Audio Book Review: Wizard's Nocturne

Wizard's Nocturne

By:  Gary Jonas

Publish Date:  July 30, 2015, Audiobook Release December 12, 2016

Format:  Audiobook - 5 hrs 15 mins
Narrated By:  Joe Hempel

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  6th in Jonathan Shade series; Book 1 ~ Modern Sorcery, Book 2 ~ Acheron Highway, Book 3 ~ Dragon Gate, Book 4 ~ Anubis Nights, Book 5 ~ Sunset Specters

Impression:  Did NOT let me down! I got the twist with Jonathan's ending as I look forward to!

Synopsis:
A MURDER IN LAYERED TIME
In the conclusion of the three-volume time travel sequence, Jonathan Shade is sent back to 1926 to kill an upstart wizard named Henry Winslow. Henry wants to die because in order to achieve his goal of immortality, he must first achieve resurrection.

PAWNS IN A LARGER GAME
Jonathan Shade and Kelly Chan are part of a larger plan playing out across time, and while Henry Winslow is a major player, there's someone else acting as the mastermind, and his name is Jonathan Shade.

Shade's plan relies on changing the way things happened in the twenties...but if things change too much, there won't be a future to which any of them can return.

First Sentence:
Getting old sucks, and not in a good way.

Purchase At:
Amazon 

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review at my request.

Jonathan has raised Henry to be a good man, but things will go on as they should. Henry will die. This version of Henry also has a great interest in Egyptian magic, and in immortality. Our Jonathan is old, but there is more in the works here as a younger Jonathan arrives to do what he's to do. Jonathan fights the powerful Henry Winslow, but doesn't know if he can defeat him. Jonathan has learned many things over the years and is wiser with age.

So glad to be listening to Joe again! He IS Jonathan Shade. Joe voices the attitude and personality of the characters just as I would hear them with the cues given in words by the author. We get two versions of Jonathan at the same time and Joe's voicing of both fits each Jonathan. One's older and wiser in what he says, the other is younger and hotter with his words and actions. Joe slips into the characters with ease and I believe his voice to be them. By this point in the series, Joe has perfected the seamless narration and he's part of the book. There are NO distractions from the story, only adding a new dimension to the story through voice.


There is a moment with Henry and Jonathan that was so touching that my eyes welled up. It was perfectly places with the build up of their relationship and gave me the feel that the big moment was coming for Henry. Well done.

Jonathan found a friend and more in Henry as he raised him to be a good man. He's told Henry much of what's to come. Sure there are a few details that Jonathan held back, but the major outcome of what's to happen this day and change Henry's life was always known to Henry. They have planned for this. We don't know all the plans, but we get to know them as Jonathan goes through the actions of bringing things together this day. We even see the interaction with Rayna.

It's neat seeing how time and events overlap. We see some events from Jonathan's side that connect with Rayna's events in previous books. Very cool! We didn't get as much from Rayna's POV in previous books, but what we did get was powerful and memorable because I wanted to know what came of her in this time, it resurfaces here and we learn.

I know Gary always has a sly way of changing everything in a story. It all fits and smoothly moves along yet still surprises me.

Wow. What a twisted time line. lol. Hats off to the author for keeping it all straight and in line, keeping the events and time streams clear as they are different with each character living their own time line. And he kept me up on what was happening with each character in a way that I didn't feel it was repeated or adding unnecessary information, it all works in with the story.

This book ends the three book arch with Jonathan and Winslow, so you really need to read the previous two books, but not necessarily the first three books.

What changes made affect the future? Jonathan is doing a few things different, so will it change the world and time Jonathan was from?

I really enjoy Gary's twists at the end, he lived up to my expectations. I'm ready to see what is next in Jonathan's life.


****If you found my thoughts helpful, please click Yes at Amazon and/or Audible. Thank you!