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Jonathan Shade #3
Dragon Gate
A RITUALISTIC MURDER
Stephen Noble, a board member of Dragon Gate Industries (DGI), is decapitated. DGI, a front company for wizards, decides to provide executive protection services for Noble's son, Graham, and daughter, Rayna. But Graham doesn't trust wizards and refuses their offer, so DGI hires Jonathan Shade and his team to keep the Noble family safe.
GUILTY CLIENTS
The Nobles are from the other side of the Dragon Gate, and in that dimension, they committed crimes against the Marshall Clan. And now the Clan has come through the Gate to exact their revenge. While Graham and Rayna were too young to have been a part of the death and mayhem in the other land, honor dictates that they must pay for the crimes of their family.
INHUMAN ATTACKERS
How can Jonathan protect clients who are willing to kneel and accept death at any moment? How can he and his team handle thirteen deadly warriors willing to die to accomplish their goal? And how can Jonathan defeat the deadly creatures the Marshall Clan has brought with them to our world? Creatures that will destroy anything in their path as they hunt their prey.
Stephen Noble, a board member of Dragon Gate Industries (DGI), is decapitated. DGI, a front company for wizards, decides to provide executive protection services for Noble's son, Graham, and daughter, Rayna. But Graham doesn't trust wizards and refuses their offer, so DGI hires Jonathan Shade and his team to keep the Noble family safe.
GUILTY CLIENTS
The Nobles are from the other side of the Dragon Gate, and in that dimension, they committed crimes against the Marshall Clan. And now the Clan has come through the Gate to exact their revenge. While Graham and Rayna were too young to have been a part of the death and mayhem in the other land, honor dictates that they must pay for the crimes of their family.
INHUMAN ATTACKERS
How can Jonathan protect clients who are willing to kneel and accept death at any moment? How can he and his team handle thirteen deadly warriors willing to die to accomplish their goal? And how can Jonathan defeat the deadly creatures the Marshall Clan has brought with them to our world? Creatures that will destroy anything in their path as they hunt their prey.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 10, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
May 16, 2016
My original Dragon Gate audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
Gary Jonas doesn’t disappoint with his third Jonathan Shade Novel! After book two and the devastating turn of events was righted, we see a much changed Jonathan. Gone is his whimsical almost careless sarcasm. Instead we are given a man who is haunted by the past and future. He no longer relies on his luck but rather plans everything out and refuses to endanger his friends.
Mike Bender of DGI brings Jonathan Shade a job. Protect the family of the recently decaptitated Stephen Noble, a wealthy board member of DGI. Jonathan, Kelly, Brant and Esther agree to provide protection for Graham and Rayna – grown children of Stephen Noble.
Graham and Rayna come from a dimension where honor is everything and is drilled into them from birth. The Marshall family, also of their dimension arrives and begins to exact punishment for wrongs done before and during the Noble family crossing into the Dragon portal at DGI.
Not only are there dragons and healers, but there are hideous creatures that rip and shred their prey in mere seconds. The Nobles have deadly family secrets; secrets that may get Kelly, Brant and Jonathan killed.
Jonas keeps getting darker with each book; this one has people nobly accepting death – one person commits the crime and the entire line is wiped out; whether all parties are guilty or not.
Jonas surprises his listeners with more twists and turns. Resigned to a haunted Jonathan, we are instead given a growing Jonathan. Kelly and Brant are growing as well. I enjoyed the Kelly diary writing style to show her viewpoint. It made the connection to her audience more complete. She is no longer only the blood thirsty assassin/warrior; she is a more complete character. Surprisingly Brant became much more as well.
Joe Hempel again does not disappoint. I am constantly surprised at how well he integrates himself with the characters making them more real than not. His ability to inject just the right amount of energy and emotion is stunning. He makes narration sound much easier than it is. Hempel gets Jonas; together as narrator and author this series is top notch.
I cannot wait for book 4! I am sure it will be as fast paced, action filled and exciting as these three.
There were no issues with production; everything was smooth.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
Gary Jonas doesn’t disappoint with his third Jonathan Shade Novel! After book two and the devastating turn of events was righted, we see a much changed Jonathan. Gone is his whimsical almost careless sarcasm. Instead we are given a man who is haunted by the past and future. He no longer relies on his luck but rather plans everything out and refuses to endanger his friends.
Mike Bender of DGI brings Jonathan Shade a job. Protect the family of the recently decaptitated Stephen Noble, a wealthy board member of DGI. Jonathan, Kelly, Brant and Esther agree to provide protection for Graham and Rayna – grown children of Stephen Noble.
Graham and Rayna come from a dimension where honor is everything and is drilled into them from birth. The Marshall family, also of their dimension arrives and begins to exact punishment for wrongs done before and during the Noble family crossing into the Dragon portal at DGI.
Not only are there dragons and healers, but there are hideous creatures that rip and shred their prey in mere seconds. The Nobles have deadly family secrets; secrets that may get Kelly, Brant and Jonathan killed.
Jonas keeps getting darker with each book; this one has people nobly accepting death – one person commits the crime and the entire line is wiped out; whether all parties are guilty or not.
Jonas surprises his listeners with more twists and turns. Resigned to a haunted Jonathan, we are instead given a growing Jonathan. Kelly and Brant are growing as well. I enjoyed the Kelly diary writing style to show her viewpoint. It made the connection to her audience more complete. She is no longer only the blood thirsty assassin/warrior; she is a more complete character. Surprisingly Brant became much more as well.
Joe Hempel again does not disappoint. I am constantly surprised at how well he integrates himself with the characters making them more real than not. His ability to inject just the right amount of energy and emotion is stunning. He makes narration sound much easier than it is. Hempel gets Jonas; together as narrator and author this series is top notch.
I cannot wait for book 4! I am sure it will be as fast paced, action filled and exciting as these three.
There were no issues with production; everything was smooth.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
June 3, 2016
I was offered a free copy of this book in audio format from the narrator in exchange for an honest review.
We are back with Jonathan Shade, private investigator, and hist team: Kelly, Brant and Esther. Graham and Rayna's parents are decapitated by the Marshalls, and the clan is going for the rest of the family. Jonathan and his team will have not only to protect Graham and Rayna, but find out why and the truth behind it. Graham, Rayna and the Marshalls have something in common: they came from the place beyond the Dragon Gate.
After listening to a very dark second book, this story focus on how Jonathan evolves after having seen his friends die. This new case is an opportunity to overcome his fears and grow.
This time we get also get the story from the point of view of other characters, apart from Jonathan, and the parts narrated by Kelly are very significant. Jonathan's team is not longer composed by flat secondary characters. In this book they acquire depth and we see them evolve. The world Gary Jonas has created is becoming richer and one can almost feel part of the team.
Jonas' fresh style and fluid dialog makes these books a breeze to read. Even though we are facing dark events, Jonathan's humor and irony will get more than one smile from us.
This book is also narrated by Joe Hempel. I do not know what to say that I had not say before. Jonathan Shade will not be the same without Hempel, and he truly becomes the character and keeps us hooked to the story. He is also good with voices, tones and emotions, and his way of narrating is vivid, motivating and vibrant. Joe Hempel has become one of my favorite narrators ever.
When I started this series I was not sure if it was going to be my cup of tea, but now I just want more, I want to feel part of the Shade team and see where the adventures take us. And I know Hempel will make it unforgettable.
We are back with Jonathan Shade, private investigator, and hist team: Kelly, Brant and Esther. Graham and Rayna's parents are decapitated by the Marshalls, and the clan is going for the rest of the family. Jonathan and his team will have not only to protect Graham and Rayna, but find out why and the truth behind it. Graham, Rayna and the Marshalls have something in common: they came from the place beyond the Dragon Gate.
After listening to a very dark second book, this story focus on how Jonathan evolves after having seen his friends die. This new case is an opportunity to overcome his fears and grow.
This time we get also get the story from the point of view of other characters, apart from Jonathan, and the parts narrated by Kelly are very significant. Jonathan's team is not longer composed by flat secondary characters. In this book they acquire depth and we see them evolve. The world Gary Jonas has created is becoming richer and one can almost feel part of the team.
Jonas' fresh style and fluid dialog makes these books a breeze to read. Even though we are facing dark events, Jonathan's humor and irony will get more than one smile from us.
This book is also narrated by Joe Hempel. I do not know what to say that I had not say before. Jonathan Shade will not be the same without Hempel, and he truly becomes the character and keeps us hooked to the story. He is also good with voices, tones and emotions, and his way of narrating is vivid, motivating and vibrant. Joe Hempel has become one of my favorite narrators ever.
When I started this series I was not sure if it was going to be my cup of tea, but now I just want more, I want to feel part of the Shade team and see where the adventures take us. And I know Hempel will make it unforgettable.
November 3, 2016
This is the third in the Johnathan Shade series, and I have to say, it's the best yet. The story was more cohesive with few side plots to distract from the main storyline. I enjoyed (almost) all of the characters, and Mr. Hempel's performance--as always--breathes life into them. It's very easy to tell one character apart from the other merely by the sound of his voice and the way he acts them out.
The plot itself is relatively simple: Johnathan is hired for a protection job. It seems there is a family of immigrants from beyond the Dragon Gate (Yes, THAT Dragon Gate, in the basement of DGI) who have lived among us for many years. They were fleeing from another family/clan in an alternate dimension who wants them all dead to satisfy their honor, according to their customs. Johnathan, Kelly, Brand, & Esther are hired to after the parents have been killed. The father of the family had arranged via Mike Ender to keep his kids safe in the event of his death by beheading. The rest of the plot follows from there.
In this book, Johnathan doesn't kid around so much... which I liked. His jokes? Not really that good anyway, so I was happy to hear less of them. However, since the events of the last book, he's a LOT gloomier. I'm not sure if the trade off was worth it. Towards the end of the book, it seems a lot of the character development had been mostly wiped away. Kelly was awesome, and I liked the main new character introduced, Raina, but the star of the show for me was Brand. He understood self-sacrifice in a way that was realistic and very moving. That one particular scene (you'll know it when you hear it) really brought tears to my eyes.
There are a couple things which bear mentioning. First, this is the first book in the series which was not all told from Johnathan's POV. I'm not sure how I feel about the series suddenly shifting gears like that... BUT we got to be in Kelly's head, that I really loved that. We also got to be in other character's heads... but they were new and I didn't know them. So until we had more to go on, I spent much of Raina's POV going "I don't get it. Why do I need to hear from her? I don't know her!" In addition to that, the narrative FOR Raina's POV switches from first person to third person limited, which is VERY odd, and it helps for mistakes to be made. At one point, though we know Raina cannot see Esther, the text states she pops into view... but it was 3rd person from Raina's POV, so it became kind of confusing. I'm not sure if the multiple POVs were really necessary, and then again, major characters were omitted from that POV shift! We didn't see Esther or Brand's POV, both of which have been around since the first book and are important supporting characters.
So, while I quite liked this offering, due to the weird changes in format and storytelling narrative, I just can't give it a five out of five. It's still a really great story, and the best I've listened to yet from Mr. Jonas. Joe Hempel's narration for the series remains spot on and perfect. Even though I don't quite like Johnthan Shade, I can't imagine anyone else narrating him.
