Tentacle Death Trip

Tentacle Death Trip by Jordan Krall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

2025 - The last millionaire in the country recruits five of the best race drivers to compete in a deadly race across New Jersey with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. The prize: the winner will be allowed to live in the recently risen city of R'lyeh for the rest of his days...

I say this every time but this may be my favorite Jordan Krall book yet. While a Cthulhu-laden homage to Deathrace 2000 at first glance, Tentacle Death Trip rises above its roots and delivers one hell of a ride.

Krall crafts a larger cast of characters than he normally works with and does it well. You have Samson, the loner with a tragic past, Junko, the cross-dressing former sex slave, Gabby, the cold hearted mall girl, Mamma Hell, the Christian with a shawl of human skin, and Drac, the man with the tentacled car. All of the racers have distinct personalities and Krall does a great job playing them off of each other.

The denizens of the post-nuclear wasteland of New Jersey are an interesting menagerie. You get a tornado of human teeth, mutants, cannibals, a giant marionette, and assorted other beasties.

Another thing I liked was the way Jordan Krall was able to incorporate flashbacks into the narrative without stopping the momentum of the story.

The only bad marks I can give this book are because of the ending, but that's a matter of taste. I shouldn't have expected it end much differently considering R'lyeh was the prize.

Four easy stars. Jordan Krall is an author to watch!

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