Clockwork Boys, Audio Book (2017/2019) T. Kingfisher narrated by Khristine Hvam (Clocktaur War)

A paladin, an assassin, a forger, a scholar. Three of whom have been sentenced to a suicide mission as repayment for their crimes.

The have to get into Anuket City, find a scholar’s lost journal, and discover a way to stop the monstrous Clockwork Boys, who are waging war upon everyone.

So, I finished Swordheart and still didn’t know what else I wanted to listen to, so I decided to start Clockwork Boys, which I actually haven’t read before. (This almost never happens with fiction.)

Imagine my shock when the story starts and I recognize the narrator. It’s Khristine Hvam who narrates Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock and Soulwood series.

To be honest, this is slightly distracting, only because Learned Edward and a couple of other random characters sound exactly like Alex Younger.

Disconcerting.

As far as the story, I immediately started listening to the next book.

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Rating: 8.5/10

Midnight Riot, Audio Edition (2012) Ben Aaronovitch narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Rivers of London)

I’ve finished listened to the Jane Yellowrock and Faith Hunter series, with the exception of the two most recent books I haven’t read, so realizing I had a new Rivers of London book to listen to, I decided to restart the Peter Grant books.

I adore Peter.

“And what am I?”

“Too easily distracted.”

“I am not.”

“New Year’s Eve, Trafalgar Square, big crowd, bunch of total wankers pissing in the fountain— remember that?” asked Leslie. “Wheels come off, wankers get stroppy and what were you doing?”

“I was only gone for a couple of seconds,” I said.

“You were checking what was written on the lion’s bum,” said Leslie. “I was wrestling a couple of drunken chavs and you were doing historical research.”

“Do you want to know what was on the lion’s bum?” I asked.

“No,” said Leslie. “I don’t want to know what was written on the lion’s bum, or how siphoning works or why one side of Floral Street is a hundred years older than the other side.”

“You don’t think any of that’s interesting?”

That is a perfect summation of Peter.

And then there’s the world building.

“If you overdo it, there are consequences,” said Nightingale.

I didn’t like the sound of that at all. “What kind of consequences?”

“Strokes, brain hemorrhages, aneurysms …”

“How do you know when you’ve overdone it?”

“When you have a stroke, brain hemorrhage, aneurysm …” said Nightingale.

But best of all is how Peter looks at the world.

A mob will tear an individual to pieces and a man with a gun and a noble cause is happy to kill ever so many women and children, but risking a fair fight— not so easy. That’s why you see those pissed young men doing the dance of “don’t hold me back” while desperately hoping someone likes them enough to hold them back.

All of which is marvelous, but on top of that, is Kobna Holdbrook-Smith’s narration. He is hands-down my favorite narrator ever.

Seriously.

It’s marvelous.

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Rating: 9.5/10

Of Claws and Fangs (2022) Faith Hunter (Jane Yellowrock)

This is a collection of stories from the world of Jane Yellowrock & Soulwood.

Candy from a Vampire
Make It Snappy
It’s Just a Date
Life’s a Bitch and Then You Die
Black Friday Shopping
How Occam Got His Name
Shiloh and the Brick
Beast Hunts Vampire with Jane
Of Cats and Cars
Beast Hunts Pie-bald Deer
Jane Tracks Down Miz A
From Anthologies:
Anzu, Duba, Beast
Eighteen Sixty
Wolves Howling in the Night
Death and the Fashionista
My Dark Knight
Bound into Darkness
The Ties That Bind

These are only the most recent stories. If you are working your way through the Jane or Soulwood series, you want to read the previous anthology: Blood in her Veins

Candy from a Vampire – Leo vignette.

Make It Snappy – Leo short story set prior to Jane arriving in NOLA.

It’s Just a Date – Jane & Bruiser on a double date with Jodi & Wrassler. This is more for readers who wanted to see Jodi and Wrassler together.

Life’s a Bitch and Then You Die – Jane & Beast and a lost memory

Black Friday Shopping – Nell & Occam go shopping only to discover something wrong at WalMart.

How Occam Got His Name – Occam’s backstory. This was interesting, and should work even for those unfamiliar with the Soulwood series. It’s dark, with the death of a child, and the eventual caging of another child. The caging was known to anyone who’d hear glimpses of Occam’s story from the Soulwood series. But the death of his best friend wasn’t expected.

Shiloh and the Brick – Shiloh (Molly’s niece) needs to be convinced to learn control. I quite liked this story, even though I’m not certain it would be of any interest to those who hadn’t read the books.

Beast Hunts Vampire with Jane – Beast short story.

Of Cats and Cars – Edmund takes Beast hunting. This is the story that anyone who read Cold Reign wanted: Beast has wanted to hunt cows in Edmund’s classic car, so he give her an alternative.