The plot itself is relatively simple: Johnathan is hired for a protection job. It seems there is a family of immigrants from beyond the Dragon Gate (Yes, THAT Dragon Gate, in the basement of DGI) who have lived among us for many years. They were fleeing from another family/clan in an alternate dimension who wants them all dead to satisfy their honor, according to their customs. Johnathan, Kelly, Brand, & Esther are hired to after the parents have been killed. The father of the family had arranged via Mike Ender to keep his kids safe in the event of his death by beheading. The rest of the plot follows from there.
In this book, Johnathan doesn't kid around so much... which I liked. His jokes? Not really that good anyway, so I was happy to hear less of them. However, since the events of the last book, he's a LOT gloomier. I'm not sure if the trade off was worth it. Towards the end of the book, it seems a lot of the character development had been mostly wiped away. Kelly was awesome, and I liked the main new character introduced, Raina, but the star of the show for me was Brand. He understood self-sacrifice in a way that was realistic and very moving. That one particular scene (you'll know it when you hear it) really brought tears to my eyes.
There are a couple things which bear mentioning. First, this is the first book in the series which was not all told from Johnathan's POV. I'm not sure how I feel about the series suddenly shifting gears like that... BUT we got to be in Kelly's head, that I really loved that. We also got to be in other character's heads... but they were new and I didn't know them. So until we had more to go on, I spent much of Raina's POV going "I don't get it. Why do I need to hear from her? I don't know her!" In addition to that, the narrative FOR Raina's POV switches from first person to third person limited, which is VERY odd, and it helps for mistakes to be made. At one point, though we know Raina cannot see Esther, the text states she pops into view... but it was 3rd person from Raina's POV, so it became kind of confusing. I'm not sure if the multiple POVs were really necessary, and then again, major characters were omitted from that POV shift! We didn't see Esther or Brand's POV, both of which have been around since the first book and are important supporting characters.
So, while I quite liked this offering, due to the weird changes in format and storytelling narrative, I just can't give it a five out of five. It's still a really great story, and the best I've listened to yet from Mr. Jonas. Joe Hempel's narration for the series remains spot on and perfect. Even though I don't quite like Johnthan Shade, I can't imagine anyone else narrating him.
August 23, 2018
Dragon Gate, Jonathan Shade, #3
by Gary Jonas
Jonathan Shade is back. In the 2nd book in the series, we say Shade go above and beyond in order to save his companions. But his trip back in time, while accomplishing his goal, left him noticeably changed. While he manages to keep his secret to himself, Esther, Brand, and Kelly know he's holding something back. When they get a new job as protectors of a brother/sister team of very rich entrepreneurs, it seems a good fit for the team, and certainly a needed fiscal shot in the arm.
However, this brother and sister are not just different by way being fabulously wealthy, they aren't quite human. Defending this duo proves to be more difficult than Shade ever imagined and pretty much gives DGI's name (Dragon Gate Inc.) new meaning. Who will and who won't survive, and how will they all be changed by what seems on the surface to be a pretty straightforward job?
So, as usual there is a lot of action, interesting new characters, developing old characters, excellent editing and proofing, great plotting and pacing and flow. No cliffhanger ending. Nice! While suspending belief in this novel is maybe a little harder than in the last two, it isn't impossible. Hopefully in future novels, Jonas while stop relying on "healers" to resurrect his characters, and perhaps have them go into battle a bit more prepared.
I'm looking forward to finding out in the next in the series, "Anubis Nights."
by Gary Jonas
Jonathan Shade is back. In the 2nd book in the series, we say Shade go above and beyond in order to save his companions. But his trip back in time, while accomplishing his goal, left him noticeably changed. While he manages to keep his secret to himself, Esther, Brand, and Kelly know he's holding something back. When they get a new job as protectors of a brother/sister team of very rich entrepreneurs, it seems a good fit for the team, and certainly a needed fiscal shot in the arm.
However, this brother and sister are not just different by way being fabulously wealthy, they aren't quite human. Defending this duo proves to be more difficult than Shade ever imagined and pretty much gives DGI's name (Dragon Gate Inc.) new meaning. Who will and who won't survive, and how will they all be changed by what seems on the surface to be a pretty straightforward job?
So, as usual there is a lot of action, interesting new characters, developing old characters, excellent editing and proofing, great plotting and pacing and flow. No cliffhanger ending. Nice! While suspending belief in this novel is maybe a little harder than in the last two, it isn't impossible. Hopefully in future novels, Jonas while stop relying on "healers" to resurrect his characters, and perhaps have them go into battle a bit more prepared.
I'm looking forward to finding out in the next in the series, "Anubis Nights."
June 23, 2017
Dragon Gate is the best Shade novel so far! We get to know Jonathan, Kelly, and Brand pretty well by this point in the series. I’ve got to say that the places Jonas takes us in character development this time have raised the characters I don’t want to die tally from two to three (sorry Esther, you’re a ghost and don’t factor in).
There is a dragon this time! That’s not a spoiler because its picture is on the cover. I like how every Shade novel brings us to a different corner in the paranormal woods.
I received a free audible code in exchange for a review. Any review. That fact that it’s a good one is because the book is good. Which has nothing to do with how awesome I am. You’ll have to find that out for yourself @S_Shane_Thomas on Twitter.
If you are looking for an action packed paranormal detective story to keep your eyes open on that long vacation drive, jump into the Jonathan Shade series. Joe Hempel’s narration adds emotion, depth, and character over Jonas’s storytelling that will keep you white knuckling the wheel.
There is a dragon this time! That’s not a spoiler because its picture is on the cover. I like how every Shade novel brings us to a different corner in the paranormal woods.
I received a free audible code in exchange for a review. Any review. That fact that it’s a good one is because the book is good. Which has nothing to do with how awesome I am. You’ll have to find that out for yourself @S_Shane_Thomas on Twitter.
