Colin is a low-level employee at Dark Enterprises, a Hell-like multinational corporation solving the world’s most difficult problems in deeply questionable ways. After years of toiling away in a cubicle, he’s ready to climb the corporate ladder and claim the power he’s never had.

The only problem is, he’s pretty sure he’s about to be terminated. Like, terminated. That’s tough, because his BFF has just set him up with a great guy. In fact, maybe he’s a little too great. And he asks a lot of questions . . .

When Colin meets a shadowy figure promising his deepest desire in return for a small, unspecified favor, he can’t resist the urge to fast-track his goals. He asks for the one thing that will improve his life: a promotion.

But that small favor unleashes an ancient evil. People in New York are disappearing, the world might be ending, and Management is starting to notice. Getting to the top is never easy, and now it’s up to Colin to save the world. It’s the ultimate power move, after all.

Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddell is dark and humorous, a doomsday book with a dark corporate sheen that will keep you laughing and biting your fingernails as you try to figure out if Colin will manage to save the world and his career. And will he manage to climb the corporate ladder and gain power when he seems like such a nice guy. But there is more to Colin than meets the eye just like there is more to the Dark Entreprises, the ancient evil Colin unleashes and the friends he recruits to help him.

In this novel, normally it would be hard to root for the guy working for the seemingly evil corporation but Colin is funny, cunning and honestly empathetic as he only wants power to not be stepped on anymore by bullies and life. I love the connections he forges with others in the novel and the way he keeps trying to find a way to save the world or maybe just survive not getting fired. I love the chilling bargain he makes and even his disastrous mistakes along the way. Colin is funny and the story packs a punch. 

If you like funny, doomsday books, with ancient evil, dark and humorous situations and complex characters, this is one of the funniest stories I’ve read. It spins the corporate evil dial to ten and keeps you entertained until the end of the book. The ending is fantastic and Colin is genuinely a great character. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 business cards. 

Penguin RandomHouse

Mark Waddell website