I read the first 20% of the book but then I gave up becuase the story didn’t interest me much. The main character Stratus wanders on mostly aimlessly, fights random soldiers. He is hurt a lot but somehow he heals almost immediately. He doesn’t remember who he is but than seems to know stuff he shouldn’t.

Thank you to NetGalley a d the publisher for my copy,

“I set him on fire before his brain melted, then burned his corpse.” I’m afraid that this book just wasn’t for me. I made it to the 20% point and by that time Stratus had been in countless fights, he was injured but healed rapidly, he ate a lot and he was gradually remembering who he was and what his magical powers were. I also read the last chapter and discovered that he (and the reader) don’t find out the answers to those questions until the end of the book. And then they have to read a second book. He is also naked a lot of the time. There is some male fantasy thing going on here to which I do not relate.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

This is a dark and violent fantasy, but also laced with some sardonic humour. A large and powerful individual wakes up with no memories of who (or what) he is. There is something dark and very powerful within him and he sets off into a world at war to find the truth about himself. He becomes more and more aware as we go through the book as he realises that there is something very evil in the land and confronting it might give him some answers. So he teams up with a female fighter to track the bad stuff to its source.
Our main character is a little hard to like (he is NOT a good guy) and does some things that you wouldn’t expect and the story is told through his eyes.
I enjoyed it but the story gives us a big reveal at the end and then….stops. Obviously a second one to come, but this was far too abrupt and unsatisfying as an ending for me so I have gone for three stars whereas with a more complete ending I would probably have gone for four.
But I will pick up the next one, so there was plenty to enjoy here.

This was okay, I guess, but overall quite disappointing. to me, I expected more from it because several people have recommended it to me. The writing is overly repetitive, and the pacing felt off (often dragging) mostly due to a lack of dialogues. There's also nothing surprising in the story. Black Stone Heart by Michael R. Fletcher did a much better job in telling a grimdark character with an amnesiac main character .

3 stars

I enjoyed the book, however was not aware that it had been previously released beforehand.

We are introduced to Stratus a character with amnesia who wakes up in a world in which he knows little about and no one. Together we slowly piece together the mystery of who Stratus is via encounters with the people he meets and the path he takes. I very much enjoyed this novel. It was very graphic and brutal, so be warned However, in context the brutality is appropriate and I was very much drawn into this story and the world in which it takes place.

A great dark fantasy story with a MC whose grim humor made this a highly entertaining story to read. I really enjoyed going on Stratus' journey with him as works to find out who he is. Intriguing, suspenseful, and highly engaging, I cannot wait to read more of Stratus and his quest of self-discovery.

*I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley*

I really enjoyed reading this book because the character is unique and very interesting. I like the humorous side of the story and the plot is traceable and well thought out.

The comparison to Game of Thrones meets Jason Bourne has never been more accurate. Our protagonist is on a one man mission to discover himself in the bloodiest way possible. Slowly discovering more about his surroundings and how came to be in the body he awakes in, the carnage around him grows, culminating in a bloody read that is sure to entertain readers. From the moment Stratus awakens, he fights. Literally. Never stopping until his quest for knowledge is satisfied and he discovers who he truly is. Unfortunately for him there are those who know the truth and would seek him out for their benefit. While Stratus doesn't take any sort of espionage route through his journey, the comparisons to Jason Bourne fit. He's without his memory, smart, resourceful, and most of all, he's hell bent on achieving his goal. This was a delightfully surprise of a good book considering its comparisons.

I really liked this book and the character of Stratus. There were a lot of reasons why this book stands out, and a lot of parts that just detracted from the experience as well. The character, main structures of the book's ideas, and the driving parts of the plot were amazing. I loved seeing Stratus change from a confused hulk into his true form and identity. However, the descriptions of the magic and what Stratus does in his own mind and even in his environment were super confusing and didn't really need to be added in.

I'm super excited for the next addition in the series. The ending leaves a lot of options open that eliminate what I found tedious in this novel, and Stratus just becomes this deeply immersive and interesting being the more I read about him. Oddly enough, this was nearly identical to Michael R. Fletcher's Black Stone Heart. Anyone that enjoyed this will deeply appreciate Fletcher's novel as well.

Infernal is fun. It’s also over-the-top and pulpy, but I loved it. Stratus wakes in an unfamiliar place, with no memories of his past. And just in time before local vultures rip him into pieces to enjoy the meal.

