By: Megan Mackie
Publish Date: September 21, 2017, Audiobook Release June 5, 2019
Format: Audiobook - 13 hrs 48 mins
Narrated By: Megan Mackie & Frank Sjodin
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: 1st in The Lucky Devil series
Synopsis:
The only thing more dangerous than using your magic to help a cybernetic spy find a missing criminal, is being the criminal he's looking for...
When Rune Leveau is approached by a charmingly dangerous, cybernetically-altered, corporate spy, St. Benedict, his request seemed simple: use her magical Talent to help him find an elusive criminal named Anna Masterson. But Rune has a dangerous secret: She IS Anna Masterson.
Over the past six years, St. Benedict has searched for the Masterson Files, a computer program rumored to do the impossible—cast magic spells. The technology could reshape the world. His last hope is this Finder of the Lucky Devil, but the Finder is proving difficult... and St. Benedict isn't going to take no for an answer.
Set in an alternate Chicago, where technology and magic are in competition with each other, this fast paced Cat-and-Mouse chase makes The Finder of the Lucky Devil a welcome addition to your urban fantasy/cyberpunk library.
My Thoughts and Summary:
*I was given this free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
This is the first time I've listened to Megan and Frank narrate a story. From the start, I noticed I could hear the deep breaths Megan takes to get the words in that need to be said together. This was distracting for me in the prologue. The air around her also sounds empty. This sounds strange to say and you probably think that's what you want to hear. Yes, but the empty space can add as a distraction. I wouldn't say there's an echo but it has a sound of it's own. I followed along in the first few chapters as Megan narrated. It seemed she missed pauses where comma's were that could have added feeling to the moment. I noticed there were pauses that were a second or two longer that were her transitioning to another characters voice. When Frank joined the conversation, he was smooth as his character and used breathing with comma's and periods to add to the feel of the character. There was an audio editing that was missed too.
Rune has a terrible moment in her past she's hiding from. However, that past is coming back to haunt her. A cybernetic enhanced corporate elite has come looking for Anna Masterson and wants Rune to help him find her. Anna's husband, who's been missing as long as Anna, is who they really want for his computer programming that can read magic's language and cast a spell. It's the only program of it's kind and no one can recreate it. When Rune refuses to help St. Benedict, St. Benedict puts word out to all wanting the software that Rune knows how to find Anna... and people come out of the woodwork attacking and demanding Rune to "help" them. St. Benedict didn't realize how close to the truth his words to others were.
Rune can't do much of anything with magic. She lives her life as a normal person, but her talent is finding things. She has a knack for it but doesn't understand it. Hoping to help make the mortgage payment on her bar, she takes on a job to help find a woman's daughter, who's been turned into a dog and the mom won't believe the dog is her daughter. Now Rune has to figure out how to help the girl while on the run from corporate assassins and head hunters wanting to hire her. Rune is on the run, with St. Benedict and Allie, the dog, and learns more about her talent than she expected.
This is one of those books that I'm on the wall about. I want to like it, but... I don't know what's stopping me. I don't know if it's the narration that's stopping me or if there's something in the book.
There's a blend of magic, cybernetics, and fairy court.
There's a lot happening here. We have St. Benedict looking for Anna Masterson. Rune is dealing with the loss of someone that's extremely important to her, so she's growing to strengthen her stance while coming to understand who she is. Rune has to deal with the hoards after her for what she can do along with those after her bar and home.
This could be a stand alone novel, but it could be the beginning of a series as Rune works to help others. And St. Benedict could be seen around or involved as well.
There is a whole world created that I'm a bit more curious about. It's the Corporate world. Corporate is who runs things, and I'm curious to see a little closer at what the set up is and how it works. There is also mention of a magic guild. Rune avoids both of these because she's hiding who she is, but now that events have happened in this book we could get a closer look at this system.
In the end, I liked how things played out and what we came across in the way of magic along with the technology in the world and cybernetics. There are many things hinted at with minor characters that could open up many doors for the series. I'd be curious to see the author improve her writing and venture into the world deeper.
This is the first time I've listened to Megan and Frank narrate a story. From the start, I noticed I could hear the deep breaths Megan takes to get the words in that need to be said together. This was distracting for me in the prologue. The air around her also sounds empty. This sounds strange to say and you probably think that's what you want to hear. Yes, but the empty space can add as a distraction. I wouldn't say there's an echo but it has a sound of it's own. I followed along in the first few chapters as Megan narrated. It seemed she missed pauses where comma's were that could have added feeling to the moment. I noticed there were pauses that were a second or two longer that were her transitioning to another characters voice. When Frank joined the conversation, he was smooth as his character and used breathing with comma's and periods to add to the feel of the character. There was an audio editing that was missed too.
Rune has a terrible moment in her past she's hiding from. However, that past is coming back to haunt her. A cybernetic enhanced corporate elite has come looking for Anna Masterson and wants Rune to help him find her. Anna's husband, who's been missing as long as Anna, is who they really want for his computer programming that can read magic's language and cast a spell. It's the only program of it's kind and no one can recreate it. When Rune refuses to help St. Benedict, St. Benedict puts word out to all wanting the software that Rune knows how to find Anna... and people come out of the woodwork attacking and demanding Rune to "help" them. St. Benedict didn't realize how close to the truth his words to others were.
Rune can't do much of anything with magic. She lives her life as a normal person, but her talent is finding things. She has a knack for it but doesn't understand it. Hoping to help make the mortgage payment on her bar, she takes on a job to help find a woman's daughter, who's been turned into a dog and the mom won't believe the dog is her daughter. Now Rune has to figure out how to help the girl while on the run from corporate assassins and head hunters wanting to hire her. Rune is on the run, with St. Benedict and Allie, the dog, and learns more about her talent than she expected.
This is one of those books that I'm on the wall about. I want to like it, but... I don't know what's stopping me. I don't know if it's the narration that's stopping me or if there's something in the book.
There's a blend of magic, cybernetics, and fairy court.
There's a lot happening here. We have St. Benedict looking for Anna Masterson. Rune is dealing with the loss of someone that's extremely important to her, so she's growing to strengthen her stance while coming to understand who she is. Rune has to deal with the hoards after her for what she can do along with those after her bar and home.
This could be a stand alone novel, but it could be the beginning of a series as Rune works to help others. And St. Benedict could be seen around or involved as well.
There is a whole world created that I'm a bit more curious about. It's the Corporate world. Corporate is who runs things, and I'm curious to see a little closer at what the set up is and how it works. There is also mention of a magic guild. Rune avoids both of these because she's hiding who she is, but now that events have happened in this book we could get a closer look at this system.
In the end, I liked how things played out and what we came across in the way of magic along with the technology in the world and cybernetics. There are many things hinted at with minor characters that could open up many doors for the series. I'd be curious to see the author improve her writing and venture into the world deeper.
Loving that cover.
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