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Coffin Riders
Bloom deep-throats the barrel, and pulls the trigger. He waits for Lorraine to follow him into the afterlife, just like they planned, but she never shows. Death has no pay off.He drops down to the underworld, a place called Paradise Cove, an assisted afterlife facility masquerading as a cheap hotel deep in the bowels of the earth. A modern day Dante, Bloom searches desperately for a way out of hell. He journeys through the nine known underworlds in a mad search for his lady love to take the revenge he thinks he is owed. Death is a the deeper you go the worse it gets.
136 pages, Paperback
First published June 19, 2015
About the author
James W. Bodden
4 books25 followersJames W. Bodden is the author of the novels the Red Light Princess, and Coffin Riders. He’s down some dank Cold War bunker, helmet on, and braced for impact.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 4, 2016
James W. Bodden takes us on a wild ride through hell through the eyes of the protagonist, Bloom. Bodden’s hell is comparable to a two star all-inclusive resort.
I was onboard with this original concept – let’s look at hell, what is it like? The author has painted a very vivid picture of hell, complete with a beautiful beach covered in rotting corpses who are playing volleyball and soaking up the rays.
Bloom’s girlfriend, Lorraine, was supposed to follow him to hell…she did not (lesson for everyone – when your significant other suggests a suicide pact, don’t agree to go first). The fact that Lorraine did not live up to her part of the bargain sends Bloom on a ride through the nine known levels of hell on a quest to exact his revenge.
While I will give the author full marks for effort, the execution was a bit lackluster. I felt that there was so much more that could have been done. The first level of hell was so well developed, with some amusing characters. When Bloom set off on his voyage, the story could have used the same level of TLC through all of the levels.
James W. Bodden is an exceptionally creative storyteller, I just wished that he could have expanded his world to give a more complete picture.
*3.5 Stars
I was onboard with this original concept – let’s look at hell, what is it like? The author has painted a very vivid picture of hell, complete with a beautiful beach covered in rotting corpses who are playing volleyball and soaking up the rays.
Bloom’s girlfriend, Lorraine, was supposed to follow him to hell…she did not (lesson for everyone – when your significant other suggests a suicide pact, don’t agree to go first). The fact that Lorraine did not live up to her part of the bargain sends Bloom on a ride through the nine known levels of hell on a quest to exact his revenge.
While I will give the author full marks for effort, the execution was a bit lackluster. I felt that there was so much more that could have been done. The first level of hell was so well developed, with some amusing characters. When Bloom set off on his voyage, the story could have used the same level of TLC through all of the levels.
James W. Bodden is an exceptionally creative storyteller, I just wished that he could have expanded his world to give a more complete picture.
*3.5 Stars
August 31, 2015
After seeing some mixed reviews for this book, I was anxious to read it. The first chapter were pretty fun and I kept on reading, dreading to reach the part where it got boring or rushed.
Thankfully this never really happened. This book not only read well, it was a fun (coffin?) ride.
Bloom is a bit of an idiot and a whiner, but Being a grown up. I have come to terms with not all protagonists mirroring me. He has his reasons for wanting to leave the afterlife, albeit not very noble. They are pretty valid reasons for anyone who has ever gotten the short end of the stick in a bad relationship.
I think comparing it to Dante's Inferno is misleading. This book doesn't pretend to be some somber poetic epic. It's a fun, action-packed story, following the angry, revenge quest of a whining douche and his fun interaction with the denizens of the afterlife. Especially The Reaper. I liked him.
If anything was rushed at the end of this story, I sure hope Mr. Bodden considers expanding with a sequel. I would certainly come back for more.
Thankfully this never really happened. This book not only read well, it was a fun (coffin?) ride.
Bloom is a bit of an idiot and a whiner, but Being a grown up. I have come to terms with not all protagonists mirroring me. He has his reasons for wanting to leave the afterlife, albeit not very noble. They are pretty valid reasons for anyone who has ever gotten the short end of the stick in a bad relationship.
I think comparing it to Dante's Inferno is misleading. This book doesn't pretend to be some somber poetic epic. It's a fun, action-packed story, following the angry, revenge quest of a whining douche and his fun interaction with the denizens of the afterlife. Especially The Reaper. I liked him.
If anything was rushed at the end of this story, I sure hope Mr. Bodden considers expanding with a sequel. I would certainly come back for more.
September 21, 2015
Bloom and the love of his life, Lorraine, decide to make what they see as the ultimate romantic gesture and commit suicide to spend eternity together. After putting the gun in his mouth and pulling the trigger, Bloom descends to the afterlife. When he’s not joined by Lorraine he’s desperate to discover why not. When he finds out, this turns to the burning desire for revenge.
