What do you think?
Rate this book
Jonathan Shade #1
Modern Sorcery
A SAVAGE MURDER
A husband armed with a sword hacks apart his wife in a Denver grocery store. There are dozens of witnesses, and the crime is captured on the security cameras. To the police, it’s an open-and-shut case.
To Naomi, the daughter of the couple, it’s evidence of dark magic. She hires her ex-lover, a private investigator named Jonathan Shade to prove her father is innocent.
Shade specializes in paranormal cases, but he isn’t buying it. Still, he takes the case, hoping to rekindle their relationship. Instead, Shade finds himself mixed up in supernatural intrigue with wizards, magically engineered assassins, and an ancient sorcerer returned to life who’s willing to kill anyone who stands in his way.
Too bad Shade doesn't have any magic.
A husband armed with a sword hacks apart his wife in a Denver grocery store. There are dozens of witnesses, and the crime is captured on the security cameras. To the police, it’s an open-and-shut case.
To Naomi, the daughter of the couple, it’s evidence of dark magic. She hires her ex-lover, a private investigator named Jonathan Shade to prove her father is innocent.
Shade specializes in paranormal cases, but he isn’t buying it. Still, he takes the case, hoping to rekindle their relationship. Instead, Shade finds himself mixed up in supernatural intrigue with wizards, magically engineered assassins, and an ancient sorcerer returned to life who’s willing to kill anyone who stands in his way.
Too bad Shade doesn't have any magic.
260 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2011
261 people are currently reading
790 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
October 26, 2015
Modern Sorcery was a nice surprise. I liked it. It is similar to Dresden Files only the main character is not a wizard. Actually, he can't touch magic at all even though his parents were both magic users. Fortunately, neither can it touch him. Apparently the magic issue was a huge problem for his fiancée. She concluded he can't give her children who could use magic. So five years ago they broke up. This was said in passing, but it rubbed me wrong.
Now Naomi is back and she needs help. Her father killed her mother with a sword and she wants Jonathan to prove he is not guilty. Since all this is connected to the wizard community, it is not surprising there is more to all this that it seems at first.
I never warmed to Naomi. I couldn't see why he would go to so much trouble for her. Neither could his friends. I liked them. One is a ghost and the other is magically engineered warrior.
One could see all the possibilities with a cast of characters like this. The first book is interesting enough to continue with the series to see what will happen to them next.
Now Naomi is back and she needs help. Her father killed her mother with a sword and she wants Jonathan to prove he is not guilty. Since all this is connected to the wizard community, it is not surprising there is more to all this that it seems at first.
I never warmed to Naomi. I couldn't see why he would go to so much trouble for her. Neither could his friends. I liked them. One is a ghost and the other is magically engineered warrior.
One could see all the possibilities with a cast of characters like this. The first book is interesting enough to continue with the series to see what will happen to them next.
January 14, 2016
Jonathan Shade is a private investigator who finds himself embroiled in a whole lot of dangerous magic after his ex-fiancée walks into his office and asks for his help. While Shade is no stranger to magic -- in this world, magic users are the "big cheese", but Jonathan has no magic of his own. While that both hinders (his fiancée is an ex because of his lack of magic), and helps (he is immune to most magics), he soon realizes that the case Naomi brings to him is far more dangerous that he was initially prepared for.
Fast-paced and full of murder, mystery and intrigue, Modern Sorcery turned out to be a decent listen. The narrator, Joe Hempel, can best be described as pleasant and there were times in the audiobook where I wished he was more than pleasant. Gruff, perhaps. Even mean-sounding, but alas he was always pleasant. However -- Hempel excelled at the women's voices, particularly Esther, his ghostly assistant. So while "pleasant" didn't always work in the danger and mayhem areas, it worked fabulously in many others. My one and only complaint pertaining to pronunciation would be the way Hempel said Esther's name. In my neck of the woods, the H is always silent, like Ester, and the narrator pronounced Esther as EsTHUR. Every single time.
Bottom line -- this is one of those instances where if I had read the physical book, my rating would probably be a little higher than a 3. That's not to say the narrator wasn't a good choice, he was, but I wanted a bit more from him. I would certainly still recommend the audiobook, but I think for the next in the series, I'll opt for the physical book vs the audio version.
**Audiobook received from Audiobook Blast in exchange for my honest opinion.
Fast-paced and full of murder, mystery and intrigue, Modern Sorcery turned out to be a decent listen. The narrator, Joe Hempel, can best be described as pleasant and there were times in the audiobook where I wished he was more than pleasant. Gruff, perhaps. Even mean-sounding, but alas he was always pleasant. However -- Hempel excelled at the women's voices, particularly Esther, his ghostly assistant. So while "pleasant" didn't always work in the danger and mayhem areas, it worked fabulously in many others. My one and only complaint pertaining to pronunciation would be the way Hempel said Esther's name. In my neck of the woods, the H is always silent, like Ester, and the narrator pronounced Esther as EsTHUR. Every single time.
Bottom line -- this is one of those instances where if I had read the physical book, my rating would probably be a little higher than a 3. That's not to say the narrator wasn't a good choice, he was, but I wanted a bit more from him. I would certainly still recommend the audiobook, but I think for the next in the series, I'll opt for the physical book vs the audio version.
**Audiobook received from Audiobook Blast in exchange for my honest opinion.
December 14, 2015
Paranormal & urban fantasies haven't really been to my taste lately. I read far too many with my daughter, but this one was a nice change of pace. It was well read by Joe Hempel.
This is obviously part of a series, but the first book stood alone very well. It's an interesting world, a bit like the Dresden series, but the MC has different sorts of powers. There were many & some were very magical, others complicated & powerful, but the author kept them straight & arranged logical limitations that he adhered to.
He didn't tell all nor bore me with a lot of back story. There is plenty there & I was left with some major questions about several of the characters, but none of that harmed the story at all. I knew all I needed to know & now I'm looking forward to finding out some of those answers in the next book. There was no cliff-hanger, though.
It was fast paced & fun. Thanks for giving this to me for an honest review.
This is obviously part of a series, but the first book stood alone very well. It's an interesting world, a bit like the Dresden series, but the MC has different sorts of powers. There were many & some were very magical, others complicated & powerful, but the author kept them straight & arranged logical limitations that he adhered to.
He didn't tell all nor bore me with a lot of back story. There is plenty there & I was left with some major questions about several of the characters, but none of that harmed the story at all. I knew all I needed to know & now I'm looking forward to finding out some of those answers in the next book. There was no cliff-hanger, though.
It was fast paced & fun. Thanks for giving this to me for an honest review.
March 31, 2017
Jonathan Shade is a paranormal detective with an immunity to magic. Kelly Chan is his superhuman martial arts master partner. Esther is his ghost secretary. It’s a cool blend of paranormal fantasy and noir detective mysteries. One of Jonathan’s old flames walks into his office and hires him for a case full of mystery, murder, and sorcery. Luckily, Shade and his posse have the tools for the challenge in their other worldly wheelhouse.
The pace of the novel was perfect for a busy body like me. I listened to Joe Hempel deliver a great performance while laid up and inputting some mindless (but useful) data entry. The fights, flights, and intrigue kept me from dozing off and slobbering on my keyboard!
I received a free copy 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.
This is book one in a series and there were plenty of things that came up which I would be interested to see more of in the four other books currently in the series. I’ll definitely give book two a go.
On top of the dangerous mystery, Shade must also confront himself and his fear of emotional intimacy. He’s been flighty in relationships and his three closest friends are females who are filling a void that his commitment phobia created. Naomi, his one-time love and current client, also drive Jonathan to confront this issue. Will he save the day? Will he get the girl? How for will he go to stop the baddies?
The end had a twist that I didn’t see coming!
The pace of the novel was perfect for a busy body like me. I listened to Joe Hempel deliver a great performance while laid up and inputting some mindless (but useful) data entry. The fights, flights, and intrigue kept me from dozing off and slobbering on my keyboard!
I received a free copy 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.
This is book one in a series and there were plenty of things that came up which I would be interested to see more of in the four other books currently in the series. I’ll definitely give book two a go.
On top of the dangerous mystery, Shade must also confront himself and his fear of emotional intimacy. He’s been flighty in relationships and his three closest friends are females who are filling a void that his commitment phobia created. Naomi, his one-time love and current client, also drive Jonathan to confront this issue. Will he save the day? Will he get the girl? How for will he go to stop the baddies?
The end had a twist that I didn’t see coming!
May 2, 2018
So, I have mixed feelings about this book.
I'll start with the good, because anyone who spends the time and energy to write a book deserves respect. I liked the story. It was fun and entertaining. The characters were engaging and, by the end of it all, I found myself thinking that I really wanted to know what what going to happen next. Kudos to Mr Jonas for creating a story that gave me that kind of experience.
Now for the things that could be improved.
This book is like a never-ending string of overused phrases and bland cliches. If you are at all an evolved reader, you may find this unbearable. I almost did. But, alas, I spent the seven dollars and change to purchase the Audible extension of this kindle book so I'd be damned if I wasn't going to finish it! The plot is, at times, predictable but, to be fair, there are enough surprises that I was, overall, entertained.
In short, this would be a great book for young teenagers; perhaps the same target market as the Percy Jackson series. Kids that age probably won't have the experience to be bothered by the above mentioned flaws. Unfortunately, the book is full of expletives and occasional sexual references making it unsuitable for that age group....at least in my opinion.
So, here's my final take. I think that the author needs to decide who his target market actually is. If he wants to write for adults, he should vary his writing style, use some interesting language, and explore the depth of his characters. If, on the other hand, he wants to write for kids, he needs to clean up his language and content enough that a middle school librarian would feel comfortable putting copies of his book in the school library.
I'll start with the good, because anyone who spends the time and energy to write a book deserves respect. I liked the story. It was fun and entertaining. The characters were engaging and, by the end of it all, I found myself thinking that I really wanted to know what what going to happen next. Kudos to Mr Jonas for creating a story that gave me that kind of experience.
Now for the things that could be improved.
This book is like a never-ending string of overused phrases and bland cliches. If you are at all an evolved reader, you may find this unbearable. I almost did. But, alas, I spent the seven dollars and change to purchase the Audible extension of this kindle book so I'd be damned if I wasn't going to finish it! The plot is, at times, predictable but, to be fair, there are enough surprises that I was, overall, entertained.
In short, this would be a great book for young teenagers; perhaps the same target market as the Percy Jackson series. Kids that age probably won't have the experience to be bothered by the above mentioned flaws. Unfortunately, the book is full of expletives and occasional sexual references making it unsuitable for that age group....at least in my opinion.
So, here's my final take. I think that the author needs to decide who his target market actually is. If he wants to write for adults, he should vary his writing style, use some interesting language, and explore the depth of his characters. If, on the other hand, he wants to write for kids, he needs to clean up his language and content enough that a middle school librarian would feel comfortable putting copies of his book in the school library.
July 20, 2025
3,5-4⭐
Entretenido. Un poco Dresden, pero sin el Mikehammerismo de Dresden, que parece que le sumergieran en una caldera de pequeño, como a Obelix, pero de Axe, con el efecto de que las mujeres que se le cruzan actúan como si hubieran estado una década en una isla desierta y apareciera EL HOMBRE y encima trajera LIBROS.
Entretenido. Un poco Dresden, pero sin el Mikehammerismo de Dresden, que parece que le sumergieran en una caldera de pequeño, como a Obelix, pero de Axe, con el efecto de que las mujeres que se le cruzan actúan como si hubieran estado una década en una isla desierta y apareciera EL HOMBRE y encima trajera LIBROS.
May 2, 2016
My original Modern Sorcery audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
Jonathan Shade is a private investigator with a twist – he gets the cases with a paranormal twist to them. Why? He’s good at it, he’s the son of a powerful wizard family and while he does not have any magical powers of his own, he knows enough about it to solve mysteries. When a husband enters a Colorado grocery store and hacks up his wife – both of whom are parents to his ex-fiancé – well, Jonathan has no choice but to get involved.
Naomi, his ex-fiancé hires him to prove his father’s innocence (the proof is in the camera evidence – he did it!). Thus begins his involvement and near misses with death with members of the Dragon Gate Industry; owned and ran by wizards and other magical members of society Dragon Gate Industry. A long dead and legendary sorcerer appears to be back and is hunting Shade - Shade has that effect on people.
Shade has connections too – like Charon, the ferryman of the underworld now known as Sharon the librarian; Kelly, a genetically produced mystical assassin/warrior; Esther the ghost and more.
Shade is a laid back, smart mouth man who takes sarcasm to new levels; his friend Kelly is a butt kicking assassin/warrior who begs to kill; Esther his own personal ghost swoops in and helps save the day more than once! Together this team of private investigators is top-notch, action-packed, and fun!
Gary Jonas creatively weaves a supernatural story that captures his audience with realistic dialog and action. His characters are well-developed as is the plot. He skillfully weaves a supernatural story around the myths of old intertwining the two and placing them in today’s society.
I enjoyed reading Jonathan Shade and look forward to the next in the series. I am positive that the next book(s) will not disappoint! I laughed out loud and earned several questioning looks, but it was worth it!
Joe Hempel did a superb job of narrating. He took the character Jonathan and made it his own. As the listener I could not help but be swept away into the story as Hempel took control and became Shade. This is not something that is done easily but Hempel succeeds where others fail.
There were no issues with production.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
Jonathan Shade is a private investigator with a twist – he gets the cases with a paranormal twist to them. Why? He’s good at it, he’s the son of a powerful wizard family and while he does not have any magical powers of his own, he knows enough about it to solve mysteries. When a husband enters a Colorado grocery store and hacks up his wife – both of whom are parents to his ex-fiancé – well, Jonathan has no choice but to get involved.
Naomi, his ex-fiancé hires him to prove his father’s innocence (the proof is in the camera evidence – he did it!). Thus begins his involvement and near misses with death with members of the Dragon Gate Industry; owned and ran by wizards and other magical members of society Dragon Gate Industry. A long dead and legendary sorcerer appears to be back and is hunting Shade - Shade has that effect on people.
Shade has connections too – like Charon, the ferryman of the underworld now known as Sharon the librarian; Kelly, a genetically produced mystical assassin/warrior; Esther the ghost and more.
Shade is a laid back, smart mouth man who takes sarcasm to new levels; his friend Kelly is a butt kicking assassin/warrior who begs to kill; Esther his own personal ghost swoops in and helps save the day more than once! Together this team of private investigators is top-notch, action-packed, and fun!
Gary Jonas creatively weaves a supernatural story that captures his audience with realistic dialog and action. His characters are well-developed as is the plot. He skillfully weaves a supernatural story around the myths of old intertwining the two and placing them in today’s society.
I enjoyed reading Jonathan Shade and look forward to the next in the series. I am positive that the next book(s) will not disappoint! I laughed out loud and earned several questioning looks, but it was worth it!
Joe Hempel did a superb job of narrating. He took the character Jonathan and made it his own. As the listener I could not help but be swept away into the story as Hempel took control and became Shade. This is not something that is done easily but Hempel succeeds where others fail.
There were no issues with production.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
October 11, 2014
I grabbed this book as a free promotion from Amazon. I read it after reading another book that was dripping with despair and needed something light to lift me up. I am very glad I read it. It was a very interesting book.
This book should completely be classified as urban fantasy - but it lacked werewolves and vampires, a complete 'win' to me. The novel reads like the old Dashiell Hammett detective stories - only the customer is a wizard and the detective is immune to magic. Jonathan consorts with a ghost and a magical warrior - one that heals quickly and does not feel pain. He also has a friend whose complete abilities are never quite revealed, only teased throughout the novel. In addition, he has a friend on the police force, as any good PI should have.
I did really enjoy this book. Right up until the end. I felt like it rushed to a climax and the end was more clicheish than it needed to be - almost like the author ran out of ideas. I typically like short, almost choppy, sentences and roll my eyes at any depth of description and detail. But, there is a happy medium. While I did not really feel any lack of detail, I did feel like the sentences could have been more fully developed. That being said, it was absolutely the only writing detail I found lacking. There were no heavy grammatical mistakes that jumped out at me and I felt it a very professional publication.
This book should completely be classified as urban fantasy - but it lacked werewolves and vampires, a complete 'win' to me. The novel reads like the old Dashiell Hammett detective stories - only the customer is a wizard and the detective is immune to magic. Jonathan consorts with a ghost and a magical warrior - one that heals quickly and does not feel pain. He also has a friend whose complete abilities are never quite revealed, only teased throughout the novel. In addition, he has a friend on the police force, as any good PI should have.
I did really enjoy this book. Right up until the end. I felt like it rushed to a climax and the end was more clicheish than it needed to be - almost like the author ran out of ideas. I typically like short, almost choppy, sentences and roll my eyes at any depth of description and detail. But, there is a happy medium. While I did not really feel any lack of detail, I did feel like the sentences could have been more fully developed. That being said, it was absolutely the only writing detail I found lacking. There were no heavy grammatical mistakes that jumped out at me and I felt it a very professional publication.
August 2, 2016
Excellent book all the way around. Great combination of magic and wizards, a P.I. who is the direct opposite of magical or wizardly, ghosts and martial artists with wicked senses of humor, and Charon - the ferrywoman of the dead. Sound like a strange combination? Well it is, but all that and more come together for an exciting, fast-paced story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
I actually had the Audible version, having recently developed vision issues. I've listened to some books that put me to sleep in no time flat. That was NOT an issue here. Not only is the story itself a nail-biter that keeps you listening, but narrator Joe Hempel does an absolutely steller job of telling the story. And yes, I do mean "telling the story", as opposed to just reading a book aloud, like others I've heard. Mr. Hempel gives each character their own voice, making the story easy to follow, and to differentiate who is speaking when. I particularly enjoyed his portrayal of Asian martial artist Kelly's wry, snarky sense of humor. I do believe that this narrator could make just about any book fun and exciting to listen to.
Highly recommended book - whether you listen to the audio version, or read the print or ebook version.
"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom."
I actually had the Audible version, having recently developed vision issues. I've listened to some books that put me to sleep in no time flat. That was NOT an issue here. Not only is the story itself a nail-biter that keeps you listening, but narrator Joe Hempel does an absolutely steller job of telling the story. And yes, I do mean "telling the story", as opposed to just reading a book aloud, like others I've heard. Mr. Hempel gives each character their own voice, making the story easy to follow, and to differentiate who is speaking when. I particularly enjoyed his portrayal of Asian martial artist Kelly's wry, snarky sense of humor. I do believe that this narrator could make just about any book fun and exciting to listen to.
Highly recommended book - whether you listen to the audio version, or read the print or ebook version.
"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom."
August 21, 2016
Let's start with the whole "I received this book in exchange for a review but my opinions are my own" shtick that is so popular these days.
Moving on, I have to say, I found Joe's narration of this book to be great. I feel like he really captured Jonathan's voice, and even when I read things later unrelated to this book, I read them in his voice. So in that way, I got to hear him narrate extra, which was cool.
I really enjoyed the book overall. Jonathan is hilarious and his jokes had me laughing out loud all the time. I also enjoyed Kelly's character and could easily see whole books featuring just her.
This was probably a five star book until about 3/4 of the way through, which was when it dropped from 5 stars to 4 stars for me.
At the risk of spoiling the book, let me just say there is a very pivotal scene that would have negated the last 1/4 of the book and Jonathan, well, wimps out. Then, in the end, he starts to decide that maybe he should have done this. Aside from the fact the villain would be astonishingly simple to defeat by anyone with a high powered sniper rifle full of knockout darts.
Still, don't let that keep you from grabbing a copy and giving it a listen. It's quite funny, and the narration is spot on.
Moving on, I have to say, I found Joe's narration of this book to be great. I feel like he really captured Jonathan's voice, and even when I read things later unrelated to this book, I read them in his voice. So in that way, I got to hear him narrate extra, which was cool.
I really enjoyed the book overall. Jonathan is hilarious and his jokes had me laughing out loud all the time. I also enjoyed Kelly's character and could easily see whole books featuring just her.
This was probably a five star book until about 3/4 of the way through, which was when it dropped from 5 stars to 4 stars for me.
At the risk of spoiling the book, let me just say there is a very pivotal scene that would have negated the last 1/4 of the book and Jonathan, well, wimps out. Then, in the end, he starts to decide that maybe he should have done this. Aside from the fact the villain would be astonishingly simple to defeat by anyone with a high powered sniper rifle full of knockout darts.
Still, don't let that keep you from grabbing a copy and giving it a listen. It's quite funny, and the narration is spot on.
May 5, 2016
Modern Sorcery (Jonathan Shade #1) by Gary Jonas is a fun, fast, humorous fantasy that I loved from page one. It has ghosts, wizards, an evil spirit, other entities, action, adventure, lots of fighting, humor, and a touch of romance, and did I mention humor? This book has the hero, a PI, non-magical, but works with magic folk. He reminds me of Harry Dresden in some ways. His partner, although a women, reminds me of Sandman Slim in some ways. What a pair! There is a murder of his ex-flames parents and she wants it solved although it on tape and witnessed. But all is not as it appears. Not a page goes by that isn't action packed and humorous. Our hero also has a resident ghost from the 20's, a cute flapper, she is my favorite. Love this story. Starting book 2 next! The poor reviews must come from people that don't read fantasy because this is what fantasy is all about!
October 5, 2013
This one barely made three stars and that is mostly because it was interesting enough to finish.
I liked the main character somewhat but mostly liked the ghost the best. There were a couple of instances where characters acted out of character in order to serve the plot. The bad guy seemed to be extremely dim witted and the ending was just too easy. There was also one point where an extremely minor character was unnecessarily vulgar and it annoyed me enough that I kept thinking about it through the rest of the book. It didn't need to be that way to serve the plot and it didn't really fit with the rest of the characters.
I liked the main character somewhat but mostly liked the ghost the best. There were a couple of instances where characters acted out of character in order to serve the plot. The bad guy seemed to be extremely dim witted and the ending was just too easy. There was also one point where an extremely minor character was unnecessarily vulgar and it annoyed me enough that I kept thinking about it through the rest of the book. It didn't need to be that way to serve the plot and it didn't really fit with the rest of the characters.
October 8, 2013
I could go 4 or 5 stars with this one. Plotting, pacing and characters are all excellent. This is good urban fantasy with some interesting characters and some unique features. The overall feel is detective pulp fiction without wasting time having the main being a drunk (thank you for leaving that tired cliche out)! There were a couple of magical features that weren't explained well--I won't call them plot holes because while the abilities of the one guy (not the main) seemed pretty fluid, I don't believe the magic actually crossed over itself. Still, I'm not sure the abilities were completely contained in an airtight box either.
At any rate, this was a very enjoyable read.
At any rate, this was a very enjoyable read.
October 8, 2015
Not terrible
I'm not a huge fan of magic, sorcery, underworld type books, so this was a stretch for me. The story didn't do it for me, But....the author did a great job of bringing out the personalities in each character. There was a lot of dialogue, and you could easily tell who was talking and feel the attitude in their words. The main character had a dry sense of humor that I liked.
I'm not a huge fan of magic, sorcery, underworld type books, so this was a stretch for me. The story didn't do it for me, But....the author did a great job of bringing out the personalities in each character. There was a lot of dialogue, and you could easily tell who was talking and feel the attitude in their words. The main character had a dry sense of humor that I liked.
July 18, 2018
Modern Sorcery, Jonathan Shade, Book #1
by Gary Jonas
I read the Half-Assed Wizard series written by Gary Jonas, and they were so much fun that I decided to give his Jonathan Shade series a try. I'm happy I did. The first book in the series was so much fun. Yes, there is a genuine story there. Yes, there is plenty of action there. Yes, there are likeable characters, including the main character. Yes, there is a colorful and intriguing 'bad guy' villain. Yes, there is lots of sass and humor. There is also great writing, smooth pacing and flow, wonderful editing and proofing, and no cliff hanger ending. All of that made me very happy.
Jonathan Shade is an enigma. Born into a wizarding family, he has shown no sign of wizarding powers, which has estranged him from friends and family. He even lost the love of his life simply because of his non-magical ability. However, when he died about 3 years ago, and then was brought back, he discovered that he could see and speak with ghosts. Now he works as a private eye, along with his partner, Kelly Chan, a Sekutar warrior, and his wanna be secretary, Esther, the ghost of a 1929 flapper, and with some help from his librarian friend -- who might or might not be human -- Sharon, and his policeman friend, Patrick O'Malley. Now, his lost love, Naomi Miller, is sitting in his office, asking for help proving her father's innocence in the murder of her mother, even though video of the event is unwavering in showing that her father did commit the murder.
From there, Jonathan and his friends are thrown into a whirlwind, trying to track down the real killer, a just-released shade of a sorcerer from hundreds of years ago who has the ability to possess bodies in order to accomplish his deeds. Will any of them survive?
Reading "Modern Sorcery" was both exciting and fun. Yes, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy. Me? I'm moving on to the next in the series, "Acheron Highway."
by Gary Jonas
I read the Half-Assed Wizard series written by Gary Jonas, and they were so much fun that I decided to give his Jonathan Shade series a try. I'm happy I did. The first book in the series was so much fun. Yes, there is a genuine story there. Yes, there is plenty of action there. Yes, there are likeable characters, including the main character. Yes, there is a colorful and intriguing 'bad guy' villain. Yes, there is lots of sass and humor. There is also great writing, smooth pacing and flow, wonderful editing and proofing, and no cliff hanger ending. All of that made me very happy.
Jonathan Shade is an enigma. Born into a wizarding family, he has shown no sign of wizarding powers, which has estranged him from friends and family. He even lost the love of his life simply because of his non-magical ability. However, when he died about 3 years ago, and then was brought back, he discovered that he could see and speak with ghosts. Now he works as a private eye, along with his partner, Kelly Chan, a Sekutar warrior, and his wanna be secretary, Esther, the ghost of a 1929 flapper, and with some help from his librarian friend -- who might or might not be human -- Sharon, and his policeman friend, Patrick O'Malley. Now, his lost love, Naomi Miller, is sitting in his office, asking for help proving her father's innocence in the murder of her mother, even though video of the event is unwavering in showing that her father did commit the murder.
From there, Jonathan and his friends are thrown into a whirlwind, trying to track down the real killer, a just-released shade of a sorcerer from hundreds of years ago who has the ability to possess bodies in order to accomplish his deeds. Will any of them survive?
Reading "Modern Sorcery" was both exciting and fun. Yes, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy. Me? I'm moving on to the next in the series, "Acheron Highway."
January 24, 2019
I love the characters in here. Kelly has good reason not to trust Naomi, rather than just indulging in the rivals stereotype. And there are certainly examples of women getting along with each other in here. Jonathan is kind of a sap when it comes to Naomi, but he still has smarts and creativity, which is good. I also appreciate that not all of the women in Jonathan’s life are head-over-heels for him. Even the bad guy has a quirky, somewhat entertaining personality, and his own messed-up view of right and wrong. I think my favorite character is Kelly, who kicks serious ass and has a rather violent personality, but is a solid partner for Jonathan. I’d love to read the story of how the two of them ended up working together.
The tone is kind of quirky and darkly humorous. Several of the characters have smart mouths, which is fun.
The world-building is interesting, but somewhat amorphous. Jonathan is nailed down pretty well in terms of how his immunity to magic works and how he can see ghosts, but magic is ill-defined so far. People can throw bolts of force, or cause things to fly around. There are wards that can be set, and some people can heal others. Other than that, however, I don’t have much of a sense of how it really works. I’d like that to be a little clearer.
I may have to read more of this series. You know, after I make more of a dent in my current To Be Read list…
Consider my rating a 4.5
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/01/r...
The tone is kind of quirky and darkly humorous. Several of the characters have smart mouths, which is fun.
The world-building is interesting, but somewhat amorphous. Jonathan is nailed down pretty well in terms of how his immunity to magic works and how he can see ghosts, but magic is ill-defined so far. People can throw bolts of force, or cause things to fly around. There are wards that can be set, and some people can heal others. Other than that, however, I don’t have much of a sense of how it really works. I’d like that to be a little clearer.
I may have to read more of this series. You know, after I make more of a dent in my current To Be Read list…
Consider my rating a 4.5
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/01/r...
May 23, 2020
It was interesting
I like the concept of magic existing in the present. Not a huge fan of fantasy books so this works for me. Jonathan Shade is an interesting character with a history, though it's not fleshed out for the most part. Presumably that's for future books to detail. That is something of a problem. He has relationships with people out of myth that even sorcerers don't have.
Shade races around in a Firebird, which didn't work for me. It was more like the purchase of a man going through a middle age crisis. To some degree that's who he was.
He'd never have survived life without the help of the women in his life. Yes, it's all women. Not a man in sight other than a glimpse of a police officer who was somehow able to make all of Shade's legal troubles go away. That included headless bodies, several belonging to cops.
I liked the concept but the characters mostly didn't resonate with me. Or, more accurately, they didn't resonate with one another. It was like taking several interesting characters who were thrown together to see what might happen.
I'm not sure I'd read further into the series. I'd need to see a teaser first.
I like the concept of magic existing in the present. Not a huge fan of fantasy books so this works for me. Jonathan Shade is an interesting character with a history, though it's not fleshed out for the most part. Presumably that's for future books to detail. That is something of a problem. He has relationships with people out of myth that even sorcerers don't have.
Shade races around in a Firebird, which didn't work for me. It was more like the purchase of a man going through a middle age crisis. To some degree that's who he was.
He'd never have survived life without the help of the women in his life. Yes, it's all women. Not a man in sight other than a glimpse of a police officer who was somehow able to make all of Shade's legal troubles go away. That included headless bodies, several belonging to cops.
I liked the concept but the characters mostly didn't resonate with me. Or, more accurately, they didn't resonate with one another. It was like taking several interesting characters who were thrown together to see what might happen.
I'm not sure I'd read further into the series. I'd need to see a teaser first.
October 15, 2018
As a result of his death and resurrection, Jonathan can see ghosts and was now working as a P.I. for the modern sorcery. One of his clients is his ex-girlfriend, who seeks his help in solving her mother’s murder and proving her father’s innocence of the crime. The father, a well-known wizard, sounds like he may have been possessed as he had no idea what he was doing and was shocked to see his wife’s mangled body.
The case was on.
“How do you stop someone who can simply point at people and make them die? How do you kill something that’s already dead?”
Furthermore, what else could Naomi, Jonathan’s former love, be hiding? Perhaps she’s not telling the whole truth?
Jonathan is inquisitive, smart, and a smart-aleck. He can definitely talk smack with the best of them and can keep up his wits. Plus, he knows how to fight. His partner, Kelly, was my favorite—the kickass Sekuter.
Fascinating murder mystery filled with a keen private eye and a magical sense. An exciting, magical tale!
The case was on.
“How do you stop someone who can simply point at people and make them die? How do you kill something that’s already dead?”
Furthermore, what else could Naomi, Jonathan’s former love, be hiding? Perhaps she’s not telling the whole truth?
Jonathan is inquisitive, smart, and a smart-aleck. He can definitely talk smack with the best of them and can keep up his wits. Plus, he knows how to fight. His partner, Kelly, was my favorite—the kickass Sekuter.
Fascinating murder mystery filled with a keen private eye and a magical sense. An exciting, magical tale!
October 25, 2018
Great female character's
I enjoyed the novel immensely! I believe kelly chan,and Esther made the whole story worthwhile. If not for these two character's poor old Jonathan would have been totally screwed at times. Really! What's up with him having the inability to cast spells,or have supernatural powers other than having magic of the direct variety not effect him,and being able to see spirits. Naomi and her parent's i could not even begin to empathize with their situation being they we're rich and total snobs from the get go. Therefore it came as no surprise at the end that she had pretty much used jonathan ,which both kelly,and Esther had already suspicioned was her intent all along. It almost made you want to root for ravenwood whose last name sounds familiar to the villain in the Sherlock Holmes movie staring Robert Downey Jr.,and Jude Law who also happened to be a sorcerer. I plan on reading more of the novels in the series in hopes they become even better than the first.
I enjoyed the novel immensely! I believe kelly chan,and Esther made the whole story worthwhile. If not for these two character's poor old Jonathan would have been totally screwed at times. Really! What's up with him having the inability to cast spells,or have supernatural powers other than having magic of the direct variety not effect him,and being able to see spirits. Naomi and her parent's i could not even begin to empathize with their situation being they we're rich and total snobs from the get go. Therefore it came as no surprise at the end that she had pretty much used jonathan ,which both kelly,and Esther had already suspicioned was her intent all along. It almost made you want to root for ravenwood whose last name sounds familiar to the villain in the Sherlock Holmes movie staring Robert Downey Jr.,and Jude Law who also happened to be a sorcerer. I plan on reading more of the novels in the series in hopes they become even better than the first.
May 26, 2019
Modern Sorcery is the first book in the Jonathan Shade urban fantasy series by Gary Jonas. This book has been on my kindle for at least six months. I don’t know if this happens to anyone else, but over the weekend I decided I was in the right mood to read this particular book. Well, I should say I was finally in the mood to make a second attempt to read the book. The first time I picked up Modern Sorcery, I read about 9% of the book or what amounts to the first 40 pages. I didn’t know if I would actually make it through the whole book the second time around, but I wanted to, because this is exactly the kind of urban fantasy that is my favorite—private detectives whose investigations take place in a paranormal world, and bonus points if the novel weaves in elements of noir and hardboiled detective fiction. I’m not able to say I loved Modern Sorcery, but I did like it a lot and already plan to read the second book in the series. On a budget? At the time of this writing, it’ll cost you $2.99 plus tax, as the book is not currently available from my local library and it’s also not in the Kindle Unlimited library. If you’re a fan of the urban fantasy genre and looking for a new series, then it’s worth the dollars from your book budget. If you’re a casual fan or new to the genre, I’d recommend starting somewhere else (the Harry Dresden files by Jim Butcher and the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne are fantastic entry points).
The protagonist of the novel is Jonathan Shade. One of the things that makes Jonathan stand out is that while he’s fully initiated to the existence of magic and the supernatural, he has no magic. And yet he is immune to magic, and this anomaly promises to turn into a mystery about his true nature that will have to eventually be unravelled. Three years ago, Jonathan died, and after being brought back to life he acquired the ability to see ghosts. Jonathan is a private investigator, and when he arrives at his office at the start of the novel, there is a client waiting for him. It happens to be Naomi Miller, his ex-girlfriend who declined his marriage proposal five years ago. Naomi asks Jonathan to investigate the murder of her mother, Kathy, and prove that magic was somehow responsible for causing her father to kill her mother. Jonathan reluctantly takes the case even though there is indisputable video evidence that shows Naomi’s father killing her mother. In terms of the plot structure, Modern Sorcery employs one of the elements from noir detective fiction in that the mystery that sends the story into motion is easily and soon resolved, only for the detective to find a more sinister and dangerous plot lurking beneath the surface. In a classic noir detective novel, the corrupt underbelly of society would in some way involve the wealthy elite and/or law enforcement. In this particular urban fantasy setting, the corruption lies within the elite echelons of the magical community. Modern Sorcery also incorporates the noir convention of the femme fatale in the form of Naomi Miller. Jonathan never got closure to his relationship with Naomi, and their shared past together is his primary motivation for taking her case and agreeing to help her. If you are a fan of classic noir detective fiction, you’ll feel right at home in the world of Modern Sorcery.
This year, I’ve written a lot about what feels like a shift toward long sections of internal narrative from the protagonists of urban fantasy novels that come at the cost of developing vibrant supporting characters who I can care about. The balance between dialogue and narrative in Modern Sorcery is much more balanced and that is a point in its favor. Not surprising, the difference equates to a strong supporting cast of characters who garnered my interest and did more than just play their role in the story. Jonathan’s circle of friends includes Kelly Chan, his partner and the owner of a dojo. Kelly is skilled in the martial arts, and not only is she Jonathan’s primary sidekick but she’s also his protector (sort of like Jack Dalton is MacGyver’s protector and best friend). I love Kelly and want to see more of her and how she develops as the series continues. We also meet Esther, the resident ghost who is bound to an old Underwood typewriter in Jonathan’s office. Esther cannot go more than fifteen feet away from the typewriter, so when Jonathan wants some privacy he moves her typewriter into another room or when he wants her help he takes the typewriter with him. Esther is definitely one source of comic relief but she’s also just plain adorable. Because you can’t have a private detective without some form of law enforcement-type character, there’s also Patrick O’Malley, a Denver PD homicide detective. Rounding out the supporting cast is Sharon, who works as a librarian at the University of Colorado-Boulder library. I won’t spoil it but it’s also going to be obvious to well-read readers what Sharon’s true identity is. She’s another character who I can’t wait to see more of in future books in this series. Truthfully, the supporting characters of Modern Sorcery are what make me think this series has potential to become one that I love.
I’ve said this before but it applies to Modern Sorcery so I’ll say it again. The first book in this series is like the pilot episode of a new television show, where I liked the pilot well enough but need another episode before deciding if I’m definitely hooked. Like I said above, I’ve already added the second book to my to-read list and it’s more than a little likely that I’ll read the next book sooner rather than later (by the way, the next book in the series is Acheron Highway). I have no regrets about reading this book and if you’re looking for a new series to try, I’d recommend giving Modern Sorcery a chance.
The protagonist of the novel is Jonathan Shade. One of the things that makes Jonathan stand out is that while he’s fully initiated to the existence of magic and the supernatural, he has no magic. And yet he is immune to magic, and this anomaly promises to turn into a mystery about his true nature that will have to eventually be unravelled. Three years ago, Jonathan died, and after being brought back to life he acquired the ability to see ghosts. Jonathan is a private investigator, and when he arrives at his office at the start of the novel, there is a client waiting for him. It happens to be Naomi Miller, his ex-girlfriend who declined his marriage proposal five years ago. Naomi asks Jonathan to investigate the murder of her mother, Kathy, and prove that magic was somehow responsible for causing her father to kill her mother. Jonathan reluctantly takes the case even though there is indisputable video evidence that shows Naomi’s father killing her mother. In terms of the plot structure, Modern Sorcery employs one of the elements from noir detective fiction in that the mystery that sends the story into motion is easily and soon resolved, only for the detective to find a more sinister and dangerous plot lurking beneath the surface. In a classic noir detective novel, the corrupt underbelly of society would in some way involve the wealthy elite and/or law enforcement. In this particular urban fantasy setting, the corruption lies within the elite echelons of the magical community. Modern Sorcery also incorporates the noir convention of the femme fatale in the form of Naomi Miller. Jonathan never got closure to his relationship with Naomi, and their shared past together is his primary motivation for taking her case and agreeing to help her. If you are a fan of classic noir detective fiction, you’ll feel right at home in the world of Modern Sorcery.
This year, I’ve written a lot about what feels like a shift toward long sections of internal narrative from the protagonists of urban fantasy novels that come at the cost of developing vibrant supporting characters who I can care about. The balance between dialogue and narrative in Modern Sorcery is much more balanced and that is a point in its favor. Not surprising, the difference equates to a strong supporting cast of characters who garnered my interest and did more than just play their role in the story. Jonathan’s circle of friends includes Kelly Chan, his partner and the owner of a dojo. Kelly is skilled in the martial arts, and not only is she Jonathan’s primary sidekick but she’s also his protector (sort of like Jack Dalton is MacGyver’s protector and best friend). I love Kelly and want to see more of her and how she develops as the series continues. We also meet Esther, the resident ghost who is bound to an old Underwood typewriter in Jonathan’s office. Esther cannot go more than fifteen feet away from the typewriter, so when Jonathan wants some privacy he moves her typewriter into another room or when he wants her help he takes the typewriter with him. Esther is definitely one source of comic relief but she’s also just plain adorable. Because you can’t have a private detective without some form of law enforcement-type character, there’s also Patrick O’Malley, a Denver PD homicide detective. Rounding out the supporting cast is Sharon, who works as a librarian at the University of Colorado-Boulder library. I won’t spoil it but it’s also going to be obvious to well-read readers what Sharon’s true identity is. She’s another character who I can’t wait to see more of in future books in this series. Truthfully, the supporting characters of Modern Sorcery are what make me think this series has potential to become one that I love.
I’ve said this before but it applies to Modern Sorcery so I’ll say it again. The first book in this series is like the pilot episode of a new television show, where I liked the pilot well enough but need another episode before deciding if I’m definitely hooked. Like I said above, I’ve already added the second book to my to-read list and it’s more than a little likely that I’ll read the next book sooner rather than later (by the way, the next book in the series is Acheron Highway). I have no regrets about reading this book and if you’re looking for a new series to try, I’d recommend giving Modern Sorcery a chance.
