This is the most unusual story I’ve ever read. This is an America that is different from the one in which we live; this is an America where superhumans battle supervillains, and the helpless citizens take it for granted that they live in a war zone. Devil’s Cape was a haven for pirates, and is now in the grips of ruthless mobsters and violent gangs. Superheroes have come and gone, but the supervillains have stuck around…for centuries. The story centers around three unlikely superheroes, from very different walks of life, people who had only wished to live normal lives until fate intervened.

The story starts out at a fast pace, going back thirty years, setting up the main characters and the history of Devil’s Cape. At first, I was a little put off by the nonchalance with which the superheroes are treated, making them seem like no big deal. They are indeed national heroes, but in this reality, superhuman powers are not that uncommon, whether acquired or inherited. Some superheroes are like Batman: they use technology and their own, normal, fighting abilities to fight crime. Others are born with these abilities, or they acquire them through some other means, like the curse of an angry Voodoo priestess or an unusual baptism ritual. Weaving through the science fiction atmosphere is a sense of the supernatural, making the heroes and villains themselves more complex and interesting.

Rob Rogers manages to make this story flow nicely, except for the somewhat inconsistent time flow. Sometimes the action goes back years, or sometimes just seconds. I understood the need for this technique, but it made the reading feel stilted at times. I enjoyed the book, but felt that the concept could have been ironed out a bit. The technical content was very well done, and the characters themselves, even some of the villains, were relateable. I recommend this book to any fan of contemporary fantasy or classic comic books. ( )

Let me start by saying this surprised me the most out of all books I have read recently. I originally thought it would be a cheesy romp through another fictional comic city. But I was pleasently surprised to see that the book takes on a different approach towards heoroes and how they are portrayed.

Its almost like the Watchmen in feel but pulls it off a lot better in my opinion. This may be due to the fact that you could relate to some characters a lot easier than in other works.

All in all a great book.

Also how hard ass do you have to be to actually have to have a shotgun inserted into another bullet hole to kill you? ( )

This isn't my usual type of book to read, but I was curious and it sounded like something I could share with my husband. The writing was good, the story gripping, and the characters well-crafted. I definitely would like to read more by this author in the future.

Devil’s Cape is the first novel from author Rob Rogers. It is set in a world where super heroes exist and are an accepted part of life- as in flying around in spandex suits with capes and having names like The Grey Ghost, Argonaut, and Bedlam. But unlike the comic books, the world of Devil’s Cape is grim and deadly, with a high body count of both heroes and villains.
The city of Devil’s Cape Louisiana is a few miles from its more famous sister New Orleans. Founded by a pirate as a smugglers haven, Devil’s Cape has never shed its legacy of danger and corruption. In fact, at times it’s as if the residents and the city itself revel in their dark past. The story revolves around several residents of the city who discover their powers and are motivated for different reasons to join forces and confront the villainous crime-lord known as “The Robber Baron” who runs the city.
At the beginning of the book the author takes a trip back in time several years as he builds the foundation of the story, it’s a long but interesting build, and the reader will realize its necessity when they reach the present day and the story begins to unfold. The characters are well thought out and interesting. I became invested in them, and even with detailed set up there were times I wished I knew more about them, but for the story at hand what the author gives suffices. The story builds as the various threads are pulled together snugly. The action in Devil’s Cape is quick, intense and deadly. For example, one of the heroes in the story gets taken out by a head shot from a sniper with a high powered rifle followed by a bunch of guys with sledge hammers to finish the job. Brutal.
By the end of the story I was savoring every page. Rogers wraps the story up nicely and leaves open the opportunity for more adventure in the Devil’s Cape universe. As I finished the last pages I was ready to dive into the next adventure, and that’s the best recommendation I can give it. ( )

I first learned about Devil's Cape when it was placed in my recommendations by Amazon.com. After reading the description of the book I placed it in my shopping cart and waited eagerly for it to be published. When I was notified that I had snagged a copy as part of the early review program I couldn't have been happier. That happiness lasted through the first few chapters of the book. I can't say the genre isn't for me because I love science fiction and fantasy. This is the first book by Rob Rogers and I think he just bit off more than he, or anyone else for that matter, could chew. The book is a story about superheroes which takes place over 35 years in a town near New Orleans. Devil's Cape was founded by a pirate as a smugler's haven and violence and corruption have had a free rein throughout its history. This book begins the story of a group of superheroes who decide to use their powers to fight that corruption despite the cost. The book jumps back and forth in time and locale in telling this story and even though each chapter begins with the location, the dates and times of the events to follow, I found myself having to refer back throughout the chapter to remind myself of when and where the book was at that point. There are just too many characters to keep track of much less develop any real empathy or animosity for any of them. Rogers does a good job with his world and character building. His characters are fully developed, with fascinating detail and you get the sense that they are real people living in a real city even while reading about their superhero powers including fire breathing, stretching and shrinking, flying with their very own real wings. But Rogers gift was the downfall of the novel. There was just too much detail and too many gangs to keep track of and though he did take care to detail for the reader when and where the events are taking place there was just too much back and forth to make sense of. When I found myself, yet again, having to mentally rearrange the chronology of events to understand why a character was reacting in a particular way to the appearance of yet another bad guy I realized that I just didn't care. I gave up on Devil's Cape several times but I always picked it back up and tried again because I felt obligated to finish it since I had made a commitment to read and review it by requesting it from the Early Reviewers list. My opinion of the book is definitely in the minority among Amazon reviewers, of the 21 people who have reviewed it to date, 19 of them gave it 5 stars with only 1 giving it 3 stars and 1 reader giving it 1 star. I think Rob Rogers is a gifted writer and the book does not suffer most of the problems seen with a new author. His writing is polished and he has a good flow with the story. I just think there was too much information given about too many people at one time. Perhaps if he had concentrated on fewer events or fewer super heroes or super villans I might have developed a greater sense of connection with the characters but as it is written I have to say that Devil's Cape was not for me and I cannot see myself recommending it to anyone.