Preview
  • The Atrocity Engine

  • Custodians of the Cosmos, Book 1
  • By: Tim Waggoner
  • Narrated by: Joe Hempel
  • Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (67 ratings)

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The Atrocity Engine

By: Tim Waggoner
Narrated by: Joe Hempel
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Publisher's summary

Men in Black meets Hellraiser in this rollicking mash-up of urban fantasy and cosmic horror from four-time Bram Stoker Award-Winning author Tim Waggoner.

Creatures from dark dimensions infesting your home? Demonic beings trying to drive you insane? Alien gods attempting to destroy your universe?

Just call Maintenance.

This underpaid and overworked secret organization is dedicated to battling forces that seek to speed up Entropy and hasten the Omniverse’s inevitable death.

Neal Hudson is a twenty-year veteran of Maintenance. A surveyor who drives through the streets of Ash Creek, Ohio constantly scanning for the deadly energy known as Corruption. Since the death of his previous partner, Neal prefers to work alone, and he’s not happy when he’s assigned to mentor a rookie.

But they better learn to get along fast.

The Multitude, a group of godlike beings who seek to increase Entropy at every opportunity, are creating an Atrocity Engine. This foul magical device can destroy the Earth, and they don’t care how many innocent lives it takes to build it. (Spoiler alert: It’s a lot!)

Just another day on the job...

©2024 Aethon Books (P)2024 Aethon Audio
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About the Creator

Tim Waggoner’s first novel came out in 2001, and he’s published close to fifty novels and seven collections of short stories since. He writes original fantasy and horror, as well as media tie-ins. His novels include Like Death, considered a modern classic in the genre, and the popular Nekropolis series of urban fantasy novels. He’s written tie-in fiction for Supernatural, Alien, Grimm, the X-Files, Doctor Who, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Transformers, among others. His articles on writing have appeared in Writer’s Digest, Writer’s Journal, and Writer’s Workshop of Horror. He’s won the Bram Stoker Award and been a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award, the Scribe Award, and the Splatterpunk Award. In addition to writing, Tim is also a full-time tenured professor who teaches creative writing and composition at Sinclair College.

About the Performer

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Joe Hempel, a total eighties kid, had a fascination with an eclectic array of shows that would later shape his performances in the audiobook world—shows like Alf, Night Court, Tales from the Crypt, and WWF Superstars. For over a decade Joe honed his acting skills as a referee in professional wrestling and inspired people as a NASM certified personal trainer and endurance coach. Combined with his animated personality and a love for reading, becoming an audiobook narrator was a natural step. Best known for his captivating, rich narrations and uncanny ability for pulling listeners into an immersive experience, Joe has entertained listeners with over 100 audiobooks ranging from horror and mystery to science fiction, romance, and personal development. Joe still lives in Cincinnati with his son Zach, and enjoys running marathons and bringing words on a page to life. Joe is also the winner of the 2018 ABR Listeners Choice Award for Horror.

What listeners say about The Atrocity Engine

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
Listener received this title free

If you like dark fantasy this is the book for you!

4.5 ⭐'s. This was a lot darker than I expected, almost too dark for me, but what hell. What else could I have expected with a name like Atrocity Engine. So although I might not have loved the book to pieces I certainly respected it. It had a great compelling storyline that had me riveted throughout it's entirety, as Gina and Neal race ahead to stop the corruption and Atrocity Engine from being built.
So yeah if you like dark fantasy you won't want to miss this action-driven story by Tim Waggoner and narrated to us by Joe Hemphil.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Creative Approach and Entertaining

I enjoyed this book. It’s definitely men in black remade with a twist. I don’t mind though. This book ends really well too. Even though it’s book 1 of hopefully many, it wraps up well so you don’t have to worry about starting a new series and waiting for future releases. I’m happy for this, thank you Tim!

There are aspects of the story I just had to roll with. It was the creative direction and lead into meat for the story and different flavor dynamics for the characters. I would have gone a different direction on roles and responsibilities of the company though… some aspects of surveyors just doesn’t make sense.

It’s a very linear storyline. Some folks like that, some hate it. It made it easy for me to follow and come back to without having to think hard about something.

The story had humor, emotion, and omg disgusting moments. I loved taking the journey.

Don’t take this book seriously, roll with it and you’ll have an entertaining experience.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
Listener received this title free

Outstanding story of Detectives vs Cosmic Horror

If you've taken any time to gaze at that beautifully frightening cover, you can see The Atrocity Engine is an adventure that’s all kinds of “out there” while contained in this artistic portrait of characters in distress. The tags I labeled for this on check quite a few unique boxes while excelling beyond expectations. It's Urban Fantasy Magical Realism with Horror because dumpster monsters can be terrifying, and what’s with the Omniverse turning random objects at the park into monsters? Wait until you get a look at the creatures and characters Tim’s written inside.
Again to the cover: Those are people falling from a monstrous creation of Corruption, and our heroes are a unit of police not quite like what we're used to on Earth.
Waggoner's universe is full of wonder, but his characters would all be average Joe if not for that one thing, and that one thing makes them vibrant and relatable. The way he leaves breadcrumbs tasty enough to keep us going was a real treat to read. I spent a little too much time highlighting quotes and bought the hardcover even though I gobbled this up on my phone already.
I hadn't read Tim Waggoner before, but now that I've seen how he can create an amazing setting and true to life characters, with a plot that doesn't quit, I'm hooked and ready for more. The Lord of the Feast is calling me.
Joe Hempel is a go-to and evokes a nostalgia I’ve gained from many horror books he’s narrated. His quality continues to deliver in this. Great choice for the tone and pacing.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The story is fantastic.

Well thought out. Well put together. Well read. Worth the credit. You get enough backstory to feel informed but not drowning in it. Wraps up well for a series starter too. Great listen.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

made work sufferable

good book made the time go by at work. hopefully this series continues.. I will be looking forward to it

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Painful and too Grim

This book felt like listening to a snuff film. No topic was off limits - murder of children, pregnant people, and other taboo topics bombard you in nearly every chapter. I just had a kid recently and I've lost the stomach for this kind of material. The narrator didn't help - they were monotone to the point it felt like the review of a court transcript. I stopped with about six hours to go due to how dark it was.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

More please!

I really like the characters and story!
I would love to see more adventures of the maintenance team!!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A series of a duo who fight supernatuural events.

A series of a duo who fight supernatural events, remends you of anything. Not a bad book but its just too predictable. Grim dark, i would like to know more of the lore of the world.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A decent listen.

A darker take on a Men In Black concept. Some interesting mechanics of the universe kept me engaged. The narrator was decent, but not great. He was a bit too monotone during the exciting scenes. During a car chase scene, I had actually forgotten that the main characters were in a life-or-death situation because everything was read so plainly.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

story 1 of 3

just finished book one looking forward book #2. the characters were very interesting and just enough dark humor for my liking

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