The Nine | BBNYA Finalist Book Review
The Nine
Author: C.G. Harris
Pages: 248
Genre: Fantasy | Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Hot Chocolate Press
Publication Date: March 17, 2019
Buy the Book (affiliate links): Amazon
Happy Friday! It’s been a long busy week for me but I am here with a book review for one of the BBNYA 2021 finalists!
I received this book to read and review as part of the 2021 BBNYA competition and the BBNYA tours organised by the TWR Tour team. All opinions are my own, unbiased and honest.
BBNYA is a yearly competition where Book Bloggers from all over the world read and scorebooks written by indie authors. If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website www.bbnya.com or Twitter @bbnya_official.
The sign-ups will soon be open for the 2022 BBNYA competition, be it for authors to enter their books, or for bloggers wanting to be part of the new panel, so keep your eyes peeled!!
Synopsis
Gabe is recruited to join the most dangerous organisation the world has never heard about. As a double agent, he has to fight within their ranks to stop them, all with no training, no experience and no support. If he’s caught, they will tear him apart. But that’s not the real twist.
Gabe is dead, he lives in Hell and Judas Iscariot just became his new boss.
Judas assigns Gabe a beautiful new partner with plans to sow a disease that could wipe out the modern world. Without revealing his true identity, he must find a way to deal with insect wielding super agents, firestorms, and worst of all, the nauseating envisage travel to get Topside to save the earth.
My Review
What I Loved
The Nine is an extremely addictive and humourous fantasy that is sure to leave you wanting more. I loved the witty banter between Gabe and his agent partner Alex, just those two alone made this such an enjoyable read for me. Still, the world-building is amazing and so imaginative, it pulls the story together nicely to create this dark terrifying world. It’s hard not to get immersed into the dangerous world of The Nine and not love it!
The Story
Although I love reading about The Nine, I really wouldn’t want to be there. It sounds like a horrible, terrifying place with dangerous people and deadly firestorms but after all, it is Hell! Gabe being the resourceful person he is somehow sets up shop where he sells Topside contraband for secrets and information. He’s quick to close up shop though when one of those lethal firestorms begins to front but not after noticing a wandering Woebegone girl struck with brief amnesia.
I was already hooked at this point yet even more so when Gabe gets recruited by the Judas Agency. He’s asked to work undercover, find out and stop corrupt agents and their evil plans. I couldn’t get enough of Gabe trying to be the best agent he could but sometimes his smart mouth and Alex make that harder than I think it should be. The plot overall is completely addicting that can get dark at times but I assure you won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough and if you like a bit of dark witty humour, you won’t be disappointed and sure to be laughing!
The Characters
Gabe is the perfect character for me in this book. I loved his personality from the first moments. His wit, charm and sarcasm make this such an enjoyable read. I love how he’s taken a terrible thing, being in The Nine and made it into a way to make his life a bit easier by creating his shop of contraband. He doesn’t do himself any favours sometimes and puts himself in a difficult position but I love the way he tries to talk himself out of certain situations.
Just when you think you’re loving the story and characters as much as you can, you’re wrong. Once Gabe has joined the Judas Agency we get to meet my favourite character, Alex! She becomes his partner and teaches him the ropes while still being the sassy confident woman she is. She made the book so enjoyable, there really wasn’t when I didn’t like her. I feel like there was constantly a smile on my face when Alex and Gabe would interact just because it was always full of banter and the chemistry they shared was adorable.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, The Nine is an incredibly fast-paced, dark fantasy with witty, likeable characters and innovative world-building. I seriously couldn’t put this book down, it had the perfect balance of fun and delving a bit deeper into the world and characters dark past. I already have the second book on my TBR and can’t wait to carry on the adventure with Gabe and Alex!
Rating: 4.5/5
About the Author
C.G. Harris is an award-winning science-fiction and fantasy author from Colorado who draws inspiration from favourites, Jim Butcher, Richard Kadrey and Brandon Sanderson. For nearly a decade, Harris has escaped the humdrum of the real world by creating fictional characters and made-up realities. When not writing, Harris spends time collecting the illusive arcade token, from the golden age when Dig Dug and Frogger were kings. Harris knows the value of such a collection will only be seen in the confused faces of those family members left behind long after C.G. Harris is gone.
Comments
Fantastic review Ellie Mai, I’m glad you enjoyed it so much! Looking forward to reading this one!