Imagine going to church, taking communion, and as soon as you swallowed the wafer and wine, seeing God right beside you. Or, if not God, an aspect of God – one that you could converse with, argue with, beg, weep with, and scream at. Now, imagine all that if you were an atheist.

Regardless of what you believe or do not believe, as a science fiction fan you have to wonder: short of this miraculous wafer falling from the sky like manna, where is this drug coming from?

In the not too-distant future, anyone with a 3D printer and passable google-fu can print up DIY drugs. When a new drug called Logos starts seeping into the market, giving people a chemically fused Damascus experience, drug lords start acting like music executives, trying to halt the competition however they can. The thing is Logos, also known as Numinous,  actually seems to transform sinners into saints, converting them into evangelicals of Logos: people who would lay down their lives for friends and enemies alike – especially if the outcome furthers the gospel of Logos.

Years ago, Lyda Rose was roofied with an overdose of Numinous – the very drug she helped create. It played a part in the death of her wife, stole the child she was pregnant with, led to frequent stays at various mental institutions, and blessed/cursed her with a constant guardian angel she can’t kick. When Lyda discovers Numinous has leaked out on the street, she and the angel living inside her head check out of their current mental institution, and hit the road to find out who’s been manufacturing Logos.

The road trip Lyda and her friends embark stretches across not only Canada and the United States but also maps free will, redemption, the nature of God, and examines the similarities of religion and substance abuse more explicitly than any other book I can think of (and there are a pretty fair amount of SF/F books that have made that comparison). I appreciate that it seems to treat its characters fairly – a lot of the evangelical-esque characters aren’t monsters. They’re striving for some kind of redemption – even if it happens to be a chemically induced one.

Also: it’s funny as hell, which is kind of surprising for what seems like such a dark book on the cover. But fans of Raising Stony Mayhall will want to check this one out too.

A large part of that is Tavia Gilbert’s narration – it’s a perfect match for Gregory’s prose. Her work here as Lyda, Dr. Gloria, Ollie, and the rest of the gang comes off as intelligent, sharp, witty, and someone you’d want to roadtrip with.

Afterparty is a novel with a dark, chewy center that reminds me quite a bit of William Gibson’s later novels, but with a style that cranks up the entertainment factor and laughs making this story way more fun than you’d expect it to be with such heady subject matter.—The AudioBookaneers

Every now and again, becoming more more and more frequent, I read a summary for an up and coming audiobook and then it is all I can think about. That is exactly what happened to me here with Afterparty. Sounds like what could be a great unique science fiction thriller. Couple that with the man, Daryl Gregory, who wrote one of the most intriguing zombie stories I have ever come across, Raising Stony Mayhall. I think I could be in for a wild ride.

Afterparty is set in a believable and recognizable possible future world were anyone can print drugs from their PC. But the really good drugs can still create empires. A group of scientists get together to create a remarkable new drug, with unforeseen side effects. What if after overdosing on this new drug, you now have your personal God living in your head with you, except you think it is real? We are then taken on a psychedelic and psychotic road trip across the continent, full of flashbacks and and things I just wasn’t sure about.

So that is the very basic storyline here but there is so much more that is difficult to put into words. There were time I thought I went back in time while staying in the future, yet feel odd no matter where I was. Gregory has created a true mindf**k. The scariest part was that I could relate to several of the schizophrenic characters, maybe that is saying too much about me and my past?

There were time that I had no idea what was happening, thinking that some one in the office spiked the coffee. There were time were I had to stop listening to get solid footing in reality. There were times I was on the edge of my seat with my heart pounding. You need to listen to Afterparty if you want a truly original science fiction thrill ride.

This was my first time with Tavia Gilbert and boy am I sad about that. I mean HOLY CRAP! She did not miss a beat anywhere. I can only imagine how difficult it is to have a plethora of insane characters and be able to keep them all straight, and deliver them with perfection. I credit at least half of the success of Afterparty to her spectacular performance. I will be looking for more of her exceptional performances.—AudiobookReviewer.com