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.

Massively entertaining serial adventure mash-up!

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

I already have. It's a fantastic blend of all the genres that influenced the TV-shows and movies I grew up on.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I thought it was gonna be Sullivan. His deep, slow drawl embodies the doggedness of both his character and his power. Couple that with his intelligence and sense of duty, and he's an easy guy to root for. However, by the end of the book, I found my ears perking up every time Fay showed up. Pinchot narrates her with an innocence that makes for infectious fun.

Which scene was your favorite?

Probably Fay's internal narration of her traveling on the Imperium airships near the end. It was a beautiful embodiment of a character in both stream-of-thought and narration.

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

I laughed out loud several times listening to this book.

Any additional comments?

"Hard Magic" is a fun and entertaining blend of old detective, adventure, and sci-fi serials. Secret societies, burgeoning evil, historical figures, it's all there. And it's EXPERTLY narrated by, of all people, Bronson Pinchot! An utterly fantastic way to liven up a commute or run.

If you're a fan of "Big Trouble in Little China", "TaleSpin", "Crimson Skies", "Cast a Deadly Spell", or dig a fun 1930s serial vibe, check it out.

Xmen meets 1920s meets zombies meets great narrati

Would you listen to Hard Magic again? Why?

The first 2/3 pacing and plot is very good.

What did you like best about this story?

the first 1/3 was written with such epic style (i.e. like a movie trailer)

Which scene was your favorite?

first fight.

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

no, nothing hit me like a brick, but the whole thing was very smooth

Any additional comments?

The last 1/3 was too stereotyped for me. especially given the first 2/3 being so great

Good story -- But, a lot of profanity!

What made the experience of listening to Hard Magic the most enjoyable?

Bronson Pinchot provided an excellent narration of this novel. At first, I thought the voices of his characters were somewhat annoying; however, as the story progressed I began to feel that they were exactly right. I was amazed at the number of different voices Mr. Pinchot managed to use to make each character unique.

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

I can't identify one specific moment within the novel that is most memorable. After the first couple of chapters I was thoroughly captivated.

Which character – as performed by Bronson Pinchot – was your favorite?

There is a core group of characters that appealed to me and Mr. Pinchot gave each character a unique expression.

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

This was not a particularly emotional book - more an action novel. However, there were a number of times that the narrative did evoke an emotional reaction. The young girl in the novel has a humorous way of expressing herself.

Any additional comments?

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the narration of this book and the book's plot, I doubt that I will listen to any other books in this series. Unfortunately, there were so many instances of profanity that I began to feel guilty about filling my mind with that particular language. I am able to tune out some profanity, but it was just too prolific in this book.

Great fun, with 1 annoyance

Bronson Pinchot's narration is wonderful, except when he mispronounces firearms nomenclature:
"bar" for BAR, "say" for SAE, and "thirty-oh six" for 30.06.

But that's my only negative comment. Everything else about the story and narration was a heck of a lot of fun.

Good

It was a good book, not what I thought but still good. Off to get the next one.

Loved it!

Action packed and entertaining, we'll worth the credit. Been debating on this one for a while, my curiosity finally got the best of me and I am in no way disappointed.

Good book

I liked the story. a little slow to begin with but overall a goid book

Very Different but Good

Would you listen to Hard Magic again? Why?

When I ordered this book, I thought it would be similar to the Dresden Files. I was very wrong. This was a very unique story line with various kinds of magic and action throughout. There were travelers, heavies, cogs, healers, etc. Definitely different from the same old witch and wizard stories that are so common. Story line is not in current times and flip flopps between years, so sometimes it was hard to follow for those of us not familiar with the early 1900s and war time. It has a lot of action, and it's hard to be sure who the good guys are until very late in the story, which is nice because it keeps you guessing. It was a long story but kept my attention.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love the characters Jake, Delilah, and Faye. So unique and easy to like. Fayed pulled my heart strings right from the start. Delilah showed her goodness even though some thought she was one of the bad guys, and Jake was just awesome all around! I would like to have seen a little more romance, but there were hints of it and that's ok.

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

Excellent narrator. He kept it flowing smooth. It was easy to know what character was speaking and since there were so many, that was awesome.

I liked Monster Hunters Inc. Loved this.

Huge fan. I have re-listened to this book countless time. Terrific characters and an interesting blend on the fantasy and noir genres. As good as MHI. was this is far more polished and smooth.

Kept me glued to it for hours!

At 1st I thought I'd be an ok book but it literally had me wanting to hear more & more. I had to know what was going to happen next. I'd be sitting in my car listening to it after I'd just gotten home with car in garage it's freezing outside but I couldn't turn it off right away to go get into warm house. Then I ended up listening to the book rather than watching anything else. Love finding a story line that isn't so predictable I get board with it after 1st chapter. This one is well worth your time & money!!