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The Judas Files #1
The Nine
Gabe is recruited to join the most dangerous organization the world has never heard about. As a double agent he has to fight within their ranks to stop them, all with no training, no experience and no support. If he’s caught, they will tear him apart. But that’s not the real twist.
Gabe is dead, he lives in Hell and Judas Iscariot just became his new boss.
Judas assigns Gabe a beautiful new partner with plans to sow a disease that could wipe out the modern world. Without revealing his true identity, he must find a way to deal with insect wielding super agents, firestorms, and worst of all, the nauseating envisage travel to get Topside to save the earth.
Gabe is dead, he lives in Hell and Judas Iscariot just became his new boss.
Judas assigns Gabe a beautiful new partner with plans to sow a disease that could wipe out the modern world. Without revealing his true identity, he must find a way to deal with insect wielding super agents, firestorms, and worst of all, the nauseating envisage travel to get Topside to save the earth.
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First published January 1, 2019
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About the author
C.G. Harris
22 books28 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
May 14, 2020
THE NINE is a story ablaze with opposites like an inferno fed with two types of wood—one of humorous wit and the other of disturbing sinfulness. The unique combination of Fantasy Humor and Dark Fantasy kept me intrigued and turning the pages, resulting in 5 fiery stars!
On the serious side, the story of main character Gabe Gantry is also a tale of opposing forces: condemnation and redemption.
Despite his hellish behavior when he lived on Earth, Gabe has secured his niche in The Nine—which is hard to do on the ninth level of Hell where the worst-of-the-worst are condemned to exist. With his black-market shop, he trades goods from the Topside (Earth) for secrets in the underworld. Which means he has connections.
Once a one-man operation, Gabe is hired by the head of the underworld's Judas Agency to serve as a double agent, tasked with the opposite of what you might expect: to disrupt evil operations targeted for the Topside. To complicate matters, he gets entangled with two women: Stray (whose temporary amnesia conceals her horrid past) and Alex (his partner at the agency whose horrid past is never forgotten).
When expectations from his new relationships compete for his attention and everything is on the brink of crashing-and-burning or freezing over, will Gabe finally be the man he never was on Earth? Or will he lay low and stick to business as usual?
On the humorous side, the story glows with funny narratives and witty banter. Here’s an example of one of the many passages (narrated by Gabe in Hell) that made me smile:
I highly recommend this five-star read! Can't wait for Book 2! (And I also love the cover of this book!)
I received a signed paperback for a fair and honest review!
On the serious side, the story of main character Gabe Gantry is also a tale of opposing forces: condemnation and redemption.
Despite his hellish behavior when he lived on Earth, Gabe has secured his niche in The Nine—which is hard to do on the ninth level of Hell where the worst-of-the-worst are condemned to exist. With his black-market shop, he trades goods from the Topside (Earth) for secrets in the underworld. Which means he has connections.
Once a one-man operation, Gabe is hired by the head of the underworld's Judas Agency to serve as a double agent, tasked with the opposite of what you might expect: to disrupt evil operations targeted for the Topside. To complicate matters, he gets entangled with two women: Stray (whose temporary amnesia conceals her horrid past) and Alex (his partner at the agency whose horrid past is never forgotten).
When expectations from his new relationships compete for his attention and everything is on the brink of crashing-and-burning or freezing over, will Gabe finally be the man he never was on Earth? Or will he lay low and stick to business as usual?
On the humorous side, the story glows with funny narratives and witty banter. Here’s an example of one of the many passages (narrated by Gabe in Hell) that made me smile:
“A huge circus-style billboard flashed the club’s name in bright white bulbs that chased themselves in rapid waves and circles. It was like Vegas, only less audacious and in your face. Let’s be real, no one can beat Vegas. Not even Hell has that much money.”THE NINE immerses you in a place you never want to end up while endearing you to a few who are gripped by its claws: Gabe, Stray, and Alex. And when you’re facing the darkest of odds, the story also reminds you not to forget to find the bright side!
I highly recommend this five-star read! Can't wait for Book 2! (And I also love the cover of this book!)
I received a signed paperback for a fair and honest review!
December 27, 2021
The Nine (The Judas Files)
by C.G. Harris
I loved this book! Gabe lives in the Ninth level of hell. He is recruited by Judas, yes that Judas, to secretly stop the horrible things that another group is doing. He is to be Judas' spy. Gabe is partnered with a bada$$ gal that just wants to do her job because she doesn't want to go back to where she was before.
It's very exciting and entertaining! Dark humor and tender moments too! Definitely going to follow this series!
by C.G. Harris
I loved this book! Gabe lives in the Ninth level of hell. He is recruited by Judas, yes that Judas, to secretly stop the horrible things that another group is doing. He is to be Judas' spy. Gabe is partnered with a bada$$ gal that just wants to do her job because she doesn't want to go back to where she was before.
It's very exciting and entertaining! Dark humor and tender moments too! Definitely going to follow this series!
January 28, 2020
If you are a fan of the Dresden Files type of hero who is equal parts sassy, loveable, and punchable, then you will love Gabe. I was utterly enthralled by this envisioning of hell and the creatures who reside there. I had never imagined the underworld in this way, but it makes perfect sense. The side characters show growth and charm throughout the story, and left me wanting more. The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job with the voices and emotion throughout the story.
I highly recommend this!
I highly recommend this!
April 7, 2025
Don't you just love it when you randomly come across a book and it's just amazing. It's always such a wonderful surprise when this happens ... and it just did with The Nine. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, McLeod Andrews, was fantastic with the portrayal of the characters. The book itself centers on Gabe who's "living" in the after-life and seems to have carved out a niche for himself. He's snarky and witty in every situation - it's a miracle he hasn't been killed because of it ... again. Gabe is really the star of the show - but the situation he finds himself in - being a double agent for the Judas Agency - well, how will he navigate this!
The plot is rather fast paced - the audiobook is just 6+ hours - but the story is rich in vivid details - I mean it has to be! At times, the novel does feel like it's doing a little too much with the characters - but I'm here for it! I look forward to reading the other books in the series - and recommending this one to all my friends as a quick, fast paced, fun read.
The plot is rather fast paced - the audiobook is just 6+ hours - but the story is rich in vivid details - I mean it has to be! At times, the novel does feel like it's doing a little too much with the characters - but I'm here for it! I look forward to reading the other books in the series - and recommending this one to all my friends as a quick, fast paced, fun read.
February 18, 2021
This is such a fun read, and the narrator of the audiobook made it even more fun. In fact, I think I enjoyed it more as an audiobook than I would have if I were actually reading it. Still, a great read, that has snark without being over-the-top, and an original storyline. I mean, there really aren't that many books out there with a secret double agent from hell.
If I have one complaint, it's that it was just too dang short, and I wish I had more time with these characters. But, on the plus side, they just came out with the next book on audio, and I'll be continuing the series soon.
If I have one complaint, it's that it was just too dang short, and I wish I had more time with these characters. But, on the plus side, they just came out with the next book on audio, and I'll be continuing the series soon.
April 20, 2020
Ha! I had so much fun with this urban fantasy! I loved the world building, the snark, the somewhat combative relationship between the two main characters (Gabe and Alex), and the idea of undercover operatives in Hell. Yep, the nine circles of Hell. There’s all sorts of rules, societies, ways to ‘die’, and frenemies in Hell. It was just a joy to fire up this audiobook.
So let’s start with Gabe. He’s a good guy stuck in a sucky environment. he runs this kind of underground trading post. He wants info and in return Gabe will do his best to hunt up your choice of guilty pleasure. For some reason, Twinkies are really popular and also very scarce in Hell. Anyhoo, we first meet him rescuing a woebegone lady. She’s just come out of the Gnashing Fields and it’s going to take days to weeks for her to regain her memories. So for now, she (nicknamed Stray) gets to hang out at Gabe’s scrapyard. This works out good for him because he has been summoned by a powerful demon.
And that’s when the story gets even more interesting! Gabe has been drafted basically to act as a spy in the Judas Agency, the organization that sends minions Topside (Earth) with specific evil tasks. Gabe is told to report all he learns and sometimes to quietly foil the evil efforts of these minions and the Judas Agency they belong to.
The Judas Agency assigns Gabe a partner, the acerbic and hardened Alex. She is awesome! I want to be her sidekick – move over Gabe! I loved her humor, especially messing with Gabe about the latest technological advances on Earth (Gabe died and was damned in the 1980s). These two really have great chemistry and I was often laughing.
The plot was pretty good too and I loved that I couldn’t tell where it was going. It certainly kept me guessing. The pacing was great, having a steady march but with moments of greater activity (usually violence) or of some meaningful sharing (which was great for character development). All together, it’s a worthy addition to the Urban Fantasy genre. 5/5 stars.
The Narration: MacLeod Andrews was a joy to listen to. I love how expressive he is and his voice is perfect for Gabe. Andrews’s timing for the humor was spot on, often making me chuckle. His range of voices for the characters was impressive – the demons sounded like evil spawn and the ladies sounded feminine. Excellent performance all around. No technical issues with the recording. 5/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by C.G. Harris. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
So let’s start with Gabe. He’s a good guy stuck in a sucky environment. he runs this kind of underground trading post. He wants info and in return Gabe will do his best to hunt up your choice of guilty pleasure. For some reason, Twinkies are really popular and also very scarce in Hell. Anyhoo, we first meet him rescuing a woebegone lady. She’s just come out of the Gnashing Fields and it’s going to take days to weeks for her to regain her memories. So for now, she (nicknamed Stray) gets to hang out at Gabe’s scrapyard. This works out good for him because he has been summoned by a powerful demon.
And that’s when the story gets even more interesting! Gabe has been drafted basically to act as a spy in the Judas Agency, the organization that sends minions Topside (Earth) with specific evil tasks. Gabe is told to report all he learns and sometimes to quietly foil the evil efforts of these minions and the Judas Agency they belong to.
The Judas Agency assigns Gabe a partner, the acerbic and hardened Alex. She is awesome! I want to be her sidekick – move over Gabe! I loved her humor, especially messing with Gabe about the latest technological advances on Earth (Gabe died and was damned in the 1980s). These two really have great chemistry and I was often laughing.
The plot was pretty good too and I loved that I couldn’t tell where it was going. It certainly kept me guessing. The pacing was great, having a steady march but with moments of greater activity (usually violence) or of some meaningful sharing (which was great for character development). All together, it’s a worthy addition to the Urban Fantasy genre. 5/5 stars.
The Narration: MacLeod Andrews was a joy to listen to. I love how expressive he is and his voice is perfect for Gabe. Andrews’s timing for the humor was spot on, often making me chuckle. His range of voices for the characters was impressive – the demons sounded like evil spawn and the ladies sounded feminine. Excellent performance all around. No technical issues with the recording. 5/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by C.G. Harris. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
April 15, 2021
The idea of Hell being past freezing cold caught my attention when Bookfunnel offered a free copy under a “clean fantasy and mystery” promotion. This is my first read of this author(s) and what a great introduction! It is mostly fast paced, humorous (and snarky) and well developed. I have been on a clean Christian romance/mystery/suspense binge and was ready for this change. The Judas Agency is brilliant - or at least his inner circle is such. “For the better good” - really?
December 10, 2020
This book was fantastic. Gabe runs a little shop in Hell trading surface contraband for secrets and information. But when Judas (yes that one) decides to recruit him, he realizes that having a conscience is even more difficult in Hell than it was when he was alive.
November 19, 2019
For his sins Gabriel Gantry is condemned to life in The Nine, the lowest level of Hell which contains the worst humanity has to offer. He runs a successful black market shop in Scrapyard City ‘a dry, frigid maze of high-rise shanties, catwalks, and junk metal barely fit to stand, much less protect the Woebegone souls who inhabit them.’ Gabe trades items he acquires from Topside to Hellions, in return for information and secrets.
During a firestorm Gabe notices a disorientated Woebegone girl, who has temporary amnesia and nowhere else to go. She reminds him of someone from his past life and after a brief internal struggle he risks the firestorm to rescue her and gets a slap across the face for his trouble. Then a Hellion knocks at the door, with a summons to the Judas Agency—and it’s a summons he can’t refuse. It doesn’t appear to be Gabe’s day.
Gabe risks indescribable torture when he’s unwilling to accept Judas Iscariot’s request to join the agency, believing it to bring harm and suffering to people Topside. He does his best to atone for his earthly sins and refuses to go back to the person he was, whatever the cost. What he never expected was to be recruited as a double agent tasked with infiltrating the agency and neutralising or disrupting threats when necessary.
Gabe finds himself attached permanently to a silver denarius and, for one who always works alone, he’s not at all sure about his new partner. Alex is fierce, beautiful, blue-haired and tattooed from the shoulders down. All he has to do is gather information without arousing suspicion and report back to Judas. Nothing to it!
C.G. Harris has created a fun story with a cast of mostly likeable and well drawn characters (apart from the gruesome and grotesque) particularly anti hero Gabe who has more or less made peace with his life in The Nine. He’s resilient, making the most of what little he has. Everything was running as smoothly as it could, given his situation, until he was sent for by Judas Iscariot. But now he has an opportunity to do some real good for the people Topside…not that it’ll get him out of The Nine but might earn him some boy scout points.
The (under)world building is imaginative and vividly detailed, the plot well executed with humorous dialogue and characters that develop throughout. Needless to say, MacLeod Andrews’ performance is first class, giving a distinct voice to each character and a perfect representation of Gabe. Look forward to more of Gabriel’s adventures.
During a firestorm Gabe notices a disorientated Woebegone girl, who has temporary amnesia and nowhere else to go. She reminds him of someone from his past life and after a brief internal struggle he risks the firestorm to rescue her and gets a slap across the face for his trouble. Then a Hellion knocks at the door, with a summons to the Judas Agency—and it’s a summons he can’t refuse. It doesn’t appear to be Gabe’s day.
Gabe risks indescribable torture when he’s unwilling to accept Judas Iscariot’s request to join the agency, believing it to bring harm and suffering to people Topside. He does his best to atone for his earthly sins and refuses to go back to the person he was, whatever the cost. What he never expected was to be recruited as a double agent tasked with infiltrating the agency and neutralising or disrupting threats when necessary.
Gabe finds himself attached permanently to a silver denarius and, for one who always works alone, he’s not at all sure about his new partner. Alex is fierce, beautiful, blue-haired and tattooed from the shoulders down. All he has to do is gather information without arousing suspicion and report back to Judas. Nothing to it!
C.G. Harris has created a fun story with a cast of mostly likeable and well drawn characters (apart from the gruesome and grotesque) particularly anti hero Gabe who has more or less made peace with his life in The Nine. He’s resilient, making the most of what little he has. Everything was running as smoothly as it could, given his situation, until he was sent for by Judas Iscariot. But now he has an opportunity to do some real good for the people Topside…not that it’ll get him out of The Nine but might earn him some boy scout points.
The (under)world building is imaginative and vividly detailed, the plot well executed with humorous dialogue and characters that develop throughout. Needless to say, MacLeod Andrews’ performance is first class, giving a distinct voice to each character and a perfect representation of Gabe. Look forward to more of Gabriel’s adventures.
February 6, 2020
This was a fun novel with plenty of dark humor and witty banter between the two main characters. The narrator pulls of the main text and the various character voices with the perfect amount of zest and flair, making for a thoroughly enjoyable reading/listening experience.
August 21, 2020
Very enjoyable read. Audiobook narrator was very good. Looking forward to the next book.
Has a very “Jim Butcher” feel to it.
Has a very “Jim Butcher” feel to it.
August 6, 2023
I loved the humor and the jokes of gabe. Calling a person stray for example.
But for someone calling himself fearless gabe was kind off a pussy, with a turkey phobia.
I loved the character Alex she really was fearless and a bad ass woman, kicking everyone's ass.
