Customer Reviews

Baptism By Fire Part I Empire

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Michael Stanton brings an action-packed street novel to the table in Baptism by Fire. Enter Don Starchild, a man behind bars awaiting his fate by the parole board. Upon his release he has an agenda to get into contact with his childhood friend, Troy Davis, aka, "Sosa," who is now drug kingpin of the streets. Don is on a mission to confront him for the 10 years that he spent in jail for a homicide that he did not commit. Sosa left him for the fall and Don has every intention of making him pay. Don confronts Sosa at his popular nightclub the very first night he is released from prison and robs him. Sosa feels his manhood and reputation are threatened and so begins the violent whirlwind of crime.

In an attempt to maintain his street tough name, Sosa must show that he cannot be crossed by making Don pay for his actions of stripping him of his dignity at his nightclub. However, Don skips town and Sosa is left to look even more foolish because he cannot find him-which leads him to murder Don's innocent younger brother.

Don has a plan to get to the bottom of his brother's murder and to get all who were involved. Alliances and respect from a powerful Columbian drug kingpin in Florida help him to raise an empire on the streets and build his own army of people thus giving Don the power to be a force in the game.

Don went into jail innocent, a man set up for a crime he did not commit. Will the act of revenge cause him to become a cold-blooded murderer? Will Sosa, his close childhood friend end up paying with his life? And with the violent turn Don's life has taken, will he survive "the fire" that he has to go through at the end?
This book is a quick page-turning read that is filled with plenty of action. I love the way the author conveys the "cold-gray eyes" of Don as the mirror to his soul and his cold actions in life. I definitely give this one two thumbs up as it was a very well-written urban lit novel.

Reviewed by Coulee Eidos
APOOO BookClub

"Wow"... is all I can say right now.

This is one of my favorite novels that I have read, thus far. The beginning captures your attention immediately, and holds you until the last page; leaving you wanting more and speechless...

Michael Stanton tells you the story and legacy of Don Starchild. This will be a six part series in which you will grow and love as you continue to read each one...

Don Starchild was dealt a low blow by one of his enforcers that used to be a part of his team- before he was set up. After serving ten years in Trenton State Prison, for a murder he did not commit, Don believed that Sosa owed him. His one-time friend and enforcer, Sosa, had set him up, hoping that he would gain some information to put him on a higher status, but that never happened. Things seem peaceful, until Sosa pulled a move with Don's younger brother, which then set a chain of events in motion. Everyone knew that Don was a thinker and that every move he made was well thought out. They also knew that you would not know what's going on, until it was too late. Don puts together a team and sets out to take over the streets but being smart about it as well. Treating people like they are beneath you will make them sooner or later try to kill you but, when everyone is family and everyone is eating - you will have a squad that will have your back through it all.
When Don's back is against the wall, he vows that he will not go back to being caged, and will hold trial in the streets. Could this be the end?


Stay tuned for Part Two - coming soon.

Mocha 'Kia'

[...]

Reviewed by Cherri Millard
UrbanBookSource.com

Upon opening this book you'll be drawn in by the prologue, which is brilliant! Great narrative, great wordplay, great dialogue and a great set up overall. Author Michael Stanton uses his prologue to set readers up for the other parts of his epic saga, which has six installments altogether. However, you'll be surprised that after the prologue the rest of this first book doesn't quite live up to the faith that one would have already built up upon reading the prologue. Truthfully, if this book did not contain the prologue, I would have probably experienced a better read altogether. With the prologue of this book, the bar was already set so high that I expected more than what I got.

Don Starchild is our main character serving 10 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit. He was arrested after police were tipped off to his possession of a gun that was previously used in a murder. What makes matters worst, the gun is given to Starchild by one of his closet comrades named, Sosa, and here the story slowly unfolds.

Don Starchild has served his 10 years and is ready to go home. Throughout his prison bid, Don has adapted to the prison itself. By that I mean, he has everything down to a science, from the time the lights go out at night to the exact time his cell door opens in the morning. There is a part in the book where he looks at his watch and starts to count down and by the time he reaches one, the prison lights are cut on. Same thing with his cell door, he gets dressed and walks through the front door, exactly on cue as if his cell door was touch/motion sensitive. Along with his impeccable sense of time he maintains extremely strict regimens. He works out daily, irons all his clothes with a crease, and when he isn't doing one of the aforementioned tasks he moonlights as a chemist, handling all his cocaine meticulously.

Cecil is the very close prison buddy of Don Starchild who is serving a life sentence. Don has to fight the urge to tell his good friend that he'll be released and will have to leave him behind. However, when Cecil learns of his buddy's impending release, he immediately detaches himself from Don.

Moments after Don is released he gets into a fight with a prison guard who is proceeding to his shift within the prison boundaries, inside the parking lot actually, where Jewel--Don's significant other--awaits him. The guard would end up on the ground unconscious.

Don escapes the prison grounds before anyone learns of the fight and the search for Sosa begins. Don makes visits to his old neighborhood and home where his secret stash has been since his lockup. At his former home he is greeted by a beautiful woman, Nydia, who lets him in to look around. This is a bit unrealistic, but nevertheless the author attempts to clear this up with his character thinking to himself: ". . . [Don] thought it was exceptionally peculiar how she invited him in her house without a fragment of worry . . . she was home alone and anything could happen . . . he wondered if she was this trusting with everyone that just knocked on her door out of the blue . . ." Don heads into the attic where his stash awaits him, all the while Nydia leading the way with no worries or concerns for her safety. She also offers him drinks and even sex which is a tad unbelieveable citing the fact that Starchild is a complete stranger to her.

Don and Sosa finally meet for the first time since his prison release and Sosa acts as if he isn't aware of what he had done to imprison his old friend. A timely prep for his vendetta with Sosa is in the works and Don uses every resource he has at his dispense, to make his hope a reality. It is at this time we are introduced to "Do-Dirty" a loyal street runner that Don recruits into his army as he makes his rise for the takeover. From his name alone you can imagine what Do-Dirty is about.

After Do-Dirty is recruited, the story takes a radical shift and we're back in prison with Cecil. Who gradually comes back to himself after going into a mental coma after Don's release from prison; he sets his mind on leaving the prison one way or the other, whether through legal technicalities or escape. From here on out the reader is taken on an unexpected but enjoyable ride.

Baptism By Fire gives off the impression of being intelligent, crafty and engaging. Early on this book contained everything that would define a 5-Star, highly recommended read, but as the plot unfolded it fell short of the innovative story I thought it would be from the opening. Nonetheless this is another decently written tale of the street. I only hope that Michael Stanton will give us something more than what was on the surface because I'm not sure how much of that we can take for another five books as advertised in the back of this one. I definitely look forward to reading the second installment, but if it comes short, I'm done with the Baptism series.

What did you like best about this book?
I loved the prologue, I can't stress this enough! It was one of the best openings of a book that I've read. The character traits and descriptions are blended nicely together. I also liked that the author doesn't use slang unnecessarily throughout the book, instead he used it sparingly in dialogue to give his characters depth without putting emphasis on it like most authors do.

I liked how the author demonstrated his history and research. Stanton goes so far as to explain the history of the New Jersey State Prison. He even tells you when the first stone was laid and who the first wardens were and even whom the first criminals were to be committed to the prison.

What did you dislike about this book?
The sex scenes could have been improved; they were mirrors of the earliest ones described in the book; The same sex scenes with the same people, not sure if readers need to read about characters having sex multiple times with each other.

There were also missing punctuation marks. But I guess they are better missing than placed in the wrong place. Minor tense issues stuck out as well.

How can the author improve this book?
The author should use whatever it was that allowed the sleek and crafty execution of the prologue.

Ten years ago, Sosa's deceptive carelessness sent the notorious Don
Starchild to prison for a crime he didn't commit. Back on the streets, Don is out for revenge and will stop at nothing to bring Sosa down. Thus, the battle begins.

Michael Stanton's BAPTISM BY FIRE follows Don's re-entry into the
criminal lifestyle that landed him in prison in the first place, conveying the message to readers that Don Starchild is not to be messed with. He is seemingly an invincible, chameleon-like criminal mastermind, which doesn't bode well for Sosa or anyone else who gets in his way.

Stanton spins a gritty tale worthy of being called Urban Fiction. I
thought some of the events were unrealistic, but the author's
ability to set the stage for an upcoming sequel was appreciated. One
thing to note though, are the many editing issues throughout the
book.

Reviewed by T. Shelly B.
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

Micheal Stanton lit up the game of survival, revenge, and fate all in one action packed urban street novel. Baptism By Fire is a true page turner that will have you on edge and guessing whats next from cover to cover.
After serving 10 years in prison for a crime that he did not commit. Don Starchild was released with intentions of finding (Sosa)the childhood friend who set him up. Don finally caught up with Sosa at a nightclub. After making Sosa look stupid in his own club. Sosa then wanted revenge and decided to use Don's brother to get to him, but his brother was killed in the process. Now revenge is taken to another level.
Don builds a empire with new soldiers and the help of a Columbian cartel in honor of his brother and the need for power.
Will Don's taste for sweet revenge get him caught up through the heat of it all?

Don Starchild was sentenced to ten years in prison for a murder that he didn't commit. He found out that he was set up by his childhood friend Sosa. Don is soon released from prison and vows revenge on Sosa for sending him to prison. Things get personal when Don's brother is caught in the crossfire of this raging street war. Don tries to rebuild his drug empire to its former glory before he got locked up but his girlfriend Jewel doesn't agree with this. Don is forced into a bloody drug war that leaves many casualties . But will Don make it out alive?

Baptism By Fire is an absorbing novel by Michael Stanton. Stanton draws the reader into the world of Don Starchild from his last days in prison to his release on the streets. This story really picks up after Don is on the streets and he and Sosa goes to war. There are fast-paced action sequences in this story that will keep readers on their toes. There will be subsequent installments to this story but with the way this novel ended, it's hard to imagine how this will continue. Baptism By Fire is a fascinating novel that delves into what it means to survive on the streets.

Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert
for Urban Reviews