Guest Review: Dead End by M. R. Forbes

Posted February 4, 2018 by susan in User Submitted / 0 Comments

Dead End by M.R. Forbes
Narrator: Jeff Hays
Series: Ghosts & Magic #4
Published by Quirky Algorithms on 19 December 2017
Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
Genres: Action & Adventure, Contemporary Fiction, Fantasy, Humor, Paranormal
Format: Audiobook
Source: Narrator

Rating Report
Story (Plot)
Performance
Production Quality
Attention Holding
Overall:

Conor Night, the world's only necromancer, has finally learned what it means to be the world's only necromancer. It’s a lesson he wishes he had never received, because thanks to him an ancient wizard with an apocalyptic agenda is back in business, ready to finish cleaning house.

Even worse? He’s the only one who can stop it.

He’s been living on a roll of the dice for years, but the stakes have never been higher, and the outcome never so clear: To save the world, he has to die.

©2017 Michael Forbes (P)2017 Michael Forbes

Buy from Audible Buy from Amazon.com Add to Goodreads

Note: As this is Book 4 in the series, you really need to enjoy the previous books to get what’s at stake in this story.

Whew! Such a mix of feelings over this book. It was a great, wild ride but I am sad to say it looks like this is the end of the series. First, it was awesome to see Dani back in the mix. She is so good for Conor and just a great character herself. I love her snark and quick comebacks and her absolute certainty once she’s made a decision. There’s some unfinished business between her and Conor and that might break them apart. I was on the edge of my seat for part of the story waiting to see how things would be resolved between them.

Frank, the trogre, continues to be the heart of this little adventure group. Amos is a jerk with a noble cause (protect Dani). Prythi is also back and her cyber skills are put to the test. Then there is Ash, Karatona’s son. He’s a young dragon that owes his life to Conor.

On the other side, we have Samedi. He’s gathered so much power from tricking and cheating Conor. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Conor and his team try to stay one step ahead of Samedi… and sometimes failing. The woe! But Conor and crew rally each and every time. Even though there are zombies.

Death also enters the fray. Yep, that Death. Conor has to figure out what side he’s really playing for. There were so many ways for all to have been lost for our heroes. I was caught up for the entire story! I especially liked Forbes’s take on the Morrigan in this tale, even if the trio create a serious headache for Conor.

The ending was a deliciously tense bit! Conor has been dying for years from cancer but I really didn’t know how things would fall out for him. I also feared for his companions. Even throughout the action, there are bits of humor tucked in everywhere. Ash and pixies and all of Amos’s comments! Snort-laugh! The final ending was very fitting. Perhaps we will see Conor again someday but if this is all we get, it’s been a worthy series. 5/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this audiobook.

Narration: Jeff Hays has done this series justice! He has a great, rough voice for Conor. I also love his voice for Amos, who is sarcastic or dissatisfied or making lewd comments all the time. All his female voices are feminine (he does a great job with them) and I loved having Dani back. He went the extra mile with the ultra-creepy voice for Samedi. There’s quite the range of emotions in this book, especially for Conor and Hays did a great job performing those emotions. 5/5 stars.

This review first appeared on DabOfDarkness.com

About Jeff Hays

Read the ABR Narrator Spotlight

I’ve done a lot of media production through my life. My first true love was music. I went to a music conservatory, and after a year of air-bowing in the orchestra and still getting A’s, I dropped out. I didn’t want to learn to be a musical museum clerk, and it seems that’s what conservatories are shaping their students into. I wanted to make new music, and play on stage like my favorite rock and jazz favorites. I started an eccentric . . . eclectic . . . band. It was truly a labor of love, but eventually my band mates had more important things to do, and I sadly had to come to the realization that, so did I. I had been working for my parents managing rental property, but they ran into hard times and I could no longer count on having a job with them, let alone on taking over their business when they decide to retire. Nor did I want to. With my job as a maintenance man circling the drain, I scoured the internet for any creative way to make money. For a while I was shooting and editing wedding videos, web commercials, and MMA fights, but I wasn’t making it there. But then I found Voices.com and ACX.com, and I already had all the gear I needed besides a sound booth. This was only 2 years ago, but I feel like I’ve started a new life.

Twitter | Facebook

About M.R. Forbes

M.R. Forbes lives in the pacific northwest with his wife, a cat who thinks she’s a dog, and a dog who thinks she’s a cat. He eats way too many cookies and donuts.

About the Reviewer
Latest Reviews

About susan

Staying sane one audiobook at a time. Susan lives in northern New Mexico where bear scat is a common occurrence. She grew up on Scifi and Fantasy books but eventually expanded her horizons to mysteries and historical fiction.

My Website