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The End of the Line
A fast-paced thriller set on the streets of a London rife with undercover magic.
Abras, as they are known, can harness these illegal powers, but for con-artist Amanda Coleman – whose father was a powerful and abusive practitioner – magic is anathema.
When her criminal crew decide to hire an Abra to help with their heists, they don’t expect to raise a demon, or to quickly lose control of it. Now Coleman and her crew must travel across Siberia to a remote stone circle in order to kill this murderous creature, who has destroyed everything they hold dear.
But as the demon’s power grows, a battle of wills commences. Coleman must fight to survive, facing demons both in chains and within herself.
This dark and chilling thriller is perfect for fans of Lauren Beukes and James Oswald.
Abras, as they are known, can harness these illegal powers, but for con-artist Amanda Coleman – whose father was a powerful and abusive practitioner – magic is anathema.
When her criminal crew decide to hire an Abra to help with their heists, they don’t expect to raise a demon, or to quickly lose control of it. Now Coleman and her crew must travel across Siberia to a remote stone circle in order to kill this murderous creature, who has destroyed everything they hold dear.
But as the demon’s power grows, a battle of wills commences. Coleman must fight to survive, facing demons both in chains and within herself.
This dark and chilling thriller is perfect for fans of Lauren Beukes and James Oswald.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 8, 2019
7 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Gray Williams
2 books9 followersGray Williams was born in Glasgow and raised in Southampton. He studied Creative Writing at Bath Spa University and has had short stories published in Abyss and Apex, Electric Spec and the Something Wicked 2013 anthology. He now lives in East London with his wife, who fell in love with him after reading an early draft of one of his short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
July 8, 2019
I decided to pick this up because I always respect an author who is gutsy enough to try something a little different to what readers are used to and The End of the Line certainly fits the bill. It's a mix of crime, fantasy and action with the paranormal and in particular magic playing a substantial role. Unfortunately, though, the execution was lacking for the most part. I don't wish to harp on about the issues as I understand the time taken to craft a book and hate to come across as cruel.
Some of the biggest problems were: too many unnecessary characters leading to shallow characterisation, difficult to get into as the writing was disjointed, a plethora of strange and glaringly obvious plot holes and the author partakes in the age-old literary sin of telling rather than showing. On a positive note, however, Williams shows promise and a superb novel may be bubbling just below the surface. I also enjoyed the parts set in Russia which were vivid and alluring. Many thanks to Canelo for an ARC.
Some of the biggest problems were: too many unnecessary characters leading to shallow characterisation, difficult to get into as the writing was disjointed, a plethora of strange and glaringly obvious plot holes and the author partakes in the age-old literary sin of telling rather than showing. On a positive note, however, Williams shows promise and a superb novel may be bubbling just below the surface. I also enjoyed the parts set in Russia which were vivid and alluring. Many thanks to Canelo for an ARC.
June 26, 2019
Four and a half
I read the unique synopsis of this and then the very damning early reviews and couldn't quite align the two together in my mind. So obviously I had to discover for myself how a small group of human criminals came to be travelling across Russia with a Demon.
As I began this I struggled to actually like any of the characters. Amanda is the main protagonist but she's a hard woman capable of anything and very stubborn and manipulative. Her closest friend and fellow conman is Caleb and I wanted to like him as in many ways he's a gentle giant but it's difficult to reconcile that side of him with his easy use of violence. Skeebs is the third member of their not so merry troop and he is a troubled teen who sadly is caught up in atrocities beyond his comprehension. The final character featuring here is Steph a young , ambitious Witch sadly out of her depth and the weight she carries could crush her. Now obviously there's the Demon riding with them but alas I think to state more than the fact that he's conniving and evil would ruin the surprises.
This definitely gathered pace and became much darker as I read it. It's a difficult story to categorise but I think it's fair to say it delves into the various characters motivation and fleshed out their reasons for why they all ended up on the train. It's told in real time but as the characters face various challenges we get their flashback to events that set everything in motion. I actually enjoyed this breadcrumbs effect as it drew me in and kept me guessing. There are shocks and twists I hadn't seen coming and the setting just felt so claustrophobic and very unsettling. A book that if I'm brutal wasn't always as smooth as I would have liked but I truly didn't want to put it down and I think that is exactly what the author hoped for.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
I read the unique synopsis of this and then the very damning early reviews and couldn't quite align the two together in my mind. So obviously I had to discover for myself how a small group of human criminals came to be travelling across Russia with a Demon.
As I began this I struggled to actually like any of the characters. Amanda is the main protagonist but she's a hard woman capable of anything and very stubborn and manipulative. Her closest friend and fellow conman is Caleb and I wanted to like him as in many ways he's a gentle giant but it's difficult to reconcile that side of him with his easy use of violence. Skeebs is the third member of their not so merry troop and he is a troubled teen who sadly is caught up in atrocities beyond his comprehension. The final character featuring here is Steph a young , ambitious Witch sadly out of her depth and the weight she carries could crush her. Now obviously there's the Demon riding with them but alas I think to state more than the fact that he's conniving and evil would ruin the surprises.
This definitely gathered pace and became much darker as I read it. It's a difficult story to categorise but I think it's fair to say it delves into the various characters motivation and fleshed out their reasons for why they all ended up on the train. It's told in real time but as the characters face various challenges we get their flashback to events that set everything in motion. I actually enjoyed this breadcrumbs effect as it drew me in and kept me guessing. There are shocks and twists I hadn't seen coming and the setting just felt so claustrophobic and very unsettling. A book that if I'm brutal wasn't always as smooth as I would have liked but I truly didn't want to put it down and I think that is exactly what the author hoped for.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
July 22, 2019
A solid debut with some definite promise, the book features a plethora of time slips as we see both the current action, mostly confined claustrophobically to a small train carriage speeding through the Siberian tundra, and years, months and only days before in the form of flashbacks to deepen the story of a demon summoned by magic who then escapes control and goes on a rampage.
My favourite character was Caleb and I would have loved to have seen the story from his POV alongside Amanda's, to provide a nice counterpoint to her blinkered viewpoint. I found myself very conflicted by Amanda - while I could understand many of her choices and motivations based on what we know of her background and situation, there were many occasions when I actively disliked her - so some great characterisation by the author!
There were a couple of plot holes and strange (to me) narrative decisions made, but I only read an ARC and these may change before the book is published.
In all, a fast-paced and engaging thriller with the human element shoved to the forefront. A story of choices made in the most terrible of circumstances, and the attempt to live with those choices in the aftermath.
My favourite character was Caleb and I would have loved to have seen the story from his POV alongside Amanda's, to provide a nice counterpoint to her blinkered viewpoint. I found myself very conflicted by Amanda - while I could understand many of her choices and motivations based on what we know of her background and situation, there were many occasions when I actively disliked her - so some great characterisation by the author!
There were a couple of plot holes and strange (to me) narrative decisions made, but I only read an ARC and these may change before the book is published.
In all, a fast-paced and engaging thriller with the human element shoved to the forefront. A story of choices made in the most terrible of circumstances, and the attempt to live with those choices in the aftermath.
July 14, 2019
A gritty and fast-paced thriller set on a perilous journey through darkest Siberia with a demon, captured on the streets of a London rife with undercover magic.
Abras, as they are known, can harness these illegal powers, but for con-artist Amanda Coleman – whose father was a powerful and abusive practitioner – magic is anathema.
When her criminal crew decide to hire an Abra to help with their heists, they don’t expect to raise a demon, or to quickly lose control of it. Now Coleman and her crew must travel across Siberia to a remote stone circle in order to kill this murderous creature, who has destroyed everything they hold dear.
But as the demon’s power grows, a battle of wills commences. Coleman must fight to survive, facing demons both in chains and within herself.
This was a great little thriller to me.
I really enjoyed the concept and execution of the writing.
Enjoyd the world building in this one as well. Fast paced with twists and turns.
The suspense keeps you gripped to the end.
Characters are intersting and written well.
Great story and plot line.
Recommend giving this one a go.
Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for the ARC. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Abras, as they are known, can harness these illegal powers, but for con-artist Amanda Coleman – whose father was a powerful and abusive practitioner – magic is anathema.
When her criminal crew decide to hire an Abra to help with their heists, they don’t expect to raise a demon, or to quickly lose control of it. Now Coleman and her crew must travel across Siberia to a remote stone circle in order to kill this murderous creature, who has destroyed everything they hold dear.
But as the demon’s power grows, a battle of wills commences. Coleman must fight to survive, facing demons both in chains and within herself.
This was a great little thriller to me.
I really enjoyed the concept and execution of the writing.
Enjoyd the world building in this one as well. Fast paced with twists and turns.
The suspense keeps you gripped to the end.
Characters are intersting and written well.
Great story and plot line.
Recommend giving this one a go.
Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for the ARC. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
September 5, 2019
Sometimes you read a book and almost give up on it and then after a while you’re happy you never threw in that towel. The End of the Line, the debut novel of Gray Williams, is a book of that type. I found the first 25% both confusing and frustrating, but once the numerous character timelines become slightly clearer the book becomes more enjoyable. The action is set in an alternative version of our world where magic has been outlawed since the Second World War. However, when the plot starts moving we realise there is a new movement attempting to legalise magic for the first time in decades.
You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
July 8, 2019
This is a tricky one. On the one hand, there were some great ideas explored, a solid line of horror running throughout the narrative, and a decent enough amount of tension keeping the pace up. On the other hand, the writing at times was clumsy, repetitive, like the book hadn't been edited, with occasions where so many characters were introduced so quickly, it was difficult to keep on top of who was who.
The blurb is misleading too. Yes, there is some stuff about a magical London, but the bulk of the story is set on a train through Russia, with flashbacks to things that happened in London leading up to the rag-tag crew trying to banish a demon in Russia. The fact that you don't quite get what you were expecting makes the opening few chapters all the more disorienting.
None of the characters are particularly sympathetic, being all involved in criminality to some degree, or otherwise not much developed. I might have liked Steph, only a chapter about her history was cut off mid-sentence in what I hope is a formatting error in the ARC copy I received, and not something that will make it into the final book.
But the biggest drag of the book was the poor writing. From the overly confusing opening to the non-deliberate repetition of words within a single sentence, there were so many occasions reading this that I winced, wishing a better editor had taken a pass at the line by line writing. The plot was clever, and could have been decently scary in better hands, but overall I was left with the impression that this was written by someone with some talent who hadn't been given the editorial support he needed to really make the prose shine.
Overall, decently entertaining, but a potentially brilliant plot let down by poor execution. 2.5 stars.
(I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review)
The blurb is misleading too. Yes, there is some stuff about a magical London, but the bulk of the story is set on a train through Russia, with flashbacks to things that happened in London leading up to the rag-tag crew trying to banish a demon in Russia. The fact that you don't quite get what you were expecting makes the opening few chapters all the more disorienting.
None of the characters are particularly sympathetic, being all involved in criminality to some degree, or otherwise not much developed. I might have liked Steph, only a chapter about her history was cut off mid-sentence in what I hope is a formatting error in the ARC copy I received, and not something that will make it into the final book.
But the biggest drag of the book was the poor writing. From the overly confusing opening to the non-deliberate repetition of words within a single sentence, there were so many occasions reading this that I winced, wishing a better editor had taken a pass at the line by line writing. The plot was clever, and could have been decently scary in better hands, but overall I was left with the impression that this was written by someone with some talent who hadn't been given the editorial support he needed to really make the prose shine.
Overall, decently entertaining, but a potentially brilliant plot let down by poor execution. 2.5 stars.
(I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review)
July 11, 2019
This is certainly a unique setting; a present-day London where magic is outlawed, crime is violent and magicians are useful for criminal gangs. One gang tries to raise a demon, thinking that they can control and bind it, only to quickly find that no one has that ability and that they now need to destroy what they've made. Enter Amanda Coleman, Abra (magic-user) murderer, magic hater and damaged woman, alongside her band of mis-fit criminals.
The whole novel is dark, gritty and blood-thirsty. It opens with a grisly death and more evidence of how focused and determined Amanda is to reach her goal, no matter the cost.
The majority of the story is told on a long (and very traumatic) train journey to Siberia (not the present and magic London, as promised) as, just because the demon is in chains, doesn't mean that it can't exert a terrifying and psychological control. And, trapped in a carriage, a confined space, with an unspeakable terror watching your every move - that's a strongly chilling setting.
The narrative is told through different characters' POVs, when it suits the story, and through a series of disjointed flashbacks that, although they add to the thriller component, do make it harder to follow the main story (which is both psychological and slow).
The horror was strong in this one, (and there are more trigger warnings than I can list) but so was the repetition. It almost felt as though some of the flashbacks had been included for the sake of completionism, rather than because they added anything new to the story or the characters. And I know that every character is hurting, in so many different, bloody and cringing ways, but I didn't need reminding of that every sentence.
The story, however was clever, and I genuinely didn't know which way this one was going to fall - and I really did appreciate that.
3.5 stars rounded down to 3.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The whole novel is dark, gritty and blood-thirsty. It opens with a grisly death and more evidence of how focused and determined Amanda is to reach her goal, no matter the cost.
The majority of the story is told on a long (and very traumatic) train journey to Siberia (not the present and magic London, as promised) as, just because the demon is in chains, doesn't mean that it can't exert a terrifying and psychological control. And, trapped in a carriage, a confined space, with an unspeakable terror watching your every move - that's a strongly chilling setting.
The narrative is told through different characters' POVs, when it suits the story, and through a series of disjointed flashbacks that, although they add to the thriller component, do make it harder to follow the main story (which is both psychological and slow).
The horror was strong in this one, (and there are more trigger warnings than I can list) but so was the repetition. It almost felt as though some of the flashbacks had been included for the sake of completionism, rather than because they added anything new to the story or the characters. And I know that every character is hurting, in so many different, bloody and cringing ways, but I didn't need reminding of that every sentence.
The story, however was clever, and I genuinely didn't know which way this one was going to fall - and I really did appreciate that.
3.5 stars rounded down to 3.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 21, 2019
I received this book free from NetGalley.
This one was really interesting to me. As a big fantasy reader, I was quite shocked that this book was fantasy, considering the 'thriller-esque' cover design. Simply looking at the cover, I'd think that this was a serial killer thriller set in some snowy wilderness. Having now read the book, I think it would portray the story a lot better with some sort of demon figure/face included in the image. But anyway, back to the book review.
I found this book very intriguing. It throws you in this chaotic, dark and desperate suspense almost immediately, and you sort of have to take a moment and be like 'okay, this is where I'm at'. I like the chronology, the way we flit between different protagonists and different times. It could have easily been quite confusing but I think it was done really well. I do think the intense suspense of the whole story is so heightened from the very beginning, that it doesn't allow for much of a climax. It keeps the same tense level throughout the entire book, so the ending just doesn't feel as impactful as it should.
I do think this is written and edited very well, however I need some moments of calm to juxtapose the moments of suspense. I did feel scared through some of it, which I enjoyed, but it sort of feels like the middle of a story. It's almost as if there's no beginning, no introduction for the reader; this does produce the interesting idea of throwing you straight into the mayhem, but it's almost too much too soon, and not something that I would want to read often.
Overall I'd give this 3/5 stars.
This one was really interesting to me. As a big fantasy reader, I was quite shocked that this book was fantasy, considering the 'thriller-esque' cover design. Simply looking at the cover, I'd think that this was a serial killer thriller set in some snowy wilderness. Having now read the book, I think it would portray the story a lot better with some sort of demon figure/face included in the image. But anyway, back to the book review.
I found this book very intriguing. It throws you in this chaotic, dark and desperate suspense almost immediately, and you sort of have to take a moment and be like 'okay, this is where I'm at'. I like the chronology, the way we flit between different protagonists and different times. It could have easily been quite confusing but I think it was done really well. I do think the intense suspense of the whole story is so heightened from the very beginning, that it doesn't allow for much of a climax. It keeps the same tense level throughout the entire book, so the ending just doesn't feel as impactful as it should.
I do think this is written and edited very well, however I need some moments of calm to juxtapose the moments of suspense. I did feel scared through some of it, which I enjoyed, but it sort of feels like the middle of a story. It's almost as if there's no beginning, no introduction for the reader; this does produce the interesting idea of throwing you straight into the mayhem, but it's almost too much too soon, and not something that I would want to read often.
Overall I'd give this 3/5 stars.
July 3, 2019
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gritty novel
how far would you go to help your family...
a summoned demon
a alba that uses magic
blood magic
a band of outlaws that go their own way, their leader amanda hates anything to do with magic after a childhood being bled by her father for his own use with magic
her band of men are tasked with banishing a demon but along the way the demon gains the upper hand...
most of the action takes place on a train where they are on the way to siberia and there is tons of backstory but can this gang banish the demon before he takes over and reeks his revenge over them
how far would you go to help your family...
a summoned demon
a alba that uses magic
blood magic
a band of outlaws that go their own way, their leader amanda hates anything to do with magic after a childhood being bled by her father for his own use with magic
her band of men are tasked with banishing a demon but along the way the demon gains the upper hand...
most of the action takes place on a train where they are on the way to siberia and there is tons of backstory but can this gang banish the demon before he takes over and reeks his revenge over them
September 2, 2020
An enjoyable read, well narated. Did the job for the commute home
May 4, 2020
I don’t understand why this book has such a low overall rating. It was great and I would recommend it to any of my friends that enjoy horror or thrillers.
July 3, 2019
I've been sitting on this review a little because I wanted to separate the book and my personal reaction to the themes. Because I started off the book with "ooooh MAGICAL LONDON! So exciting!" descended into "Ugh what is this creepy Exorcist stuff", nearly stopped reading it, and then pushed on with an overall "eh, not bad, not bad at all!"
(Let's say an average 3.5 stars? Excluding my squick moments.)
So content warning: There's demon summoning & possession in this book, which might be a bit too dark/scary/real for some readers. Then again I don't read horror for a reason, so maybe I'm just easily scared. If I could liken the paranormal stuff to something else, it reminded me of the Catholic exorcism novel I couldn't finish reading in my teens because it was too freaky. This isn't as freaky, but parts of it came close. Do not read alone in the dark.
At heart, The End of the Line is a high-stakes thriller/horror crossover with magical elements. Instead of a heist or a political coup, Williams gives you a criminal crew who manages to summon a demon for monetary gain, only to lose control of it with devastating consequences. Amanda Coleman hates Abras and magic with a passion--mainly because of what her Abra father did to her as a child--but she is the only one who can solve this, especially when her last remaining child's life is on the line. The body count is very high in this one.
The initial start is a little rough going. Williams throws you right in the action, jumping back and forth to the past as the narrative progresses. It's a little frustrating until you reach a certain point of understanding because there are a million niggling details that annoy you until you reach the bit where something is revealed and it hits you OH THAT'S WHY. ISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD US EARLIER. But that's suspense for you, and if suspense is your thing, this book has oodles of it.
Coleman comes across as cold and evil at times, her extreme hard-headedness and prejudice when it comes to magic a difficult thing to understand. But as events unfold and backstories are revealed, you also feel some sympathy for her and the choices she makes. Some, I say, because whilst I feel that the motivations and stakes are high enough for Coleman to react the way she does, I'm expecting it will garner a lot of "unsympathetic character" comments just because she is female. (Men are allowed to make hard decisions that end up in blood, women not so much. Go figure.) And since the story depends so much on Coleman, this is one of those books where if you don't like the main protagonist, you're just going to end up not liking the book.
All in all, Williams tells a great, if scary, story. There are layers upon layers, slowly unfolding as you travel with Coleman, Caleb, Skeebs, Steph and Reeves to Russia. Blink and you might miss them.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Canelo via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
(Let's say an average 3.5 stars? Excluding my squick moments.)
So content warning: There's demon summoning & possession in this book, which might be a bit too dark/scary/real for some readers. Then again I don't read horror for a reason, so maybe I'm just easily scared. If I could liken the paranormal stuff to something else, it reminded me of the Catholic exorcism novel I couldn't finish reading in my teens because it was too freaky. This isn't as freaky, but parts of it came close. Do not read alone in the dark.
At heart, The End of the Line is a high-stakes thriller/horror crossover with magical elements. Instead of a heist or a political coup, Williams gives you a criminal crew who manages to summon a demon for monetary gain, only to lose control of it with devastating consequences. Amanda Coleman hates Abras and magic with a passion--mainly because of what her Abra father did to her as a child--but she is the only one who can solve this, especially when her last remaining child's life is on the line. The body count is very high in this one.
The initial start is a little rough going. Williams throws you right in the action, jumping back and forth to the past as the narrative progresses. It's a little frustrating until you reach a certain point of understanding because there are a million niggling details that annoy you until you reach the bit where something is revealed and it hits you OH THAT'S WHY. ISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD US EARLIER. But that's suspense for you, and if suspense is your thing, this book has oodles of it.
Coleman comes across as cold and evil at times, her extreme hard-headedness and prejudice when it comes to magic a difficult thing to understand. But as events unfold and backstories are revealed, you also feel some sympathy for her and the choices she makes. Some, I say, because whilst I feel that the motivations and stakes are high enough for Coleman to react the way she does, I'm expecting it will garner a lot of "unsympathetic character" comments just because she is female. (Men are allowed to make hard decisions that end up in blood, women not so much. Go figure.) And since the story depends so much on Coleman, this is one of those books where if you don't like the main protagonist, you're just going to end up not liking the book.
All in all, Williams tells a great, if scary, story. There are layers upon layers, slowly unfolding as you travel with Coleman, Caleb, Skeebs, Steph and Reeves to Russia. Blink and you might miss them.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Canelo via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
August 17, 2019
This fantasy thriller finds 5 characters trapped in a train carriage attempting to expel a demon. Three criminals, one Abra and the demon himself. The story jumps between characters and between past and present so you get a glimpse of how they all got here.
For me this had a real dip about halfway through when it seemed to get really repetitive. There's only so many times you can all try and outsmart a demon and fail.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the review copy.
For me this had a real dip about halfway through when it seemed to get really repetitive. There's only so many times you can all try and outsmart a demon and fail.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the review copy.
August 3, 2019
I normally steer clear of books that have magic as their central theme as they are not really my cup of tea, but I am really glad that I gave this one a go, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. While it’s central story is about a demon that needs to be banished by magical means, it’s actually a character based story that is much more about the people and the journey that they take to get to their goal.
The book starts with a bang and a bunch of characters who you know very little about. As they embark on a journey through wilderness Russia, you start to learn their back stories, motivations and much more of the version of the world that they inhabit. All of the characters go on a journey, and none feel short changed, you feel real empathy for them all by the end of the story even if some of them seem eminently unlikeable at the start.
The author also pulls no punches, this is a brutal plot that reveals it’s nasty side as the book goes on, things are hinted at early on but then it gets revealed that the reality of events that have been alluded to are far more horrific than you expect. The last third of the book is an absolute page turner, it’s impossible to put it down as the revelations and the action move towards a brilliant conclusion. And the ending is impossible to predict. The way the author has dealt with the characters and situations up to that point leaves no certainties that this is going to be a ‘happy’ ending, and the ending and aftermath is well written and believable.
In short, a white knuckle read that I would recommend to anyone who likes their novels a little on the darker side.
My thanks to Canelo Digital Publishing for an eARC via NetGalley , in exchange for an honest review.
The book starts with a bang and a bunch of characters who you know very little about. As they embark on a journey through wilderness Russia, you start to learn their back stories, motivations and much more of the version of the world that they inhabit. All of the characters go on a journey, and none feel short changed, you feel real empathy for them all by the end of the story even if some of them seem eminently unlikeable at the start.
The author also pulls no punches, this is a brutal plot that reveals it’s nasty side as the book goes on, things are hinted at early on but then it gets revealed that the reality of events that have been alluded to are far more horrific than you expect. The last third of the book is an absolute page turner, it’s impossible to put it down as the revelations and the action move towards a brilliant conclusion. And the ending is impossible to predict. The way the author has dealt with the characters and situations up to that point leaves no certainties that this is going to be a ‘happy’ ending, and the ending and aftermath is well written and believable.
In short, a white knuckle read that I would recommend to anyone who likes their novels a little on the darker side.
My thanks to Canelo Digital Publishing for an eARC via NetGalley , in exchange for an honest review.
October 27, 2019
When I start reading a new book I am excited and anxious at the same time. It wasn’t any different when I started reading The End of the Line.
To put it simply the book is about magic. It is set in a world very much like ours but in this one magic exists. It is outlawed though. People who can do magic are called Abras. Amanda Coleman’s father was one of them. Amanda hates magic and does everything she can to keep it out of her life. But she has to deal with it and even magic herself to stop the demon an Abra raised. Amanda and her team have to travel to Siberia to banish it. But things are never that easy, are they?
The story is told from the teammembers points of view. They tell what happens in the present - during the travel to Siberia - and what lead to them being there. It was confusing from time to time but after I got the hang of it, it was okay. I liked that the story is told from different points of view because they all perceive things differently. As the story goes on their pasts are revealed slowly.
The main charaters are Amanda, Steph, Caleb and Skeebs and the demon called Reeves. When there are this many characters getting their own chapters the story always becomes that much complicated. Gray Williams gave them their own stories, their own complicated relationships with each other and that made the book so much more depth. This is what I liked about the characters, their stories. They felt like real people.
Thank you to NetGalley, to Canelo and Grax Williams for my copy.
To put it simply the book is about magic. It is set in a world very much like ours but in this one magic exists. It is outlawed though. People who can do magic are called Abras. Amanda Coleman’s father was one of them. Amanda hates magic and does everything she can to keep it out of her life. But she has to deal with it and even magic herself to stop the demon an Abra raised. Amanda and her team have to travel to Siberia to banish it. But things are never that easy, are they?
The story is told from the teammembers points of view. They tell what happens in the present - during the travel to Siberia - and what lead to them being there. It was confusing from time to time but after I got the hang of it, it was okay. I liked that the story is told from different points of view because they all perceive things differently. As the story goes on their pasts are revealed slowly.
The main charaters are Amanda, Steph, Caleb and Skeebs and the demon called Reeves. When there are this many characters getting their own chapters the story always becomes that much complicated. Gray Williams gave them their own stories, their own complicated relationships with each other and that made the book so much more depth. This is what I liked about the characters, their stories. They felt like real people.
Thank you to NetGalley, to Canelo and Grax Williams for my copy.
July 4, 2019
In a world where magic is real and controlled by criminals, a small group of criminals is racing to deliver a demon captured in a human body to a sacred site where they can return it to hell. Told in real time and flashbacks, the reader learns what led this band of misfits to their current situation, and just how dangerous their task is. Trapped in a freezing cold train carriage a young witch must decipher her mother's notes to understand the banishing spell, a young criminal must battle with his nightmares, the long term ally of the gang leader struggles with his growing resentment towards her and Amanda, the leader of the group, has to rein in her mercenary nature and deep distrust of magic. Unfortunately, she is also a very hard character to like or indeed relate to. Because the story is so focussed on her this did mar my overall enjoyment of the book. The book was also slightly disjointed, a little confusing in places and very much of the 'tell' and not 'show' style of writing.
The book had an interesting premise, and setting most of the action in the claustrophobic confines of a train carriage worked well, but it would have been a higher rating if the characters had been a little more fleshed out and the plot flowed a little more smoothly.
My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.
The book had an interesting premise, and setting most of the action in the claustrophobic confines of a train carriage worked well, but it would have been a higher rating if the characters had been a little more fleshed out and the plot flowed a little more smoothly.
My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.
August 27, 2019
Well…..this was a strange one and no mistake!
The basic gist is the transportation of a demon to Siberia-ish so a ceremony can be carried out to send it back where it came from (I think it only works on demons, so don’t be crating up your bothersome neighbours….unless you absolutely must).
The action takes place in a world where magic is a thing and bad guys use it for their own ends, much as you’d expect. It starts with a fairly startling RTA and fails to cheer up from there! The story is told from the point of view of the remaining transporters in turn, focusing on Amanda, whose father was a magic user and family abuser. He became addicted to blood magic which, of course, is more powerful when you use someone else’s nice, fresh blood! Preferably unwillingly given.
I won’t give away too much about the story, except to say that the demon is the standard mind control, body-jumping type so beloved of horror writers. This is not necessarily a criticism – the making tea, hugging puppies demons are few and far between and not terribly frightening – unless you’re allergic to tea, or puppies, or (horror of horrors!) both!
Read the rest of my review on my blog at https://trillianmagic.wordpress.com
The basic gist is the transportation of a demon to Siberia-ish so a ceremony can be carried out to send it back where it came from (I think it only works on demons, so don’t be crating up your bothersome neighbours….unless you absolutely must).
The action takes place in a world where magic is a thing and bad guys use it for their own ends, much as you’d expect. It starts with a fairly startling RTA and fails to cheer up from there! The story is told from the point of view of the remaining transporters in turn, focusing on Amanda, whose father was a magic user and family abuser. He became addicted to blood magic which, of course, is more powerful when you use someone else’s nice, fresh blood! Preferably unwillingly given.
I won’t give away too much about the story, except to say that the demon is the standard mind control, body-jumping type so beloved of horror writers. This is not necessarily a criticism – the making tea, hugging puppies demons are few and far between and not terribly frightening – unless you’re allergic to tea, or puppies, or (horror of horrors!) both!
Read the rest of my review on my blog at https://trillianmagic.wordpress.com
November 5, 2019
Witches, magic, and demons populate this thriller. There's a race to put the demon "back in the bottle" as its evil magic seeps into the world. Set in an alternative London after WWII when witches were outlawed, this thriller sweeps back and forth between the drive to eradicate the demon and the extensive backstory. It's a convoluted tale that gets lost in the time and plot shifting.
The reader has the accents nailed. For a longer discussion of the performance, see AudioFile Magazine http://www.audiofilemagazine.com
The reader has the accents nailed. For a longer discussion of the performance, see AudioFile Magazine http://www.audiofilemagazine.com
July 8, 2019
A totally epic roller coaster of a ride apocalypse book. Which takes you to the brink of existence.
A great read.
A great read.
January 4, 2022
Excellent fantasy/horror, edge of your seat stuff.
July 21, 2019
Ugh, I made it. I marked it as DNF for a few days but it broke my heart to not be able to push through it. So I read some stuff I liked and then came back to just put up with it and marathon read it tonight to get it off my list.
It took me 10 minutes reading the first page and I was thoroughly lost. This story uses the technique of starting in the present day and then giving you flashbacks to fill in the history as to how we ended up here. It also tells the story from multiple perspectives but that's also easily followable. These techniques were not a problem in and of themselves, but the execution was horrendous. So much history was missing at the start that you instantaneously hated every single character and I couldn't recover from that. Every character is a selfish criminal with very foul language. It's hard to want anything positive for any of them involved.
The plot synopsis is also grossly misleading - this is set in London for about 10 minutes of reading and in fact the overwhelming majority of the time we're confined to a cargo carriage on a train rolling through Siberia to an Abra version of Stonehenge. The story blurb lures you in with the idea of magic in the back alleys of London but it just isn't that at all. I love stories of magic mixed in with reality and the ability for writers to almost convince you magic is real. This was not one of those stories.
The idea was there - the book that should have been written based on the synopsis would be amazing. What this turned out to be was not it. You need at least one positive character - one person you want to root for to make it worth devoting your time to read about their struggle. There wasn't a single one for me.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this - I'm so sorry this just didn't measure up to what I had hoped for it.
It took me 10 minutes reading the first page and I was thoroughly lost. This story uses the technique of starting in the present day and then giving you flashbacks to fill in the history as to how we ended up here. It also tells the story from multiple perspectives but that's also easily followable. These techniques were not a problem in and of themselves, but the execution was horrendous. So much history was missing at the start that you instantaneously hated every single character and I couldn't recover from that. Every character is a selfish criminal with very foul language. It's hard to want anything positive for any of them involved.
The plot synopsis is also grossly misleading - this is set in London for about 10 minutes of reading and in fact the overwhelming majority of the time we're confined to a cargo carriage on a train rolling through Siberia to an Abra version of Stonehenge. The story blurb lures you in with the idea of magic in the back alleys of London but it just isn't that at all. I love stories of magic mixed in with reality and the ability for writers to almost convince you magic is real. This was not one of those stories.
The idea was there - the book that should have been written based on the synopsis would be amazing. What this turned out to be was not it. You need at least one positive character - one person you want to root for to make it worth devoting your time to read about their struggle. There wasn't a single one for me.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this - I'm so sorry this just didn't measure up to what I had hoped for it.
June 26, 2019
In a London where magic has been banned, and magicians, or "Abras" as they are know, work for criminal gangs , a demon summoning goes very badly wrong, unleashing a force more terrible and terrifying than most Abras could even imagine. Despite hating magic and everything it involves, con artist Amanda is forced to try to destroy the demon, using a crew of people waiting for an opportunity to double cross her. Their mission is to transport the human host and the demon temporarily trapped inside to a remote region in Siberia and perform an arcane ritual to send the demon back where it came from, but it is not going to be easy, The journey will be fraught with danger, death and dirty dealings, and its likely that not everyone will survive.
This is a thrilling and intense book, most of the time the reader is trapped along with Amanda, her crew and the demon , in a sealed container heading to Siberia by rail. This generates a real feeling of claustrophobia and certainly contributes to the constantly rising tension, The background of how the demon was raised, how he broke free and why the stakes are so high for all of Amanda's crew is revealed in a series of flashbacks from multiple perspectives , including , most interestingly , some from that of the demon itself. While this could be a good idea, unfortunately it wasn't always the clearest way of telling the story.
The idea of a world where magic is dealt illicitly,and controlled by gangs and cartels was an interesting one, and I liked how the author developed the idea in the book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
This is a thrilling and intense book, most of the time the reader is trapped along with Amanda, her crew and the demon , in a sealed container heading to Siberia by rail. This generates a real feeling of claustrophobia and certainly contributes to the constantly rising tension, The background of how the demon was raised, how he broke free and why the stakes are so high for all of Amanda's crew is revealed in a series of flashbacks from multiple perspectives , including , most interestingly , some from that of the demon itself. While this could be a good idea, unfortunately it wasn't always the clearest way of telling the story.
The idea of a world where magic is dealt illicitly,and controlled by gangs and cartels was an interesting one, and I liked how the author developed the idea in the book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
August 25, 2019
Fantasy and paranormal fiction do not have the popularity of a few years ago. The current trend for fusion in genres allows for paranormal and fantasy themes, to fuse with the crime fiction genre, something which has always been popular in graphic novels.
‘The End of the Line’, is a crime based story set in a dystopian world, where magic is outlawed, and paranormals are used to further criminal ends, often, as in this case, with disastrous results.
The violent world setting of this novel is immediately apparent. The leader of the gang is ruthless and emotionally damaged having suffered a personal tragedy. The violence is vividly described, indeed this story would make an excellent graphic novel.
Understandably, there is a great deal of world-building in the main part of this story, which adds to the complexity, and takes the reader away from the main story. If you are a fan of fantasy worlds, this will not be a problem, but if you find it difficult to merge into someone else’s creation, this will reduce the book’s appeal.
The story is fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled and dark. There is little to dissipate the noir world, some of the characters do have redeeming features, but these cost them dearly. The picture painted, is of a world without hope.
So, not an uplifting read, but something to try, if you enjoy fantasy crime in a dark dystopian setting.
I received a copy of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
July 24, 2019
The End of the Line is a dark, gritty, supernatural thriller. For me, the book got stronger as I went on, the final third being a tense, violent, psychological thriller with supernatural elements and some fascinating characters exploring the questions of how far would you go and what would you sacrifice for ideas and people who are important to you. Bravo indeed. This final third would not have been possible without some excellent world-building and character development in the previous part of the book. However, I did find that the pace was uneven and although there was some great atmospheric description, a tighter edit could have made the first part of the book leaner and more enjoyable. The plot devices of start in the present and then fill in the back story with flashbacks and tell the story from the perspectives of multiple characters are both generally used well here but there were scenes/characters that could have been left out or reduced without detracting from the story and lessening the possibility of confusion. Overall good, worth a look if you are a fan of the genre and don’t mind violence and profanity but could have been even better in my opinion.
May 30, 2019
This book is about Amanda and her crew of criminals who are stuck in a train car across Russia to destroy a demon. There are flashbacks about how it started and a bit about the heists but what you learn about the world is mostly told and not shown. This is very much a first novel, as the writing is more tell than show. It takes some time to care about the characters, and all of them are idiots. Most of the issues even with the demon are all of their own making. Also, sticking an entire book mostly in a train car really gets boring. Despite one flashback scene from the demon’s point of view, this was surprisingly light on the descriptions of the deaths and as such, it was kind of hard to care about them or find the demon that threatening. Also, no one ever explained why the one summoning circle was in Russia and why no one took a helicopter there and saved the entire plot. I liked the ideas and for that it almost got three and not two stars but there were a few factual mistakes that made no sense.
August 13, 2020
The End of the Line by Gray Williams
Con-artist, Amanda Coleman lives in a London where magic is hidden but can be accessed by undercover magicians known as Abras. Amanda's father was a very powerful and abusive magician and for that reason she shuns magic completely . However her criminal crew hire an Abra to help them with their crimes and a powerful demon is accidentally raised. The only solution is to reach a stone circle in Siberia where the demon can be killed and the demon is growing in power with every day that passes. Amanda is forced to fight the demon in order to survive but can Amanda and her cohorts reach the circle and destroy the demon before it’s too late?
This is the first book in a series and is pretty good as the horror thriller genre goes. It’s certainly an exciting book and an easy read. Not entirely to my taste but that’s a personal choice, if you’re a big fan of horror thrillers this may be exactly what you’re looking for.
Con-artist, Amanda Coleman lives in a London where magic is hidden but can be accessed by undercover magicians known as Abras. Amanda's father was a very powerful and abusive magician and for that reason she shuns magic completely . However her criminal crew hire an Abra to help them with their crimes and a powerful demon is accidentally raised. The only solution is to reach a stone circle in Siberia where the demon can be killed and the demon is growing in power with every day that passes. Amanda is forced to fight the demon in order to survive but can Amanda and her cohorts reach the circle and destroy the demon before it’s too late?
This is the first book in a series and is pretty good as the horror thriller genre goes. It’s certainly an exciting book and an easy read. Not entirely to my taste but that’s a personal choice, if you’re a big fan of horror thrillers this may be exactly what you’re looking for.
July 2, 2019
This is a curious mix of thriller, horror and magic. Fast-paced, dark and intense the novel centres on a group of criminals/con artists travelling to Russia in a van with a demon in tow. Their mission is to get to a remote stone circle when they can destroy the said demon. Set in a world where magic has been banned, and Agras (magicians) now form criminal gangs, this is a book which is really difficult to categorise.
I enjoyed the premise and there was certainly plenty of action to keep the reader occupied. It was a bit ‘clunky’ in places but pretty gripping.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed the premise and there was certainly plenty of action to keep the reader occupied. It was a bit ‘clunky’ in places but pretty gripping.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2019
This is a book set in a world were magic is real but illegal in the UK. In the background of the story you hear of a movement to legalise magic. Here the story focusses on a group of people brought together via a criminal gang to try and kill a demon that they summoned and lost control of before the demon can destroy them.
This all takes place over a train journey to a stone circle in Siberia and the story of how they got there is told via flashbacks from the characters viewpoints. It's a dark and intense story.
An enjoyable tale that has enough world building to have some sequels.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC
This all takes place over a train journey to a stone circle in Siberia and the story of how they got there is told via flashbacks from the characters viewpoints. It's a dark and intense story.
An enjoyable tale that has enough world building to have some sequels.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC
October 8, 2020
The End Of The Line is a mix of crime fiction and fantasy, with plenty of action and magic.
There are quite a few characters and the timeline jumps between the past and present as the story unfolds. Mainly set in a small train carriage, a demon had been summoned and somehow escapes only to go on a rampage, so the story is around their travels to Russia to find it.
This has a clever plot, but I found it quite confusing, especially the first half, as the story gradually comes together. It has a tense, almost claustrophobic atmosphere overall and is an entertaining read.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC of The End Of The Line.
There are quite a few characters and the timeline jumps between the past and present as the story unfolds. Mainly set in a small train carriage, a demon had been summoned and somehow escapes only to go on a rampage, so the story is around their travels to Russia to find it.
This has a clever plot, but I found it quite confusing, especially the first half, as the story gradually comes together. It has a tense, almost claustrophobic atmosphere overall and is an entertaining read.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC of The End Of The Line.
July 21, 2019
To say I struggled with this was an understatement. From the first page I was confused, has this been translated from another language??
The synopsis was misleading, to say it was based in London was completely wrong unless you count the 10 minutes in the book it was!
The characters weren't developed enough as you only having flashbacks of their past and the Demon wasnt strong enough in character.
The writing was 'ok' but just not in depth enough for me.
Thanks to netgalley and Canelo for the ARC.
The synopsis was misleading, to say it was based in London was completely wrong unless you count the 10 minutes in the book it was!
The characters weren't developed enough as you only having flashbacks of their past and the Demon wasnt strong enough in character.
The writing was 'ok' but just not in depth enough for me.
Thanks to netgalley and Canelo for the ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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