Dragon's Torment

Badlands Paranormal Police Department #1

by John P. Logsdon, Orlando A. Sanchez

Librarian's note: This an alternate cover for: B07LCJLCX8

In the Badlands, you keep your enemies close and the monsters closer.

Welcome to the Badlands Paranormal Police Department, where Chief Ezekias ‘Zeke’ Phoenix, a dragon who believes rules are meant to be followed, has accepted his new post.

His job is simple: keep the fragile peace between dragons, hellions, and the denizens of hell. The rules in Infernal City are even simpler: mind your business, watch your back, shoot first, and don’t bother asking questions.

When a dead hellion crashes into his life, Zeke and the Badlands PPD will break all the rules of the City. To find the killer, he’s going to make some powerful enemies who would prefer to see the new dragon chief of the PPD retired…permanently.

If Zeke fails, the Badlands will plunge into a civil war. If he succeeds, he places a target on his back, and his enemies rarely miss.

Will Zeke risk setting off the powder keg of Infernal City? Will he find the killer and bring him to justice before the Badlands becomes a wasteland? Or will they give him an early retirement package…sudden death?

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Demons, Shapeshifters, Magic, Dragons

222 pages, ebook

First published December 21, 2018

About the author

John P. Logsdon is a former game designer, producer, and software engineer who shamelessly digs into the deep recesses of his mind to bring forth oddball characters and hilarious plots. He writes primarily in fantasy, urban fantasy, and science fiction, but he's also dabbled in cozy mystery from time to time. To see John's vast library of laughs, visit www.johnplogsdon.com.

Reviews

[RM(Alwaysdaddygirl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is awesome! This is the first book I read of the author. The character Rose is annoying. However, the author does a good job of explaining how her personality helps the story. The cover rocks! That the reason I choose to read this book.

Zeke is a dragon but did not grow up with dragons. While that was annoying at times, it also helps with the story. That character Pytha said something about” Zeke being more of an f#%^ dragon or she hunt him down”, I could not have agreed more. However, how Zeke was raised help him survive and Pytha made a point of saying that. It was a small part of Pytha and I hope there will be more of her in the following series. Pytha is not cuddly type but I like her.

I would recommend this book to those who like fantasy and paranormal police stories. I will be reading the next book in the series. I give this book for 4 stars.

🇺🇸🐾

[Lukasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Longer review will, probably, come, but here's the short one.

Zeke Phoenix is a dragon and a cop who takes over a new squad in Badlands. Raised by a Valkyrie Hilda the Terror, equipped with twin shotguns Pinky and Butterfly and a blade called Slice and Dice, he's no pushover. And yet his survival chances decrease with every chapter. Unless he, and his new team of supernatural chuckleheads, identify, find and neutralize nad guys.

I enjoyed Zeke's narration and his team dynamics. Approach it as a short and unpretentions romp that doesn't take itself seriously and you'll have fun. The only flaw I can see is a thin plot, but entertaining narration and cheesy (but still funny) police jokes almost make up for it :)

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a relative newcomer to this universe, and I have loved every single second! This latest was just as much fun as the others. Zeke is new to the department, and he is a little unsure as is his new team. However, it doesn’t take long before he proves he can do that job…after a little bit of a rough start. I just love the action-filled fun these books, and this one in particular, bring to my day. They are light and breezy, a light read to help lift your mood with LOL moments. They are well-written and have fun characters you can’t help but laugh at. If you love urban fantasy filled with adventure, snark, action, and fun, you really need to pick up this book. I highly recommend this series starter!

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/23/2020)! 🎁

[Lisa Cripe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Badlands PPD are Badass

I enjoyed meeting the new chief of the balands paranormal police department. What an interesting "welcome" he received. Percy is an awesome. Love a good bartender. Now I'm off to read book 2.

[Bonnie Dale Keck · Rating 5 out of 5]

kindle unlimited, PSSSTTT wanna know a sorta secret? If you've read any of the Ian Dex Las Vegas PPD books you might be noticing that the cowriters of many of the other PPD & related books have names that are somewhat similar to Ian's big bosses, and that's because Logsdon used parts of their names etcetera in making the characters/references, so O is Orlando, Q is Knowles, Zack aka Zackenheim, and there is Noah who has been mentioned a little in a couple of the other books but just shake your head and go 'boys!' because the rest of use do for the most part, none of them are 'right' but sometimes put out decent stories, oh and list does NOT include any of the other writers' books of which they each write totally separate stories as well, this list is basically Logson and his interchange of insanity with various other PPD & related stories plus his other series


His job is simple: keep the fragile peace between dragons, hellions, and the denizens of hell. The rules in Infernal City are even simpler: mind your business, watch your back, shoot first, and don’t bother asking questions. When a dead hellion crashes into his life, Zeke and the Badlands PPD will break all the rules of the City. To find the killer, he’s going to make some powerful enemies who would prefer to see the new dragon chief of the PPD retired…permanently. If Zeke fails, the Badlands will plunge into a civil war. If he succeeds, he places a target on his back, and his enemies rarely miss. Will Zeke risk setting off the powder keg of Infernal City? Will he find the killer and bring him to justice before the Badlands becomes a wasteland? Or will they give him an early retirement package…sudden death?


Ian Dex Supernatural SERIES
The Bleeding (Ian Dex, #0.1) - The Chief #0.5 - The Merging #1 - Grave Creatures #2 - Blind Date #2.5 - Blood Bane Tower #3 - London Growl #4
Books 1 - 4 (Las Vegas Paranormal Police Department Box Set)
Swarm of Fire #5 - Curse of Fangs #6 - Clash of Flames #7
Books 5-7 (Las Vegas Paranormal Police Department Box Set #2)

'sub' series below

A Mark Vedis Supernatural Thriller/ (Southeast Asia Paranormal Police Department) John P. Logsdon & Noah K. Sturdevant
Bangkok Warlock 1
Seoul Demon 2
Santa Demon: 1 {SS}
Penang Pixie #3

A Savannah Sage Supernatural Thriller/(Seattle Paranormal Police Department) John P. Logsdon & Eric Quinn Knowles
Fae of Fortune 1
Rivalry of Runes 2
Blood of Bones 3

Shadow PPD/Wren Cooper/John P. Logsdon & Lorelei J. Logsdon
Venom Scourge 1
Rabid Curse 2
Corrupted Coven 3)

New York Paranormal Police Department {NYPPD}/Bethany Black/John P. Logsdon & Ben Zackheim
Blood Claws 1
Savage Claws 2

Badlands Paranormal Police Department {BPPD} Zeke Phoenix/John P. Logsdon & Orlando A. Sanchez
Dragon's Torment 1
Dragon's Plight 2

A Piper & Payne Supernatural Thriller - Netherworld Paranormal Police Department
Blood Crossed #1
Bane's Edge #2
Deathly Temperance #3
Major Feeding #4
Netherworld Rift #5
The Piper & Payne Supernatural Thriller Series: Books #1-5 (Netherworld Paranormal Police Department Box Set)

Ononokin series (Tales From the Land of Ononokin)
0.5-7
Ononokin Book Bundle #1 1-4
does NOT include The Fate Quest (Tales From the Land of Ononokin 0.5) free with subscription to list
Ononokin Box Set #2: 3 Hilarious Adventures 5-7
The Kidnapped Prince 5
Saving Major Wiggles 6
The Ultimate Dragon Fighting Championship 7
Star Dwarves 8

Platoon F series
Liberating the Package o.5 {prequel}
0.5-9
Pentalogy 1-5
Platoon F: Quadology: 6-9
Platoon F: Big Ass Bundle: Missions 1 - 9

Queen Arthur 1-3 & Comedic Arthurian Bundle: The Adventures of Queen Arthur (available separately)

South Lane Detective Agency series
1-7 {and 5 set} Cozy Mystery Bundle #1 (South Lane Detective Agency #1-5)
now #8

Comedic SciFi & Fantasy Bundle {various series books in collection}

Characters, Inc
The Rebellion Hyperbole
Starliner
The Unexpected Fugitive (The Lassiter Files Book 1)

other asst aberrations including Induction
(Nanoagents 1-5 & set Nanoagents: The Alien Files Bundle {also available singles} (

[John-Torleif Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-paced action

I liked how fast-paced this book was. Everything happened within 36 hours, but I never felt that it was rushed.

[Tawnya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This PPD was a favorite of mine due to Orlando’s involvement. I own most of his books. I learned about the PPD series because Ian and Harvey ran into Simon, Monty, and Peaches from the Montague & Strong Detective Agency series. I decided to check out Las Vegas PPD and quickly read all of the available books. Even though my memory is not what it used to be, I know we are in for a treat with Zeke and the crew. We’re going to meet some “bad” guys who try really hard to be malcontents. They are just so terrible at it, that they win ya over. Percy is going to have an interesting plotline.

Since the series is from Orlando’s earlier days, there shouldn’t be too many amnesia scenes. For the last few years, characters in all of the Montague and Strong Universe cannot keep track of what is being said. Monty and Simon will have the exact same conversation three times in under 15 minutes. I get an occasional recap in case a reader had put aside the book for a bit. But if someone needs a refresher after only three pages... Oy. I’d bet that 20% of a M & S book is repetition. These are not War and Peace sized tomes.

Back to Badlands PPD. There were a few flaws that should have been caught in editing, but nothing as bad as some of the other PPDs. One mistake wound up being almost apropos for a PPD series. “What” had been mistyped as “Shat”. Granted, the books don’t normally use old terms like that, but it was funny.

We get snippets of Zeke’s early years with his adopted mom, Hilda the Terror. Being raised by Valkyries has made Zeke kind of a poor dragon. The authors have him endowed with “dragon senses” that are not mentioned in any of the other books. If Samantha from the Southeast Asia had them, the books never explicitly said so. It would partially explain why she is such a badass. I don’t recall a crossover, but Bert and Sam do have a house in the Badlands. Samantha and Hilda would totally hit it off. Their training styles are similar. Poor Bert! But he usually deserved every bit of agony. Zeke’s sword prowess makes up for his lack a dragoness. The silly names he gives his weaponry aside, his guns do a good job. I didn’t get the sense that his was an expert marksman though. Hopefully, it just didn’t come though. Even if Hilda wouldn’t use a gun, she would make damn sure Zeke mastered every single one.

The other members of the PPD aren’t fleshed out very well. Not even Rose, who is with Zeke in almost every scene. That needs to change. We know Silk is the most juvenile of the bunch. You’d expect a fae, even a dark one, to have some decorum. Reading Blood Bane Tower from the Las Vegas first is helpful in knowing the different creatures. The idea that creatures from the fifth circle of hell can be officers is...unique. Graffon can keep track of all the clauses in the law because of their demon side. Demons love contracts. They don’t need a weapon. Just let them start talking. Their faceless side is also a threat. Again, reading the Vegas book helps here.

The two best non-PPD characters are Percy, a troll, and Pytha, a dragon. I liked Percy throughout the series. I want to know more about Pytha.

Now onto the next book.

[byron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast, fun and full of action

Never a dull moment. Action starts from page 1 and doesn't stop! Jumping straight into the next one. Go Dragons!

[Glenn Hopper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent diversion!

C'mon! Dragons! Seriously the interplay between Zeke and Rose was worth it alone. I see a lot of character development coming, and I can't wait for Rose and Hilda to meet!

[Sara Branson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is tough enough to police the worst? Ezekias Phoenix is—at least he hopes so! The orphan dragon raised by a Valkyrie that everyone fears, is the man for the job of Chief of the Badlands PPD. In this rollicking PPD spin off by one of my favorite authors, Orlando Sanchez, in conjunction with John Logsdon, we basically get to see what a police station in Hell would look like. The answer? Way funnier and way worse than you can imagine! This book is action packed and full of snark from beginning to end! Grab some popcorn and a comfy chair and get your copy today! You won’t want to miss Zeke trying to be the good guy who upholds the law and order in a place where law and order has long since died. But first he has to survive a funeral party...

[Dana Audette · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting adventure for lovers of dragons and magic.

Dragon's Torment is amazing. John Logsdon and Orlando Sanchez team up to bring you Zeke Phoenix, a dragon who is raised in the Badlands by valkyries, and finds himself the next Chief of Bandlands PPD. This story starts off with a bang, as Zeke attempts to fit into his new role as Chief, and find balance with his team of officers. Fasten your seat belts, because Dragon's Torment is a fast-paced, adventurous, and magical tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat clear to the end. It is the perfect blend of action, snarky banter, and murder and mayhem. It is a must read!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I finished reading this fine piece of literature and couln't put it down. A new series and a couple of new heroes with an irreverent team made for some excellent reading. Zeke is a dragon but raised by the valkyries. Sent to become the chief for the PPD of the Badlands, he is instantly under attack. Rose his second in command is a piece of work and a Hellion and feels violence is the only way to end any conflict. Murder, mayhem, violence, black mages, mob houses, all conspire to hold the reader in place and we hold our breaths for the next battle to hit us with it's words. Excellent story and an excellent start to another great series. I voluntarily read and reviewed this ARC book.

[Maryann Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another adventure into the world of the PPD. This time it is into the Badlands, that seems to have a problem with keeping a chief in charge. Seem they get welcomed by a Funeral Party, and the main gift is a target on your back till a new PPD Cheif is chosen. Our new Chief is Zeke, a dragon, who doesn't know how to be a dragon. Along with Rose his second in command, who keeps wanting to test his scales in all kind of deadly ways. They venture forth with their team into the Badlands in order to figure out who wants Zeke dead.

Great new story, love Zeke team, and chapter 34 is something else. Can't wait for the next book in the series, to find out what Zeke does next.

[Larry Tushman · Rating 5 out of 5]

As if being chief in the PPD isn't rough enough, the Badlands take it to extremes. New chief Zeke learns the hard way that rookie hazing here can have lethal consequences. When organized crime gives him a reception that is egregious even for the Badlands, the team wonders if something else is afoot. With his practitioners of Badlands Law, Zeke takes his interesting training, uniquely named weaponry, and anything else he can get his hands on to bring the Badlands to its knees under the shield of justice. Now, to survive.
Insane action, great laughs.

[Alan Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have read a couple of john p logsdon books(PPD series)and enjoyed them.I saw who he collaberated with an i had a mini orgasm.I quickly signed up to the arc team and i wasn't disappointed in the least.The story is set in the Badlands with a brand new ppd chief.A dragon by the name of zeke phoenix while i'm not going to give a way the plot the action is plentyful,the story fits in with the rest of the ppd series and did i mention A FREAKING DRAGON as chief.I can see this series outselling Ian dex and mark vedis ppd books.so if you enjoyed those grab your copy today.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great PPD expansion

Another great addition the PPD universe.
This one shows a slightly different cast as we are based inn the garlands and our MC is a Dragon raised by Galleries and an ability to survive against all the garlands had to throw at him. Some great additions to this A lot of politics for the garlands and some nice history of Hellions which fits in well with other books by JPL.
This is a bit less in the childish humour side but still keeps me page turning.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explosive

Another fantastic addition to the PPD. Zeke is an outsider in more ways than one, mostly leading an eclectic band of law enforcement where the law is rarely accepted and might means right. The motley gang of subordinates are hilarious as well as destructive. I loved the plot, the antagonist was interesting and the resolution was satisfying. Can't wait for more of the Badlands PPD.

[Carolyn Fielding · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new venture for the PPD - unlike the others this is not set in our world but in the Badlands - this is a collaboration between two of my favourite UF authors and does not disappoint. Zeke seems to have been given the worst job ever - he is not even expected to survive his first day at work. Luckily, he happens to be a Dragon raised by Valkyries so he's not entirely defenceless! An exciting, fast paced story with the wicked humour we have come to expect from the PPD universe.

[Sharon Harradine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is on fire

Wow what a ride this book is truly great. I love the PPD books each one takes you on a fantastic trip through the supernatural worlds that John logsdon has created. This one has the added flair that Orlando Sanchez brings to it. If you've not read one of these books yet, you can't go wrong by starting with this one. You will be hooked. Cant wait for the next.

[Chris Christman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death, Destruction & Mayhem

The Badlands PPD have a new Chief, a Dragon. Question is, how long will he last. Every new chief goes through a Lethal hazing ritual, but this seems more lethal then usual. It's called a funeral party. A rogue mage is on the loose.
But a full dragon beats a half anything in the badlands...
Without balance, there's only chaos.
Chief Zeke Phoenix has the Twins and a blade he calls Slice and Dice, does he really need backup?
Then there is Chapter 34...

[Karen Hollyhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two masters of mayhem and badassery come together to create an exciting new series set in the Badlands. Full of action and humour this is a great opener to what looks like being a wild, laugh-out-loud ride through the world of Urban Fantasy as we meet Zeke Phoenix and his team.
If you love Fantasy, Urban or otherwise and enjoy a great story, read this. These two authors are something else.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was never a big fan of dragons before, but I think I have changed my mind after reading this. I love all the PPD books, but this one is a little grittier-taking place in the Badlands. This chief doesn't sit at a desk, he gets down and dirty on the field. I can't wait to see where this series takes us. I really enjoyed this book.

[Wendy Schindler · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Outstanding Read!!

Logsdon and Sanchez did an outstanding job on this collaboration!
The story is fast paced, full of action - assassination attempts, explosions, chaos, mayhem, Directors, Underworld creatures of all varieties - and plenty of ribald humour and banter!
All in all, a great read!

[Sondra Massey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being the Chief has a welcoming party...

And not all parties are good! A new Chief with a ragtag team and literal on the job training. Zeke has staying alive cut out for him. Nice introduction to a new series. Fast paced action, good placement of humor and a lot of unresolved questions to keep you wanting more. Looking forward to the next installment!

[Brenda Lively · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to the party

This book was my introduction to John P. Logsdon. I've been a fan of Orlando Sanchez for quite a while.

As the new chief of the Badlands PPD, Zeke Phoenix is in for some tough hazing from bothbthe bad guys...and the good guys. Bad jokes and explosive action create a good read. Looking forward to reading a lot more.

[Dennis Heizelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the story and the characters. Interesting take on... What should you call it? It is supernatural in a modern setting but since the entire city/state is Hell or a battleground or something it is not quite supernatural beings in the modern world. Good supernatural crime/cop story? Good book, I recommend it...

[Audrey Cienki · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are in need of a well-written, funny story, this book is for you. Fast paced, snarky, and interesting characters. I am looking forward to reading the next books in this series and finding out more about Zeke and Rose’s negotiating skills.

[Bennah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragons are cool.

Dragons are even more cool when they are the head of the Badlands Paranormal Police Department.

Author Orlando Sanchez of the Montague and Strong Detective Agency books adds his voice to the PPD, and it is a heck of a time!

[Michelle Reopel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! It had action, it had suspense, and it had me laughing so hard I had a coughing fit! I loved Zeke and crew and chapter 34 was killer! I definitely recommend Dragon's Torment!