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Hard Magic
- Book I of the Grimnoir Chronicles
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 16 hrs and 22 mins
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Hard Magic
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Editor reviews
Larry Correia has already made a name for himself in the sci-fi/fantasy world with his Monster Hunter books, but now he's written the first in new series that takes place in New York in the 1930s, filled with dubious federal agents, hardboiled detectives, and dames with a whole lotta chutzpah. Except this isn't quite the New York you might expect, but an alternate universe where zeppelins moor at the top of the Empire State Building, the Titanic never sank, and mad scientist Nikola Tesla has created a devastating weapon called the Geo-Tel. Oh, and people have magical powers. They are known as Actives. It's become commonplace for some people to defy gravity, teleport, manipulate animals, and heal by touch. The hero here is Jake Sullivan, a detective and ex-con who is set free by the FBI to track criminal Actives, which J. Edgar Hoover (yeah, he's still around) would like to eradicate.
Actor Bronson Pinchot has become a regular go-to for audiobooks and the reason is obvious - the guy knows how to bring a story to life. Far from his manic days as Balki on Perfect Strangers, Pinchot is a warm, imminently listenable narrator. He's obviously having a ball with Hard Magic, gruffing up his voice for the hardboiled Jake and the various G-men and employing a countrified voice for Faye, a young farm girl who can teleport across great distances and becomes vital to saving the world from destruction by the Geo-Tel. Pinchot gives each character a different voice, so it's easy to keep up with the big cast. Correia writes long, colorful descriptions of his characters and their situations, but those passages never become boring and never get in the way of the action, thanks to Pinchot.
Steampunk lovers will find much to love about Hard Magic, but listeners who love big guns and explosions will be in hog heaven. There are epic, cinematic battles including one over-the-top of a dirigible that is audaciously impossible. Hard Magic almost defies categorization, because Correia has no problem blending science fiction with more fanciful fantasy, even managing to slip in double-headed dragons and imps. The second book in the Grimnoir Chronicles, Spellbound, is coming and let's hope Pinchot has signed on for the audio version. (Collin Kelley)
Summary
Audie Award, Paranormal, 2012
Jake Sullivan is a licensed private eye with a seriously hardboiled attitude. He also possesses raw magical talent and the ability to make objects in his vicinity light as a feather or as heavy as depleted uranium, all with a magical thought. It's no wonder the G-men turn to Jake when they need someone to go after a suspected killer who has been knocking off banks in a magic-enhanced crime spree.
Problems arise when Jake discovers the bad girl behind the robberies is an old friend, and he happens to know her magic is just as powerful as his. And the Feds have plunged Jake into a secret battle between powerful cartels of magic-users - a cartel whose ruthless leaders have decided that Jake is far too dangerous to live.
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What listeners say about Hard Magic
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Liam
- 16-06-11
Really Great Pulp Book
I just wanted to say i totally love this book. Interesting story and interesting setting to have it in. Really looking forward to the follow up.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs S
- 22-04-21
Absolutely riveting!
Have only recently got into Larry Correa , thank goodness it’s not at the start of his writing career as if I had to wait for book 2 I’d be somewhat grizzly.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Derek
- 09-08-18
A struggle....
I bought this based on some of the postitive reviews, but to be honest I struggled with the narrative and the pace from the start.
Just a personal thing as I know lots of people love this book, but I struggled with it.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- I F Jentle
- 07-05-14
All I could ask for in a fantasy audiobook!
What made the experience of listening to Hard Magic the most enjoyable?
This series really does have it all. A cunningly well - wrought plot, engaging characters who change and develop as the tale progresses, adventure, wit .... and all of it brilliantly read by Bronson Pinchot brings the whole series to vibrant life. I cannot reccomend this whole series too highly.
What did you like best about this story?
The way it changes history with a few "what if" premises.
Which character – as performed by Bronson Pinchot – was your favourite?
Sullivan, closely followed by Fay.
Any additional comments?
No
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Leon
- 22-06-18
Great pulp fiction read.
Really captured the feeling of the old pulp fiction novels with the twist of a well thought out magical element
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- N A
- 12-07-18
pretty good
good narration, good characters. Loved Sullivan and faye. It's quite complex though and it took several listens, you certainly get your money's worth. there's a lot of characters to keep track of but it's not really deep in the sense of characters changing or any deep emotional attachment to the characters. They are kind of just plot devices. so for that reason I'm not sure if I'm going to go with the second book. did not quite hit that five-star spot.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MR BAIG
- 25-04-23
Bought it’s a punt! Loved it ! Bought the rest
I’ve heard all the monster hunters loved it. I’ve read some of the other Larry Korea novels. I really enjoyed them, but this is a punt just to see a while but put the third book first, loved it and then thought I buy this one. I have no already bought the second one brilliant
Very well written very well narrated, and at the end, Raymond Chandler loved it
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tomboy
- 20-11-20
Raymond Chandler meets JR Tolkien
I'm not usually a fan of fantasy novels or monster novels but this mash-up succeeds as it combines a mixture of the great 30s "detective noir" with a fantasy world of superhero and mythical creatures: all brought to life by the wondrous narration of Bronson Pinchot as a latter-day Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade. I've purchased a good number of the author's other novels on the basis of the brilliant chemistry presented here by both. Larry Correia's writing is equally wonderful if not quite as eloquent as the works of the great masters of noir - Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tim Brittain
- 02-09-18
Beautifully written and performed.
I was unsure as to the quality of the story or the narration when I purchased this book, but I need not have been.
Both writer and narrator step up with skill, pace and suspense.
Thoroughly recommended, and well done to both.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gabrielle Harvey-Jones
- 17-05-15
Love a bit of Magic!
Very enjoyable - although not at all my usual sort of thing! I got quite caught up with the characterisation too!
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