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

3 stars

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

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

I could barely make it 20% into this rereleasing ARC due to some descriptions and overall feel of this novel. This is going to be a short review, but I will give you all my notes and where in the novel I felt things were inappropriate and wrong.

So, overall, the book drags. Especially for being about 20% in. The book should have started to pick up, but instead the writer repeats himself over and over again, and there is just no point. We’re constantly reminded this is a dark skinned man who is basically a monster, and he quickly becomes addicted to killing. Every time a complication occurs, it’s always someone who is afraid of him and wants to kill him based on how he looks. And normally I wouldn’t think negatively on this because if used in an educational way, readers could see how POC were and are still being treated, but it was the manner of how these issues were presented that bothered me.

First off, when the MC is discovered, an old wizened wizard and what I assume was his young apprectince adminster to him, to heal and save him. But all they really do is comment on his skin, and it’s inquired whether the MC is a demon because his skin is different. That bothered me. What also bothered me was the continual addressing of him as “my dark friend.” Over and over again. You don’t do that! It’s rude and wrong!

During one of the MC’s capturings, he’s set to be lynched, yes, lynched! And a minor character comments whether his skin color will change to white! As if death would erase who the MC is!

Another name call I noticed was “black arse.” I was getting really annoyed at that point but how many times the character was described and abused namely on his skin. And that was when I finally decided to DNF this book. Normally I’d give about 25% until I DNF, but it actually was VERY uncomfortable to read this book, not including the slow paced writing and boring atmosphere.

I don’t have anything good to say except that it was interesting to read from the POV of a villain, if the villain was a legit villain and not because of his skin color….just saying.

So, nope, I do not recommend this book.

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

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

This was an amazing book! I loved it. Despite being quite dark, loved the touch of comedy. Stratus is a great character whom you get attached to .  
If you love Fantasy genre , you should definitely get your hand on this one !

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

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

I loved how the world is executed I also loved how comedic I personally found it, It just made it so much better. I also loved how the main character gives little sarcastic comedic thoughts on the other characters for example faith

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is painfully written, overloaded with adjectives, metaphors, similes. Practically every sentence reads like it was rewritten with the help of a dictionary. It’s got zero flow and feels  really clunky. Clearly it’s trying way too hard.

*** I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley and Rebellion Publishing in return for an honest review ***

Bottom line: I loved this book. Clear and simple.

Why: The book tells the story of Stratus, a more than human character, who wakes up with no memory and no social skills, and slaughters his way through the book while learning how to interact with humans, and ends up with a good relationship with a female side-kick.

Why not 5 stars? Ends on a cliffhanger which I hate. Plus though Stratus does not find out to the end, it was reasonably obvious halfway through who he was. More important though, the basic concept is almost exactly like Django Wexler's 2006 Memories of Empire, which has been one of my favorite out-of-print unable-to-get-in-electronic format books for a long time. MoE is the story of a more-than-human character with no memory, a female sidekick, and a penchant for slaughtering his way through most of the book but discovering who he is at the end. 

Doesn't mean this book is derivative. Far from it. De Jager has his own sardonic sense of humor and the dialog is frequently hilarious. De Jager is apparently going for a bigger story than just one book and I look forward to the sequel, apparently called Firesky.

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