Loren

I have recommended this to my friends already. I told them if they wanted a book to listen to that would make them smile and also teach them things about Broadway, then this was the book for them!

I had no idea as to all the work that went into being a member of the orchestra for a Broadway show. It was fascinating and I will forever more be peering into the orchestra pits when I am fortunate enough to return to Broadway!

The author was the narrator for this book. Normally, I am leery of listening to a book read by the author, but in this case, he did a fabulous job. He WAS the character and his timing and emphasis at certain times was perfectly delicious.

I am waiting on the next one!

Probably

No

The narrator's performance was good; however, sometimes I got the impression he was also struggling with some of the narrative/story line he was being required to read.

Although I finished the book just this afternoon, I am already at a loss as to recalling character names. The girlfriend was just awful. She was supposedly pretty and a magician's apprentice, but every time the magician tried to explain that his powers were "real" she would balk and refuse to believe him and get mad and run off to live with friends. She even suggested counseling, after the magician told her he never confided in anyone before and his life and freedom depended on secrecy. Her response? Why, counselors are sworn to secrecy, right??? Ugh. Find a new girlfriend that is less childish and petty maybe? That has an imagination and maybe loves you no matter what?

The ending was a complete rip-off and the old "make everybody forget" spell does not include the entire city of New York, the press, television coverage, etc. Or the dead bodies left behind. How to explain them????? I feel duped and I wasted time listening to this and unfortunately, it did not get better with age. The magic system was unbelievable and there was nothing "Peter Warlock" (I'm not kidding) or the bad guys could not do. Don't waste your time unless you can suspend total belief in just about everything.

I doubt it. Definitely would not pay for one.

Very doubtful.

none

The wife was unbelievable. She was a psychologist, but couldn't remember what she was taught about dealing with grief and so couldn't deal with her own child's grief and just blurted out that daddy died in the fire. She supposedly almost left her husband and got a divorce over "Josh" yet didn't even recognize him when he arrived at her house. Then, later, again recalling that earlier she went into detail about almost losing her marriage because of him, she suddenly realized he had dimples. Her husband had been dead less than 36 hours and they all ride off to investigate a plane crash but she rides on the same 4-wheeler as the former boyfriend, leaving her 14 year old son to drive the other. Really? Just ugh. Insulted my intelligence one too many times and I ripped my headphones off and did the unhappy dance and started another book.

You will survive this book only if you can suspend any common sense you might possess and listen with gritted teeth.

This book went on and on and on. I kept thinking it would surely be over soon and it was like the energizer bunny - it just kept going and going! I had the plot figured out and it all fell into place as expected. I liked the character, Gabriel, but had a hard time liking Naomi. I get that she has had a hard life and bad things happened, but she just never once bent even a little, and everything had to be on her terms.....to use a cliche, her way or the highway. I felt sorry for Gabriel and kept thinking he could surely find someone better than Naomi and wished that he had. I felt like he deserved better.

The premise behind the book is what drew me in and at first, I really liked the world created by Shinn. By the end of the book, not so much. There was too much of a gap - both socially and politically - between the angels and the other people and the angels were not very nice as a whole. Actually, there weren't very many nice people or situations in this book at all; therefore, before I get super negative, suffice it to say that I will not be reading the rest of the books in this series and I am glad that this one was purchased on sale and not for full price.