Amazing.

I don't think I have consumed a book this hard in quite a while. I love the story, the characters, the budding relationship and most of all the friendship/ bond to end all bonds between Rune and Brand. I also love Brand's potty mouth. It deals with difficult and dark subject matter and deals with humour just as well. I'm sad already that there are only two more books to read at the moment (though I know there are novellas and such), I think there are 3 trilogies in total. I just hope that the next one is out soon.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

"My name is Rune Saint John. I am, before anything else, a survivor"

Here is an idea. All of you adults who say certain ridiculously famous books were your childhood and you cannot move on, why don’t you read the start of a nine (if I’ve been informed correctly) book story about magical Manhattan ruled by the Major Arcana? Reading this review, you’ll probably find many reasons as to why do that. While this book is not perfect, it’s original, has amazing characters and interactions among them, a great protagonist and outstanding world building.

For me, the strongest asset of this book was the world building. First of all, I loved anything that has to do with the lore about the Arcana and the Tarot cards but besides that, what the author managed to wonderfully do was to develop and introduce a magical world with no single trace of info dumping anywhere. It’s like you are being left to explore everything as the story goes without it being confusing. You are a bit overwhelmed at first but you quickly catch up on the atmosphere and the tone and aesthetics of the book and its world which helps you get further drawn into it.

Which leads me to the plot. I admit, I was a bit confused at first because there were many characters introduced to us and quite a lot of things happening but the confusion did not last long because the plot was certainly gripping and was more like a puzzle with pieces falling into place slowly. It becomes more than obvious that this book is not a stand alone since there are many things left unanswered or many subplots being introduced without being explored much but it’s not really bothersome since you cannot help but focus on the main plot. The fight scenes could genuinely make you tense and there were several moments when I actually got emotional.

Another thing that really drew me to this story was the characters. First of all, we got an amazing protagonist with a first person POV who was sassy but in a funny way, who is everything a hero should be in these kinds of stories and is also mysterious and has a dark past he is hiding. And then we have his best friend / bodyguard who is brooding and seems like an asshole but is not afraid to show emotion and show his worry for his companion (sort of what parabatai are in the Shadowhunter world). There is a cast of many interesting characters besides those two, with their own story to tell and I just loved the interactions between them. The romance, even though not the focus of the book, was a bit rushed and I do not really like the mating bond sort of thing but I’m curious to see where it will all lead. There wasn’t much development to the characters but this is part of a series so I understand the development will happen gradually as the story progresses.

Honorary mention to the narrator, Josh Hurley, who did an amazing job and literally brought the characters to life, especially Rune. It was the first audio book I’ve listened to and it was a great experience.

Please people, do yourselves a favour and read this book and the next one so we can all be witnesses of the start of what seems like it will be an amazing series. If you are into urban fantasy with dark elements but also loveable characters, angst and emotional moments then this is a must read. Extra points if you listen to the audio book

Trigger Warnings: Blood, Death, Rape/ Sexual Harassment (comment to add on it if you feel you should)

“What is it we need to talk about, Lord Sun?”
“Matthias, this isn’t an eighties sitcom. I can’t casually accept an orphan into my house for comic relief."

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Absolutely hooked

I love this story so much, I love the characters and how full and complete they are Rune is such a rounded character with his power and ability paired with an almost pathological aversion to the lime light, His relationship with Brand is also so special, it's just so nice to have a relationship that is so caring and loving but not based on sexual attraction, I love the relationships between them, they are all so wonderfully real.
The style of writing is fantastic as well. I'm a bit paradoxical in what I want in a story, I love action but endless fight scenes can easily bore me to tears. Fight scenes are all so wonderfully sensory focusing less on trying to describe fancy fighting that can only really impress on film and focusing in on things like the smell of magic and the way spells feel when they are released. It makes for a much more engaging story.
The narrator is great too, He captures Rune's internal voice with scathing, defensive wit perfectly as well as having unique voices for all the main players. If I had any criticism it would be that he makes Adamm a little too Russian as standard. Quite a bit is made of how his accent comes out stronger at certain times and I think that by playing it as strong as he does , her doesn't give himself anywhere to go when the accent is supposed to sharpen. That is the tiniest thing though, minute in fact.
The final thing I need to praise is the representation in the story and not just the inclusion of LGBT culture but the way it is handled so deftly. It isn't laboured, It isn't angsted over, it just is the same as anything else just is.
Absolutely brilliant. I have already purchased the Hanged Man, tracked down the free novellas on line and purchased hard copies of the novels. I am now waiting oh so impatiently for the next installment. The best book I have listened to in a while

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Awesome, well-rounded story

Everything was great. The story, the characters, the world.. The narration was great too, was super impressed with the female voices. Starting the second one right away!!

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amazing story.

This book is amazing and had me hooked from start to finish, can't wait to hear the rest of the series.

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YA gay poft sorn mess

I give up.
Everyone is pulling all kind of magick out their backsides.
It is a mess mostly focusing on romancing.
Not much structure or sense.

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Excellent world building, gripping characters, stellar performance

Probably one of the best readers I have had the privilege of listening to. Simply amazingly done with skilled acting and original voices.

Loved the story. The characters were endearing, complicated and nuanced and very very real. Their relationships were the life blood of the story.

The universe is unique, with such an original take on magic. Brilliant action sequences made you feel like you were right in the middle of it.

Thoroughly enjoyable listen and I shall go straight to the sequel. Highly recommend.

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refreshing fantasy story.

CW rape.

I really enjoyed this book a lot and the world building particularly. The way Arcana work, the way spells work is really fascinating to me and I want to know more. It is also refreshing not to be drowned in heteronormativity. There are explicit retellings of rape scenes. It triggered PTSD for me. I wish I had known this before to prepare myself better.

however, I really didn't enjoy the performance of the narrator. I often couldn't distinguish between different characters. His narration is constantly over the top. There is no real contrast between narration of the thoughts of the characters and action scenes. He is shouting a lot. I recommend to listen to the extract before.

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What a great opener.

The book came up as a recommendation based on my searches and previous purchases.
I generally resist the recommendations because I prefer to come across my books naturally but thought I'd give it a go.
I am so happy I bought it. The 14 plus hours flew by.
Great story and characters you just instantly want to know more and care about. I'm looking forward to the next potential 8 books.

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Rambling story with pointless swearing.

Could have been a good story, but you get the impression that the author made it up as he went along.
Magic invented on the fly. Battles with no structure. Anger expressed lazily with swearing.
I struggled through it hoping it would end and when it did I don't really know what it was about.

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