Temporary Monsters

The Temporary Magic Series, Book 1

By: Craig Shaw Gardner

Narrated by: Thomas Machin

Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Lenny Hodge is a young man with certain abilities - special talents that even he doesn't understand. It is only when he joins Terrifitemps (the temporary employment agency that secretly controls the world) and meets his new team - a psychic, a vampire, a ghost hunter, and a werevole (yes, a werevole) - that Lenny realizes how much his special talent will put him in jeopardy.

But it's worth it, right? Hasn't Lenny always wanted to save the world?

©2016 Craig Shaw Gardner (P)2017 David N. Wilson

Scary good fun`

Characters are unique and fleshed out, the narrator does a great job getting there voices different. The story does drag a butt on the carpet a bit but then it takes off and your glued to the words.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher

Another light hearted addition from Mr Gardner

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

Yes, A fun light listen

What other book might you compare Temporary Monsters to and why?

This book is, in many ways, much like many other of Mr Gardner's

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

This seems to be my first encounter with Mr Machin's work. But I look forward to future works form him.

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

No, It's a good story, but it seems to follow the same formula as many of Mr Gardner's previous works.

Any additional comments?

First, to get it out of the way, "I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."
With that said, anyone who has ever read, or listened to any of Craig Shaw Gardner's earlier works can be prepared for more of the same. He writes with a familiar formula that tells a fun lighted hearted story that entertains the reader/listener. If you are looking for an epic with deep meaning, you will disappointed.
If you have never encountered Mr Gardner's work, have no fear. This is a great story to introduce your self to his works.
Mr Machin's narration of this book is a superb compliment to this book. Making the story that much more enjoyable.

Temporary Monsters

Any additional comments?

It took awhile for me to get into the story. I really like the quirky characters. The narrator seemed to hit his stride third way into the book. I would recommend this book to my friends. I received this audiobook for free from Audiobook Boom for my unbiased review.

A cute story

Wonderful for young adults. This is one I would let my children read. I received this audiobook for free and voluntarily reviewed.

Funny and Strange

The narrator made the story really funny. Although it was hard for me to follow at times I gave it a four star because it was well developed. The plot and subplots as well as the characters. I am not a fan of slapstick comedy and that is what this was. There was adventure, magic, strange creatures, paranormal and "normal" whatever that is. The scene near the end where they finally got the director to stop asking for corndogs was just plain weird. The author still managed to end with a somewhat cliffhanger so you know there is another book coming. These types of endings boggle my mind. If you can create a story you can create an ending that will lead you to another book while not ending in a cliffhanger. I got this book via audiobook boom.

Interesting listen

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

Probably in my top 50 favorites.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lenny himself. Throughout the whole audio Lenny thinks that his life is a disaster and reflects upon himself. Through the story we learn more about Lenny, as does he, and sees that the problems in his life are not his fault.

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

I have not listened to any of Thomas Machin's other performances but compared to some other audio books where the humor didn't really come out, it ranks up there near the top of my list.

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

When Bob the Pookah disturbs the Dimm Supervisor. Bob had irritated me listening to it, but when it hit this scene and Dimm Supervisor is waylayed and left rather disturbed left me laughing. This scene explained alot about Bob and why the Dimm minions were afraid of him.

Any additional comments?

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Kind of Abbott and Costello are Frankenstein Dracula

I was given this audiobook for free the agreement I would leave an honest review. I think it was because of the narration that I enjoyed this book so much. The story though over silly worked because the narrator was able to take it and make it A bit classier than it would've been if I had read the printed version

An amazingly funny Urban Fantasy!

Lenny Hodge has had weird stuff happen to him since he was a kid. Mermaids, aliens, you name it, Lenny has probably seen it. Lenny can't seem to hold a job. Weird things just keep happening to him. He eventually ends up at TerrifiTemps, a job placement company. They offer him an immediate job on their staff. What Lenny doesnt know is that TerrifiTemps is a group dedicated to fighting supernatural and superscience Evil. Lenny is put on a team with a Romanian Vampire, a ghost finder, a Werevole (Think a really big Mole), and a psychic. They immediately head out on a mission after Terrifitemps boss is cursed, and they track the villainy to Foo, an evil genius. This begins the race against time to stop Foo's evil machinations for world domination. Can Lenny's erratic powers be trained enough on the job to stop Foo? Only way to find out is to listen to the book.

Characters are a major strength of this book. They're quirky, funny and earnest, and that includes the villain, who looks at world domination as just another corporate merger. Lenny is a likable everyman who just has so much weirdness swirl around him. The TerrifiTemps crew is hilarious, as are Foo's Henchmen and his narcissist of a daughter. This is a worthy successor to his Wuntavor books of the 80's, which are some of my favorite comedic fantasies.

Thomas Machin did an excellent job narrating. He brings each character to distinctive life. His pacing is good, and the narration never lagged or became monotone. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment of this team.

a misfit group saving the world

This was another pickup from AudiobookBoom.  That means I got the book for free, to give a review.  The price has no bearing on my review.  If you like audiobooks and write reviews, and really enjoy free I suggest checking out audiobookBoom.

This is the first book of the of the Temporary Magic series.  We meet Lenny Hodge, Lenny is looking for work.  He has a tough time holding down jobs.  He gets an interview at Terrifitemps .  They seem very eager to have him on board.  But his first day with the agency things seem to be falling apart... again.  This time his workmates let him onto a secret.  The weird things that always seem to happen to him, are part of his special abilities.  His teammates are made up of a psychic, a vampire, and a  ghost hunter.  

Seems like a normal group to work with right.  If that wasn't strange enough his ex-girlfriends father is an evil villain looking to take over the world.  But in order for his master plan to succeed, he must kill Lenny.  With the team assemble in an epic battle of good vs evil the Terrifitemps look to save the world.  

One grand adventure...giggle

OMG what can I say about this book. Loved it Loved it Lovveedd it.
This is one of those unique books that shows how much Murphy's law can effect ones life and boyyyyy what a ride! If you want something different, fun and non stop. Here you go...Enjoy! I cant wait for the next one, please tell me there will be a next one?
I was given this book for free in exchange for an unbiased review, thank you thank you thank you so much
btw...ull love the voice actor too, the voices given are just amazing, sighs happly