Midnight Monster Club (Fallen Rogues #1)

All that Digger wants to do is keep his head down, do his job as a gravedigger, and occasionally help his brother out, but being half-pureblood and half-Fel in Diregloom doesn’t make it easy. When a Fel woman by the name of Isabel seeks refuge in his brother’s bar, Digger wants nothing to do with her or her blight, but her secret makes them all targets of a pureblood gang led by the Queen’s nephew, Lord Angel. Now, Digger has to make decisions that may reveal a few secrets he’s been hiding.

I found this dark adult fantasy to be fun and engaging. Well-written and with complex characters that you grow to like even with their failings. The action sequences were terrific and Queen Claudia’s games reminded me of a cross between The Hunger Games and Gladiator. The world building was also well-done without feeling expository. And those trolls. Love the trolls and their little girl keeper.

I had also read the first two books in Mr. Gehrke’s “Goblin” series, which I enjoyed, but it makes me wonder if there is a connection between the two worlds. “Goblin” being set maybe a hundred years before this novel. Anyway, I have no idea and it doesn’t really matter as this book stands on its own and was very enjoyable.

If you like dark fantasy, definitely put this on your list.

The Midnight Monster Club is a fast, wild read. It took me two days to burn through this one because of its clean, seamless writing. The protagonist, Digger, cares for graves (go figure), though theres clues that this is just an alias from his dark past. He is in a world ran by Purebloods, who are constantly antagonizing their racial enemy, the Non-purebloods. The plot twists when a local ruler of the region offers an important time piece as a reward to the victor of a local competition. The contest displays how regal and marvelous the Purepbloods are compared to the lesser Nons, until Digger gets involved. Digger is desperate to protect his meager family, even if it means violence and fury. Throughout the entire sequence of events, Digger runs into dozens of interesting characters, including an ogre, other desperate Non-purebloods, and interesting narcasist Purebloods. The endwell, I wont spoil it. Check it out if you like grimdark fantasy. Its fun.

After reading the surmise, I was looking forward to diving into this one. It’s definitely a darker tale, packed with monsters, harshness, and the attempt to survive.

Digger is a Fela half-breed. As such, he and his brother are at the lower end of the societal ladder. If they kill a purebred, they die. Digger is trying to keep him and his brother alive, and works as a grave digger (so fitting from the name, too). But surviving is almost impossible, when everyone is against him, and he finds himself up against impossible odds.

This is an intriguing world, which in some ways reminds me of the dangers of Hunger Games (thanks to the Queen’s horrific contests) but with tons of fantasy mixed in. But above all things, this tale is dark. Digger has a horrid life and lives in a society, where the Pure Bloods rule all. Half-bloods are garbage and constantly tormented, mistreated and abused. Digger never comes across as exceptionally kind or golden hearted…except maybe when it comes to his brother. Still, it’s impossible not to root for him because he definitely can’t be Mr. Sunshine considering everything he’s up against.

This is a grabbing read, which leaps between unexpected situations and into dangerous and deadly ones. Violence is abundant in this world, and Digger is ready for it. The scenes are vivid, and the world pulls in with all of its hardship. I did enjoy the addition of ogres and other fantastical creatures, which molded right into the dark setting. I’m definitely curious where the author wants to take this series in the next book and am looking forward to grabbing it up sometime.

Digger is a sourpuss but courageous, cunning and resourceful. What starts out as a bad idea by his brother turns out to lead to murder and mayhem, and an amazing adventure for Digger and his friends. Exciting, twisty storyline, and engaging well-written characters…

An action packed start to the series that will leave you looking forward to seeing what the next book reveals. Great characters and a well fleshed out world youll enjoy exploring.

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member