The setting is so much of the story as you explore the afterlife with Bloom. The author creates a unique world. Bloom’s first stop is an afterlife assistance center, Paradise Cove. Paradise turns out to be a bit of an exaggeration. In a world of rotting corpses and creepy attendants it was never going to be wonderful. Although in comparison to the rest of hell, it was much better. Bloom’s desperate desire to reach Lorraine gets him in further trouble and begins his descent though the realms of hell.
There are so many interesting little creations in this bizarro afterlife, from a mole filled vending machine to towels as currency. I’ve never read about a worm turf war before, but this is the case as they vie for space in Bloom’s rotting intestines in one part of the book. This is an example of one of the many strange occurrences that make up Bodden’s world of the afterlife. It’s fresh and fascinating.
Bloom learns that he can get back to the land of the living by traveling through all nine realms of hell. It’s quite a trip as he experiences each realm, from being larvae food to part of an industrial machine. The environments he encounters and the people and beings that he meets are all strikingly different. His decomposing corpse and mind take a hell of a beating on the way. It’s a take on the classic Dante’s Inferno, and some of the realms of hell mirror those of the poem. The author creates a bestiary of fantastic creatures including some recognizable from the poem.
It’s an interesting book, with a fresh take on hell and its dominions. We see plenty of horrific things and violence, but it’s not quite as jarring when you’re dead already. Not only do we see Bloom’s journey through hell, but we are also with him through his journey of coming to terms with being dead and the afterlife. The book has a rewarding and fitting conclusion.
The setting is so much of the story as you explore the afterlife with Bloom. The author creates a unique world. Bloom’s first stop is an afterlife assistance center, Paradise Cove. Paradise turns out to be a bit of an exaggeration. In a world of rotting corpses and creepy attendants it was never going to be wonderful. Although in comparison to the rest of hell, it was much better. Bloom’s desperate desire to reach Lorraine gets him in further trouble and begins his descent though the realms of hell.
There are so many interesting little creations in this bizarro afterlife, from a mole filled vending machine to towels as currency. I’ve never read about a worm turf war before, but this is the case as they vie for space in Bloom’s rotting intestines in one part of the book. This is an example of one of the many strange occurrences that make up Bodden’s world of the afterlife. It’s fresh and fascinating.
Bloom learns that he can get back to the land of the living by traveling through all nine realms of hell. It’s quite a trip as he experiences each realm, from being larvae food to part of an industrial machine. The environments he encounters and the people and beings that he meets are all strikingly different. His decomposing corpse and mind take a hell of a beating on the way. It’s a take on the classic Dante’s Inferno, and some of the realms of hell mirror those of the poem. The author creates a bestiary of fantastic creatures including some recognizable from the poem.
It’s an interesting book, with a fresh take on hell and its dominions. We see plenty of horrific things and violence, but it’s not quite as jarring when you’re dead already. Not only do we see Bloom’s journey through hell, but we are also with him through his journey of coming to terms with being dead and the afterlife. The book has a rewarding and fitting conclusion.
April 8, 2015
Coffin Riders starts out with a literal bang as protagonist Bloom commits suicide in what he thinks is a pact with his girlfriend. It turns out she only wanted him dead, and we follow his journey alone in to Hell.
The first chapter hooked me, and then...not much happened. The concept of Hell as an assisted living facility is cute, but it drags on for more than half of the story. At some point Bloom learns he has to travel to all nine levels of Hell (ala The Inferno), and this section is blown through like the author was anxious to get to the end.
Bloom is utterly unlikable so I didn't really care what happened to him. That left the story, and after a promising start it fell apart for me. If James Bodden was trying to show the afterlife as a boring, soulsucking place he succeeded too well. I was so bored I just wanted to stop reading. 2 stars for the beginning and some interesting ideas, but not recommended.
The first chapter hooked me, and then...not much happened. The concept of Hell as an assisted living facility is cute, but it drags on for more than half of the story. At some point Bloom learns he has to travel to all nine levels of Hell (ala The Inferno), and this section is blown through like the author was anxious to get to the end.
Bloom is utterly unlikable so I didn't really care what happened to him. That left the story, and after a promising start it fell apart for me. If James Bodden was trying to show the afterlife as a boring, soulsucking place he succeeded too well. I was so bored I just wanted to stop reading. 2 stars for the beginning and some interesting ideas, but not recommended.
July 22, 2015
Not a bad read. This first person narration of a contemporary tour through Hell is filed with a constant explosion of visual descriptions that will take you away from reality for a few hours.
Hope to see some more work from this new author soon.
Hope to see some more work from this new author soon.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews