Warbound

Book III of the Grimnoir Chronicles

By: Larry Correia

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Length: 17 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Finalist, Paranormal, 2014

Audie Award Finalist, Solo Narration - Male, 2014

Audie Award Finalist, Paranormal, 2014

New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author Larry Correia sets this gritty urban fantasy, a sequel to Hard Magic and Spellbound, in an alternate noir 1930s. A tough P.I. battles an interdimensional monster that wants to suck magic power out of the world.

Only a handful of people in the world know that mankind's magic comes from a living creature, and it is a refugee from another universe. The Power showed up here in the 1850s because it was running from something. Now it is 1933, and the Power's hiding place has been discovered by a killer. It is a predator that eats magic and leaves destroyed worlds in its wake. Earth is next.

Former private eye Jake Sullivan knows the score. The problem is, hardly anyone believes him. The world's most capable Active, Faye Vierra, could back him up, but she is hiding from forces that think she is too dangerous to live. So Jake has put together a ragtag crew of airship pirates and Grimnoir knights - and set out on a suicide mission to stop the predator before it is too late.

©2013 Larry Correia (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Love this series!

Larry Correia has another winner with this series. And Bronson Pinchot is hands down the best narrator EVER. He's not just a narrator, he's a one man full cast of characters!

Good listen

Good listen, however i feel it was rushed a bit at the end of the book.

hard to quit listening

great story for older teens or adults. I enjoy all of Larry's books, and this one does not disappoint.

It is what it is, and it's kind of awesome

This book is cheesy big guns blazing entertainment, and I loved it. I am giving it five stars not because it is the best of the best, but because it was fun and action packed and it's an example of an author doing nothing more and nothing less than entertaining his audience without pretense.

Warbound is the third book in the Grimnoir trilogy, so you want to read the first two. It is set in an alt-history in which a magical being came to Earth in the 1850s, and its presence bestowed magical powers on 1% of the population. Most people get a single power, so there are "Brutes" (super-strength), "Heavies" (gravity controllers), "Cogs" (gadgeteer geniuses), "Readers" (telepaths), "Fades" (turn insubstantial), "Torches" (pyrokinesis) and so on.

Basically, despite the "fantasy" element, these are period superhero novels. And the author devotes many words to describing the battles in full-page multi-panel glory. It's hard to do superheroes (an inherently visual genre) justice in written form, but Correia does a pretty good job. At times he reminded me of his fellow Mormon author Brandon Sanderson, who's also known for his intricate "magic systems" and long descriptions of characters figuring out how to use their powers in creative new ways, but Correia's plots are less contemplative (which is not to say simpler) and more about the action.

That said, major suspensions of disbelief are required, but no more than with most epic or urban fantasy.

In the conclusion of the trilogy, war with the Japanese Imperium is imminent, but only the knights of the Grimnoir know that Chairman Tokugawa has been replaced by an impostor. His "son," Iron Guard Toru Tokugawa, knows of the deception and the corruption of the Imperium's magical training schools, Iron Guard, and Shadow Guard, and so has reluctantly joined the Grimnoir.

Since this is a rising Japan in the 1930s, guilty of pretty much the same atrocities Japan was committing in Asia at that time in the real world, this causes a lot of tension with the Grimnoir, who have been sworn enemies of the Imperium. Toru manifests all the usual tropes about fictional samurai: hard-headed, death before dishonor, all non-Japanese are weak and lazy, grudging respect for Westerners who are brave warriors even if they are ignorant barbarians, blah blah blah.

A summary of the plot would be kind of pointless: if the premise does not interest you, it's not gonna interest you, but Correia does do a very good job of working within the parameters he has established and then treating it seriously. Powers work a certain way and everything follows from certain first principles, and when some of the big twists are revealed, more pieces fall into place, including some that have been developed since the first book.

Is this is gonzo gun porn and superhero slugfests? Yes! And awfully darn fun. But awfully damn intelligent for a historical superhero novel as well. And there is a conclusion to bring this trilogy to a definitive close, while still leaving open the possibility (I would guess, based on Correia's prolificness, inevitability) of a new series coming down the pike.

This is not the best written or deepest or most original series. It's just fun and entertaining. Did I mention fun? Okay, so I am a superhero nerd. But in all seriousness, for what it is, the plotting, pacing, characterization, and worldbuilding were all far above the somewhat low bar I have for this kind of book. Hence, 5 stars. Would read more Grimnoir, definitely.

And an additional 5 star rating must be given for Bronson Pinchot. I HATED Balki and "Perfect Strangers"! But he is one of the best audiobook narrators ever! Seriously, he nails every single accent, does men and women both flawlessly, and probably puts more life into Correia's characters than exists on the page.

You've Come Along Way Baby!!!

What did you love best about Warbound?

When the book was finished, I felt a sense of completion. The author brought it all together in the end. Yet, even with the comfortable finish of "completion", there we're many avenues left for the creative mind to follow and take their time. I'm waiting for the big thaw to put my two cents worth of literary finesse into an alternate finish to the book. I'M NOT WORTHY, I'M NOT WORTHY!!!!

What other book might you compare Warbound to and why?

"HARD MAGIC", because it is the first book in the series and you just have to give major credit to the author for coming up with the funniest and well read( by the narrator) character in all three books combined. Who is this person? Of course, non other than the dung heap ,red neck, devil child: Miss Sally Fae Viero!!!! Nuff Said!

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

I would not have gotten through the first chapter if not for Bronson Pinchot. Seriously, this guy sound like the 1930's, carries all the accents for a pile of characters and makes you believe that "this" is the world we live in. Bronson is right up there with James Marsters of Bufy fame and his simply amazing work on all of "Jim Butchers", "Dresden Files" novels. Best books on the planet of course.

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

YES, Because I listened to the first two books hidden away from the world. I'm sure this book will take me on a long needed vacation like the other two did quite nicely.

Any additional comments?

Getting "into" the story and it's characters was actually FUN! Just the concept of derigables as our best and fastest form of transportation was a HOOT, not to mention the footnotes or beginning of chapters with long quotes from now dead important political, science and progressive historical stand outs with a slightly different message than the one's originally put to paper with ink and an important seal of some kind.But these alternative view points are exactly what would have been said, recorded and written down if our country had gone through the same situation.

A Powerful Conclusion to a Masterly Written Saga

Often I am let down by the final book in a series--especially when the first two books build up to a kill-horribly-strong-and-powerful-monster-thing or the whole world will be destroyed plot. But Larry Correia not only lives up to the promises of his first two novels--he takes them on and brings so many new twists and turns that my head is still spinning. The world building of the entire series is original and brilliant. The large cast of characters are written so well that I feel like they must be alive somewhere, fighting the good fight while the rest of us are blissfully unaware of the danger all around us.

I can't imagine a different narrator for the series. Pinchot captures the various speech rhythms, dialects, etc masterfully. Really fantastic job!

If you're new to the series, you do need to start from the beginning to understand what's going on here. Besides, the books are so good, you won't want to miss them, anyway.

I'm quite well read in the fantasy field, and this is really a stand out series not to be missed!

As Constant as Gravity

As is to be expected of the final volume of a trilogy WARBOUND manages to wrap up all the character story arcs nicely. It is clear that the end was in the mind of the author from the very beginning since all things seem to work toward the climax. I commend Larry Correia for his strong plotting. But the plot is not the strong point of this audiobook; its strength derives from the collaboration between the writer, in creating a cast of quirky characters and giving them exciting things to do, and the narrator, Bronson Pinchot, who literally gives these characters a voice. This is a great sudiobook. I am not sure if I would have ever stuck with it had I read it in its print form, but as an audio performance by voice artist Pinchot this becomes an enthralling adventure.

Bronson Pinchot has impressed me as being a top flight performer. I am now seeking out books not for their content alone, but for their suitability for a performer like Pinchot to demonstrate his artistry in my ears.

Break the mold now please!

A great series knows when to end. Please don’t diminish this series with a fourth book.
As the third and (hopefully) final book, Warbound amps up everything. and wraps up everything in satisfying fashion.

My three favorite characters from the first two books figure prominently: Jake Sullivan, Faye Vierra, and Toru Tokugawa. But we are treated to new and crazy characters (looking at you Pirate Bob) and new character mashups between opposites, odd-balls, and odd-couples (hello, enemy now teammate Toru).

Correia builds upon his alternate 1930s era with magic universe by riffing on real life people (Browning, Gen Pershing and the Presidents being my favorites) and events (notably the Dust Bowl/Great Depression and the Berlin Wall), making the alternate history both fascinating and oddly realistic. Correia brings swords, katanas, and of course period-appropriate guns to the firefight, but amps things up even more with dirigible filled air battles and, yeah, magic and bloody hand to hand showdowns.

And finally, for all its magic, action and pulp, the resolution of the story and our characters is momentous and heartfelt, more so than I found in Correia’s other series. If you loved Hard Magic and Spellbound, Warbound will bring the epic battle home for you.

Grimnoir is my Steampunk

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

When it takes more than magic to save the world.

Any additional comments?

I love this series by Larry Correia. Mixing, switching and twisting history in a magical way. Here's hoping Grimnoir becomes a whole new sub- genre.

A incredible end to an amazing series

Would you listen to Warbound again? Why?

Absolutely it's fantastic.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Warbound?

I really loved the entire book

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

Hes one of my favorite readers, and gives the perfect voices for all the characters

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

Yes there are some very sad moments in this book, but it adds emotional depth and makes you realize how much you care for all the characters in the series.

Any additional comments?

I'm sure if your reading this than you've already read the first 2 and there's no need to say more, you already know this series is amazing.