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The Fantastic Fluke #4
Un vestige du passé: Meurtre et Sorcellerie, T4
Découvrez la suite de Meurtre et Sorcellerie, la série à succès de Sam Burns !
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 24, 2022
135 people are currently reading
302 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
September 21, 2025
Joyful!!!
A gripping adventure, this story get crazier and crazier, interesting characters, the new and the old, the main characters were cute as ever, great actions scenes, I was excited several times, the plot is simple and easy to connect the dots and figure thing out, but it doesn’t take the joy of the story! Absolutely adored the love making scene, it was steamy and beautiful, and so romantic!
The story had many great ideas, unfortunately because the book is too short, the ideas couldn’t be explored thoroughly. Overall I had a great time with it, congratulations to Sam Burns!!!!
I also have this book on Audible, another stunning performance from Zachary Johnson, he just become part of my “favourite narrators” group, fully committed, acting on point, I was really pleased!!! He made the book better! High praises to him!!!
4⭐️
A gripping adventure, this story get crazier and crazier, interesting characters, the new and the old, the main characters were cute as ever, great actions scenes, I was excited several times, the plot is simple and easy to connect the dots and figure thing out, but it doesn’t take the joy of the story! Absolutely adored the love making scene, it was steamy and beautiful, and so romantic!
The story had many great ideas, unfortunately because the book is too short, the ideas couldn’t be explored thoroughly. Overall I had a great time with it, congratulations to Sam Burns!!!!
I also have this book on Audible, another stunning performance from Zachary Johnson, he just become part of my “favourite narrators” group, fully committed, acting on point, I was really pleased!!! He made the book better! High praises to him!!!
4⭐️
April 25, 2022
Sam does it again with this fabulous time-travelling instalment of the amazing adventures of Sage, Gideon, Fluke and Freddy.
I absolutely loved this one as the gang heads back into the past to find out more about Freddy's magic and why it's suddenly appeared after years of everyone thinking he didn't have any.
The tension beats come from some really clever moments where what's happened in the future already have their seeds in the past and I loved how they were woven into the mystery of what was going on in Junction back in the 1800s.
We get to meet Sage and Freddy's great-great grandmother Winifred McKinley, as well as horrible Great Uncle Jonathon, and the very lovely Uncle Alfie, as well as discovering a bit more about the family history.
This one's not very steamy at all but, tbh, I never missed the sexy bits for a second, because Sage and Gideon are solid as a rock, even as Sage worries that his former ghostly lover may choose to stay in the past with his wife and child, the love which flows between them is clear as a bell.
We also get a lovely bonus couple of chapters at the end from Fluke's PoV which shows what happens when he arrived in the past.
The final book is coming and I will be so sad to say goodbye to this world that Sam has created and I have to say, I think this cover from Natasha is the best so far in what have been outstanding interpretations of Sage and Fluke!
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review
I absolutely loved this one as the gang heads back into the past to find out more about Freddy's magic and why it's suddenly appeared after years of everyone thinking he didn't have any.
The tension beats come from some really clever moments where what's happened in the future already have their seeds in the past and I loved how they were woven into the mystery of what was going on in Junction back in the 1800s.
We get to meet Sage and Freddy's great-great grandmother Winifred McKinley, as well as horrible Great Uncle Jonathon, and the very lovely Uncle Alfie, as well as discovering a bit more about the family history.
This one's not very steamy at all but, tbh, I never missed the sexy bits for a second, because Sage and Gideon are solid as a rock, even as Sage worries that his former ghostly lover may choose to stay in the past with his wife and child, the love which flows between them is clear as a bell.
We also get a lovely bonus couple of chapters at the end from Fluke's PoV which shows what happens when he arrived in the past.
The final book is coming and I will be so sad to say goodbye to this world that Sam has created and I have to say, I think this cover from Natasha is the best so far in what have been outstanding interpretations of Sage and Fluke!
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review
March 6, 2023
And here we are, adding time travel to the magic mix 🙃
Honestly, my mind is buzzing. After just having saved Junction from being destroyed by somebody bent upon destroying the laylines, here we are, travelling back in time, because one of the books Sage, Gideon and their found family study is written in the handwriting (and code) by no other than Freddy, Sage’s (still) magic-less cousin. Freddy, who apparently created that hideous metal sculpture under the alias of “Stephen King” and drenched it with magic, creating the powerful artefact Sage used to stop the destroying of the laylines.
Sounds complicated, and it is. Truth to be told, I regretted a bit listening to the audiobook, not because Zachary Johnson isn’t good (quite the opposite actually), but because it made it harder to understand all the intricacies of hopping back in time and setting things in motion that affect present times (and things that happened in the past books).
