Audio Book Review: Dead Lucky

Dead Lucky

By:  M.R. Forbes

Publish Date:  July 6, 2014, Audiobook Release September 17, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 1 hrs 55 mins
Narrated By:  Jeff Hays

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  1.5 novella in Ghosts & Magic series: Book 1 ~ Dead of Night, Book 2 ~ Dead Red

Impression:  Conor at the beginning, when he finds his dice.

Synopsis:
When a strange message arrives through an even stranger channel, necromancer Conor Night is driven to discover its meaning, even if it takes a road trip that he might not be healthy enough to survive. Joined by his sexy partner and an undead wise-ass, he’s about to rush headlong into a magic and mayhem filled night in New Orleans that will leave his future riding on a roll of the dice.
Luck, be a lady…

* Dead Lucky is a standalone novella (20,000 words) set in the contemporary, urban fantasy world of Ghosts & Magic. It precedes Dead of Night in the timeline, and is a great place to sample the series, get a deeper look into Conor’s backstory, or simply enjoy the ride. *

First Sentence:
"Conor... The dishes."

Purchase At:
Amazon    

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*This audiobook was a gift.

Going through plans of a break in and snag of an ancient coin, Conor hears voices that call to him, telling him to find them. He has one week before the job to get the coin and he feels the insane desire to go to New Orleans, that what he's to find is there. There's a job for him here, find a set of dice that only a necromancer can find in a casino run by a voodoo lord.

It's always a pleasure to listen to Jeff narrate a story. Not only do we get different voices, but we get a few added effects with the characters (like Conor coughing). And, always what we are looking for, heart of the character. Jeff becomes who he voices. One of my favorites to listen to as he's so entertaining with his voice and the recording is seamless.

This novella is before Dead of Night in Conor's life time line. I'm listening to it after the second book. You can listen to this one at any time, before the series or during it. You get a great feel for Conor and the world.

This novella is one that would be very good to sample the world and Conor. We learn about the movement of the fields returning magic to the world. We see the touch it's had on the world, the changes in people and land.

This novella is neat because we get to see Danelle in action. If you've read the series, you'll understand what I mean. If you've not read the series, it's okay, you'll understand when you get to the series. But the cool thing here, we get to see how Conor came to possess the dice. This was something that was in the back of my mind, curious about.



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

Audio Book Review: Dead Red

Dead Red

By:  M.R. Forbes

Publish Date:  March 15, 2015, Audiobook Release July 7, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 7 hrs 56 mins
Narrated By:  Jeff Hays

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  2nd Book in Ghosts & Magic series; 1st Book ~ Dead of Night

First Impression:  Conor's scrounging, but finds the truth.

Synopsis:
Conor Night, the world’s only surviving necromancer, is used to having bad days. After all, he’s spent the last few years as a minor pawn in the Game of Houses while keeping one foot planted firmly in the grave. But between the job offer he can’t refuse from a wizard he doesn’t trust, and the appearance of a cult bent on sending him to the afterlife, his days are about to get a whole lot worse.

He’s used to the threat of death. Death making threats? That’s new.

First Sentence:
I always tried to be quiet when I got back from a job.

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.

Flat broke as Ms. Red broke her promise to Conor, he's on the scurry to find and purchase his drugs to stay alive. Finally, Conor finds a person, with help of a friend, to purchase from, but it doesn't end well. Another group has been searching for Conor, the longest living and practicing necromancer, to do a job. The boss of this group wants to use Conor to steal something, again, and play against the Houses. Conor feels the chase of Death as he works to earn money and the medicines he needs, and maybe even a way to earn time of invisibility to Death. Death's not willing to give up easily, even threatening his friends.

Jeff is back to voice Conor and all characters. As always I settle in for a great, entertaining listen. Jeff has no troubles acting out Conor and others as they fight through this world. Coughing, and all sorts of small extras are a pleasure to have added to their various voices. The dark laughter of the mask catches my ears with the feel Jeff adds to it for us, it feels like the darkness that it possess.

With this book, I know the term 'ghost' is meant as an assassin in the magical world. Not the ghost as in dead and a see-through, floating soul left behind.

Conor is still struggling for money and meds. He's got a score to settle as he wasn't paid from his last job, as promised. This leaves him scrounging but also gives a reason to take a job he normally wouldn't, for a bit of due revenge for stiffing him on payment.

Conor has a few things to fight through in this book, and they clash against each other at times. He has Death after him as Conor's been alive to long. Death is sending his Reapers after him, getting in the way as Conor tries to live on, earn money, and find his medicine. Death also gives Conor an ultimatum, to come with him or he'll take another in his place - a soul for a soul. Conor's one fear, to die, and he's running from it as best he can. Then Conor has to face the woman he has started to fall for and who stiffed him on payment, Jin. Conor is hired to steal the orb from her, again. Once he gets close, he learns more about Jin's reasons with how things ended on the last case, and where she stands now. He'll have many after him.

I like that we learn about necromancers a bit here. That they usually don't live more than a year or two, which makes Conor the longest living and practicing necromancer. Cool. This makes him valuable and wanted, by people to do jobs and death because he's escaped him for so long.

Oh Conor. His tools of his trade are dangerous. Especially the mask, it feels worse than the dice to me. When Conor uses the mask he makes a deal that is a bit hefty. Six souls. It wants six souls. Ouch. There is a protection yet a danger to the mask. I'm curious about it and wondering how it works.

We finally get to see Tarakona! Oh to see him! WOW! Cool. And what the orb really is... Oh my. I'm not telling you as you have to find out on your own. But he leaves Conor with a warning in the end. A warning that opens the world up to so much possibility.

I found I liked the world and story in this book better. I think I understand it better going into this book and got to see Conor running or fighting something at all times. There are a few turns with those after him that have different reactions than Conor, or I, expected.



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Audio Book Review: Dead of Night

Dead of Night

By:  M.R. Forbes

Publish Date:  May 17, 2014, Audiobook Release August 14, 2014

Format:  Audiobook - 9 hrs 53 mins
Narrated By:  Jeff Hays

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  1st in Ghosts & Magic series

First Impression:  A necromancer for hire who wants to live, but has one foot in the grave.

Synopsis:
Small-time thief and hitman Conor Night thinks having terminal cancer is his worst problem. The illegal treatments keeping him alive are expensive, and the side effects a mixed bag:

Conor can raise the dead.

When a low-end hit points to a high-end job, Conor is suspicious, but it's an opportunity he can't afford to ignore. Armed with a set of soul-sucking ancient dice, a collection of corpses, and the estranged daughter of one of the most powerful wizards on Earth, it will take all of his wit, charm, and magic to navigate the treacherous world of the dominant Houses and either finish the job, or be finished himself.

He's got ninety-nine problems, and dying is only one.

First Sentence:
I approached the door on my elbows, dragging myself like some kind of mutant lizard along the stained brown carpet that lined the eighth floor hallway of the Hotel Paramour.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I requested a copy of this book from the narrator, author, or publisher for my enjoyment and an honest review.

On a job, Conor Night hears of another job paying two million dollars. That was a lot of money. More than his current job to kill the two men that were offered the job. After finishing his current job, Conor asks about the job. The Fixer gives it to him, but Conor has 48 hours to finish and contact him and Mr. Black or a kill team will be after him, and being a necromancer won't make a difference to them. What seemed to be a simple theft job turns out to be more, and the different powerful Houses are involved. Conor finds himself on the run while protecting another, yet fighting back against beings that shouldn't be.

I do enjoy the vast cast of voices Jeff performs in his narrations. That's the first thing that drew me to this novel, the second was it sounded like something I would read and enjoy. Jeff has not let me down with his talented voice. Not only do we get different voices but we get the muffled sounds of one talking without a jaw (you have to listen to understand) along with sounding like one is on the phone when doing so. Jeff breaths life into all the characters in a fourth dimension we don't always get in books, through voice and emotions.

Wow. This world is vast in creatures and beings and magic. There is a system to the Houses that ruled in the magical ways. And lots of ghosts, though I did get confused as to who are ghosts and not, and what ghost meant here. I'm leaving the book believing ghost isn't exactly what we think of with ghost. I think Ghost is a term used for people who are affiliated with magic, touched by it some how or for those that are hired to do theft jobs along with assassinations.

Conor is motivated by money, so he'll survive and send money to those he care(d) about. But he does have his own set of rules and morels too. Will he turn on his current employer to save his own neck? Or does he have something else up his baggy sleeves? You'll have to read to see what he'll do when put on the spot. Conor is an interesting character as he's a necromancer, and to be one you have to have one foot in the grave, so to speak. Conor is dying. That's when the necromancer ability shines along with the use of the drugs he needs to hold off the cancer from finishing it's work. He could always feel the pulse of the fields that brought magic back to the world, but that was all until he started the test drugs for his cancer.

The reason for magic being present in the world is interesting and feels well thought out. We get the descriptions are given through the book.

I think the jury is still out on this book and world. I'm just don't feel I understand what's happening in the world with ghosts and magic completely yet. We get some of the rules, but I'm not sure I understand it all yet. There is much here to see and learn, and with Conor being a hired gun or thief, there is great potential for us to see more of this powerful world.

In the end, I'm curious about this dark, magical world created. We get the complete story here but there are small openings in the world that could bring us to the series and to learn much much more about Conor and some answers he's seeking.