About the book

Half-devil and miles from anything resembling heroic, perpetual underdog Frank “Triggaltheron” Trigg is the last man standing against Armageddon.

The favorite nephew of the Devil, Frank has led a troubled life, but he’d always had his uncle’s influence to fall back on. Now, with God and Lucifer coming to terms and leaving existence to fend for itself, his once exalted status of Anti-Christ-to-be does little to endear him to the hordes of angels and demons running amok in the Godless world.

With help from the members of DRAC, an organization of empowered humans and low-end supernatural beings, Frank must thwart the pro-Armageddon forces and rescue an angel in whose life rests the fate of humanity.

Better luck next time, humanity.

191 pages (ebook)
Published on: September 1, 2009
Published by: Damnation Books
Author’s webpage

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I am not incredibly fond of urban fantasy, but I keep trying out UF books because I’m sure that there’s one out there that I’ll love. There are a few reviewers who have taken up my cause. Those reviewers said that if I had trouble with a lot of other urban fantasy books, I should give Armageddon Bound a try. They assured me that it was something very different. One obvious difference is that the author is male, and in a very female dominated genre, that tends to stand out. Another difference is that the protagonist is male, and he’s not a vampire or shape shifter.

Wonders never cease.

Armageddon Bound isn’t a deep book, but it is action packed and fast paced. It’s the type of book that instantly sucks you into the events and doesn’t let you go until the very last page. Oddly enough, this lack of depth combined with a quick moving, action filled plot really makes Armageddon Bound work. It’s a lot of fun and full of hilarious one-liners that I will guarantee will have you laughing. Marquitz has a gift with humor, and he peppers the book with it liberally.

Armageddon Bound tells the story of Frank (also known as Trigg), who is the Devil’s favorite nephew. Due to his relation to the Devil, Frank has had a large helping of troubles to wade through during his life. However, he is an excellent character to follow. Frank is full of witty observations and humorous asides. He’s also incredibly powerful, but perhaps what impressed me most was that despite Frank’s obvious badassness, Marquitz still shows him as having some weaknesses. These weaknesses really help humanize Frank and go a long way toward helping the reader relate to this character.

Perhaps the reason this book succeeds so well is because it really doesn’t take itself too seriously, and though some of the situations are very serious, Marquitz always eases them with a dose of sarcasm. Many reviewers have compared Armageddon Bound to the Dresden Files. Both are written by male authors and have male protagonists,  and they both are a lot of fun, but the similarities really end there. First, Marquitz’s humor seems to be more adult. Frank is a perpetually horny sarcasm machine and Marquitz isn’t afraid to be a bit more edgy than many other authors. That edginess was appreciated. However, some readers might be a little turned off by his sex obsession and one-liners.

Frank is an obvious anti-hero, which is probably a big reason why I liked him so much (I have a serious thing for anti-heroes). There is depth to Frank (IE: Trigg) that you wouldn’t expect at a glance. For example, Trigg was offered the position of Anti-Christ by Lucifer himself and he turned the man down. Dropping these facts seems to be how Marquitz shows readers that there is more to Frank than meets the eye, and readers can’t help but wonder why Frank did/did not do something.

Frank is just one incredible character in a book that is packed full of incredible characters. While Frank’s primary motive is to prevent Armageddon, the other characters have other motives (of course). There are also government agencies, and plenty of plots and side plots to keep readers occupied. While some things, like government agencies, are common in urban fantasy, there is nothing about Marquitz, or this book that is common. In fact, it almost feels like you are reading a different genre when reading Armageddon Bound. Marquitz is a breath of fresh air in an incredibly stale and overdone genre.

Armageddon Bound is fairly straightforward. The plot is quick and that quick pace serves to not only absorb the reader in the tale being told, but also keeps them from noticing some awkward dialogue. Armageddon Bound is a solid start to a series that is promising to be a lot of fun. I’m not exactly sure why this series hasn’t reached the heights of the Dresden Files. Marquitz sets the stage for an edgy and unique series packed full of action, with characters that are sure to make you laugh. Though there might be some awkward dialogue, it doesn’t really matter. Marquitz is a unique voice in a genre dominated by the same-old-same-old.

4/5 stars