I haven't been much of a fan of this series (this is the third in the series) but there has been just enough to keep me reading and enough that has shown promise/potential.

Don Drake, our (anti-?)hero, is a loser. He's the dregs of society and can't do much that is right. He starts this book on the run - trying to get away from his last big f*-up and avoid facing anyone or anything connected to his screw-up. He goes so far as to fall back into heavy drug use. He's about as low as you can go. Well ... he can get lower. He can go to hell. Literally.

To escape his recent past, Don runs to his deeper past and finds an old girlfriend in Scotland where he hopes for some solace. What he learns is that he is a father - has been for some time. But he hadn't been informed because he clearly wasn't 'dad' material, Still, given the things that have happened to him, he takes an interest in his progeny. But so do others.

New to this book is a character by the name of Davey. Davey could be an older version of Don himself ... worn-looking, foul-mouthed, impertinent. But Davey's got a little bit of a secret that you'll have to read the book to discover for yourself. This revelation is enough in itself to warrant a read for the next volume!

What works for me with this book is that there's just enough growth here - both in the character development and in the author's own writing ability - that I begin to care a little bit about these people. The relationships have become clearer and the Burned Man demon holds some fascination for me. He (it?) did before as well, but now I feel as though there may be something coming through that will interest me beyond this volume. Combine this with what we come to know about Davey and I'm definitely in for the next volume.

This is raw and gritty urban fantasy and there's nothing wrong with that, but I still feel there's better raw and gritty urban fantasy out there so this isn't topping my recommendation list, but it's definitely improving.

Looking for a good book? <em>Damnation</em> by Peter McLean is the third in the Burned Man series and shows that the series is improving.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review

http://www.speculativeherald.com/2017/06/07/review-damnation-by-peter-mclean/
Damnation is the third instalment in the Burned Man series and picks up about six months after the conclusion of events in Dominion where the main protagonist found himself employed by a Goddess with vengeance on her mind. For the record this being the third in series the review below will undoubtedly contain spoilers so please bear this in mind before reading further.

I will start out by saying that Damnation is not my favourite of the series so far, but, that being said I am invested in the story and will definitely continue. For me, this book had two main issues that prevented me from loving it – firstly, it did nothing to endear me further to the main character, Drake, and secondly, it felt very much like a ‘filler’ or set up book for the next in series.

As mentioned, we start 6 months after Dominion where we learn of Don’s rapid decline since he departed London to try and track his former girlfriend Debbie.
Unfortunately the search goes very poorly and nobody is inclined to help Don. Why would they after all? Debbie is a very talented alchemist who doesn’t want to be found by her cheating former boyfriend s0 there’s no reason for her new clients to give up her new location and earn her displeasure. Don finds himself quickly spiralling out of control, he has little money and this results in him taking unpalatable jobs which eventually leads him down the route of drugs (which coincidentally help him to block out the voice of the demon now residing inside his head). I keep thinking with each book that Don has reached an all time low but in this instalment he really does surpass himself by hitting rock bottom. I actually thought this part of the story flowed well. It’s full of darkness and despair which is natural given the situation. Don is not only desperate in his search, and without means to continue, but is also trying to remain beneath the radar of his former companions and remain hidden. Thankfully, his whereabouts are eventually discovered but not before he’s made the acquaintance of a very seedy character named Davey. Davey is no ordinary mundane – he has an aura of something different and he positively reeks of power, he certainly doesn’t feel like somebody that you should mess with. But bluntly, Don gets himself into a whole heap of trouble and without the cavalry rushing in to save him things were basically and literally going to hell in a handcart.

What I liked about this instalment is we find out some more about Don and maybe his true beginnings. We get to spend more time with the characters that we’re already familiar with such as Trixie – who I really do like – and we make the discovery of a number of revelations. Don may be employed by a Goddess which gives him some sort of power but it all feels like little more than a front, if he wants to go out he’s escorted there and back and has little actual access to cash. Of course Trixie, almost fallen completely from virtue herself, is readily on hand to assist Don – even when he’s making some pretty bad decisions. And this leads to one of my main gripes.

Why did Don go to find Debbie? For me his reasoning came across as a bit flimsy and little more than a way to further the plot. Even if I bought into the reasoning it would do little to make me like him more. I’ve said throughout the series that Don is something of a cowardly character. He’s not really entirely likable but I was hoping that he would turn into something of a lovable rogue, because I also believe that he’s not totally bad. As it is I’m finding my patience running a little bit thin. He makes one bad decision after another and his choices in this instalment have an impact on others. It just leaves me feeling very frustrated with him.

In terms of pace, this felt a little slow in terms of plot. I’m not primarily concerned with a fast paced story but apart from a very good gritty and bleak start I thought this felt a little too much like it was progressing to something much bigger – something that will be continued in the next book.

I like the writing, I think McLean sets the scene well, it has a nasty dark realism feel that may be too near to the knuckle for some and certainly isn’t shy in terms of profanity. I didn’t really mind that, I thought it fit the circumstances and in fact would have been less convincing if it was cleaned up.

Overall, I am committed to continuing this series. I need to find out how the next part of the story progresses but I can’t deny that at the moment I’m at a bit of a low ebb in terms of Don Drake. I hope that the next books helps to redeem him somewhat.

Please note that Damnation is the third book in The Burned Man series and if you haven’t read books one and two then this review is highly likely to contain spoilers… I’m not kidding… seriously there is one in the first paragraph. Ok, consider yourself warned.

Shambolic demon-hunting hitman Don Drake is teetering on the edge of madness in this smart, witty urban fantasy novel.

Don Drake is living rough in a sink estate on the outskirts of Edinburgh, doing cheap spells for even cheaper customers while fending off the local lowlifes. Six months ago, Don fled from London to Glasgow to track down his old girlfriend Debbie the alchemist.

With the Burned Man gradually driving him mad, Don meets with an ancient and mysterious tramp-slash-magician, with disastrous consequences. Now his old accomplices must step into save Don from himself, before he damns himself for good this time.

The thing I like most about this book, and by extension this series, is Don Drake himself. You would think that someone who had the ability to control magic would be a bit more together. Not in this case. You can almost guarantee that if there is a wrong thing to say, Don will say it. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not malicious or evil, he is just capable of extreme thoughtlessness. It’s that singularly profound lack of engaging his brain that tends to lead Don into the vast majority of his troubles. His latest adventure is no exception.

Damnation begins on a downbeat note, roughly six months after the events at the end of Dominion. When we last left Don, he had managed to find himself in the employee of a rather vengeful Goddess. How does he react to this rather drastic change in circumstance? The only way he knows how; he does a runner. Don has reached what can best be considered rock bottom. He is a complete and utter mess. His previous life is in tatters and the only way he can avoid his mental companion, the Burned Man, is by seeking peace in chemical oblivion. We’re off to a good start. Think Trainspotting with added demons and you’re about halfway there. The seedier sides of my old stomping grounds, Edinburgh and Glasgow, even get a few mentions here and there.

Don’s relationship with Trixie continues to best be described as complicated. He knows he loves her but he is also completely terrified of her. Their interactions all seem perfectly gauged. Whenever they get a break from the near constant chaos that surrounds them, both neither know quite what to say to the other.

There is a new character introduced in this novel, a nasty old sort called Davey. Don meets him in a pub in Glasgow. I have to admit Davey reminded me a bit of my dad. Davey exhibits that same roguish charm as Don, and I enjoyed the scenes where they go toe to toe. I’m still trying to decide which one of the two has the filthiest mouth. We are talking epic amounts of profanity here. Those amongst you who blush easily may wish to block your ears and cover your eyes.

Historically Don has treated everyone he knows, including himself, badly. He has made decisions without considering potential consequences, and the results of his folly have had serious repercussions. I realised though that Damnation is ultimately a novel about finding redemption. Yes, Don may be a mess of a man, but there is a wonderful moment of epiphany where he suddenly accepts that and starts trying to move on. He finds something bigger than himself to believe in. By the end of the novel, Don has finally discovered a very specific direction in his life and he will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. I can’t wait to see how all this is going to play out. I can only hope there will be plenty of mayhem along the way, I rather suspect there will be. No one ever said being good was going to be easy.

