Dead Man's Hand
Oct 2022 · The Unorthodox Chronicles Book 1 · Penguin
4.1star
21 reviewsreport
eBook
384
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About this eBook
In the tradition of his renowned father, James J. Butcher’s debut novel is a brilliant urban fantasy about a young man who must throw out the magical rule book to solve the murder of his former mentor.
On the streets of Boston, the world is divided into the ordinary Usuals, and the paranormal Unorthodox. And in the Department of Unorthodox Affairs, the Auditors are the magical elite, government-sanctioned witches with spells at their command and all the power and prestige that comes with it. Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby is…not one of those witches.
After flunking out of the Auditor training program and being dismissed as “not Department material,” Grimsby tried to resign himself to life as a mediocre witch. But he can’t help hoping he’ll somehow, someway, get another chance to prove his skill. That opportunity comes with a price when his former mentor, aka the most dangerous witch alive, is murdered down the street from where he works, and Grimsby is the Auditors’ number one suspect.
Proving his innocence will require more than a little legwork, and after forming a strange alliance with the retired legend known as the Huntsman and a mysterious being from Elsewhere, Grimsby is abruptly thrown into a life of adventure, whether he wants it or not. Now all he has to do is find the real killer, avoid the Auditors on his trail, and most importantly, stay alive.
On the streets of Boston, the world is divided into the ordinary Usuals, and the paranormal Unorthodox. And in the Department of Unorthodox Affairs, the Auditors are the magical elite, government-sanctioned witches with spells at their command and all the power and prestige that comes with it. Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby is…not one of those witches.
After flunking out of the Auditor training program and being dismissed as “not Department material,” Grimsby tried to resign himself to life as a mediocre witch. But he can’t help hoping he’ll somehow, someway, get another chance to prove his skill. That opportunity comes with a price when his former mentor, aka the most dangerous witch alive, is murdered down the street from where he works, and Grimsby is the Auditors’ number one suspect.
Proving his innocence will require more than a little legwork, and after forming a strange alliance with the retired legend known as the Huntsman and a mysterious being from Elsewhere, Grimsby is abruptly thrown into a life of adventure, whether he wants it or not. Now all he has to do is find the real killer, avoid the Auditors on his trail, and most importantly, stay alive.
Ratings and reviews
4.1
21 reviews
Peter Steiner
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11 February 2023
This feels like it belongs in the 1990s. The main character is naive in a completely inaccessible way that bears no relationship with an actual young man. The narrative follows an extremely repetitive structure - action, followed by several pages of the protagonist's disbelief and self-doubt. It's impossible to ignore once you notice. Add to that: an unsophisticated approach to pretty much... any modern social issue. The magic cops are seen as a wholly good force, though misguided. There's a scene in a "sex-club" which is truly cringeworthy, and full of completely inappropriate terms for sex-workers. The main character is 19, and it feels like that's because it was written by a 19-year-old. The unquestioning admiration of a "cool" mentor (out-of-context, the Huntsman would be a hateful uncle you dread seeing at Thanksgiving), or older authority figures in general... this is basically a picture book. Maybe it would be a better comic. At least it's a short read.
Katie Clarke
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29 October 2022
A promising start to a hopefully hilarious, fast paced, and unique contemporary Fantasy series. Good world building and a great flawed main character that brings a freshness to the genre.
Brad Myers
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29 October 2022
A decent first novel, with mostly good pacing and interesting magic elements. Editing could have been tighter.
About the author
JAMES J. BUTCHER spends most of his time in places that don’t exist, some of which he even made himself. What little time he has left is usually spent writing or exercising. He is the son of #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher, who introduced him to books, movies, and games. James lives in Denver and is working on his next novel.
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