Complicated, right? Definitely, especially if you’re not a native speaker, and even though my English is really good, I had to stop sometimes and go back a few minutes to listen again to unterstand what happens.
It’s very clever, and I especially loved the epilogue from Fluke’s pov 🥰
To sum it up: great series, but don’t start in the middle as the story follows a bigger arc.
And now I’m not sure if I should wait for the audiobook for the grand finale of the series or wait for the audiobook 😅
Honestly, my mind is buzzing. After just having saved Junction from being destroyed by somebody bent upon destroying the laylines, here we are, travelling back in time, because one of the books Sage, Gideon and their found family study is written in the handwriting (and code) by no other than Freddy, Sage’s (still) magic-less cousin. Freddy, who apparently created that hideous metal sculpture under the alias of “Stephen King” and drenched it with magic, creating the powerful artefact Sage used to stop the destroying of the laylines.
Sounds complicated, and it is. Truth to be told, I regretted a bit listening to the audiobook, not because Zachary Johnson isn’t good (quite the opposite actually), but because it made it harder to understand all the intricacies of hopping back in time and setting things in motion that affect present times (and things that happened in the past books).
Complicated, right? Definitely, especially if you’re not a native speaker, and even though my English is really good, I had to stop sometimes and go back a few minutes to listen again to unterstand what happens.
It’s very clever, and I especially loved the epilogue from Fluke’s pov 🥰
To sum it up: great series, but don’t start in the middle as the story follows a bigger arc.
And now I’m not sure if I should wait for the audiobook for the grand finale of the series or wait for the audiobook 😅
March 1, 2022
Still a Fluke fan and this story is still charming as always ... but the idea to include time travel? Not so much. Even at the end I don't see how the series benefits from that decision or why it had to be, except showing off Sage's magic abilities? We don't really get something about the old West, just meeting important relatives of Sage and Freddie from the past. Nice to meet them but did they add anything to the series? Worse is how the authors handled the meeting of Gideon with his wife and son. That felt constructed, even heartless, just something to be checked off. That's probably due to the loophole they used to avoid the time travel paradox but it only turns out to be just another reason why time travel wasn't a good idea for this series.
February 5, 2024
4.75/5 and what an amazing book this was.
The plot was absolutely brilliant. And how everything is slowly coming together? Damn. I did not see that coming, at least not to this extent.
I was a bit confused by Freddy being the star of the show in this book though — and this may sound silly but I normally don’t love it when a different character than the MC or their spouse gets too much attention — but I guess it made sense in the end. I might’ve not loved that much but I couldn’t say I hated it either.
And now that I think about it I might be a bit dramatic about this… It really wasn’t bad at all.
Now I can only hope the last book will be as good as the rest of this series.
The plot was absolutely brilliant. And how everything is slowly coming together? Damn. I did not see that coming, at least not to this extent.
I was a bit confused by Freddy being the star of the show in this book though — and this may sound silly but I normally don’t love it when a different character than the MC or their spouse gets too much attention — but I guess it made sense in the end. I might’ve not loved that much but I couldn’t say I hated it either.
And now that I think about it I might be a bit dramatic about this… It really wasn’t bad at all.
Now I can only hope the last book will be as good as the rest of this series.
November 12, 2022
My favorite of the series so far! As in my reviews for the previous books, my favorite aspect of this story is the relationship development and bonds between ALL the characters, not just Sage and Gideon, but between them and their friends, family, familiars. I was completely captivated from start to finish and would have read it cover to cover in a single sitting if I’d been able to keep my eyes open all night. I only put it down at 4 am because I was afraid I wouldn’t absorb it completely while fighting sleep.
My review is hasty and lazy and this book and series deserves so much more so if you’re not already interested, check out Larissa_S’s beautifully articulated review.
4.5 stars
My review is hasty and lazy and this book and series deserves so much more so if you’re not already interested, check out Larissa_S’s beautifully articulated review.
4.5 stars
April 17, 2022
3.5 rounded down
A fun continuation of the series. Lighter on the romance than I'd prefer, and there were certainly a lot of weak points in the time travel of it all, but it was the perfect light, enjoyable read that I'd been in the mood for.
A fun continuation of the series. Lighter on the romance than I'd prefer, and there were certainly a lot of weak points in the time travel of it all, but it was the perfect light, enjoyable read that I'd been in the mood for.
May 30, 2025
Excellent story, very lacking in romance.
I loved this one, despite the typos and minor errors that pulled me out of the time travel plot that was already work to keep track of. Very fun and engaging. Love these characters. Wish there was more romance! Gideon is pretty much a side character.
Gideon and his ex? wife and kid from the past barely interacting once they recognized each other was weird. Didn’t like that plot.
I loved this one, despite the typos and minor errors that pulled me out of the time travel plot that was already work to keep track of. Very fun and engaging. Love these characters. Wish there was more romance! Gideon is pretty much a side character.
Gideon and his ex? wife and kid from the past barely interacting once they recognized each other was weird. Didn’t like that plot.
March 5, 2022
An enjoyable series
I love Sage, Gideon, Fluke, Freddy, and all and the only thing I hate is having to wait for the next book.
I love Sage, Gideon, Fluke, Freddy, and all and the only thing I hate is having to wait for the next book.
March 1, 2022
Oh my...the best one yet! Again, it's lacking in the romance department and ultimately I'm a romance reader, but this one gave me a little more swoony moments. I just love Gideon *sigh* but dammit. Now I have to wait until August for the next one 🤬
June 13, 2022
This is a great addition to the Fantastic Fluke series. In this book, Sage, Freddie, Anson and Gideon travel back in time to figure out Freddie's school of magic. Sam Burns did a good job handling the time travel aspect of the book. The characters were very careful not to change anything that would impact the future. While in the past, Sage and Freddie, meet their great-great grandmother Winnifred and their great uncles Jonathon and Alfie. Gideon's son and wife are also in the story. From the blurb, I was a little worried about where a reunion between Gideon and his family would go. I don't want to give anything away, but I was pleased with the way it was handled. The relationship between Gideon and Sage is as sound and loving as ever. As a bonus, a chapter at the end of the book brings together the Fluke shorts Burns has been releasing monthly. It was very cool to see the storyline come to fruition. I highly recommend this series. I cannot wait to see where the finale takes the gang.
February 21, 2022
Let’s Toast
Clever, clever, clever. I’m in awe as the more I read, the more my questions are answered, including some I didn’t know I had, in unexpected yet entirely fulfilling ways. There’s magic in writing and this book abounds with beautiful, enthralling, foxy magic. “I was a sucker for the brown eyes. Between Gideon, Fluke, and Marron, it was a wonder I ever did anything other than what they wanted me to.” I know I’d do whatever these characters would ask of me, again and again—though probably with many questions asked—as I’m head over heels for them all. Sage, Gideon, Fluke, Freddy, and the entire found family has my heart forever.
I love the top-notch world building, the angst, the incredible feels—the amazing feeling that builds within me as I read and the exhilarated feeling it leaves me with when I finish. I just want more, hmm, maybe I’m a sucker for it all. It’s thrilling how everything is coming together and I gasped many a time from what was learned on this wild Wild West jaunt. I have my guesses about what they’ll encounter next and no clue how it’ll go, except that together they can face anything. I do know it will be a powerfully unforgettable adventure and I can’t wait to experience it. I guess you could say I’m foxed for Fluke.
Clever, clever, clever. I’m in awe as the more I read, the more my questions are answered, including some I didn’t know I had, in unexpected yet entirely fulfilling ways. There’s magic in writing and this book abounds with beautiful, enthralling, foxy magic. “I was a sucker for the brown eyes. Between Gideon, Fluke, and Marron, it was a wonder I ever did anything other than what they wanted me to.” I know I’d do whatever these characters would ask of me, again and again—though probably with many questions asked—as I’m head over heels for them all. Sage, Gideon, Fluke, Freddy, and the entire found family has my heart forever.
I love the top-notch world building, the angst, the incredible feels—the amazing feeling that builds within me as I read and the exhilarated feeling it leaves me with when I finish. I just want more, hmm, maybe I’m a sucker for it all. It’s thrilling how everything is coming together and I gasped many a time from what was learned on this wild Wild West jaunt. I have my guesses about what they’ll encounter next and no clue how it’ll go, except that together they can face anything. I do know it will be a powerfully unforgettable adventure and I can’t wait to experience it. I guess you could say I’m foxed for Fluke.
February 25, 2022
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
Fluke and the Frontier Farce is the fourth book in Sam Burns’ fabulous Fantastic Fluke series. I absolutely went crazy for the first book and I have been thrilled that not only has Burns expanded it into a series, but that she has taken this story into such an interesting arc across the books. The adventures here mostly stand alone, but the characters, as well as the big picture conflict, mean these books are best read in order.
So I love a good time travel story and Burns does a wonderful job here crafting this adventure. Part of the fun is the chance to see these long ago family members about which we have heard throughout the series.
