Hard Skip

Demon Hunter #1

by Marcus Abshire

When hell breaks loose, heaven needs a bounty hunter.

In every generation, a Champion is chosen. Someone who is charged with fighting the hordes of Hell and given the power of Angel Fire. James Thomas is an unlikely Champion. A flawed and broken bounty hunter, James is offered the chance to make his life count. And if conspiring vampires, flesh-eating ghouls, and an imp determined to rip his face off weren’t enough, now he is on the trail of a demon capable of bringing about a nightmarish apocalypse. Whoever said being Heaven’s Champion wasn’t easy sure the hell wasn’t kidding.
Perfect for fans of The Dresden Files and the Iron Druid Chronicles. If you enjoy action-packed urban fantasy at its best and a flawed but determined hero, then you’ll love this first book in the Demon Hunter Series.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy

283 pages, Paperback

First published January 24, 2020

About the author

I've had many jobs in my life. I bagged groceries in high school to pay for gas, fast food burgers, and yes...cigarettes and beer. I joined the Army and spent three years in Germany, learning how to stay awake during guard duty and how to be somewhat responsible. I was an electrician for a while, which gave me a good appreciation for what it feels like to get shocked. I decided, after getting zapped one too many times, to go back to school. While I was working as an electrician I had a daughter born with cerebral palsy. She is the best thing to have happened to me. I decided to stay home and take care of her after she had surgery to help her be able to walk and during that time I read a book so bad that I wanted to see if I could do better. Turns out I could, I found that I loved to write and I wasn't all that bad at it. Fast forward a few years and I have now finished five novels (one is nearing the end of the editing process) and a short story about Santa fighting zombies!

I've done a lot of things, but writing is in my soul, I hope you take the time to give my books a chance, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Reviews

[Michael Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for demons and this book has them in spades. James Thomas is a demon-hunting, protagonist with angelic powers but he never feels overpowered and most importantly he doesn't use the "N" word (the Nephilim Trope is one I've grown tired of).

Abshire puts James, through literal bouts of hell, but what stands out the most is that he DOESN'T take convenient paths to get him OUT of it. The story leans upon some common tropes here but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable.

Mama Lupita is a badass. Hands down the best character in the book.

My only criticisms about the book aren't in regards to the plot, but the prose. Commas were overdone and the dialogue felt unnatural in some places. But as an Indie Author, I'm sure he'll improve

[Nan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Fast Paced Read

Hard Skip written by Marcus Abshire is the first book in the Demon Hunter series. This is the first book I have read by this author, but won't be the last. The world and character building are well done and this book kept me wanting more from the first to the last page. The storyline is filled with mysteries, danger, interesting twists, and friendships. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Gritty Urban Fantasy With Serious Bite
This book delivers exactly what it promises, fast-paced action, dark humor, and a flawed hero you can’t help but root for. James Thomas isn’t some polished chosen one; he’s battered, cynical, and barely holding it together, which makes his rise as Heaven’s Champion far more satisfying. The demon-hunting chaos, sharp dialogue, and relentless momentum make this a standout start to the series.

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

James is a skip tracer by day and a demon hunter by night. He is working on a case in both guises to start the book and of course they tie together.
There's a weird dynamic in this book, weres, vampires, dragons, ogres, etc are all forms of demons. The protagonist's power is very uneven with him going toe to toe with big bads yet being beaten by vanilla humans.

[E.R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good

This is an interesting book. A fun read. A kind of different spin on some uf tropes. I’ll grab the second.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (10/14/2021)! 🎁