Things escalate quickly, and Stratus finds himself engaged in an approaching war with evil forces. He has no interest in people and their conflicts, but the fickle hand of fate cares little for his plans and goals. Especially that he has peculiar, inhuman, skills. Preternatural strength and a knack for sorcery allow him to decimate his opponents. Those who try to trap and hurt him disappear in a shower of blood. Interestingly, tasting brains allows Stratus to gain insights into the past of his fallen opponents.

I need to emphasize that despite gritty and violent moments, Infernal remains darkly humorous. Sure, not everyone will enjoy the grim humor, but I found it hilarious. Like this exchange between Stratus and Tatyana, the second key character:

Tatyana stared at me without saying anything for long enough that I began to wonder whether I had said it aloud, or simply thought it. As I was about to repeat myself, she turned her gaze to the dead man, then back to me. ‘You’re going to eat him,’ she said. She made it sound like a statement.‘Just his brain,’ I corrected her.‘His brain.’‘Are you repeating everything for a reason?’

In a way, Stratus resembles Drax the Destroyer - he has no sense of humor, he doesn’t understand sarcasm or metaphors. Subtle jokes skip right past him. Something about his earnest tone and deadpan delivery is comic, especially in his back and forth with Tatyana. The smell is his strongest sense - Stratus sniffs people without realizing it’s creepy as hell for them, and it results in solid situational humor.

Because the story is told only through Stratus’ POV, we don’t get any unnecessary exposition. It also means secondary characters remain underdeveloped, but I didn’t mind. We discover the world through his eyes and nose, and because Stratus isn’t human, he sees things from an alien perspective. Frankly, the big reveal of his identity is hardly surprising, but I won’t spoil the fun for you. I’ll just say the foreshadowing, while not subtle and rather in-your-face, entertained me a lot and helped me to picture him.

Infernal gives an old school fantasy vibe but plays with tropes. It blends non-stop violent action with horror and grim humor. I couldn’t put it down, but I need to point out its weaker parts. Jager’s writing is uneven. I found his similes awkward and sentence structure surprising in places. The beginning, while entertaining, is repetitious, and the story doesn’t pack a lot of really surprising twists. It’s simple and unpretentious, and I guess that’s the reason why I enjoyed it so much. Readers looking for depth and complexity may find it disappointing.

Personally, I'll read the sequel as soon as it's available. I love amnesiac hero trope, and Jager nailed it. Join me if you fancy following an inhuman with a fractured mind.

Fantasy is not my primary genre, but this is good overall. The author has a good imagination and told this story in a mostly engaging way. Most dark fantasy fans will probably like this one.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

Stratus wakes up in the middle of nowhere, with a total loss of memory. He only remembers his name and little by little he starts re-discovering his magical power. He knows that he isn’t human and starts looking for information about himself… but the enemy is always near him
In a land devastated by the war, the chronicles of Stratus begin…

This book is totally based on the main character of Stratus, using all the other events and characters as a background for his re-discovery of himself; basing all the story on the main character could be risky because, if he isn’t built well enough, it could easily bore. Luckily this isn’t the case for Stratus.
His dark side, that is what probably give the title to the book, adds depth and richness to his traits… especially if coupled with his naive part. This pairing end up adding some humor to certain situations that makes this book really enjoyable to read.

The beginning is kinda confusing; this could be a plus because let the reader experience the same disorientation afflicting Stratus in the first phases of the story, but it makes it more difficult to read. The adding of some more information and the developing of the plot will dissipate this initial feeling and make everything more interesting and less confounding.

I loved the numerous fight in this book! The protagonist always found some clever and unexpected way to face his opponents and this never makes the combats monotonous. Some of them could even seems like some comical skits and kinda remembered me of Bud Spencer’s movies.
Some of them and a few other scene in the book could be really strong for some people, as there are some gory part with themes like cannibalism and torture.

The suspense of some parts could really leave you with bated breath and the mystery around Stratus is really intriguing. The more hints and sneak peak the author will give, the more interesting it will become, with the reader founding himself more and more into it.

I really loved the finale and I hope that a sequel will arrive soon!

Infernal is a great book, it's dark but funny and hugely entertaining.It's also a clever and gripping fantasy that makes strides to further the Dark Fantasy genre.

I thought this one was entertaining to say the least. It was fun, enthralling, and fast paced. Hard to write a review without spoiling anything.

I bought this book 4 years ago and really enjoyed it, in my review I left on Amazon I stated I looked forward to the next book in the series, I’m still waiting ........: