Customer Reviews

Caballistics, Inc #1: Hell on Earth

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Hell on Earth, the first of the Caballistics, Inc, Is by far one of the greatest new books out there. The Caballistics crew is hired by millionaire rock star Ethan Kostabi to investigate and solve paranormal events across the world. Sounds like a great job eh? perhaps not this time.
The experts on the strange and unusual are called to remote Boswell off the Yorkshire coast where events seem to be mirroring those of 1944 when the entire towns spontaneous combustion was covered up by the government.
Demons, murder, intrigue make for a superb read! Dont miss out

I liked the X-files TV show, so I thought I'd try this out.

Mike Wild's debut novel starts out in the 1940's with an entire village of people burning, all the while, there are two planes observing it, as well as a lone woman and her dog. Right away I ask myself: Why isn't she on fire, as well as the pilots?

Well it's observations like this, and the lack of clear-cut detail that detract me from absolutely loving this book. But it was a fairly fast-paced and well thought of novel. Definately different and somewhat original, too.

But it left me feeling somewhat flat. Like chinese food. After I devoured it, I almost felt like I forgot almost shortly later on what I just read.

High in the Swiss Alps is an imposing snow-capped mansion built with Mount Olympus in mind. Within resides Ethan Kostabi, owner of Caballistics, Inc. (among other things). The company was originally known as Department Q, a secret department within the British Ministry of Defense that was tasked with investigating the supernatural. Caballistics, Inc. currently has six employees, chosen by Kostabi. Jonathan Brand and Jennifer Simmons for their encyclopedic occult knowledge. (Jennifer is now much more than human.) Hannah Chapter and Lawrence Verse (an ex-priest) for their abilities with damage control and extermination expertise on the bizarre. Solomon Ravne because he had unique experience of the deepest arcane affairs. Michael Ness... well simply because this Scotsman is a psychopath and gets along with Ravne.

The residents of Boswell, in 1944, heard a thundering voice ordering them to "SHOW ME YOUR SINS". It was the last sound they ever heard. The people of Boswell spontaneously combusted. Their lifeless bodies were then reanimated and used like puppets. But Department Q handled the problem. Everything was covered up, sealed, and all known traces erased. It was over. Until now...

***** There are many stories about fallen angels and the possible upcoming of Judgement Day, but I must admit that this novel is the most entertaining one I have read to date. Author Mike Wild has created a cast of characters that I could not help but like. Each member of Caballistics, Inc. has something odd and unique about them. The owner of the company, Kostabi, is just as strange. I am hoping to learn more about the seven in future stories. The offices of Caballistics, Inc. is just too good for only a single visit. Excellent! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

This was a "Kindle blind fire," based on a publisher's list. And I'm glad I did. Fun, pulpy read. Highly recommended. Mike Wild, keep going on this series!

I was doing my monthly book shopping when I came across this interesting little number. I disregarded the old saying " Never judge a book by it's cover" and proceeded to purchase and read it.
"X-files crossed with da vinchi code ", it's more like "X-files crossed with a couple of bad Japaneses cartoons."

It's fast paced, quirky and interesting. On the contrary when you realize it reads as if it were written for Fanfictiondotnet and that writer is a 16 year old girl.. You'll begin to gather disdain for it.

As I said, it was interesting the first time I read it. Then I happened upon the source material behind the story and read those comics. Sadly to say, this failed to live up to the source material. creating a world with distinct differences from the comic. Some of the more noticeable being the inclusion of vampires in the novel, seeing as there are no vampires in the comic book world.
Then there are moments where the story just makes no plausible sense: Without spoiling the events of the book, let me simply say it takes an entire chapter for one of the main characters to fall to their death, using their neigh-impossible acrobatic abilities to prolong the inevitable , reveal a plot device and die from it and then they simply re-appear later in the story, unscathed.
This phenomena can only be related to as "Mary Sue-ism", which occurs far too many times throughout the progression of the story for my tastes.
Between the paranormal, the Nazis, the guns, aliens , popular culture and bad puns that make the reader cringe, it's a decent read, but it fails at being a really proper introduction to the Caballisitcs world.

I don't say avoid it, but approach it with caution.