The storyline was very intressting, and the writing very good. The book made me laugh serveral times. I definitely want to read the rest of the series. I do hope gabe gets a little bit more fearless in the rest of the books.
But for someone calling himself fearless gabe was kind off a pussy, with a turkey phobia.
I loved the character Alex she really was fearless and a bad ass woman, kicking everyone's ass.
The storyline was very intressting, and the writing very good. The book made me laugh serveral times. I definitely want to read the rest of the series. I do hope gabe gets a little bit more fearless in the rest of the books.
December 29, 2020
sooo good. the humor is top-notch. aint never seen a plot like this
November 21, 2019
You might not think the nine circles of hell could be amusing, even hilarious, but I gotta tell ya, The Nine had me practically guffawing and I imagine other drivers on the road must have thought a loony was behind my wheel. Gabe and Alex are full of snark and charm and all the good things that make me like characters mixed with a bit of whatever it was that got them in Hell in the first place and I love them both.
So, Gabe is a guy who’s really good at working the black market and there are a lot of folks in Hell who miss stuff from above, like Twinkies. Searching out the goods takes a bit of effort and time but, when he comes across an amnesiac damsel in distress during a firestorm, he calls her “Stray” and takes her in. She showed up just in time to watch the shop while he goes to a meeting he dare not refuse with Judas Iscariot who assigns him to infiltrate the Judas Agency, a group that’s nefarious even by Hell’s standards. That’s when he meets the badass Alex who really gives Gabe a run for his money and, despite all the picking at each other, these two were obviously meant for each other. Can Gabe stop a contagion that will nearly wipe out humanity without Alex finding out?
Narrator MacLeod Andrews bears major responsibility for making this so much fun and that has a lot to do with two things, his distinctive voices and his interpretations of who these people are. Of all the personalities, I think I liked Alex the best but, truly, all of them kept me listening. Great job, Mr. Andrews!
So, Gabe is a guy who’s really good at working the black market and there are a lot of folks in Hell who miss stuff from above, like Twinkies. Searching out the goods takes a bit of effort and time but, when he comes across an amnesiac damsel in distress during a firestorm, he calls her “Stray” and takes her in. She showed up just in time to watch the shop while he goes to a meeting he dare not refuse with Judas Iscariot who assigns him to infiltrate the Judas Agency, a group that’s nefarious even by Hell’s standards. That’s when he meets the badass Alex who really gives Gabe a run for his money and, despite all the picking at each other, these two were obviously meant for each other. Can Gabe stop a contagion that will nearly wipe out humanity without Alex finding out?
Narrator MacLeod Andrews bears major responsibility for making this so much fun and that has a lot to do with two things, his distinctive voices and his interpretations of who these people are. Of all the personalities, I think I liked Alex the best but, truly, all of them kept me listening. Great job, Mr. Andrews!
March 26, 2022
Enjoyable romp through a version of Hell...
So Hell exists and it's not torture ALL THE TIME, but like any other society there is stratum and with these different levels of society, some get the worst while others get what you could call perks.
So we find a truly repentant guy just trying be his best self in Hell who manages to save a fresh soul a good amount of re-death and torture (usually created by the burning lava ocean). And he ends up getting a job that promises to confuse but ultimately make him feel better about his existence in Hell.
He gets a badass partner, gets involved with some very bad people and meets some very scary characters. Throughout the book, though he makes wisecracks that show how far a sense of humor can get you even in Hell.
I can't say there was a lot of gore in the book, but some great descriptions of settings. People who have a wry sense of humor I think will enjoy this book. I don't mean to put this book down, but for me it was a refreshing read between darker horror novels.
I think people who like the Sandman Slim novels would get a kick out of this (I would say Sandman Slim is darker), so I know exactly which of my friends I will immediately tell. Most of the action happens in Hell but there are scenes UP TOP, where some of the rules are a bit different.
This version included a sneak peek Chapter of Book 2, so this looks to be a fun series to devour. I had such a good time reading I just read this book straight through.
#hell #judasagency #jobmarketinhell #oceansoffire #redeath #wryhumor
So Hell exists and it's not torture ALL THE TIME, but like any other society there is stratum and with these different levels of society, some get the worst while others get what you could call perks.
So we find a truly repentant guy just trying be his best self in Hell who manages to save a fresh soul a good amount of re-death and torture (usually created by the burning lava ocean). And he ends up getting a job that promises to confuse but ultimately make him feel better about his existence in Hell.
He gets a badass partner, gets involved with some very bad people and meets some very scary characters. Throughout the book, though he makes wisecracks that show how far a sense of humor can get you even in Hell.
I can't say there was a lot of gore in the book, but some great descriptions of settings. People who have a wry sense of humor I think will enjoy this book. I don't mean to put this book down, but for me it was a refreshing read between darker horror novels.
I think people who like the Sandman Slim novels would get a kick out of this (I would say Sandman Slim is darker), so I know exactly which of my friends I will immediately tell. Most of the action happens in Hell but there are scenes UP TOP, where some of the rules are a bit different.
This version included a sneak peek Chapter of Book 2, so this looks to be a fun series to devour. I had such a good time reading I just read this book straight through.
#hell #judasagency #jobmarketinhell #oceansoffire #redeath #wryhumor
January 30, 2021
Great story with likeable characters . The connection between the main characters is great and the Gabes snark and sarcasm with Alex is so funny. Macleod Andrews does a great job at narrating and I will be looking for more from him ,I can’t wait to listen to more in the series.
April 15, 2022
Excellent first book
I loved this story from beginning to end! Humor, adventure, great characters, and a really interesting and unique story. It had elements of The Dresden Files and The Sandman Slim universe that I really enjoyed. Just fantastic! I have already downloaded the second one!
I loved this story from beginning to end! Humor, adventure, great characters, and a really interesting and unique story. It had elements of The Dresden Files and The Sandman Slim universe that I really enjoyed. Just fantastic! I have already downloaded the second one!
June 30, 2023
That was fun!
Life (or is it afterlife...?) in the ninth/only level of Hell, with someone who wants to actually atone for his mistakes. The rest of the people down there are still embracing their thieving, murderous ways, but Gabe does what small things he can to make a difference. So when he is called to talk to THE Judas about some assignments, I was interested to see how all that would go.
The buildup of the assignments, and their consequences, is smooth but heavy, and unfolds at page-eating pace. And Alex; who doesn't love a blue-haired badass with a vendetta? Gabe and Alex together are a great pairing, and loved their unfolding partnership.
Also, the audiobook ::chef's kiss:: I highly recommend it.
Life (or is it afterlife...?) in the ninth/only level of Hell, with someone who wants to actually atone for his mistakes. The rest of the people down there are still embracing their thieving, murderous ways, but Gabe does what small things he can to make a difference. So when he is called to talk to THE Judas about some assignments, I was interested to see how all that would go.
The buildup of the assignments, and their consequences, is smooth but heavy, and unfolds at page-eating pace. And Alex; who doesn't love a blue-haired badass with a vendetta? Gabe and Alex together are a great pairing, and loved their unfolding partnership.
Also, the audiobook ::chef's kiss:: I highly recommend it.
August 12, 2020
Our protagonist, Gabe, who resides in Woebegone, Hell, becomes a "good guy" working for the Judas Agency (yes, that Judas). Filled with dark, dry humor and plenty of action, this first book took me on a wild ride from Hell to "Topside" (real-time Earth) and back. A Very Origin spin on Good vs. Evil, and I can't wait to read book 2!!
January 5, 2020
That. Was. Good!
June 11, 2022
This is a great and exciting story with lots of good humour thrown in too. After his death Gabe now lives in The Nine, in hell, in an area called Scrapyard City. He runs a black market shop trading goods he’s found for information. After rescuing a woman who has lost her memory, he’s soon recruited to the Judas Agency. Gabe is given an important task by Judas himself, but once he joins the Agency he finds himself clashing with other agents and worries whether he’ll be able to do what he’s been asked.
This is such an interesting and different urban fantasy read. It’s not every day you read a story which is set in hell and has the characters appearing Topside, in the real/our world for some time but a lot happens in this story and it’s written in a way that was so easy to enjoy from the first page. Gabe is an interesting character and I like how he narrates throughout the story. When Gabe gets assigned to the Judas Agency he finds trouble with the person he’s supposed to be partnered with. I like how the relationship developed between him and Alex and how things go for the two of them as they go on different missions.
I don’t want to give away what happens but the story is good and fast-paced and I just love how silly the entrances to the world Topside are. There’s a lot of good humour written into the story, Gabe is constantly able to make some funny or sarcastic comments and I enjoyed a lot of the silly things that happened especially the part with the turkeys! I did feel though that at some point well into the story, some of the ways Gabe described things were a bit too much, they were silly comparisons but I felt like there was a little too much of this going on and I wanted to read more of the actual adventure rather than having every situation, smell and feeling referred to as something else for example: ‘the room was silent enough to hear a flea fart’. These descriptions added to the humour but when the action is building up near the end it sometimes was a bit annoying to read these so often and slowed the pace a touch for me.
The world of The Nine is interesting and I like what happens to Gabe and the others as the story progresses. It is hell so there are some very dark and horrible things happening although the descriptions aren’t too gory and horrible. There are a few uses of the s swear word and apart from a few darker things there’s nothing too offensive in the story. The ending is good with things wrapping up well for the main characters, however I did feel like it could have been a bit better especially in the last chapter, this though, could be because this is the first book in a series and we’re expected to see more of these characters in future.
Overall I have enjoyed this book. It was easy to get into right away, the humour is good and the story is quite fast-paced with lots happening and some good growth of some of the characters. Reading this book has definitely made me interested in the rest of the series, I do like the idea of a book set in hell, and the humour was good although it did go a bit far in places.
-Thanks to he author for a free copy for review
This is such an interesting and different urban fantasy read. It’s not every day you read a story which is set in hell and has the characters appearing Topside, in the real/our world for some time but a lot happens in this story and it’s written in a way that was so easy to enjoy from the first page. Gabe is an interesting character and I like how he narrates throughout the story. When Gabe gets assigned to the Judas Agency he finds trouble with the person he’s supposed to be partnered with. I like how the relationship developed between him and Alex and how things go for the two of them as they go on different missions.
I don’t want to give away what happens but the story is good and fast-paced and I just love how silly the entrances to the world Topside are. There’s a lot of good humour written into the story, Gabe is constantly able to make some funny or sarcastic comments and I enjoyed a lot of the silly things that happened especially the part with the turkeys! I did feel though that at some point well into the story, some of the ways Gabe described things were a bit too much, they were silly comparisons but I felt like there was a little too much of this going on and I wanted to read more of the actual adventure rather than having every situation, smell and feeling referred to as something else for example: ‘the room was silent enough to hear a flea fart’. These descriptions added to the humour but when the action is building up near the end it sometimes was a bit annoying to read these so often and slowed the pace a touch for me.
The world of The Nine is interesting and I like what happens to Gabe and the others as the story progresses. It is hell so there are some very dark and horrible things happening although the descriptions aren’t too gory and horrible. There are a few uses of the s swear word and apart from a few darker things there’s nothing too offensive in the story. The ending is good with things wrapping up well for the main characters, however I did feel like it could have been a bit better especially in the last chapter, this though, could be because this is the first book in a series and we’re expected to see more of these characters in future.
Overall I have enjoyed this book. It was easy to get into right away, the humour is good and the story is quite fast-paced with lots happening and some good growth of some of the characters. Reading this book has definitely made me interested in the rest of the series, I do like the idea of a book set in hell, and the humour was good although it did go a bit far in places.
-Thanks to he author for a free copy for review
June 5, 2023
I am an hour in and I am already very skeptical.
The writing is pretty good. It reminds me very much of all the other male MC urban fantasy series like alex vertus, dresden files, iron druid etc.
The initial setup is somewhat different but now that I have gotten to the story hook I am not convinced the opening is more than just a cute gimmick to distract from the uninspired basic concept.
The story setup opens with the classic MC being forced into a role he doesn't want and it even prepares right off the bat a plot convenience mechanism for the MC which the author can invoke to make anything he wants happen at any time without violating the rules of his world.
All this is greased with a bit of stupidity and seasoned with a pinch of white knight martyr tendencies.
You get the picture. It's just not an attractive look in 2023 and it has gotten old long before 2019 (when the book was published).
While I am already complaining, I also want to point out another very strange decision that is part of the setup. He gets tied to an item that incentivizes and to some degree even forces him to be good and righteous for a chance at redemption. Otherwise, eternal punishment looms or something.
Now the MC can't even be credited for the good he does because there is an external motivation forcing him to be a good guy. This could have led to an interesting conflict if he wasn't a goodie-two-shoes already. But the first thing he does in the book is prove that he just that.
This kind of kills any real impact of moral conflicts and makes it almost impossible for interesting nuance and shades of grey to develop right off the bat.
How is doing the right thing, the good and just thing, of any significance if it is the path of least resistance by design? How does anyone deserve redemption for that? You can really only lose if you intentionally risk eternal punishment just to be an asshole to spite and hurt others.
At the same time, the book attempts to live off of witty quips but overshoots its target by a wide margin. There is a difference between banter and being a dickweed. Someone being an asshole and a bully is just not funny to me.
For now, I will keep on reading but if there isn't a significant departure from all I have predicted here this will be a 2-star rating from me.
Well, I gave it another hour. It got worse. Not better.
The writing is pretty good. It reminds me very much of all the other male MC urban fantasy series like alex vertus, dresden files, iron druid etc.
The initial setup is somewhat different but now that I have gotten to the story hook I am not convinced the opening is more than just a cute gimmick to distract from the uninspired basic concept.
The story setup opens with the classic MC being forced into a role he doesn't want and it even prepares right off the bat a plot convenience mechanism for the MC which the author can invoke to make anything he wants happen at any time without violating the rules of his world.
All this is greased with a bit of stupidity and seasoned with a pinch of white knight martyr tendencies.
You get the picture. It's just not an attractive look in 2023 and it has gotten old long before 2019 (when the book was published).
While I am already complaining, I also want to point out another very strange decision that is part of the setup. He gets tied to an item that incentivizes and to some degree even forces him to be good and righteous for a chance at redemption. Otherwise, eternal punishment looms or something.
Now the MC can't even be credited for the good he does because there is an external motivation forcing him to be a good guy. This could have led to an interesting conflict if he wasn't a goodie-two-shoes already. But the first thing he does in the book is prove that he just that.
This kind of kills any real impact of moral conflicts and makes it almost impossible for interesting nuance and shades of grey to develop right off the bat.
How is doing the right thing, the good and just thing, of any significance if it is the path of least resistance by design? How does anyone deserve redemption for that? You can really only lose if you intentionally risk eternal punishment just to be an asshole to spite and hurt others.
At the same time, the book attempts to live off of witty quips but overshoots its target by a wide margin. There is a difference between banter and being a dickweed. Someone being an asshole and a bully is just not funny to me.
For now, I will keep on reading but if there isn't a significant departure from all I have predicted here this will be a 2-star rating from me.
Well, I gave it another hour. It got worse. Not better.
January 18, 2023
I received a copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.
Gabriel Gantry is an unlikely hero, yet he is called upon to stop some really bad things from happening. This book takes you to extraordinary levels of suspended belief. But in a fun way. Gabriel is a resident in the Ninth level of hell. However, this level of hell is different from Dante’s Ninth level.
Gabriel is invited to an interview with Judas, who wants Gabriel to work for him undercover. Are you with me so far? It gets better. The whole concept requires you that you think outside the box. Then the fun begins. There are monsters, gargoyles, demons and woebegones. There are those that can remember life before the Ninth level and those that are doomed to suffer repeatedly never remembering anything.
Gabriel has remembered and now he is being asked to do more than simply survive. He has a job to do and Judas is not going to let him refuse. Thus begins the tale of The Nine. The interesting and fascinating imagination of CG Harris has created a whole new world in hell.
The book is full of well-done discourse, humor and suspense. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking outside the box of regular books. Sit down for a fascinating read. Make sure you are warm and comfy.
Gabriel Gantry is an unlikely hero, yet he is called upon to stop some really bad things from happening. This book takes you to extraordinary levels of suspended belief. But in a fun way. Gabriel is a resident in the Ninth level of hell. However, this level of hell is different from Dante’s Ninth level.
Gabriel is invited to an interview with Judas, who wants Gabriel to work for him undercover. Are you with me so far? It gets better. The whole concept requires you that you think outside the box. Then the fun begins. There are monsters, gargoyles, demons and woebegones. There are those that can remember life before the Ninth level and those that are doomed to suffer repeatedly never remembering anything.
Gabriel has remembered and now he is being asked to do more than simply survive. He has a job to do and Judas is not going to let him refuse. Thus begins the tale of The Nine. The interesting and fascinating imagination of CG Harris has created a whole new world in hell.
The book is full of well-done discourse, humor and suspense. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking outside the box of regular books. Sit down for a fascinating read. Make sure you are warm and comfy.
October 16, 2024
Actual rating 3.5
The Nine is a fun little action/adventure book set in hell. Most of this comes from its protagonist, who has both a consistent sense of humor and a distinct, fairly vibrant personality, running a gamut of comedian, bit of a coward, vengeful, and often intentionally silly. The result is a character that generally pretty likable, usually interesting to watch interact with his world. He has a good, if somewhat one dimensional, chemistry with the female lead (one dimensional since she struggles to shake off her archetype,) but can occasionally come across as too weak or lacking competence for someone that has functionally been thriving in hell for forty years.
The prose is functional but doesn't do much to elevate or effectively deliver the narrative's more intense moments. The plot itself is fast and deals with several grim and horrific plot-lines (this is hell) but does so without getting mired in them so it still ends up feeling like a fairly light read. The secondary characters are solid, feeling sufficiently at home in the world to escape being barebones archetypes.
The world-building itself is serviceable, but not a huge focal point of the narrative or the author's ambitions.
The Nine is a fun little action/adventure book set in hell. Most of this comes from its protagonist, who has both a consistent sense of humor and a distinct, fairly vibrant personality, running a gamut of comedian, bit of a coward, vengeful, and often intentionally silly. The result is a character that generally pretty likable, usually interesting to watch interact with his world. He has a good, if somewhat one dimensional, chemistry with the female lead (one dimensional since she struggles to shake off her archetype,) but can occasionally come across as too weak or lacking competence for someone that has functionally been thriving in hell for forty years.
The prose is functional but doesn't do much to elevate or effectively deliver the narrative's more intense moments. The plot itself is fast and deals with several grim and horrific plot-lines (this is hell) but does so without getting mired in them so it still ends up feeling like a fairly light read. The secondary characters are solid, feeling sufficiently at home in the world to escape being barebones archetypes.
The world-building itself is serviceable, but not a huge focal point of the narrative or the author's ambitions.
December 29, 2024
Gabe is just trying to live a quiet, peaceful life in "The Nine" (AKA Hell). He keeps his head down and makes a small living (such as it were) by trading. Hellions like to know things, and they have access to Topside (i.e. the living world) and can bring stuff back. The Woe-Be-Gones (I listened to the audiobook, so I hope that's how it spelled) want things from their living days and are willing to trade information for them. What's a little throwing your fellow sinners under the bus when there might be a Twinkie or Dr. Pepper or a pack of Marlboros in the exchange? Things go awry when he saves a young girl (maybe, you don't really age after you die) who looks fresh out of the gnashing pits (you can't stay dead in hell, you just recycle through the gnashing pits for an indeterminate amount of torture and anguish) and that's the least of his problems. Soon he gets an "invitation" to come see one of the big baddies, Judas Iscariot himself, who runs a department in hell in charge of creating and executing all the fun little disasters Topside. Rather than being summarily sent to the gnashing pits for his illegal little side business (you aren't allowed to really OWN anything in hell and Gabe has a bus full of illegal contraband he uses to fund his operation), he is instead offered a job working for Judas. But how can you work for Judas Iscariot when you're a woe-be-gone with a conscience? And what if Judas isn't what he seems? Gabe hasn't been in this much trouble since he was alive. The only thing that can make it worse is his partner... and you'll have to read the book for the rest of the story. This is kind of a buddy cop from hell (literally) story and it has much more of a sense of humor than it has any right to. Was definitely worthy my time.
August 3, 2020
3+ I really don't list these types of stories more than a 3 but I can definitely see why this is rated so high. I listened to this on audio and the narrator did a great job with getting the right touch on the characters colorful personalities, and also with the humorous and often sarcastic remarks that was made about every other sentence. It's pretty funny considering it's a story about people living in hell, otherwise know as "The Nine". It's the first book in the series and I doubt I will read more of the series, but who knows, it was a fun read.
Hell or The Nine, is a place where people can have some control of what they do and where they live, unless they get killed which means that they have to start over in "the gnashing" place. When they get out of there they have to live two weeks without their memories while hiding from all the bad guys which could kill you, thus making you start all over again.
I liked the twist done with Judas Iscariot and how he is actually a good guy and is working in hell as a double agent for God and trying to stop evil done in the topside.
Hell or The Nine, is a place where people can have some control of what they do and where they live, unless they get killed which means that they have to start over in "the gnashing" place. When they get out of there they have to live two weeks without their memories while hiding from all the bad guys which could kill you, thus making you start all over again.
I liked the twist done with Judas Iscariot and how he is actually a good guy and is working in hell as a double agent for God and trying to stop evil done in the topside.
February 17, 2022
CG Harris has a winner with The Nine. This first novel of The Judas Agency series will make you roll with laughter and riddle you with disgust. The story’s originality is a breath of fresh air, sort of. You do have to watch out for the turkey barn.
I adore stories set in hell. I have no idea why, but they are all so original. Every author has a different idea of hell, and they are all so fascinating. Harris’s version of hell makes me so happy. I know that this book means to be dramatic and edgy, which it is, but I read with a huge smile on my face. I loved it so much. The imagination involved is brilliant.
I award The Nine a full 5 out of 5 stars. There is enough action and adventure to entice any adventure seeker. I recommend this novel to anyone who loves a bit of grit in their stories.
I was given a copy of this book to read as a judge for the BBNYA contest. I loved it so much I bought it later.
I adore stories set in hell. I have no idea why, but they are all so original. Every author has a different idea of hell, and they are all so fascinating. Harris’s version of hell makes me so happy. I know that this book means to be dramatic and edgy, which it is, but I read with a huge smile on my face. I loved it so much. The imagination involved is brilliant.
I award The Nine a full 5 out of 5 stars. There is enough action and adventure to entice any adventure seeker. I recommend this novel to anyone who loves a bit of grit in their stories.
I was given a copy of this book to read as a judge for the BBNYA contest. I loved it so much I bought it later.
January 12, 2023
One of the more interesting things I read recently (and randomly, a Colorado Indie Author Project award-winner.) Caleb is hard to describe as a “protagonist” because while he’s the most sympathetic character in the book, he’s also dead, spending an eternity in Hell, and making a living smuggling in what pass for luxury goods from the world above. This is before Judas (yes, that Judas) recruits him to be a double agent inside Hell’s mischief-making service. Harris put a lot of thought and creativity into building a disturbing and awful vision for eternal punishment, which is offset by fountains of snark and a general sense of dark humor which infuse the story.
August 7, 2020
“The Nine” (The Judas Files Book 1) by C.G. Harris tells the story of Gabe Gantry, a man torn between eternal damnation and a chance at redemption, but make not mistake, Gabe’s place in Hell is fully deserved by his previous earthly life of depravity. Once in The Nine (the deepest and outmost feared of Hell’s circles) which houses the worst of the worst, the veritable Devil’s rejects, Gabe has been able to carve a good niche from himself trading secrets for earthly goods. His one-man operation is about to become much harder when Judas Iscariot (yes…that Judas) approaches him with the intentions to turn him into a spy with the specific assignment to sabotage the operations of the one and only Judas Agency , and thus Gabe (after some no so subtle persuasion) becomes a reluctantly “double agent”. Paired with a witty cynical partner to keep him in check and surely in trouble (no, it’s not a typo… I mean “in trouble” 😊). From there on the story takes off, with action non-stop, unexpected twist and a wonderful rendition of “everyday life” in Hell.
Loosely drawing inspiration for Dante’s “Inferno”, C.G. Harris has crafted a unique, captivating and even inspiring vision of Hell, with a brand-new take on the possibilities of life after death. Hell, still a place of eternal atonement and torture, is a very lively 😉 place when it comes to i’s denizens’ enterprises.
An interesting, funny, original story, well-written plot with unexpected ramifications, the Ninth Circle of Hell still remains the place not to go, but surely it makes an entertaining place to explore at book-page distance.
Loosely drawing inspiration for Dante’s “Inferno”, C.G. Harris has crafted a unique, captivating and even inspiring vision of Hell, with a brand-new take on the possibilities of life after death. Hell, still a place of eternal atonement and torture, is a very lively 😉 place when it comes to i’s denizens’ enterprises.
An interesting, funny, original story, well-written plot with unexpected ramifications, the Ninth Circle of Hell still remains the place not to go, but surely it makes an entertaining place to explore at book-page distance.
May 31, 2023
Didn't Finish:
I couldn't get past chapter 2. So many contradictions and stupid reactions (this is my special place that is super important and valuable and I'm going to to abandon it to the evil masses to run after a woman who wants nothing to do with me. She's afraid and I have to knock her out, but by gosh, I'm gunna save her and then when I do and she randomly starts quizzically checking out my place (that was totally taken over by bad guys, go figure) I threaten to kill her.). I didn't relate/understand/get the characters at all and I found myself just mainly annoyed and moved on. I'm sure for others these inconsistences probably wouldn't bother them. The premise sounds cool, though! And maybe it gets better/more logical after the push to get the couple together.
I couldn't get past chapter 2. So many contradictions and stupid reactions (this is my special place that is super important and valuable and I'm going to to abandon it to the evil masses to run after a woman who wants nothing to do with me. She's afraid and I have to knock her out, but by gosh, I'm gunna save her and then when I do and she randomly starts quizzically checking out my place (that was totally taken over by bad guys, go figure) I threaten to kill her.). I didn't relate/understand/get the characters at all and I found myself just mainly annoyed and moved on. I'm sure for others these inconsistences probably wouldn't bother them. The premise sounds cool, though! And maybe it gets better/more logical after the push to get the couple together.
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