The third installment in the Green Creek series, this might has well have been called “A Tale of Two Packs” it certainly contains the best of times and the worst of times. This epic series is as addictive as they come and at times as sweet and genuine as they come but at other times is almost unbearable to listen to.
This one keeps us wondering just how reliable the narration is for a LOT longer than I found comfortable. While it might have made the tale more dramatic, I felt it maddening.
T.J. Klune seems to have a fondness for allowing the “big bad” to speak his (or her) piece just before the “big boss battle.” It may be a personal quirk of mine, but having endured four years of hearing the Orange Abomination spew his bile, I just don’t have the patience required to hear anyone who’s thoroughly evil spouting off.
But, as I said, these books are addictive. The good so far outweighs the bad that a little fault like that isn’t going to stop me from listening. The first book was endearing and pulled us in. The second book just deepened that, making the world being created just that much richer and satisfying. This, the third, continued that trend adding yet more more layers of meaning and detail to an already rich fantasy world.
I especially like the character development here with Kelly being ACE and his and Robbie’s relationship really reflecting that. It was interesting (and refreshing to see) but of course it kept the flames level on this one down a bit more than in the earlier volumes.
I’m really starting to wonder what TJ Klune’s relationship with his dad was like… three books in and three villainous fathers so far. Also someone seems to have a bit of haircut kink.
So it’s on to book four, and hopefully an end to some of the evil in the world and just perhaps the prospect of a complete happily ever after.
As always Kirt Graves does a great job with the narration. Each book is narrated primarily from one character’s POV, but most of the characters have their own distinctive voices. The men and the women here are all well represented in the dialogue sections with vocal inflections that highlight aspects of their characters.