It is with a heavy heart I am throwing in the towel and putting Apocalypse Alley in my DNF pile. Now before anyone jumps to conclusions that the book was bad, let me make it clear, this is a me not the book issue. I normally will push through and keep reading. However, when I find myself still struggling after a week and still haven’t made any headway, I will admit defeat.

Why was this book so hard for me? I used to be a big reader of Sci-Fi and have dabbled in Steampunk every now and then, so it should have been a shoe-in. Honestly, I think it’s because I am jumping into this series without having read the first book. I didn’t get the characters or the world they live in. Usually, this isn’t an issue because either I figure it out or the author provides backstory. Comet started out interesting, but I found myself having to re-read the beginning a few times because I wasn’t retaining what was going on with him after I would stop reading.

Like I said it’s a me not the book problem. Once I give it some time, I may try reading Apocalypse Alley in the future but next time I will read The Glamour Thieves first.


I received this book from The JeepDiva with the express purpose of an honest review. The opinions, contents, and rating of this review are solely mine

reviewed by Jac

I loved The Glamour Thieves, but, unfortunately, this book didn’t quite hit the mark for me the way the first one did.

For one thing, I didn’t love the new main characters. Buzz was a hacker and criminal. Comet was a soldier. They were both very rough around the edges and flawed. They seem like characters I should’ve loved, but their personalities fell flat for me. Also, one thing I loved about JT and Austin was their supernatural statuses, but these guys were human (albeit very modified to be kind of more than human, in Comet’s case). But they were very loyal to those they considered friends, so they were likeable for that reason.

Another issue I had was that the romance felt rushed and instalove-y, and I didn’t feel chemistry between them. Also, there was significantly less on-screen sex compared to Book 1 (still some though, plus lots of raunchy thoughts and remarks about it), which was fine, except that the sex that was there felt forced into the story. And just a warning, it was kind of dub-con.

I have mixed feelings about the world-building and tech stuff. On the one hand, I loved the cyberpunk, high-tech, futuristic world. It was super complex and creative. It’s just that sometimes it was so complex and creative that it lost me a bit. But I can appreciate the way the author just fully immerses you in the world rather than explaining every little thing since all that explanation would definitely slow things down. And honestly it’s not necessary to understand every detail in order to imagine your own version of things and have a general understanding of what’s happening.

As for the plot, it was super action-packed. This was a short book, but it packed quite a punch action-wise. There were fights and chases and explosions.

I guess my overall thoughts are that what I loved about the first book was JT and Austin’s POVs and all the angsty emotion and sexual tension in their history-filled romance, but this book didn’t have those things, and it ended up not working as well for me. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be perfect for other people or that other people won’t end up liking Buzz and Comet! And JT and Austin are still part of the story and will be back as POV characters in the third book from what I understand. So if you enjoyed the first book, I do recommend continuing.

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Home from a six-month assignment to war-torn East Asia, genetically engineered supersoldier Noah "Comet" Wu just wants to kick back, share a beer, and talk shit with his best friend, JT. But JT's home has been shot up like a war zoars out of 5ne, and his friend has gone missing.

Comet's only lead is a smart-mouthed criminal he finds amid the mess. His name's Buzz Howdy. He's a con man and a hacker and deserves to be in jail. Or in handcuffs, at least. The only thing the two have in common is JT. Unless you count the steamy glances they're sneaking at one another. They have those in common too. But that just makes Comet all the more wary.

Despite their mutual distrust, they'll have to work together to rescue JT before a cyborg assassin gets to him first. Racing down a miserable stretch of road called Apocalypse Alley, they must dodge radioactive spiders, a lonely cannibal, and a killer Buick. They also try to dodge each other. That last bit doesn't work out so well.

When I last put down  The Glamour Thieves (Blue Unicorn #1), the first story in this amazing series, JT, Austin, and his elf lover were headed to his  home that he shares with the teenage orc he's mentoring having stirred up more trouble and uncovered even more disturbing information after freeing the virtual intelligence known as the Blue Unicorn.  Trust me, you need to read that story.  One, it's a dynamite adventure tale and two, without it, you will be lost diving into this one.

I love Apocalypse Alley but the truth is you won't get a solid foundation of the world or overall series ARC without reading The Glamour Thieves first.  This story and series builds upon each other like building blocks and you can't enter midway point.  It's like being dropped on a warped yellow brick road and not knowing you're headed to Oz.  Not that you're all that sure of your destination here.  So many twists  and turns await you!

And it all happens at break-neck speed.  What an adrenaline rush.  I had to read it twice to gather together all the story threads and hints I missed the first time.  Props btw to Allmon for creating a character with the name of Urushiol.  As a park naturalist/Ranger, I'm highly familiar with this chemical compound as is anyone who's come in contact with poison ivy.  I laughed myself silly when I saw that name.  Perfect in every way.  Anyhow, from the moment the story opens we start picking up speed as Comet returns expecting to find JT waiting to pick him up at the airport and  goes looking for him when he doesn't show.  Each scene as Comet interacts with both Buzz Howdy (we've met him before) and others foe and friend gives the readers more information about the man.

Buzz is a known entity but we get into his head and yes heart here.  He falls for  Comet, quick yes, but you can see how and why it happens.

But mostly it's a race.  A race to keep ahead of some of the worse villains out there, a race to find JT and crew, a race to stay alive...all in heart pounding, white knuckle...go all out scenes.  It's wildly imaginative, horrifying, and incredibly suspenseful.  Did I say I loved it?  And just when you think it's safe...a surprising twist shows up at the end that makes you want to go back and read books one and two again to see if there was anyway you could have seen this coming.  And now I need The Burning Magus (Blue Unicorn #3 to come out in the worst possible way.

So, yes, I  absolutely recommend this series.  It's one wild  ride.  It has great characters, it's gritty, suspenseful, full of twists and turns and more plots threads then you can shake a VR stick with.  It's even got love such as it is.  But you need to start with The Glamour Thieves and then to Apocalypse Alley.  I'll be waiting for you at The Burning Magus!

Cover by: Simoné. I love these covers.  Perfect in everyway from the tone and characters.

A sign of how much we both enjoyed the book is that we rushed to the nearest messenger program after finishing it to discuss it. What follows is an edited transcript of that conversation. The reactions are real. The long discursive digressions about the nature of reality are real. The verdict is final. Some emojis may have been removed. This is buddy review.

Edwin: So we both really loved the first book of this series, The Glamour Thieves, right?

Alex: Yup. Loved. Unequivocally.

Edwin: In fact, it was one of my favourite books of last year. Apocalypse Alley is obvious the same sort of aesthetic, but the whole thing is played for laughs a bit more. And I think it’s really effective. Like a day-glo 80s that never existed. If book 1 was Mad Max, this one was Beyond Thunderdome; just lacking a Tina Turner cameo! More than this, I think the style of worldbuilding was incredible. So, not all great art is photorealistic, right? A sketch of a few strokes can be as evocative as hyperrealistic landscapes or portraits. This is the sketch school of worldbuilding. The gestures Allmon makes, the whole aesthetic of the thing, tell you how the world feels so completely without ever being given a lot of details about the world.

Alex: Missing a Tina Turner cameo? Wait, are you…ooooh…aaaand now I’m picturing her as the book two baddie, Valentine. But back to your point. Yes. Allmon is really very clever in the way he writes as if to assume you’re in on the joke. And in the building up of it. Not only is it clever but it’s a very trusting way to write.I think it means a lot about who he is as an author that he assumes he has credible, clever readers. Which he has, obviously.

Edwin: At the same time, I think this may mean the book *really* doesn’t work for some people? If you don’t vibe with the sense of humour, the retro-futurism, and the style of worldbuilding, I think this could be quite inaccessible.

Alex: Inaccessible? Dunno. To your point–responses I’ve received from my waxing lyrical on the topic of sexy orcs, is evidence the subject matter isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Then again, the folks I know who have sipped this particular tea have been surprised by their own enjoyment of it. Take me, for example…I’m not the SFF reader you are (though I do enjoy it). I’ve never played an RPG online or otherwise. I don’t play video games. I’m not “in the know” about these things but this is fun!. More than that, between the fast pace, the character building, the humor, and the tension of a world that is both gritty and lush, I find this series both accessible and welcoming. When I say this, I mean, for beyond this book. It might sound weird but I’ve always found the gamers pretty intimidating. Maybe it’s the queer aspect of this work but after reading this series, I’m left feeling like my barriers to a world previously inaccessible to me (RPG’s, sims, video games) have been lowered.

Edwin: Do you think that fast pace can be a problem, though? We just jump right in where the previous book ended, with Comet arriving at JT’s car yard and finding it trashed, and Dante missing. There’s no easing you in.

Alex: Funny you should say that because there was no easing into The Glamour Thieves. I usually like to be led gently through a new world, introduced to characters in some gentle, civilized manner. That did not happen here. This shouldn’t work but it does. From start to finish, it is all action. There is no time for reflection. There is little bother with exposition. It is a Disneyland ride. No…back-to-back rides with no time to catch your breath. But because these novels are fairly short, it really works. Just don’t think about the fact that so much happens in so little time and that Buzz is neither an orc, an elf, or even an enhanced human; he’s a hacker in a regular human body. On that point, my suspension of disbelief did get stretched but, to be honest, I hardly minded. And speaking of the orc-human-elf continuum, I found the ongoing narrative about identity–and crafted identity–fascinating.

Edwin: I think part of that is down to the characterisation? We get such efficient portrayals of Comet, Buzz, and the background characters that we don’t quite notice being dropped into the narrative cold. We learn about Buzz’s past with his 3djinn hacker crowd, Comet’s history as, essentially, a mystic, who ends up a mercenary, and all their friends and associated on the fly, as the world whizzes past Comet’s bike. Again, the skill involved here is remarkable. I think even if it doesn’t quite work for you, the craft is worthy of respect.

Alex: And that’s another piece of this I find so inspiring. On the one hand, these characters are fully fleshed out. On the other hand, just about every character is a fabrication of themselves. Only Austin goes by his own name. Comet is Noah. JT is now Jason. Even Buzz, whom I suspect had a different birth name becomes Shaggy. It so closely resembles my own queer experience in choosing a name that matches my identity. It’s a powerful way to become yourself. But in this case, the identities are created by others. “Shaggy” comes from Comet. “Jason” comes from Buzz. “Buzz” may very well come from 3djinn. And in this world where each humanoid had been human less than fifty years prior, it’s an interesting question on how our identities–considered indisputable and inherent by many–are shaped by others. Ultimately, this is on the border of crack fiction but the ideas resonate with me.

Edwin: Right? This could so easily have all gone wrong, but it stays just the right side of silly. And, in fact, as well as the fun, I liked how our cast gets us to reflect on what a fundamentally dangerous & not decent world does to fundamentally decent people. All of our heroes in both Blue Unicorn books – Buzz, Comet, JT, Austin have damage, all are shown to have pretty good motivations, but their environment has made them unwilling or unable to show it except in contingent ways. We see this in the way Buzz feels able to show affection to Comet, and also in the deeply contingent relationship between Comet and Duke.

Alex: Wasn’t that also the path taken by JT and Austin? That doesn’t make any of their emotions less relevant. And when they do show up for each other, it’s unquestioning. That’s where this book starts. Comet shows up to meet his best friend Jason (JT) only to find his place shot up. No question Comet is coming after him. In parallel, there is no question Buzz is on the same path. Just to make it more complex, Duke backing them both but in a way that neither particularly feels as if doing so is their choice any longer. And, oh man…Duke. For a tough guy, his love for Comet was overwhelming. I mean, he scared me. I was intimidated, no doubt. But wow. Duke. What an antihero. At the time I was reading their backstory, I was struck by the choices he made in rebuilding Comet — and that one way he did so, which was ultimately for Comet’s pleasure.

Edwin: But. But. *Comet* didn’t see it that way. He saw Duke as playing god with his body. Which it also was.

Alex: Point taken. Still–not choices I’d expect a mob king to make.

Edwin: Can we talk a bit about Duke? He doesn’t have that much time on screen, but goddamn does he pretty much steal the show. Just exudes danger. I don’t know if I’d call him a good man, but neither is he a bad one. Loyal to his people, but demanding of them, and incredibly dangerous to those who threaten he and his. Reminds me quite a lot of Jeff Mann’s fantastic leather daddy vampire Derek Maclaine, actually (if you haven’t read Desire & Devour and Insatiable you really should). Righteous gay rage and lust personified.

Alex: Sigh. My TBR just got longer. Alas, back to Duke. [Deletes several paragraphs of our discussion in which we layout serious Duke fanfiction.] I would very much welcome his epic novel. Did you notice how his entrance coincided with a world in which digital simulation was the norm? This wove throughout this book. We get Allmon’s exploration of the benefits of digital communications. We see characters replaying a ‘scene’ that already happened–it gets repeated over and over, agonized over, reinterpreted. Isn’t this the new paradox? Information comes at lighting speed but with this advancement of technology, we have time to process and edit almost instantaneously too, which gives more time for a considered, polished response or even. There’s at least one scene that outright re-invented reality in the form of extensive edits, cosplay, or substituting an honest, emotional response to a message with self-created porn (there was a motorcycle involved and it was awesome). In person, it’s very difficult to fake a response but, in a digital world? The lure to manipulate the response to a different end proves difficult, to pass up. This happens all the time in social media. What I found so charming in this case is the way Allmon played it, these identities are fictions within fictions but there even in that, they remain authentic.

Edwin: Another aspect of this I thought was really effective was the insertion of projections onto real life seamlessly. There are a couple of scenes in the book where we don’t know at least half the people in the room are actually digital projections everyone is seeing in their neural hardware.

Alex: It’s also great how the hacktivists Buzz runs with use that malleability of reality to try to influence Buzz to act in particular ways, even though he’s one of them.

Edwin: I really like that, too. Kind of a callback to WikiLeaks: leaking isn’t just about justice and speaking truth to power, it’s telling a particular story the leaker (and possibly the original source, too) wants to be told.

Alex: Yes. But I like how that point wasn’t crammed in either. You get that notion out of the narrative without it being forced.

Edwin: If there’s an overriding theme to the book I think it’s one of how reality is entirely contingent on perception. Apocalypse Alley is largely about perception and how different actions look depending on context.That’s stated explicitly in a couple of places, but it also runs thematically throughout the book.

Alex: It definitely plays a major role in the development of Buzz and Comet’s relationship. If they weren’t forced together, if they didn’t have to deal with the grim reality of being hunted, they would not have sought each other out. When contemplating the what comes next, there is real consideration of whether they exist together in the real world or how it might work with some virtual reality. The latter isn’t outright negated but because Comet is enhanced and Buzz practically lives in an alternate reality, their future together is demonstrated by how each responds to that question: what is real?

Edwin: So…negatives? Obviously, we both really liked the book, but it isn’t perfect. I do think the pace was a bit unrelenting to the point you didn’t have time to stop and think. And if I was churlish, this is also getting really close to Shadowrun in its world-building (though I like Shadowrun, and I loved the 90s Shadowrun books, so I don’t have a huge problem with that).

