~ 5 Stars ~ FEARLESS
I’ve had a character crush on John Charming since Book 1 and a writerly crush on author Elliott James for about as long. Seriously. If I weren’t already head-over-heels for a smoking-hot, Han-Solo-for-realsies space flyer, I’d be using all my best lines on EJ. Not sure if I like his Twitter posts more than his novels, but I’ll proclaim this: if you’re grumpy, it’s because you’re not following @EJ_Author.
Now, on to the book!
FEARLESS opens with a Hollywood-esque catch-you-up screenplay of snippet scenes from the Pax Arcana series. HUGELY helpful if FEARLESS is the first John Charming book you’re reading, and just plain fun to read if it’s not. Huge adventure with a lovable, wise-cracking hero follows.
What I loved: Sig. Talk about your strong female sidekick–she’s like a hard-core, foul-mouthed, non-human Buffy. Also, EJ’s slightly deadpan humor reminds me of Douglas Adams. Another thing–and this is weird for me–the tense shifts. I can’t figure out why, but when John Charming talks to the reader, it works for me. I asked author Elliott James to explain this strange sorcery. His answer here: Elliott James on Shifting Tense
What I didn’t love: Hard to come up with something… Honestly, there were so many quotes from this book I wanted to scribble onto sticky notes and paste to my wall, it was a little annoying. That’s all I got.
Skim factor: Zilch. I wanted to speed through this, but some books demand you savor every word. This was one of them.
5 STARS
Fearless (a stand-alone novel, #3 in the Pax Arcana series)
by Elliott James
Release Date: 08/11/15
Orbit
Summary:
When your last name is Charming, rescuing virgins comes with the territory — even when the virgin in question is a nineteen-year-old college boy.
Someone, somewhere, has declared war on Kevin Kichida, and that someone has a long list of magical predators on their rolodex. The good news is that Kevin lives in a town where Ted Cahill is the new sheriff and old ally of John Charming.
The attacks on Kevin seem to be a pattern, and the more John and his new team follow that thread, the deeper they find themselves in a maze of supernatural threats, family secrets, and age-old betrayals. The more John learns, the more convinced he becomes that Kevin Kichida isn’t just a victim, he’s a sacrifice waiting to happen. And that thread John’s following? It’s really a fuse…
FEARLESS is the third novel in an urban fantasy series which gives a new twist to the Prince Charming tale. The first two novels are Charming & Daring.
About Elliott James: An army brat and gypsy scholar, ELLIOTT JAMES is currently living in the Blue Ridge mountains of southwest Virginia. He’s been an avid reader since the age of three (or that’s what his family swears anyhow), and he has an abiding interest in mythology, martial arts, live music, hiking, and used bookstores.
Social Media Links
Website: https://elliottjamesauthor.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElliottJamesAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EJ_Author
FEARLESS Links
Order FEARLESS on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Pax-Arcana-Elliott-James/dp/0316253448
Add FEARLESS on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23279104-fearless
Praise for Pax Arcana books:
“The Pax Arcana books are seriously good reads. Action, humor, and heart with unexpected twists and turns. If you are (like me) waiting for the next Butcher or Hearne — pick up Elliot James. Then you can bite your nails waiting for the next James, too.”—Patricia Briggs, New York Times #1 bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson series
“Loved it! Charming is a giant gift basket of mythology and lore delivered by a brilliant new voice in urban fantasy. Elliott James tells stories that are action-packed, often amusing, and always entertaining.”—Kevin Hearne, author of Hounded on Charming
“I loved this book from start to finish. Exciting and innovative, Charming is a great introduction to a world I look forward to spending a lot more time in.”—New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire on Charming
“James’s world is rich and complex and well worth diving into.”—Richard Kadrey on Charming
“In a saturated literary realm, James’s tale stands out for the gritty, believable world he builds…This is masculine urban fantasy in the vein of Jim Butcher and Mark del Franco.”—Booklist on Charming
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