The Art of Madness

The GearWitch Investigations

De: A. J. Mayall

Narrado por: Nicholas Patrella

Being the GearWitch means Phoenix McGee can bend time, save the day, or find your missing dog. Because cosmic powers don't pay the bills.

Phoenix McGee became a detective to show the world he was mature, reliable, capable of running his own life and business. It’s just a shame he can’t adult his way out of a paper bag.

On the verge of losing everything, he takes on a simple case of suspected adultery, something to keep the lights on and the creditors at bay. Little did he suspect his life would become a chaotic whirlwind of false leads, uneasy alliances, mob ties, and a woman who punches with a sedan.

Bodies pile up as he struggles to keep things normal for himself and his assistant, Suzette DiMarco. In Rouge Mal, Nevada, unusual is normal. Being a haven for the supernatural and superpowered, it’s common to see a vampire on the street while a psychic informs you your bus will be late. Just present your Black Card for proof of powers. That’s not to say there are no normal people, far from it.

Then there is Phoenix McGee, the GearWitch. Being attuned to the clockwork nature of the universe and able to bend the fundamental laws of reality comes with the bonus that his powers show up under no scans, leaving him in a loophole where he can use his powers without legal restriction...or protection.

Phoenix will need his wits if he plans to solve the case and save himself, his livelihood, and everyone around him....

Fans of Seanan Mcguire, Kevin Hearne, Jim Butcher, superhero stories, and comics will love the first installment of the GearWitch Investigations!

Ask A. J.:

Q: What inspired the series?

A: A lot of things, and the best way to sum it up is this: It's like if Terry Pratchett wrote a series set in the world of Buffy staring the cosmically powered lovechild of Doctor Strange and Star-Lord. Phoenix is quirky, peppy, hilarious, and packs enough of a metaphysical punch to knock the bad guys on their butts.

Q: Why should we listen to them?

A: Because the GearWitch Investigations is a superpowered, fast-paced foray into an all new Digitalpunk world. Magic, superpowers, technology, and crime. How can you pass that up?

Start this cosmically-powered action roller-coaster!

©2017 A. J. Mayall (P)2019 WordFire, Inc.

Am I biased?

Do I have a bias in loving this book? Yes. What is that bias? The villain is named after me! And oh, what style! What panache! What sociopathy!

This one got me hooked right at the <spoiler>werewolf orgy reveal.</spoiler> And all of Phoenix's jokes about it that followed. Which really says something about me....

Mayall sets up a great universe, which acknowledges what the U.S. would do if the supernatural existed: set up a bureaucracy to lord over them. But, not, like, in an X-Men Mutant Registration Act sense. More like...a DMV. And while out main character, Phoenix, gets to skirt around the supernatural DMV, that doesn't necessarily help him.

Audiobook narrator review: Nicholas Patrella does a great job with the irreverent, sometimes frantic humor of the book. The main character does NOT have his shit together, and Nicholas lets him be a bit of a mess. I particularly loved the club scene, and his portrayal of some great in-joke characters.

Madness?

Yes, there is some of that. At times too much. This story was up and down for me. Brilliant in between whatever. At first I wanted to the tell narrator to take a deep breathe and slow down. Then I believe he did just that and his performance smoothed out and I enjoyed listening to him.
This audio was given to me free and I voluntarily gave this review.

Nice Blend of Detective and Super Hero Story

Typically, books about super hero detectives seem to be mostly super hero romp with a sort of "oh yea, he is a detective too" feel. That is not the case here. The Art of Madness has layers of complexity that give it a genuine detective story feel. Although, the main character seems so over powered this would be an incredibly short book if he weren't limited by being slow on the uptake. overall this is a fun story, worth the listen.

Narration is very well done. You can tell Nicholas Patrella was into the performance. He conveys plenty of emotion and other (sound effects?) to make moments seem real. Narration certainly seemed to add to the experience.

I received this audiobook for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Superb

The Art of Madness is my second A. J. Mayall book and so far, I'm very impressed by his style and the ability to capture his readers/listeners' attention. The premise is quite entertaining with a fusion of urban fantasy, detective, and contemporary comic/superhero components. The characters are multi-faceted, the world-building is excellent, and the storyline is fascinating. From the beginning to the very end, I was fully immersed.

A stellar performance by Nicholas Patrella. He portrayed the characters well, implementing their personalities and emotions, bringing the story to life. This was an enjoyable listen and, I highly recommend it. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Fun Superhero Detective Story

Phoenix is a GearWitch meaning he has power over time and the power of flight and a bunch of other stuff that might render him overpowered in relation to the world, but he has a lack of focus and is slow at catching up at times so the playing field is leveled a little bit. He's also a PI because well having super powers doesn't pay the bills. He's hired to do a minor job and see if a man's wife is cheating on her, and finds out it's a little more than expected and bathing in the afterglow of that he ends up deep in a situation that involves many powerful people from different groups throughout Rouge Mal (his hometown and a supernatural hotspot). Him and his assistant Suzanne definitely have enough on their plates throughout. This does a good job of keeping the action going even when there are scenes of more traditional detective work and the characters are quite unique not only for the things they can do but also for the normal traits they exhibit. It starts entertaining and stays that way throughout. The narration does a good job of keeping up with the story and the characters keeping up and enhancing them and keeping the action going.

I received the review code for this audiobook at my request and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.