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Ahriman #1
The Last Son of Ahriman
His family massacred, a boy must claim a dark inheritance and wage war against a greater evil.
Seventeen-year-old Simon Bell of San Pedro was never meant to bear the mantle of destiny, but when his parents and brother are killed and the soul of his sister stolen, the burden is forced upon him.
Across the gulfs of space and time Ahriman, the Dark Planet, spreads Its tendrils to Earth, spawning our nightmares, infecting mankind with madness and ruin. The Order of Ahriman − the cabal of sorcerers that has claimed Simon − harnesses the shadowy essence of the Planet as a weapon against it but doing so requires riding a razor’s edge of sanity and corruption.
Now he must battle the darkness both within and without, and find his true power before the forces that claimed his family plunge him, and then the world, into final oblivion.
Seventeen-year-old Simon Bell of San Pedro was never meant to bear the mantle of destiny, but when his parents and brother are killed and the soul of his sister stolen, the burden is forced upon him.
Across the gulfs of space and time Ahriman, the Dark Planet, spreads Its tendrils to Earth, spawning our nightmares, infecting mankind with madness and ruin. The Order of Ahriman − the cabal of sorcerers that has claimed Simon − harnesses the shadowy essence of the Planet as a weapon against it but doing so requires riding a razor’s edge of sanity and corruption.
Now he must battle the darkness both within and without, and find his true power before the forces that claimed his family plunge him, and then the world, into final oblivion.
- GenresFantasyUrban Fantasy
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 4, 2014
About the author
Justin Robinson
35 books151 followersMuch like film noir, Justin Robinson was born and raised in Los Angeles. He splits his time between editing comic books, writing prose and wondering what that disgusting smell is. Degrees in Anthropology and History prepared him for unemployment, but an obsession with horror fiction and a laundry list of phobias provided a more attractive option.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 22, 2014
The Not-Chosen Hero
Simon Bell is his family's middle child. Not the talented and well-trained brother. Not the youngest with that extra special spark. But when his parents and brother are killed at what should have been his brothers destined moment, Simon is instead chosen to bear forces and magic that were never his birthright.
Ahriman's dark magic fuses with the high-school aged Simon and he is left trying to hold the small shreds of what had been his life before while learning to use and control the Dark Planets energies. His new role is both aided and complicated by his life-long friends Fausto and Erin as well as his brother's chosen guardian, Zoe.
Last Son of Ahriman moves quickly with interesting plot that touches on both the darkness of high school as well as the magical universe in which Simon's San Pedro exists. Robinson's characters come alive and are shaded not just by their talents but their weaknesses and fears. There are no throw-away plots or scenes in Last Son, although the pay-off is rarely immediate. It is a book that invites re-reading, just so that you can catch how early some of the themes and plots are foreshadowed.
The only downside of Last Son of Ahriman is that very obviously the first book in a series. Although the main characters are very well-fleshed, Robinson taunts us with glimpses of antagonists and groups of which I really wanted more.
Not only do I recommend reading Last Son of Ahriman, I recommend reading it more than once.
Simon Bell is his family's middle child. Not the talented and well-trained brother. Not the youngest with that extra special spark. But when his parents and brother are killed at what should have been his brothers destined moment, Simon is instead chosen to bear forces and magic that were never his birthright.
Ahriman's dark magic fuses with the high-school aged Simon and he is left trying to hold the small shreds of what had been his life before while learning to use and control the Dark Planets energies. His new role is both aided and complicated by his life-long friends Fausto and Erin as well as his brother's chosen guardian, Zoe.
Last Son of Ahriman moves quickly with interesting plot that touches on both the darkness of high school as well as the magical universe in which Simon's San Pedro exists. Robinson's characters come alive and are shaded not just by their talents but their weaknesses and fears. There are no throw-away plots or scenes in Last Son, although the pay-off is rarely immediate. It is a book that invites re-reading, just so that you can catch how early some of the themes and plots are foreshadowed.
The only downside of Last Son of Ahriman is that very obviously the first book in a series. Although the main characters are very well-fleshed, Robinson taunts us with glimpses of antagonists and groups of which I really wanted more.
Not only do I recommend reading Last Son of Ahriman, I recommend reading it more than once.
August 21, 2018
Compelling story and characters, but occasionally weirdly written, sometimes even with grammatical errors. As though it wasn't proof-read. Still, an enjoyable read, and I will be picking up the next book in the series.
January 7, 2015
The following review was originally posted on Fanboy Comics at the following link:
http://fanboycomics.net/index.php/blo...
'The Last Son of Ahriman:' Book Review
by Claire Thorne, Fanboy Comics Contributor
If you can survive the opening scene of The Last Son of Ahriman, you’ll be doing good. I don’t mean that in a it-takes-a-while-to-get-into-the-story kind of way. I mean it in a do-your-best-not-to-get-eaten-by-a-horrible-monster-or-sucked-into-a-terrifying-portal-to-a-hell-dimension kind of way.
This opening scene is worthy of being the ultimate climax of the book. Justin Robinson immediately throws his readers into the action, yet at the same time accomplishes a fair amount of exposition while we’re gasping for breath. We are introduced to an untold number of monsters, a house with morphing abilities (More on that below!), a whole new planet (Ahriman) with a terrifying connection to Earth, and a hierarchy of sorcerers who are sometimes doing their best to battle the evil it brings and sometimes joining up with that evil.
At the center of the story is Simon Bell, the middle child of a family with strong connections to the Order of Ahriman (those sorcerers I mentioned earlier). His story is familiar: formerly overlooked, but now thrust into power, responsibility, and attention that he never really wanted. Simon has the usual cadre of high school friends, unwanted relatives, local law enforcement nosing around . . . and The Guest.
Remember that morphing house I mentioned? Simon’s house is inhabited by a benevolent entity that can alter the physical nature of the house to protect its inhabitants. I have to admit, I kind of fell in love with The Guest . . . totally want one for my house! Altogether, this cast of characters is fresh and intriguing (with a nice dose of ethnic and gender diversity thrown in for good measure).
Robinson deftly handles the action of the story, witty dialogue, and character descriptions (My favorite is the guy who is “pretty much just testosterone held upright by surface tension.”); however, he really excels at his descriptions of Ahriman and its dreadful denizens. His description of the way in which the sorcerers are “possessed” by Ahriman is both horrifying and beautiful. The monsters that are spewed forth during this possession are worthy of Lovecraft . . . and Hellboy. You can taste, feel, and smell the monsters. They come “limbs splattering,” tentacles groping, and teeth gnashing. They are frequently so disturbing that you find yourself reading through your fingers vainly trying to shield your eyes.
All of this takes place in Los Angeles. I loved the juxtaposition of sunny L.A. with the bleak, shadowy influence of Ahriman. The result is a Sunnydale taken to the next level, with a Hellmouth that never closes and five extra layers of creepy demonic goodness.
It does take a while to immerse yourself into all of the detail surrounding the Order of Ahriman and the complexity of the world Robinson has created. It was slow going for me on this front for about three quarters of the book, but I will say that by the close of the story, I finally felt I had a good handle on all of the various cabals, mages, agents, monsters, and associated parties. The payoff is a richly intricate universe, a rare find in a story of this scope.
My wish list only has one item of real significance. I found that Simon’s motivations, and sometimes those of his friends, were somewhat muted. [MINOR SPOILER ALERT] From the very beginning, Simon is tasked with trying to help his sister, who suffers a mysterious and troubling injury; however, Simon never quite achieves the desperation to help her that I felt as a reader. Additionally, Simon reveals the reality of Ahriman, its magics and monsters, to his unsuspecting friends without much turmoil that I expected him to feel at what could result from bringing them into this new world.
The Last Son of Ahriman is a wonderfully detailed, terrifying, creepy descent into potential madness. It will be a happily recognizable world to fans of Lovecraft, Buffy, and Hellboy . . . to monster lovers of all descriptions. It ends with the words “To Be Continued" . . . and I’m going to take Robinson at his word on that.
Now, I have to go and re-watch Constantine. (The Keanu movie version, please.) I’m in the mood for some demon fighting!
http://fanboycomics.net/index.php/blo...
'The Last Son of Ahriman:' Book Review
by Claire Thorne, Fanboy Comics Contributor
If you can survive the opening scene of The Last Son of Ahriman, you’ll be doing good. I don’t mean that in a it-takes-a-while-to-get-into-the-story kind of way. I mean it in a do-your-best-not-to-get-eaten-by-a-horrible-monster-or-sucked-into-a-terrifying-portal-to-a-hell-dimension kind of way.
This opening scene is worthy of being the ultimate climax of the book. Justin Robinson immediately throws his readers into the action, yet at the same time accomplishes a fair amount of exposition while we’re gasping for breath. We are introduced to an untold number of monsters, a house with morphing abilities (More on that below!), a whole new planet (Ahriman) with a terrifying connection to Earth, and a hierarchy of sorcerers who are sometimes doing their best to battle the evil it brings and sometimes joining up with that evil.
At the center of the story is Simon Bell, the middle child of a family with strong connections to the Order of Ahriman (those sorcerers I mentioned earlier). His story is familiar: formerly overlooked, but now thrust into power, responsibility, and attention that he never really wanted. Simon has the usual cadre of high school friends, unwanted relatives, local law enforcement nosing around . . . and The Guest.
Remember that morphing house I mentioned? Simon’s house is inhabited by a benevolent entity that can alter the physical nature of the house to protect its inhabitants. I have to admit, I kind of fell in love with The Guest . . . totally want one for my house! Altogether, this cast of characters is fresh and intriguing (with a nice dose of ethnic and gender diversity thrown in for good measure).
Robinson deftly handles the action of the story, witty dialogue, and character descriptions (My favorite is the guy who is “pretty much just testosterone held upright by surface tension.”); however, he really excels at his descriptions of Ahriman and its dreadful denizens. His description of the way in which the sorcerers are “possessed” by Ahriman is both horrifying and beautiful. The monsters that are spewed forth during this possession are worthy of Lovecraft . . . and Hellboy. You can taste, feel, and smell the monsters. They come “limbs splattering,” tentacles groping, and teeth gnashing. They are frequently so disturbing that you find yourself reading through your fingers vainly trying to shield your eyes.
All of this takes place in Los Angeles. I loved the juxtaposition of sunny L.A. with the bleak, shadowy influence of Ahriman. The result is a Sunnydale taken to the next level, with a Hellmouth that never closes and five extra layers of creepy demonic goodness.
It does take a while to immerse yourself into all of the detail surrounding the Order of Ahriman and the complexity of the world Robinson has created. It was slow going for me on this front for about three quarters of the book, but I will say that by the close of the story, I finally felt I had a good handle on all of the various cabals, mages, agents, monsters, and associated parties. The payoff is a richly intricate universe, a rare find in a story of this scope.
My wish list only has one item of real significance. I found that Simon’s motivations, and sometimes those of his friends, were somewhat muted. [MINOR SPOILER ALERT] From the very beginning, Simon is tasked with trying to help his sister, who suffers a mysterious and troubling injury; however, Simon never quite achieves the desperation to help her that I felt as a reader. Additionally, Simon reveals the reality of Ahriman, its magics and monsters, to his unsuspecting friends without much turmoil that I expected him to feel at what could result from bringing them into this new world.
The Last Son of Ahriman is a wonderfully detailed, terrifying, creepy descent into potential madness. It will be a happily recognizable world to fans of Lovecraft, Buffy, and Hellboy . . . to monster lovers of all descriptions. It ends with the words “To Be Continued" . . . and I’m going to take Robinson at his word on that.
Now, I have to go and re-watch Constantine. (The Keanu movie version, please.) I’m in the mood for some demon fighting!
May 9, 2015
What can I say? I've long been a fan of Robinson's work, but I think that this might be his greatest achievement yet. Taking the framework of YA fiction and adding to it elements of such sources as Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the good seasons), Garth Nix, and Alain-Fournier, he manages to craft something wholly unique and remarkable.
Simon Bell is an ordinary teenager who finds himself thrust into a decidedly extraordinary situation after the supernatural murder of most of his family. Like any teenager (or anybody at all, really), he doesn't always handle it ideally and his feelings of grief and anger are only exacerbated by the numerous temptations he faces. Adding to this is a diverse and sprawling cast of supporting characters, each of them three-dimensional and with their own motivations and (almost) as interesting as Simon himself. Through the use of shifting perspective, Robinson builds a fantastical world that still feels fully lived-in and recognizable. As someone who hasn't been west of La Brea since 2006, I know very little about San Pedro, yet he paints such a vivid picture that I can now imagine it perfectly.
As another reviewer mentioned previously, this is the first book in a larger series. And I know I cannot wait until the next entry. Let's hope that we don't have to wait too long!
Simon Bell is an ordinary teenager who finds himself thrust into a decidedly extraordinary situation after the supernatural murder of most of his family. Like any teenager (or anybody at all, really), he doesn't always handle it ideally and his feelings of grief and anger are only exacerbated by the numerous temptations he faces. Adding to this is a diverse and sprawling cast of supporting characters, each of them three-dimensional and with their own motivations and (almost) as interesting as Simon himself. Through the use of shifting perspective, Robinson builds a fantastical world that still feels fully lived-in and recognizable. As someone who hasn't been west of La Brea since 2006, I know very little about San Pedro, yet he paints such a vivid picture that I can now imagine it perfectly.
As another reviewer mentioned previously, this is the first book in a larger series. And I know I cannot wait until the next entry. Let's hope that we don't have to wait too long!
March 31, 2015
In a sea of very similar YA novels, Robinson's stands out firmly with dark themes and interesting characters. Simon is a little hard to love, but for all of the right reasons, and it never occurred to me to abandon the book because of it. As in all of his other novels, Robinson's characters are very obviously flawed humans, with their own strengths and weaknesses that appropriately lend themselves to the narrative.
I strongly feel that there's not enough horror in this genre (the closest I tend to see are supernatural monsters that are more human than horror), and this story is a great example of utilizing horror elements without being too "scary" for a younger audience. Also, though I'm the oldest sibling of four, I know my family well enough to know that Simon is a very well written younger brother.
I love the YA genre as a whole, but this book really sets itself apart, and I highly recommend checking it out if you're tired of the recent surge of dystopian cardboard cutouts that have been flooding the market as of late. Or if you've read Robinson's other books, because then you already know this novel will be just as good as the others.
I strongly feel that there's not enough horror in this genre (the closest I tend to see are supernatural monsters that are more human than horror), and this story is a great example of utilizing horror elements without being too "scary" for a younger audience. Also, though I'm the oldest sibling of four, I know my family well enough to know that Simon is a very well written younger brother.
I love the YA genre as a whole, but this book really sets itself apart, and I highly recommend checking it out if you're tired of the recent surge of dystopian cardboard cutouts that have been flooding the market as of late. Or if you've read Robinson's other books, because then you already know this novel will be just as good as the others.
June 30, 2015
If you can survive the opening scene of The Last Son of Ahriman, you’ll be doing good. I don’t mean that in a it-takes-a-while-to-get-into-the-story kind of way. I mean it in a do-your-best-not-to-get-eaten-by-a-horrible-monster-or-sucked-into-a-terrifying-portal-to-a-hell-dimension kind of way.
This opening scene is worthy of being the ultimate climax of the book. Justin Robinson immediately throws his readers into the action, yet at the same time accomplishes a fair amount of exposition while we’re gasping for breath. We are introduced to an untold number of monsters, a house with morphing abilities (More on that below!), a whole new planet (Ahriman) with a terrifying connection to Earth, and a hierarchy of sorcerers who are sometimes doing their best to battle the evil it brings and sometimes joining up with that evil.
Read my whole review for Fanboy Comics.
This opening scene is worthy of being the ultimate climax of the book. Justin Robinson immediately throws his readers into the action, yet at the same time accomplishes a fair amount of exposition while we’re gasping for breath. We are introduced to an untold number of monsters, a house with morphing abilities (More on that below!), a whole new planet (Ahriman) with a terrifying connection to Earth, and a hierarchy of sorcerers who are sometimes doing their best to battle the evil it brings and sometimes joining up with that evil.
Read my whole review for Fanboy Comics.
December 23, 2014
Adolescence is a difficult enough time, but can you imagine adding being a living gateway to the madness and power of an alien god to the mix?
Simon Bell doesn't have to. His family is a lineage that has danced for generations on the razor's edge of insanity, embracing a dark bargain just enough to empower themselves as guardians against our world's destruction. Simon's brother was next in line, but Fate had other ideas. Now he must find a way to control and channel the darkness or we will all pay the price. And the worst part?
He's not the only one hearing the whispers from Beyond. And those others are coming for him.
Last Son of Ahriman is a fascinating blend of YA fiction and Lovecraftian horror, where the teenage struggle for identity and purpose takes on truly world-shattering proportions, and our hero must stare down an Abyss that is most definitely looking back-- sometimes with his own eyes.
Simon Bell doesn't have to. His family is a lineage that has danced for generations on the razor's edge of insanity, embracing a dark bargain just enough to empower themselves as guardians against our world's destruction. Simon's brother was next in line, but Fate had other ideas. Now he must find a way to control and channel the darkness or we will all pay the price. And the worst part?
He's not the only one hearing the whispers from Beyond. And those others are coming for him.
Last Son of Ahriman is a fascinating blend of YA fiction and Lovecraftian horror, where the teenage struggle for identity and purpose takes on truly world-shattering proportions, and our hero must stare down an Abyss that is most definitely looking back-- sometimes with his own eyes.
May 6, 2016
This was my first experience with Robinson's work, but from the beginning recognized Justin as a distinctly different voice in a vast sea of sameness. Not at all what I was expecting, The Last son of Ahriman proved to be far more than your run of the mill YA novel. Genre bending at its finest, this story contained enough elements to hold the attentions of sci-fi and fantasy lovers alike, with enough action and excitement to satiate the adrenaline junkie in all of us. Garnished with more than a splattering of horror mixed in for lasting effect, Simon Bell wriggles his way into both heads and hearts as a truly average, unexceptional, sort of boy who in the end turns out to be the ultimate hero.
If you enjoy magic, the supernatural, space, murder, fantasy, and coming of age this book balances it all well! I hear tell this is the first book in a series!
If you enjoy magic, the supernatural, space, murder, fantasy, and coming of age this book balances it all well! I hear tell this is the first book in a series!
January 8, 2015
Do you ever think to yourself that you like urban fantasy, coming of age stories, and also a hefty dose of horrors from beyond space, but not enough authors are putting these great tastes together? Look no further: this is the book for you. Simon is thrust suddenly into a role he wasn't prepared for and doesn't want and must embrace magic, develop the discipline to control it, and continue to maintain a semblance of normality at high school as he and his friends have their entire lives turned inside out.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews