Spellbound

Book II of the Grimnoir Chronicles

By: Larry Correia

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award, Paranormal, 2013

Dark fantasy goes hardboiled in Book II of the hard-hitting Grimnoir Chronicles by the New York Times best-selling creator of Monster Hunter International. The Grimnoir Society’s mission is to protect people with magic, and they’ve done so - successfully and in secret - since the mysterious arrival of the Power in the 1850s, but when a magical assassin makes an attempt on the life of President Franklin Roosevelt, the crime is pinned on the Grimnoir. The knights must become fugitives while they attempt to discover who framed them.Thing go from bad to worse when Jake Sullivan, former P.I. and knight of the Grimnoir, receives a telephone call from a dead man - a man he helped kill. Turns out the Power jumped universes because it was fleeing from a predator that eats magic and leaves destroyed worlds in its wake. That predator has just landed on Earth.

©2012 Larry Correia (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

It's a fun story

if you have read other books by mr. Larry, then the storyline actually will be familiar to you. I do like the characters, and the way he develops them, but this is plot is very similar to his monster hunter series. Bronson is excellent and puts a great voice to all the characters.

A brilliant addition to the series!

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

Larry Correia continues the Grimnoir Chronicles with this epic "Spellbound" novel set in the same alternate depression era America we were introduced to in his previous effort "Hard Magic". All the magical charcaters from the first book are back in this action packed story with the addition of the Nipponese Iron Guard "Toro" and the evil G-man "Crow". Like the first novel in the series, Spellboung engages the reader right from the start and keeps you riveted right to the very end. If you enjoyed "Hard Magic", then you will definitely love this new novel by Larry Correia.

Bronson Pinchot once again delivers an outstanding performance in this audio book, by delivering superb vocal renditions of the novels colorful and lively characters. I am definitely looking forward to the next novel in this series.

Very engaging

Great for family car ride with tweens or teens. Again, don’t go by the horrendous cover art like the first book. Mr Pinchot is amazing as always.

2nd in series did not disappoint!

As in a previous review I said I’d already read this entire series before, but had never listened to the audiobook versions. 2nd in series of the audiobooks was just as good as the first.

Fun Fantasy Romp with Incredible Narration

The story is surprisingly good and the alternate history is very well thought out. Book 1 is fabulous and Book 2 keeps the standard high. Loved it from start to finish. Highly recommend.

A solid follow-up to Hard Magic

What made the experience of listening to Spellbound the most enjoyable?

Pinchot's narration was great and the writing is solid. Like all great series, I started to feel anxious at the end of the book because I know the next installment hasn't been released yet.

The characters continue to develop in this installment - which is good. I really didn't find myself getting bored. I know I'm in a good book when my dog doesn't want to go out for anymore walks!

If you’ve listened to books by Larry Correia before, how does this one compare?

I listened to this one right after the first, so its difficult to compare. The tension isn't the same because of events in the first book, but it was a solid middle book in a series.

Which scene was your favorite?

The attack on the island at the end.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I don't know...

Any additional comments?

Great book. If you loved the first one, you'll like this too. The cover art is kind of cheesy - it doesn't do the content of the book any favors.

Better than the first book.

If you could sum up Spellbound in three words, what would they be?

Action, action, action.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Spellbound?

The final fight against the rogue agent in D.C.

What about Bronson Pinchot’s performance did you like?

Everything. this guy is one of the best narrarators I've heard.

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

The scene when one of the Grim Noir gives his life to end the dust bowl in Oklahoma was touching.

Any additional comments?

I liked this better than the first in the series which is pretty rare. I'd advise getting all three books in the series.

Awesome!!!

This book was great! The story was interesting- Crow is an awesome bad guy! I got about an hour and a half into it and had to stop because I was really upset at what was happening in the book. That's how good it is- I've been completely drawn into this book and its characters. Correia is a genius. Pinchot is one of my favorite narrators. My only complaint is his Jane voice is different in this book than it was in the last book. Overall, an awesome book.

Bronson Pinchot can read the hell out of a book

What did you love best about Spellbound?

Correia's world is fascinating and fun, and Pinchot does an amazing job of bringing it to life. I also love the pacing. Larry's just about ruined me for all other authors at this point. Everyone else seems dull and plodding by comparison.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Faye. She's a great big pile of murder and that's awesome.

Which scene was your favorite?

I really liked the scene with Heinrich in the prison cell. He's like a German honey badger.

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

We wanted to, but weren't able to. The combination of the excellent writing and the excellent reading make it an easy one to get lost in.

Actives under seige as the big bad looms

This middle book (Spellbound) is a solid bridge between the phenomenal first book (Hard Magic) and the excellent final book (Warbound).

After powerfully demonstrating what magic users, or actives, can do at the end of Hard Magic, we see human nature predictably acting out of fear. The U.S. creates the OCI, an agency to investigate and control actives. And, as secret government agencies tend to do, the OCI runs amok as the Grimnoir are framed for a presidential assassination attempt.

Bronson Pinchot’s ability to uniquely portray an ever expanding cast of characters is on display here. I love the further development of Jake Sullivan, deep thinking brute with a moral code, and Faye, teen Oakie with hutzpah and a vicious streak. The story adds new characters and begins to lay the groundwork for the ultimate cycle of magic and life within this alternate magic world. There’s plenty of action and both deep and fun dialogue. All in all, a satisfying feast of urban fantasy escapism.

While I enjoyed this book, it did at times feel too much like the author’s Monster Hunter series, where some characters are simply trademark caricatures to set up cool fight scenes or action sequences, and where each book ends with a showdown with a huge monster/demon/summoned that our unkillable MC defeats with tons of guns n muscles in comic-book panache. Not that there’s anything wrong with pulpy goodness every now and again. But, this series really shines where Correia writes outside of his MHI box.