Alex: I didn’t mind the pace. In fact, I liked it. That said, it wouldn’t have worked in a larger novel nor was it believable the characters could keep up that pace given the timeline. Also, Dante Riggs was a non-character. She has the feel of an anti-hero but in her baby teen state, she is neither interesting enough nor enough of a brat, to hook me. More seriously, the climactic action was rushed and disappointingly out of proportion given the badassness of evil cyborg assassin, Valentine, and her fleet of murder cars Valentine.

Edwin: Yes, the miniboss was harder than the boss! Though I believe the disappointing boss just ran off to another castle, rather than be defeated (i.e., is going to be the main antagonist for book 3). All of this is quibbling, though. Ultimately I had masses of fun with this book. I want more people to read this. It’s dirty & profane & anarchic & loving and revels in its own silliness.

Alex: Yes — all of this. Apocalypse Alley is so silly, so fun. So whimsical and clever. So dirty and grimy and so very loving. For those, like me, who aren’t gamers, aren’t into cosplay, who wouldn’t have thought the two words sexy orcs belonged together, who might read the blurb, consider the genre, and think this book might not be for you…consider picking it up anyway. This one might surprise you.

A sign of how much we both enjoyed the book is that we rushed to the nearest messenger program after finishing it to discuss it. What follows is an edited transcript of that conversation. The reactions are real. The long discursive digressions about the nature of reality are real. The verdict is final. Some emojis may have been removed. This is buddy review.

Edwin: So we both really loved the first book of this series, The Glamour Thieves, right?

Alex: Yup. Loved. Unequivocally.

Edwin: In fact, it was one of my favourite books of last year. Apocalypse Alley is obvious the same sort of aesthetic, but the whole thing is played for laughs a bit more. And I think it’s really effective. Like a day-glo 80s that never existed. If book 1 was Mad Max, this one was Beyond Thunderdome; just lacking a Tina Turner cameo! More than this, I think the style of worldbuilding was incredible. So, not all great art is photorealistic, right? A sketch of a few strokes can be as evocative as hyperrealistic landscapes or portraits. This is the sketch school of worldbuilding. The gestures Allmon makes, the whole aesthetic of the thing, tell you how the world feels so completely without ever being given a lot of details about the world.

Alex: Missing a Tina Turner cameo? Wait, are you…ooooh…aaaand now I’m picturing her as the book two baddie, Valentine. But back to your point. Yes. Allmon is really very clever in the way he writes as if to assume you’re in on the joke. And in the building up of it. Not only is it clever but it’s a very trusting way to write.I think it means a lot about who he is as an author that he assumes he has credible, clever readers. Which he has, obviously.

Edwin: At the same time, I think this may mean the book *really* doesn’t work for some people? If you don’t vibe with the sense of humour, the retro-futurism, and the style of worldbuilding, I think this could be quite inaccessible.

Alex: Inaccessible? Dunno. To your point–responses I’ve received from my waxing lyrical on the topic of sexy orcs, is evidence the subject matter isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Then again, the folks I know who have sipped this particular tea have been surprised by their own enjoyment of it. Take me, for example…I’m not the SFF reader you are (though I do enjoy it). I’ve never played an RPG online or otherwise. I don’t play video games. I’m not “in the know” about these things but this is fun!. More than that, between the fast pace, the character building, the humor, and the tension of a world that is both gritty and lush, I find this series both accessible and welcoming. When I say this, I mean, for beyond this book. It might sound weird but I’ve always found the gamers pretty intimidating. Maybe it’s the queer aspect of this work but after reading this series, I’m left feeling like my barriers to a world previously inaccessible to me (RPG’s, sims, video games) have been lowered.

Edwin: Do you think that fast pace can be a problem, though? We just jump right in where the previous book ended, with Comet arriving at JT’s car yard and finding it trashed, and Dante missing. There’s no easing you in.

Alex: Funny you should say that because there was no easing into The Glamour Thieves. I usually like to be led gently through a new world, introduced to characters in some gentle, civilized manner. That did not happen here. This shouldn’t work but it does. From start to finish, it is all action. There is no time for reflection. There is little bother with exposition. It is a Disneyland ride. No…back-to-back rides with no time to catch your breath. But because these novels are fairly short, it really works. Just don’t think about the fact that so much happens in so little time and that Buzz is neither an orc, an elf, or even an enhanced human; he’s a hacker in a regular human body. On that point, my suspension of disbelief did get stretched but, to be honest, I hardly minded. And speaking of the orc-human-elf continuum, I found the ongoing narrative about identity–and crafted identity–fascinating.

Edwin: I think part of that is down to the characterisation? We get such efficient portrayals of Comet, Buzz, and the background characters that we don’t quite notice being dropped into the narrative cold. We learn about Buzz’s past with his 3djinn hacker crowd, Comet’s history as, essentially, a mystic, who ends up a mercenary, and all their friends and associated on the fly, as the world whizzes past Comet’s bike. Again, the skill involved here is remarkable. I think even if it doesn’t quite work for you, the craft is worthy of respect.

Alex: And that’s another piece of this I find so inspiring. On the one hand, these characters are fully fleshed out. On the other hand, just about every character is a fabrication of themselves. Only Austin goes by his own name. Comet is Noah. JT is now Jason. Even Buzz, whom I suspect had a different birth name becomes Shaggy. It so closely resembles my own queer experience in choosing a name that matches my identity. It’s a powerful way to become yourself. But in this case, the identities are created by others. “Shaggy” comes from Comet. “Jason” comes from Buzz. “Buzz” may very well come from 3djinn. And in this world where each humanoid had been human less than fifty years prior, it’s an interesting question on how our identities–considered indisputable and inherent by many–are shaped by others. Ultimately, this is on the border of crack fiction but the ideas resonate with me.

Edwin: Right? This could so easily have all gone wrong, but it stays just the right side of silly. And, in fact, as well as the fun, I liked how our cast gets us to reflect on what a fundamentally dangerous & not decent world does to fundamentally decent people. All of our heroes in both Blue Unicorn books – Buzz, Comet, JT, Austin have damage, all are shown to have pretty good motivations, but their environment has made them unwilling or unable to show it except in contingent ways. We see this in the way Buzz feels able to show affection to Comet, and also in the deeply contingent relationship between Comet and Duke.

Alex: Wasn’t that also the path taken by JT and Austin? That doesn’t make any of their emotions less relevant. And when they do show up for each other, it’s unquestioning. That’s where this book starts. Comet shows up to meet his best friend Jason (JT) only to find his place shot up. No question Comet is coming after him. In parallel, there is no question Buzz is on the same path. Just to make it more complex, Duke backing them both but in a way that neither particularly feels as if doing so is their choice any longer. And, oh man…Duke. For a tough guy, his love for Comet was overwhelming. I mean, he scared me. I was intimidated, no doubt. But wow. Duke. What an antihero. At the time I was reading their backstory, I was struck by the choices he made in rebuilding Comet — and that one way he did so, which was ultimately for Comet’s pleasure.

Edwin: But. But. *Comet* didn’t see it that way. He saw Duke as playing god with his body. Which it also was.

Alex: Point taken. Still–not choices I’d expect a mob king to make.

Edwin: Can we talk a bit about Duke? He doesn’t have that much time on screen, but goddamn does he pretty much steal the show. Just exudes danger. I don’t know if I’d call him a good man, but neither is he a bad one. Loyal to his people, but demanding of them, and incredibly dangerous to those who threaten he and his. Reminds me quite a lot of Jeff Mann’s fantastic leather daddy vampire Derek Maclaine, actually (if you haven’t read Desire & Devour and Insatiable you really should). Righteous gay rage and lust personified.

Alex: Sigh. My TBR just got longer. Alas, back to Duke. [Deletes several paragraphs of our discussion in which we layout serious Duke fanfiction.] I would very much welcome his epic novel. Did you notice how his entrance coincided with a world in which digital simulation was the norm? This wove throughout this book. We get Allmon’s exploration of the benefits of digital communications. We see characters replaying a ‘scene’ that already happened–it gets repeated over and over, agonized over, reinterpreted. Isn’t this the new paradox? Information comes at lighting speed but with this advancement of technology, we have time to process and edit almost instantaneously too, which gives more time for a considered, polished response or even. There’s at least one scene that outright re-invented reality in the form of extensive edits, cosplay, or substituting an honest, emotional response to a message with self-created porn (there was a motorcycle involved and it was awesome). In person, it’s very difficult to fake a response but, in a digital world? The lure to manipulate the response to a different end proves difficult, to pass up. This happens all the time in social media. What I found so charming in this case is the way Allmon played it, these identities are fictions within fictions but there even in that, they remain authentic.

Edwin: Another aspect of this I thought was really effective was the insertion of projections onto real life seamlessly. There are a couple of scenes in the book where we don’t know at least half the people in the room are actually digital projections everyone is seeing in their neural hardware.

Alex: It’s also great how the hacktivists Buzz runs with use that malleability of reality to try to influence Buzz to act in particular ways, even though he’s one of them.

Edwin: I really like that, too. Kind of a callback to WikiLeaks: leaking isn’t just about justice and speaking truth to power, it’s telling a particular story the leaker (and possibly the original source, too) wants to be told.

Alex: Yes. But I like how that point wasn’t crammed in either. You get that notion out of the narrative without it being forced.

Edwin: If there’s an overriding theme to the book I think it’s one of how reality is entirely contingent on perception. Apocalypse Alley is largely about perception and how different actions look depending on context.That’s stated explicitly in a couple of places, but it also runs thematically throughout the book.

Alex: It definitely plays a major role in the development of Buzz and Comet’s relationship. If they weren’t forced together, if they didn’t have to deal with the grim reality of being hunted, they would not have sought each other out. When contemplating the what comes next, there is real consideration of whether they exist together in the real world or how it might work with some virtual reality. The latter isn’t outright negated but because Comet is enhanced and Buzz practically lives in an alternate reality, their future together is demonstrated by how each responds to that question: what is real?

Edwin: So…negatives? Obviously, we both really liked the book, but it isn’t perfect. I do think the pace was a bit unrelenting to the point you didn’t have time to stop and think. And if I was churlish, this is also getting really close to Shadowrun in its world-building (though I like Shadowrun, and I loved the 90s Shadowrun books, so I don’t have a huge problem with that).

Alex: I didn’t mind the pace. In fact, I liked it. That said, it wouldn’t have worked in a larger novel nor was it believable the characters could keep up that pace given the timeline. Also, Dante Riggs was a non-character. She has the feel of an anti-hero but in her baby teen state, she is neither interesting enough nor enough of a brat, to hook me. More seriously, the climactic action was rushed and disappointingly out of proportion given the badassness of evil cyborg assassin, Valentine, and her fleet of murder cars Valentine.

Edwin: Yes, the miniboss was harder than the boss! Though I believe the disappointing boss just ran off to another castle, rather than be defeated (i.e., is going to be the main antagonist for book 3). All of this is quibbling, though. Ultimately I had masses of fun with this book. I want more people to read this. It’s dirty & profane & anarchic & loving and revels in its own silliness.

Alex: Yes — all of this. Apocalypse Alley is so silly, so fun. So whimsical and clever. So dirty and grimy and so very loving. For those, like me, who aren’t gamers, aren’t into cosplay, who wouldn’t have thought the two words sexy orcs belonged together, who might read the blurb, consider the genre, and think this book might not be for you…consider picking it up anyway. This one might surprise you.

Over the top world with nifty tech and crazy characters make "Apocalypse Alley" one interesting ride of a read.

A very interesting and entertaining book, well written with great characters!

I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the the Glamour Thieves. The adrenaline rush and cool tech world is still there but there was almost too much of it being thrown at the reader rapid fire. It was hard to get a handle on it while also alternating with (much needed) background information and character devlopment coming at me.

Apocalypse Alley also follows a more traditional romance formula than in TGT yet Comet and Buzz didn't resonate with me as much as JT and Austin did in book #1.

Having said that, I like the authors balls to the wall writing style even if not all of it worked for me. It was still a thrilling ride and I'm looking forward to the next book.

Review goes live on the blog as part of the book tour on Feb 27 and will show up on Goodreads sometime later.

In a Flutter: Yummiest combo!
Fluttering Thoughts:
Worldbuilding: Futuristic Arizona, Greentown setting, with some Las Vegas visiting and a whole lotta post-apocalyptic scenery. I love the tech world with orcs, elves, magic, sorcereds, druids, drakes too!
Characters: Uuuuu, Comet seems yummy from page 1. The Duke thing was a bit weird but it worked since it was mild. I like how alpha Comet is, very intense kind of guy and fun. The passionate cyborgy dude that has a moral code and techy enhancements. How much cooler can it get?
I’ll tell you how much cooler: Buzz, the riot. He’s kind of sweet and pretty loyal, which I always like; plus, geek chic galore, because the guy is a mad skills hacker of doom. And he has this vulnerable side that is just so damn cute!
They had very hot chemistry and super hot one on one, with some virtual reality moments which made everything cooler ofc.
I also loved to see some JT and Austin xD
Plot: The hot romantic arc was entertaining. The story outside of the romance has lots of action and vivid, immersive fighting scenes.
Writing: Third person, past tense narrative, his/his POV. I really enjoyed both of their voices.
Curb Appeal: Cool cover, hooking blurb – Sci-Fi/Paranormal Romance impulsive buy material.

Can’t wait for the next adventure in this world! I recommend Apocalypse Alley to fans of post-apocalyptic worlds with techy stuff and paranormal woven in, of snappy action with lots of humor and yummy hotness to boot.

3.5

Honestly, I didn't love this one like I did The Glamour Thieves. I liked it just fine, but there was no love. I still got a thrill out of Allmon's world and there is a lot of humor in the book that tickled me and I really like the writing style, but the romance literally goes from gun-to-the-head-of-a-stranger to in love in, less than six hours. There is just no way to make that work for me, even if the two go through some heavy stuff together. Almost especially if they go through a storm together, because then you have to sort what feelings are just leftover from the experience and what is real. The book doesn't even touch on that little psychological reality.

Plus, the book just never stops. There are no rest points in the narrative and I, personally, needed them. And lastly JT and Austin are hardly in the book and I missed them.

Having said all that, I'll still be on board for book three. This might not have shown like the star book one was, but it is still a fun read and I look forward to more of Allmon's work.

I loved this crazy stuff. It is WAY Over The Top, but the characters were fun (plus we met Buzz in the last book) and the great cyberpunk/Shadowrun feel was something I haven't seen in decades and sorely missed. The mix of magic and human, elves, and trolls with cyberware is something I've always loved and Mr. Allmon, despite his Michael Bay tendencies (Fighting on top of a fleet of moving cars?! Come on! Only just barely acceptable because the cars were all cybernetically linked to one pilot.), did a great job with it.

Comet and Buzz didn't have the most auspicious beginning, guns and handcuffs-not-for-fun, but they fell into respect and then into love so it worked well enough for me. Not to mention they both went, "I just met this guy! And he did this, that, and the other thing to me! How can I love him?" Because of JT and Austen from the last book (we're talking a slow burn that STILL hasn't figured itself out) I was okay with the just-about-insta-love in this book. (When it isn't the author's go-to it works, because it does sometimes happen in real life.)

Just a wild ride that any pen and paper or video gamer would love!