Josh Vogt

The best thing about this book? A believable friendship that forms between a crotchety old man who cleans toilets for a living, and a female pre-med college student. And it wasn't a sexual relationship! An actual friendship! Refreshing to see that.

The second best thing? The crotchety old man and the pretty college student aren't what they seem at first glance. I can't talk about that without giving spoilers.

I like that this heroine has a major character flaw--mysophobia--that remains show more consistent throughout the novel. She doesn't magically overcome it, or forget to be afraid for a convenient plot point. It's true to what a phobia really is. Speaking as someone with a phobia, I'm glad the author did his research.

Urban Fantasy is a genre that I rarely like, and this book has some of the UF genre tropes that bother me. There's a pantheon of immortal beings. The rules of magic are a bit squishy. There are super powers and creatures, yet normal people remain unaware. Memory erasure is easy and free. But these are Urban Fantasy things. If you like "The Dresden Files" and books like that, then you won't have a problem here at all. Plus, this book has some delightfully weird characters!

I was especially entertained by trash mage Stu. And the Gnash. The Gnash is awesome. You should read this book just for the Gnash, if nothing else. show less

If you have read a lot of urban fantasy, love it, but want to find something totally innovative, check out this series. Supernatural sanitation workers! That says it all.

This second volume in the Cleaners series continues to be a fast and enjoyable read, even as it delves into grim territory at times. Much of Enter the Janitor involved Dani discovering and accepting her new cleaning prowess; here, she fumbles to wield her new power as more is revealed about the history and dark potential of show more the Cleaners and Scum. The pace is very fast, with the darkness lightened somewhat by fun banter with an expanding cast of characters, as well as old favorites like Tetris the lizard and Carl the water-elemental-in-a-spray-bottle. I really like how Vogt is raising the stakes, and I'm curious about where things will go from here. show less

I have read a lot of urban fantasy--120 books, according to my tags--and it's very difficult to describe works in the genre as innovative and fresh. They tend to take old tropes like vampires, werewolves, or fairies, and put their own spin on them. Josh Vogt, however, has created something incredibly unique in his Cleaners series. His heroes work in supernatural sanitation. They wear the guises of common janitors and maids as they do battle with Scum that crawls out of sewers and the dark show more cracks between dimensions.

That's a lot for college girl Dani to take in. She's hardcore OCD, and when her powerful magic manifests, she's forced into the ranks of the Cleaners. The book is a lemony-fresh romp with the quick pace and breezy reading of urban fantasy all dressed up in a whole new way. show less

The Cleaners series first off takes a unique take on magic by relating it to something most people think of as totally mundane...cleaning. The set up for the series as whole is very entertaining. The well-thought out magic-based cleaning system is a strong backbone for the story. It makes you not want to take Janitors, Plungers, Handyman, and others in that industry for granted (and I remember what happened when they got rid of telephone cleaners!).

Book 2, Maids of Wrath, is like an icy show more plunge into the world of the Cleaners. While the first book offered an introduction to the world and the characters, book 2 showed even more insight into the actual Cleaners, as well as deeper insight to the characters. It's hard to put down, and I felt myself cringing every time something bad happened to any of the characters (but especially Ben and Dani). The story is full of mysteries, and every time you think you are about to get to the bottom of one, another springs up. It's action packed and will keep you guessing long after its conclusion (and impatiently waiting for the sequel).

Vogt's writing style is fun and easy to read. His story-telling has an almost light-hearted feel to such a building darkness. The characters are multi-dimensional and real; it's hard to dislike any of them (although it's possible for a few). The internal struggle for both Ben and Dani is heartbreaking and inspirational. It's easy to get pulled into the story and feel you are right there in it with them. Each chapter flows nicely together. The switch from Dani to Ben and back again was so natural that it didn't disrupt the storytelling, and rather, it made you want to read more.

If you enjoy stories with magic and mystery, it's a definite read. I feel myself almost apt to compare it to a similar tone and impression as the Dresden Files, but it's also completely different. show less