A Chase of Blood on Steel

The Hobo Kingdom, Book 1

By: Dan Biermeier

Narrated by: S. W. Salzman

Glen and Denny are torn from their families and thrust into a world you have never imagined. They race upon rails of steel, curving through the depths of a different time, chasing adventure, tragedy, crime, violence, friendship, and loyalty. They eventually land in the hands of two groups of hobos. They learn the life. They learn a new code of ethics...and they learn how to hunt down two homicidal monsters in the Hobo Kingdom.

The Hobo Kingdom has its own language, rules, and characters. These trains are wild rides where no one is safe. A place with Bam! in-your-face vigilante justice, where the good guys are not pure and the bad guys...you don't even want to know exist.

Settle in for a ride loaded with action, comedy, camaraderie, and thrills. But watch out...there could be blood everywhere!

©2015 Daniel Thomas Biermeier (P)2018 Daniel Thomas Biermeier

A wonderful, unique story.

This is a wonderful story with a hint of “coming of age” thrown in. There’s a bit of education here as well as you learn some of the hobo lingo and ways of life on the rails. There are several sub-plots that run concurrently throughout the length of the tale. We’re introduced to Denny known as Shanghai, Glen his boyhood friend, and of course several of the hobos, some of which have history going back to the Korean War. There are the good and bad as in any society, but the hobo life is quite unique; most of us knowing little if anything of it. This is a great story and I enjoyed it thoroughly. This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

Hop aboard the train is about to leave the station

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If my friend could handle all the violence I would it is a exciting well written story.

What other book might you compare A Chase of Blood on Steel to and why?

N/A

Which character – as performed by S. W. Salzman – was your favorite?

He did a good job with all of them.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not really but if you like this genre it is a good ride stopping in many remote Cities.

Any additional comments?

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Excellent Story And Performance!!!

This Story Was Non Stop Action! And I Absolutely Loved It!...This Was New World With New Adventures...Every Chapter Was Detailed Oriented It Felt Like You Were Standing Right Next To The Characters...This Author Took A Chance On Something New And It Worked!!! I Am Very Much Looking Forward To The Book 2 Audiobook!!!

A very solid story worth checking out

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

This was a pretty good listenting experience for me. I liked SW Salzman's narration and the characters were engaging. I liked the whole hobo life thing. I found it very interesting. There was plenty of fast paced action that drove the story along but it was nicely offset by some quiet moments to allow you to catch your breath. The fights are pretty graphic, but that wasn't a problem for me. It really gives the story a gritty feel to it which was exciting. Definitely worth a credit, if you ask me.

Very nice book, well read

This is a very nice book to listen too. It mixes a separate murder mystery combined with a great background on Hobo society in the 20th century. The two stories are tied together, with a mix of casting. Hobo activity and interaction is well researched and the listener gets a fine background on both the good and the bad side of this often romanticized life on the trains. The performance is particularly good, as the vernacular of the hobo often produces some tongue twisters. Centered in the Northern Mid-west, the book also provides a bit of nostalgia for those you grew up in the area. All in all, a fine book to listen to, while receiving an education on the hobo's life.

Good read, drawn out.

As always, I have to state that this book was given to me for free in exchange for a review.
I always like to state that this does not impact my review or my opinion of the book. My reviews are honest and my own opinion of the story, performance, and overall thoughts on the book.

First, I have to say that I see this book is selling for $24 on Audible, and it is in no way worth that much. The price should definitely be lowered. DEFINITELY.

Now this book brings some different stuff to the fiction world! I very much enjoyed the author's writing style; he has a great way of capturing your attention and keeping you on the edge of your seat.

There were times where it felt like the storytelling was fluff to just take up pages and space in the story, and there were times where I felt this story just kept going and going and was really drawn out. Too much at times.

Reading this book ... I couldn't help thinking about John Steinbeck's "Cannery Row". Like Steinbeck, the characters were unique and quirky.

This is a story about the daily lifestyle of the Hobo. That literally sums up the entire book.

A good listen.

This title popped up in my suggestions after listening to Ted Conovers "Rolling Nowhere " about his experience riding the rails as a hobo.

Audiobooks about hobos is definitely a small selection! So took a chance and really enjoyed the book.

Narration was good, and characters were unique.

Hope there's a follow up book soon.

Go back in time

This was a really cool book set back in the days when men rode the rails from town to town just to see the country, hopping train cars at their own risk, and one man who decides to take his son with him to see the country. But there are many sides to riding the rails, it wasn't always good, there where bad gangs, and jumping trains could be dangerous and that is if you got past the train guards, and local police. This story shows you all the different sides not only of just the trains but that whole time of life. If you can get this as the audio narrated but the wonderful S.W. Salzman and be transported back to that time and have it feel like you are there with Denny and Shanghai.

A fun, violent adventure across the rails...

A Chase of Blood on Steel was a different kind of read for me. If I knew more about, and cared more about, the hobo life in the late 60's, early 70's USA, I feel I'd have been more drawn into the tale than I was. That isn't to say I disliked it at all: I gave it five stars, and that's an honest rating. The writing was a little clunky at first, but it seemed to smooth out into a nice prose after about the first fifty pages or so. There are a plethora of characters in this novel, and each seems to have their own personality and are nicely drawn.

This is quite a violent tale, too. Again, in the beginning, you don't really get this feeling, the title notwithstanding. However, when the violence first comes it is fast and fierce, and a little blind-siding. Graphic as well, which is not a problem for me, I like my violence wet. And this seems to be how the author likes to propel his story. There are quiet moments strewn throughout where we get to know the characters and grow to care for them, then suddenly and explosively they are thrust into hyper-violent situations and there is one blood-bath after another.

Also, don't get too attached to any one character, as there is a healthy chance they'll be getting the hard goodbye in the next chapter or two.

Overall, I quite liked this tale, and think others who are more 'in the know' of this sub-culture will appreciate it all the more. For me, it was a fun and fast-paced adventure with some great scenes of brutality, characters I really liked (some lost), and an interesting peek into a world I know little to nothing about. I think most will quite enjoy this tale.

SW Salzman provides the narration for the audiobook version, and he does an excellent job at his task. The characters all have unique voicings, and that is quite a feat for a story with so many characters to keep up with, and Salzman does a great job of doing this consistently throughout.

I'd recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good adventure and isn't afraid to take their violence moist.

Well crafted characters and vivid imagery

I listen to a lot of audiobooks and if I don't like the narrator I usually quit right away. I almost quit this one because of S.W. Salzman's inflection and the choppiness of the initial few chapters.
I am so happy I didn't.
I can't give this book and the performance enough stars. Being a Wisconsinite, like the narrator, his accent was a tad off putting for me at first, but it's definitely in the top ten narrations I've heard.
Salzman is the perfect fit here, any other narrator would not have done this story justice.
I am totally fascinated by the hobo lifestyle. I have friends who tell stories of people just like these characters who very well may be people like these characters, which is why I chose this book in the first place, and I was not disappointed in the least.
The characters are incredibly well written, some of the descriptions of the settings and the people are almost tangible, I feel like I know them. I have a hard time believing that they aren't still out there somewhere. Nomads settled in to some semblance of "normalcy." It made me rethink some of the stories I've heard.
I can't get over the poetic flow of Biermeier's writing. It makes me want to buy the book and pair it with some folk punk and read it in a hammock around a fire.
The story-line has perfect ebb and flow. Action and intensity along with well crafted friendships and villains. I can not wait to get my hands on the second book.
"This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review."