Oddjobs

Who would have thought that cosmic horror could be funny? "Oddjobs" proves that it's possible to combine unspeakable eldritch beings with snarky humor, and that even the apocalypse can be made mundane, even silly. It's not a masterpiece, but it sure is entertaining, with a colorful cast of characters who treat the Lovecraftian as just another day at the office.Morag Murray works for a secret government organization that knows the world is going to end at the hands of horrific godlike beings... but rather that fight a hopeless war, said organization is instead dedicated to ensuring said apocalypse happens as smoothly as possible. Freshly transferred to the Birmingham office, she arrives just in time to tackle a dirty-movie ring run by a gang of fishmen, a break-in at a vault for cursed and forbidden objects, and a plot that could destroy the city. All in a day's work, apparently, for Morag and her co-workers...If you're not a fan of British humor, you may find yourself wondering "how is this funny?" Much of the humor of this book relies on satire, snarky characters, and the weird being treated as completely mundane. I know this type of humor isn't to everyone's tastes, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The downside is that the characters can come across as unemotional at times, not reacting or only reacting with annoyance to things that would make ordinary people go ballistic with terror, but then, they've probably seen it all by this point...The writing itself is decent and servicable, but not terrific. It gets the job done, though, and fits the tone of this story -- an easygoing tone that's deadpan and prone to dark and snarky humor. And the authors do manage to capture the weirdness of the eldritch beings and their minions... though some of these beings lose a bit of their eldritch, Lovecraftian menace when they do arts and crafts or organize a cult of ginger worshipers, which is honestly part of the humor.Weird and occasionally dark, "Oddjobs" is still a funny read that blends deadpan humor with Lovecraftian horror much better than I expected. If you're a fan of Douglas Adams or Yahtzee Croshaw, you'll probably enjoy this.

The world as we know it may be ending but someone still needs to make sure the proper paperwork has been done.Oddjobs is the first book in the series of the same name by Heide Goody and Iain Grant. It is a very British take on the Men in Black trope that has spawned several movies, books, and graphic novels. The main difference being while in Men in Black they were trying to stop the apocalypse, in Oddjobs they’re trying to make sure the process goes smoothly. If it’s going to happen anyway, why not make it as easy as possible? And maybe even bring in a few dollars with a line of incredibly cute and cuddly plushes?As I said above, Oddjobs is a very British book. Peppered throughout are references to persons, places, and events that the average UK reader would recognize but other readers might not. On a handful of occasions I found myself having to look up things referenced simply to try and keep up with the storyline. Not that this is a bad thing per se, but it might throw off the average reader.Oddjobs is a fast paced book and in some places quite funny. The cast of characters are an eclectic lot, each one bringing their own strengths to the team. While some background is given on each character, it is my hope that we learn more about every one with each subsequent novel.I really enjoyed reading Oddjobs. As a fan of British sci-fi I found it to be an entertaining mix of seriousness and satire. Readers who are fans of this genre and like classics like Doctor Who and Red Dwarf are sure to like this one as well. Average readers might find the British-isms a bit confusing at time but I urge them to give this a try as well.

Oddjobs promises Lovecraftian horrors adapted to modern urban fantasy and packaged with British humour - so of course I jumped right on it.*** What to expectExpect an excellent delivery on the above promise. The story takes place over a week, from the arrival of a new employee to the Birmingham branch of a special, secret government agency on Monday, to the grand finale, crisis-narrowly-averted on the weekend.The whole novel has a Warehouse 13 vibe (or Men In Black, for those unfamiliar with the SyFy series) mixed in with a judicial amount of Lovecraft-style ancient horrors from beyond. All this, of course, with the best of British wit on a background of a modern industrial city.As one of the characters say: “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.”*** What I likedLoved the wit, the vibe, the plot. It's an excellent urban-fantasy satire, making for a very enjoyable read.I've never been to Birmingham, but the authors' use of real life settings as the basis for occult locations is brilliant. Makes you suspect any bit of modern architecture for having a sinister, paranormal reason behind it.Also, the scene with the marketing department on how to sell the apocalypse was positively brilliant!*** What to be aware ofDon't expect deep emotions or a complex character arc. This is primarily a satire.Also, without giving too much of a spoiler, though the beginning has the nihilistic, fatalistic tones of Lovecraft this is still a modern work, and the protagonist do save the day (at least temporarily).*** SummaryIf you loved Warehouse 13 / Men In Black and appreciate elder gods from beyond, this is definitely a book for you.--Assaph Mehr, author of  Murder In Absentia: Togas, Daggers, and Magic  - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.

I love this book! I don't often have much with free suggestions from Book Bub, but I would definitely purchase this series. The book is light, an easy read, and laugh out loud funny

This book was not what I expected and had a lot of heart , albeit some things got me upset , lol, but for the most part I loved it . 5 star ,in my world a 15 .

A great read. One of those books where you hesitate to put it down. The authors did an amazing job. Will definitely continue reading.

Querky novel and I loved the humour. Read this is no time. Glad I discovered this on Book Bub!

couldn't get into it.