Sunday, 25 December 2022
Monday, 12 December 2022
HIGH STEAKS
High Steaks by Daniel Potter
Book 3 in the Freelance Familiars series
Narrated by Jonathan Waters
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook
Book 3 in the Freelance Familiars series
Narrated by Jonathan Waters
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook
About High Steaks:
When the dice are loaded, the claws come out.
Rudy and Thomas have landed in Sin City, but not on all four paws. The Talking Animal Union is determined to trip up the Freelance Familiars and entangle Thomas in a game where Death holds all the cards.
But Thomas can’t focus merely on saving himself. A vampire stalks the refugees of Grantsville, and to save his friends — and his own neck — Thomas has to put more than just himself on the line.
The odds are raw and bloody in Vegas...
Source: Info in the "About High Steaks" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37417463-high-steaks on 29/06/2020.
Buy Link(s):
My Thoughts:
This book picks up where the last one ended. And tells us how the story went after the fall out after our hero saved his town. I liked that, because I did wonder how the people of Grantsville is going to cope afterwards... the clean-up work of that cluster-fuck just seemed so daunting... because we are not talking about straightening out the life of a person or a few people. We're talking about a whole town!... And I like the way the story panned out. So much so that now I am apprehensive about reading the next book in this series because then I might be disappointed! I guess I'll know soon enough if I am being silly about it or not.
Like the first book, I love this story! Champion of the underdogs! Iron-clad sense of right and wrong! And an HEA (happily ever after) ending!
I like the way Jonathan Waters reads Jet (the goat)'s lines with a bit of a wobble to his voice, mimicking that of a goat's, if goats could talk.
Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 5
Pace = (10 hrs & 17 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 5
Pace = (10 hrs & 17 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 5
Books In The Freelance Familiars Series:
Meet The Author
About Daniel Potter:
Daniel Potter has always been inspired by the mysteries of the world. His early interest lead him to become avid researcher as well as gamer and writer. After obtaining his PhD in vascular biology, he began exploring fictional magic and spiritualism using his own particular scientific lense. Daniel published the webcomic Walking the Lethe from 2010-2012 and is an active member of the East Bay Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Meet-up group. His debut novel, Off Leash, is just the first in his Freelance Familiar series.
When he's not chasing his imagination, Daniel works as a vascular biologist in the Bay Area. He shares an apartment with his wife, two cats, and a large collection of video games.
The Narrator
About Jonathan Waters:
Voice Over Artist · Voice Actor · Voice Talent · Actor · Professional Actor.
A classically trained actor with a degree in Theatre Arts from Boise State University and at present nearly 80 titles on Audible.com.
Voice talent for audiobooks, commercials, characters, animations, video games and beyond. Check out the links for both the list of audiobooks and YouTube page for demos.
FTC Disclosure:
The different formats of this book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.
The different formats of this book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.
Monday, 5 December 2022
THE MERGING
The Merging by John P. Logsdon and Christopher P. Young
Book 1 of the Las Vegas Paranormal Police Department Series
Narrated by the author John P. Logsdon
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook
Book 1 of the Las Vegas Paranormal Police Department Series
Narrated by the author John P. Logsdon
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook
About The Merging:
Las Vegas is getting rampaged by ubernaturals, and only one team has the guts to step in.
Ian Dex is the captain of the Las Vegas Paranormal Police Department (PPD), the crew responsible for kicking the crap out of any supernatural stupid enough to mess with the Strip. He's a cop, a millionaire, an amalgamite, and a horndog.
Sin City is always running amok with disturbances and glitter, but sometimes those two items merge and the nightlife gets out of hand. Kind of like mixing Hell and...well, more Hell.
When an ubermage appears on the Strip, strutting around in his Chippendales-style outfit and sending out other ubernaturals to kick up dust and unleash destruction, it's up to Ian Dex and his team to do what they do best: bust heads and shred souls.
Casinos are clamoring for help, cops are fighting tooth and nail just to survive, and tourists think it's all part of the Vegas experience.
The weather forecast for tonight on the Strip is dark. Very damn dark...and bloody.
Source: Info in the About The Merging was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36196599-the-merging on 02/07/2019.
Buy Link(s):
My Thoughts:
This book got bought because it got mentioned in Silver Clouds Dirty Sky by Orlando Sanchez. Me, being an urban fantasy geek, took the bait.
Ian Dex, our main protagonist is kind of a TSTL (too stupid to live). Not a very desirable trait in any character, never mind the main protagonist! Surprisingly, everybody else seems to be a well developed character except Ian Dex. That can wear a reader down. On the up side, the author reads the story with a gusto! That perked things up a bit. Plus there is the fact that this is an urban fantasy story with vampires and demons and magic that my geek side really like! I recon I would be reading the next book in this series, seeing that I already bought the first four books.
Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 3.5
Character development = 3.5
Story itself = 3
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 3
World building = 4
Cover art = 3.5
Pace = 2
Plot = 2
Narration = 4
Character development = 3.5
Story itself = 3
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 3
World building = 4
Cover art = 3.5
Pace = 2
Plot = 2
Narration = 4
Books In The Las Vegas Paranormal Police Department Series:
Meet The Author & Narrator
About John P. Logsdon:
I was born in Takoma Park, MD, in the U.S.A. I’ve worked in the online games industry as a producer, a product manager, a director of content development, and an executive producer. I’ve also worked in several positions as a software engineer.
I’m now a full-time author who writes in way too many series. I just can’t seem to help myself. More accurately, I can’t shut up all the characters who float around in my head telling me their stories.
The Other Author
About Christopher P. Young:
I spent the majority of my childhood reading and writing science fiction while learning the craft of storytelling. As I got older, I found myself working in the video games industry, which helped me to understand the concept of design, structure, and layout. One of the key components of my style is humor. I can certainly create serious stories, and have plans to do just that, but I can't help but admit that working in comedy is a lot more fun.
Here are the worlds that I'm currently working in:
* Tales from the Land of Ononokin - comedic fantasy
* The Intergalactic Research Bureau - comedic s.f.
All of my books are published through Crimson Myth Press ( www.crimsonmyth.com ).
I live in Southern California (U.S.A.) with my wife and an ever-growing population of critters.
FTC Disclosure:
The different formats of this book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.
The different formats of this book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.
Saturday, 5 November 2022
BLOOD IS THICKER
Book 3 of the Montague & Strong Case Files series
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook
About Blood Is Thicker:
A Broken Pact. An Ancient Enemy. A Bitter Betrayal.Source: Info in the About Blood Is Thicker was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36300773-blood-is-thicker on 30/06/2019.
What does a vampire fear more than sunlight? The Cazadoras Sangrientas — Blood Hunters.
Michiko Nakatomi has led the Dark Council for over a century, maintaining the uneasy truce between humanity and the supernatural. But when an ancient enemy returns the delicate balance is shattered and vampires start dying.
Now, Michiko must fight for her life and the survival of the Council. She has no one to trust. Her inner circle is destroyed, the Council is on the verge of collapse, and her only hope lies with Simon and Tristan.
Join the Montague and Strong Detective Agency as they face off against the Blood Hunters to prevent them from destroying the Dark Council and plunging humanity to its doom.
Buy Link(s):
In this book we acquired a Gandalf! (Not literally, but metaphorically speaking.) It remains to be seen if this Gandalf character is going to be a positive addition to the series or not...
The plot has kind of slide down a little bit. It seems to me that Simon and Tristan are just running around chasing their tail in the story... What is that all about?! At least Peaches got his priorities straight!
This is the first Montague & Strong Case Files book without an audiobook version at the time I read this book. I was annoyed about that... Even though... with all that moaning, I still enjoyed this book. Very much! So this book gets a four with me.
Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = 3.5
Plot = 3
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries
Books in the Montague & Strong Case Files series:
Meet The Author
Orlando Sanchez has been writing ever since his teens when he was immersed in creating scenarios for playing Dungeon and Dragons with his friends every weekend. An avid reader, his influences are too numerous to list here. Some of the most prominent are: J.R.R. Tolkien, Jim Butcher, Kat Richardson, Terry Brooks, Piers Anthony, Lee Child, George Lucas, Andrew Vachss, and Barry Eisler to name a few in no particular order. The worlds of his books are urban settings with a twist of the paranormal lurking just behind the scenes and generous doses of magic, martial arts, and mayhem. He currently resides in Queens, NY with his family and can often be found in the local coffee shop where most of his writing is done.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)