Novella, #3.5 in the Warped sub-series of Annette Marie’s Guild Codex. This one covers what was going on in the magical police division during the climactic battle at the end of the Spellbound and Demonized sub-series. It’s a credit to Marie and Jacobsen that they keep things tense and interesting; from the other books, you know where Agents Kit and Lienna end up, but you don’t know how they get there. A lot of the plot of this novella depends on the reader knowing what’s going on from the Spellbound series, so definitely don’t read this if you’ve only read Warped sub-series alone. I really liked Kit’s interaction with Captain Blythe and Lienna here; you don’t often get to see Blythe in action and it was as just cool as one would have hoped. Lots of good zingers from Kit as usual, and most of the plot threads get wrapped up neatly, though of course there’s still unresolved stuff at the end.
Tag: author-annette marie
Delivering Evil for Experts, by Annette Marie, read by Cris Dukehart
This book overlaps Damned Souls and a Sangria by a good amount, which eases the tension level somewhat. As a reader my experience was mostly “ah ok, that’s what Robin was doing when she was offscreen,” which made the book less tense in general even though the danger level remained high. Loved that we got to see growth not just in Robin and Zylas, but in the secondary characters as well. As a series finale, excellent resolution for both the characters and the plot, with an adorable extra chapter at the end.
Damned Souls and a Sangria, by Annette Marie, read by Cris Dukehart
Triumphant and satisfying conclusion to the adventures of Tori the human bartender, who finds family and friends in the mythic world. One of my favorite things about this series is that although stakes get higher and more tense throughout, as is standard in urban fantasy (see: Dresden Files, October Daye), main character Tori doesn’t really level up along with it, except emotionally. She doesn’t ever become magical like her friends, though they do occasionally provide her with cool toys; instead (and this is going to sound trite but I promise it works) she learns over and over again that her real strength is her faith in herself and in her friends. (A ridiculous number of whom are incredibly hot. I’m just saying.) Anyway, this series was a really fun ride and so well done, and I’m really happy with the ending to Tori’s part.
Rogue Ghosts & Other Miscreants, by Annette Marie and Rob Jacobsen, read by Iggy Toma
Book 3 of the “Warped” sub-series of Marie’s Guild Codex, this installment features some character growth from rookie agent Kit Morris, helped along by his long-suffering partner and a surprise guest from the main series. Kit’s narration is priceless as usual, full of hilarious one-liners, and Toma hits the perfect irreverent tone for the narration. Pretty good tie-in back to the main series at the end of the book, as well.
Lost Talismans and a Tequila, by Annette Marie, read by Cris Dukehart and Teddy Hamilton
At this point in Marie’s urban fantasy series (book 7 of the Spellbound series, but 15th? in the main storyline), we’ve reached the point where there’s no point in explaining anything and you’d probably better read the preceding 14 or so books first. I will just say that since the events of this book overlap with the previous one (from another character’s viewpoint), some of the urgency is muted; you know that most of the characters survive and therefore you’re not really stressed for them. That said, very impressed by Marie’s worldbuilding and plotting as she brings together elements introduced several books ago. I was a little put off by Teddy Hamilton’s reading; he did a perfectly good job but he wasn’t Dukehart and didn’t use her voice for the character. I found myself lingering over the ways they said words differently, and was relieved every time she took over the narration again.
Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped, by Annette Marie, read by Cris Dukehart
Next installment in the odd-couple adventures of timid nerd Robin and her inquisitive, impatient demon. This one brings Robin ever closer to the answers she is seeking, but her refusal to face her feelings is actually beginning to put both of them in (even more) danger. I love all the details we’re getting about demon history and culture, and how humans inadvertently messed with it; we are also seeing tantalizing hints of things going on in Tori’s part of the series, hinting at a merging of the plotlines soon. Dukehart does a stellar job voicing the demon Zylas, shading wonder, contempt, or exasperation into the smallest exchanges.
Druid Vices and a Vodka, by Annette Marie, read by Cris Dukehart
I have been loving Dukehart’s audiobook narration. I am now familiar enough with the shading of her voices for the various characters that I don’t need the text to explicitly introduce them. That said, for the first time, the plot became tense enough that I wished I was reading text; I so wanted to skip ahead of Dukehart’s (very appropriate!) dramatic pauses so I could catch up on the action. This book brings the morally gray character Zak to the fore, forcing Tori to reckon with her own loyalties, set against a backdrop of (of course) mortal danger. The interweaving storyline from the “Demonized” companion series is both enjoyable and frustrating; as the events intertwine you just want to shake the characters into talking to one another despite their (very solid) reasons to keep their secrets close. I continue to love Tori’s resourcefulness in magical combat situations.
Slaying Monsters for the Feeble, by Annette Marie, read by Cris Dukehart
Second in Marie’s “Demonized” series, but really ninth in her linked series of books: this one is from the perspective of Robin Page, the shy, awkward nerd who would rather bury herself in books and baking than deal with the fact that she’s accidentally made a highly illegal contract with a demon. Her flinching cowardice gets old quickly (even though it’s totally how I would react in similar situations) but it’s refreshing how everyone, from her assertive cousin to her combat-trained guildmates to her demon Zylas, does their best to try to help her overcome her fears and prepare for challenges. The layers of secrets that she keeps from different audiences is complex and exhausting for the reader as well as for her, but it’s fun to watch her (nervously) chase down leads in search of the answers she needs.
The Alchemist and an Amaretto, by Annette Marie, read by Cris Dukehart
Oh man after four books of comparatively lighthearted urban fantasy, and then after 75% of a book being spent mainly on trivia like Tori trying hard not to be impressed by her friend’s parents’ magic school (basically Hogwarts, but for privileged combat sorcerors), and doing a little bit of werewolf hunting, the plot suddenly hammers Tori (and the poor reader) with a huge emotional bomb. Over the preceding books Marie had been dropping hints and gradually ramping up the tension and urgency around this issue, but the revelation at the end of this book abruptly turns things up to 11. Dukehart does such a great job with the narration too, her Tori switching between indignation and vulnerability. I’ve been trying to pace myself with this series, and it was a fight for me not to instantly run off and download the next. (This is why I dislike rating individual books – the plot of this particular book was pretty standard, but its effect on the overall series is huge.)
Hellbound Guilds and Other Misdirections, by Annette Marie and Rob Jacobsen, read by Iggy Toma
This is the second book from the perspective of Kit Morris, the reformed criminal, police officer in training, and nonstop snark factory. This time Kit finds himself going up against actual demons, who are immune to his psychic magic; he’s also getting nowhere trying to get closer to his partner, the incredibly kickass and unimpressed Agent Lienna Shen. Both Kit and Lienna suffer from a bad case of “won’t ask for help when they really should,” which is annoying to me as a reader; Kit is a loner but Lienna should know better. Toma’s narration remains light and sardonic throughout, which works really well, and his falsetto rendition of Lienna is much less annoying than before.