felt rushed compared to the setup and middle portions of the story. Note, this is only the first book in a series, so I can only assume we will get more details in future books.
The audiobook’s narration was performed wonderfully by Daniel Penz. I enjoy his rich and deep voice both in this book and others I have listened to of his. The audio itself was clean of any audio artifacts such as page turns, swallows, or background noise. I did feel that this book was read at a faster pace than average books others have narrated or his previous performances. The audio contained a few lite audio effects when the main characters were speaking with the gods, but for me it was a bit too much echo during these portions of the audiobook. Mr. Penz did great with the many different voices and accents used in the book. A professional performance I have come to expect from this narrator.
For parents and younger readers, I would advise that this book be intended only for mature audiences. The book contains a heavy amount of vulgar language, innuendos, and sexual references which I feel might not be appropriate for younger listeners. The book contains scenes of graphic violence which could be rather detailed for less mature people. Had the use of language been reduced, I would think the book would have been enjoyed by younger readers.
In summary, the author did a good job of telling a unique story from the standard premise of a fantasy tale requiring a party to rescue someone. We have that adventure, but also the aspect of the many gods and their interactions with humans and a quite different magic system. The narration was solid and enjoyable. There are a few things I think could have been done to improve the story, but overall it was solidly entertaining.
Early on in the book you begin to sense the storytelling ability of the author when our main character runs into a riddle giving water spirit in the likes of Monty Python’s Holy Grail. The book involves a rescue mission for a kidnapped individual and there is plently of murder and mayhem along the way. I liked the complex interactions between the party of searchers and even the many people they find along the way. As the book progresses, we begin to see the difficult internal moral struggle with Bib and the need to fulfill his ever-present debt to the gods. The initial story setup was a bit slower than I would have liked, but I feel the author was attempting to establish the setting and characters prior to jumping right into the action. I thought having an apprentice sorcerer along for the ride felt like a magical duo similar to Batman and Robin.
I found the ability for the mortals to speak with the various gods a rather unique and interesting aspect of the story. Often times, these gods were in conflict with one another and each provided offers to humans in exchange for magical power (squares) permitting humans to leverage the magic for healing and other non-human abilities. We also see at times a god would open an auction type event with more than one mortal and the winning offer would grant that individual a number of squares; for a price.. Such offers may be to murder more people to appease the god, kill someone you love, murder a moral person, and even attack children. Oftentimes, mortals needed to sacrifice something to receive magical powers to continue their arts. Not only are there gods, we also have some creatures from the spirit world who in many ways are like genies due to their attitudes trickery. These two aspects made the audiobook rather interesting, and one never knew how the interaction between gods would occur.
For an audiobook that is as light hearted as it portrays itself in most places, it is really a veneer because the book contains overtones and undertones of despair and conflict from start to finish. Not only the moral issues faced by our main character, but the many consequences which come from choices made. There are times that suffering of one is necessary to prevent the suffering of many others. All of this activity is occuring while the adventure to ultimately save the kidnapped individual is the driving main goal. We see many side quests and other events that take the characters off the beaten path for one reason or another. We are also shown just how hard it is to be a sorcerer in this place. One needs to not only survive the harsh world in which they live, but the potential of magic going wrong, and even all the interactions with the various gods.
What would I have liked to see more of? Well, for me, I wanted to know more about the characters. Maybe a chapter dedicated to the background on at least the main characters to make them more personable and likable. I think a bit more time spent on world building and more side quests to provide some downtime from the main plotline. This would have also filled in some of the aspects of both characters or environment. As well, I found the ending of the story to be more abrupt than I would have liked. It felt rushed compared to the setup and middle portions of the story. Note, this is only the first book in a series, so I can only assume we will get more details in future books.
The audiobook’s narration was performed wonderfully by Daniel Penz. I enjoy his rich and deep voice both in this book and others I have listened to of his. The audio itself was clean of any audio artifacts such as page turns, swallows, or background noise. I did feel that this book was read at a faster pace than average books others have narrated or his previous performances. The audio contained a few lite audio effects when the main characters were speaking with the gods, but for me it was a bit too much echo during these portions of the audiobook. Mr. Penz did great with the many different voices and accents used in the book. A professional performance I have come to expect from this narrator.
For parents and younger readers, I would advise that this book be intended only for mature audiences. The book contains a heavy amount of vulgar language, innuendos, and sexual references which I feel might not be appropriate for younger listeners. The book contains scenes of graphic violence which could be rather detailed for less mature people. Had the use of language been reduced, I would think the book would have been enjoyed by younger readers.
In summary, the author did a good job of telling a unique story from the standard premise of a fantasy tale requiring a party to rescue someone. We have that adventure, but also the aspect of the many gods and their interactions with humans and a quite different magic system. The narration was solid and enjoyable. There are a few things I think could have been done to improve the story, but overall it was solidly entertaining.
November 9, 2022
Interesting world building, especially the details of how magic works in this world. The main character launches continual wisecracks, insults and comebacks, which gets tiresome.
I'd put this in the fantasy genre, same as most D&D games. The magic system is anything but, however - the wizards must bargain with the gods for power, giving up some of their humanity at the whim of deities with just as many wisecracks and insults. How that power gets used in the story is pretty cool, and our troubled hero makes for interesting reading.
That said, the book comes to a nice conclusion - then trickles on for a few more chapters. Perhaps this is to set up a sequel - there are six in the series, published over the course of 3-4 years. Those extra chapters certainly weren't needed in this book. I may read more in the series, but first I want to discuss with my fellow book club readers - this was an interesting choice, especially for the world building. 3 of 5 stars.
I'd put this in the fantasy genre, same as most D&D games. The magic system is anything but, however - the wizards must bargain with the gods for power, giving up some of their humanity at the whim of deities with just as many wisecracks and insults. How that power gets used in the story is pretty cool, and our troubled hero makes for interesting reading.
That said, the book comes to a nice conclusion - then trickles on for a few more chapters. Perhaps this is to set up a sequel - there are six in the series, published over the course of 3-4 years. Those extra chapters certainly weren't needed in this book. I may read more in the series, but first I want to discuss with my fellow book club readers - this was an interesting choice, especially for the world building. 3 of 5 stars.
July 10, 2022
Just what I needed
A rather delightful comic fantasy about a cynical sorcerer and swordsman named Bib, who is in debt to the god of death and must murder a number of people known only to the god as a form a repayment. Great dialogue and fun characters. Not deep, but that’s not why I chose to read it
A rather delightful comic fantasy about a cynical sorcerer and swordsman named Bib, who is in debt to the god of death and must murder a number of people known only to the god as a form a repayment. Great dialogue and fun characters. Not deep, but that’s not why I chose to read it
February 18, 2020
I love, Love, LOVE, this book!
Narrated by Bib, an irreverent, profane, and vulgar sorcerer, this novel is side-splittingly funny. Bib's ability with his sword, combined with some events from his past, see him cursed to kill for Harik, the Death-God - a fate he agreed to in a desperate negotiation for more power, which is how magic is doled out in this universe. This leads him to go along with someone else's quest, which, in turn, sets in motion a series of events that have a broad impact on the region.
All of the elements I look for are rock-solid in this novel. The pacing is excellent. The world-building is fantastic (although, and I suspect this has to do with this being a first entry in a planned series, there are some gaps here that I anticipate will be filled in later installments and nothing that was necessary for this part of the story to make sense was omitted). The editing is excellent - the only bucking of convention that I noticed was the lack of treatment of Gods/Goddesses (and references thereto - e.g. him, her, they, etc) as proper nouns. Having said that, Bib narrates the story and his contempt for Deities lends to the idea that this is a tic of Bib's, rather than the author's, so it may well have been an intentional choice rather than an oversight.
The character-building stood out as being exceptional. Narrated in the first person by Bib, the author has done a spectacular job of creating well-rounded characters outside of the narrator, which is no small feat. Furthermore, Bib's personal opinions don't seem to prevent more objective characterisations of the other characters from shining through. The only real concern I have, and I hope this will be remedied in future works, was the dearth of female characters. There were really only two primary female characters, and one wasn't human. The way these were portrayed was brilliantly done, so I have no concern about the quality of these characters - I just wanted to read more of them.
Bib is a fantastic character. Arrogant, reckless, intelligent, and shrewd, he jumps off the page. I am particularly fond of his cursing abilities. His backstory is doled out carefully throughout the novel and is, to say the least, tragic.
The world has a pantheon of thirteen Deities. Those encountered in the novel were well-characterised, and, in their pettiness (from Bib's perspective), are reminiscent of the way the Greek Gods interact in Classical Mythology. Even so, they are unique and are also fascinating. I wish the novel had gone into the spiritual practises of ordinary folks - are there religious orders? shrines? a practise of prayer/sacrifice? This is an area of particular interest to me, so, while the absence didn't hurt the story, it's something I am very curious to learn about.
All in all, I found this to be a really entertaining read, with interesting and funny characters, and I'm definitely interested in reading more from this series and this author.
I received a copy of this novel through Voracious Readers Only.
Narrated by Bib, an irreverent, profane, and vulgar sorcerer, this novel is side-splittingly funny. Bib's ability with his sword, combined with some events from his past, see him cursed to kill for Harik, the Death-God - a fate he agreed to in a desperate negotiation for more power, which is how magic is doled out in this universe. This leads him to go along with someone else's quest, which, in turn, sets in motion a series of events that have a broad impact on the region.
All of the elements I look for are rock-solid in this novel. The pacing is excellent. The world-building is fantastic (although, and I suspect this has to do with this being a first entry in a planned series, there are some gaps here that I anticipate will be filled in later installments and nothing that was necessary for this part of the story to make sense was omitted). The editing is excellent - the only bucking of convention that I noticed was the lack of treatment of Gods/Goddesses (and references thereto - e.g. him, her, they, etc) as proper nouns. Having said that, Bib narrates the story and his contempt for Deities lends to the idea that this is a tic of Bib's, rather than the author's, so it may well have been an intentional choice rather than an oversight.
The character-building stood out as being exceptional. Narrated in the first person by Bib, the author has done a spectacular job of creating well-rounded characters outside of the narrator, which is no small feat. Furthermore, Bib's personal opinions don't seem to prevent more objective characterisations of the other characters from shining through. The only real concern I have, and I hope this will be remedied in future works, was the dearth of female characters. There were really only two primary female characters, and one wasn't human. The way these were portrayed was brilliantly done, so I have no concern about the quality of these characters - I just wanted to read more of them.
Bib is a fantastic character. Arrogant, reckless, intelligent, and shrewd, he jumps off the page. I am particularly fond of his cursing abilities. His backstory is doled out carefully throughout the novel and is, to say the least, tragic.
The world has a pantheon of thirteen Deities. Those encountered in the novel were well-characterised, and, in their pettiness (from Bib's perspective), are reminiscent of the way the Greek Gods interact in Classical Mythology. Even so, they are unique and are also fascinating. I wish the novel had gone into the spiritual practises of ordinary folks - are there religious orders? shrines? a practise of prayer/sacrifice? This is an area of particular interest to me, so, while the absence didn't hurt the story, it's something I am very curious to learn about.
All in all, I found this to be a really entertaining read, with interesting and funny characters, and I'm definitely interested in reading more from this series and this author.
I received a copy of this novel through Voracious Readers Only.
March 20, 2023
I would have finished this novel faster if I had enjoyed it. The main character comes off as whiny, his love interest is stuffy, and many of the other characters are not fleshed out enough to draw interest. There is a lot of hacking and stabbing throughout the story, so perhaps adolescent males might enjoy it.
March 27, 2023
This book has a lot of killing. But I guess that is to be expected from a book whose main character has been named Murderer by the gods. He has made a deal with the god of death to kill a to-be-determined number of people in exchange for enough power to save his daughter, a bargain that turns out to be ill-fated. So he kills. Mostly people that he thinks deserve killing, but sometimes he's not picky. He doesn't know how many people he has to kill but gets a terrible headache if he goes too long without killing. In his favor, he is not only very good at his job, but he does it with a sense of humor that reminds me of Deadpool. He is a sorcerer but only has as much power as he can barter with the gods for, but the gods are capricious, egotistical, and consider humans their playthings so any bargaining with them is an iffy situation. I probably should not have enjoyed a book with all this destruction and mayhem as much as I did, but it was not something I could take any more seriously than Ryan Reynolds's Deadpool. Even the creative cursing that Bib used was more funny than offensive. Bib is a sarcastic, beat-up sorcerer/murderer but he is likable as a character but not because he has a heart of gold. He doesn't. He is admittedly a terrible person who enjoys killing. But he doesn't seem to take himself too seriously for the most part. And this book is decidedly tongue-in-cheek. I had to read it when it was described as "sword and sorcery and sarcasm" and I was not disappointed.
July 29, 2024
Such an enjoyable read. The narrator was awesome. Crusty midlife cursed wizard just trying to survive from day to day. Super interesting magic system of having to negotiate and trade with deities in order to gain power. Looking forward to the next one.
November 26, 2025
Cheap Beer? No. A Lot of Grit and Chaos.
Not much in the reveling of cheap beer. Thats OK, I'm not here for that. Much in the ways of violence, with a touch of class, and handed out in a satisfying way to those who were sure of themselves. That's good, here for that.
There wasn't much in abandoned temples of forgotten and debaucherous gods, nor monster-infested tombs, or demonic swamps, as you may find in sword-and-sorcery tales, as much took place in the forest and neighboring kingdoms. That's not a complaint at all as the characters and the author's wit are entertaining and driving the story forward. There is a degree of pessimism and cynicism, to the point that you almost don't necessarily feel bad for anyone's death or hardship. Yet, the dry humor and the laughing in the face of "divine" persecution had me rooting for the crew to make it through. Nothing came off as preachy or trying to work in a social message though there are many quotable points to apply to the world we know.
The magic system is brutal and difficult and almost hopeless. Like any weapon, you gotta hope those who are proficient in them are not serial killers and are ready to be righteous when necessary. The gods remind me of any mythological pantheon: Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Norse, African, where the worst qualities of man are what these gods are and the best qualities of God do not exist within them. They are debaucherous, vain, and sadistic, pretty much just like a Dallas Democrat (inside joke for the inner blurb). The petty river spirit was a new type of character to me and I enjoyed her much, especially her and Ella's absolute hatred for each other. I hope Desh and Limnad create an enchanted environment and many spirited "offshoots".
The savagery of Chapter 23 made this a hopeless read but the presence of a brutal magic reserved a bit of hope for a turn-around.
In the end, the author speaks well and is entertaining, enthralling me to keep going, and surprising me with many events that I wasn't expecting. I don't know if I can pay 50-60 bucks to read the whole series but it was one worth reading and to look forward to coming back to.
Death's Collector
Wee Piggies
Not much in the reveling of cheap beer. Thats OK, I'm not here for that. Much in the ways of violence, with a touch of class, and handed out in a satisfying way to those who were sure of themselves. That's good, here for that.
There wasn't much in abandoned temples of forgotten and debaucherous gods, nor monster-infested tombs, or demonic swamps, as you may find in sword-and-sorcery tales, as much took place in the forest and neighboring kingdoms. That's not a complaint at all as the characters and the author's wit are entertaining and driving the story forward. There is a degree of pessimism and cynicism, to the point that you almost don't necessarily feel bad for anyone's death or hardship. Yet, the dry humor and the laughing in the face of "divine" persecution had me rooting for the crew to make it through. Nothing came off as preachy or trying to work in a social message though there are many quotable points to apply to the world we know.
The magic system is brutal and difficult and almost hopeless. Like any weapon, you gotta hope those who are proficient in them are not serial killers and are ready to be righteous when necessary. The gods remind me of any mythological pantheon: Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Norse, African, where the worst qualities of man are what these gods are and the best qualities of God do not exist within them. They are debaucherous, vain, and sadistic, pretty much just like a Dallas Democrat (inside joke for the inner blurb). The petty river spirit was a new type of character to me and I enjoyed her much, especially her and Ella's absolute hatred for each other. I hope Desh and Limnad create an enchanted environment and many spirited "offshoots".
The savagery of Chapter 23 made this a hopeless read but the presence of a brutal magic reserved a bit of hope for a turn-around.
In the end, the author speaks well and is entertaining, enthralling me to keep going, and surprising me with many events that I wasn't expecting. I don't know if I can pay 50-60 bucks to read the whole series but it was one worth reading and to look forward to coming back to.
Death's Collector
Wee Piggies
July 26, 2022
I cannot recommend spending the time or energy reading this novel.
The book is the author’s medium to demonstrate how creative he believes himself with stringing together insults in the voices of the characters.
While there is a plot line, magical acquisition and the role of the gods is thinly developed; the characters are flat, and there is little substance to most all of the story.
As with some books that I have spent more time with than required, this review is shortened to a “one star- do not recommend” review with nothing more to add.
The book is the author’s medium to demonstrate how creative he believes himself with stringing together insults in the voices of the characters.
While there is a plot line, magical acquisition and the role of the gods is thinly developed; the characters are flat, and there is little substance to most all of the story.
As with some books that I have spent more time with than required, this review is shortened to a “one star- do not recommend” review with nothing more to add.
April 2, 2021
I went in this novel with little to no expectations. And I was pleasantly surprised. Bib is a very fun character to read. Being in his head is a relief compared to other books that ooze with angst ( I effing hate angst). This first instalment of the serie is totally free of any kind of angst. As in none. The main character does what he does, and never, ever overthinks it. So refreshing. I wish female heroines were written a bit more like that. I will definitely continue reading the serie.
September 9, 2019
Engaging, entertaining read from start to finish. Darkly comedic with a steak of absurdism for good measure. Reminiscent (in all the best ways) of Terry Prathchett, but uniquely Bill’s voice. Ready to take on book two!
February 11, 2020
Unrelenting agony with a knowing smile. That’s what you’ll find when you crack open Bill McCurry’s dark fantasy romp. Bib is an interesting leading man. He is a sorcerer who needs to negotiate with the gods to have the morsel of power to make big changes. It all comes with a cost. Sometimes, inconveniences at the worst times, sometimes memories of loved ones, sometimes the living death of losing the love of someone else.
The heaviest toll turned Bib into Death’s Collector. To clear his debt, he must take the lives of an unspecified amount, known only to Harik, the god of death. He accrued this debt to save his daughter. Whether it was worth it will be up to the reader.
Despite such a dreary preamble, the book itself balances the heft with plenty of laughs. Bib provides most of the snark in the dialogue. The insults and one-liners written by Bill McCurry are some of the most inventive uses of the English language I’ve ever read.
One example being, “Curse you to the fire-farting, muck-tongued, prevaricating, never-to-be-pounded-enough-right-on-their-nuts gods, Desh Younger!”
Ella is a great counterbalance to Bib’s snark. A no-nonsense fighter tasked with finding and protecting the prince who had been captured by the calculating Vintan, she is the painful anchor pinning Bib’s feet to the plot. Her adherence to honor and duty makes her an outlier in such a cynical world. She’s unflinching in the faces of powerful beings and circumstances, a shining foil to Bib’s dreary outlook. Through the course of the story, she learns to adjust and sees Bib as an asset to her mission. A fascinating character, the reader can’t help but latch onto her.
Vintan is a perfect counterpart to Bib. Should they ever align, they could be a formidable duo, but their own convictions put them at odds. Vintan, just like Ella, has his own moral code. This gives him more restrictions than Bib. As a result, his victories feel like an accomplishment and it makes him an even greater threat.
Desh is the novice sorcerer that seeks out Bib for mentorship. The exchange between the two gives us a perspective of how the magic system works. He very much comes in with his own presumptions and Bib is sure to grind it up to dust. One scene in particular thrusts him into the underhanded negotiations with the gods. Bib helped him as much as he could but the house always wins. While he never came off as naive, throughout the course of the story, Desh hardens and darkens as the result of his dealings with otherworldly beings.
For any Fullmetal Alchemist fans, there’s a structure of equivalent exchange that underlines every use of magic. It gives each fight a heft that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. Magic isn’t cheap; the process of attaining power and the price for using it feeds to the recurring sentiment of pain in a fantastical world
And pain is what Bill McCurry excels at. Despite the snarky defiance to the powers-that-be, Bib is far from indestructible. He pushes Harik with colorful insults. After losing so many people close to him, one gets a sense that he has an internalized nihilism that puts him at odds with idealistic characters like Ella or code-defined Vintan. Despite the perceived internal pain, Bill McCurry paints vivid, horrid pictures of harm done to Bib by his enemies. Bib even shows understandable, primal reactions to having his leg crushed rather than tanking it like an action hero badass. He’s not the only one put through the rigor of cruelty as other characters suffer similar pains, filling out the portrait of a dark world. And in this dark world, human lives mean a lot less, especially with immortal gods bickering amongst themselves.
Overall, it was an enthralling read filled to the brim with action, introspection, and fascinating characters plunged in a bleak world where its rulers are just as flawed as we are. Even if you’re not a fan of dark fantasy, there’s a sort of twisted glimmer of hope that permeates through crucial points in the story. I highly recommend it!
The heaviest toll turned Bib into Death’s Collector. To clear his debt, he must take the lives of an unspecified amount, known only to Harik, the god of death. He accrued this debt to save his daughter. Whether it was worth it will be up to the reader.
Despite such a dreary preamble, the book itself balances the heft with plenty of laughs. Bib provides most of the snark in the dialogue. The insults and one-liners written by Bill McCurry are some of the most inventive uses of the English language I’ve ever read.
One example being, “Curse you to the fire-farting, muck-tongued, prevaricating, never-to-be-pounded-enough-right-on-their-nuts gods, Desh Younger!”
Ella is a great counterbalance to Bib’s snark. A no-nonsense fighter tasked with finding and protecting the prince who had been captured by the calculating Vintan, she is the painful anchor pinning Bib’s feet to the plot. Her adherence to honor and duty makes her an outlier in such a cynical world. She’s unflinching in the faces of powerful beings and circumstances, a shining foil to Bib’s dreary outlook. Through the course of the story, she learns to adjust and sees Bib as an asset to her mission. A fascinating character, the reader can’t help but latch onto her.
Vintan is a perfect counterpart to Bib. Should they ever align, they could be a formidable duo, but their own convictions put them at odds. Vintan, just like Ella, has his own moral code. This gives him more restrictions than Bib. As a result, his victories feel like an accomplishment and it makes him an even greater threat.
Desh is the novice sorcerer that seeks out Bib for mentorship. The exchange between the two gives us a perspective of how the magic system works. He very much comes in with his own presumptions and Bib is sure to grind it up to dust. One scene in particular thrusts him into the underhanded negotiations with the gods. Bib helped him as much as he could but the house always wins. While he never came off as naive, throughout the course of the story, Desh hardens and darkens as the result of his dealings with otherworldly beings.
For any Fullmetal Alchemist fans, there’s a structure of equivalent exchange that underlines every use of magic. It gives each fight a heft that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. Magic isn’t cheap; the process of attaining power and the price for using it feeds to the recurring sentiment of pain in a fantastical world
And pain is what Bill McCurry excels at. Despite the snarky defiance to the powers-that-be, Bib is far from indestructible. He pushes Harik with colorful insults. After losing so many people close to him, one gets a sense that he has an internalized nihilism that puts him at odds with idealistic characters like Ella or code-defined Vintan. Despite the perceived internal pain, Bill McCurry paints vivid, horrid pictures of harm done to Bib by his enemies. Bib even shows understandable, primal reactions to having his leg crushed rather than tanking it like an action hero badass. He’s not the only one put through the rigor of cruelty as other characters suffer similar pains, filling out the portrait of a dark world. And in this dark world, human lives mean a lot less, especially with immortal gods bickering amongst themselves.
Overall, it was an enthralling read filled to the brim with action, introspection, and fascinating characters plunged in a bleak world where its rulers are just as flawed as we are. Even if you’re not a fan of dark fantasy, there’s a sort of twisted glimmer of hope that permeates through crucial points in the story. I highly recommend it!
July 4, 2024
A tremendously well-written story, following Bib, a snarky sorcerer and murderer with a kind heart despite his vile actions and gruff demeanor. It's an intriguing world with sadistic gods and high-cost magic. The story is told from Bib's reflective and flawed perspective as he wrestles with questions of his own psychology, past, and philosophy of life. It's certainly written for adults, but I appreciate that there's no explicit or graphic sexuality (though sex isn't absent from the general conversation). Because of the violence and heavy themes, I would still place this book as 18+.
What I Liked:
The story was immediately gripping with very vivid imagery and expertly crafted insults. The characters were all compelling and had their own drives and needs, and has authentic consonance and clashes with one another. Despite the dark tone of the story, the suffering was neither pointless nor endless. The hero is an "anti-hero" but not so "anti" that he's unlikable or annoying to the reader.
Each chapter, at least in the latter half of the book, opens with Bib reflecting on his own past or on the nature of sorcery, appealing to a thoughtful, melancholic audience.
The world was immersive, and the reader gets a clear sense for how magic works as it comes into use during the plot. The rules for magic were explained very well, with a sarcastic tone and room for inaccuracy such that it didn't even feel like the book was breaking the show-don't-tell "rule" even though it did so several times.
The end was satisfying, tying up all the loose ends particular to the present story, while leaving certain questions open for further exploration. While the gods present as kind of dumbly sadistic, with no real motivation besides wanting to watch humans suffer, something tells me that this will be revealed to be false in a later book - the gods are just too eager to explain "I can't stress enough how little you mean to me but please please please make this deal even though I don't care" for there to be nothing going on there behind the scenes.
Areas For Improvement:
Aside from a couple of typos I found this book to have very few drawbacks. The only significant critical feedback I have is the pacing of the last 60 or so pages was a little slow and lacked direction a bit, so I was less invested following the major climax, though I did understand that it was so that all the loose ends could be tied up and the next book set up.
What I Liked:
The story was immediately gripping with very vivid imagery and expertly crafted insults. The characters were all compelling and had their own drives and needs, and has authentic consonance and clashes with one another. Despite the dark tone of the story, the suffering was neither pointless nor endless. The hero is an "anti-hero" but not so "anti" that he's unlikable or annoying to the reader.
Each chapter, at least in the latter half of the book, opens with Bib reflecting on his own past or on the nature of sorcery, appealing to a thoughtful, melancholic audience.
The world was immersive, and the reader gets a clear sense for how magic works as it comes into use during the plot. The rules for magic were explained very well, with a sarcastic tone and room for inaccuracy such that it didn't even feel like the book was breaking the show-don't-tell "rule" even though it did so several times.
The end was satisfying, tying up all the loose ends particular to the present story, while leaving certain questions open for further exploration. While the gods present as kind of dumbly sadistic, with no real motivation besides wanting to watch humans suffer, something tells me that this will be revealed to be false in a later book - the gods are just too eager to explain "I can't stress enough how little you mean to me but please please please make this deal even though I don't care" for there to be nothing going on there behind the scenes.
Areas For Improvement:
Aside from a couple of typos I found this book to have very few drawbacks. The only significant critical feedback I have is the pacing of the last 60 or so pages was a little slow and lacked direction a bit, so I was less invested following the major climax, though I did understand that it was so that all the loose ends could be tied up and the next book set up.
July 19, 2022
I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised by Bill McCurry's "Death's Collector". After reading a couple heavy non-fiction books, I was looking for some fun and easy reading. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I started, but "Death's Collector" fit the bill on both counts.
I initially wasn't a fan of the vulgar talk and juvenile banter present through much of the book. Yes, I know that's the point, but there were a few spot where it was so over-the-top that it sort of pulled me out of the story, if you will.
But the characters won me over, as did Bill's sardonic writing style. The anti-hero of the book became more and more likable the more the story goes on, and I found myself rooting for him and his band of misfits.
I've read too many books where they story was great until the last chapter. Ending a book right is hard to do, but I'm happy to report that McCurry nails it. What a great ending to a great story. Throw in a few unexpected twists along the way, and you have an excellent way to spend the weekend.
---------------
I noticed Amazon and Goodreads have a slightly different meanings to their 5-point scale. I thought it was odd to have a different rating for the same book on two different sites, so I came up with my own scale below. For the record, it is fairly close to Amazon's scale, but allows me to be consistent between the two sites.
5 - Fantastic. Life-altering. Maybe only two or three dozen in a lifetime.
4 - Very good.
3 - Worth your time but has issues.
2 - Not very good.
1 - Atrocious. (less)
I initially wasn't a fan of the vulgar talk and juvenile banter present through much of the book. Yes, I know that's the point, but there were a few spot where it was so over-the-top that it sort of pulled me out of the story, if you will.
But the characters won me over, as did Bill's sardonic writing style. The anti-hero of the book became more and more likable the more the story goes on, and I found myself rooting for him and his band of misfits.
I've read too many books where they story was great until the last chapter. Ending a book right is hard to do, but I'm happy to report that McCurry nails it. What a great ending to a great story. Throw in a few unexpected twists along the way, and you have an excellent way to spend the weekend.
---------------
I noticed Amazon and Goodreads have a slightly different meanings to their 5-point scale. I thought it was odd to have a different rating for the same book on two different sites, so I came up with my own scale below. For the record, it is fairly close to Amazon's scale, but allows me to be consistent between the two sites.
5 - Fantastic. Life-altering. Maybe only two or three dozen in a lifetime.
4 - Very good.
3 - Worth your time but has issues.
2 - Not very good.
1 - Atrocious. (less)
December 17, 2019
( Format : Audiobook )
"Every life is a life of loss."
Bob is a sorcerer. And an healer. And he thoroughly enjoys killing. His task, with Ella, is to rescue the kidnapped Prince in a land rife with war and death by plague. It is a strange and compulsive story with none stop action which really needs to be read to be believed. This reader found it both irritating and compelling, with characters bargaining with God's for powers and what will happen next frequently surprising. A lightweigh, magical mystery tour with dozens of dead bodies strewn along the way. Great fun.
Narration by Daniel Penz is mostly excellent, good pace, great character voices, fine intonation, and the perfect touch of cynicism to hold it all together. However, his inability to sometimes add the last letter to a word became, for this reader, a breath holding experience on a couple of very obvious occasions when he failed to pronounce the final letter 't', leaving the last word of chapter 30, for example, as sho
An interesting book but not one which I would wish to continue into a new series. My thanks to the rights holder of Death's Collector, who, at my request, freely gifted me with a complimentary copy via Audiobook Boom. It is an interesting fantasy story with plenty of personality.
"Every life is a life of loss."
Bob is a sorcerer. And an healer. And he thoroughly enjoys killing. His task, with Ella, is to rescue the kidnapped Prince in a land rife with war and death by plague. It is a strange and compulsive story with none stop action which really needs to be read to be believed. This reader found it both irritating and compelling, with characters bargaining with God's for powers and what will happen next frequently surprising. A lightweigh, magical mystery tour with dozens of dead bodies strewn along the way. Great fun.
Narration by Daniel Penz is mostly excellent, good pace, great character voices, fine intonation, and the perfect touch of cynicism to hold it all together. However, his inability to sometimes add the last letter to a word became, for this reader, a breath holding experience on a couple of very obvious occasions when he failed to pronounce the final letter 't', leaving the last word of chapter 30, for example, as sho
An interesting book but not one which I would wish to continue into a new series. My thanks to the rights holder of Death's Collector, who, at my request, freely gifted me with a complimentary copy via Audiobook Boom. It is an interesting fantasy story with plenty of personality.
April 7, 2020
* I received a free copy of this book from the author via voracious readers only in exchange for an honest review*
If you enjoy books about foul mouthed sorcerers full of dark humour and uncaring gods you should definitely read this. Bib the sorcerer who made an unthinkable deal with the god of death for admittedly a good reason goes of a journey trying to kill as many people worthy of death as possible to absolve his debt.
This book is full of characters so well developed they become real, a fast paced and interesting plot that pulls you in and drags you along by your hair at breakneck speed. Admittedly Bib is my favourite sort of character he’s selfish, sarcastic, strong and ruthless but he does grow and starts to care about people other than himself.
I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a great entry to the series, I was pleased to find that unlike a lot of first books to a series I’ve read recently this one had its own story that wrapped up at the end of the book instead of just being an introduction to the characters. I liked it so much in fact that I’ve already started the second one.
If you enjoy books about foul mouthed sorcerers full of dark humour and uncaring gods you should definitely read this. Bib the sorcerer who made an unthinkable deal with the god of death for admittedly a good reason goes of a journey trying to kill as many people worthy of death as possible to absolve his debt.
This book is full of characters so well developed they become real, a fast paced and interesting plot that pulls you in and drags you along by your hair at breakneck speed. Admittedly Bib is my favourite sort of character he’s selfish, sarcastic, strong and ruthless but he does grow and starts to care about people other than himself.
I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a great entry to the series, I was pleased to find that unlike a lot of first books to a series I’ve read recently this one had its own story that wrapped up at the end of the book instead of just being an introduction to the characters. I liked it so much in fact that I’ve already started the second one.
January 13, 2020
Thank you to the author for sending me this book via Voracious in exchange for an honest review.
I like the book and I like the main character of the story. I shouldn't because he loves killing and enjoys it as well. I like him because he is interesting to me and because he deals with situations that may be impossible but he solves it in his own way. I like that I didn't feel like this is a good or bad or good versus bad kind of thing but also the characters were mainly I guess trying to survive it that makes sense. I was simply entertained and I thought it was different.
Congratulations on the Author.
I like the book and I like the main character of the story. I shouldn't because he loves killing and enjoys it as well. I like him because he is interesting to me and because he deals with situations that may be impossible but he solves it in his own way. I like that I didn't feel like this is a good or bad or good versus bad kind of thing but also the characters were mainly I guess trying to survive it that makes sense. I was simply entertained and I thought it was different.
Congratulations on the Author.
September 30, 2023
death & sarcasm
Lots of death and sarcasm, both of which I enjoy in a fantasy novel. The magical system with the gods has the potential of think makings a high fantasy novel and hopefully will be focused on more in the next books in the series. That’s what earned the three stars, however the plot and world building was deafened by the death & sarcastic word play as well. By the end of the book which had a satisfactory ending I found I didn’t want to continue, there is only so much long-winded assholery I personally can take at a time. But if that is your thing then you will enjoy this book.
Lots of death and sarcasm, both of which I enjoy in a fantasy novel. The magical system with the gods has the potential of think makings a high fantasy novel and hopefully will be focused on more in the next books in the series. That’s what earned the three stars, however the plot and world building was deafened by the death & sarcastic word play as well. By the end of the book which had a satisfactory ending I found I didn’t want to continue, there is only so much long-winded assholery I personally can take at a time. But if that is your thing then you will enjoy this book.
May 9, 2025
I would actually give this a 3.3, if that was possible. I found fairly engaging. There was lots of violence, but the descriptions weren’t intensely graphic. What I liked the most was the interesting cursing! I also became quite fond of Limnad, the river goddess. ( Think siren.)
Bib bargained with Harik, the God of Death, trying to save his daughter. The deal means Bib has to keep killing an unspecified amount of people or he gets hit with awful headaches followed by assorted painful afflictions. He has been hired to protect a village, and has disposed of several attackers. However, one group that appears tricks him, which leads to a lengthy quest for vengeance.
Bib bargained with Harik, the God of Death, trying to save his daughter. The deal means Bib has to keep killing an unspecified amount of people or he gets hit with awful headaches followed by assorted painful afflictions. He has been hired to protect a village, and has disposed of several attackers. However, one group that appears tricks him, which leads to a lengthy quest for vengeance.
December 17, 2019
I received a free copy of this book from the author via vorocious readers and was pleasantly surprised by how well written it was this is actually the first free book I have read where I have not spotted any mistakes while reading. As the. Book porigresses we get to know and understand a great deal about many of the main characters and I will be looking out for the next book in the series. I congratulate the author on a well written and entertaining story. I recommend this book to readers of mystical fantasy
March 24, 2021
My first experience with this author.
I found the first half of this book much better then the second half. I think i had reached my limit of the sarcasm and bad jokes.
I really enjoyed the first half, lots of humour and sarcasm as promised in the FaceBook add i discovered this book through. Then is just seemed to get old. I finished it as i had become invested in a couple of the mains and i did want to see how the day was saved. I have seen. I am not dissatisfied.
All in all an ok read, not so sure i will pursue the series any further.
I found the first half of this book much better then the second half. I think i had reached my limit of the sarcasm and bad jokes.
I really enjoyed the first half, lots of humour and sarcasm as promised in the FaceBook add i discovered this book through. Then is just seemed to get old. I finished it as i had become invested in a couple of the mains and i did want to see how the day was saved. I have seen. I am not dissatisfied.
All in all an ok read, not so sure i will pursue the series any further.
October 28, 2023
I am convinced this book was not for me because the exact same thing I found irksome about the book (the lead) is the exact same thing all the five star reviews love it for. I guess Bib is a polarizing figure and while others found his irreverent and crass demeanor endearing, I found it stripped the story of its unique premise. Limited/sacrificial magic is a wild concept and could have put so many in a moral dilemma, but with Bib, who is at a stage that he has nothing to lose and no moral code to keep him grounded, strips the stakes away of trading with the gods.
September 1, 2024
I have a lot of books and not a lot of time to read. I tend to prefer non-fiction but I found this book and the ads intrigued me. I purchased the ebook version and waited several months until I was on vacation before giving it a try. I could not stop reading it. I finished the whole thing while on vacation. The story was able to keep my attention, which is quite a challenge as I have ADHD. The chapters were just the right length so I could finish one within the time allotments my attention span could provide. I'm so happy that I took a chance on this book. It was quite enjoyable.
February 9, 2020
Death's Collector by Bill McCurry is an amazing story that I have had the privilege to read. This is book number one in this amazing start to a brand new series writen by a brand new author for me and I can not wait to read the next book in this amazing series. I highly recommend this story to humor and fantasy.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 3, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. The sarcastic, snarky Bib tells the tale with all the attitude you didn’t know you wanted. The writing reminded me of Jonathan Stroud in one of my favorite series, the Bartimaeus books—so high praise!
The first person narrative is perfect for this kind of tale, and you find yourself really liking Bib in spite of himself. The story went in directions you do not expect and the mix of men, sorcerers and gods plays out well.
Definitely worth the read.
The first person narrative is perfect for this kind of tale, and you find yourself really liking Bib in spite of himself. The story went in directions you do not expect and the mix of men, sorcerers and gods plays out well.
Definitely worth the read.
December 25, 2020
So. Much. Blood. And so lol snarky!
This is probably the best book I read this year. I love how the author teases the main character's backstory out for us.
Bib is a wizard, but in this world, every bit of magic costs. The price? Bits and pieces of yourself, traded to petty, sadistic, childish gods.
What would you be willing to trade? A bad case of the flu sometime over the next year? All memories of your first love? The ability to sing in key, but only around those you love?
This is probably the best book I read this year. I love how the author teases the main character's backstory out for us.
Bib is a wizard, but in this world, every bit of magic costs. The price? Bits and pieces of yourself, traded to petty, sadistic, childish gods.
What would you be willing to trade? A bad case of the flu sometime over the next year? All memories of your first love? The ability to sing in key, but only around those you love?
June 22, 2023
Egads! This book was NOT much fun to read. The characters were flat and not well fleshed out. The story was too long for its own good and kept meandering. I pretty much read the book to help me on nights that I had trouble sleeping because I was guaranteed that it would bore me to sleep. I do realize that this is the first book in a series but I'm not masochistic enough to try reading the other books in the series.
July 3, 2023
Entertaining read
I was looking for a good series when I Stimson across the Death Collector. Truthfully, the word "Sarcasm" in the title sealed it for me.
The writing was compelling, urging me from chapter to chapter. The characters were enjoyable and made me care about them. The ending, though not a cliffhanger (which I like since I hate to be forced to continue reading), still led me to want the next book.... which I'm about to buy.
Thanks for the journey, Bill
I was looking for a good series when I Stimson across the Death Collector. Truthfully, the word "Sarcasm" in the title sealed it for me.
The writing was compelling, urging me from chapter to chapter. The characters were enjoyable and made me care about them. The ending, though not a cliffhanger (which I like since I hate to be forced to continue reading), still led me to want the next book.... which I'm about to buy.
Thanks for the journey, Bill
November 9, 2023
It took several chapters before I could engage with the main character and decide to continue reading this. After the hard start, it became increasingly interesting. If you don’t care for coarse language or gruesome deaths, give this a pass, but the imaginative cursing was actually amusing, and Bip’s relationship with his gods was unique and imaginative. I’ll be adding the sequel to my “to be read pile” because I’d like to know where this story goes next
January 14, 2024
I fell for the advertising that described this book as "snarky." "Crass" and "vulgar" would have been more accurate.
There's an expression in Russian that the Russian language has so many swear words that it's possible to swear at someone for an hour without repeating yourself. The author may have been trying to emulate that.
OK characters with OK character development. That said, I do not recommend.
There's an expression in Russian that the Russian language has so many swear words that it's possible to swear at someone for an hour without repeating yourself. The author may have been trying to emulate that.
OK characters with OK character development. That said, I do not recommend.
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