What Fresh Hell Is This?!

by Nick James

Kharon, the Boatman of hell, has been doing his job since the dawn of time and he is tired. As a demon he had always been feared by the Souls as he ferried them to their afterlives. But not now.
The world has changed and the mortal souls he now encounters are self-entitled jerks. Instead of cowering and asking why they are in hell, they argue and demand to see his manager, or a lawyer. This human behaviour alone has Kharon dreaming of retirement; leaving his boatman role to be carried on by his last living heir.
In the mortal realm, Chad is your typical twenty something young man who spends his days flirting with bikini clad women as he rents out jet skis. In the evening he immerses himself in drink and partying. But then in the blink of an eye this young man is dragged into the pits of hell to repay his family’s debt to Kharon. He must exchange lazy days in the sun for transporting souls through the nine circles of hell.
How will Chad cope being surrounded by angry souls and demons whose only desire is to taunt him? Can he successfully continue the legacy? Does he want to?
Oh, and everyone gives the same don’t touch the Demon girls!

Genres: Humor

Paperback

Published December 19, 2021

About the author

Nick James is the author of books covering many genres.
From ‘The Misplaced Man Trilogy’ and ‘The Victorian Vampire’ to ‘What Zombie Apocalypse’.
He has now hit the ground running with science fiction titles; ‘The Time Travelling Tourist’
and his recent release ‘They Stand Among Us’, an alien invasion story.
All are written in his easy-to-read style, with action and humor.
He has countless other stories and sequels in the planning stages.

Reviews

[Dave Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Monster Munch" saga is back and it's bought a familiar name back with it.

I usually stay away from novels that have a religious basis but having read Nicks other works I knew that this would be a very tongue in cheek take on the fables and gospels and I wasn't disappointed. If you are looking for a book steeped with religious stories then stick with the "good book" however if you want a giggle at the slim risk of an eternity of breathing in brimstone and sulpher then this book might just be for you.

At times there are similarities with Nick's weary (and horny, pun intended) hero and Pratchetts Death from his Discworld series, but they are few and far between as to not be a distraction.

I found this book to be a happy return to what Nick does best, which is to make light of situations that others wouldn't even dare think of, in this case the journey of the eternally damned. Well done

[Nicollette Blackeagle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found What Fresh Hell Is This to be refreshing, entertaining, creative and well written. The premise of Kharon the boatman of hell wanting to retire and needing an heir to take his place kept me laughing so much I could not stop listening. Warning do not listen to this book while eating or drinking it will make you laugh. The characters are quirky, believable and well developed and fit seamlessly into the story including Cerberus the Three Headed Dog. The story drips with sarcastic and raunchy tongue and cheek humor. Jak McDonough narrative skills are absolutely phenomenal he is definitely gifted with bringing this story to life with perfect voices and comedic timing. I can't say this enough I highly recommend this book. I received this book at my request and this is my honest unbiased review that I am voluntarily leaving of my own volition.

[Brad Audiobibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably not a book for bible hugging puritans who think the 3rd word of the title a swear word or blasphemous. It is, however, perfect for those who like a lot of dark humour, sarcasm and much poking of fun at religion, especially catholic. I listened to this audiobook while driving my work van and probably got some strange looks from other motorists at traffic lights who saw my laughing or giggling away at the antics of the characters. It’s a great story with colourful and rather horny (in more ways than one) characters, from Kharon, Chad & Cerberus to Lillith & her succubi and the insatiable Tiffany. My kind of humour.

The narrator gives a great performance and was easy to listen to, giving life to each character. Highly recommended read/listen.

I was given a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review.

[fred jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant book. Kharon the ferryman of hell is bored, the souls talk back and demand lawyers, the guy with the horn is driving him nuts and this has been going on for eternity. He wants to retire to an easier life but needs his last heir to take over. What is brilliant idea. The writing is excellent, the character are great and it is laugh out loud funny. Loved Chad and Josh and the party boat of hell. I enjoyed every word and was sad when it ended. Nick James.is a inventive, fun author who always produces entertaining stories. Jak McDonough does a superb job with the narration making the story a joy to listen to. I received a complimentary copy of the Audio from the Author and am leaving a honest voluntary review.

[Kimberly #Audiofile · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audio was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review.

I found this audio quite hilarious. This novel is about the ferryman of hell and his offspring. The ferryman want to retire. Lucifer will let him if his offspring takes over the job.

Humans are no longer scared of hell and 99.5% of humans are going down instead of up. The ferryman has had enough and wants to retire on earth.

There’s a lot of humour, that humour is dark. I liked it.
Narration was good. The voice actor does a great job and fits the storyline well. The book is also well written and I very much enjoyed the book.

4 stars

[Brenden Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, evil, who's which!

Heaven and hell reduced to businesses with some amazing characters getting down and dirty! Throw into this a pot smoking party animal and watch the fun and games begin. Oh, and don't forget the poor apprentice ferryman. Couldn't put this down, such a great read.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun and entertaining story! I love the take on the ferryman. It made me laugh, chuckle and snort while listening! The characters are lively and full of mirth. The wide range of characters led to some interesting moments.

Overall this is a good one! The author and narrator are both new to me! I enjoyed the listening as much as the story. So both did excellent with their craft.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Nick James' What Zombie Apocalypse and thought I'd give this a try. I'm glad I did, this book is funnier and much better written. I do wish the author had hired a proofreader, though. They errors were almost enough to make me remove a star from my rating but I was afraid of a succubus being sent after me.

[LawsOfSanity · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this a 3.5 because it was amusing. The catholic jokes made me giggle. However I don't know it needed a little something. This was an adventure book not a romance. I think the title drew me in.

[Damien Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick James has done it again. Another fantastic story, laden with fun, frolics and Nick’s signature humour. It’s an easy read, with entertaining characters and fast-paced storyline. Would definitely recommend.

[Ruben Jakobsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original præmis, sjove karakterer. Historien bliver hurtigt kedelig og trivial men det skæve univers får en igennem ikke kandidat til genlæsning

[Antonia Hardcastle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a fun listen. The audio made me smirk and laugh along the way and is entertaining. It’s a different take on the inner workings of hell. However the plot needed more… planning.

[Lukas Lovas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humorous, especially in the beginning, though I had to make an effort to stay with the book till the end. Not bad, but not quite my cup of tea...