If you are looking for an action packed paranormal detective story to keep your eyes open on that long vacation drive, jump into the Jonathan Shade series. Joe Hempel’s narration adds emotion, depth, and character over Jonas’s storytelling that will keep you white knuckling the wheel.
March 16, 2024
Fun urban fantasy read. I like the main character premise, but the snarky PI in a magic world felt a little too Dresden for me, so I couldn't stop comparing. However, I listen to books 1-3 so liked it enough to keep going. I feel like the narrator did not help. The way he read it I really did not like the character, despite liking the character type and overall actions. I will have to read future books instead of listening.
I can see a nice improvement in the writing and also the narration for this one which made me like it better. All three were good enough to keep me listening and interested and this last one definitely made it to a 4 where star, so willing to recommend. however, I still recommend reading instead of listening.
I can see a nice improvement in the writing and also the narration for this one which made me like it better. All three were good enough to keep me listening and interested and this last one definitely made it to a 4 where star, so willing to recommend. however, I still recommend reading instead of listening.
July 31, 2018
I missed Jonathan's normal sense of humor, but it was nice to get so many angels on the story. I enjoyed the different twists and turns that the story took. It was a nice treat to get a it of an inside look to Kelly and she helped make up for Jonathan's sense of humor (a bit). I really enjoyed Rayna's attitude and how she was more relaxed and not too uptight. Graham on the other hand is a complete jerk and is just one of those guys that you can't stand. All this made the story more interesting and I loved that they actually had a dragon in modern times flying around.
October 20, 2025
What about the Dragon? Is it real or just the gate
This started out as a protection detail. Well that got really interesting as time went by. But the story of what they were doing changed. So let's just add in a real live dragon too, and still have her in the mix of who's projecting who or what.
This started out as a protection detail. Well that got really interesting as time went by. But the story of what they were doing changed. So let's just add in a real live dragon too, and still have her in the mix of who's projecting who or what.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2020
Third outing for Jonathan Shade and team, this time the are hired as bodyguards. Good book, with a slight difference, as it interchanges between different characters view points, this enables the other characters to develop more.
June 29, 2023
Best book of the series so far. Shade is enlisted to provide protection for a brother and sister whose father has been executed.
But they don't necessarily want his protection. Wild things ensue
But they don't necessarily want his protection. Wild things ensue
July 13, 2024
Holy Shit! This book was incredible! I really enjoyed it! I highly recommend this series!
May 8, 2016
Gary is not afraid to beat up his characters, on many fronts. Jonathan, Kelly, and Brand all go through drastic changes in this book. Physically and mentally they come to realize things, but are they ready to face what the outcomes will be?
I'm caught by this series. I'm curious to see where and what new magical beings or events we come across in the future.
****FULL REVIEW****
*I requested to review a copy of this audiobook for an honest review from the author or narrator.
On his knees, prepared to be executed, Stephen Noble calls Mike Endar leaving the short message that only Mike will know the meaning of. To protect Stephen's two children. Mike knows who to go to, and with owing Mike one, Jonathan and his team are on the job. To protect Rayna and Graham Noble. Rayna doesn't want to live by the rules of the old world's ways, she wants to live on and not die. But she needs to convince her brother of that thinking in this new world they live in, things are different on this side of the gate. Jonathan and Kelly know there is information they don't have, but they fight a family of thirteen to protect Rayna and Graham as best they can.
Joe has returned for the third book in this series to voice Jonathan and crew for us. Joe has become Jonathan Shade's voice for me so I'm thrilled when we stay with the same narrator. Joe does different vocal timbres for each character to help differentiate them in the story. Implications of male and female along with inflection of the characters mind set. The story narration is clear and seamless in it's creation.
This story has a little different format. It's not all from Jonathan's POV. We get the view of the story from a few additional people. We have Jonathan and Kelly working as a team to protect Rayna and Graham, each having their own lives to live and things to do so we split up with the two protectees. By doing this we get views from all four characters so we learn what information of the Noble family and ways of their world are revealed along with what happens to each.
Getting the view through Kelly's eyes and in her mind gives us a softer look on her. It seems Kelly has grown as well. Kelly still loves to kill, that's what she was created for, but she's starting to see that life needs to be preserved as well.
Kelly also sees that her dear friend Jonathan is not the same person he was a few months ago. She can see a hardness in Jonathan now that also prevents his good nature jokes and smiles from appearing as often as they use to. This is what I was waiting to see in this book. I wanted to see how Jonathan would be different and how he'd handle it with his friends. Jonathan is struggling with how to handle things with his friends as Kelly and Brand are both questioning him about being different, both personality wise and fighting wise. Jonathan doesn't want to admit his failure to them. A failure he corrected and in the process became a different person. Jonathan has to find a way of working through his fear of losing people and let himself connect again. He seems to come around at the end. Which is nice, because I do enjoy his sense of humor too.
Jonathan seems to fall for the woman he does jobs for. I figured that would be coming in this story as well. It's a slow growth then suddenly Jonathan turns the corner to start being his old self. In doing so, Jonathan might have found himself a keeper girlfriend, but his track record hasn't been so good as his past girlfriends are dead. Will this one live?
Gary is not afraid to beat up his characters, on many fronts. Jonathan, Kelly, and Brand all go through drastic changes in this book. Physically and mentally they come to realize things, but are they ready to face what the outcomes will be?
The story here had me curious as to what the Noble family is. There is a connection between them and the Dragon Gate in the tunnels under DGI, as you probably could guess from the title if you've read the previous two books. They are something... different. But what?
I'm caught by this series. I'm curious to see where and what new magical beings or events we come across in the future.
I'm caught by this series. I'm curious to see where and what new magical beings or events we come across in the future.
****FULL REVIEW****
*I requested to review a copy of this audiobook for an honest review from the author or narrator.
On his knees, prepared to be executed, Stephen Noble calls Mike Endar leaving the short message that only Mike will know the meaning of. To protect Stephen's two children. Mike knows who to go to, and with owing Mike one, Jonathan and his team are on the job. To protect Rayna and Graham Noble. Rayna doesn't want to live by the rules of the old world's ways, she wants to live on and not die. But she needs to convince her brother of that thinking in this new world they live in, things are different on this side of the gate. Jonathan and Kelly know there is information they don't have, but they fight a family of thirteen to protect Rayna and Graham as best they can.
Joe has returned for the third book in this series to voice Jonathan and crew for us. Joe has become Jonathan Shade's voice for me so I'm thrilled when we stay with the same narrator. Joe does different vocal timbres for each character to help differentiate them in the story. Implications of male and female along with inflection of the characters mind set. The story narration is clear and seamless in it's creation.
This story has a little different format. It's not all from Jonathan's POV. We get the view of the story from a few additional people. We have Jonathan and Kelly working as a team to protect Rayna and Graham, each having their own lives to live and things to do so we split up with the two protectees. By doing this we get views from all four characters so we learn what information of the Noble family and ways of their world are revealed along with what happens to each.
Getting the view through Kelly's eyes and in her mind gives us a softer look on her. It seems Kelly has grown as well. Kelly still loves to kill, that's what she was created for, but she's starting to see that life needs to be preserved as well.
Kelly also sees that her dear friend Jonathan is not the same person he was a few months ago. She can see a hardness in Jonathan now that also prevents his good nature jokes and smiles from appearing as often as they use to. This is what I was waiting to see in this book. I wanted to see how Jonathan would be different and how he'd handle it with his friends. Jonathan is struggling with how to handle things with his friends as Kelly and Brand are both questioning him about being different, both personality wise and fighting wise. Jonathan doesn't want to admit his failure to them. A failure he corrected and in the process became a different person. Jonathan has to find a way of working through his fear of losing people and let himself connect again. He seems to come around at the end. Which is nice, because I do enjoy his sense of humor too.
Jonathan seems to fall for the woman he does jobs for. I figured that would be coming in this story as well. It's a slow growth then suddenly Jonathan turns the corner to start being his old self. In doing so, Jonathan might have found himself a keeper girlfriend, but his track record hasn't been so good as his past girlfriends are dead. Will this one live?
Gary is not afraid to beat up his characters, on many fronts. Jonathan, Kelly, and Brand all go through drastic changes in this book. Physically and mentally they come to realize things, but are they ready to face what the outcomes will be?
The story here had me curious as to what the Noble family is. There is a connection between them and the Dragon Gate in the tunnels under DGI, as you probably could guess from the title if you've read the previous two books. They are something... different. But what?
I'm caught by this series. I'm curious to see where and what new magical beings or events we come across in the future.
March 31, 2016
Note: While this is Book 3 in the series, it works mostly well on it’s own. Of course, the first two books were really good, so I highly recommend giving them a read.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in this series and that set the bar pretty high for this book. Jonathan and his crew (Kelly Chan, her boyfriend Brand, and the ghost Esther) are hired by Dragon Gate Industries to protect the Nobles from the revenge-seeking Marshall clan. It’s not the normal case Jonathan takes on, but he owes the guys at DGI a favor. However both the Nobles and the Marshalls come from a culture that demands the Nobles willingly give up their lives to maintain family honor.
There were several things I liked about this book but then there were also some things that didn’t work for me. The set up is interesting and not something I have come across too often in urban fantasy. The Nobles are unwilling to defend themselves and some will willingly kneel for the sword. This makes it very difficult (and a bit infuriating) for Jonathan & his team to protect the Nobles. However, the reasons driving the Marshall clan to wipe out the Nobles, including the next generation that wasn’t part of the crime that lies between the two families, never fully gelled for me. For instance, the Marshalls take heavy damage and several deaths (which can only be expected when you go up against Kelly Chan). I don’t think it was worth the cost to the Marshalls but we never get inside their heads, so we never know why they keep coming.
On the plus side, we get plenty of Kelly time, which is awesome. My love affair with this character continues. Through the form of journal entries (yep, Kelly’s got a diary!), we get her opinion on everything from the use of high heels as weapons to worrying over Jonathan’s recent personality change. And that leads me to Jonathan and how he is suppose to be rather removed from his friends, harder, and not his normal joking self. Jonathan’s friends comment often on his new harsher self, but when we ride around in his head he doesn’t sound any different from the first two books. He’s worried about his friends, takes pride in his work, etc. After what he suffered at the end of Book 2, I was really expecting more of a change in him and that change wasn’t fully crystallized in this book.
But then we have more awesomesauce. Esther’s character continues to grow. Through the typewriter keys that she haunts, she has a wider circle of friends and all the places they visit as well. Brand, a second generation sekutar (a magically manufactured warrior of sorts), also continues to evolve. His relationship with Kelly has forced him to develop his sense of empathy. I was convinced he wouldn’t live past Book 1, but I am glad the author kept him around to play the humorous, usually oblivious jock.
Jonathan & crew are left protecting Rayna and her brother Graham, who aren’t too enthusiastic about the body guards. The Nobles have special abilities that get revealed little by little. I really liked how reticent they were to show off their paranormal or magical abilities. For the bulk of the book, Rayna and Graham need to be protected, having no evident fighting skills. However, at the very end of the book, the author suddenly tosses in some warrior skills for the Nobles and I felt this was too convenient and didn’t match up with the character and what little we learned about the culture of the land the Nobles and Marshalls are from.
So while this book was a bit of a mixed bag for me, I plan to continue the series. Books 1 & 2 were so entertaining that I trust the author to get this series back up to that same level.
I received a copy at no cost from the narrator in exchange for an honest review.
The Narration: Joe Hempel continues to be an excellent narrator for this series. I love his voice for Esther, especially when she says, ‘It’s all berries.’ Once again, he nails the voice for Kelly Chan with her light Asian accent.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in this series and that set the bar pretty high for this book. Jonathan and his crew (Kelly Chan, her boyfriend Brand, and the ghost Esther) are hired by Dragon Gate Industries to protect the Nobles from the revenge-seeking Marshall clan. It’s not the normal case Jonathan takes on, but he owes the guys at DGI a favor. However both the Nobles and the Marshalls come from a culture that demands the Nobles willingly give up their lives to maintain family honor.
There were several things I liked about this book but then there were also some things that didn’t work for me. The set up is interesting and not something I have come across too often in urban fantasy. The Nobles are unwilling to defend themselves and some will willingly kneel for the sword. This makes it very difficult (and a bit infuriating) for Jonathan & his team to protect the Nobles. However, the reasons driving the Marshall clan to wipe out the Nobles, including the next generation that wasn’t part of the crime that lies between the two families, never fully gelled for me. For instance, the Marshalls take heavy damage and several deaths (which can only be expected when you go up against Kelly Chan). I don’t think it was worth the cost to the Marshalls but we never get inside their heads, so we never know why they keep coming.
On the plus side, we get plenty of Kelly time, which is awesome. My love affair with this character continues. Through the form of journal entries (yep, Kelly’s got a diary!), we get her opinion on everything from the use of high heels as weapons to worrying over Jonathan’s recent personality change. And that leads me to Jonathan and how he is suppose to be rather removed from his friends, harder, and not his normal joking self. Jonathan’s friends comment often on his new harsher self, but when we ride around in his head he doesn’t sound any different from the first two books. He’s worried about his friends, takes pride in his work, etc. After what he suffered at the end of Book 2, I was really expecting more of a change in him and that change wasn’t fully crystallized in this book.
But then we have more awesomesauce. Esther’s character continues to grow. Through the typewriter keys that she haunts, she has a wider circle of friends and all the places they visit as well. Brand, a second generation sekutar (a magically manufactured warrior of sorts), also continues to evolve. His relationship with Kelly has forced him to develop his sense of empathy. I was convinced he wouldn’t live past Book 1, but I am glad the author kept him around to play the humorous, usually oblivious jock.
Jonathan & crew are left protecting Rayna and her brother Graham, who aren’t too enthusiastic about the body guards. The Nobles have special abilities that get revealed little by little. I really liked how reticent they were to show off their paranormal or magical abilities. For the bulk of the book, Rayna and Graham need to be protected, having no evident fighting skills. However, at the very end of the book, the author suddenly tosses in some warrior skills for the Nobles and I felt this was too convenient and didn’t match up with the character and what little we learned about the culture of the land the Nobles and Marshalls are from.
So while this book was a bit of a mixed bag for me, I plan to continue the series. Books 1 & 2 were so entertaining that I trust the author to get this series back up to that same level.
I received a copy at no cost from the narrator in exchange for an honest review.
The Narration: Joe Hempel continues to be an excellent narrator for this series. I love his voice for Esther, especially when she says, ‘It’s all berries.’ Once again, he nails the voice for Kelly Chan with her light Asian accent.
March 2, 2017
This is a good read.The third in a series and just as good as book 1 and 2.Johnathon is hired to keep a mobsters adult children from being murdered.They are from the other side of the dimension and honor is everything to them leading to unique issues keeping them alive.Joe Hampel is the perfect narrator for this series."This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost
August 30, 2016
(Format :Audiobook)
""...again and again until you are dead.""
I haven't read the print version but cannot believe that this audio book could be bettered. The combination of Gary Jonas' text and Joe Hempel's narration fuse seemlessly to deliver an excellent experience.
This series continues to delight, in part because Jonathan Shade himself is an engaging character whose outlook on life changes as circumstances alter. Originally easy going and joking in volume one, his burden of guilt as the series continued has brought a.more capable but resigned Jonathan to book three. He still blames himself for not being able to save his first love and is haunted by the slaughter of his companions. His friends have noticed the changes but he can never tell them why.
Which all makes the this book sound very dark and brooding. Quite the opposite. It is filled with humour, danger and bright repartee somewhat along the lines of a John Scalzi dialogue. Plus the hunters persuing Jon's latest clients, although human, are from a different dimension and.bring with them some fabulous beasts. Jon's job this time is, with the help only of best friend Kelly, her partner Brant, and the ghostly Esther, is to keep alive the fatalistic brother and sister, Graham and Rayna Noble by defeating the vindictive Marshall Clan, a father and his many sons and their ferocious pets. Money is no object but the clients are strangely reluctant to accept help even when other family members are killed. Can Shade break the cycle and this time save the lady?
Jonathan is changing and so too is the format of the book. Dragon Gate is written in alternating chapters seen from the perspective of different protagonists which gives us a deeper insight into each one and it a joy to get better acquainted with both Kelly and Brant. This does make the.narrator's task more difficult however. Always the voice of Shade, himself, Joe Hempel now also takes on the characters of all of the other players. His dialogue voices were always superb, clear and distinctive, but in Dragon Gate he achieves the even more amazing effect of becoming those people too. A perfect performance, well timed and paced, inflection just right so that he almost disappears as the listener is absorbed into the pleasure of the book
Dragon Gate, though third in the series, is a stand alone novel which can be enjoyed at any time although it will be greatly enhanced. with the familiarity with the main protagonists gained in books one and two. Might as well start at the beginning, then, if you haven't already, as readers are sure to want more after finishing this book. As I do.
This review honestly reflects my feelings about Dragon Gate and the whole Shade audio book series. My sincere thanks to Joe Hempel who sent me a complimentary copy
""...again and again until you are dead.""
I haven't read the print version but cannot believe that this audio book could be bettered. The combination of Gary Jonas' text and Joe Hempel's narration fuse seemlessly to deliver an excellent experience.
This series continues to delight, in part because Jonathan Shade himself is an engaging character whose outlook on life changes as circumstances alter. Originally easy going and joking in volume one, his burden of guilt as the series continued has brought a.more capable but resigned Jonathan to book three. He still blames himself for not being able to save his first love and is haunted by the slaughter of his companions. His friends have noticed the changes but he can never tell them why.
Which all makes the this book sound very dark and brooding. Quite the opposite. It is filled with humour, danger and bright repartee somewhat along the lines of a John Scalzi dialogue. Plus the hunters persuing Jon's latest clients, although human, are from a different dimension and.bring with them some fabulous beasts. Jon's job this time is, with the help only of best friend Kelly, her partner Brant, and the ghostly Esther, is to keep alive the fatalistic brother and sister, Graham and Rayna Noble by defeating the vindictive Marshall Clan, a father and his many sons and their ferocious pets. Money is no object but the clients are strangely reluctant to accept help even when other family members are killed. Can Shade break the cycle and this time save the lady?
Jonathan is changing and so too is the format of the book. Dragon Gate is written in alternating chapters seen from the perspective of different protagonists which gives us a deeper insight into each one and it a joy to get better acquainted with both Kelly and Brant. This does make the.narrator's task more difficult however. Always the voice of Shade, himself, Joe Hempel now also takes on the characters of all of the other players. His dialogue voices were always superb, clear and distinctive, but in Dragon Gate he achieves the even more amazing effect of becoming those people too. A perfect performance, well timed and paced, inflection just right so that he almost disappears as the listener is absorbed into the pleasure of the book
Dragon Gate, though third in the series, is a stand alone novel which can be enjoyed at any time although it will be greatly enhanced. with the familiarity with the main protagonists gained in books one and two. Might as well start at the beginning, then, if you haven't already, as readers are sure to want more after finishing this book. As I do.
This review honestly reflects my feelings about Dragon Gate and the whole Shade audio book series. My sincere thanks to Joe Hempel who sent me a complimentary copy
January 9, 2021
Oh wow, I loved this book. I enjoyed the first two books in the series and didn't think the author could improve on the series but somehow he has created another master piece. The story continues from where book two left off (and I highly recommend listening to it as well) but this one is slightly different in the fact the the story isn't told just in Jonathan's perspective and each chapter starts with whos point of view it is. This really works well because with so much happening in the story it needs the multi levels of perspectives for you to keep up. I can easily see this being made into a film or for television and with so much action, back stabbing, secrets and even dragons it would surely be a hit. I liked the fact that for this book Jonathan and Kelly seemed to have switched opinions about life, they still make a great team but like Kelly I missed Jonathan's humour, don't worry he still has the power to annoy everyone tho. I can't wait to start the next book.
Mike from the DGI helped Jonathan on his last case and now he is calling in that favour. Stephen Noble has lost his head and the man responsible is after the rest of his family. Jonathan and his team are tasked with saving his son and daughter from a family clan of killers, who might or might not have the use of magic at there finger tips. But when dragons are at your beck and call who needs magic? Can Jonathan and his team keep them safe, despite not knowing everything? because the Noble family is keeping a very big secret. A secret that could very easily get them all killed.
I like the narrator and think he is perfect for this series, whether it's a male or female voice he brings them to life.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Mike from the DGI helped Jonathan on his last case and now he is calling in that favour. Stephen Noble has lost his head and the man responsible is after the rest of his family. Jonathan and his team are tasked with saving his son and daughter from a family clan of killers, who might or might not have the use of magic at there finger tips. But when dragons are at your beck and call who needs magic? Can Jonathan and his team keep them safe, despite not knowing everything? because the Noble family is keeping a very big secret. A secret that could very easily get them all killed.
I like the narrator and think he is perfect for this series, whether it's a male or female voice he brings them to life.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
April 12, 2016
(I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.)
Noticeably missing from this story is Jonathan’s almost non-stop smart-ass remarks and continuous pop culture references. Yes, they are there. But…if you’ve made it this far through the devastating climax of the second Jonathan Shade novel, you’ll understand that he hasn’t just bounced back.
Even his friends have noticed.
Even the new girl in his life notices.
This, the third in the series is also different in that it jumps perspectives. Now this can be a tricky thing, and apparently turned off a tiny bit of reviewers.
Personally, I thought Mr. Jonas did a rather good job, adding the depth to Kelly I’d looked forward to.
Reviewers are still comparing this series to Dresden. Yet, while most Dresden reviewers agree that the series doesn’t get teeth until the third book, I think Mr. Jonas gave Shade teeth in the last one and this one shows us how a character deals with a world-rocking aftermath in a very smooth manner. Plus, Jonathan still carries on with a slightly harder edge.
And how can you complain about the third book that hasn’t lost its momentum, still drags you kicking and screaming until the very end wondering where the hell the day went, and leaves you begging for more.
Plus, all fangirl aside, I think that Mr. Hempel has found his character. With each installment of Jonathan Shade, he gets better and better, adding more and more depth to the MC while still managing to add flair to every other character in the series.
I have so much enjoyed listening that even though I really want to know what happens next, I will stubbornly wait for Anubis Nights to be available in an audio format.
