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.

X-men novel

The story description is very mis-leading. Describing Sullivan (the story focus) as a private detective is like describing Obama as a law professor, it might have been true but it is completely irrelevant. Sullivan is recruited by the x-men. I cannot think of any Hard Magic characters that do not have a direct x-man equivalent. I enjoy superhero stories and enjoyed the author's skill in balancing the x-man powers so that no character's power overwhelms the others.

Good Series

The first book in this series is packed with all of the action expected from a novel written by Correia. The story and characters are fantastic, and the main characters are like superheroes. The only problem I had was with Bronson Pinchot's narration. I wasn't impressed. He certainly was not as fun to listen to as Oliver Wyman, and I really wasn't impressed with how there was no change in delivery when the action was going on. The character's tone never changed when they were supposed to be shouting, and half of the characters sounded like they were either high on something, or complete morons. The story and experience was what you would expect from Correia though, it keeps you listening.

Entertaining but not much new here

Any additional comments?

Hard Magic was an entertaining listen. However, you shouldn't expect anything too innovative.This book seems to be made up of one part X-men, one part late steam punk, one part alt history (with famous persons as characters).In general, the plot and characters are fine. The characters do get 'developed' though not in a very deep or meaningful way. Similarly, the plot is nicely crafted but lacks anything novel.The frustrating part of this book was that it feels almost exactly the same Monster Hunter International. You've got a sort of everyman hero who turns out to be the best in his field (and almost something of a messiah for his friends and the world). The plot follows this one character for most of the book. He encounters a group of other heroes (notably at odds with government authority - I feel strong echoes of second amendment hyper-neo-conservatism here) and with them saves the world.Reading Hard Magic made me feel as if I had just read MHI again but the characters had all changed names and switched their rocket launchers for super powers.If you've read David Eddings' Belgariad and Mallorean and then compared these to his Elenium and Tamuli series, you'll get an idea of how similar the Monster Hunter and Grimnoire series are.

Noir magic smash em up with depth and finesse

Don’t let first impressions fool you- this book is way more than the cover, characters, or initial caper would lead you to believe.

Looking at the cover art’s promise of a Mickey Spillane style, Detective and Dame magical mystery, and given Larry Coreia’s pulpy, all Guns n Godzillas, over the top Monster Hunter series (of which I only listened to two before I’d had enough B movie entertainment), I was expecting the same for this Grimnoir Chronicles series. But I was happy to discover a much deeper and satisfying urban fantasy, starting with this first book Hard Magic.

Set in an alternate history, shortly after World War I, where dirigibles still dominate the skies, we follow former convict and current detective Jake Sullivan, a brute or “gravity spiker,” as he tracks down dame Delilah, an equally powerful magic user and bank robber. But this isn’t a simple detective caper and Jake Sullivan isn’t a simple thug. Jake is intelligent and honorable, two traits constantly overlooked because of his appearance and “heavy” magical talent. Jake’s pursuit of Delilah leads to a much larger, worldwide magical threat.

The detective story transforms into a story about a kind of secret Justice League known as the Grimnoir battling an evil, magical empire. Jake joins up with other enjoyable and multidimensional characters, including Daniel Garrett (a “mouth” or persuader), Heinrich (a “fade” who can ghost through walls), and Faye (a “traveler” who can transport herself). While Correia’s trademark guns and action are still present, and while MC Jake is predictably unkillable (as Correia’s MCs are wont to be), there was real gravitas in the backstories, character interaction, and the Grimnoir world. Even some of the bad guys have layers (looking at you, Toru). Add onto the story the amazing narration by Bronson Pinchot and you can’t go wrong.

Yes, just yes.

I would have liked this book if I'd read it, but hearing it performed by the incomparable Bronson Pinchot was a listening experience not to be missed. Also, yes, Faye is my favorite

Great Sci fi /Alt history hybrid!

Wow, this book is so great that I am sad when I have to leave my car to go inside when I get home. Bronson Pinchot is my new favorite narrator. This guy has a million voices and is always keeping it interesting. I love the "historical" quotes that are thrown in throughout to make this feel like this is really what it would be like if a large number of people had magical gifts and they used them in the war. The characters are relatable and fleshed out well. The action is quick and relentless. 5 stars, bravo!

A Great Find

What did you love best about Hard Magic?

I happened to notice this book while browsing for something new. I had never heard of the title, but I had heard of the author via the Monster Hunter series. However I had never read any of his books before.

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

I enjoyed the character development. The principal players are diverse, interesting, and are good people to spend time with. Even the villains.

Which scene was your favorite?

Hard to top the climax of the story. But Jakes battles with Maddy really added a level of sophistication and conflict that was very satisfying.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The female leads and the relationships to the others were great story lines. Jakes relationship with Delilah was particularly poignant. And Faye's character was both a treat and a key plot point as she strove to avenge her grandfather.

Any additional comments?

Bronson Pinchon did an outstanding job reading this story. Great dialects, pacing, and tone. I hope he chooses to do more of this work as his involvement will be a huge selling point for me. I highly recommend this story and I've already purchased and started the second installment of the series.

Surprisingly Fun Trilogy, Worth 3 Credits Easy

The entire trilogy is worth it for the Faye combat scenes alone but the rest of the story will draw you in as well.
If you have tried some of the author’s other works and were unimpressed I encourage you to ignore your previous experience. These books belong to a different class, the author has leveled up. This a complete trilogy in terms of the word building, the characters are better rounded, and the story as a whole is better than average (as the overarching story is probably the author’s main strength).
The narrator gives a flawless performance and contributes as much or more to the characters as the author. Truly a great listen and well worth the credit and time. When it ends it leaves you wanting more Grimnoir and more Faye Vierra.

If only it was a different narrator....

What did you like best about Hard Magic? What did you like least?

Good story but the narrator tried valiantly to put me to sleep. He should confine himself to reading bedtime stories. It speaks for the quality of the story that I did stay awake after all.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Great characters all of them. Intriguing chairman too.

How could the performance have been better?

This story deserves a better narrator. He does the various characters well. I just wish he would not sound so sleepy most of the time.

Did Hard Magic inspire you to do anything?

I bought Part II as well....

Any additional comments?

Not quite as good as the Monster Hunter series but I'm seriously thinking about buying the paperback so I can really enjoy the story.

A great book, that finished too strongly!

One of the best magic systems, great logic and coherence. Likeable characters, and everything is able to keep ramping to the very end.

If I had one issue, it would be, the book is too complete, why are there more books in the series? I have not read them.