| Title | : | Beyond the Veil (Demon Squad, #5) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1482665905 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781482665901 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 308 |
| Publication | : | First published February 23, 2013 |
What could be worse?
How about being drafted by the Almighty?
Trapped on a strange and hostile planet, forced to deal with an alien insurrection, Frank and Longinus scramble to save Karra from the clutches of a rebel overlord bent on revenge.
All in a day's work for the Devil inherent.
Beyond the Veil (Demon Squad, #5) Reviews
-
5 Stars
Beyond the Veil book 5 in the Demon Squad series by Tim Marquitz picks up our story and moves it in a completely different direction, a completely different plane of existence that is. I was blown away by just how much this book Beyond the Veil takes down so many walls and secrets of our story thus far. Marquitz plays this smart by giving us a new story arc to look forward to, while at the same time bringing some resolution and satisfaction to the previous ones. This book is a literal restart to our kick ass series.
Frank is the man, well the Demon! His wise cracking, no holds barred, and lucky attitude is back and bigger than before. In this one he spends most of his time with the monster of a former Anti-Christ Longinus. The two make for destruction incarnate. There are many graphic action scenes with them leaving carnage and body parts in their wake. I could not get enough Longinus. Frank is one bad ass SOB who also has quite a strong sense of right and wrong and he has a conscience. He is so very similar to another favorite fictional character of mine in James Stark (Sandman Slim) that I just want more.
Read Marquitz for his awesome action...
"I exhaled and my shoulders slumped, my chin drooping, but there was nothing I could do to hide the fury that seared my cheeks. My knuckles sang out like Snap, Crackle, and Pop when I forced my fists open and turned my back on Mihheer. He’d been asked that same question about Karra a thousand times and wasn’t talking. Nothing DRAC had done had broken him, but I knew there was a line they wouldn’t cross… not for Karra, at least. Not for me, either, it seemed. That was why I was there."
Read the series for the comedy, the wit, and the hilarious banter...
"“Don’t worry, Frank. We’ll be fine. The blood of the fiends will lubricate our passage, so to speak, easing our transition between between worlds.” Famous last words and the perfect setup for an anal violation joke. He was really egging fate on. I let the opportunity for sarcasm slip away and wondered if this was what maturity was supposed to feel like. If so, it was disappointing. I hustled the fiends through their bloodletting as quickly as I could get them to move. At this point, I didn’t see much purpose in waiting around to die, so we might as well get on with it."
Oh yeah read it because Frank and Marquitz are not afraid to be vulgar...
"I put my guns away and drew on the tiny ball of energy that wormed inside me. While just a pipsqueak on the ruler that measured magical dick size, what I lacked in girth and length, I made up for with imagination. My power sputtered and roared to life. I couldn’t help but smile at the feeling. It was like eating Häagen-Dazs and getting a blowjob at the same time; fan-fucking-tastic."
Everything about this series plays right into my favorite things. Big guns, big demons, angels, vampires, gratuitous actions, killings, magic, mayhem, warding, Lucifer, God, angry women, more killings, a monster for a hero, Heaven, Hell, talking Corpses, even more killings, potty mouth cursing, and more. I absolutely love it. I was blown away by the direction that Marquitz took this one and the masterful way he gave us answers while at the same energizing the whole thing. The way he brought Heaven and Hell and God and Lucifer into the fold is awesome and is something I can't spoil for you.
The Demon Squad series is a favorite of mine and this is one of the best so far. I highly recommend that you get this one or start from book one. -
Full review over at
Fantasy Book Critic.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Beyond the Veil is the fifth book of the critically under-appreciated Demon Squad series. It’s a series that is a big favorite of mine because of the unique approach taken by the author. Tim’s series protagonist is a guy who would be a villain in most and would not survive more than a book or two. Frank is a guy who is shady, lecherous and immature to a certain degree but he’s also loyal, kindhearted and best of all a wise-cracking dude whose inner monologue will leave you in splits. He’s the kind of guy who they say is a diamond among the coal however you would have to dig really, really deep and perhaps the diamond might be more than flawed in a jewelers estimate. His actions though have lead many readers to be enamored of him and also a bit leery as well.
With this being book five, the review becomes a bit hard as there will be minor spoilers for the previous four titles so be warned those who haven’t read the previous titles. With the previous book’s climatic cliffhanger, things were left precariously for Frank as his girlfriend Karra is missing and no one knows where and who took her. Frank is hellbent on involving Longinus (her father) as he doesn't want to the ex-AntiChrist on his bad side.The DRAC folks however are wary of involving Longinus and want Frank only in a supporting role. The key to finding out Karra’s location is the alien Mihheer and he’s in no mood to talk. Frank will have to decide where his loyalties lie and how will he get Karra back and still stay sane with all the revelations that have been sprung on him and how many more secrets will he have to burden himself with.
The last book was a lot different than the previous three volumes and I mentioned that it was a very introspective volume. This book manages to combine that introspection with the fast-paced nature of the third book. Let’s begin with why I think Tim Marquitz outdid himself with this one, firstly the action shifts to a plane other than Earth which I’ll leave the readers to RAFO. Then we finally get to know the main, main reason why God and Lucifer have left Earth. This is the biggest plus point of the book that only do we get to know the all the reasons but we get to actually “know” the fundamental crisis behind it. This was the big reveal of the book, of all the secrets that were teased throughout the past four books; we get a big dose of revelations in this one. Plus for those wishing for the action found in Resurrection & At The Gates will be heartily rewarded as Frank, Longinus and others get down and dirty in new places.
The action sequences and plot pace are what can be expected from a Tim Marquitz novel and by this I mean they are of the fast and furious kind that leave no quarter for the protagonist and will pull the reader along. These are the shining facets of the story and I was glad to see my Tuckerized version get a stellar cameo role to play in the events of this book (continuing from the book four). Lastly with Frank, Tim has been putting him through a world of pain and in this book, he gets closure of a sort to many of the questions that have haunted his past and lingered throughout his life. As a character the readers love to see him pick himself up debacle after debacle and try to live a decent life. With the climax of this book, I can’t wait to see where he goes next. The book basically delivered on all fronts for me and so I can’t wait to see where Tim takes Frank next and what new story will he explore. Though knowing Tim’s nefarious ideas, it won’t be something that Frank will enjoy but as a reader it could be fun to read about it.
With this book I didn't have any complaints however the other readers will have to decide if that was the case for them as well. Beyond The Veil basically caps off the first arc for Frank Trigg in the Demon Squad series in high style. Readers who have followed the series so far will be sumptuously rewarded with world and back story revelations that surprise and astound to a high degree. If you haven’t read this series so far, kindly remedy this mistake immediately. As for urban fantasy naysayers, the Demon Squad series is the one of the many solid reasons that might change your opinion about this beloved sub-genre of mine. -
Original review can be found
here.
It should be pretty obvious by now that I am a fan of Tim Marquitz. He is one of the nicest guys out there, to top it all off he writes pretty darn well. But this particular Demon Squad novel holds a special place in my heart as it is my editorial debut. Tim was nice enough to give me the opportunity to edit his latest novel. So, my review is a little bias, but if you have read the series, you know the quality of the work and know that you are never let down.
When we last left Frank, he was just learning about a new threat to Earth, a threat from another dimension. The story picks up with Frank interrogating the enemy in order to learn where they have taken his girlfriend, Karra. Once the location is revealed Frank partners up with Longinus, Karra's father, in order to save her from a fate worse than death.
There is not a lot of character development in Beyond the Veil, as we have been on a ride with Frank and his cohorts for some time. We do have some unveiling about God and Lucifer, but not too much, there remains a bit of mystery with the two powerhouses.
What we do have is a decent amount of world building, as we are on a completely new planet with some interesting inhabitants. The aliens are humanoid and act somewhat human-like, but there are a few quirks in the mix. Learning about their world is interesting and it did feel as if a few things were held back. It may be because we haven't seen the last of this place.
Franks humor is injected throughout the story and in Beyond the Veil we have quite the mystery. As Frank and Longinus attempt to locate Karra in this strange new place, filled with hidden agendas and even shadier people. We finally meet the big man himself. God makes an appearance in this story and there is a dark side to him as well. It has been a long time coming for fans of the series to finally meet The Almighty, and Marquitz does not disappoint. Even better than our introduction to God, are the scenes featuring The Son. Jesus Christ. He has a lot of great moments throughout the story. His interactions with Longinus will have fans wanting more.
As I said, I am a bit bias in regards to Beyond the Veil as I am personally invested. But anyone who has read any of the previous books in the Demon Squad series will not be disappointed. The book has everything you need in a Demon Squad novel and a little bit more. Highly Recommended. -
Another great addition to the Demon Squad series!
Overall: 4.5*
I was hooked onto the Demon Squad series after reading
Resurrection and according to me this is one author who can really make you laugh in the middle of a hard core action sequence. He still does this effortlessly though not as frequently. One 'quote' that I really liked in the book which I couldn't help but share: "Reality was an opportunistic rapist with a thing for my ass." I can't think of any other author who can describe this so succinctly. Somehow, I couldn't help thinking about the "Hangover" movie while reading this since that was one movie which managed to make me laugh while keeping me glued to the action and suspense.
