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"Gauge Black: Hell's Revenge"
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“God ain’t got nothing to do with this”
A Union soldier named Gauge Black is accused of a war crime by a lying comrade along with the help from an anonymous false witness via written statement. A glorified mock hearing takes place without investigation and Black is sent straight to Hell (a ruthless prison bordering Mexico) on some trumped up charges. “Gauge Black: Hell’s Revenge” is what you get when a man is damned to hell but hell sends him back with a vengeance.
A Union soldier named Gauge Black is accused of a war crime by a lying comrade along with the help from an anonymous false witness via written statement. A glorified mock hearing takes place without investigation and Black is sent straight to Hell (a ruthless prison bordering Mexico) on some trumped up charges. “Gauge Black: Hell’s Revenge” is what you get when a man is damned to hell but hell sends him back with a vengeance.
Readability
The storyline runs linear, focusing solely on the main character from the trial, throughout the hellacious tribulation, and all the way to the story’s bitter end. The book’s structure is split into a timeline that is marked by headlining one of five specific years in which the events are taking place. From the middle of the book onward the story just moves straight towards the end without any headlines or chapters. I had an issue with that, because there were plenty of key events that took place that I think Justice could have at least given some headings in order to add some pause for reflection. I would like to think that there is some creative irony in there somewhere for the book’s lack of structure. Aside from the usual minor typos, the only time this story had a hiccup in flow was when multiple characters were engaging in dialogue and some names clearly got mixed up as to who was saying what (Tourney). I think the story had a decent pace until the final third of the book which felt blatantly rushed (all three men just happened to be right around the way from one another). The ending was abrupt and did not leave much to be desired in terms of a redeeming sequel.
Creativity
Justice makes good use of his prose early in the book to get me hooked. He makes good use of all five senses when he wants to paint a visceral scene. No punches are pulled during Black’s hate fueled internal monologues. I was given a front row look into Hell and the toll it was taking on the psychology of an "innocent" man. I never felt like the monologues were overwritten, but the dialogue however was very much so. The dialogue has its moments where it isn’t as bad as it is near the final third of this book, but it’s never really that good either; I like that Justice used dialect in order to make the characters feel real, but the rhetoric was often dull, petty, and redundant to read. I enjoyed the nods of symbolism during Black’s stay in Hell.
Delivery
My favorite scenes were Black’s train ride to Hell, and the events during his stay there. I could tell most of the creative juice was put into those parts of the book. I could smell the stench of that prison from home. I felt like I was on lockdown in Hell… (*clears throat) The characters in this book are all one dimensional tropes for the most part. The main character Gauge Black is the only character with an arc, or something that at least resembles one. He goes from being a soldier who serves his country to being made an example of for the sake of healing the country, at least that’s what he’s told. I was never really sold on this premise, and it only adds fuel to the fire as the story progresses. Black’s martyrdom eats away at what little character he had at the beginning until there is nothing redeemable about him. Black’s character takes such a nose dive into his own shit by the end of this book that his dialogue suggests that he can no longer tell his head from his asshole. The premise of this story began about honesty and truth being the motivation for his revenge, but somewhere along the line Black goes completely off the fucking rails. Black should have just stayed in Hell as far as I’m concerned with this book. His character was also the cliché badass that nobody ever really fucks with, despite his circumstances. I’m not saying his character wasn’t ever in a shitty situation, but you’d think he would have at least received a good ass kicking while in prison (Or god forbid, maybe got his shit pushed in). Now that would have been Hell! The three amigos at the end were pathetic pushovers by comparison, and for that reason I have to say that this story seriously lacked in tension and conflict. When Black said jump, they all asked how high, and I yawned at the instant surrender of each subsequent "man" followed by the dastardly dialogue of a Gauge Black and the futile bickering among the pantywaists.
The storyline runs linear, focusing solely on the main character from the trial, throughout the hellacious tribulation, and all the way to the story’s bitter end. The book’s structure is split into a timeline that is marked by headlining one of five specific years in which the events are taking place. From the middle of the book onward the story just moves straight towards the end without any headlines or chapters. I had an issue with that, because there were plenty of key events that took place that I think Justice could have at least given some headings in order to add some pause for reflection. I would like to think that there is some creative irony in there somewhere for the book’s lack of structure. Aside from the usual minor typos, the only time this story had a hiccup in flow was when multiple characters were engaging in dialogue and some names clearly got mixed up as to who was saying what (Tourney). I think the story had a decent pace until the final third of the book which felt blatantly rushed (all three men just happened to be right around the way from one another). The ending was abrupt and did not leave much to be desired in terms of a redeeming sequel.
Creativity
Justice makes good use of his prose early in the book to get me hooked. He makes good use of all five senses when he wants to paint a visceral scene. No punches are pulled during Black’s hate fueled internal monologues. I was given a front row look into Hell and the toll it was taking on the psychology of an "innocent" man. I never felt like the monologues were overwritten, but the dialogue however was very much so. The dialogue has its moments where it isn’t as bad as it is near the final third of this book, but it’s never really that good either; I like that Justice used dialect in order to make the characters feel real, but the rhetoric was often dull, petty, and redundant to read. I enjoyed the nods of symbolism during Black’s stay in Hell.
Delivery
My favorite scenes were Black’s train ride to Hell, and the events during his stay there. I could tell most of the creative juice was put into those parts of the book. I could smell the stench of that prison from home. I felt like I was on lockdown in Hell… (*clears throat) The characters in this book are all one dimensional tropes for the most part. The main character Gauge Black is the only character with an arc, or something that at least resembles one. He goes from being a soldier who serves his country to being made an example of for the sake of healing the country, at least that’s what he’s told. I was never really sold on this premise, and it only adds fuel to the fire as the story progresses. Black’s martyrdom eats away at what little character he had at the beginning until there is nothing redeemable about him. Black’s character takes such a nose dive into his own shit by the end of this book that his dialogue suggests that he can no longer tell his head from his asshole. The premise of this story began about honesty and truth being the motivation for his revenge, but somewhere along the line Black goes completely off the fucking rails. Black should have just stayed in Hell as far as I’m concerned with this book. His character was also the cliché badass that nobody ever really fucks with, despite his circumstances. I’m not saying his character wasn’t ever in a shitty situation, but you’d think he would have at least received a good ass kicking while in prison (Or god forbid, maybe got his shit pushed in). Now that would have been Hell! The three amigos at the end were pathetic pushovers by comparison, and for that reason I have to say that this story seriously lacked in tension and conflict. When Black said jump, they all asked how high, and I yawned at the instant surrender of each subsequent "man" followed by the dastardly dialogue of a Gauge Black and the futile bickering among the pantywaists.
#LFLR Indie Rating: 6/10
I knew “Gauge Black: Hell’s Revenge” was a pulp fiction story going in, and it does not fail to give the reader some grindhouse style depravity. The imagery is where I think Justice shines in this work. I would have given this title a higher score if there would have been less dialogue and more imagery as well as a better ending (blah). I hope Mark Justice writes more gritty tales, but I think I know enough about Gauge Black to know I am not interested in any sequels starring this character. I think he’d make a good villain if another book were to be written with him in it. He gave me plenty to chew on, before spitting it out and moving on. However, Mark Justice has written two other books you can consume if you get the craving: a cozy mystery novel and a personal exposé on Christianity.
I knew “Gauge Black: Hell’s Revenge” was a pulp fiction story going in, and it does not fail to give the reader some grindhouse style depravity. The imagery is where I think Justice shines in this work. I would have given this title a higher score if there would have been less dialogue and more imagery as well as a better ending (blah). I hope Mark Justice writes more gritty tales, but I think I know enough about Gauge Black to know I am not interested in any sequels starring this character. I think he’d make a good villain if another book were to be written with him in it. He gave me plenty to chew on, before spitting it out and moving on. However, Mark Justice has written two other books you can consume if you get the craving: a cozy mystery novel and a personal exposé on Christianity.
THIS BREAKDOWN IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE #LFLR NETWORK.
