This is certainly a unique setting; a present-day London where magic is outlawed, crime is violent and magicians are useful for criminal gangs. One gang tries to raise a demon, thinking that they can control and bind it, only to quickly find that no one has that ability and that they now need to destroy what they've made. Enter Amanda Coleman, Abra (magic-user) murderer, magic hater and damaged woman, alongside her band of mis-fit criminals.

The whole novel is dark, gritty and blood-thirsty. It opens with a grisly death and more evidence of how focused and determined Amanda is to reach her goal, no matter the cost.

The majority of the story is told on a long (and very traumatic) train journey to Siberia (not the present and magic London, as promised) as, just because the demon is in chains, doesn't mean that it can't exert a terrifying and psychological control. And, trapped in a carriage, a confined space, with an unspeakable terror watching your every move - that's a strongly chilling setting.

The narrative is told through different characters' POVs, when it suits the story, and through a series of disjointed flashbacks that, although they add to the thriller component, do make it harder to follow the main story (which is both psychological and slow).

The horror was strong in this one, (and there are more trigger warnings than I can list) but so was the repetition. It almost felt as though some of the flashbacks had been included for the sake of completionism, rather than because they added anything new to the story or the characters. And I know that every character is hurting, in so many different, bloody and cringing ways, but I didn't need reminding of that every sentence.

The story, however was clever, and I genuinely didn't know which way this one was going to fall - and I really did appreciate that.

3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

This was a good book, well written with a great plot

But this wasn't my cup of tea, and so I would suggest it to people who enjoy this genre of book.

But it wasn't for me

A fast paced action book, which takes you on an apocalypse roller coaster. Nothing can prepare you for this epic story.

If you like magic, this might be the book for you, but I could not read past chapter 2, it was so odd.

I’m afraid to say this book really wasn’t for me, I struggled to get into it and found that it just didn’t hold my interest.

I want to congratulate the author for trying something different and I liked the idea but for me it just didn’t work.

There's a lot of potential but it somehow fails to deliver and I found the plot confusing and hard to follow.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I decided to pick this up because I always respect an author who is gutsy enough to try something a little different to what readers are used to and The End of the Line certainly fits the bill. It's a mix of crime, fantasy and action with the paranormal and in particular magic playing a substantial role. Unfortunately, though, the execution was lacking for the most part. I don't wish to harp on about the issues as I understand the time taken to craft a book and hate to come across as cruel.

Some of the biggest problems were: too many unnecessary characters leading to shallow characterisation, difficult to get into as the writing was disjointed, a plethora of strange and glaringly obvious plot holes and the author partakes in the age-old literary sin of telling rather than showing. On a positive note, however, Williams shows promise and a superb novel may be bubbling just below the surface. I also enjoyed the parts set in Russia which were vivid and alluring. Many thanks to Canelo for an ARC.

I really struggled with this book. I found it hard to read, and quite unpleasant. Not one I would recommend.

This is a tricky one. On the one hand, there were some great ideas explored, a solid line of horror running throughout the narrative, and a decent enough amount of tension keeping the pace up. On the other hand, the writing at times was clumsy, repetitive, like the book hadn't been edited, with occasions where so many characters were introduced so quickly, it was difficult to keep on top of who was who.

The blurb is misleading too. Yes, there is some stuff about a magical London, but the bulk of the story is set on a train through Russia, with flashbacks to things that happened in London leading up to the rag-tag crew trying to banish a demon in Russia. The fact that you don't quite get what you were expecting makes the opening few chapters all the more disorienting.

None of the characters are particularly sympathetic, being all involved in criminality to some degree, or otherwise not much developed. I might have liked Steph, only a chapter about her history was cut off mid-sentence in what I hope is a formatting error in the ARC copy I received, and not something that will make it into the final book.

But the biggest drag of the book was the poor writing. From the overly confusing opening to the non-deliberate repetition of words within a single sentence, there were so many occasions reading this that I winced, wishing a better editor had taken a pass at the line by line writing. The plot was clever, and could have been decently scary in better hands, but overall I was left with the impression that this was written by someone with some talent who hadn't been given the editorial support he needed to really make the prose shine.

Overall, decently entertaining, but a potentially brilliant plot let down by poor execution. 2.5 stars.

I found myself hurrying home to get back to this book although its relentlessly grim story line both repelled and attracted me. The novelty of the concept was outstanding and so well written that very soon I was living the twists and turns of the life and death struggle to deal with a demon without a qualm. Most of the action takes place in the truck of a train traveling through a featureless and freezing landscape. This focuses the reader inwards, rather like the difference between a play and a film. Somehow the claustrophobia of the setting concentrates the drama and creates a story that is compelling and gripping.

Amanda Coleman is on a job - taking a demon to the only place that she and her team can guarantee they'll be able to banish it back to where it came from. It's already cost her most of her family, she hates all aspects of magic and divisions in the team are threatening to overwhelm the whole job.

I was intrigued by the magical aspect of this, but be warned it's not a light fantasy novel - it's very much more a crime thriller, and a violent one. A lot of people end up dead, quite unpleasantly, and whilst the lead character has some sympathetic traits it's not a case of a heartwarming ending where a divided team come together. I felt quite sorry for Steph at the end of the book, she's 15, has lost more than Amanda and gets left in Russia on her own! The book jumps around the timeline a lot, from Amanda's childhood, to the events leading up to the end of the line of the title, which adds to the tension of the book. Much of the journey is set inside a freight compartment of a train, which makes for a claustrophobic setting.

It wasn't really my thing, but if you like crime thrillers it would be worth a read.

The End of the Line by Gray Williams.
Well! I don’t really know how to review this! I hated the start and almost decided not to read it during the first couple of chapters. The language was foul and crude throughout and the violence was extreme and disturbing. The book jumped about time wise so was hard to follow at times.
BUT
it was strangely addictive! Once into it I had to see how this played out and read later into the night than I’d planned.
Overall, probably for the genre and with a clear understanding that it’s full of bad language and violence, it’s a good read. Think I’ll stick to Harry Potter though!

I don't like to admit defeat with a book but this is one I couldn't finish, I felt like the story started in the middle and the I the reader was supposed to know all the characters but all I can say is I found it all very confusing. Its a shame as the synopsis sounded promising. Maybe it will be a story that I will revisit in the future, Who knows.

In a world where magic is real and controlled by criminals, a small group of criminals is racing to deliver a demon captured in a human body to a sacred site where they can return it to hell. Told in real time and flashbacks, the reader learns what led this band of misfits to their current situation, and just how dangerous their task is. Trapped in a freezing cold train carriage a young witch must decipher her mother's notes to understand the banishing spell, a young criminal must battle with his nightmares, the long term ally of the gang leader struggles with his growing resentment towards her and Amanda, the leader of the group, has to rein in her mercenary nature and deep distrust of magic. Unfortunately, she is also a very hard character to like or indeed relate to. Because the story is so focussed on her this did mar my overall enjoyment of the book. The book was also slightly disjointed, a little confusing in places and very much of the 'tell' and not 'show' style of writing.
The book had an interesting premise, and setting most of the action in the claustrophobic confines of a train carriage worked well, but it would have been a higher rating if the characters had been a little more fleshed out and the plot flowed a little more smoothly.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Initially I found this hard to follow and nearly gave up. It's over long and 'clunky' in places, but I persevered. It's part fantasy, part thriller and part dystopian. I'm sure that, at its heart, there is a good story but I'm not convinced.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gritty novel

how far would you go to help your family...

a summoned demon
a alba that uses magic
blood magic

a band of outlaws that go their own way, their leader amanda hates anything to do with magic after a childhood being bled by her father for his own use with magic

her band of men are tasked with banishing a demon but along the way the demon gains the upper hand...
most of the action takes place on a train where they are on the way to siberia and there is tons of backstory but can this gang banish the demon before he takes over and reeks his revenge over them

I've been sitting on this review a little because I wanted to separate the book and my personal reaction to the themes. Because I started off the book with "ooooh MAGICAL LONDON! So exciting!" descended into "Ugh what is this creepy Exorcist stuff", nearly stopped reading it, and then pushed on with an overall "eh, not bad, not bad at all!"

(Let's say an average 3.5 stars? Excluding my squick moments.)

So content warning: There's demon summoning & possession in this book, which might be a bit too dark/scary/real for some readers. Then again I don't read horror for a reason, so maybe I'm just easily scared. If I could liken the paranormal stuff to something else, it reminded me of the Catholic exorcism novel I couldn't finish reading in my teens because it was too freaky. This isn't as freaky, but parts of it came close. Do not read alone in the dark.

At heart, The End of the Line is a high-stakes thriller/horror crossover with magical elements. Instead of a heist or a political coup, Williams gives you a criminal crew who manages to summon a demon for monetary gain, only to lose control of it with devastating consequences. Amanda Coleman hates Abras and magic with a passion--mainly because of what her Abra father did to her as a child--but she is the only one who can solve this, especially when her last remaining child's life is on the line. The body count is very high in this one.

The initial start is a little rough going. Williams throws you right in the action, jumping back and forth to the past as the narrative progresses. It's a little frustrating until you reach a certain point of understanding because there are a million niggling details that annoy you until you reach the bit where something is revealed and it hits you OH THAT'S WHY. ISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD US EARLIER. But that's suspense for you, and if suspense is your thing, this book has oodles of it.

Coleman comes across as cold and evil at times, her extreme hard-headedness and prejudice when it comes to magic a difficult thing to understand. But as events unfold and backstories are revealed, you also feel some sympathy for her and the choices she makes. Some, I say, because whilst I feel that the motivations and stakes are high enough for Coleman to react the way she does, I'm expecting it will garner a lot of "unsympathetic character" comments just because she is female. (Men are allowed to make hard decisions that end up in blood, women not so much. Go figure.) And since the story depends so much on Coleman, this is one of those books where if you don't like the main protagonist, you're just going to end up not liking the book.

All in all, Williams tells a great, if scary, story. There are layers upon layers, slowly unfolding as you travel with Coleman, Caleb, Skeebs, Steph and Reeves to Russia. Blink and you might miss them.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Canelo via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a curious mix of thriller, horror and magic. Fast-paced, dark and intense the novel centres on a group of criminals/con artists travelling to Russia in a van with a demon in tow. Their mission is to get to a remote stone circle when they can destroy the said demon. Set in a world where magic has been banned, and Agras (magicians) now form criminal gangs, this is a book which is really difficult to categorise.

I enjoyed the premise and there was certainly plenty of action to keep the reader occupied. It was a bit ‘clunky’ in places but pretty gripping.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book and had difficulty persisting with it. The storyline is strange and unconvincing. Take away the distraction of the 'magic' theme and the rest is gang warfare. Not for me.

Not my normal read but thought it would be Harry Potterish. It was a thrilling read a bit to dark for me but great fantasy that takes you far away which I love when reading. I will be looking out for more books from Gary Williams in the future