In this one, Frank teams up with the ex-Antichrist Longinus for a daring rescue mission on an alien planet. When I read the blurb initially, I was slightly disappointed that Tim was getting aliens into the fray. My apprehensions turned out to be unfounded though and the sci-fi element actually added some freshness to this. The story is relatively short and well paced and just when you think that it is going on predictable lines !!WHAM!! there is a twist thrown in.
Without giving away too many spoilers, the BIG ones (read Jesus, God, the devil) actually make an entry in this book which I have been imagining for a long time. Needless to say, absolutely nothing was as I had imagined!! Tim Marquitz has been really creative in his portrayal of the characters to make them really unique. The story according to me is just about to explode in the next book.
Why not a rating of 5* then? I feel that there is still a lot more that can be achieved here. The entire setup is very unique and Tim's humor has really made this series stand out in the UF genre.
Highly recommended read if you have been following this series so far. -
Better than DS4: Echoes of the Past, and on par with my favourite DS3: At The Gates, DS5: Beyond the Veil sees Frank and Longinus storming the gates of a whole new dimension to rescue girlfriend / daughter Karra.
I laughed a lot in this book - while we don't get as much of the sex obsessed Frank compared to the previous books, we get a lot more of the angry snarky Frank which definitely suits the mood of the book and reflects Frank's new attitude towards life.
We get some nice cameos from big name religious figures, and we get some exciting new characters sourced from the new dimension. I wish I could get some more of my favourite characters Rahim, Katon and Scarlett, but I think it was a smart move leaving them out of this book because it allowed for the book to focus on the relationship between Frank, Longinus and Karra.
Oh and kudos to Carter Reid for an awesome cover. -
So amazon kindly brought the latest Demon Squad book to my attention and I swiftly added it to my holiday reading list after all who wants to go on holiday without a book about demons, god and Lucifer?
Trig is probably one of my favourite characters of all time and certainly the demon squad books when produced are quickly procured and read so I selected this on a sun lounger with a beer in hand and began! BTW it works nicely with a beer in hand and on a sun lounger but you could probably read it at home sober just as well :-)
So the new devil nothing like the old devil finds himself involved in Gods dirty war on the other side of the universe and what a roller coaster of a tale this turns out to be without too many spoilers the phoenix tribe versus the locals and the intrigue that Frank always gets sucked into just worked really well even more so when the twist that the Phoenix mob were Jesus's boys came along it actually made me laugh and of course start routing for Frank even more. Of course Frank being Frank he takes some heavy hits along the way gains some more power from an unlikely source and gets to save Jesus!
Its not a get the girl kill the baddies type ending but all the better for it but let me just say one thing the world best comedy sidekick is BACK oh yeah baby sing along with the reanimated head! -
I have just recently finished the novels in this demon squad series, The last few novels have opened up the universe and brought a few new characters.
these novels have been non-stop action the author does not pull punches with his fighting, outlook and his humor all come straight at ya. The story really has progressed and has been enjoyable from the very start , for me his wit and humor and the topic of these novels is just what I was looking for, and from the first book to the last in the series I have been reading almost non-stop for the week.
the writing is fast action and keeps the story moving , I will be looking at further novels from this author, certain his humor will show up in other works as well ( big part of these books)
I am giving 5 stars as I am not one to talk about the story or worry about editing or semantics as I have read so many reviews that judge on this points. I will say the writing flows and is a very comfortable read... as long as you are not easily offended or have religious ... issues or in general very sensitive , this is in the dark fantasy section'
I rate this novel on the enjoyment I received from the novels, you dont have to read very much to be entertained and the books just dont let up, the author has a way with words and a dark humor with where and what order to put these word's in, I will remember these books! -
It seems like every book in this series finds a way to top the last. this book is no exception. After the inter dimensional demons kidnap his Lady love, Karra, Frank Trigg, epic badass, goes across the dimensions with his father in law, Longinus, otherwise known as the Antichrist, to go to her rescue. After they arrive, they run across Jesus, yes, that Jesus, the one who Longinus killed on the cross all those years ago. He brings them to his father and Lucifer, where they make bargains for permission to go search for her. They are then thrust into the war God is fighting with all his other dimensional creations, trying to save Karra before she is killed and the Demons plans come to fruition. Is the job to much even for Trigg and Longinus, even with their power, to be able to handle? Well, with some help from some old and new characters, they just might be able to save her and win the day.
As always with anything Tim Marquitz writes, the plot moves along at a brisk pace, never lagging or feeling tired, The characters are well drawn out, with snappy dialogue, especially from Frank, who is an unabashed smartass. The snark, even in the tensest scenes, is always there, making sure what is in some ways the darkest book in the series, still humorous enough that it doesn't distract or buzzkill the enjoyment. Noah Michael Levine's narration is great as always, bringing the story to life. His voice of Lucifer is especially cool, since he sounds exactly like Marlon Brando as the Godfather! Any fans of Simon Greens Nightside or Secret History books or JF Lewis's Void city books should jump all over this urban fantasy masterpiece! -
My review is here--
http://jakeelliotfiction.com/2013/04/... -
Now its getting better and better.
-
Whether you like Beyond the Veil can be summarized by a single sentence : do you, the reader, find the idea of a Clint Eastwood-looking Jesus fighting aliens with the Devil's Son, and Longinus on a planet of zebra-colored Star Trek humanoids intriguing? If this is the case, then Beyond the Veil is the kind of book for you. If you, instead, find this way too over-the-top then you won't enjoy this book as it thrives on that concept and is only going to get more so from here.
The Demon Squad series started relatively low-key with Frank "Triggaltheron" Trigg being the Devil's Nephew and serving as the half-demon attache to a group of monster hunters in a world which both God as well as the Devil have abandoned. Five books later, Frank is the ruler of Hell and teamed up with God, Jesus, Longinus, Lucifer, and others against a race loosely inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's Great Old Ones. This battle is taking place not only Earth but across a multiverse full of alien worlds and alternate dimensions.
To say the scale of the stories have changed is understating things.
And you know what?
I like it.
I'm a big fan of the Dresden Files but one of the things I disliked about the series is not much seemed to actually change in the series until the appropriately-titled Changes. Say what you will about the anime-esque power escalation of the Demon Squad series but things are always moving forward and I can't say I disapprove. All they need to do is an animated series of vignettes set to the Attack On Titan theme and it's the kind of series I would have loved in high school.
And do love as an adult.
The premise of this book is Karra, Frank's erstwhile love-interest, Karra, has been kidnapped by the Eidilons and taken off to dimensions unknown. Teaming up with her father, Longinus, Frank leaves Hell behind in hopes of recovering her. He finds himself on a new world, with no support, and faced with a potentially all-powerful opponent. The series' trademark shocking revelations are plentiful this time around and not all of its signature characters make it to the end of the volume.
Good stuff.
The character development where Frank goes from being someone who has always admired his uncle (actual father) as well as assumes there's something resembling affection to someone who realizes, no, the Devil is scum and always has been is a powerful change. I've always felt Lucifer was Frank's blind spot in his relationships and it's nice to see that rectified, painful as the manner may be. I also liked the fact Frank finally takes steps to secure his position as a force to be reckoned with. Too often, he's been the butt monkey of the universe and it's nice to see him get some serious punching power.
It's interesting to watch Longinus also warm to the fact Frank is, not only his enemy's son, but also his daughter's one-true-love. In many ways, Longinus is a more stereotypical anti-hero for these kinds of books. He's an unstoppable badass who easily dwarfs Frank in power but he's also, well, stupid. Frank sees the puppet strings all around them and it's this ability which makes him capable of cutting through them. How Frank and Karra's relationship changes in the book is something which I think will generate all manner of interesting drama, which I approve of. I'm a bit disappointed such a badass female character was used as a kidnap victim this time around but the book gave a decent explanation why she wasn't in tip-top fighting condition.
I'm a bit iffy about God and Jesus' portrayal in the book as both of them are portrayed as kind of, well, jerks. At least one, admittedly untrustworthy, character believes God is going to attempt to reclaim all of his lost energy from his creations. Likewise, Jesus has very little of his usual hippie peace-loving self and really wants to beat Longinus' face in. Then again, Longinus kind of has it coming as well. While religious, I'm willing to cast any problems with this portrayal aside because, hey man, it's fiction, but others may have difficulty. Besides, there's something fun about Jesus bunching out Hastur and his buddies on another planet.
The best part of the book, for me, was definitely the climax. Beyond the Veil has the series trademark apocalyptic ending with the usual impossible fight against a godlike being. It also adds a series of tough decisions, betrayals, twists, and emotional heartbreaks that raises it above even Armageddon Bound. I was genuinely surprised several times in the final pages and, yet, everything all made sense in the end. As has become the series style, Frank manages to save the day at mere cost of everything.
Overall, I really liked this book and I think it's the best of the Demon Squad books so far. The shift to more sci-fi and high fantasy storytelling doesn't bother me. Indeed, it makes the series more distinct in my mind.
9/10