Noticeably missing from this story is Jonathan’s almost non-stop smart-ass remarks and continuous pop culture references. Yes, they are there. But…if you’ve made it this far through the devastating climax of the second Jonathan Shade novel, you’ll understand that he hasn’t just bounced back.
Even his friends have noticed.
Even the new girl in his life notices.
This, the third in the series is also different in that it jumps perspectives. Now this can be a tricky thing, and apparently turned off a tiny bit of reviewers.
Personally, I thought Mr. Jonas did a rather good job, adding the depth to Kelly I’d looked forward to.
Reviewers are still comparing this series to Dresden. Yet, while most Dresden reviewers agree that the series doesn’t get teeth until the third book, I think Mr. Jonas gave Shade teeth in the last one and this one shows us how a character deals with a world-rocking aftermath in a very smooth manner. Plus, Jonathan still carries on with a slightly harder edge.
And how can you complain about the third book that hasn’t lost its momentum, still drags you kicking and screaming until the very end wondering where the hell the day went, and leaves you begging for more.
Plus, all fangirl aside, I think that Mr. Hempel has found his character. With each installment of Jonathan Shade, he gets better and better, adding more and more depth to the MC while still managing to add flair to every other character in the series.
I have so much enjoyed listening that even though I really want to know what happens next, I will stubbornly wait for Anubis Nights to be available in an audio format.
April 17, 2016
The 3rd audiobook in the Jonathan Shade series continues his story from where the last book left off. We see a harder more serious side to Shade, the repercussions of his actions in book two are taking their toll and his friends are noticing the changes in him. Kelly, Brant and Jon are hired by Dragon Gate Industries (whom Slade owes a favour to) to protect the Noble family from the vengeful Marshall clan. Of course, these are not normal people and the challenges and dangers this job presents has effects on everyone on Slade's team. Slade himself is perhaps changed most by the occurrences in this story, changing him from the dark, pessimistic figure he had become, back into a person willing to take a chance on life. This book is somewhat lighter in nature than book two, but it still retains a hint of darkness. It also differs in that it is told from various POV's and I liked this change in format. I found it brought depth to the other characters and gave the reader more insight into their personalities. Joe Hempel's narration has grown along with the characters, infusing more depth and emotion into each one. I particularly like how Brant has been brought to life in this book, his character has developed and grown in the story and Mr Hempel has reflected that in his narration. This story rounds up many of the storyline threads from the previous two books and begins some engaging new ones that will be interesting to see how they develop. I received this audiobook at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
May 22, 2016
My love for this series grows with each book! I found myself taking my time with this one, because I knew it was the last audiobook that has been released so far. I love these characters, and have been through quite a bit with them in the first three books. The author is not afraid to beat the crap out of them in his books! This makes for a really "on the edge of my seat" experience, never knowing if someone will die in the action. I haven't experienced this very much in books before, I think a lot of authors are afraid to take that chance. The twists add so much excitement to an already action packed story. There are different interesting creatures in each book. This one contained a few including Dragons, and some kind of dragon/human hybrid. There were several creatures or beings that were brand new to me in this story as well. Joe Hempel is the narrator of the audiobook, and has also done the other two in the series. I absolutely love his work! He brings the story to life perfectly, making each character easily recognizable. I'm so impressed with both Joe Hempel, and Gary Jonas for this series. I highly recommend the audiobooks to anyone interested in this series. I can not wait for the next book to be released in audio, and I hope it happens soon!
**I was provided with this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. My opinions would be no different if this was not the case.
**I was provided with this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. My opinions would be no different if this was not the case.
May 5, 2016
Dragon Gate by Gary Jonas in the third book in the Jonathan Shade series but can be read without reading the other two books but do yourself a favor and read them, you will be glad you did! This picks up where the other book leaves off, and things start off with mysteries, wizards, aliens for another dimension, dragons, assassins, and a possible new romance for Jonathan. Things go bad for the two magical engineered warriors, one being his partner, and it takes all he has to save her. So many twists and turns and surprises this author is good for. The book is never as it seems, that is what I like about these books. The author is always one step ahead, the creativity and wit, humor, sensitivity, and love, all mixed in to one book is smoothly meshed perfectly. The action is non-stop, no rest for the characters or reader. Always a perfect plot, well developed characters, and well placed surprises and twists to grab the reader to say, "Oh my God! I didn't see that coming at all!!!" Love these books. I love the way they make me laugh one minute and tense up the next. Fun reads. The flapper ghost on his team is my favorite!
August 14, 2016
The Dragon's Gate (Mentioned in the 2 previous books) is finally revealed, and it has interesting consequences. Jonathan is still fighting back from a particular loss, but has someone help him through it despite the strangeness of the whole scenario. Esther still helps to keep up the humor and holds the whole book together while Kelly remains a badass, despite herself.
There are sacrifices is this one which are curious, and further development that shifts everything, again (Like I said, it's the author's Modus Operandi.) Definitely worth the read.
There are sacrifices is this one which are curious, and further development that shifts everything, again (Like I said, it's the author's Modus Operandi.) Definitely worth the read.
April 11, 2016
Another very exciting book in this series. I listened to the Audible version, and it was well-paced and hard to stop listening to. There is lots of action and interesting characters abound. The pictures the author paints with the story are very vivid. This is definitely not a story for those averse to blood, guts, and gore in a story, but if you like supernatural fantasy, I recommend giving this one a try.
December 28, 2014
I love Jonathan shade ...
February 6, 2015
Slade
Not bad. Turns out the new Spade is the same as the old Spade, just a tad more bad ass, which as I already said, ain't bad.
Not bad. Turns out the new Spade is the same as the old Spade, just a tad more bad ass, which as I already said, ain't bad.
December 26, 2016
I am loving this series!
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