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Wednesday 19 August 2020

A BOOK OF BONES


Charlie Parker 17: A BOOK OF BONES
A Book Of Bones by John Connolly
Read by Jeff Harding
Charlie Parker series Book 17
Genre: paranormal crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobook


About A Book Of Bones:
The new thrilling instalment of John Connolly's popular Charlie Parker series.

He is our best hope.

He is our last hope.

On lonely moor in the northeast of England, the body of a young woman is discovered near the site of a vanished church. In the south, a girl lies buried beneath a Saxon mound. To the southeast, the ruins of a priory hide a human skull.

Each is a sacrifice, a summons.

And something in the darkness has heard the call.

But another is coming: Parker the hunter, the avenger. From the forests of Maine to the deserts of the Mexican border, from the canals of Amsterdam to the streets of London, he will track those who would cast this world into darkness.

Parker fears no evil.

But evil fears him . . .
Source: Info in the About A Book Of Bones was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41131135-a-book-of-bones on 13/04/2019.

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  Audible Books

St. Mary's Church of Deerhurst's roof finial
St. Mary's Church of Fairford's infamous paned glass

My Thoughts:
As usual, Jeff Harding's narration is wonderful! The only thing is, he didn't get the Welsh accent right like Kobna Holdbrook-Smith did in The Rivers Of London.

Another thing I like about this book is that I get my dose of Sam!! My favouritest character in the whole bunch!

I went to St. Mary's Church in Fairford to see if there really are certain coloured glass panes there that the book mentioned... yeah, curiosity killed the cat! And yes, there is that infamous paned glass. And here is the picture I took of it. I didn't feel any vibes, devine good nor evil, though. Maybe I'm just too thick or not sensitive enough... However the St. Mary's church with Odda's chapel close to it is not the same church as the St. Mary's church in Fairford. St. Mary's Church of Deerhurst's roof finialThat church is about an hour away, the St. Mary's Deerhurst church. And yes, Odda's Chapel does exist too. Both churches are steeped in history. That is probably why I find this series so wonderful a read because John Connolly seamlessly weaves fact and fiction into a tapestry so real I could live in it! Kudos to the author!! The actual history is boring, I much prefer John Connolly's version. Both St. Mary's church in Deerhurst and the St. Mary's church in Fairford have roof finials which are distinctly not christian, so the author's musings about what those stone carvings are doing in a christian church is quite valid.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (14 hrs & 33 mins)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Charlie Parker Series:
 

About John Connolly
John Connolly
John Connolly was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1968 and has, at various points in his life, worked as a journalist, a barman, a local government official, a waiter and a dogsbody at Harrods department store in London. He studied English in Trinity College, Dublin and journalism at Dublin City University, subsequently spending five years working as a freelance journalist for The Irish Times newspaper, to which he continues to contribute.

He is based in Dublin but divides his time between his native city and the United States.

This page is administered by John's assistant, Clair, on John's behalf. If you'd like to communicate with John directly, you can do so by writing to contact-at-johnconnollybooks.com, or by following him on Twitter at @JConnollyBooks.
www.johnconnollybooks.com | twitter | facebook | google+ | goodreads | amazon


About Jeff Harding
Jeff Harding
Jeff Harding is one of the most active American actors based in Britain. He is regularly seen in film and TV but he maintains interest in fringe theatre. He is particularly active in voice-over and radio. Having competed in rowing for many years, he still lives by the Thames and rows regularly – an appropriate sport for the reader of Ben Hur.
naxos | audible | facebook | goodreads


FTC Disclosure:
This book was purchased with private funds.

Wednesday 5 August 2020

TOMYARDS & BUTTERFLIES


Tombyards & Butterflies by Orlando A. Sanchez
Book 1 of the Montague & Strong Case Files series
Narrated by Kevin T. Collins
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


About Tombyards & Butterflies:
A Missing Ferryman. An Undead Dilemma. An Immortal Detective. An emissary from the Dark Council has just materialized in the office of the Montague & Strong Detective Agency, and makes Simon Strong an offer he can’t refuse. Charon is missing. The legendary ferryman responsible for transporting sorcerer souls across the river Styx hasn’t been seen in days. And with each passing hour, those unable to cross the river are left to walk among the living, tilting the world further out of balance.

Meet Simon Strong, an immortal, who is also the best private detective in New York City. Together with his surly partner-Tristan Montague, a mage of indeterminate age, they must find the Ferryman and get him back to work before another Supernatural War ravages the earth, destroys humanity, and Simon’s local coffee shop.

Time is running out. His landlord wants the rent and Karma with a capital K is paying him a visit, and she can be a real…

Join the Montague & Strong Detective Agency and help them locate Charon, so he can restore balance to the universe, put the dead sorcerers to rest, and maybe solve the age old conundrum-coffee or tea?
Source: Info in the About Tombyards & Butterflies was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34419392-tombyards-butterflies on 30/06/2019.

Buy Link(s):


Peaches
My Thoughts:
Glad I stumbled into this series!

This is another " Dresden Files by Jim Butcher " story where the characters even mention "that wizard in Chicago" urban fantasy worlds combobulation. Originality-wise, it has been around the block once or twice too many... However, it is not necessarily the originality that I am looking for as an urban fantasy reader, it is how the story is told! And Orlando Sanchez is wonderful!! In fact, for an author to pull it off and compete in a very congested market, one has to be good enough for readers to keep coming back. And this author pulled it off. How's that for talent?! And of course, my favouritest of them all, is Peaches! My image here of Peaches is not that of a scary hellhound, but he is still a puppy. Besides he is bound to Simon. He gets his fierce hellhound look only when there are bad guys around.

And hey, there is a plot too! Plot is not something I highly prize in an urban fantasy book as I would in a crime fiction one. But this book got it anyway. Another kudos to the author! The title... so Hack mentioned it, but, it still hasn't been explained what the ef**** it is!?!...

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = 3.5
Plot = 3.5
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books in the Montague & Strong Case Files series:
Book 0.1: THE WAR MAGE   Book 0.5: NO GOD IS SAFE   Book 1: TOMBYARDS & BUTTERFLIES   Book 2: FULL MOON HOWL   Book 2.5: THE DATE   Book 3: BLOOD IS THICKER   Book 4: SILVER CLOUDS DIRTY SKY   Book 5: HOMECOMING   Book 6: DRAGONS & DEMIGODS   Book 7: BULLETS & BLADES   Book 8: HELL HATH NO FURY   Book 9: REAPING WIND   Book 10: THE GOLEM   A Montague & Strong Short Story Collection   A PROPER HELLHOUND   HELLHOUND BLUES: A BREW & CHEW ADVENTURE   A PERFECT CUP


Meet The Author

About Orlando A. Sanchez:
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.


The Narrator

About Kevin T. Collins:
Kevin T. Collins is an actor, singer, and recording artist with a BFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. He has performed in numerous theater performances, including Angels, City of Angels, Paradise Lost, and on television in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, As the World Turns, and The Guiding Light.


FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

 
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