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The Cleaners #1
Enter the Janitor
Clean-freak college student Dani Hashelheim never imagined she’d discover her latent magical ability in, of all places, a bathroom. But when she ducks into the ladies’ room at the library, she’s put in the crossfire between an elderly janitor and a ravenous muck-monster that emerges from the sink. Dani’s previously unknown power manifests in self-defense, and she floods and burns down the library—at the same time.
Enter Ben, the janitor, who works for the Cleaners, a supernatural sanitation company that keeps reality tidy and safe...and a company Dani now works for as well, whether she wants to or not. This puts a significant crimp in her dream to attend med school and become a doctor. Nor is Ben happy, since it’s his duty to help Dani adapt to the job and learn to control her chaotic talent before it kills them both.
Dani barely has time to try on her new company uniform before she and Ben are hunted down by a cult that wants to cleanse all life from the planet, and believes her power provides the means to do so. While fighting to survive the cult’s increasingly violent recruitment attempts, the pair must battle dust devils, navigate a maze of mystical sewers, face down trash golems—and scrub the occasional toilet.
Enter Ben, the janitor, who works for the Cleaners, a supernatural sanitation company that keeps reality tidy and safe...and a company Dani now works for as well, whether she wants to or not. This puts a significant crimp in her dream to attend med school and become a doctor. Nor is Ben happy, since it’s his duty to help Dani adapt to the job and learn to control her chaotic talent before it kills them both.
Dani barely has time to try on her new company uniform before she and Ben are hunted down by a cult that wants to cleanse all life from the planet, and believes her power provides the means to do so. While fighting to survive the cult’s increasingly violent recruitment attempts, the pair must battle dust devils, navigate a maze of mystical sewers, face down trash golems—and scrub the occasional toilet.
332 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2015
26 people are currently reading
790 people want to read
About the author
Josh Vogt
54 books73 followersAuthor Josh Vogt’s work covers fantasy, science fiction, horror, humor, pulp, and more. His debut fantasy novel is Pathfinder Tales: Forge of Ashes, alongside the launch of his urban fantasy series, The Cleaners, with Enter the Janitor, The Maids of Wrath, and The Dustpan Cometh. He’s a freelance writer and editor, a Scribe Award and Compton Crook Award nominee, and a member of both SFWA and the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers. Find him at JRVogt.com or on Twitter @JRVogt.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
May 31, 2015
I picked this book up at the 2015 Denver Comic Con, where it was described to me as what could have happened if Harry from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files had choose to be a Janitor instead of a detective. Intrigued I immediately started reading it. I was not disappointed.
Set in Denver, Enter the Janitor, brings you an experienced wizard/supernatural janitor (cleaner), Ben, who gains within the first chapters a germaphobe apprentice, Dani. I immediately fell in love with the characters of Ben with his crotchety grumpy old man deminer and Dani with her struggle to fit in as cleaner and control her new powers all while battling her germaphobia. Ben and Dani make you laugh while battling villains of Corruption, not an easy thing to do.
Josh Vogt creates a fantasy world below the setting of Denver that is fresh, new and exciting. Add his lovable characters and talented ability to weave a story and it makes for an excellent fist book in the Cleaners Series that I couldn't put down. I personally cannot wait to see what happens to Ben and Dani in the book 2, The Maids of Wrath.
Set in Denver, Enter the Janitor, brings you an experienced wizard/supernatural janitor (cleaner), Ben, who gains within the first chapters a germaphobe apprentice, Dani. I immediately fell in love with the characters of Ben with his crotchety grumpy old man deminer and Dani with her struggle to fit in as cleaner and control her new powers all while battling her germaphobia. Ben and Dani make you laugh while battling villains of Corruption, not an easy thing to do.
Josh Vogt creates a fantasy world below the setting of Denver that is fresh, new and exciting. Add his lovable characters and talented ability to weave a story and it makes for an excellent fist book in the Cleaners Series that I couldn't put down. I personally cannot wait to see what happens to Ben and Dani in the book 2, The Maids of Wrath.