This fourth book really gives us a lot of new information and some revelations that set things up well for the final book. This is such a fun series and this book in particular is so cleverly done. I am really loving these series and can highly recommend it.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
Fluke and the Frontier Farce is the fourth book in Sam Burns’ fabulous Fantastic Fluke series. I absolutely went crazy for the first book and I have been thrilled that not only has Burns expanded it into a series, but that she has taken this story into such an interesting arc across the books. The adventures here mostly stand alone, but the characters, as well as the big picture conflict, mean these books are best read in order.
So I love a good time travel story and Burns does a wonderful job here crafting this adventure. Part of the fun is the chance to see these long ago family members about which we have heard throughout the series.
This fourth book really gives us a lot of new information and some revelations that set things up well for the final book. This is such a fun series and this book in particular is so cleverly done. I am really loving these series and can highly recommend it.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
March 10, 2022
That was wonderful! I think I might have liked this one the best so far, although the first book certainly helped me to fall in love with both Fluke and Sage. The ending is perfect -- I certainly hadn't thought about that exact wrinkle in what they were doing, but it makes so much sense. (And, no, I'm not going to give away anything, so you'll just have to read it to know what I'm talking about!) I'm really excited to see what's going to happen in the last book, although I'm a little bit bummed that there's not even a blurb to fangirl over since the lovely author doesn't want too many spoilers out for this book. Anxiously awaiting August, obviously...
March 6, 2022
This one was a fun one. I think that it's my second favorite book in the series, behind the first one. It is just so good! We still have one book to go in this series, and while August seems forever away, I'll be sad to see it go
May 21, 2022
The gang is off to another grand adventure and this time they travel back to the past as they try to find out more about Freddy's magic. We get to meet some of Sage and Freddy's predecessors during this time and it's such a wild ride. I like the clever way where events from the past has been woven into the current mystery. The pacing is really nice and the overall plot is intriguing. As always the lore and world-building has been great and quite engaging. Love the little details that's just shown throughout. I can't wait for the next book even though I'd be sad in saying farewell to this world and these characters.
This would be a 4.25 stars out of 5 stars.
I received an ARC of this book and I have chosen to publish my fair and honest review.
This would be a 4.25 stars out of 5 stars.
I received an ARC of this book and I have chosen to publish my fair and honest review.
July 18, 2022
To me, this dragged and was repetitive of the rest of the series. They're long, winded and stuffed full of irrelevant plot points that go nowhere. I wish this series had been, at most, a trilogy. As they are right now they can't manage to hold my interest as there is nigh any tension. The time travel plot point made no sense.
November 26, 2022
I still love Fluke and his chosen human family. I also love Sage and Gideon and have to say that I don't miss dear old dad. For real, who needs enemies if this is your family??
The romance between Sage and Gideon is still on the low burner while also being solid as a rock which in and of itself is satisfying. I actually finished this one a view days ago and forgot to post, so please correct me if I'm wrong. I think I will have to read this one one more time to get all the nuances. So as far as I understood, they cannot change the past. Slight changes are exempt if the outcome doesn't change the future. So if a guy was to die the future wouldn't mind so much with the how but only that he does. So I am confused if Jonathon is alive or dead by the end. I remember them talking about "bodies" but also that Jonathon was supposed to life for another year supposedly? On the one hand not much is going on but also very much on the downlow. You had to pay attention to who is who and what is what and who can do what and what you know from previous books. Yeah, I think I will have to reread this one again. I also loved Flukes POV at the very end 😍
What felt strange was the meet the relatives part of the history lesson. Firstly, I really don't see people being chill with men being an item during these times, not to mention open PDA or flirting. Better to think about their whole universe being only similar to ours while not upholding the same social constructs. Secondly, Gideon riding alongside his son who had previously not known that he was his dead father while a) the people around them casually mention the villain thinking Gideon was Gideon's grandfather - implying that he is in fact Gideon, b) not engaging his son more the only chance he would likely ever get. And thirdly, the meet and great with his widow. You will know what I mean when you read the scene. It felt short, impersonal and he didn't even say something profound to his son in the end. Nowadays the son of his would be in therapy about his daddy issues for sure.
The romance between Sage and Gideon is still on the low burner while also being solid as a rock which in and of itself is satisfying. I actually finished this one a view days ago and forgot to post, so please correct me if I'm wrong. I think I will have to read this one one more time to get all the nuances. So as far as I understood, they cannot change the past. Slight changes are exempt if the outcome doesn't change the future. So if a guy was to die the future wouldn't mind so much with the how but only that he does. So I am confused if Jonathon is alive or dead by the end. I remember them talking about "bodies" but also that Jonathon was supposed to life for another year supposedly? On the one hand not much is going on but also very much on the downlow. You had to pay attention to who is who and what is what and who can do what and what you know from previous books. Yeah, I think I will have to reread this one again. I also loved Flukes POV at the very end 😍
What felt strange was the meet the relatives part of the history lesson. Firstly, I really don't see people being chill with men being an item during these times, not to mention open PDA or flirting. Better to think about their whole universe being only similar to ours while not upholding the same social constructs. Secondly, Gideon riding alongside his son who had previously not known that he was his dead father while a) the people around them casually mention the villain thinking Gideon was Gideon's grandfather - implying that he is in fact Gideon, b) not engaging his son more the only chance he would likely ever get. And thirdly, the meet and great with his widow. You will know what I mean when you read the scene. It felt short, impersonal and he didn't even say something profound to his son in the end. Nowadays the son of his would be in therapy about his daddy issues for sure.
June 19, 2022
Yay more Fluke! And now there's a Flit! Yes please give me more. I adore this series so much. This time the focus has shifted a little as everyone is trying to find out just what Freddie's magic is. That leads them all on a trek to the past and answers to a few of the questions they had lingering about what exactly happened to Gideon.
This was a great story and both Freddie and Sage learned more about just what their magic can do. Our bad guy was a little obvious, but at the same time there are things going on with him that we still don't know as well. I enjoyed our groups banter as well as Gideon finally coming clean with everyone. This story gave a lot of closure for Gideon as well as offering a fun meeting with their ancestors for Sage and Freddie. The way everything has started linking together is really entertaining. I loved Freddie as "Stephan King" and being responsible for creating a certain monstrosity. ;)
All of this series just makes me happy. It's one I'm sure I'll come back to time and time again.
This was a great story and both Freddie and Sage learned more about just what their magic can do. Our bad guy was a little obvious, but at the same time there are things going on with him that we still don't know as well. I enjoyed our groups banter as well as Gideon finally coming clean with everyone. This story gave a lot of closure for Gideon as well as offering a fun meeting with their ancestors for Sage and Freddie. The way everything has started linking together is really entertaining. I loved Freddie as "Stephan King" and being responsible for creating a certain monstrosity. ;)
All of this series just makes me happy. It's one I'm sure I'll come back to time and time again.
February 21, 2022
I have to admit that I enjoyed this more than I did the 3rd one and I think it had to do because things revolve around Freddy's brand of magic which makes me really happy because I really like him even though he exhibited some characteristics that are on brand with the McKinley family as it is now, meaning avoidance for certain things till they absolutely have to and procrastination. Winifred and Alfie were made of sterner stuff!
What I found myself missing here was Gideon. Anson had more of an active role, and just like with Iris I can't say I care for him much, than Gideon had. His presence was underwhelming to say the least.
Also for heaven's sake Sage, your familiar is missing and you are very worried about it but seriously do something to actually find him than wait for Fluke to do it himself. Really Sage needs to put his foot forward and participate more outside of difficult magics!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
What I found myself missing here was Gideon. Anson had more of an active role, and just like with Iris I can't say I care for him much, than Gideon had. His presence was underwhelming to say the least.
Also for heaven's sake Sage, your familiar is missing and you are very worried about it but seriously do something to actually find him than wait for Fluke to do it himself. Really Sage needs to put his foot forward and participate more outside of difficult magics!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
June 20, 2022
I really enjoy this series & I am sad that the next book will be the last. So as we came to find out, Freddy is a mage, but it is unclear what type of mage. So this leads them to the past to find out what type of magic he has as well as find out who killed Gideon. But when they hop back in time, something goes wrong & Sage loses Fluke. No not dead, he just didn't "land" in the same space as everyone else. That was heartbreaking. At the very end of the story, we see how Fluke finds Flit, Freddy's familiar. So our boys get to meet their great whatever's :) and learn about Freddy. We also meet Gideon's wife & son, they didn't play a big role in the story, but it was nice to see her have some closure. The bad guy was really obvious & he got what he deserved.
January 6, 2023
This review is for the complete series.
I listened to all audiobooks of this series. The first book was a solid 4 stars for me – The story itself had some plotholes or maybe missing information and some stuff just happened to fast and to me it was kind of unclear why. But despite that it was very entertaining, the whole concept is interesting, and the characters are all well done. I enjoyed Fluke a lot. I loved Joel Leslie as a narrator and found he was the perfect fit. So I bought the next audiobooks, too.
I hadn’t paid attention – the rest of the books are narrated by Zachary Johnson. Now…I admit, I was kind of thrown when I started the second book. I expected Joel’s lively voice and got the more serious tone of Zachary. So it took me a while to get back into the flow of the story. But I willingly admit – I got used to it.
