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gseiken's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
themahtin's review
3.0
Sometimes you read a book and realize that one of the authors really hoped it would get made into a movie. 1 character stealing a train while another steals a bus, so they can both save the world? Really. The number of bad-guy alien gods got pretty overwhelming. And there's a big question about one of them that's raised at the end of the book that would be the only reason why one would want to read the 2nd.
catastrojb's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
joo13's review against another edition
5.0
I love Jeremy and mates and thought that the authors' other books didn't quite live up to those characters. This book has introduced more characters that I really like. I'm looking forward to the end of the world being delayed so I can read more about this new team.
tonyr's review against another edition
4.0
entertaining unusual style
Entertaining book but an unusual style. Seemingly made up of snipites of various characters that may seem to be related somehow and eventually all coalesce to make sense of the whole story
Entertaining book but an unusual style. Seemingly made up of snipites of various characters that may seem to be related somehow and eventually all coalesce to make sense of the whole story
sueodd's review
4.0
Fun read: Lovecraftian style horror meets Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy humor. What's not to love about that?
julianav's review
4.0
This audiobook has a very intriguing blurb and I jumped at the chance for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Morag, a transfer from the Edinburgh to Birmingham travels on Sunday to her new job as a member of a response team of an agency that deals with ensuring that the Apocalypse runs smoothly. Arriving in Birmingham she is pulled into a search for one of the high-ranking nobles of the Venislarn. These fish-like intelligent aliens invaded Earth and when the time is right, their gods (who they conveniently brought with them) will plunge our planet into an inescapable hell. Until then, the government agency that employs Morag appeases the aliens and tries to come up with a way to market the apocalypse to the general public.
Other characters, like Rod Campbell and the clueless, yet smart Nina work with Morag, to at the very least contain the damage to the public from the Venislarn aided by Mrs Vivian Grey, a woman who gives most aliens pause, and the stage is set.
Whilst the book is billed as workplace comedy, and there are enough laughs from the satire of the typical office, it often doesn't gel with a Cthulhu-like feel of the book. That's where I feel was the biggest failing of the book. Balancing two genres without giving preference to one. This made the book hard to get into at first, but once the story, which I would describe as a supernatural horror with elements of satire I didn't want to stop listening to it.
The narrator for this book is amazing, every person is distinct and I think Nina's Birmingham accent is seared in my brain, but in a good way.
I would recommend this and to not be discouraged by the first couple of chapters, it really does get better by the end. Even if better mean the Apocalypse is still on track.
Morag, a transfer from the Edinburgh to Birmingham travels on Sunday to her new job as a member of a response team of an agency that deals with ensuring that the Apocalypse runs smoothly. Arriving in Birmingham she is pulled into a search for one of the high-ranking nobles of the Venislarn. These fish-like intelligent aliens invaded Earth and when the time is right, their gods (who they conveniently brought with them) will plunge our planet into an inescapable hell. Until then, the government agency that employs Morag appeases the aliens and tries to come up with a way to market the apocalypse to the general public.
Other characters, like Rod Campbell and the clueless, yet smart Nina work with Morag, to at the very least contain the damage to the public from the Venislarn aided by Mrs Vivian Grey, a woman who gives most aliens pause, and the stage is set.
Whilst the book is billed as workplace comedy, and there are enough laughs from the satire of the typical office, it often doesn't gel with a Cthulhu-like feel of the book. That's where I feel was the biggest failing of the book. Balancing two genres without giving preference to one. This made the book hard to get into at first, but once the story, which I would describe as a supernatural horror with elements of satire I didn't want to stop listening to it.
The narrator for this book is amazing, every person is distinct and I think Nina's Birmingham accent is seared in my brain, but in a good way.
I would recommend this and to not be discouraged by the first couple of chapters, it really does get better by the end. Even if better mean the Apocalypse is still on track.
brooklynn_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
wispiwill's review
5.0
“Yes, it is the end of the world. Yes, we are all going to die. But we are British. These things still need doing in an orderly manner and there is certainly no excuse to get all emotional about it.”
Goody, Heide; Grant, Iain. Oddjobs (p. 41). Pigeon Park Press. Kindle Edition.
Once I read that, I knew I was going to enjoy the book - I wasn't wrong.
Goody, Heide; Grant, Iain. Oddjobs (p. 41). Pigeon Park Press. Kindle Edition.
Once I read that, I knew I was going to enjoy the book - I wasn't wrong.