Only Human

Only Human

Only human. The title kinda says it right there. Only. Human. "Only" is such a limiting word. You use that word against one of us humans and our spirit pushes back to prove that "only" should never be used to describe us. And that is precisely what Nathaniel does.

He's in a dead end job he despises, with a yearning for knowledge and a chance to prove himself. That sounds like any other main protagonist, right? Well, maybe. Stupid protagonists are for tragedies, they aren't heroes. And this story needs a Hero. Except the path he takes is completely different.

He stank of cynicism, self loathing, brutal honesty and possibly too much gin. He recognized the life he'd given himself, fully knowing that the path he now walked was one he had chosen on his own.

After being kidnapped by a vampire named Daniel, and paraded around like a tasty snack, Nathaniel hits the ground running trying to escape. Which isn't easy to do when the coven of vampires that surrounds him can read his mind and he's trapped in a legendary maze. It's only made possible when one of the other vampires starts to unlock some of his potential.

But during his escape attempt several things become obvious, the maze is more complex than he had anticipated, the vampires aren't worried about him getting away, he's not the only person trapped, but he is the only human. Oh, and angels are real. And cranky. Some of them are real cranky.

"Mmmm hhmmmm hmmmm hahahahahah." Her laugh was atypical and terrifying. There was no rhythm to it and Nathaniel realized why; she had never laughed before. This made her cackle as maniacal as it was loud. "You'll see," she said. "You'll see, very soon. For now, I must leave."

And then he really falls down the rabbit hole. And things get a lot worse, and a lot more complicated. 

And with a firm push on Nathaniel's back, Daniel sent him crashing down the well while he snickered at the dirty trick before taking one last look at his watch. "Humans, you have to love them. Now off to my mistress the ocean." With that he jumped into the dark hole that led off to the coast.

Adapting to the changing times, and situations, isn't enough. Nathaniel has to change who he is and his understanding of what it means to be human. Because everyone he encounters tells him he's a key to saving the entire world. Not the key, because there are lots of humans and there could be a replacement that has just as much potential. They also agree not to eat him, which is a plus.

This is a crazy whirlwind of a story with events happening rapid fire. And poor Nathaniel struggles to keep up with the deluge of information, like the real history of the world and fall of man, cranky pirates, horny werewolves, all the while learning how to deal with his new abilities and traverse two extra dimensions all at the same time. It's amazing how much mythology, psychology, religions, and realism can be put into one book. J.D. Estrada manages it, however and it makes for a very compelling and interesting read. I understand if this all sounds like too much to put into one book, but it absolutely works. And I highly recommend this book to everyone.