I do adore Edmund.

There was little he missed about the past, hating the stench of sewage, the lack of fresh water, the smells of unwashed bodies, the sight of starvation, the sounds and stench of illness and pain, the remembered agony of losing loved ones so easily to whooping cough, measles, the flu.

Beast Hunts Pie-bald Deer – Beast short story.

Jane Tracks Down Miz A – A Jane short story. I found this one confusing, so I’ve apparently missed something, somewhere. Despite the fact I’ve reread the entire series this year, excluding the last two books.

Anzu, Duba, Beast – Jane and Girrard DeMercy go on the hunt Jane owes Gee.

Eighteen Sixty – An Ayatas FireWind story. I don’t much care for FireWind.

Wolves Howling in the Night – Another An Ayatas FireWind story. See above.

Death and the Fashionista – A Molly short story where she continues to deal with her death magics.

My Dark Knight – Edmund, Angie, and EJ. As much as I like Edmund, Angie tends to annoy me. She is always both too young AND too old in her speech and thoughts.

Bound into Darkness – Liz and Eli. I love Eli. But I am not sure how I feel about Eli and one of Molly’s sisters in a relationship. Mostly because I felt like it was forced to give Eli a HEA.

The Ties That Bind – Bedelia & Shadock. This one bothered me even more. Mostly because there were never any hints of a previous relationship between the two. The story itself, of older women using their power and knowledge to defeat evil, I very much liked. But I was really weirded out by the relationship that came out of nowhere.

Publisher: Ace

Rating: 7/10

Spells for the Dead, Audio Edition (2019) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam

Nell is learning how to control her powers as a “plant person” as she calls herself. But she doesn’t understand why she’s called out the death of a famous country singer, whose body whose body is rapidly decomposing–along with the bodies of those who were with her, as well as the room in which they died.

But this is magic unlike their witch has seen before, so their new upline boss–Firewind–hopes Nell might pick something up.

“Which is why you’re down here with us,” T. Laine said cheerfully. “Among your many talents is the ability to use old-fashioned equipment. Competency comes with repercussions.”

“Do not ask me to milk a cow or darn your socks.”

“You know how to do that?”

“No,” I lied, stern faced.

She doesn’t much care for FireWind–even if she does like his sister.

Some time ago, FireWind figured out that he terrified me, and that my way of dealing with terrifying men was to attack first, not back down, and refuse to apologize later.

There were things I liked and disliked about this story. I liked Nell growing into her powers, and learning to control them rather than letting them control her. I liked how her relationship with Occam is blooming. I like the way Unit18 has come together both as a team and as friends.

And I love how she deals with many of the incidents.

I pressed my cell to autocall HQ.

JoJo answered with my last name, telling me that FireWind was close by. “Ingram.”

“Yeah. I’m possibly being tailed. A blue short-bed Chevy pickup, older model.”

And I like that much of her time is spent during paperwork–something that is missing from a lot of stories with cops and other law enforcement.

What bothered me was how Nell keeps having to be the one to save everyone with her powers. She’s part of a team. They all have powers. So her teammates should be saving the world just as often as Nell.

That may sound like a nit, but I always feel better about a long-running series with law-enforcement characters who are not always the ones to jump in and save the day.

It’s just the law of averages.

Publisher: Audible Studios

Rating: 7/10

Circle of the Moon, Audio Edition (2019) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam

Nell is recovering from spending several months as flora instead of fauna.

The farm had seemingly figured out that if I was a tree, there would be no one to work the soil and it liked me around. Now, as I worked, the leaves on my neck and hands broke off and the vines fell free, a calming sacrifice to the land, not bloody and violent as other kinds.

She is also negotiating with her family for her sister, Mud, to come live with her, so she can be protected from the churchmen. But Mud has some ideas of her own about their future.

“You make more’n fifty thousand dollars a year,” she said, looking at her hands tightening into fists on the kitchen table. “And your living costs last year were around fifteen thousand. You being a tree for six months meant your income was less— due to you bein’ on disability and everything. But your cost of living while you were a tree was negalable so you came out ahead.”

I very much enjoyed Mud dickering with Nell about upgrades to the house and a greenhouse and the changes coming so Mud can live with Nell.

Occam is still recovering from the burns her received on their last case. The case where he died and Nell brought him back. But he also finally professes his love.

“I love you, Nell, sugar. I love you with no demands. Nothing held back. I love you to the exclusion of all others. I love you now, when you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I loved you when you were a tree. I will love you when you grow gray haired and your leaves are brittle and brown.

That Occam, he’s a keeper.

But something is wrong with Rick. There are magic circles that Rick seems called to, and he is aging unnaturally. But no one can figure out what is happening or why.

And this is where I think I still have issues with this story. The whole thing with Loriann still doesn’t make a lot of sense. I’m going to get into spoiler territory here, but it’s been several years since the book was published.

I don’t understand why Jason wanted to destroy Rick. I get the stories Loriann told him, but that doesn’t make a lot of sense. And I really don’t understand why he would want to destroy all the vampires. He was a blood junkie (not through his own fault, but he was) so gaining power over the vamps I can see, but destroying all the vampires for that makes no logical sense. Especially if he had to make a deal with a demon to do so.

The whole thing is illogical, which bothers me a lot. Plus, much of the story centered o Rick, and I still don’t like Rick, so that probably didn’t help. Yeah, he had a lot of terrible things happen to him, but most of his problems started when he had sex while he was undercover while he was dating Jane. None of that made a lot of sense, since she knew she’d get the death penalty for her actions. And Rick knew Jane had feelings about their relationship.

So I feel bad for Rick, but I’m not delighted to be reading about him.

Publisher: Audible Studios

Rating: 7/10

Flame in the Dark, Audio Edition (2017) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Soulwood)

The third Soulwood book finds Nell settling into working at PsyLED. And being gently courted by Occam.

“Nell, you act like you never been kissed before.”

“I ain’t— I haven’t. Not like . . . Not like this.”

Occam’s pupils widened a little. Shock traveled through his body and hand to me.

This case revolves around a shooting at a Senator’s home, during a party at which Ming of Glass was in attendance.

One of my favorite things about this series is the law enforcement. So much of it is boring footwork and paper pushing.

And dealing with politics.

Every branch of law enforcement wanted this case except the sheriff, who had too much political acumen to want anything to do with a United States senator, three rich dead VIPs, multiple wounded, and vampires.

And the random parts of dealing with bureaucracy.

“Clementine doesn’t like my accent.” Clementine was the name given to the new voice-to-text software, which was much easier to say than CLMT2207.

JoJo blew a laugh through her nose. “Yours and mine both, chicky. I think the designer was British and male. Black and female weren’t on his radar when he input his ‘regional pronunciation, intonation, and enunciation modulations.’”

I held in a grin at the quote. “Hillbilly was even less on his radar.”

And I very much like how her relationship with her family continues to change and evolve.

(S)uddenly Mawmaw was quoting Archimedes about using a lever to move the world. Which digressed to Archimedes running around naked in public when he discovered new mathematic principles.

It was good to listen to this, because I missed a lot on the first read.

Publisher: Audible Studios

Rating: 8.5/10

Shattered Bonds, Audio Book (2019) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock)

Book 13 of Jane Yellowrock

I wasn’t sure how I feel about this book the first time I read it, and I’m still not positive how I feel about it now.

Leo was killed in the Sangre Duello. Jane is dying of cancer. The remaining Son of Darkness wants his brother back.

Beast is not sick, so Jane is staying in Puma form until they can figure out how to heal herself.

I kinda like that Beast has control.

Holy crap. You know where my soul home is.
Beast did not leave scat at cave. Did not mark territory.
That’s not what holy cr— Never mind.

Beast tends to be far wiser than Jane.

The things you went through don’t own you. You own them. What you do with them, how you survive, whether you survive what was done, is up to you.

I realized I missed a lot the first time I read this–I know I sped through it to discover what happened, so as usual listening allowed me to pick up all those bits.

The good thing about this book is that is did give a sense of completion that had been missing.

Published: Audible Studios

Rating: 8/10

Dark Queen, Audio Edition (2018) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock)

I’m having a hard time believing that I read this four years ago.

Obviously it’s true, but it feels both forever ago and far more recent. Mostly because parts of this book stuck in my brain.

And I still have problems with this story, although fewer now I’ve listened to it (as opposed to reading it, when I tend to read so fast I miss important bits).

I STILL have problems with Jane’s brother. That he wouldn’t check in on the possibility of another possible skinwalker? Considering his past AND his job? I just find it very hard to believe.

The stranger sat up straighter and tossed his tangled hair back. “Brother?” His voice was graveled with pain. “Not by blood. Mixed race black and maybe Choctaw. Not Chelokay.”

Though there remain bits I utterly adore.

“I have no way to properly toast you, my Jane. The appropriate toast for a new Blood Master of a clan is from the jugular of a virgin boy or girl, with the words ‘Long undeath, prosperity, scions, blood, and cattle.’”

I looked at my beer. “Yeah. Beer is better. And how about ‘Live long and prosper.’”

Leo gave no indication that he found me funny as he lifted his scotch in a toast. Eli followed the example, with his glass. I picked up the Mecha, holding it out and slightly up. Leo repeated my words, “Live long and prosper.” Hearing the Vulcan blessing from Leo’s lips was giggleworthy, but I managed to smother the laugh.

Leo drank and ate a few nuts. Eli and I followed his example. In companionable silence I finished my beer. Then Leo refilled the scotch glasses and pushed my second beer to me. Leo said, “However, I prefer QaStaHvIS yIn ‘ej chep.”

I stopped with the beer held in the air, ice water dripping from my fingers.

Eli said, “Klingon? You did not just say ‘Live long and prosper’ in Klingon.”

Plus, I always adore Beast.

Played for long time with Eli, splashing and ducking and dunking. Then swam to shore and shook water from pelt. Eli was cold. Left Beast lying onshore to put on human clothes. And to watch new helo-copter-bird that was landing. “I gotta take care of business, Beast. Talk to you later.” Eli went to nesting spot for metal bird.

I adore that she spent time playing with Eli.

Now I have to listen to the next book–because I know I missed a lot in that book as I sped through it. Then I’ll read the next book, finish reading the short story collection that came out, and then I’ll be ready for the final Jane book.

Oh–as always the narration was fabulous.

Publisher: Audible Studios

Rating: 8/10

Jane Yellowrock Short Stories Faith Hunter

“The Devil’s Left Boot” (2013) Kicking It

Liz & Cia Everheart take on a case to find a former classmate’s mother.

“Eighteen Sixty” (2015) The Weird Wild West

Set in 1860. Ayatas Firewind

“Anzu, Duba, Beast” (2016) Were-

Jane and the Mercy Blade go hunting.

“Death and the Fashionista” (2017) The Death of All Things

Molly faces a Devil.

“She Bitch, Killer of Kits” (2017) Monster Hunters International Book 7

Beast and Jane hunt a female werewolf.

“Bound into Darkness” (2021) Dirty Deeds: An Urban Fantasy Collection

Liz and Eli battle a demon.

The Ties that Bind (2021) Dirty Deeds: An Urban Fantasy Collection

Bedelia Everheart & Lincoln Shaddock; the story ties into “Bound Into Darkness”

Cold Reign, Audio Book (2017) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock)

Things never slow down from here. Which is why I think I missed some things previously that bothered me this time.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Alex is almost killed.

He fingered his throat. “Hurts.” He looked around him on the floor, at the amount of blood. “All that mine?”

My own throat nearly closed up on my reply. The blood was everywhere. It looked like gallons. “Yeah.”

“Eli’s gonna go apeshit.”

I didn’t fuss about the language because my new cell rang. It was Eli. I filled him in. My partner went dead silent and when I was finished, he disconnected. Without a word. To Bruiser, I said, “I’m changing and going to fanghead central. You coming?”

That last line there is what started to seriously bother me. Alex–her brother–has almost been killed, and she plans to leave. Without mention of new backup coming to guard Alex.

And from the way it read, Eli didn’t immediately come home either. Which I don’t believe for a second.

Eli and I took our usual SUV back to the house, my partner silent as he drove through the rain. The storm had let up again as an arm of the slowly swirling weather system passed us and New Orleans’ massive drainage system cleared the city of flood water.

Traffic was at a crawl when Eli casually said, “Nice weather we’re having.”

I cannot believe that after his brother was almost killed he was calm and at HQ.

And then:

Eli smiled, the twitch of lips that meant he had relaxed. “Alex texted me that he found some more humans and vamps who came ashore. They came in from Lake Borgne through Bayou Bienvenue Central Wetlands in an air boat. Private surveillance cameras got some pretty clear shots for night cams.”

When Eli was almost killed and healed with vampire blood, he was blood drunk and almost insensible for almost a full day. Here it’s been mere hours since the attack.

And then:

“Nice work,” Eli said as he moved the door back and forth. It didn’t even squeak. The witches stepped in and Eli closed the door behind us.

Inside, the DBs and puddles had been cleaned up, the house smelling like citrus instead of death. I hadn’t even thought about that when I opened the door. I held in a grin at the imagined expressions on the witches’ faces.

Alex had placed towels and bathroom rugs all over the foyer, along with a metal rack that was usually in the laundry, used by Eli to hang his clothes when he ironed. In a basket were towels, blankets, socks, and robes. Smart boy. I’d have to give him pizza.

There is no way, from the way vampire healing has been described in previous book, and the relationship between Alex and Eli and Jane and Alex, that everyone was all casual about Alex almost dying. And Alex just going around putting down towels?

No. No no no.

Also, the timeline with Brian & Brandon disappearing is weird and off. Again, like chunks of text were shifted around and didn’t quite fit where they ended in reference to the earlier timeline.

Then there was the bit in the warehouse, where Rick insisted he should change into cat form.

And missed the entire fight.

I can’t believe he didn’t realize that would happen. It was just stupid.

Publisher: Audible Studios

Rating: 7/10