Hard Magic

Book I of the Grimnoir Chronicles

By: Larry Correia

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Length: 16 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award, Paranormal, 2012

Jake Sullivan is a licensed private eye with a seriously hardboiled attitude. He also possesses raw magical talent and the ability to make objects in his vicinity light as a feather or as heavy as depleted uranium, all with a magical thought. It's no wonder the G-men turn to Jake when they need someone to go after a suspected killer who has been knocking off banks in a magic-enhanced crime spree.

Problems arise when Jake discovers the bad girl behind the robberies is an old friend, and he happens to know her magic is just as powerful as his. And the Feds have plunged Jake into a secret battle between powerful cartels of magic-users - a cartel whose ruthless leaders have decided that Jake is far too dangerous to live.

©2011 Larry Correia (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

What a good listen

Good narrator. Good story. I'm looking forward to more by the same author or the same narrator.

I love every book in this series

I really hope this series is made into a movie some day. This is an unlikely super hero story that is an adrenaline rush.

Likable characters made this very enjoyable!

I wasn't sure what this would be like, but the reviews seemed pretty solid. It is a genre I haven't really explored yet, and the potential for disaster seemed high for a book that mixes fantasy, steam punk, and magic.

Well, I'm happy to report I was pleasantly surprised. Of course it's fiction and you have to be able to overlook all the silliness, but the foundation of this novel is excellent character development. Even the bad guys were well cast.

As for the performance; it took a bit, as at first I found the slow cadence and over-performed southern drawl a bit annoying, but it did grow on me a bit and by the end of the first quarter, it seemed to fit the characters. This is the first time I had listened to this narrator, and I'm willing to see what else he has done.

In summary, if you have a well developed imagination and like some fun entertainment, this may be for you.

An excellent start for this story universe

I was first introduced to this store universe by a free sample on the Audible app. A short story called "Murder on the Orient Elite" it was a great intriguing snapshot of this wonderful world of steam punk-like, alternate history, filmnoir magic.

Check out the short story if you want a brief introduction or dive into this fantastic first full story

Masterpiece

This book was outstanding! The narrator was extremely talented. The story was engaging. I couldn't stop listening.

LOVE IT

Great story! it's funny, action packed, magic and suspense...can't wait to listen to the next one!

wow my favorite audio series ever

Where does Hard Magic rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have only one negative comment. Bronson Pronounced BAR as the word bar rather than the military B A R (Browning Automatic Rifle). Other than that he captured the characers and brought each of them to life. I ahve listed to each book twice and this is one my favorite air plane book since I can get so lost in the story.

What other book might you compare Hard Magic to and why?

the creativity of the author reminds me of Heinlein but the characters are even more flushed out. the historical twists just really intrigued me. If you judge a story by its ability to suspend disbelief then this one succeeds on every level Sally Fae Vierra will always be one of my favorite fictional characters. Her internal battle of good and evil is just wonderful

Which scene was your favorite?

In book one the fight on the Chairman's dirigible is just classic. Sally Fae was just great and the whole battle was non stop suspense.

Better then i could have expected

This story was a throw back in history within a time in a parallel universe where magic exists and nations are at war. I loved the 2 main characters and I really enjoyed the narrative. This was great and I highly recommend it.

One of my favourite series!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Definitely. I usually read/listen to fantasy books and love magic, dragons and the like. This series has magic, but is set in an alternate 1920-1930's world. Very well written, interesting dialog and witty characters. If you like magic and action, this series delivers!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Hard Magic?

The fight between Fay and Delila is very memorable, especially as Fay starts to figure out her magic.

What does Bronson Pinchot bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings the characters to life. A different voice for everyone, and injects excitement at all the right places.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed at several spots. Jake Sullivan's understated comments always brought a chuckle.

X-men/Watchmen/Sci-fi noir = Hard Magic = FUN.

This is a FUN book to listen to. It has all the elements of a Hollywood summer blockbuster. Lots of great action sequences, likable heros and evil villains, and an interesting story that moves the action along well. I also enjoyed the parallel universe type twist on real historical figures, cities, and inventions. I visualized the human X-men and Watchmen set loose in the 1940's, and pummeling each other until one side is victorious. Good performance/narration with the exception of Faye (nails/chalkboard) which is why 4 star performance.