I listened to a few of The Dresden Files and this definitely has a similar vibe. I would say it reminded me a bit more of the TV show than the books. I liked how this story as a whole seemed more playful than The Dresden Files and I preferred Lazarus’s wit a bit more. I wouldn’t say that this story adds anything unique to the genre, but it is a fun listen and worthwhile for anyone into sarcastic wizards battling evil on the city streets.
The characters are where this story really shines. Lazarus’s flaws as a professional necromancer coupled with his smart-aleck comments makes for a fun main character. The skeptic cop with her itchy-trigger-finger partner, the dead lady on the doorstep, and the missing girlfriend round out a solid cast. The characters are quite well developed and each one brings a different energy to the story. Much like a sitcom I think this story works as they play off each other and it is the group that makes it what it is more so than one individual.
The fantastic characters more than makes up for the lack of plot development. For the first book in what I assume is going to be a series you don’t get a lot of information about the world and the story seems more like it was told further into the series and not as the introduction to Lazarus and his world. I hope that this is a series and that we get more of the same team with a more defined setting.
Travis Baldree is an excellent character narrator. He brings the books he reads to a whole different level with his voice. You can hear the enjoyment he has doing the different voices and it just makes every book he reads so entertaining. If you haven’t had a chance to watch him sample some books you really should check it out.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.