The Lives and Deaths of Harry Blunt - Obediah Keane - ★★★★

AUTHOR: Obediah Keane

SERIES: Port Harker, #1

GENRE: Fantasy

PUBLICATION DATE: April 30, 2024

RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: A quirky satirical novel about a person who realises too late that he had messed up something important when he was alive. Entertaining with some thought-provoking points. The ending dragged out a little, but overall, a fun read.

Plot Preview:

Harry is quite upset at being summoned by the Grim Reaper 18 months earlier than the time his doctor gave him. However, his anger soon turns to worry when cosmic justice deigns him to have failed in his human role, and declares that his youngest will die in three days because of Harry’s ignorance. Harry is ready to do whatever it takes to save his beloved daughter, even if it means making desperate deals and impossible promises.

The story comes to us from the third-person perspective of various characters, though a major chunk of the narration is from Harry’s POV.

Bookish Yays:

👻 The storyline is quite interesting. Though the premise sounds familiar – that of a character wanting a second chance to make reparations after death – the execution is very different. The book is worth a read just for that unusual approach.

👻 Though the book deals with many serious themes, it constantly keeps the balance with dollops of humour and wit. The start is excellent at setting the right tone, with delightful banter between Harry and the Grim Reaper aka Grimmer. There are quite a few laugh-out-loud scenes throughout.

👻 The worldbuilding of the ‘afterlife’ is quite unusual, in that it is not like most ‘afterlife’ places you might have read about before. Port Harker, also the name of the series, is the border town between life and death, and is one of the settings of the story, the other being our world. I love how Port Harker is derived from bits and pieces from multiple religions without sticking predominantly to any religious or spiritual view. The idea of H.E.L.L. made me laugh!

👻 The two main human characters are intriguing, with the story being almost a coming-of-age narrative for Harry and his daughter Rainey.

👻 I don't know what I expected from this book, but one thing I certainly didn't anticipate was the theme of parenting, and that too, tackled in such a thoughtful manner. I love how the downside of overprotectiveness was brought out; it is an affliction many modern parents are guilty of.

👻 Though not a part of the prominent themes, the book often raises the topic of gender discrimination, and aims to cultivate an understanding of female humans in the minds of male readers without being in your face about it.

👻 This is the first book of the Port Harker series. The current plot comes to a proper end in this novel, and it sets the foundation for the next book as well. There’s no major cliffhanger.

Bookish Mixed Bags:

💀 The title is a teeny bit misleading, as ‘lives” and “deaths” seem to connote multiple such occasions. There aren’t so many iterations of Harry’s lifespan as would justify the title, but the ones present in the book are interesting enough.

💀 There are quite a few interesting characters in Port Harker, both human (or whatever humans are after death) and the eternals-in-charge. Grimmer, his sister Karma (she’s so cool!), and the Mayor have tremendous potential. However, I feel like they could have been developed more. Being so fabulous, they deserved more page space. I hope to see more of Grimmer and Karma in the next book.

💀 The middle section of the book gets a little repetitive.

Bookish Nays:

☠ The ending drags a lot. I had assumed the book would come to a close after the main plot point was resolved. But it continued with the storyline to establish the foundation of the next book. I think this wasn’t needed. This content could easily have been put in the prologue of the sequel, thereby not diluting the closure of this first story.

All in all, this indie novel has much to offer in terms of entertainment and mental stimulation. Though a witty storyline, the book offers much to think about. It also makes us evaluate our approach towards life, especially our behaviour towards our loved ones.

Definitely recommended to readers looking for a quirky fantasy that straddles both the ‘other’ world and our current world.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

The digital version of this book is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.