Barry Harris’s to do list: 1)Try not to kill my customers 2) Don’t let next doors basset hound wind me up. ”Read it in one sitting and couldn’t stop laughing. Gag a minute. Dark comedy at it’s finest!” (Goodreads review)A half-woman, half-cockroach fused in a bizarre gardening accident? That would be Mrs Jittery Twitch, dwelling in the shadows of our misdeeds. If in danger, you can call upon … the shadows of our misdeeds. If in danger, you can call upon her help… all she asks is your soul as payment. But she’s just a legend, so no need to worry.
Barry Harris is a 28-year-old man, still living with his dear old mum in a little flat above a hairdresser. His obsession with Star Trek and the martial arts won’t help him when he’s forced out on a date.
And nobody knows about the weird string of events that’s about to put everyone’s lives in danger. A trio of samurai warriors and the strangest offer of help lead Barry on a perilous mission to save the day.
Perfect reading for fans of Tom Holt, Terry Pratchett, Robert Rankin, Christopher Moore or Douglas Adams.
(This book is the second in the Prophecy Allocation series but works fine as a standalone read.)
Why you should read this book:
- It explains revolutionary insights into the nature of reality that debunk the myth of free will (probably).
- It proves the multiverse has only two parallel universes (depending on your criteria for what makes up proof).
- It contains 50% extra innuendo-based gags than Book One in the series. Some of them might be considered funny (again this is relative).
- The author achieved a heightened dynamic tension not found in other books. He was heavily constipated during its creation. There may be a link. The author is no way suggesting that this makes it better than every other book ever written.
Warning: The book is written in British English. All British slang terms are helpfully translated for the international reader, along with a short explanation of why British people are a little strange.
Categories for Escape For Samsara:
Comedy Fantasy
Fantasy Adventure
Time Travel
Dark Comedy
Comedy
Humorous Fantasy
Humorous Fantasy Fiction
Humorous Fantasy Books
Humour
Humor
Urban Fantasy Humour
Comic Fantasy
sci fi comedy books
sci-fi comedymore
Undercover ninja Barry is back in a whole new adventure. Gardener by day, it’s hard for Barry to keep a lid on his secret identity, especially when enemy ninjas appear out of nowhere. Good thing Barry thinks fast on his feet. When Barry’s mum sets him up on a blind date, chaos ensues. Who knew going to the cinema could be so deadly? His date is abducted and it’s up to Barry to save her from a fate worse than death. Can Barry save the day yet again?
I loved Hot Love Inferno almost as much as I loved Escape from Samsara (book one). It’s hilarious dark humor fantasy adventure unlike anything on the market today. Barry is the typical anti-hero which only makes the reader connect with him more. The plot moves at a quick pace with plenty of ninja action and whip-smart dialogue. I read it in one sitting and highly recommend!
Perfect for fans of Terry Pratchett, Hot Love Inferno is not to be missed. Can’t wait for the next adventure!
Disclaimer: I read this on Kindle Unlimited CA.
My Rating: 5 stars
Gardner and marital arts expert Barry Harris lives with his headbanger mum, lusts after Jo (who sells sex toys), eats fish fingers and watches Star Trek. When a bunch of Samurai warriors appear, Barry has to draw on all his abilities to save the world (or at least the town of Portslade). And then of course, there’s Mrs Jittery Twitch…
This is the second of Nicky Blue’s Prophecy Allocation Books and like the first, it’s a bit weird. The author’s humour is wacky to say the least, while his imagination conjures up some truly bizarre scenes. This book has the added novelty of footnotes, which explain some of the more ‘British’ phrases used in the story, as well as the meaning of words such as Pognophobia (the fear of people with beards).
The only downside is that (despite the footnotes), much of the humour may be lost on anyone outside the UK. But as a firm believer in writing what you want to write, I’m not going to complain.
This book was definitely different from books I would normally read but it was a quick, lighthearted story that made me chuckle a few times. Going into it I didn’t even think I would like it but I’m actually interested in reading the next one!
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This book was definitely an easy read( I finished it in one sitting!) with hilarious characters and an engaging plot. Keith the basset hound added the perfect touch to all the samurais and death with his straight forward humor and his ‘annoying face’. It is part of a series but that didn’t matter because it was easy to find out what had happened and what was going on in this novel.
So, first of all I should start by saying that this isn’t my cup of tea and wouldn’t have probably read it alone. Samurai warriors and ninja skills? Nah dude. BUT this book surprised me in so many ways, some unpleasant and some were just outright beautiful.
The book was not just highlighting the action of Barry (the main character) trying to save his date, but rather showed us quite a comical side of Barry even through all the hell he was in he could spare some time to crack a joke. Which might be unrealistic to some people, well because it is. The book is a work of fiction and comedy mixed together so don’t stress out on the stuff a character “should” be doing in such position.
The begging of the book was so hooking but it took a turn towards the middle where all the weird stuff began , though I was caught sometimes laughing out loud, I was also caught rolling my eyes and sometimes just saying “really?” to the book; which is mainly why I downgraded it, I think other than that everything was quite nice.
Nickey’s usage of words is really unique and beautiful and his book is such an original I think I never read something along that story line before. The book is such a fast read since it’s only approximately 130 pages long it also means it’s fast paced nothing too slow, nothing too detailed.
Though make sure you don’t mind graphic violence because some of the murders happened are somehow vivid. And the book is always full of some kind of action happening so it’s not a fluffy book where the character talks to himself every now and then and thinking about feelings or anything like that.
I did enjoy the book and I do recommend reading it, especially for those who love fast paced books. It was hilarious at parts and was downright weird at others but I think that is what made it special,I loved the characters but I did not feel attached to them like I usually I am with YA books but that’s okay too.
A bizarre but intriguing novella with a touch of the ludicrous and the fantastical, like the lovechild of Shawn of the Dead, The Twilight Zone and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. If you’re in the mood to read the heroic story of a ninja gardener who has to fight off demon samurai, this is the book for you!
I received an advanced/review copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content and honesty of my review.
This was honestly one of the weirdest and craziest books I’ve ever read–and I mean that in the best way. Mr. Blue has an incredible sense of humor and quite possibly the most unique “voice” I’ve read. My favorite part of this book was the footnotes. Talk about laugh-out-loud funny!
If you’d like to read my full review, please check it out here: http://bit.ly/hotlovein
This is the strangest thing I’ve ever read and I loved it. The story is kind of weird and at first I wasn’t sure what was happening, who these characters were and what was the end goal of all of it. But as I kept reading things became less fuzzy, I got more involved with the characters and oeverall enjoyed it quite a lot. It made me laugh at times, it made me take a breath and re-read lines just because they were brilliantly written. I won’t say that I understood all of it because I don’t always get the jokes but when I did they made me smile. All in all, this is one weird read that I think anyone, who isn’t afraid to take a plunge into the unknown, will enjoy.
This dark humor novella is original and brilliant. I definitely recommend it to people who are into dark comedy and strange fantasy. It’s unlike any other book I’ve ever read. It seems funny and also intriguing. Characters are artistically created, so that they seem believable. You can find strange characters, extraordinary incidents that are interwoven interestingly. It is not an ordinary book at all. This novella could amuse me easily with its British comedy, I’m not a big fan of British comedy though, since I’m afraid I might miss much of it, but seeing lots of explanations- comic and funny- was really an advantage.
It is a MUST READ.
SAHAR_HAMIDAVY
This novella is a philosophical ridiculousness presented through a literary experience. It made me laugh and ask questions about life at the same time, it takes you into a journey of strange events happening to weird bunch of characters. I usually don’t read such kind of books, but I really could not stop reading. The writing was amazing, the expressions, language, different use of words, slangs and lets not forget the footnotes, everything was smoothly written, a dark humor written in a light style. When I started, I thought it was an insane book, but then the insanity grew on me, and I wanted to read more of it. I have never read something like it, and looking forward to reading more of NickyBlue
This book was something else, something different, and in a good way.
It begins as a fairly realistic novel. You know, a boy with family problems, with the deceased father and with a rather peculiar personality. But as you go along with the plot you realize that there are many fantasy elements that enrich the story.
In addition, the author’s narration and humor are fabulous. It hooks you, and you manage to relax you even in the most tense moments. And their footnotes, religiously at the end of each chapter, were one of my favorite parts of the novel.
It is a book that is read very fast and that manages to entertain you and give you a good time. Apart from being one of the most original things I’ve read this year. I congratulate the author very much for daring to do something different.
After all, who does not risk, does not win, right?
This book wasn’t like any book I’ve ever read before. It had some completely wild ideas that only someone with a bit of a crazy imagination like myself could truly appreciate. It did have a bit of some British humor and adult humor, but I found myself chuckling while reading certain parts. My favorite character was Keith, the Basset Hound, and I’ll admit, the cover with him on it was what attracted me to this book in the first place. I’m a sucker for a cute animal. That being said, this is not a story about an adorable dog, but a mixture of science-fiction, murder, and craziness. The author has a style I’ve never seen before with footnotes to explain some of the things the reader may not know. They were helpful, humorous, but sometimes distracting. I didn’t read the first book in this series, but it didn’t seem hard to catch on to the characters in the story.
This was my first time reading anything from Nicky, and I have to say, yes it’s a bit out there, and different from what I normally read. However, I did enjoy the plot of it, and the storyline, but it was all over the place sometimes, and hard to keep up with what was going on.
In saying that though, I did like it to the point of where was it going and what will happen next. It had so many twists and turns and it kept me enthralled with it to find out more.
Again, it isn’t what I usually read, so it was a bit hard for me to follow what was going on at times, and I had myself asking, WTF is going on. It was funny in some places too!
Some of my fave quotes were:
I wouldn’t even need to call on her of course, not with my ninjutsu training. I’m a walking weapon of mass destruction. – LOL!! I laughed so hard at this!
He’s totally off tits! – I say this all the time, and died laughing at it!!
Nicky, Thanks for letting me read this!
Fair warning for anyone picking up Nicky Blue’s latest work— “Hot Love Inferno” is most definitely not for the faint of heart! It’s a bizarre, comic novella set in suburban England, with characters, settings and plot lines bawdy enough that they’d make even Kinky Friedman blush. This book is a hilarious look at what really goes on in those quiet, country towns and villages… combined with action-packed, samurai ninja swordplay!
My English isn’t really good, but I’ll never improve it if I don’t practice. This is why I decided to try to translate my review; it’s my first “translation”. If you see any mistakes or not-English phrases, text me that I can work on it!
March 16th 2019
Dear Emperor!
Please, forgive me that I haven’t written to You for so long time! However, I still do have a lot of work to do. The blog isn’t actually running right now, though I thought why not publish this message? The other Hedgehogs don’t have to know it, right?
Emperor, one day I thought, “There’s no use in the Internet if I read stories only in Polish! English won’t practice by itself!” (and now we can see how bad my English is, I so sorry). In the same time I got a message from an English writer; he asked whether I would like to read his novel in English! And again I thought, “Why not?”.
Though the book isn’t really long (about 142 pages), it took me quite long time. “Why?” you ask, Emperor.
It’s hard to write. Is it because I’ve been reading three books in the same time or rather the lack of experience in reading in English?
But, firstly, a few words about the novel itself, dear Emperor.
Book is entitled “Hot Love Inferno”, written by Nicky Blue, available ebook and paperback.
It’s a comedy full of the dark humor and unordinary situations as well. One day the main character has to fight against untypical group to save his world; fortunately, a trio of samurai warriors offer him their help… It sounds interesting, isn’t it?
It is hard to review this book, because it has showed me that my English, especially British, isn’t that good to freely write an opinion, I feel a little bit confused.
The main advantage are the annotations on the end of each chapter. The annotations explains British slang and references to popculture in a humoristic way. However, the location is a big minus to me – I had to scroll pages to read the annotations and then went back; it knocked me off stride, moreover, the annotations were long and very often put in the text. Though I am sure that explaining the British slang in a humoristic way is a good solution. Also the author gives the readers tips on British humor which is very specific, as he mentions.
I have to frankly admit that the plot didn’t really grip me. Sometimes it brought to my mind Mr. Bean, I’m not a big fan of this comedy. Probably that means I won’t be a fanboy of British comedies. I didn’t make friends with characters. Unfortunately, I read the novel in a bus or at breaks.
You will wonder, Emperor, “Is it worth reading at all?”. Definitely yes!
The book is filled with humor and typical British phrases, so it’s perfect for people who want to train their English. It’s very lovely to read and it’s de-stressing novel. I recommend “Hot Love Inferno” for all the people who want to rest learning a language.
Emperor, what’s more, Nicky Blue offers his texts for free. Anyone can join the readers list and get the newsletter. E-books cost about one dollar on Amazon!
When you’ll read, inform your friends on socials and give the book review on Amazon/Goodreads/Lubimy Czytać!
Yours
Nikodem
Published: https://zaczytanejeze.blogspot.com/2019/03/hot-love-inferno-nicky-blue.html
I really liked Hot Love Inferno, as it is different and it has that humoristic accent that makes the thriller façade of this book a little more bearable. There are some tough scenes in the book and I must admit that I was quite scared at some point. It’s not very soothing to imagine three seven feet tall samurais killing everything they catch. However, I recommend this book to anyone who loves reading thriller books. As for me, I would definitely love to read more from this series. I really loved the author’s style, his humor and also the story.
https://flavorfulideas.com/hot-love-inferno-nicky-blue/
I loved this even more than the first book especially the mystery narrator which I though was clever. I rarely find book that make me laugh as much as this. Loved every minute of it!
This second book in this wanna be ninja gardner is way better than the first one, but I guess a damsel in distress is always more appealing. The first story I’ve listen instead of reading, so that can be a factor too. I have to say that even thought it was easier to read, I do missed the british accent of the narrator. 🙂
This story have side notes, so I recommend increase a lot the size of the letter to be able to use the quicklinks shortcuts.
Those side notes are hilarious, and I do wonder how any narrator will pull of this feature. 🙂
This story can be read as a standalone (as far as my opinion goes), but there is a long story in the serie that keeps us wondering where this is heading. Still this is a very surreal story with a special kind of humor, so not for everybody tastes. You have been warned! 😉
I was asked by the author to read and review this novella. When I saw the title I was wondering exactly what I had agreed to read. Was this going to be some kind of kinky sex book? I was relieved to find out (by reading it) that it was not. Although there are a few sex related things mentioned and a good amount of swearing in parts, it was a funny book. If you are prudish, don’t read it. Otherwise, go for it. It’s a quick, fun read. It took me a bit to really start to enjoy the book, but that was only because this is the first I have read of this genre. In a few parts I was thinking “what?” Then I quickly caught on. It fits into a lot off categories: humor, humorous fiction, dark comedy, time travel, etc. So many weird things happen and the characters acknowledge them, but just go about their business. (Which is part of the humor) I don’t want to mention specific things so I don’t spoil it. One of the parts that I remember made me laugh out loud was the comment “Oh, why the long face?” I’m still smiling now thinking about it. My favorite character? Definitely Keith. Who is probably not who you think he is.
I’m not sure how Nicky came up with this dark and full of laughs book. I couldn’t put it down because I needed to keep reading about all the bizarre things and descriptions of his writing.
Totally enjoyed