Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Gateway Catastrophe 
SERIES: Ghostly Guardians
AUTHOR: Louisa Masters
NARRATOR: Nick J. Russo
LENGTH: 7 hours 15 minutes
RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2023
BLURB:
It only took seconds for my world to change….
I live a simple, small-town life. Helping with the family restaurant, my side gig as a ride-share driver, hanging with my best friend, and making the most of the extra time with my ghost grandma. The only exciting thing to happen to me in the past year was when Gabe moved to town—too bad Nonna scared him off. It’s hard to impress a guy when your dead grandmother calls him the devil.
The last thing I expect when I pick up a ride-share client and take him to Mannix Estate is that he’s a demon. An actual, breathing, can-kill-me-with-a-thought demon. That night blows my simple life apart and changes everything. Turns out, ghosts aren’t the weirdest things out there, my best friend and Gabe are both part of this alternate world, and there’s a big bad demon who wants to end us all. What’s a small-town boy to do but roll up his sleeves and join the fight to save the world?
Working side by side with Gabe reminds me just how much I liked him when we first met, and the feeling’s mutual. As the clock counts down and we both struggle with personal issues, it’s good to know there’s someone to lean on. But I don’t know if our tenuous connection can survive the hell that’s coming and see us through to the other side.
REVIEW:
Note: This is the fourth story in this series and builds on the previous episodes. IMHO, this does not work well as a standalone – at least I would have been lost 😉
We have met Tom before – and his nonna. He is Sky’s best friend and local ride-share driver so he’s been out to the Mannix estate a lot. Plus he’s used to ghost his nonna is one 😉 Gabe is part of The Collective which is a surprise to Tom – as are a lot of things he learns when it turns out his client “Mark” is really a demon. He’s quite shocked by what he’s hearing – all about gateways and demons and hunters and conduits. Oh my!
It turns out that Tom has been thrown into a battle to save humanity from a higher demon named Cato who wants to take over both realms and control them. The team at the Mannix estate has been secretly trying to locate a gateway that looms large in Cato’s plan. But can they trust what Mark is saying? Is he being honest about wanting to work with them to thwart Cato and save the humans? Regardless, they are going to need a LOT of help.
There is much treachery afoot! Gabe needs to protect his family and his younger brothers arrive on the scene. Despite their young ages, they appear to be ready to throw in with the rest of the group. And the traitors? Quite the surprise. The ghosts get in on the act too 😉
This was another exciting story in this universe. The entire group at the estate is called to action here to try to fight the good fight with the higher demon whose plan is to take over both worlds. I was definitely surprised by the turn of events. The Collective has been fighting and hunting demons for generations. The ghosts continue to add humor and heart to this story. I did feel for Tom with his less than accepting family, but thankfully his found family had his back. The couples from the previous stories all play a part here and it’s always good to check in with them. I’m not sure if this is the end or not – everything is not completely wrapped up here with a victory that seems like it might just be a battle and not the war 😉 I certainly wouldn’t mind visiting this group again.
Nick J Russo does his usual stellar job of really performing this story. There are so many harrowing moments. So many surprises. He does a fantastic job of imbuing each of these characters with a distinct personality and voice. I loved his brovado in Gabe’s brothers. I loved the way he portrayed Tom’s disappointment and pain at his family’s lack of acknowledgement of him. The tender moments between Gabe and Tom – even when they weren’t on the same page was just perfect. This narrator is really at the top of his game and this story is another example of how well he can enliven a story – whether it’s a battle scene or a love scene. A really solid marriage of performer and story wit this whole series. Bravo!
RATING: 
BUY LINK:
[…] Reviewed by Sadonna […]