Audio Book Review: Spirited Christmas

Spirited Christmas

By:  Gary Jonas
Publish Date:  December 1, 2016, Audiobook Release November 27, 2017

Format:  Audiobook - 1 hrs 20 mins
Narrated By:  Joe Hempel

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  9.5 Novella of Jonathan Shade Series; Book 1 ~ Modern Sorcery, Book 2 ~ Acheron Highway, Book 3 ~ Dragon Gate, Book 4 ~ Anubis Nights, Book 5 ~ Sunset Specters, 6th Book ~ Wizard's Nocturne

Impression:  Christmas heart with a ghostly twist.

Synopsis:
GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST

In this short novelette, a little girl hires Jonathan to get rid of a ghost that haunts her family every Christmas. The hauntings have escalated from sightings to full possession. It should be an open-and-shut exorcism, but when Jonathan discovers the truth, it's more than he bargained for...

First Sentence:
Esther hovered outside my office door staring down at a little girl in a blue coat.

Purchase At:
Amazon

Audible 

My Thoughts and Summary:

*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Jonathan arrives at the office one cold December morning to find a little girl has been balled up waiting for him for an hour. Madison wants to hire him to take care of the ghost that haunts her house at Christmas and grabs at her.

I've listened to previous Jonathan Shade books and Joe does a great job, as he always does, with Jonathan. Joe knows Jonathan inside and out as he voices  Jonathan when joking and being serious. You know what Jonathan is up to by Joe's voice. I'm so glad Joe has continued to carry through as the voice of this series. As always, the audio is clean and clear listening. I'm not distracted from the story in any way.

I love how Jonathan is with Madison. She's young, ten, and he treats her so well. When Esther tells him he wasn't going to not help this little girl, he is great at his payment as Madison only has change to pay with - all her money in the world. This is a small Christmas gift to the young girl so she can enjoy Christmas. Madison made me smile with her humor and personality. She could give Jonathan a run for his money on humors remarks. lol. She is a cute little girl. I enjoyed her interaction with Jonathan.

Jonathan finds that there's more to the ghost haunting than expected. In true Gary Jonas fashion, there is much more to the story than one would expect. Jonathan has a soft heart and it shows in this book. He's determined to do what's right but also what is wanted. The two do go hand in hand from time to time.

The ending brings the feeling of the heart of the Christmas spirit story, like many endings of Christmas stories. It made me smile as it warmed my heart. Also we have Jonathan in his fun remarks with Kelly as friends at the holiday.

The novella is marked at 9.5 in the series, but it's placed before the first book. There are things still in place for the first book or two. If you listen or read this novella, you can do so at any time. Read it before you get to the series or any time during the series. It gives nothing away for the events in the novels but gives a feel for Jonathan and Kelly, the major characters in the series. So, pick it up for the holiday this month!



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Audio Book Review: The Half-Assed Wizard

The Half-Assed Wizard

By:  Gary Jonas

Publish Date:  June 4, 2017, Audiobook Release September 11, 2017

Format:  Audiobook - 4 hrs 29 mins
Narrated By:  Joe Hempel

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  1st in The Half-Assed Wizard series

Impression:  Smart aleck wizard that learns he needs to apply himself.

Synopsis:
A couple of jerks wake me up at the crack of noon. Seems my klepto uncle stole an ancient deck of Tarot cards from a high-powered wizard, and too many losers want to ruin my day to get them back.

The cards are cool, so I check them out, but my magic-happy cousin, Sabrina, tells me I'm not supposed to touch them. Oops. Too late. Now the damn cards are tuned to me, and if someone else wants to use them, I have to die. Why couldn't she have led with that information?

Magic was never my scene, but my dad is one of the most powerful wizards in the world, so I've got unrealized potential if I ever bother to apply myself. I'd rather power nap, but with wizards, gunslingers, and cannibalistic shark dudes coming at me, that's not gonna happen.

They say I'm a half-assed wizard, but if I don't play my cards right, I'm gonna get my whole ass killed.

First Sentence:
If I'd known they wanted to kill me I would have stayed in bed.

Purchase At:
Amazon

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.


Don't let the length full you. It's a shorter read/listen, but we quickly get into Brett's world of wizards that's he's worked to NOT be part of and the band life he enjoys as it all crashes together in trouble.

Joe is a narrator I've listened to before. He fits Gary's characters well with their dry sense of humor. Joe voices the characters with tones that fit their standing and personalities. There is a twist to the characters and they (or the narrator) acts their parts well. Nicely done.

Brett doesn't want to do magic. The pain of the blood price is something he's not into.

Brett is a younger man and feels to fit the part of a band member. He's a stereo type where he doesn't like wordy explanations, but at times he shows how smart he really is. He comes across as a slacker, but is still the star of the show in the book as he knows what to do and it's easy for him when he applies himself. He's surrounded by strong secondary characters thanks to his family's reputation.

Sabrina, his cousin, is a strong and smart character here. She has no problems using magic and yields it with perfection. Then we have Michael, a band mate of Brett's. He's special and had my attention from the moment we met him. The author did well in how he "spoke" of Michael through Brett before we met Michael, and it drew my attention to him when first walked on the page.

Brett then grows more responsible as the story goes. He is distracted with the people working to get to him and the tarot cards.

Want to talk magic? Do it in six words or less - that's Brett request, as he doesn't want to deal with it. He might be lazy, but we repeatedly see he's not dumb. Now, Brett being lazy is not all bad. It gives a little spice to the book and Brett's character. At times it feels as though he doesn't know what to do, but then all the sudden he does. More a smart aleck than anything. I enjoyed his flavor of spunk.

I enjoyed the way Gary plotted this story to come together in the end. Crafty. There was a twist to who's connected to who and what the ultimate goal is. I was surprised at one twist to the story. I enjoyed the power we find in Brett and curious to see what he may do with it in the future, along with his friends too.

I would enjoy listening to the rest of the series.



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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.


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Audio Book Review: Sunset Specters

Sunset Specters

By:  Gary Jonas

Publish Date:  August 22, 2016, Audiobook Release October 18, 2016

Format:  Audiobook - 4 hrs 48 mins
Narrated By:  Joe Hempel

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  5th Jonathan Shade novel: 1st Book ~ Modern Sorcery, 2nd Book ~ Acheron Highway, 3rd Book ~ Dragon Gate, 4th Book ~ Anubis Nights

Impression:  The West is where the ghosts are... Jonathan keeps trying to stop Henry Winslow.

Synopsis:
A SORCERER SEEKING IMMORTALITY
The powerful wizard, Henry Winslow, arrives in 1877 and sets out for the Barbary Coast in San Francisco to steal a bit of life energy from his parents before he can head to the 1920s to complete his immortality ritual.

A FORMER SLAVE WITH A MISSION
Douglas Freeman is a former slave with a growing collection of vengeful ghosts, and he's headed for the Barbary Coast to kill the last few men on his list.

CHAMPIONS OUT OF TIME
Jonathan Shade and Kelly Chan reunite with Brand, the former Sekutar warrior, and Esther, the ghost who has an unbreakable bond with Shade. They set out for California to stop Winslow. But the Barbary Coast is a dangerous place where life is cheap. Their paths will cross with thieves, cutthroats, crimps, prostitutes, gangs, magic, and a supernatural threat. Time is running out on their mission, and one thing is certain--not everyone is going to get out alive.

First Sentence:
Wind howled through Skeleton Canyon like a mournful widow.

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 courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.

Jonathan and his friends still have the same problem; when done with each of the three years they need to visit, how will they return to their own time?

Jonathan and Kelly jump forward to the time Brand is in, only to find Brand needs their help. Once they are on their way to find Winslow, the group divides in their thinking on how to get to where they want to be. Jonathan and Kelly move forward to find Winslow's parents in California, and in turn find Winslow. But when in San Francisco they come across so many ghosts that just linger around. Esther can't even get them to talk, and she feels the pull of the area too. They deal with the ways of this era as they fight to find a way to stop Winslow.

Joe continues to be the voice of Jonathan and crew. I'm so glad he returns with each novel. He is the voice of Jonathan for me and he voices Jonathan's dry humor in a sense that I know and enjoy. Joe does do slight changes in his voice, tone, and personality for different characters. When he speaks as Kelly he has a slight accent and determination to his voice, which I would expect from Kelly with her strong personality. Even when other characters appear on the page, I get a feel for them differently in Joe's voice.


Jonathan and Kelly jump to Brand in the 1870's, with a tag-a-long guest they weren't expecting. The way of the west in this time frame is hard on Kelly. Kelly's a female and Chinese, both looked down upon. Will they fight Winslow and work to get home or fight to change the past? What Kelly witnesses in this era is hard for her to see and live with.

It's hard to come into an era where life is so different and not be touched by the way of living, even if it's bad. Our characters got caught in the Egyptian time and now they are distracted by the unfair living in the 1870's. They still work toward their final goal, but they also get involved in the life around their goal as well.

Then there are all those ghosts... What happened to have so many stuck here? Since Jonathan can see ghosts, maybe he can figure it out. (That's a story you'll have to read this book to get.)

Winslow is more powerful in this time. I was concerned with how Jonathan and Kelly would stop him now, and later. Yet there is something about Winslow that has me half believing him. Not wholly but a portion because of his actions.

I was happy to get into this book. Jonathan, Kelly, and Brand's humors are ones I smile at as I'm listening. I do enjoy their banter. But, we don't get to see Raina in the 1920's yet. We are focused here in the 1870's. But we'll get to Raina next, I'm sure.

I will say, I do look forward to the endings of Gary's books with Jonathan. Nothing is easy and I always wonder how it's going to come out right. In some strange way, Jonathan makes it work. I love these twists. Right now, things aren't looking so hot for Jonathan, and I really want to see what comes in the next book at the next time they cross paths with Henry Winslow.



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Audio Book Review: Anubis Nights

Anubis Nights

By:  Gary Jonas

Publish Date:  October 21, 2014, Audiobook Release September 5, 2016

Format:  Audiobook - 7 hrs 28 mins
Narrated By:  Joe Hempel

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  4th in Jonathan Shade series: 1st Book ~ Modern Sorcery, 2nd Book ~ Acheron Highway, 3rd Book ~ Dragon Gate

First Impression:  Magic in the past as Jonathan works.

Synopsis:
A STOLEN SPELL

A dead sorcerer in the Underworld named Henry Winslow, a contemporary of Aleister Crowley and former member of The Golden Dawn, steals a spell from The Forbidden Texts in order to fulfill the prophecy of the Thrice Born. He divides himself into three aspects and goes back in time to steal the Emerald Tablets of Thoth from the Great Pyramid of Giza. He wants true immortality and to change the course of history.

A MODERN CHAMPION

Jonathan Shade’s old friend, Sharon, shows up with the master of time, Chronos, to send Jonathan and his team into the past to find and kill Winslow.

First stop: ancient Egypt

Jonathan and Kelly arrive in Egypt during the reign of King Tutankhamun. As they appear from nothing, they are mistaken for gods, but when Tut is murdered during a chariot race, things get out of control.

At stake is, well, everything. Because if Winslow succeeds, the world as we know it will no longer exist, wiped from the sands of time…

First Sentence:
The ghost of Christian Harris stared at me, his hands held out in a pleading gesture.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

Audible

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

The one person Jonathan swore he'd kill if he saw again has arrived to call on Jonathan's payment due to the Ferryman. Sharon needs Jonathan to travel through time with the help of Chronos, the keeper of time, to stop three versions of sorcerer Winslow before he changes all that they know.

Joe Hempel is the voice of Jonathan Shade as he returns in this fourth novel. He feels to really be Jonathan to me with his emotion, sarcasm, and more that hits the mark with Jonathan's words. Joe's audio is clear and flawless to my ears. Not much more I can say but I enjoy his narration of Jonathan.

I like that we start with the characters where they are and how they feel now. Terrible things have happened to a few characters in the end of the last book, and they are dealing with the results. In seeing them now we also get a reminder of what happened, and how horrible it was for them.

Jonathan is definitely back to himself and moved through much of his concerns in the last book. I have to smile when the crew act up together. They all have an individual sense of humor that they all thrive off of, bringing more out of each person. When Sharon tries to explain about Henry Winslow they frustrate her with their wandering focus and jokes. But it's funny 'watching' them act as kids at this moment but know very well they are understanding and will get the job done when time comes.

This novel is in a different format from the previous books. We get POV from different characters - Jonathan, Kelly, Brand, and Rayna. They are in different areas and times in the world looking for our man who's in three aspects, this format lets us see what's happening in those places until they reunite. There is a lot of story of the different characters in their time, waiting for the others to arrive. All find troubles they need to struggle through, and stay alive, along with personal struggles too. I enjoyed the journey through time with Jonathan and friends. Jonathan and Kelly are in Egypt, Brand with Esther in 1870's, and Rayna in 1929. We start in Egypt and meet King Tutt. Cool!

I really started to worry that things would not work out or come to the end I was expecting. Gary is known for this in his previous books. So when I started to get nervous, I was also getting excited to see his twist to the ending ~ something Gary does not let me down at. The ending comes at us fast, and we are left on a bit of a cliffhanger here. The overall missions are not completed in this book and it leaves you looking for the next book (which is out in ebook and print). We do get through Jonathan's time frame completely though.

Oh, I'm waiting for the next book in audio, even though the ebook is out... hmm... maybe I'll get the ebook? lol. I will be looking for the rest of the books!



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Audio Book Review: Dragon Gate

Dragon Gate

By:  Gary Jonas

Publish Date:  October 21, 2014, Audiobook Release March 22, 2016

Format:  Audiobook - 7 hrs 30 mins
Narrated By:  Joe Hempel

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  3rd in Jonathan Shade series; 1st Book ~ Modern Sorcery, 2nd Book ~ Acheron Highway

First Impression:  Action read with Jonathan on the case, protecting siblings from death.

Synopsis:
A RITUALISTIC MURDER
Stephen Noble, a board member of Dragon Gate Industries (DGI), is decapitated. DGI, a front company for wizards, decides to provide executive protection services for Noble's son, Graham, and daughter, Rayna. But Graham doesn't trust wizards and refuses their offer, so DGI hires Jonathan Shade and his team to keep the Noble family safe.

GUILTY CLIENTS
The Nobles are from the other side of the Dragon Gate, and in that dimension, they committed crimes against the Marshall Clan. And now the Clan has come through the Gate to exact their revenge. While Graham and Rayna were too young to have been a part of the death and mayhem in the other land, honor dictates that they must pay for the crimes of their family.

INHUMAN ATTACKERS
How can Jonathan protect clients who are willing to kneel and accept death at any moment? How can he and his team handle thirteen deadly warriors willing to die to accomplish their goal? And how can Jonathan defeat the deadly creatures the Marshall Clan has brought with them to our world? Creatures that will destroy anything in their path as they hunt their prey.

First Sentence:
In the moments before his execution, Stephen Noble thought only of his children.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I requested to review a copy of this audiobook for an honest review from the author or narrator.

On his knees, prepared to be executed, Stephen Noble calls Mike Endar leaving the short message that only Mike will know the meaning of. To protect Stephen's two children. Mike knows who to go to, and with owing Mike one, Jonathan and his team are on the job. To protect Rayna and Graham Noble. Rayna doesn't want to live by the rules of the old world's ways, she wants to live on and not die. But she needs to convince her brother of that thinking in this new world they live in, things are different on this side of the gate. Jonathan and Kelly know there is information they don't have, but they fight a family of thirteen to protect Rayna and Graham as best they can.

Joe has returned for the third book in this series to voice Jonathan and crew for us. Joe has become Jonathan Shade's voice for me so I'm thrilled when we stay with the same narrator. Joe does different vocal timbres for each character to help differentiate them in the story. Implications of male and female along with inflection of the characters mind set. The story narration is clear and seamless in it's creation.

This story has a little different format. It's not all from Jonathan's POV. We get the view of the story from a few additional people. We have Jonathan and Kelly working as a team to protect Rayna and Graham, each having their own lives to live and things to do so we split up with the two protectees. By doing this we get views from all four characters so we learn what information of the Noble family and ways of their world are revealed along with what happens to each.

Getting the view through Kelly's eyes and in her mind gives us a softer look on her. It seems Kelly has grown as well. Kelly still loves to kill, that's what she was created for, but she's starting to see that life needs to be preserved as well.

Kelly also sees that her dear friend Jonathan is not the same person he was a few months ago. She can see a hardness in Jonathan now that also prevents his good nature jokes and smiles from appearing as often as they use to. This is what I was waiting to see in this book. I wanted to see how Jonathan would be different and how he'd handle it with his friends. Jonathan is struggling with how to handle things with his friends as Kelly and Brand are both questioning him about being different, both personality wise and fighting wise. Jonathan doesn't want to admit his failure to them. A failure he corrected and in the process became a different person. Jonathan has to find a way of working through his fear of losing people and let himself connect again. He seems to come around at the end. Which is nice, because I do enjoy his sense of humor too.

Jonathan seems to fall for the woman he does jobs for. I figured that would be coming in this story as well. It's a slow growth then suddenly Jonathan turns the corner to start being his old self. In doing so, Jonathan might have found himself a keeper girlfriend, but his track record hasn't been so good as his past girlfriends are dead. Will this one live?

Gary is not afraid to beat up his characters, on many fronts. Jonathan, Kelly, and Brand all go through drastic changes in this book. Physically and mentally they come to realize things, but are they ready to face what the outcomes will be?

The story here had me curious as to what the Noble family is. There is a connection between them and the Dragon Gate in the tunnels under DGI, as you probably could guess from the title if you've read the previous two books. They are something... different. But what?

I'm caught by this series. I'm curious to see where and what new magical beings or events we come across in the future.



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Audio Book Review: Acheron Highway

Acheron Highway

By:  Gary Jonas

Publish Date:  October 21, 2014, Audiobook Release October 13, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 5 hrs 56 mins
Narrated By:  Joe Hempel

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  2nd in Jonathan Shade series; 1st Book ~ Modern Sorcery

First Impression:  Urban Fantasy Private Investigator on a case, but ends up learning something priceless.

Synopsis:
"He stole my heart, Mr. Shade. I want you to find him and steal it back."
The dead won't stay buried in Denver, so Jonathan Shade isn't too surprised when a deceased woman shows up wanting to hire him. A necromancer stalker has stolen her heart--literally--and she needs it if she's going to live.

But Shade's jobs are never simple. The dead won't leave him alone. They work for a lovesick goddess who wants Shade to turn over her former lover. Chased by zombies, and then by an army of skeletons, Shade and his magically-engineered partner, Kelly Chan, fight to stay alive.

Keep your hands and feet in the vehicle at all times, and hang on, because there are no safe exits from Acheron Highway...

First Sentence:
You ever have one of those days where dead people just won't leave you alone?

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I requested to review a copy of this audiobook for an honest review from the author or narrator.

Miranda wants to hire Jonathan Shade to get her heart back. She had a boyfriend a year ago that won't let go and has stalked her ever since. The man has decided that since he can't win her heart, he'll steal it. Sharon, his library friend he hasn't seen in months pops in. She warns Jonathan to be careful, rumor has it the dead aren't staying dead in Denver and they are looking for her. Being her friend who can see ghosts, they might come after him. Dealing with rising dead bodies wanting to find Sharon, Jonathan calls his partner Kelly and lets her know they need to handle this for Sharon.

Joe is the narrator again for the series. He paces the story with Jonathan's personality, faster at times when in distress and calmer when relaxed. He does voice differences for the characters, though most of the story is from Jonathan's POV. We get the voice of a seventy year old man, Walter, but he's strong sounding too. Most of all the feel of the voices comes across different for each character. There was one small section of repeated words that were missed in editing, but it's toward the end of the book and something easily looked over.

I was drawn into the story at the first chapter. Gary dives in to the client waiting for Jonathan and what her ailment is. And her ailment is one that caught my attention. Then Jonathan is on the case and there is always something 'off' for someone that keeps me curious.

We get to see our secondary characters, Gary's friends and those he 'works' with, again. We also pick up a few new characters - Miranda and Persephone. They both have their troubles they go to Gary with, and a huge impact on him. Gary is our snarky, one liner man from the first book. He's a bit depressed though, after what happened with Naomi. However, Gary also seems to be a bit over confident in himself and his plans. He learns that lesson in the harshest way possible here. I think this will be soothed out with the books to come with the ending here.

The ending was far from what I expected. Eye popping! It was a tough one, but... Well, you have to read it. ;) The last chapter brings Jonathan around to a whole new level of being. It advances his character quickly but we see the torment the time has had on him. With this change, I'm curious to continue with the series to see him in this state of mind and what he's learned in his training.



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Audio Book Review: Modern Sorcery

Modern Sorcery

By:  Gary Jonas

Publish Date:  October 21, 2014, Audiobook December 9, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 6 hrs 13 mins
Narrated By:  Joe Hempel

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  1st in Jonathan Shade series

Impression:  Light mystery with magic. Introducing us to the world of Jonathan Shade.

Synopsis:
A SAVAGE MURDER
A husband armed with a sword hacks apart his wife in a Denver grocery store. There are dozens of witnesses, and the crime is captured on the security cameras. To the police, it’s an open-and-shut case.

To Naomi, the daughter of the couple, it’s evidence of dark magic. She hires her ex-lover, a private investigator named Jonathan Shade to prove her father is innocent.

Shade specializes in paranormal cases, but he isn’t buying it. Still, he takes the case, hoping to rekindle their relationship. Instead, Shade finds himself mixed up in supernatural intrigue with wizards, magically engineered assassins, and an ancient sorcerer returned to life who’s willing to kill anyone who stands in his way.

Too bad Shade doesn't have any magic.

First Sentence:
When I stepped off the elevator and started toward my office, Esther stuck her head through the wall.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

Audible


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

Jonathan returns to his office to find a client waiting. Naomi Miller. Who is also his ex who left when he asked her to marry him. Naomi wants to hire Jonathan to find her father's innocence, for killing his wife and her mother. There is solid evidence against David, but Naomi hopes Jonathan will find evidence of magic being used on David. What starts as a simple cut and dry case turns into more when Jonathan learns of powerful crystals that were guarded by David, and are to be destroyed. Now whoever is after the crystals housing the spirit of a dangerous wizard, are after Naomi. And Jonathan is determined not to let anything happen to the woman he still loves.

This is a first for me listening to Joe Hempel voice a story. Joe does slight softness and hardness differences in his voice for the woman and men. The narrator also does a southern accent done for a character. The story is from Jonathan's POV, so the story is mainly one voice except when others are talking. I didn't notice that there was much variation in voices though. Joe's voice is clear and easy to understand. The quality of the air around him is clean which makes it easy to listen to the story without distraction.

The story feels as it's light with the jokes Jonathan makes. The writing is easy to follow as we go along in the story finding what Naomi's true agenda is in hiring Jonathan. We are introduced to those that surround Jonathan in a progression that we won't forget them.

First we meet Esther. Oh I loved Esther from the first moment we see her in the very first sentence of the story. She wears a flapper dress as that's what she died in. Then we meet Kelly, his partner in business and who teaches martial arts. There is a story to Kelly, and I'm looking forward to getting more and more with each story. She's strong and something special. It seems she was made this way from the things we learn here. We do meet a detective that is Jonathan's connection to the police. Then we meet Sharon. Aaah. We learn Sharon has her own troubles and history too. This is another very, very interesting past I look forward to hearing about. Of course I can't forget about Jonathan! He's one that comes across with a great sense of humor. He doesn't make me bust out laughing, but I see his humor as trying to break the ice, whether of a tense situation because of conversation topic or fighting with the bad guy. It felt as though there is a potential for Jonathan mentioned at the end of the book. I'm curious where his ability will go in time.

This was a nice start to a series that feels light, fun and interesting to read. I got my cases for Jonathan to solve, that is more than meets the eye, along with action and fighting with magic. There is resolve to the story yet I'm still curious to carry on with the characters and learn their secrets. I do hope to continue with the series!