Daring

By: Elliott James

Narrated by: Roger Wayne

Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's Summary

Something is rotten in the state of Wisconsin. Werewolf packs are being united and absorbed into an army of super soldiers by a mysterious figure who speaks like an angel and fights like a demon. And every Knight Templar - keepers of the magical peace between mankind and magickind - who tries to get close to this big bad wolf winds up dead. No knight can infiltrate a group whose members can smell a human from a mile away...no knight except one.

John Charming. Ex knight. Current werewolf. Hunted by the men who trained him, he now might be their only salvation. But animal instincts are rising up to claim John more powerfully than ever before, and he must decide if this new leader of wolves is a madman or a messiah.

©2014 Elliott James LLC (P)2014 Tantor

Another Great Listen

The team of Elliott James and Roger Wayne was not a one hit wonder with me. I enjoyed DARING almost as much as CHARMING. There was only a 1/2 star difference in the ratings between the two books. Why? DARING was a little slow in a couple of places and that's really the only reason for the lower rating.

I can't wait for book 3, FEARLESS to release August 11, 2015.

But in the mean time I'll read more about John Charming in the short stories that take place before CHARMING.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Prince Charming 2.0 Continued

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

This series in general is ranked pretty high if you are into urban fantasy books.

What other book might you compare Daring to and why?

Pax Arcana is pretty similar to the Monster Hunter International series as both have male and female leads, monsters, and some cheesy romance scenes.

Have you listened to any of Roger Wayne’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This part of the book is pretty same narration wise. He is still snarky and sarcastic.

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

There is a lot more deaths in this part of the book then compared to the the predecessor.

Any additional comments?

Daring is continued off right away from the previous book Charming. In this story the audience gets a little more feedback on John's past and struggles as well as some of the workings of the Knight's Templar and why they want John dead so bad. If you are hoping for Sig and John's romance to continue in this book it will but you have to wait... a long time.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Good, but not as good as the first.

The reader's performance is great as before, but the story made a pretty big leap from the last one. Charming is fine, but not seeing the rest of the monster hunters for most of the book is pretty lame.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Keep them coming! Love this series!!

Any additional comments?

This is an excellent second book in this (HOPEFULLY) continuing series. The first book was a little short on plot, though it had plenty of imagination and humor to make up for that. This second book has everything that was great about the first (fantastic humor, wonderful and imaginative magical world, totally fun writing style) plus this book has much more plot! The narrator once again does and fantastic job, his comedic timing is perfect for the way Elliot James writes. The beginning picks right up with action, and the action doesn't stop. There is a section in the middle where the story suddenly changes course and it had my head spinning at first, but it all unwinds and comes together after a bit and sense is made. There are some good twists, and some interesting character growth for our hero. Definitely worth the read! I absolutely love these books, and I can't wait for the next one! (please let there be a next one)

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Werewolves make everything better!

I was left with mixed feelings when I finished CHARMING a few months ago; I liked John’s character, Roger Wayne’s narration, and the author’s quirky writing style, but the love interest, and info dumps were definite cons. However, when I read DARING’s blurb and discovered that the werewolves were going to be front-and-center in round two, I just knew that this series deserved a second chance. And, even though I didn’t love this installment either, it was more along the lines of what I’ve come to expect from Urban Fantasy, and my issues with this one were vastly different that its predecessor, so at least it was a step in the right direction. The story was darker, the humour more subdued, and I did struggle to see the links between the four parts, but it all came together in the end which made this novel marginally better than its predecessor.

The prelude was a hoot, James shared a list of the ‘top ten things that people who didn’t read the first book really ought to know’ which served as a good recap while also turning a boring necessity into a fun intro. The opening section was my favourite because it not only explored John’s past as a Knight, but provided some much needed clarification about his insta-attraction to Sig, and set the tone for the rest of the story. The second part was somewhat of a mixed bag; I liked learning more about this universe’s werewolves, although certain aspects were a little overly touchy feely for me—too much zen, not enough predator. The final two were the meatier pieces with plenty of action, unanticipated twists, and an ah-ha ending. The world-building was also greatly muted which made this installment more about the journey than the magical rules which was a welcomed tweak.