August 31, 2015
When I read the synopsis for JR Vogt's Enter the Janitor I was immediately intrigued, because who could resist the phrase "supernatural sanitation company"? Furthermore, the grumpy. old mentor figure paired with a newbie overcoming all odds, is one of my favourite tropes, in whatever media form you can imagine. Vogt's interpretation of the eternal battle between order and chaos also seemed as if it would be really funny, though I did wonder whether its premise of magical cleaners wouldn't become shticky or repetitive. So I went into the reading hopeful, but wary. Yet Vogt completely sold me on the story, because it was entertaining, charming, and had far more emotional resonance than I'd expected.
Why the resonance? First of all, I connected strongly to Dani, the germaphobic student. I liked her feistiness and her grit and the way she wouldn’t let the story damsel-in-distress her, despite its numerous attempts to do so. Instead, she always at least tries to get out of the hairy situations she landed in under her own steam, yet at the same time she isn’t afraid to accept help when she needs it. Also the way Vogt handled her phobia and OCD traits was respectfully done, with humour, but it never felt malicious or rigidly stereotyped. We also get to see Dani push through her fear when needed, which is a struggle that people with phobias/anxiety/OCD live with every day. Dani is also wonderfully acerbic, which just made me laugh a lot.
Her mentor is equally dry and cynical. Ben is an older man, dealing with the accompanying aches and pains, and generally presenting himself as a grumbling old-timer. Yet he is far more than an old wash-out, as we learn throughout the novel. He has friends and enemies in high and low places and it’s these bonds that drive much of his development. I especially liked the way he still loved his late wife and that even in her absence, she still motivated him to be better. He reluctantly bonds with Dani, coming to care for her almost despite himself. Their relationship was a delight and central to the narrative. It is through Ben we learn most of what we know about the Cleaners. The characters that make up this strange group were a nice mix of good and bad people, showing that right and wrong can exist on either side of the divide.
Vogt created a really interesting world. The explanation of how and why the Cleaners exist and the nature of their magic was cool. I loved the idea of a fight between Order and Chaos, but them both being trumped by the power of Entropy. Most people just overlook the existence of magic in the world completely; its manifestations are so related to dirt and muck, that they just think it is natural and Cleaners are just cleaners. I found this a very clever way to incorporate magic into the real world without having create really elaborate reasons why people in that world wouldn’t notice the huge hulking magical monsters in their midst. And the fact that many of the monsters were composed of muck and grime never came across as over the top or gimmicky.
Where one might expect the book to linger on the induction of Dani into the Cleaners, the plot pretty much gets going from the get go. The book is fast-paced and I found myself surprised by some of the turns it took. Dani and Ben need to figure out the reason for the rash of unexplained magical manifestations and what they discover was unexpected.
Enter the Janitor was grand fun; witty and humorous without becoming shticky. I really enjoyed the story and the characters that inhabit it. Dani, Ben and company are easy to root and cheer for and I hope we’ll get to do so again in the future. With book two announced for next year, it looks like we'll certainly get that opportunity. Enter the Janitor wraps up most of its threads, so it will be interesting to see what Vogt will put the team through in The Maids of Wrath. Meanwhile, if you're looking for a fun, fast-paced adventure, give Enter the Janitor a read.
This book was provided for review by the author.
Why the resonance? First of all, I connected strongly to Dani, the germaphobic student. I liked her feistiness and her grit and the way she wouldn’t let the story damsel-in-distress her, despite its numerous attempts to do so. Instead, she always at least tries to get out of the hairy situations she landed in under her own steam, yet at the same time she isn’t afraid to accept help when she needs it. Also the way Vogt handled her phobia and OCD traits was respectfully done, with humour, but it never felt malicious or rigidly stereotyped. We also get to see Dani push through her fear when needed, which is a struggle that people with phobias/anxiety/OCD live with every day. Dani is also wonderfully acerbic, which just made me laugh a lot.
Her mentor is equally dry and cynical. Ben is an older man, dealing with the accompanying aches and pains, and generally presenting himself as a grumbling old-timer. Yet he is far more than an old wash-out, as we learn throughout the novel. He has friends and enemies in high and low places and it’s these bonds that drive much of his development. I especially liked the way he still loved his late wife and that even in her absence, she still motivated him to be better. He reluctantly bonds with Dani, coming to care for her almost despite himself. Their relationship was a delight and central to the narrative. It is through Ben we learn most of what we know about the Cleaners. The characters that make up this strange group were a nice mix of good and bad people, showing that right and wrong can exist on either side of the divide.
Vogt created a really interesting world. The explanation of how and why the Cleaners exist and the nature of their magic was cool. I loved the idea of a fight between Order and Chaos, but them both being trumped by the power of Entropy. Most people just overlook the existence of magic in the world completely; its manifestations are so related to dirt and muck, that they just think it is natural and Cleaners are just cleaners. I found this a very clever way to incorporate magic into the real world without having create really elaborate reasons why people in that world wouldn’t notice the huge hulking magical monsters in their midst. And the fact that many of the monsters were composed of muck and grime never came across as over the top or gimmicky.
Where one might expect the book to linger on the induction of Dani into the Cleaners, the plot pretty much gets going from the get go. The book is fast-paced and I found myself surprised by some of the turns it took. Dani and Ben need to figure out the reason for the rash of unexplained magical manifestations and what they discover was unexpected.
Enter the Janitor was grand fun; witty and humorous without becoming shticky. I really enjoyed the story and the characters that inhabit it. Dani, Ben and company are easy to root and cheer for and I hope we’ll get to do so again in the future. With book two announced for next year, it looks like we'll certainly get that opportunity. Enter the Janitor wraps up most of its threads, so it will be interesting to see what Vogt will put the team through in The Maids of Wrath. Meanwhile, if you're looking for a fun, fast-paced adventure, give Enter the Janitor a read.
This book was provided for review by the author.
May 31, 2015
When Dani, medical student and germaphobe extraordinaire, stumbles upon a battle between Ben, a magic-using janitor, and a clot-hound, a beast lurking in the restroom plumbing, she displays unusual powers that saves Ben in the nick of time. Without even realizing it, she has entered the world of the Cleaners, who serve the forces of Purity to battle the vile minions of Corruption. Oh, and to make sure there’s always toilet paper in every stall.
Not just another toilet-plunging epic, Enter the Janitor gets off to a great start and doesn’t let up. Ben, a crusty, flippant, older Cleaner, is ordered to train Dani since her—and her awesome, fiery magic—might be lured to serve Corruption. This doesn’t sit well with Dani (she does hate germs, you know) but she’s left with little choice. Adjusting to a lifestyle where she has to temporarily abandon her family, friends, and schooling, Dani chafes under Ben’s cantankerous tutelage. It doesn’t take long, though, before forces threaten to flush her and her little pet lizard, Tetris, down the crapper.
Josh has created one of the most unique urban fantasy worlds I’ve seen in this novel. We meet trash mages, entropy wizards, god-like beings that embody Filth (in leopard print pants, no less), water elementals stored in a janitor’s spray bottle, the cute-but-definitely-not-cuddly Gnashy, lizard-like urmoch that dwell in sewers and never leave a courtesy flush, and people so pure they can magically edit out your vulgar language. I mean, ****, there’s a lot of stuff here, but Josh juggles it all in a deftly written, slick narrative. Humorous dialogue makes each character stand out with distinction. The magic system is well-thought out and original.
There are somber moments, too. Josh’s description of the Gutters, a realm between realities where dead worlds drift aimlessly, or Dani’s reaction to the harsh truths every Cleaner must face, or what Ben has sacrificed, gives this story an emotional foundation beyond the spell-slinging, mop-thrusting action. I liked every character and what role they played. Even the villains display complexity, and often deserve as much empathy as the heroes.
I’m glad that this is the first of a series, because I’ll certainly return to Josh’s world to see what happens to Dani and her friends next. I highly recommend this book.
Not just another toilet-plunging epic, Enter the Janitor gets off to a great start and doesn’t let up. Ben, a crusty, flippant, older Cleaner, is ordered to train Dani since her—and her awesome, fiery magic—might be lured to serve Corruption. This doesn’t sit well with Dani (she does hate germs, you know) but she’s left with little choice. Adjusting to a lifestyle where she has to temporarily abandon her family, friends, and schooling, Dani chafes under Ben’s cantankerous tutelage. It doesn’t take long, though, before forces threaten to flush her and her little pet lizard, Tetris, down the crapper.
Josh has created one of the most unique urban fantasy worlds I’ve seen in this novel. We meet trash mages, entropy wizards, god-like beings that embody Filth (in leopard print pants, no less), water elementals stored in a janitor’s spray bottle, the cute-but-definitely-not-cuddly Gnashy, lizard-like urmoch that dwell in sewers and never leave a courtesy flush, and people so pure they can magically edit out your vulgar language. I mean, ****, there’s a lot of stuff here, but Josh juggles it all in a deftly written, slick narrative. Humorous dialogue makes each character stand out with distinction. The magic system is well-thought out and original.
There are somber moments, too. Josh’s description of the Gutters, a realm between realities where dead worlds drift aimlessly, or Dani’s reaction to the harsh truths every Cleaner must face, or what Ben has sacrificed, gives this story an emotional foundation beyond the spell-slinging, mop-thrusting action. I liked every character and what role they played. Even the villains display complexity, and often deserve as much empathy as the heroes.
I’m glad that this is the first of a series, because I’ll certainly return to Josh’s world to see what happens to Dani and her friends next. I highly recommend this book.
May 12, 2016
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 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.
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 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.
May 16, 2016
What a fun an unique ride!! It may be a dirty and extremely dangerous job, but someone has to do it! And that falls to the Cleaners, a supernatural sanitation company that not only cleans dirt and grime, but fights the dark and dangerous monsters who thrive in such conditions.
Poor Dani, a super clean freak, who longs to be a doctor, finds out about the Cleaners in the most horrible place ever...., well to her anyway, the public bathroom!! What starts as a normal bathroom routine, again for her anyway!!, ends up with her discovering that she isn't who she thought she was and it also ends with a job she never thought she would ever do, being a janitor. What follows is a fast paced and enjoyable read!
Character wise, I loved grumpy "old" Ben and clean freak Dani! Both are incredibly well written and developed and I loved seeing their mentor/mentoree relationship become a solid friendship. I also loved Ben's water sprayer friend!!
Plot wise, I absolutely adored the fact that the author made Dani such a germaphobe!! It added a lot of levity to the story and was such fun to read! This surprised me in how fast paced it was! I expected with it being the first, it would have a lot of building the foundations to do but not so. The flow of the story is perfect and seamless and it's such an easy book to read that I devoured this in one day! I was glued to my headphones, waiting to see wht would happen our fearless duo ;)
In all, this is an amazing book. It has so many unique and spellbinding elements that you can't help but fall in love with this world and characters the author has created! I urge anyone looking for something absorbing, to give this a go, you won't be disappointed!! Though I will warn you that once you finish this, you will want book 2 ASAP!
Michael Gilboe did an amazing job with this. He was easy to listen to and gave each character their own personality.
* I received a copy of this for review. This in no way affected my thoughts.*
Poor Dani, a super clean freak, who longs to be a doctor, finds out about the Cleaners in the most horrible place ever...., well to her anyway, the public bathroom!! What starts as a normal bathroom routine, again for her anyway!!, ends up with her discovering that she isn't who she thought she was and it also ends with a job she never thought she would ever do, being a janitor. What follows is a fast paced and enjoyable read!
Character wise, I loved grumpy "old" Ben and clean freak Dani! Both are incredibly well written and developed and I loved seeing their mentor/mentoree relationship become a solid friendship. I also loved Ben's water sprayer friend!!
Plot wise, I absolutely adored the fact that the author made Dani such a germaphobe!! It added a lot of levity to the story and was such fun to read! This surprised me in how fast paced it was! I expected with it being the first, it would have a lot of building the foundations to do but not so. The flow of the story is perfect and seamless and it's such an easy book to read that I devoured this in one day! I was glued to my headphones, waiting to see wht would happen our fearless duo ;)
In all, this is an amazing book. It has so many unique and spellbinding elements that you can't help but fall in love with this world and characters the author has created! I urge anyone looking for something absorbing, to give this a go, you won't be disappointed!! Though I will warn you that once you finish this, you will want book 2 ASAP!
Michael Gilboe did an amazing job with this. He was easy to listen to and gave each character their own personality.
* I received a copy of this for review. This in no way affected my thoughts.*
October 1, 2015
Supernatural sanitation company. I was wandering around the Rose City Comic Con looking for a friend of mine when I stopped at the booths where authors were selling their books. The author of this book came up to me and asked if I liked fantasy. I told him that I did, but I that I was also interested in trying something new. He took out this book and as soon as he said that the book was about a supernatural sanitation company, I was immediately sold. It was so different and such a switch from what I usually read, that I immediately bought the book. This book is exactly what I have been looking for and much more. Who can resist a story involving an old magical janitor who has to train a young college student who can't stand anything unclean and just found out she has powers? It's genius! So many twists and turns! I love how I couldn't predict how it would end or how the problems would be resolved. I could completely see this becoming a popular TV series(if done correctly and not deviate from the book, of course). I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel! Thank you Josh Vogt for not only creating and writing this book but for being so approachable and nice at Comic Con.
April 15, 2016
Fun book, but I was promised Men in Black with mops. While you get a similar feeling of a cover-up agency, the magicky bits take it out of the realm of realistic fantasy for me. I didn't really like Dani that much. She whines so much, even for a teenager. The humor was almost there, but kept falling short of actually funny. I know there are a lot of people that will enjoy this book out there.
Michael Gilboe did a great job narrating. I find some of his characters' accents unnecessary, but I never have trouble distinguishing characters. His comedic timing was a bit off in this one, but that could be because the jokes fell flat for me.
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
Michael Gilboe did a great job narrating. I find some of his characters' accents unnecessary, but I never have trouble distinguishing characters. His comedic timing was a bit off in this one, but that could be because the jokes fell flat for me.
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
September 22, 2015
What I loved about it was that it wasn't a stereotypical paranormal fantasy book, where the heroes are completely ignorant of their abilities but become instant warriors once they have discovered them. In this book Dani isn't Buffy Summers with a clean fetish. She's more Adrian Monk, forced into heroics at mop-point. Ben isn't Han Solo, he's more Grandpa Simpson, irritable and wise but used to being on his own. I received this book in exchange for a fair review but I would have honestly have bought it. Can't wait for the sequel!
April 14, 2016
"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."
Enter The Janitor is a crazy, zany, book. As a person who works in the custodial services, I'm waiting for my magical powers to defeat the disgusting monsters. Fun to listen to and laugh out loud. I'm not impressed with Ben being portrayed as someone that uses wrong words in the wrong places. Janitors are not stupid.
The narration was well done. The characters were excellently portrayed.
Enter The Janitor is a crazy, zany, book. As a person who works in the custodial services, I'm waiting for my magical powers to defeat the disgusting monsters. Fun to listen to and laugh out loud. I'm not impressed with Ben being portrayed as someone that uses wrong words in the wrong places. Janitors are not stupid.
The narration was well done. The characters were excellently portrayed.
July 20, 2015
Although it took me a little time to connect to, this book is fantastic. The writing, world-building, and character development are incredibly clever, and it really gains momentum as you get into it. It's very engrossing in both concept and style. Can't wait for the sequel!
See my full review here: https://mylitfit.wordpress.com/2015/0...
See my full review here: https://mylitfit.wordpress.com/2015/0...
May 3, 2016
Humorous Urban Fantasy
Follow magical janitor Ben and germaphobic college student Dani as they battle scum. One eventful day at her college library, Dani discovers that a secret war is being waged just below our awareness. She also discovers that she has latent magical power that she must learn to use. Her life has changed forever and she may never be clean again.
Follow magical janitor Ben and germaphobic college student Dani as they battle scum. One eventful day at her college library, Dani discovers that a secret war is being waged just below our awareness. She also discovers that she has latent magical power that she must learn to use. Her life has changed forever and she may never be clean again.
July 9, 2015
It was good. Written more in a serial style, but there's nothing wrong with that.
June 29, 2015
Nice variation on the urban fantasy theme.
February 23, 2017
I don't know where this book sits with me. On one hand I really liked it, on the other I couldn't stand it.
While I really liked the characters, Dani in particular - her germaphobia was a nice touch, parts of the story just didn't fit well with me.
It wasn't until I was more than 1/2 way through the book which was a little too far, to be honest when I finally began to understand the story. It's essentially a story of good versus evil, Purity (cleanliness) vs Corrupt (filth).
The whole concept of the janitors being magical wizards and having amazing abilities was difficult. What was even harder was the weapons they used, brooms being used to cause major wind disturbances!?
The overall story was good as the outcast janitor team battled against a bunch of different groups to expose the truth behind the problems in their organization. The inclusion of the "gods" that guided the different groups was interest and brought up thoughts of HP Lovecraft in my mind.
Overall I would have given it a 4/5, but for the fact that I wanted to abandon it more than once brought it down to a 3/5.
While I really liked the characters, Dani in particular - her germaphobia was a nice touch, parts of the story just didn't fit well with me.
It wasn't until I was more than 1/2 way through the book which was a little too far, to be honest when I finally began to understand the story. It's essentially a story of good versus evil, Purity (cleanliness) vs Corrupt (filth).
The whole concept of the janitors being magical wizards and having amazing abilities was difficult. What was even harder was the weapons they used, brooms being used to cause major wind disturbances!?
The overall story was good as the outcast janitor team battled against a bunch of different groups to expose the truth behind the problems in their organization. The inclusion of the "gods" that guided the different groups was interest and brought up thoughts of HP Lovecraft in my mind.
Overall I would have given it a 4/5, but for the fact that I wanted to abandon it more than once brought it down to a 3/5.
January 14, 2020
Someone loaned me this book during an emergency hospital stay. She thought it would be funny but under the circumstances, it wasn't, and that may influence this review.
Janitors (and Maids) work for Purity to eliminate the monsters of Corruption and save the world. Think "Get Smart" meets "Shadowhunter". Dani, a germaphobe, is forcibly recruited to the Cleaners when she accidentally sees Ben battle a monster in her college's library's ladies' room. Turns out Dani has vey powerful elemental magic that can help her battle all kinds dirt and grime. Ben trains her as they try to find a hybrid while being followed by the Cleaner's hierarchy, rogue Cleaners, Corruption and cult members.
This is an odd book which needs to be read by the right kind of odd, which I was not. This did not stop it from being a well written book. I would considering reading something else from this author but not this series.
Janitors (and Maids) work for Purity to eliminate the monsters of Corruption and save the world. Think "Get Smart" meets "Shadowhunter". Dani, a germaphobe, is forcibly recruited to the Cleaners when she accidentally sees Ben battle a monster in her college's library's ladies' room. Turns out Dani has vey powerful elemental magic that can help her battle all kinds dirt and grime. Ben trains her as they try to find a hybrid while being followed by the Cleaner's hierarchy, rogue Cleaners, Corruption and cult members.
This is an odd book which needs to be read by the right kind of odd, which I was not. This did not stop it from being a well written book. I would considering reading something else from this author but not this series.
January 19, 2026
What a wonderful book! When it came out, I entered every giveaway that offered this book to no avail. I was happy o see it in Kindle Unlimited. This is a book I will definitely keep.
We have a standard Earth with regular humans doing what humans do. But to the unknown, this world have Cleaners. Cleaners visually look like Janitors, Maids, Window Cleaners etc. But, their job is to rid their community of monsters that lurk in the sewers, pipes; basically any where grime, scum is, there lurks things.
Enter Ben a broken down old janitor and Dani a self described germaphobe. Their two worlds collide in a college restroom. Nothing will ever be the same for either.
The book is full throttle from beginning to end with humor, self discovery, character development, battles between purity and corruption, imaginative creatures, and magic.
We have a standard Earth with regular humans doing what humans do. But to the unknown, this world have Cleaners. Cleaners visually look like Janitors, Maids, Window Cleaners etc. But, their job is to rid their community of monsters that lurk in the sewers, pipes; basically any where grime, scum is, there lurks things.
Enter Ben a broken down old janitor and Dani a self described germaphobe. Their two worlds collide in a college restroom. Nothing will ever be the same for either.
The book is full throttle from beginning to end with humor, self discovery, character development, battles between purity and corruption, imaginative creatures, and magic.
January 23, 2024
I was headed out on a weeklong vacation and wanted a lighthearted novel to read so I thought I would give this a try. It fit the bill perfectly! The characters were lively and comical. The pacing of the plot was spot on. I wasn’t expecting the story to hook me as much as it did. At first I thought the setting could make for a shallow storyline, but actually it was a great setup for an intriguing plot that had enough twists to keep my attention and ensured comedic relief at every turn. I haven’t smiled that much while reading a book in a long time. Will definitely be checking out the next one in the series
May 6, 2017
I don't normally write reviews because it's hard for me to put my feelings into words, but this book was awesome. It was funny, messy and a great story. I really liked the way it was written. The story flowed. Not to mention I won this book in a goodreads giveaway, and the author contacted me to ask what i wanted written in the autograph. I thought that was a very nice touch. I would recommend this book to anyone.
December 7, 2017
The author pitched this book to me as "If Harry Dresden were a janitor". Overall, I liked the book. I think I was hoping for a bit more humor in the book, perhaps a bit more 'over the top', like Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians. It had its moments of comedic relief, but janitors being super heroes with magical abilities, I sort of hoped for a bit more ridiculous humor. I did enjoy the book, and the narration was well done with the audio. I will be checking out the next book in the series.
November 25, 2017
Good fun, great characters, engaging story. Urban fantasy pleasantly free of the usual roster of vampires, werewolves, etc., and a female lead who rolls her eyes at romantic tropes right alongside the reader. Highly recommended.
December 31, 2017
A good read
This story starts a bit funny, but sucks the reader in to a tightly written struggle between purity, corruption, and common sense. It's about yin, yang, and balance. I enjoyed it.
This story starts a bit funny, but sucks the reader in to a tightly written struggle between purity, corruption, and common sense. It's about yin, yang, and balance. I enjoyed it.
January 24, 2018
Good clean fun
If you take “cleanliness is godliness” to its logical extreme, turns out you get an unusual romp of urban fantasy. Plenty of twists and turns makes this a fun light read.
If you take “cleanliness is godliness” to its logical extreme, turns out you get an unusual romp of urban fantasy. Plenty of twists and turns makes this a fun light read.
April 16, 2018
More like 3.5 to 3.75 stars. This was a fun book, although my own squeamishness kept me at arms length for good portions of it. Funny and a good take on the good/evil dichotomy. I would definitely read additional books in the series.
March 2, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. Interesting characters and an interesting twist on the world.
At one point it seemed to get a bit slow, but then things twisted and it was very interesting.
Good book and promising intro to a series.
At one point it seemed to get a bit slow, but then things twisted and it was very interesting.
Good book and promising intro to a series.
December 17, 2016
This was fun. Your secret monster stopping agency is... janitors. I'm not going to attempt to describe it or compare it. If you want some light fare, this is just what you're looking for.
June 10, 2019
This was a fun read. Similar to MIB but with "filthy" creatures.
November 15, 2019
I found it highly enjoyable.
September 11, 2020
Very good book to read, it took me a while to read this but I totally enjoyed it!
October 28, 2015
The synopsis barely does this book justice. It is possibly one of the most unique urban fantasies I’ve ever read, and, in its way, one of the most complicated. It’s environment is one that we generally don’t like to think about, involving, as it does, all manner of filth, from sewers to garbage dumps and everything in between. In fact, this book was so edgy and bizarre that I spent half of it deciding not to finish it ..in a minute or so, and then I realized that this book was something special, and couldn’t have put it down if I had wanted to.
The author makes the point that cleaning staff are ubiquitous and that no one notices them, yet they are the ones who sweep (or mop, or plunge) up our leavings, industrial, biological, chemical, and in this book, spiritual and emotional. The author has extended their jobs a bit, and here, they also deal with the monsters that come from the world of impurity and attempt to destroy what is clean and wholesome. The concepts of pure and impure take on new meanings here, and the author presents them in a very interesting and unusual manner, one that makes the reader redefine these words, and, perhaps, give them deeper and more inclusive meanings that are less judgmental.
Even the concept of Pantheons changes: the traditional aspects of what we have come to think of as Divinity are redefined, and again, the author challenges societal assumptions, no matter the belief system, in marvelous ways.
Given the extraordinary nature of this book, I wasn’t expecting much from character building, and I was wrong. The characters are not puppets dancing to the author’s concepts, but real, flawed, wonderful (most of them) human beings, and it is that deep humanity which makes this book the excellent (if often disturbing and occasionally revolting) book that it is.
The narrator provided his usual excellent narration. I’ve read a few books that he has narrated, and this is one of the most versatile narrators I’ve come across. In fact, he is so good that I would seriously consider reading a book just because he happened to be narrating it, even if the book itself was only of passing, or even of doubtful, interest to me.
I give this book and this narrator 5 out of 5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for this unbiased review via the courtesy of AudioBookBlast dot com.
The author makes the point that cleaning staff are ubiquitous and that no one notices them, yet they are the ones who sweep (or mop, or plunge) up our leavings, industrial, biological, chemical, and in this book, spiritual and emotional. The author has extended their jobs a bit, and here, they also deal with the monsters that come from the world of impurity and attempt to destroy what is clean and wholesome. The concepts of pure and impure take on new meanings here, and the author presents them in a very interesting and unusual manner, one that makes the reader redefine these words, and, perhaps, give them deeper and more inclusive meanings that are less judgmental.
Even the concept of Pantheons changes: the traditional aspects of what we have come to think of as Divinity are redefined, and again, the author challenges societal assumptions, no matter the belief system, in marvelous ways.
Given the extraordinary nature of this book, I wasn’t expecting much from character building, and I was wrong. The characters are not puppets dancing to the author’s concepts, but real, flawed, wonderful (most of them) human beings, and it is that deep humanity which makes this book the excellent (if often disturbing and occasionally revolting) book that it is.
The narrator provided his usual excellent narration. I’ve read a few books that he has narrated, and this is one of the most versatile narrators I’ve come across. In fact, he is so good that I would seriously consider reading a book just because he happened to be narrating it, even if the book itself was only of passing, or even of doubtful, interest to me.
I give this book and this narrator 5 out of 5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for this unbiased review via the courtesy of AudioBookBlast dot com.
September 4, 2015
When a market is saturated it's definitely hard to stand out and do it well. Unfortunately this book didn't quite do it for me.
The initial idea is well-formed. Many books that feature a force of good combating evil will make a quip at some point that they're "cleaning up messes" or act as "the world's janitors" or some sort of similar analogy. In this case it's literal; the agents of good appear in the world and use the tools of literal janitors. Their newest unwitting recruit happens to be mysophobic, so she has a hard time adjusting.
Unfortunately it sort of collapses into very well-worn territory after that. The dark side is much less cohesive and has people that are arguably more sympathetic and interesting, and the people trying to do "the right thing" are vilified by the monolithic, harsh, and compassion-less higher ups in the forces of good.
I think the biggest problem for me is that there wasn't much world-building, and what there was seemed kind of disjointed. Pocket dimensions and unearthly powers were rampant, but the sources and uses for the powers were poorly defined for me. Some people seem to have innate powers while others inherited them, but there was no insight into what, if any, difference existed. Also, there was very little discussion of how most of the powers worked, which is frustrating. For example, one janitor had squeegees that functioned as blades, but it wasn't clear whether that was part of their powers or if it was some sort of esoteric equipment.
The character definition was also lackluster for me. The forces of darkness seemed very ill-defined and as I said, the characters who make it up are presented much more sympathetically than anyone on the good side. Few characters had obvious motivation for what they were doing and how they were acting, unless the motivations were so absurdly simple as to be uninteresting.
In all, the characters in the story didn't grab me, and the world wasn't interesting enough to make me want to explore it. This is apparently the start of a series (because what urban fantasy book isn't nowadays) but I'm not going to invest in it.
The initial idea is well-formed. Many books that feature a force of good combating evil will make a quip at some point that they're "cleaning up messes" or act as "the world's janitors" or some sort of similar analogy. In this case it's literal; the agents of good appear in the world and use the tools of literal janitors. Their newest unwitting recruit happens to be mysophobic, so she has a hard time adjusting.
Unfortunately it sort of collapses into very well-worn territory after that. The dark side is much less cohesive and has people that are arguably more sympathetic and interesting, and the people trying to do "the right thing" are vilified by the monolithic, harsh, and compassion-less higher ups in the forces of good.
I think the biggest problem for me is that there wasn't much world-building, and what there was seemed kind of disjointed. Pocket dimensions and unearthly powers were rampant, but the sources and uses for the powers were poorly defined for me. Some people seem to have innate powers while others inherited them, but there was no insight into what, if any, difference existed. Also, there was very little discussion of how most of the powers worked, which is frustrating. For example, one janitor had squeegees that functioned as blades, but it wasn't clear whether that was part of their powers or if it was some sort of esoteric equipment.
The character definition was also lackluster for me. The forces of darkness seemed very ill-defined and as I said, the characters who make it up are presented much more sympathetically than anyone on the good side. Few characters had obvious motivation for what they were doing and how they were acting, unless the motivations were so absurdly simple as to be uninteresting.
In all, the characters in the story didn't grab me, and the world wasn't interesting enough to make me want to explore it. This is apparently the start of a series (because what urban fantasy book isn't nowadays) but I'm not going to invest in it.
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