Book Review No. 24 - The Ferryman Institute by Colin Gigl

Welcome welcome! Well after take a few weeks off, I'm back at it. I just finished this book last night before bed: "The Ferryman Institute" by Colin Gigl. While reading some other non-fiction work, I decided I needed to dive into some delicious fiction. 

First let me say, I love the premise of this novel. The main job for the workers of the Ferryman Institute is to assist the newly departed cross over into the afterlife. The main character, Charlie, has been a Ferryman for over 250 years and he is one of the best at getting lost souls to travel over to the other side. Even though Charlie is excellent at his job, he takes every case to heart, and over the centuries the ferryman life has given him the blues. This all changes when he is given a choice: instead of helping someone transition after death, he is given the chance to save a life. This decision sets a new course for Charlie, and the consequences of that decisions bring Charlie into real danger.  Without giving too much away, I did like this book but I am not a big fan of the novel's other main character. This person has a somewhat whiny, ungrateful manner that sort of got on my nerves. I think Gigl tried to write this character as having a strong personality, but it came of as more as  snobby and mean-spirited to me. I do find it hard to read a book if I don't like the primary characters, and I almost put this down because of it. I am glad I finished it, as I do like Charlie and his struggle.    If you are into sci-fi and fantasy novels, I say you can give this one a try especially if you don't shy away from darker novels dealing with death and the afterlife.   Until next time, Jenny