Jim Bernheimer

I was not expecting to be impressed by the sequel to Confessions of a D-List Supervillian and I can say that I felt that this one was merely OK. I believe the author is self-published, but if not I think would benefit from additional proof-reading or an/another editor. I found the non-linearity of the book to be too confusing, and though I have a soft spot for Cal Stringel there was way-too much Tucker Max-like dialog. That said, I still still like the premise and, to be fair, Jim Bernheimer show more includes some surprising elements to his take on superheroes. Cal is certainly unique. For that reason, I'm considering reading the prequel and the follow-up book, but if this is an endless series of sequels that's probably all the more that I'll commit to.

A warning to anyone who follows my reviews: if you have any triggers with I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell or similar, you will not like these books. show less

I got this book from the author in exchange for an honest review :-) I really enjoyed it a lot; it's a great paranormal ghost action story that is fast paced and creative.

Mike Ross returned from fighting in Iraq less an eye and with some hearing loss. His eye is replaced with a donor eye upon his return home. There is only one thing wrong, now he is seeing ghosts with his new eye. As if life for a recuperating vet wasn't tough enough, now Mike's got ghosts hunting him down because they want show more him. Apparently Mike is a rare type of person called a Ferryman; a Ferryman hasn't existed in the States for over a century and he is plunged into the dangerous world of ghostly politics.

This was a really good book. The book is broken into thirteen episodes. Initially each episode deals with Mike solving a ghostly mystery and the episodes are somewhat contained. As the story continues there begins to be more of an over-arcing story that ties everything together. The book is nicely wrapped up but has a couple loose threads that need to be answered in another novel.

In the beginning the writing is a bit rough and the characters a bit over-characterized, but after the first couple episodes Bernheimer really hits his stride. Mike isn't the most likable character; he is crass, prone to anger, and in some ways your typical ex-army guy, yet Bernheimer gives Mike a noble streak that makes Mike likable and real.

The idea of Mike seeing the dead with his implanted eye and the whole way Mike interacts with the ghost-world was very well done and creative. I really enjoyed learning about it. Again, Bernheimer does a great job of making Mike's interaction with the dead reasonable and believable. The plot is non-stop and propels the reader forward making the book hard to put down and the action scenes are really well done. Bernheimer does a great job throwing in some dry humor to keep things from getting too serious.

I have a couple small complaints; Berheimer's characterization of women is a bit rough at times. Most of the female characters are annoying as all get out and a bit cliched. This was something that got better as the book continued. The female characters introduced later in the novel were more reasonable and interesting. Bernheimer did do an excellent job characterizing the male characters. Also in the beginning of the book I thought some of the language felt a bit forced and the characters were a little over done; this is also something the went away after the first couple chapters.

Overall this was a great read and a lot of fun. I really enjoyed Bernheimer's take on ghosts and interactions with them. I think this is a start to a wonderful new series and really look forward to reading the next book in this series. Bernheimer is definitely a writer to keep an eye on; he has some great ideas and a fun writing style to read. show less

The world thinks Cal Stringel, aka Mechani-Cal, is dead. However, Cal knows differently. He is in hiding, building back up his power and his alternate identity. He and a few select folks don’t agree with the status quo and they are going against it. On one side are the bureaucrats of the powerful nations of the world backing the sanctioned superheroes. On the other hand are the supervillains willing to sabotage Cal and his rogue buddies. Now toss in Cal’s personal life, such as his show more relationship with Stacy Mitchell (a sanctioned superhero known as Aphrodite) and his boss (Whirlwendy) who happens to be his baby momma, and you have quite the setting for reader entertainment.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and I believe this is the best yet. Bernheimer’s writing gets better with each new work. This tale is told mostly as a series of flashbacks. Stacy and Cal had a falling out and a year later they reconnect. So of course Stacy wants the inside story of Cal’s life for the past 12 months. As Cal and Stacy do mundane things like make dinner or shower together, Cal tells his tale. It’s a great story, something that is worthy of headlines if only the world at large knew the half of it. It was a great way to break up all the action with moments of reflection on the consequences.

Then there is the whole idea of Cal as a father. He reproduced! That happens to real people, so why not our D-List supervillain. Of course the dynamic between his baby momma (Whirlwendy) and him is a source of entertainment. Cal and a few others have joined forces and their default team captain is the mother of Cal’s baby. You can imagine my amusement.

At one point, Jim Bernheimer had a contest or such and several fans of the series had their names built into this book as minor characters. That includes me! Hooray! I was quite surprised and amused as to how my character ended up naked on a football field with several others.

OK, back to the plot and characters. Even though the story is told in flashbacks, so we know that Cal survived, there are still several twists and turns that made Cal’s story telling engrossing. Yep, I know he’s still intact and relatively healthy, but I wanted to see how he outwitted or outfought or outhid all these powers that he was up against. I was not disappointed. Then there is the character development. Cal started off the series by burning nearly all his bridges. In this book we see how that has shifted and he is actively trying to build relationships, and not just for the sex. He’s still an ass with a good heart, but he more self-aware and not just reacting to his raw emotions.

Overall, a great addition to the D-List Supervillain series.

The Narration: Jeffrey Kafer once again was awesome. I love his voice for Cal as it is always a little sarcastic. He has great voices for all the other characters and does a great job conveying emotion. show less

This book has been sitting on my wishlist for quite a while, and finally bought it week or so ago. It looked like a fun read and I wasn't disappointed. It seemed like it was going to be a Young Adult book, but there were some things going on in it that I'm pretty sure most of my siblings would be very hesitant to allow their children to read at middle school age.

We follow a self styled D-list supervillian, and we first meet him after a mind control experiment goes awry and as far as he show more knows, he's the last human alive that isn't under the control of the 'bugs'. He manages to free one of the top tier superheroes from their clutches and spends a LOT of time weaning her from her addiction. And then things continue to pick up pace from their.

I enjoyed it I plan to check out some more from this author in the future. show less