If you’re looking for genteel, cheery urban fantasy then The Burned Man series is not for you. As I mentioned before there is lots of swearing, honestly, tons of it. There is bucket loads of violence. My personal favourite being the description of the one poor bystander who literally gets ripped in half. If you haven’t already guessed, let me confirm it for you, Peter McLean doesn’t play nice when it comes to his writing thats why I love it.

My music recommendation for Damnation had to be something suitably dark and brooding so I’ve gone with the video game soundtrack to Darkest Dungeon by Stuart Chatwood. C’mon… we’re talking angels, demons, magicians and mobsters here people. The music needed to properly reflect the mayhem in Don Drake’s less than normal life.

Damnation is published by Angry Robot Books and is available now. This is a cracking book that is part of a cracking series. Highly recommended.

The third tale in the Burned Man series and one that take the reader from the lows of previous events and the principle players descent into drugs as he struggles to come to terms with what has gone before.

Its well written, the lead character believable and you can understand how he has been shaped by previous titles. The writing is addictive, the prose apt and when you throw into the mix a kick ass plot that has our hero alongside his friends forced into a situation that no one likes, we get to see just how dark his world has become with his only light against it being used as a pawn. Future outings are going to see one hell of a reckoning (literally) and I for one can't wait to see how events will play out. Definitely a series to read with similar echoes to the Mike Carey Felix Castor series.

Finally whilst you can pick this up without having read previous outings, you really ought to as this title has a lesson in how to help your reader not only associate but root for the lead hero no matter how bleak things seem.

Once again I was lucky and got an ARC through Netgalley.

So... Damn, but isn't damnation one hell of a book! McLean really did take another step up with this one... I really loved the start, which was quite hard even for Don Drakes standards, and showed that you can always sink lower than you thought. I hope you are ok with strong language and seeing the worst end of modern life. I for one was hooked right away!

I was a bit annoyed in the middle part, as it was a bit much "Damn, but I loved her!" for me. If you follow my reviews, I do detest every tiny bit of romance in my fantasy though, so it might not feel much to you. And those thoughts are really all that happens on the romance front. So don't be afraid of this being a paranormal romance pretending to be noir, gritty fantasy. If it was for me, there'd be no love interest whatsoever on any fantasy book I read.

There were quite some twists, some leaving me with raised eyebrows and my chin on the ground! I love the direction the series is going - and I feel like it only really started finding it's direction with this installment.
Finally we really get to see some character growth. I already really liked Don, Trixie and the Burned Man in the first two books, but this one makes them more real, more "human" (or inhuman? Let's go with relatable...) to me. We also meet new characters, and you'll be in for a treat, I tell you!

The prose was like the other two books, just with quite a few more "fucks", so if you liked those, I'm sure you'll love this one! Fluent, and again told from Dons view I really enjoyed the ride.

And then... Then there is the end. I was sure this would be another 4 star review from me, until I got to the last 1/3. The pace picked up a lot, and I really couldn't put it down! I held my breath for quite some scenes, and was rewarded with the mother of all freaking cliffhangers... I knew it would end this way when I saw how few pages were left, but boy do I want to read the next book NOW! I need to know what happens next... The end really catapulted the book up to the full5 stars for me, and I can't stand the thought of having to wait so long to get some relief!

While I enjoy the first two books, I am now officially a fan of the series and can only tell you to go read it yourself, so you can suffer with me!

This book is a tough one for me. I like the series, but some of the narrative flavor is repetitive. I'm interested to see where Don is headed, particularly after that cliffhanger ending and the revelations about Don's genetic background. But I'm not sure I can go more than one more book at this point, to be honest. I'm not even particularly cheering for Don at this point. Ib don't need to "like" the character, but I'm not invested in his pursuits. He's a bit of a train wreck by design, but I'm not sure I care about anyone on the train.

On a positive note, I think the bones are good here--we get some background about several characters, we have some new roadblocks, new untrustworthy but mythologically familiar allies, and we're headed for a sunny...hot location for the next book. This is a two-parter, so I may need to finish the next book before I know if the arc works.