DARING was nowhere near as funny as book 1, but given the nature of this tale, it fit. That’s not to say that I still didn’t crack a couple of smiles while listening because I did, however the overall tone was much heavier. I was disappointed that the majority of the secondary characters that the protagonist formed connections with previously were for the most part MIA, although they were replaced with new ones, so at least the author found a way to fill that void. Sig’s role was minimal which made me exceedingly happy because she was my main problem with CHARMING, so I liked that the Valkyrie was pushed to the back burner for the time being. John’s POV continued to delight and entertain; I loved how he talked directly to the reader, and his keen wit and sarcastic dialogue are the main reasons why I am diggin’ this series so much.

As expected, the narrator delivered another winning performance which was why I had no qualms about pre-ordering this audiobook. His voice is well-suited for James’ writing style, and he absolutely nailed Charming’s first person POV. The hero gets his butt handed to him on multiple occasions, and Roger Wayne helped to add authenticity to that fact by slurring his words as though he himself had gotten punched in the teeth. He also showed adaptability as a narrator by taking a step back from the first installment’s snark, and adopting the more somber tone that this tale demanded. It normally takes me a week on average to listen to nine+ hours, but in this case my listening time was cut in half thanks in large part to Wayne.

DARING is proof that werewolves make everything better!

14 of 17 people found this review helpful

Kevin Hearne; Jim Butcher; Elliott James, GREAT!!!

If you enjoy the Dresden files and or the Iron Druid Chronicles then this series is not only recommended, It is a moral imperative to purchase this entire series and then send me a Thank you card for writing this review.

I rarely give 5 stars across the board but Elliot James writes in the same Genre as his previously mentioned peers but is like them in another way, he as just original as they are in a genre that is rarely original and a bit overdone but this is TRULY AWESOME.
His writing style is absolutely amazing, the sarcasm and witty retorts along with a great story line to boot is rarely paralleled; I remember actually Laughing out loud in a couple of instances. Pay attention to the chapter names and how the book is sectioned as well, just more

In this genre, I think Mr. Charming is my new hero...His Character is a blend between Harry Dresden and Atticus O'Sullivan with the piping hot 6 foot blond Valkerie bombshell with an attitude along with a plethora of oddball character's that are a riot as well, All while kicking but and taking names. What some of the characters lack in depth, they make up for in charm...pun intended.
This series is a must have, PERIOD!!!!!!!!
NOT FOR CHILDREN AT ALL!!!!
Roger Wayne does such a great job that I could not imagine anyone else standing for the next 10 books......hint hint, Mr James; For all that is good in the world, please continue to keep writing this series....Amazing.

Enjoy!

"I am just your average AVID Audible listener that enjoys close to 500 Audible books in my Library"
G. David H. Esquire

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Not bad overall, but not close to the first book

What disappointed you about Daring?

Too much back story about the Charming's sad orphan days and pining for his absent love.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Made it to about halfway into the book. When the werewolf group therapy scene started, I gave it up.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment.

Any additional comments?

Others may well enjoy this book. The writing style is good, and it's lead is likable and occasionally funny.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

A sloid follow up.

Would you consider the audio edition of Daring to be better than the print version?

What was one of the most memorable moments of Daring?

When Charming has a flashbacks on how he became a knight.

What about Roger Wayne’s performance did you like?

Mr. Wayne does a does a great job yet again.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This is not a book I wanted to listen in one sitting, but it was a book I finished in three days.

Any additional comments?

We learn more about Charming the early years. The story line in this book points to a very interesting future for Charming and friends.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Awesome

This is a great follow up to the first book. I I love the characters of John Charming and Sig. The plot is rich with twists and turns that make it almost impossible to stop reading. I truly enjoy reading this series and I look forward to the next one.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Great Series

This is a great series and an interesting concept. This book in the series does a great job mixing up the types of problems faced by John. So it isn't just a big bad of the week, though they are in there too.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful