The Bookwym's Review of Dancing in the Dust by Gwendolyn Pendraig

Author: Gwendolyn Pendraig

Length: 172 Pages/ 6 hours, 28 mins (Audio)

Release Date: March 20, 2017/ May 20, 2018 (Audio)

Narrator: Karin Allers

In a not too distant future that bears a resemblance to The Handmaid's Tale, religious fundamentalists have been voted in to power in the US, and quickly discard many of the freedoms Americans enjoy, especially cracking down on women's freedom.  It basically looks like the worst of Saudi Arabia's suppression of women, where men rule over the women. This would have continued, except the Dust falls, and everything changes.

When the dust clouds come, almost all the humans get sick and die horribly of a plague like sickness. It happens so suddenly that the worlds governments are caught flat footed and have no chance to stop it. Society falls apart, becoming something Mad Max would be familiar with. This is the world Ayla grows up in, fending for herself, from a young teen to her mid 20's, when the story starts. She has trained herself to be able to hunt and defend herself against the lawless bandits that survived the plague like she did. While not huge in number, she is alone, so she is careful to keep hidden and build up supplies and weapons. She has even gained a new companion, a large dog that's much more than it seems. Unfortunately, things are about to change for the worse.

After being discovered by a group of men, Ayla is captured and is tortured sexually and physically. Keeping her cool in her worst case scenario, she manages to escape and What follows in a crazy conclusion that would make any post apocalyptic warrior proud, as she tries to defeat her new enemies while keeping herself alive and somewhat sane. This all leads to a surprising conclusion, as we see that the men were not some isolated scavengers, but a part of something larger and much more sinister. We also see that changes to the people of the world are coming, changing what it means to be human.

I have enjoyed the wide variety of Post Apoc stories that have made a resurgence lately, and Dancing in the Dust is no exception. In fact, it has some very creative settings and characters. Ayla is an excellent character. I've seen reviews saying she's an anti-hero. In a world with no heroes, where its every person for themselves, I'd say she's no hero or anti-hero, just a survivor. She is also not in any way the dreaded Mary Sue. She struggles, she makes mistakes, and while she is strong, its through years of training and surviving in the harshest crucible imaginable, life with no rules at all, to the strongest and quickest and most clever goes the spoils. Is it a perfect book? No. Occasionally Ayla does some things that are head scratchers, but that's probably to be expected in such tense conditions. The secondary characters aren't spectacularly rounded out, but that's more a function of the books length and their parts in it than anything else. Still, it is excellently plotted, paced and executed, and Ayla is in that group of Post Apoc warriors you'd want at your back if society ever fell apart.

The narration was handled by Karin Allers. She did a good job of using tone and inflection to differentiate the characters. Her voice is such that there was not a huge variety of male voices, but there are enough in any scene to be able to tell who is who. Her narration is steady, and she doesn't fall back into a monotone, keeping the action moving along. Overall, a solid effort, and I would definitely recommend this book whole heartedly.

Warning: The rape scenes in this book are fairly graphic, as is the violence. They really pull no punches, so fair warning.

The Bookyrm's Review of The Novices by David Goldfarb

Author: David Goldfarb

Length: 183 pages/ 5 hrs, 55 mins (audio)

Release Date: May 12, 2017/ July 19, 2017 (audio)

Publisher: Spoken Realms (audio)

Narrator: Travis Baldree

This is one of those titles I had in my Audible account for a while and for whatever reason, had just not gotten to. Well, gladly, as is searched through for something to listen to this week, this caught my eye. I had recently finished another book done by this narrator, and thought the story sounded fun. Six hours later, I can happily and whole heartedly recommend this book.

The famed mercenary company, the Iron Line, is about to retire and disband after many years of top flight adventuring, and they are going out on a lucrative high note, having slain the last dragon in a quest set out by a rural duke. Unfortunately, they missed the fine print in the contract where they were responsible for cleanup and destruction of the dragons body, or no pay, and possible damages if the carcass drew other predators to the area. Needing to get the dragons head back to town, the band finds that they can hire locals to go do the cleanup, and they find a group of 3 new adventurers to accomplish the task. How hard can the cleanup be, if they provide Eelfire oil to destroy it? It turns out, much more complicated than anyone could expect!

It turns out Gwill, the Second in command of the Line, who wields the death dagger Tomb, has been keeping some secrets from her band, like how she came to get the dagger, and who she made the deal with to get it. To pa back for the dagger, she has to ensure to be paid in 24 hours for the dragon kill. Unfortunately, the group they hired to get rid of the body are, ah, clueless. A warrior, bard and priest with one spell, healing, are probably not best suited for the task. In addition, well, it turns out the last dragon was the next to last dragon. The last dragon is this dragon's ancient, super powerful mother, asleep under a mountain these last 300 years, and does she wake up pissed when her baby dies. Pissing off a dragon that can breath both ice and fire is never a good idea. Lets just say that what follows is both a comedy of errors and dragon wreckage on an epic scale, all leading to a climactic battle where the stakes are huge, and not everyone will make it to the other side.

