I received this free ARC copy of Perdition Street by Leona O’Neill at the tail end of last month and while I was set to read it on my trip, I unfortunately forgot to download the book on my iPad. So here we are, a week late, but with the promised review, and the first thing I must say is that Leona has produced a nail-biting piece of work, and Pedition Street is one hell of a good book.
Perdition Street is a standalone novel focused on the plight of one Atlas Bishop, a man in the service of God and the dead. While Atlas doesn’t exactly accept the full understanding of his position, anyone can see pretty clearly why that would be hard given the job description includes the recently murdered following you around in all their gory glory. However, Leona paints the story of a man who is more than just a grouch and a grump, one who, for a God-appointed man, does a hell of a good job when life and eternal death are on the line.
The book is truly an adventure that simmers at the start but goes to full boil by the end. Just when you think Atlas is going to pull it off, things always seem to get worse, but when you think he can’t win, that’s when Atlas Bishop is at his best. He’s a true underdog hero, one who takes a hit but doesn’t stop swinging. I spent the whole book rooting for him, sometimes screaming ar him too, to just stop being an idiot! Atlas was to me, relatable, easy to love, and easy to hate. He’s easily distracted by his thoughts, his memories, and regrets. I sympathized with him, because we’ve all been there, carrying the burden of our own world, and the seemingly insurmountable mountains of our past that stand in the way of any self-fulfillment. I know I’ve been there, and I felt a lot like Atlas.
Leona O’Neill has also produced a catharsis in words, more than just an adventure. I saw the story of a man who opens himself back up to love, and back to life. Perdition Street was like a life lesson wrapped in one of the prettiest covers and waiting to remind you that sometimes, there’s a lot more to life than just living.
I loved every page of this book. Perdition Street is an adventure that you can’t predict, and a journey through heaven and hell, into the deepest pits of the human heart, filled with plenty of angels, demons, and vengeful spirits. It’s a humorous approach to the truly terrifying prospect of death, but an equally grounded perspective on what it’s like to have the fate of heaven and hell riding on your shoulders.
If you have ever enjoyed the RIPD movie series, I would highly recommend this book. It’s a solid blend of ghosts, ghouls, and world-ending plots taking place between the eternal and mortal planes of existence. Leona has an incredible imagination, and I stayed hooked till the last bit. I’m thankful to have been an ARC reader for this book, and I hope that Leona produces more work like this in the future. I for one, would definitely read more Adventures of Atlas Bishop, Soul Binder.
You can Pre-Order Perdition Street through the Quill and Crow Shoppe on the Q&C website.