If you already like the Iron Druid series and have read them all, this will make a pleasant diversion from the tedium of waiting for more. It's nice to have a little more perspective on some magical elements of the series universe. Oberon's a hoot. But, like <I>The Lone Gunmen</i> spinoff of <I>The X-Files</i> in the 1990s, it's not likely to make fans out of newbs or win fallen-away fans back.
I got the eARC from NetGalley ages and ages ago and finally finished the read after more than a year of neglect. In fact I was surprised to find it on my Kindle...and I guess that's everything you need to know right there.
Update @ 10%
Okay, I’ve given it a full hour of audio time, or 10% of the total book, which is more than double my minimum 20 minutes that I usually give before DNF’ing a book. It’s just not well-written. The narrative gives details from a first person point of view that normally belong to a 3rd person POV, even sometimes making observations that would be belong to 3rd person omniscient. It’s just not plausible that someone is going to be so continuously self-aware of their own involuntary body language. This woman is so internally focused it’s a wonder she’s able to interact with the outside world at all. And the choice of telling us every damn moment to moment detail is exhausting. Who cares that she sighed before standing up and that she carried some bins (that were not critical to the scene or events) to her car. Or that they packed and loaded their car before setting off on an out of town trip? It's like death by a thousand paper cuts.
Anyway, DNF at 10%. Dara Rosenberg’s reading was okay, but it couldn’t elevate the source material. Returned the book to Audible for a refund. I guess I’ll have to find another book for The 16 Tasks of the Festive Season, Square 2 - Read a book that takes place on the sea, near the sea, or on a lake or a river, or read a book that has water on the cover.
Previous post @ 7%
I looked over at Cassie, and my breath caught in my throat. She stood, frozen, her eyes moonlike circles as she stared at me. Her face paled. My heart lurched. I knew that look, and swore under my breath. Not another premonition. Give the girl a break. Cassie shrieked, and I jerked. The phone slipped from my fingers. She screamed again, high pitched, curdling my blood. What had she seen? Who had she seen? I glanced around the park. There wasn’t anyone we knew. She always knew the people in her visions.
“Mommy!” She ran to me and slammed into my stomach. She pounded me with her fists, still screaming my name. This was a bad one. The worst one yet. I couldn’t imagine the nightmares she’d have this time.
How can this author use so many words to convey so little? This writing style is just not engaging at all. I feel as though I’m just being fed information.