October 20, 2024
Jonathan Shade is a private investigator who specializes in magical cases. Not because he is a strong sorcerer, but because he doesn't have any magic at all. In fact, he nullifies magic. When his ex comes begging for him to prove her father didn't kill her mother, Shade can't say no. Except this case is more than it seems, and Shade may have placed a target on his back for getting involved.
This is the first book in a fun urban fantasy series. It has a gritty and funny feel much like the Dresden Files, but Shade is very different from Dresden. His special ability is not having an ounce of magic and massive luck that helps him through. It does help that his closest friend and partner is an elite warrior, and his personal assistant, Esther, is a ghost. I'm a huge fan of Esther, and I'd love to learn her history. Great cast of characters and lots of twists in the plot.
This is the first book in a fun urban fantasy series. It has a gritty and funny feel much like the Dresden Files, but Shade is very different from Dresden. His special ability is not having an ounce of magic and massive luck that helps him through. It does help that his closest friend and partner is an elite warrior, and his personal assistant, Esther, is a ghost. I'm a huge fan of Esther, and I'd love to learn her history. Great cast of characters and lots of twists in the plot.
January 23, 2019
He has no magic in a world where the bad guys are all manner of monster. I hesitated for a long time before I bit the bullet. I didn't see how he could be a badass if he couldn't sling a spell, curse, or even an enchanted artifact. I'm still not sure I loved it but I can say, I liked it enough to read the first 3.
I can't say why I kept reading but here are some clues --
1. Interesting cast of characters
2. Legit twist and turns.
3. Everybody is smart
4. I didn't see most of what happened coming
5. It's a little dark
On the negative --
1. Jonathan took too many ass whippings that he should not have survived
2. I kept hoping he would find a wand or something and rock it
I got over this quickly and read three. So there is that. It's original and close to 5 stars.
I can't say why I kept reading but here are some clues --
1. Interesting cast of characters
2. Legit twist and turns.
3. Everybody is smart
4. I didn't see most of what happened coming
5. It's a little dark
On the negative --
1. Jonathan took too many ass whippings that he should not have survived
2. I kept hoping he would find a wand or something and rock it
I got over this quickly and read three. So there is that. It's original and close to 5 stars.
August 18, 2025
Hopes weren't high on this one, yet I was still disappointed.
The plot just kind of went from point to point to point, with no real detective work for this private investigator. Any twists or turns that happen, well, you see them coming mile away.
The character is just over the top cliches and self inserts. Every generic thing about an urban fantasy detective is there, except there's more talk of how all the women find him to be handsome, even more un-funny banter that is supposed to be witty, and the noir detective work or darker fantasy that you would expect is just missing entirely.
Some people are obviously buying this and liking it enough to keep the writer putting out more books, but it wasn't for me.
One and done on this series.
The plot just kind of went from point to point to point, with no real detective work for this private investigator. Any twists or turns that happen, well, you see them coming mile away.
The character is just over the top cliches and self inserts. Every generic thing about an urban fantasy detective is there, except there's more talk of how all the women find him to be handsome, even more un-funny banter that is supposed to be witty, and the noir detective work or darker fantasy that you would expect is just missing entirely.
Some people are obviously buying this and liking it enough to keep the writer putting out more books, but it wasn't for me.
One and done on this series.
June 19, 2018
As the first novel in a currently ten book series, author Jonas is doing a lot of things right with this story. The main character is OK and two of the three side kicks are great fun. It's fairly well written. I think it's just lacking that strong sense of duty/obligation/reason/rai·son d'ê·tre that drives Jonathan Shade.
If you are interested in my thoughts on urban fantasy in general and this novel in particular, please see my full review here: http://www.morebooksthantime.com/mode...
If you are interested in my thoughts on urban fantasy in general and this novel in particular, please see my full review here: http://www.morebooksthantime.com/mode...
May 8, 2019
Awesome read!
This is the first book i Jane read by Gary Jonas and it will not be the last. I really got into the characters and so had to buy the first book in the Kelley series as well. I now anxious to read the second on this series as well. This isn't one of them books to where you get all the same story lines,the action,suspense, all being pretty much in common. With this book i stated into it from start to finish and when i thought i knew what was going to happen i got fooled. Really enjoyed this book.
This is the first book i Jane read by Gary Jonas and it will not be the last. I really got into the characters and so had to buy the first book in the Kelley series as well. I now anxious to read the second on this series as well. This isn't one of them books to where you get all the same story lines,the action,suspense, all being pretty much in common. With this book i stated into it from start to finish and when i thought i knew what was going to happen i got fooled. Really enjoyed this book.
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.
July 24, 2018
I loved getting the beginning of this series and getting to hear all the smart***ness of Jonathan ( i previously started with book 5). I adore Kelly and her general attitude. This book was great with plenty of action and a bunch of sass. While listening to this there were times that I was just sitting and laughing because of how entertaining John, Kelly and Ester are.
October 5, 2018
First time reader of this author and now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative series. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this series.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this series.
October 26, 2018
Dive into Slade’s wacky world and enjoy the ride!
I liked this book a lot. The main character was likeable and flawed, and therefore more heroic. The cast of characters is a treat, with tons of humor and terrific timing. The action’s fast paced, the settings described brilliantly. I’ll definitely get and read another Gary Jonas book.
I liked this book a lot. The main character was likeable and flawed, and therefore more heroic. The cast of characters is a treat, with tons of humor and terrific timing. The action’s fast paced, the settings described brilliantly. I’ll definitely get and read another Gary Jonas book.
August 2, 2020
A solid story with fairly predictable twists. I enjoyed the characters, their interactions and the smart method of integrating readers into the world. This book is written quite well compared to most urban fantasy. I like lean books but this could have done with a bit more description around dialog. On to book 2.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews