Shadow Born

Joseph Hunter #1

by Alex Gates

What if Deadpool and the Punisher had a baby...

Well...

Hi.

I'm Joseph Labrador Hunter—no, that’s not my real middle name, but, yes, I think it sounds pretty badass.

This story isn’t for the feint of heart. It’s not for the sensitive.

I know what you’re thinking, reader. You have handled the daring Harry Dresden, the foul-mouthed Nate Temple, the pulpy violence of James Stark. Well… let me tell you something right now…

You’re dead wrong if you think you can handle Joseph Labrador Hunter. I’m more of the third, forgotten Winchester brother.
In the words of my old pal, Lemony Snicket, “If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book.” He’s not really a pal of mine, more a hero, but the sentiment rings true. My story isn’t one of happiness.
It has a sad beginning…

In the middle, there’s a lot of violent, sad things that happen…

And the end, well, that’s the saddest part.

I’m not a hero. I’m not a wizard. I’m not Superman with a wand. If you’re looking for light-hearted fun, go sniff up someone else’s magical staff.

I’m a nightmare to my best friends, and a death wish to my worst enemies. And I’m also very melodramatic, and I will sometimes break into a running commentary with my reader… because, it’s the only time anyone will ever listen to me!

Grab your favorite drink. You’ll need it if you ever want to forget this story.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Supernatural, Science Fiction

246 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 23, 2020

About the author

A product of Small Town, California, Alex Gates is a loving husband, skilled educator, true Gryffindor, dragon-slayer, wizard of the highest order, defender of the realm, Cowboys fan, and connoisseur of cheap beer. He spent four years at California State University, Sacramento studying literature, watching football, and day drinking before obtaining a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Southern California.

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magic Abounds!

A small backstory:

Joseph Hunter is infused with magical abilities that are entwined with sorcery and he is able to create sigils on his weapons including the bullets so that he can take down supernatural creatures. After his wife, Callie was murdered he has some friends take care of his daughter, Melanie to keep her safe as whoever murdered his wife will probably come after his daughter.

Though keeping his daughter safe didn't work as now his daughter has been kidnapped and Joseph along with his friend, Xander will need to track down whoever took her which might include them stepping into a vampire lair. One way or the other, both men are on the hunt for Melanie and they hope that they will find her before anything bad happens.

Thoughts:

This was an interesting first book into this series as the sorcery abilities of Joseph Hunter grabbed me when the character started wielding his powers and there is plenty of action within the pages of the book.

However, the character, Joseph Hunter has a bad attitude about everything that comes his way and though he is in mourning for his wife that died, he comes off as not caring about anyone but himself, which is understandable as he drowns his sorrows in drinking, but there is quite a bit of whining and him finding himself in trouble all the time which his friend, Xander has to keep pulling him out of scrapes.

This could have been a five star read if the character wasn't whining and complaining through most of the story, so I have dropped it down one star from a five star read to a four star read. The magic sorcery abilities along with some action within these pages are the only thing that keeps this book afloat.

I wasn't too impressed with the character of Joseph Hunter and at some point in time I will finish the series as I have the other three books that follow this one as I am curious if Joseph will continue to whine or if he will come out of his depression and be something different in the books to follow. Giving this one four "Shadow Sorcery" stars.

For more thoughts on this review, please see my blog:
https://booknookretreat.blogspot.com/...

[S.A. Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story

The main character had one of the saddest stories I have read about in recent times.
With his wife who was killed seven years back, he has to protect his daughter from further attacks. After that, he just passes his time drinking.
Then he is drawn into the fight between the supernatural good and evil which plots through the entire story. The characterization, the premise and the paranormal forces were all very interesting to read about.
Overall, a good read.

[Tinaliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel took me way too long to get to! Cant catch a break and this whole year has been like



Amiright! 2020 is kicking our asses. Sooo when I finally had the opportunity today to cancel all my adult plans and shut the phone the fuck off, I knew exactly where I was spending my time. Let me start out by saying this is not my typical read. I like my books deep, dark, hot and frightening as fuck. So dripping hot and scary that you get turned on while simultaneously nearly pissing yourself all in one go. Its not everyone's cup of tea, but it suits me just fine. So when Alex told me he crafted something sci-fi, paranormal, magical and a main squeeze who is a combo of John Wick and Dead pool, I was like



Clearly he didn't listen and sent it to me anyways.... friends. ugh. The things we do for people. 😁

Let me get back on track here, lets start with our main guy Mr. Joseph Labrador Hunter. Don't ask me why but he reminds me of Jake from the Resident Evil 6. Didn't finish the game because I have an attention span of a 2 year old, but hes Jake 100%. He could also pass for a Chris Pratt



Jake from RE6 is snarky, rude and obnoxious. He's terrible with the ladies and if there wasn't a Zombie apocalypse in game, he'd be an alcoholic just like our Joey here. Joey really does have a drinking problem and like John Wick, he is hunting his wife's killers but while drunk. I mean



Without going too deep into it, Joey has mage like powers that were granted to him by a god. Of course like any good alcoholic he has a fucken sober friend named Xander who manages to cock block him every chance he gets. Xander is pretty fucken hot so he gets a free pass, otherwise I'd give him a lot of shit for his uptight sexy bald headed pompous ass ways. Joey and Xander go way back and they sort of work together to find Joeys wife's killer. I don't want to give it all away, but Joeys world contains both mythical and historical creatures, most of which he murders. Murdering is always fun.



Some key issues I had with Joey's world and the only reason for one less star... Dakota, this side chick who makes no fucken sense to me. I have to assume she ties in somewhere in future books... but like who the fuck are you popping in here? Who are you??? The ending has me guessing in some very interesting ways but I'll just leave it be while waiting for you to tie this thing together for me in the next book. While your at it, I need expect some more bloody murder too. Least you could do for us Alex is murder some more charters brutally please. 😂 Overall, really good start to a new world, and I'm looking forward to seeing if my guess are right.

*disclaimer* Shadow Born was loaned to me for my honest review. NO one in their right mind would ever pay me to review their work. Only an insane person would ask for my opinion 🤣

[Audrey Cienki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could only get 1/3 of the way through. Some editing issues, jokes are flat, protagonist is supposed to be trained but just does stupid stuff and is generally unlikeable.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read! Love discovering a new author and omg thus book was hilarious and the action was great! I will be looking out for more by the author

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Susan Ratner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of “Shadow Born” by Alex Gates (ebook)

This is a fantastic fantasy novel - grab it now !

I loved this book and recommend it most highly (if you’re not a fan of reading then get the audiobook - it is also great)!

The focal character in this story is Joseph Hunter. Hunter, formerly a magic user and monster hunter, originally received his magical powers by being offered, and accepting, a pact with a Nephil, a being with godlike abilities. Hunter lived in Sacramento, CA with his wife Callie until Callie was ruthlessly murdered shortly after the birth of their daughter, Mel. Fearing that Mel was also at risk, Hunter gave her up for adoption by a mundane couple who lived beyond Sacramento and then spent two years trying to track down Callie’s killer(s), but to no avail. After that time he moved away from his old environs to a trailer on a relatively remote plot of land where he was closer to his daughter’s adoptive home. He gave up using his magic and turned to work in building destruction, spending his evenings covertly watching the house of his daughter’s adoptive parents in an attempt to protect Mel and then drinking himself into a stupor in an effort to escape his losses and perceived failures.

One night, he returns home to find that Xander Shells, an old friend that Hunter has not seen in years, has somehow tracked him down and is waiting for him at his trailer. This sets the events that make up the bulk of the story into motion and the tale evolves from there.

I will not provide any further details about the story as I want readers to have the pleasure of experiencing it for themselves. I will state first that this story is sometimes dark and if you want all of your books to end in happily ever afters then this may not be the title for you. However, if you like your fantasy to have rich, immersive world building, a unique and creative magic system, and well drawn and developed characters who, through flawed, are relatable and sympathetic, then you should definitely read this book! I was especially drawn to Hunter who, while often reckless, sarcastic, and having a sometimes out of control tongue, prompted empathy and compassion on my part as I followed his battles with his demons and his efforts to protect his precious daughter.

“Shadow Born” is the first of four books in the Joseph Hunter series. The second title, “Shadow Hunter” is also available in both book and audiobook formats, as is the third, “Shadow Magic”. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed “Shadow Born”, I eagerly anticipate reading the next book in this series (and other titles and series by the author)!

Review by Sue Ratner

[Megan Cutter · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I will say that this is not an easy read. It doesn't start or end happy. He tells you this at the beginning, but I have heard it before and expected it to have at least a more cheerful ending. Nope!

Joseph Labrador Hunter lost his wife a while back and because of what he does for a living, he doesn't want anyone coming for his daughter, Melanie. So he gives her to a childless couple and watches over her from afar. He also wallows and drinks and wallows and drinks some more.

Joey is funny, but it is always at someone's expense, usually his own, but often his friend Xander. The world is interesting. People who are gifted can be offered power by a Nephil, a god from mythology, but they have to do the bidding of that patron or they get in big trouble.

Joey's patron is Hephaestus, so he has fire power, extra strength, rapid healing, etc. But he has stopped using his magic so Hephaestus can't find him because he stopped doing the job he was supposed to be doing. Instead he works in demolition and spends all his free time watching Melanie or drinking himself into oblivion.

If you haven't figured it out, Melanie is kidnapped and Joey starts using his powers again to try and find her. If he wasn't so whiny I would have given this a 5th star, but it really is a bit too much. But the book is solid, action-packed, different, and worth reading, just don't expect chipper.

[Sherry Ball Schoenfeldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is really for the 4 book series

This is basically one big book broken up into four parts, the first three ending mid-story. The plot is intriguing & drives the story forward and I became engrossed enough that I read all four books in a short time. The author's take on gods, angels, demons. & magic is new & I liked it. The characters are fairly well developed but the protagonist is so obnoxious, it's like he's trying to kill people by irritating them to death. He has all the maturity of a 12 year old and his other main feature is an inability to think things thru. The writing style might be off-putting to some as the protagonist frequently talks to the reader and makes immature jokes about sex, gay sex, etc (12, remember?) but the books are easy to read. One review complained there was no warning about it being a gay book and, of course there wasn't cuz it's not a gay book 🙄 There's not really any sex at all tho lots of jokes about dick size & talk about having sex.

The fourth book doesn't end mid-story like the first three but it does leave you wondering what happens to everyone next, especially in regard to one situation. When I finish a series, wanting more story but not feeling like it's a cliffhanger, I feel like it was a good series.

[tburbr · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story line was great and had a smooth flow. The character work was terrific. My only issue is that if your're going to give me a statement like "What if Deadpool and John Wick had a baby...." then the main character better have the charisma and charm that both Ryan Reynolds and Keanu Reeves bring to the characters they portray combined into one beautiful masterpiece of the perfect character, and unfortunately I did not feel that was the case here. That does not mean that I didn't enjoy the book, because I did. This was the first book by this author that I've read, but it won't be the last.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[PAB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, but a lot of mildly offensive humor

The main character is a drunk magic user mourning the death of his wife. He uses a lot of mildly offensive adolescent humor to push away anyone trying to help him, including gay jokes. Another reviewer said this is a "gay" book, so I should note that there are no gay characters in this book. I hope the unpleasant personality traits are there to emphasize character growth in later books. There a number of typos as well. The plot is a little convenient in places, but all told, not a bad first novel.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH! Wow, so much going on. Questions all over the place. Not many answers. I can't remember if I have been in this world before or not. Some things seem to ring a bell but not all. My heart is still beating very fast and I'm setting on the edge of my chair. I hope the next book explains more of what is going on here. I received a complimentary review copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Amy S. Ryan-Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not your typical HEA magic and sorcery world. it's so much more than that. All the characters have their own unique sad stories. however, the main character, Joseph Hunter, is the saddest of them all...with the saddest story. And it doesn't seem to get any better for him. But. I keep wanting it to...LOL. So I'm definitely going to keep on reading as I'm already in love with the world and the stories and the overall story! Bring on the next book!!

[Bambi Goggio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a great snarky antihero. The characters in this series are so well developed and the world-building is superb. Each book can be read as a stand-alone but, the series as a whole is a great arc. One of the things I enjoyed most was the breaking of the fourth wall as our main character talks to the reader.

[Dawn Milligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a diffent read for me I usually grab books with a female lead but this one caught my eye and glad I downloaded it good read great characters and wonderful world building look forward to more!!

[Jean-Michel Desire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a big vampire fan but I did get entertained by the subtle variations of this story. Be aware that it does not end with this book 1... Try it for sure if you are looking for something off the beaten path.

[Michael Marciano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok snark but not for me

Pretty typical washed up has been gets pulled back in story. Urban fantasy's but not an enjoyable flavor for me. Basically magic is super limited unless a nephylum back you and a bunch of other silly rules. Just didn't enjoy the magic system or world.

[gordon musgrave · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my type of book

Wish they had warnings about for me at least inappropriate content!! They have them for harem books why not gay books?

[Brandi Reshetar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dig it!

Great spin.... ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE SNARK - I give it a 87 out of 100 😁😎 On to the next book.....

[Peter Cornell · Rating 1 out of 5]

A teaser and not even a good one.

[Megan Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good time

A good time was had by all! Nope, that's a lie. I had a great time but no one in this book did. You probably will. Weirdo.

[R Grisham-Whitehouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Off the hook

This is so not my style but it is so good. Definitely a guilty pleasure. It is very dark and I hesitate to read the next one but really can’t wait

[Randy Harmelink]

No review as I'm moving it to my DNF shelf. I just wasn't enjoying the book.

[Christine Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

was good.

[Geoff Siegel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great first story

A
Lovabke anti-hero? Check. Comedy? Check. Parts that get ya right in the feels? Check. Glad I took a chance on this and will be continuing the series.

[Cassandra Cabler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love his sense of humor!

And the shock at the end had me literally being loud and saying No!! Noway?!? And then Oh no!!! 😭

[L K Stow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure yet

A different style of writing so it took some getting used to but I think the series will be ok just not sure yet, usually enjoy Alex gates books so we'll persevere