The narration is handled by Travis Baldree. I have been a huge fan of his since I read his work on Charles Grant's horror book, Jackals. He is definitely in my list of top 10 narrators working today. He has an excellent narrative pace, and has an excellent command of accent, pitch and tone to convey the differences in various characters. He never drops into a monotone, and seems to be really interested in the story as he reads it, adding to the quality. Definitely something to check out.

All told, this is definitely a worthy book in a crowded field. Is it perfect? No. The world it takes place in seems a bit underdeveloped, but then again, the characters really didn't go anywhere, so that will probably be rectified in the next book. The characters are fun, and worth reading about. Gwill especially is an interesting character, and her motivations are actually very realistic and thoughtful. All in all, though, I hope more people discover this book, because it would be a shame if more in the series weren't written. Any fans of comedic fantasy should definitely give this one a shot. It's worth the read/listen.

The Bookwyrm's review of the Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Author: R. F. Kuang

Length: 544 Pages/ 18 Hrs, 57 Mins (Audio)

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishing

Release Date: May 1, 2018

Genre: Grimdark Fantasy

Narrator: Emily Woo Zellar

While I normally review a lot of small press and indy authored books, I do still review traditionally published books that catch my eye. The Poppy War happened to be one of these, especially considering the praise I had seen heaped on it from people who's opinions I trust. So, I listened to the audiobook and came to my own conclusions, and this review reflects those thoughts.

The story takes place in a country called Nikan, which is an analogy for China. Their neighbor across the narrow sea is Mugan, an analogy for Japan, and the country that is a constant menace to Nikan. This is the setting the book starts in.

Rin, a 14 year old war orphan from the 2nd Poppy War, was adopted by a family of shopkeepers, who happen to be their villages drug dealers. They arrange an advantages marriage for Rin with the local customs inspector, who is three times her age. Rin refuses, saying she will take the national Keju placement test and score to be allowed to go to the prestigious military academy in the city. Against the odds, she succeeds, although she literally tortures herself studying to get ready for the test.

After arriving at the school, she has the typical run ins with the upper class students, since she is considered a dark skinned rural bumkin with manure on her heels. What follows is a fairly typical school sequence, where she makes a friend that is non judgmental, but gets on the bad side of the big man in her class, the heir of one of the empire's 12 province governors. She is exceptionally determined to prove herself, and has a take no prisoners attitude when it comes to her studies. She even manages to work around getting expelled from the martial arts class, finding a mentor in the Lore professor, who comes across as crazy, but is a lot more than he seems. Her first year ends in triumph.

Year three of school is when things change radically, as Nikan is invaded by the expansionist Mugan, who see the people of Nikan as less than human. As the Mugan tear their way across the country, defeating one army after another, the students of the military academy, which is in the capital, are pressed into service. When the more advanced Mugan breech the walls, and overrun the Nikan, it is then that Rin accepts the magic she has hidden from, helping turn the tide.

After the battle, she is transferred to the Sike, which are the Empress's special assassin squad, made up of shamans like herself. They are sent to the coast to defend the usual invasion point for the Mugan. Months they spend there, defending the city at heavy cost, with many setbacks and loss of lives. Rin is so fearful of her power, which is channeling the Phoenix God's power, that she is unable to use it at all. After they capture a prisoner, they learn the city isn't the real invasion target. The true target is the city the government fled to before the capital fell. Rushing their, they find the city is a charnel house, basically being a reimagining of the Rape of Nanking, except this time they killed, tortured and mutilated every last single inhabitant. The described atrocities would make a Nazi prison camp guard retch, it's that dark. 

Swearing to do what's necessary to stop the Muganese, Rin's commander decides to take drastic measures to try and stop the enemy . After a stunning betrayal, Rin and Alton, her commander, are captured by the Muganese. When a mistake is made by the guards, Rin finally manages to seize her power, and her destiny, as they attempt to escape. Rin then makes a cataclysmic decision that will have wide ranging effects for a large swath of the world, and Rin is determined to bring the battle to her empire's true enemy, while dealing with the horrible aftereffects of her decisions.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. It has an original plot, which is well told, but it is inconsistent in the way the characters act in so many ways. Rin especially is a frustrating character that just makes no sense in the way she's written. At the start of the book she is written as a young woman who is mentally strong and determined enough to change her fate at any cost. This includes literally hurting herself so she can prepare for the Keju placement test. It should have been impossible for her to pass with only two years prep, but she did it, in the most brutal way possible. While at school, she literally destroys her ability to have children, because it will get in the way of her succeeding at school. She is that determined and mentally strong, and possibly a touch unhinged. She trains like a fiend physically to be able to pass the combat tests, torturing her young body along the way. She initiates the action, she is not reactive. 

Then the battle at the coast comes. She becomes doubtful of her abilities and stops taking any initiative. The strong, tough orphan girl becomes a whining ditherer, and it makes no sense why she swerved in that way. She all of a sudden becomes scared to take action, and becomes completely reactive, which is the way she literally spends the rest of the book, with the final decision about the Mugan being the only exception. So very frustrating.

The morality of Rin's fellow soldiers also made no sense. In a few cases, the idea of total war against an enemy that wants to kill every man, woman and child in Nikan is taken in stride, but for the most part, people act way too appalled that Rin and Alton would use any means necessary to stop an enemy that butchered an entire city, used nerve gas weapons to kill large numbers of their troops,  and was planning on releasing a plague to kill off the rest of the population! When your enemy comes into your house to kill you and your family, do you stop to debate the ethics of defending yourself with any means necessary? This just seemed to be a very confused ethos in my opinion. While it does deal with issues of race and class, eternal struggles in a large, diverse country, it treads no new ground, since the minority that shows they are as good or better than any of the majority class is nothing new. It's not badly done by any stretch, but its not going to be something people are unfamiliar with.

In the case of the narration, I actually almost didn't listen to this one, because Emily Woo Zellar is probably my least favorite big name narrator. While she can do a wide array of voices, and her narration is decent in pace and structure, when she does a character's inner dialogue, she uses a tremulous 12 year old girls voice that just grates on the ears, because it comes across as whiny and pathetic. not the inner voice I expected for a girl as mentally strong as Rin. This is, of course, a subjective opinion, but there are just better ways to do that, especially with her voice range.

All in all, this is a book that is definitely grimdark by any definition. It is, however, frustrating in ways that will limit rereads, I believe. It's worth a read through, but just be aware Rin may end up frustrating you more than endearing herself to you, and the schizophrenic morality will definitely leave you scratching your head. If I did star ratings, this one would be 3 out of 5 stars.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Flotsam Prison Blues by M.K. Gibson

Author: M.K.Gibson

Length: 326 Pages/10 hrs, 3 mins (Audio)

Publisher: Amber Cove Publishing

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic/Cyberpunk/Urban Fantasy

Release Date: October 8, 2016/May 16, 2018

After reading the first Technomancer book, I was excited to see where the author would take the series after the momentous events of the first book, in which a cyborg named Salem and a group of companions brought down an Archdemon in the hell ruled Earth they find themselves living in. This is, of course, after God abandoned Earth, after some scientists tried to clone Jesus, and God, fed up, just left, leaving a free for all for power. This combination Cyberpunk/Post-Apoc/Urban Fantasy is where we find the book starting.

Following the downfall of the Archdemon Abraxas, Salem has been granted the title of Baron and his land is now protected as a barony. Unfortunately, on an Earth ruled by demons, that doesn't mean a whole lot. When his lands tithe's become late, assassins are cleared to try and take out Salem. Then several of his storage vaults are looted, and an assassin tries to take him and his companion, Father Grimm, out permanently. While he survives, Salem is getting more upset and goes after the source of the attempts and the robbery, which turns out to be a huge mistake, because he is connected, and Salem ends up in Flotsam Prison, where problems go to die, to await his hearing.

The second half of the book, which takes place inside the prison, is where the book takes a decided turn to the grim side of fantasy. And by grim, I mean stuff that would make Nazi prison guards retch. After the group of inmates Salem is dropped into the prison with are tortured for days with horrific acts, they are then forced to fight to the death for five spots in the prison, even though there are eight of them. Salem comes up with an interesting solution to this, although it costs him the chance for protection from any of the "clans" in the prison, when the Warden declares him a nomad, meaning no one is to help or protect him. After a chance encounter with a powerful inmate, Salem's fortunes change, and he starts to turn things around. However, the outside world is about to intrude, since if he is convicted, he loses his title and all his property and people can be sold off. Well, drastic times call for drastic actions, and Salem is nothing if not drastic. After he is offered a deal to save his people, even though it will make him a wanted man, Salem does what he does, which is cause chaos, mayhem and destruction to accomplish his goals. There is also an epilogue scene which hints at who is behind all the chaos in Salem's life, and who is aiming him toward his end goal. 

To me, this book, while it has a fantastic setting in New Golgotha, is all about the characters. Characters like Salem, Father Grimm, T (Nichola Tesla' living head) and all the rest are so well written, with such visceral reactions to stress and crisis. Crisis is what its all about too, in a world ruled by hell. There is not a lot of room for cute and cuddly, and the fact these characters manage to retain any humanity at all is amazing, showing just how good the author is. The reactions to the torture scenes were just so primal, you felt as though you were there. That is some excellent writing that can put you right in the middle of a horrible scene, feeling as though you are part of the action. The dialogue is snappy, witty, with a lot of snark and cynicism. The plotting never once slows down or drags, as you are moved from one intense scene to the next. A real E-ticket ride for those old enough to understand the reference.

Jeffrey Kafer is one of my top 10 favorite narrators. He has an amazing range of character voices, and his narrative pacing is second to non. He especially shines when a character is world weary and cynical, although he can handle everything from a 60 year old lady to a giant man beast, and everything in between. He really helps bring any story he narrates to life, and with Salem, its like he has met his ultimate character. I say this as someone who owns 32 books he has narrated across a variety of genres. Fantastic work I can't help but recommend.

In all, if you are a fan of Post-apocalyptic books, cyberpunk, or urban fantasy, this series has something for you. The fast paced plot, overall mystery and action should appeal to a wide range of readers/listeners, and Jeffery Kafer's narration should seal the deal. If I gave star ratings, this one would be a ten out of ten.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Accession of the Stone Born by Ken Lange

Author: Ken Lange

Length: 236 Pages/ 9 hrs, 18 mins (Audio)

Release Date: May 16, 2016/ October 13, 2017 (Audio)

Publisher: Ken Lange

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Narrator: Paul Clewell

Having read the other series that shares the same universe as this book and really enjoying it, I was understandably excited to try this one out. I am happy to report that this series, parallel to The Warden Global books, is just as well written, with characters just as engaging and with the universe and its magic further expanded.

After 28 years of clandestine work (assassin) for the Department of Defense, Gavin Randle returns home to New Orleans to see his only surviving family, his uncle Andrew. There, he discovers there is a much bigger world than he expected, even as a jet setting fixer. He discovers he is stone born, a type of mage, and that there is a whole counsel that deals with the supernatural worldwide. Gavin is an anomaly, though, as external magic doesn't work on him, as he discovers during an assassination attempt. His skills as an assassin serve him well as he investigates who murdered the last Vigil (basically, the magical sheriff of the region), as he survives assassination attempts and tries to solve her last open case, a bunch of murders tied together over 50 years. He has authority to do this, as he accepts the mantle of being the new Vigil, and bonds with his token of office, a magical Denarius coin with a sentient entity named Kerr in it, with the accumulated knowledge of its previous holders. 

While trying to keep his uncle and new friends safe, he must try and discover who is behind the string of murders, which leads to shocking discoveries including a vast conspiracy in the hall of power. There is also the issue of a necromancer raising wraiths to murder his enemies, including Gavin. Gavin, as a new Vigil, also has to deal with the triumvirate in charge of the local counsel area, who don't appreciate what his duties and authority are. Oh, and did I mention that this entire supernatural world is ruled from on high by Lazarus? Yes, the uber-powerful Lazarus from the bible, although his story is a little different here. Chasing down the conspiracy leads Gavin to a final confrontation with his most powerful enemy yet, and its only if he can fully utilize his powers does he stand a chance to defeat them.

This is an excellent example of a book that takes the world set up in another series and uses it as a jumping off point, while making its own mark. The supernatural underworld of a spooky city like New Orleans is not the usual setting for an urban fantasy, but its a great one nonetheless. The characters are rock solid, with Gavin being particularly well written. The plotting is fast paced, and the politics, both mundane and supernatural, flow naturally and consistently throughout. 

I had never heard Paul Clewell narrate before, but he did a good job bringing the characters to life. He gave them all distinctive voices, and his narrative pacing was excellent, never dipping into a monotone. all in all, a fine effort.

Any fan of urban fantasy should find something to like in this book. There's magic, intrigue, mystery, murder and some excellent fight scenes. Gavin's mysterious past is also something that drew me to the story as well. Let's just say that he was accomplished at his work.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Charlemagne: Father of the Franks, Leader of the Lombards, and Premier Holy Roman Emperor

Author: In60Learning

Length: 42 Pages/ 1 hr, 2 mins. (Audio)

Release Date: February 3, 2018/February 28, 2018

Publisher: In60Learning

Narrator: William Kenny

While I normally do reviews of Fantasy novels, I have always had a passion for history. Ancient Greece and Rome, Indian history, Medieval and renaissance history, history of the Middle East, I love it all. This book is a primer on the life and times of Charlemagne, covering the highlights of his life and reign.

The book starts off with the some basic information about Charlemagne (Charles the Great), including his family's history, the time and area he ruled in southern Germany and all of France, as well as a chunk of Italy. It showed how he came to the throne after the death of his father Pippin the Short, and how he expanded his rule throughout the region. It describes his various battles and conquests, and his ruling style, which was defeat your enemy, then let them rule themselves with his as their overall leader. His various alliances are described, as well as the one defeat he ever had in battle, fighting through the Basques of Northern Spain on his way back to France. His death and subsequent dynastic issues are also described, as well as his legacy on French and German history.

William Kenny did a nice job narrating. He has a smooth voice, and he has excellent pacing, never dropping into the dreaded monotone. He definitely brought an added dimension to the material.

While it is a short primer, I would definitely recommend this for anyone looking for some basic information about Charlemagne's life and times.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Fear The Light by William Massa

Author: William Massa

Length: 200 pages/ 5 hrs, 17 mins.

Publisher: Critical Mass Publishing/ Tantor Audio

Release Dates: August 1, 2014/ July 20, 2017 (Audio)

Narrator: Kirby Heyborne

While a lot of the vampire fiction out today is more urban fantasy than Dracula slays, There are still some original stories being told. This happens to be one of them. It's actually a hybrid of a vampire story mixed with a murder mystery, and it will keep you guessing through to the end.

When Dracula awakens to find himself just before sunrise outside staked to a cross with Silver stakes, he realizes his very long unlife is about to end in pain and misery. When his eight progeny come together to determine the new leader of the clan, things definitely don't go as expected. The diverse group, including a renaissance era knight, a 40's movie starlet, an 1800's era Texas Ranger, a teen street thief from the Victorian era and a 70's Hells Angel. AS the group bickers amongst themselves, one by one they are being killed in ever increasingly ingenious ways. Trapped in Dracula's French Chateau, The dwindling survivor's must find a way to either escape or catch the killer before they are all killed. This becomes even more difficult when hired mercenaries arrive at the chateau, fully trained and prepared to kill vampires. When the last vampire is left standing and the villain is revealed, you realize this whole story is about the sins of the past coming back to haunt. Great way to tie off the story!

This is a shorter story, so plot was much more in the forefront than super detailed character building. That being said, you got a good handle on the personalities of the characters, their motivations and the paths they had taken to get to where the story begins. The setting is well described, the action sequences and murders are excellently laid out and executed, The mystery elements are all their too, and William Massa is excellent at building tension and suspense.

Kirby Heyborne's narration was fantastic. He has a softer narrating voice, but he has a wide range of character voices and accents, and has no trouble switching from Hell's angel to Hollywood starlet.His narrative pitch and pacing is excellent as well, and he makes you want to keep listening. He is a very talented actor, having appeared in quite a few movies, tv shows and commercials, and his audiobook work is pretty wide ranging and just excellent.

I think this is the kind of book that will appeal to fans of mysteries, vampire horror or urban fantasy. It has a little bit of everything from those genre's, and stands apart in a world of Twilight clones.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Alpha Male by Joshua Corey Mays

Author: Joshua Corey Mays

Length: 285 Pages

Release Date: February 1, 2015

Publisher: Joshua Corey Mays

As a huge fan of comics as a kid, I have been excited to see the volume of superhero/antihero/villain-centric fiction being produced over the last decade or so. Whether it be Marion Harmon's Wearing the Cape superhero books, CT Phipps Rules of Supervillainy series, Ben Bequer's Blackjack series, Jim Bernheimer's D-List Supervillain series, or even Nelson Chereeta's Dr. Anarchy's Rules for World Domination, it is a great time to be able to read the various adventures of these super powered characters. I now have to add Joshua May's Alpha Male in to the mix, although it is of a decidedly darker tone than the ones I mentioned earlier.

In a city somewhere in America, the world's only superhero, Alpha Male, blessed with incredible strength, invulnerability and flight, has driven crime to the lowest level of any major urban area.  Alpha is a huge celebrity, invited to all the galas, feted as the superhero he is. There is even a TV show about his adventures with his former partner, Beta Boy. There is a problem, though. The people of the city have come to expect him to fix all their problems. When he misses a crime, they get incensed he wasn't there to stop it. Basically, familiarity has bred contempt. In addition, the politicians are pressuring the police to rein him in, no matter what it takes.

On to this scene for the first time burst some actual supervillains! When a super powered man and 2 super powered creatures fight their way through a chunk of the city, Alpha Male has a challenge he'll need all his powers for. The two monstrous supers are captured by a street gang looking for revenge on Alpha, while the human one has amnesia and starts living on the street after he escapes. The street gang releases one to try and kill Alpha, but he manages to defeat it. The homeless one, Al, who has massive telekinesis, ends up with the street gang as well, and helps rob various warehouses to keep the group fed in the subway tunnel lair. He also has run ins with Alpha, who he irrationally hates, and it ends indecisively.  Meanwhile, the police are tracking down possible leads into what created the new supers. What they discover could rock the world as they know it, as Alpha Male and Al, now going by the supervillain name Omega, face off in a penultimate battle with all the secrets of Alpha's past potentially coming to light, and having much broader effect than it would seem possible.

Characters and plotting are definite strengths of this book. While Alpha Male is hidden behind his mask the whole book, his actions indicate he is dealing with a lot of personal issues, and not always constructively. One of my favorite characters was the police Chief, Rose, a strong woman in an old boys network that has to fight twice as hard for the respect she's due, while also trying to keep a leash on the loose cannon Alpha, who can basically do whatever he wants. Al is basically the kind of stock amnesia character, although his arc does develop nicely, and you do find out why he has such an irrational hatred of Alpha. The setting has lots of Easter Eggs, like a robbery at the corner of Kirby and Lee, or the local college having a Richards Building on Yancy Street. For those who don't know, Kirby and Lee refers to Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, creators of Spiderman and a host of other comic characters for Marvel. Yancy Street and Richards are Fantastic Four references. Definitely some fun for comic fans.

All in all, this is a good addition to the growing volume of superhero stories today. It's definitely darker than a lot of the more comical titles today, but still worth your time to read and enjoy,

The Bookwyrm's Review of Scattered, Smothered and Chunked by John Hartness

Author: John G. Hartness

Length: 310 Pages/ 10 hrs, 16 mins. (Audio)

Release Date: November 11, 2012/ November 17, 2015

Narrator: Andrew McFerrin

In a crowded Urban Fantasy loaded with clones of the Dresden Files or romance novels with supernatural elements, Bubba the Monster Hunter is a breath of fresh air. Certainly, it bears no resemblance to anything else on the market today. I can't think of anyone else who could pull off a story about a beer swilling, monster shooting good old boy redneck that is still endearing and sympathetic, all without becoming a caricature. It also doesn't hurt he's really good at wrecking monster face. Hartness has also done a great job creating a fantastic supporting cast.

When it absolutely, positively, has to be shot, stabbed, blown up, decapitated, set on fire, defenestrated, disintegrated, banished, impaled, bludgeoned and/or destroyed, you call Bubba. six and half feet tall, north of 300 pounds, the former defensive lineman for his beloved University of Georgia Bulldogs comes from a long line of monster hunters, and has the skills, tools and support necessary to ensure whatever supernatural baddie he's up against is put down with extreme prejudice. He is the Southeast regions official hunter for the Holy Roman Catholic church, meaning he has a priest for a handler, Uncle Father Joe (a running joke, since Joe is Bubba's tech support genius Skeeter's uncle), a tech genius in Skeeter, who keeps Bubba in line as much as a skinny guy can keep a man mountain in check. Whether it be a rash of zombies being raised by a voodoo priest, campers being killed by a supernatural creature which may or may not be a love lorn Rakshasa, a nest of vampires in a ballet troop, a bigfoot out of his territory scaring locals, or a possible chimichanga...err, Chupacabra killing livestock, Bubba is just the guy to handle it, usually with a bunch of rounds from his Desert Eagle .50 Caliber pistol. 

When a new threat calling himself the Messiah has all the supernatural world aching to rise up and take over the world as the apex predators, Bubba has to team with agent Amy Hall of DEMON (Department of Extradimensional Mystical Occult Nuisances, because someone really wanted to name the department DEMON) to try and discover who the messiah is and how they can stop him. The problem is, the Messiah turns out to be a problem left from Bubba's past that he never saw coming, and which he might not be able to defeat.

This is honestly one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series. Bubba is just such a fun character. He could have been written as a total caricature of a good old boy redneck, but instead, underneath all that is an intelligent, clever man, trying to do right by his friends and those he protects. He also has a live and let live policy. If a "monster" isn't hurting people, Bubba feels no need to ensure they take a dirt nap. He only puts down the true monsters. You get the feeling there is more to Bubba than meets the eye. He is very well written, and a fully fleshed out character. His various associates are all well written as well, with the core three of Skeeter, Amy and Uncle Father Joe being given a lot of attention to make sure they resonate with the reader. The villains, some of which are hilarious, and some of which are deadly serious, also get a lot of attention. They all have realistic, for monsters, goals and reasons for their actions, even if it's just the need to feed, because that's their nature. 

The dialogue is snappy, with the banter between Bubba and Skeeter especially good. The plot moves along rapidly, never leaving you feeling as though its lagging. It is also consistent within its universe, the only inconsistency being Bubba's height, which is mentioned throughout the book as six foot three to six. Other than that little hiccup, its very consistent. The setting is well described, and being familiar with the areas he travels in, I can say for a fact its realistically described.

Andrew McFerrin  does a good job voicing the various characters. He nails the southern accent they use, and he brings each character to a life of their own. his Skeeter voice is a particular favorite. His narrative pacing is excellent, and never devolves into a monotone or uneven pacing. All in all, and excellent narration.

I will admit to being an unabashed fan of this series. The later books only build on what this one starts, and I can't recommend it highly enough to any fan of urban fantasy.

The Bookwyrm's review of Son of a Liche by J. Zachary Pike

Author: J. Zachary Pike

Length: 616 Pages/ 20 Hrs, 9 Mins (Audio)

Release Date: May 22, 2018/May 3, 2018 (Audio)

Publisher: Gnomish Press LLC

Narrator: Doug Tisdale, Jr.

Its always a worry when getting book two in a series with a first book as good as Orconomics that the book will be a letdown, not being able to capture the same magic as the first. Well, after reading and listening to Son of a Liche, I can attest that this is not an issue. While it follows in the same vein as Orconomics, it improves in a lot of ways what was already a fantastic series debut. More action, deeper plot, character revelations, bigger stakes for the overall world. In other words, it is a fantastic book in its own right.

One year after the events of Orconomics, the party of Gorm, Kaitha, Jynn, Heraldin, Gaist and  Laruna are still hunting for the remnants of the betrayed Gazvarda tribe of orcs, and having no success. In fact, they haven't had nearly the success they planned on. The Heroes Guild and kingdom have a a huge bounty after them, and they haven't had the impact helping protect the Darklings they had hoped to. The Darkling races of Orcs, goblins and other assorted races that were screwed out of their NPC status have formed the Red Horde, forsaking their clans. Meanwhile, the bankers and King that had betrayed them all are starting to haul in the loot from revoking the NPC's papers. 

Deciding to put the Gazvarda quest on hold, the party comes across a skeleton that is animated. This is bad news, since the only one who could animate a skeleton is a necromancer, and the group only knows of one of them operating currently: Datarr Urmayan, Jynn's father, currently a powerful undead Liche! Following the skeleton, they discover Jynn has gathered an army of the undead and plans to invade the Freedlands. Hatching a plan to recover some artifacts that may help them fight Datarr, they meet some old companions of Gorm to help equip them, and recover a powerful artifact to use against him. 

Facing Datarr in battle as he attempts to destroy the bulk of the Kingdom's army and Heroes Guild, the group is defeated, and Datarr gains even more converts to his cause. you know, the cause of undeath. It does have a great benefits plan, after all, and he actually goes recruiting with surprising results. Licking their wounds as they barely escape, The party comes up with a last dich plan to stop the necromancer and get an army of their own: Namely, the Red Horde. Now, if only the Red Horde didn't want the party dead, thinking they were the ones that betrayed them to the Heroes. All of this leads to a climactic battle in the Kingdom's capital of Andoran, with an amazingly staged battle scene that has more twists than seem possible. The book ends with plot lines resolved, but the story isn't over. In fact, it will be continued in Dragon Fired.

I can't stress again how fantastic I found this books. The characters were all fleshed out even more, with more revelations about their pasts, some of which were just completely unseen. The dialogue is crisp and witty, and it just comes across as banter that real friends and companions would use. You really sympathize with their struggles, and cheer at their successes. The setting is expanded even more, and the author's world building is some of my favorite in all of fantasy. You just feel like you are right there in the middle of the action at all times. The same issues from the first book are addressed. The nature of heroics, the good and ills of a market economy, especially when its abused by those in charge. Those same individuals, though, also show how easy it is to fall from grace. Even the least of us has it in them to be a hero, as several of the characters show. 

Doug Tisdale, Jr. did his usual fantastic work narrating this one. He had an even bigger cast to work with, and he still managed to give them all a life of their own. While Gorm may be my favorite character he does, several others were almost at that level this time. His narration is smooth and flowing, never lagging or monotonous. He has crept up into my top 3 narrators with this performance, it's that good.

All in all, this is probably my favorite read this year, a year that included Kings of the Wyld, Blackwing and The Great Hearts. Lofty company, but it has something for everyone who likes a fantasy novel, with elements of comedic, epic and grimdark fantasy woven throughout. I can't recommend it highly enough, and you are missing out if you don't try these out for yourself. If I did stars, this would be a 10 out of 10 stars. Its that good.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Orconomics: A Satire by J. Zachary Pike

Author: J. Zachary Pike

Length: 389 Pages/ 11 hrs, 46 mins (Audio)

Release Date: September 30, 2014/ December 21, 2016 (Audio)

Publisher: Gnomish Press LLC

Narrator: Doug Tisdale, Jr.

I happened to notice this title looking through Audible one day. The title intrigued me, as did the cover, so I said what the hell. Best credit ever spent! While the title has satire written into it, and it does have many humorous elements, it also has a serious fantasy soul mixed in to it, taking the typical fantasy tropes and turning them on their head, all while adding what must be the most hilarious explanation of economics ever.

Across the various kingdoms of Arth, the Heroes Guild is responsible for keeping monsters in check, putting down dangerous monsters and collecting the loot from their hordes. The volume of loot hauls over the years have been a huge boon to the economy, and now make up the majority of the economy. To take advantage of this windfall, investment groups formed to back parties of adventurers in exchange for a cut of the loot. After years of profitable ventures, however, the loot stream seems to be drying up, causing worry in financial sectors. 

This is where the story starts, as we first meet Gorm Ingerson, disgraced dwarf hero, who did the one thing you don't do on a quest. He ran away. For that, he was stripped of his ranks and has been on the run ever since. He has now fallen so low as to become a homeless vagabond, robbing low ranking heroes of their spoils. After one such encounter with one, where he unintentionally save the life of a goblin the hero was out to kill, the goblin, Gleebek, joins Gorm in his wanderings. Since he doesn't speak any lightling (human/elf/dwarf) languages, Gleebek speaks the shadowkin language, and its a hilarious version of I Am Groot, since Gorm has no idea what Gleebek is really saying. After being captured by the guild trying to get Gleebek his NPC (Noncombatant Paper Carrier) papers, Gorm is given 2 choices: Face guild justice, likely to involve a rope and a short fall, or join the prophesied quest of the seventh Al'Matran hero, what usually turns into a suicide run. Usually. Which is still better odds than the other option.

Bowing to the inevitable, Gorm goes and meets his new companions: a drunken elven ranger, a snooty dark mage, a reckless fire mage, a thief turned bard, a silent weapons master from Gorm's past and the High Scribe of the mad Goddess Al'Matra's temple, who is the ostensive leader. They are set the task to find a group of marble masks known as the Elven Marbles, and returning them to the elves. This is the start of a quest that goes in directions you just don't see coming. As the company travels around trying to find the marbles, they run across various dangers, shaking the rust off their skills and cohering as a unit. They even pick up a hidden member, who is much more formidable than you'd believe. 

While on their travels, they meet the most dangerous creatures imaginable; Orcs! How are orcs all that dangerous, you ask? These orcs of the Gazvarda tribe, follow the Path of the Aggressive Seller, that's how! They will make you part with your money with their value added proposition! While in the orc village, they discover a lead that the marbles may be in the fortress of Detarr Urmiyan, the evil necromancer killed years earlier by the paladin Johan the Mighty. Discovering it's empty, they investigate it and find the Marbles. They also discover that while he may be dead, Detarr is still kicking around, now its only as a powerful Liche! Managing to escape, they have to determine who gets the marbles: The elves, or the orcs who they were stolen from years ago. This decision leads to the crux of the story, as the decision of who gets the marbles leads to tragic unexpected consequences, when a huge betrayal takes place. The party then has to decide where to go after the fallout settles, and its in a direction you might not expect.

While this book is a satire, poking holes in traditional fantasy tropes, it is also a serious look at societal issues such as racism, class status, economics and the true nature of heroics. I mean, really, just because goblins are ugly by human/elf standards and live in a dungeons/tunnel systems, if they haven't harmed anyone, how is it heroic to just show up, but in and slaughter them all and steal all their stuff? Who's the real monster? There is a character in the book that is of a species so dangerous the Guild guide says that if you run across one, run away! The problem is, he may be a monster, but he's a true hero, protecting people and just trying to find a true home. How is he a monster? The whole issue with NPCs and their second class citizenship is also discussed, and really plays against the tropes. As far as the economics is concerned, you will have a solid grasp of how an actual market economy works after reading this, and it never feels boring, it's so well interwoven in the story. 

The characters are some of the best written I have ever run across. That's not just in fantasy, that's in all of literature. Whether it be Gorm's or Kaitha's rather tragic story, Heraldin and Jynn's desperate attempts to escape their pasts and even Niln's attempts to find meaning in the prophecies he's been given, you can't help but to like and sympathize with them. They are not just cardboard cutouts playing generic tropes, they are fully fleshed out characters, dealing with the hand dealt them as best they can. As humorously as possible in a lot of cases. The world building is top notch. Arth is a fully fleshed out world, and you really get a sense of the setting as you read through, and can visualize it easily in your minds eye. I consider this to be a setting equally on par with Ankh-Morpork or Lankhmar in terms of depth, darkness and potential for humor.

The narration was handled by Doug Tisdale, Jr. after listening to this, he has cemented a spot in my top five favorite narrators. He did a fantastic job with the various voices, of which there are quite a few, giving live and individuality to each. his portrayal of Gorm Ingerson is literally my favorite voice portrayal in any of the thousands of audiobooks I have listened to. Its that good. His narrative pacing is excellent, and you will find yourself hoping the story continues just to keep listening. Easily one of my top five listens of the last two years.

All in all, I can't recommend this book highly enough. The sequel, Son of a Liche, should be highly anticipated by anyone reading or listening to Orconomics. Anyone who like fantasy books should find something to enjoy in Orconomics. Get your copy today.