The story progressed really well, I kind of no longer noticed if some abilities weren’t explained clearly or made sense – the cast of characters is so entertaining, I just went with the flow. Suspicious mind that I am, I expected some of the additional side characters to be not as good as they seemed to be but it actually is a very clear cut cast, they are what you see. The whole storyline goes through all books and is satisfyingly solved. There is potential for spin-offs – I hope there will be some. Fluke plays more prominent roles in the books – still I feel he is a bit underrepresented.
But all in all this was a solid, very entertaining series, that I recommend and which will make me check out the other series of this author.
I listened to all audiobooks of this series. The first book was a solid 4 stars for me – The story itself had some plotholes or maybe missing information and some stuff just happened to fast and to me it was kind of unclear why. But despite that it was very entertaining, the whole concept is interesting, and the characters are all well done. I enjoyed Fluke a lot. I loved Joel Leslie as a narrator and found he was the perfect fit. So I bought the next audiobooks, too.
I hadn’t paid attention – the rest of the books are narrated by Zachary Johnson. Now…I admit, I was kind of thrown when I started the second book. I expected Joel’s lively voice and got the more serious tone of Zachary. So it took me a while to get back into the flow of the story. But I willingly admit – I got used to it.
The story progressed really well, I kind of no longer noticed if some abilities weren’t explained clearly or made sense – the cast of characters is so entertaining, I just went with the flow. Suspicious mind that I am, I expected some of the additional side characters to be not as good as they seemed to be but it actually is a very clear cut cast, they are what you see. The whole storyline goes through all books and is satisfyingly solved. There is potential for spin-offs – I hope there will be some. Fluke plays more prominent roles in the books – still I feel he is a bit underrepresented.
But all in all this was a solid, very entertaining series, that I recommend and which will make me check out the other series of this author.
January 28, 2026
Rating 4.5
I know I'm being petty about this but 2 things that I was looking forward to happened off page so I can't give this 5. But I loved it.
I know I'm being petty about this but 2 things that I was looking forward to happened off page so I can't give this 5. But I loved it.
February 27, 2022
I always go into this series not really remembering what happened before but I think Burns is so good at subtly reminding you so you never feel lost without slapping you in the face with recaps. I loved meeting new (or maybe really old) characters and getting to understand more of how the magic works in this world. While this is addition to the series is romance light, I think there was some very important romantic development to make sure that Sage and Gideon are fully settled. Also EXTREMELY important development for Freddy and it just made my heart so happy. I feel like we're getting more building blocks and I cannot wait for the impact once it all comes to a head!
February 27, 2022
Sam Burns delivers her most addictive The Fantastic Fluke story yet with her latest installment, Fluke and the Frontier Farce. This story has Sage, Gideon, and Freddy teaming up with Sage’s Grandmother Iris’ boyfriend Anson, the Dominus of the Junction, to discover Freddy’s school of magic. Nothing seems to fit, but they have a lead through a set of encoded notes. Perplexingly, though, the notes seem to indicate that they need to travel back in time to the nineteenth century to unravel the mystery.
Like the three previous books, The Fantastic Fluke (book one), Fluke and the Faithless Father (book two), and Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco (book three), the storyline of Fluke and the Frontier Farce completely captivated me. I could not put this book down. The plot is a mashup of magic, mystery, and memories. The time travel twistiness keeps you guessing right up until the end.
This is a continuing storyline, so you need to have read these series books in order. As Freddy, Sage and Gideon unearth truths about Freddy’s magical powers, they unearth some unexpected answers to questions that have lingered since book one, and new questions arise as well. Yet the plot never gets overwhelming or confusing even as Ms. Burns constantly shifts the pieces around on the chessboard.
Ms. Burns employs her well-crafted prose full of snark and humor to deliver Sage’s single narrator viewpoint and his very funny self-deprecating commentary. Sage’s sarcasm and irreverence as he interprets the attitudes and reactions of the characters and the events transpiring around him are hysterical, especially when delivered in his deadpan tone. (Note on the single narrator viewpoint: Ms. Burns has been releasing monthly Fluke short stories over the past five or six months. Those shorts are combined into a chapter of Fluke and the Frontier Farce told from Fluke’s point of view.)
But the best part of this book, and the series overarchingly, is Ms. Burns’ depiction of the love and loyalty between the characters in this eclectic-found family of magicians, their familiars, and their friends. We see much more of Freddy and Anson and meet some new characters as well. Sage and Gideon’s well-settled relationship is on full display. We see their deep and abiding love for each other and the unwavering trust between them. The steam factor is pretty low, but that’s not what this story is about. It’s not a love story. It’s a paranormal action/adventure story featuring an endearing couple already in love.
As much as I adore Sage and Gideon, I love even more Sage’s relationship with Fluke, his adorable, charismatic, crafty fox familiar. Sage and Fluke’s connection is central to the plot of this story, and Ms. Burns digs into the tight bond between them and what it means. Fluke is as essential to Sage’s magic as he is to Sage himself. When Fluke goes missing, we viscerally feel Sage’s devastation from Fluke’s absence and his distractedness towards anything else while Fluke is missing:
“[I]t was kind of hard to focus on anything when I didn’t know where my familiar was. It was like a piece of my heart was missing.”
Fluke and the Frontier Farce is fantastic fare you should not forgo. While subtle and understated, it’s remarkably different and superbly executed. Ms. Burns has consistently exceeded my expectations with each successive book in this series. Start the series from the beginning, or reread it if you already have, and then greedily gobble up this latest addictive series entry. There’s one more book to go and I’m already lamenting when it’s over because I wish Fluke’s adventures would never end.
Originally published on LoveBytesReviews.com
Like the three previous books, The Fantastic Fluke (book one), Fluke and the Faithless Father (book two), and Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco (book three), the storyline of Fluke and the Frontier Farce completely captivated me. I could not put this book down. The plot is a mashup of magic, mystery, and memories. The time travel twistiness keeps you guessing right up until the end.
This is a continuing storyline, so you need to have read these series books in order. As Freddy, Sage and Gideon unearth truths about Freddy’s magical powers, they unearth some unexpected answers to questions that have lingered since book one, and new questions arise as well. Yet the plot never gets overwhelming or confusing even as Ms. Burns constantly shifts the pieces around on the chessboard.
Ms. Burns employs her well-crafted prose full of snark and humor to deliver Sage’s single narrator viewpoint and his very funny self-deprecating commentary. Sage’s sarcasm and irreverence as he interprets the attitudes and reactions of the characters and the events transpiring around him are hysterical, especially when delivered in his deadpan tone. (Note on the single narrator viewpoint: Ms. Burns has been releasing monthly Fluke short stories over the past five or six months. Those shorts are combined into a chapter of Fluke and the Frontier Farce told from Fluke’s point of view.)
But the best part of this book, and the series overarchingly, is Ms. Burns’ depiction of the love and loyalty between the characters in this eclectic-found family of magicians, their familiars, and their friends. We see much more of Freddy and Anson and meet some new characters as well. Sage and Gideon’s well-settled relationship is on full display. We see their deep and abiding love for each other and the unwavering trust between them. The steam factor is pretty low, but that’s not what this story is about. It’s not a love story. It’s a paranormal action/adventure story featuring an endearing couple already in love.
As much as I adore Sage and Gideon, I love even more Sage’s relationship with Fluke, his adorable, charismatic, crafty fox familiar. Sage and Fluke’s connection is central to the plot of this story, and Ms. Burns digs into the tight bond between them and what it means. Fluke is as essential to Sage’s magic as he is to Sage himself. When Fluke goes missing, we viscerally feel Sage’s devastation from Fluke’s absence and his distractedness towards anything else while Fluke is missing:
“[I]t was kind of hard to focus on anything when I didn’t know where my familiar was. It was like a piece of my heart was missing.”
Fluke and the Frontier Farce is fantastic fare you should not forgo. While subtle and understated, it’s remarkably different and superbly executed. Ms. Burns has consistently exceeded my expectations with each successive book in this series. Start the series from the beginning, or reread it if you already have, and then greedily gobble up this latest addictive series entry. There’s one more book to go and I’m already lamenting when it’s over because I wish Fluke’s adventures would never end.
Originally published on LoveBytesReviews.com
September 16, 2022
The time travelling seemed super contrived to me for most of the book, since I didn't totally understand why Freddy couldn't but once we really found the reason why it was necessary, everything made total sense.
Looking forward to the next book, but I will be sad that it will be the last one!
------
Ratings - completed series:
#1 The Fantastic Fluke: ★★★★☆
#2 Fluke and the Faithless Father: ★★★★☆
#3 Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco: ★★★☆☆
#4 Fluke and the Frontier Farce (this book): ★★★★☆
#5 Fluke and the Fantastic Finale: ★★★★☆
Looking forward to the next book, but I will be sad that it will be the last one!
------
Ratings - completed series:
#1 The Fantastic Fluke: ★★★★☆
#2 Fluke and the Faithless Father: ★★★★☆
#3 Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco: ★★★☆☆
#4 Fluke and the Frontier Farce (this book): ★★★★☆
#5 Fluke and the Fantastic Finale: ★★★★☆
February 20, 2024
Interesting paranormal mystery, well written with likable characters. Narration is good too.
February 25, 2022
Outstanding Storytelling, Fantastic characters! a favorite
Rating: 5🌈💫
You know when you read a book that’s so clever, so fantastically crafted, so beautifully ingenious that when the “aha” moments hit you , you’re both giggling AND gobsmacked because you love it so much , you appreciate the writer’s artistry, well, you just didn’t see it coming?
That’s the entire Fluke and the Frontier Farce (Fantastic Fluke #4) by Sam Burns! I’ve read it twice now and with each new reading, I’ve found different elements I missed and new aspects to admire and think about. In fact , this maybe my favorite Sam Burns series yet, and that’s saying a lot!
This novel has a main element of time travel, no surprise there as it’s in the description. But anything more should absolutely not be said. This is a book that must be read!
It’s the penultimate book in the series (yes I know I said that before) but the author starts tying up the series storylines in some of the most amazing and incredibly satisfying ways. Ones I didn’t even realize needed resolution get a finalization they needed and deserved. Truly wonderful and often emotional as well.
And that’s the other thing here that Burns never let’s go of, that her characters, their relationships and growth is the key to this series. Yes it’s about magic and mystery but it’s heart is it’s people. They are who we’ve come to love and they’re lives and loves are who we’re invested in.
That’s never more clear here that when it’s family and love that comes together to make things happen!
I’ll say no more!
Fluke and the Frontier Farce , the fourth novel in Sam Burns’ Fantastic Fluke series is magnificent! It’s one of the best fantasy stories this year in one of my favorite series! It’s so imaginative, the storylines are incredibly clever, and the characters are ones I’m well certain not to be ready to let go of by the end of the Finale.
Usually I might say a book is too short, or sometimes a tad longish. But Fluke and the Frontier Farce is exactly as long as it had to be!
I don’t need to tell you what that means do I?
Highly recommend this, the series, and the author! Binge read it in order before the finale comes out! I should be done rereading this by then!
The Fantastic Fluke Series -4 of 5:
- [x] The Fantastic Fluke #1
- [x] Fluke and the Failthless Father #2
- [x] Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco #3
- [x] Fluke and the Frontier Farce #4
- [ ] Fluke and the Fantastic Finale #5 - August 25, 2022 release date
Rating: 5🌈💫
You know when you read a book that’s so clever, so fantastically crafted, so beautifully ingenious that when the “aha” moments hit you , you’re both giggling AND gobsmacked because you love it so much , you appreciate the writer’s artistry, well, you just didn’t see it coming?
That’s the entire Fluke and the Frontier Farce (Fantastic Fluke #4) by Sam Burns! I’ve read it twice now and with each new reading, I’ve found different elements I missed and new aspects to admire and think about. In fact , this maybe my favorite Sam Burns series yet, and that’s saying a lot!
This novel has a main element of time travel, no surprise there as it’s in the description. But anything more should absolutely not be said. This is a book that must be read!
It’s the penultimate book in the series (yes I know I said that before) but the author starts tying up the series storylines in some of the most amazing and incredibly satisfying ways. Ones I didn’t even realize needed resolution get a finalization they needed and deserved. Truly wonderful and often emotional as well.
And that’s the other thing here that Burns never let’s go of, that her characters, their relationships and growth is the key to this series. Yes it’s about magic and mystery but it’s heart is it’s people. They are who we’ve come to love and they’re lives and loves are who we’re invested in.
That’s never more clear here that when it’s family and love that comes together to make things happen!
I’ll say no more!
Fluke and the Frontier Farce , the fourth novel in Sam Burns’ Fantastic Fluke series is magnificent! It’s one of the best fantasy stories this year in one of my favorite series! It’s so imaginative, the storylines are incredibly clever, and the characters are ones I’m well certain not to be ready to let go of by the end of the Finale.
Usually I might say a book is too short, or sometimes a tad longish. But Fluke and the Frontier Farce is exactly as long as it had to be!
I don’t need to tell you what that means do I?
Highly recommend this, the series, and the author! Binge read it in order before the finale comes out! I should be done rereading this by then!
The Fantastic Fluke Series -4 of 5:
- [x] The Fantastic Fluke #1
- [x] Fluke and the Failthless Father #2
- [x] Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco #3
- [x] Fluke and the Frontier Farce #4
- [ ] Fluke and the Fantastic Finale #5 - August 25, 2022 release date
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews