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Jonathan Shade #5
Sunset Specters
A sorcerer seeking immortality
The powerful wizard, Henry Winslow, arrives in 1877 and sets out for the Barbary Coast in San Francisco to steal a bit of life energy from his parents before he can head to the 1920s to complete his immortality ritual.
A former slave with a mission
Douglas Freeman is a former slave with a growing collection of vengeful ghosts, and he's headed for the Barbary Coast to kill the last few men on his list.
Champions out of time
Jonathan Shade and Kelly Chan reunite with Brand, the former Sekutar warrior, and Esther, the ghost who has an unbreakable bond with Shade. They set out for California to stop Winslow. But the Barbary Coast is a dangerous place where life is cheap. Their paths will cross with thieves, cutthroats, crimps, prostitutes, gangs, magic, and a supernatural threat. Time is running out on their mission, and one thing is certain - not everyone is going to get out alive.
The powerful wizard, Henry Winslow, arrives in 1877 and sets out for the Barbary Coast in San Francisco to steal a bit of life energy from his parents before he can head to the 1920s to complete his immortality ritual.
A former slave with a mission
Douglas Freeman is a former slave with a growing collection of vengeful ghosts, and he's headed for the Barbary Coast to kill the last few men on his list.
Champions out of time
Jonathan Shade and Kelly Chan reunite with Brand, the former Sekutar warrior, and Esther, the ghost who has an unbreakable bond with Shade. They set out for California to stop Winslow. But the Barbary Coast is a dangerous place where life is cheap. Their paths will cross with thieves, cutthroats, crimps, prostitutes, gangs, magic, and a supernatural threat. Time is running out on their mission, and one thing is certain - not everyone is going to get out alive.
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2015
48 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 30, 2017
Sunset Specters (Jonathan Shade #5) by Gary Jonas is the second book in the time travel series. They left the Egyptian period and now in 1877. Things don't go as planned, as usual and there is a lot of heartbreak but which time line is real and which isn't...it is all crazy and hard to wrap your mind around and that is half the fun. Lots of ghost, action, and sorcery. We see Jonathan grow old...wow.
October 23, 2016
This audiobook brought me to tears and I couldn't put it down, my heart broke for all the characters in this story. It is complex, totally captivating, heart wrenching and exciting; it draws you in and takes you on a journey that pulls at your heartstrings and at times leaves you breathless. As the series has progressed you have become more and more attached to the great characters in this world, and that world was blown apart in this book. The narration was excellent, probably the best one I have heard this narrator do. He gave the characters individual voices, hit the various accents spot on and made you feel every emotion experienced by each character. The story holds you captive until the very end, it is thrilling, well written and narrated, emotion filled, and leaves you heart broken at the end. I can not wait for the next in the series. I received this audiobook at no cost and under no obligation.
January 12, 2021
I love this book. This is book two in the Jonathan Shade trilogy, so only listen to this one if you have heard book four and are prepared to get book six because trust me you will need to get them, no skipping ahead. No matter how much you want to and be prepared for your world to be rocked. The great thing about this author is you never know what he is going to throw at his characters next and the bad thing is he throws a lot at them, so each book is packed full of adventure. Most of the adventure is focused on Jonathan and unlike the previous book it only takes part in the one time line. The characters are great and as we have got to know them over the course of the series you wonder just how much more they can take. So sit back and cross your fingers that your favourite character makes it to the next book.
Jonathan and Kelly arrive in the 1877 to join Brand the former Sekutar and Ester the ghost in the hopes of stopping Henry Winslow in this time line. Henry wants to drain some power from his parents before he is born but things are not right in the town. Ester is not the only ghost and Jonathan isn't the only person who can see them. The wild West was a lawless time and with guns freely available to anyone can they stop Winslow? Or has he already got to powerful to stop? Magic won't work on Jonathan but what about guns, Hachette and what about his friends?
Joe Hempel does another excellent job with this narration. You really feel like you are on an emotional roller coaster with the characters because he puts so much effort and emotion into his reading.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Jonathan and Kelly arrive in the 1877 to join Brand the former Sekutar and Ester the ghost in the hopes of stopping Henry Winslow in this time line. Henry wants to drain some power from his parents before he is born but things are not right in the town. Ester is not the only ghost and Jonathan isn't the only person who can see them. The wild West was a lawless time and with guns freely available to anyone can they stop Winslow? Or has he already got to powerful to stop? Magic won't work on Jonathan but what about guns, Hachette and what about his friends?
Joe Hempel does another excellent job with this narration. You really feel like you are on an emotional roller coaster with the characters because he puts so much effort and emotion into his reading.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
December 11, 2016
I will say, I do look forward to the endings of Gary's books with Jonathan. Nothing is easy and I always wonder how it's going to come out right. In some strange way, Jonathan makes it work. I love these twists. Right now, things aren't looking so hot for Jonathan, and I really want to see what comes in the next book at the next time they cross paths with Henry Winslow.
****FULL REVIEW****
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.
Jonathan and his friends still have the same problem; when done with each of the three years they need to visit, how will they return to their own time?
Jonathan and Kelly jump forward to the time Brand is in, only to find Brand needs their help. Once they are on their way to find Winslow, the group divides in their thinking on how to get to where they want to be. Jonathan and Kelly move forward to find Winslow's parents in California, and in turn find Winslow. But when in San Francisco they come across so many ghosts that just linger around. Esther can't even get them to talk, and she feels the pull of the area too. They deal with the ways of this era as they fight to find a way to stop Winslow.
Joe continues to be the voice of Jonathan and crew. I'm so glad he returns with each novel. He is the voice of Jonathan for me and he voices Jonathan's dry humor in a sense that I know and enjoy. Joe does do slight changes in his voice, tone, and personality for different characters. When he speaks as Kelly he has a slight accent and determination to his voice, which I would expect from Kelly with her strong personality. Even when other characters appear on the page, I get a feel for them differently in Joe's voice.
Jonathan and Kelly jump to Brand in the 1870's, with a tag-a-long guest they weren't expecting. The way of the west in this time frame is hard on Kelly. Kelly's a female and Chinese, both looked down upon. Will they fight Winslow and work to get home or fight to change the past? What Kelly witnesses in this era is hard for her to see and live with.
It's hard to come into an era where life is so different and not be touched by the way of living, even if it's bad. Our characters got caught in the Egyptian time and now they are distracted by the unfair living in the 1870's. They still work toward their final goal, but they also get involved in the life around their goal as well.
Then there are all those ghosts... What happened to have so many stuck here? Since Jonathan can see ghosts, maybe he can figure it out. (That's a story you'll have to read this book to get.)
Winslow is more powerful in this time. I was concerned with how Jonathan and Kelly would stop him now, and later. Yet there is something about Winslow that has me half believing him. Not wholly but a portion because of his actions.
I was happy to get into this book. Jonathan, Kelly, and Brand's humors are ones I smile at as I'm listening. I do enjoy their banter. But, we don't get to see Raina in the 1920's yet. We are focused here in the 1870's. But we'll get to Raina next, I'm sure.
I will say, I do look forward to the endings of Gary's books with Jonathan. Nothing is easy and I always wonder how it's going to come out right. In some strange way, Jonathan makes it work. I love these twists. Right now, things aren't looking so hot for Jonathan, and I really want to see what comes in the next book at the next time they cross paths with Henry Winslow.
****FULL REVIEW****
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.
Jonathan and his friends still have the same problem; when done with each of the three years they need to visit, how will they return to their own time?
Jonathan and Kelly jump forward to the time Brand is in, only to find Brand needs their help. Once they are on their way to find Winslow, the group divides in their thinking on how to get to where they want to be. Jonathan and Kelly move forward to find Winslow's parents in California, and in turn find Winslow. But when in San Francisco they come across so many ghosts that just linger around. Esther can't even get them to talk, and she feels the pull of the area too. They deal with the ways of this era as they fight to find a way to stop Winslow.
Joe continues to be the voice of Jonathan and crew. I'm so glad he returns with each novel. He is the voice of Jonathan for me and he voices Jonathan's dry humor in a sense that I know and enjoy. Joe does do slight changes in his voice, tone, and personality for different characters. When he speaks as Kelly he has a slight accent and determination to his voice, which I would expect from Kelly with her strong personality. Even when other characters appear on the page, I get a feel for them differently in Joe's voice.
Jonathan and Kelly jump to Brand in the 1870's, with a tag-a-long guest they weren't expecting. The way of the west in this time frame is hard on Kelly. Kelly's a female and Chinese, both looked down upon. Will they fight Winslow and work to get home or fight to change the past? What Kelly witnesses in this era is hard for her to see and live with.
It's hard to come into an era where life is so different and not be touched by the way of living, even if it's bad. Our characters got caught in the Egyptian time and now they are distracted by the unfair living in the 1870's. They still work toward their final goal, but they also get involved in the life around their goal as well.
Then there are all those ghosts... What happened to have so many stuck here? Since Jonathan can see ghosts, maybe he can figure it out. (That's a story you'll have to read this book to get.)
Winslow is more powerful in this time. I was concerned with how Jonathan and Kelly would stop him now, and later. Yet there is something about Winslow that has me half believing him. Not wholly but a portion because of his actions.
I was happy to get into this book. Jonathan, Kelly, and Brand's humors are ones I smile at as I'm listening. I do enjoy their banter. But, we don't get to see Raina in the 1920's yet. We are focused here in the 1870's. But we'll get to Raina next, I'm sure.
I will say, I do look forward to the endings of Gary's books with Jonathan. Nothing is easy and I always wonder how it's going to come out right. In some strange way, Jonathan makes it work. I love these twists. Right now, things aren't looking so hot for Jonathan, and I really want to see what comes in the next book at the next time they cross paths with Henry Winslow.
October 11, 2017
The fith in the series is yet another fast paced thriller.Jonathon ShadeIs a PI who can see ghosts,In fact he has one that travels with him with the help of a typewriter key.This story was very touching in the nd.Joe Hempel was the perfect narator,as usual.“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”
October 22, 2025
What happens in the past
This was another part of the story in the past. So much can't change their lives but it really does not mean they don't like the pain that happens. They still have the past and future to try to mix together. If only they can survive to get to their own future life.
This was another part of the story in the past. So much can't change their lives but it really does not mean they don't like the pain that happens. They still have the past and future to try to mix together. If only they can survive to get to their own future life.
March 22, 2020
Jonathan Shade and Kelly link up with Brand and Esther in 1877, hoping to stop the second version of Henry Winslow. As usual nothing goes as planned and the end results are going to change Shade's life forever, as he attempts to maintain the timeline.
July 2, 2023
This was a short one, just under 200 pages. Very good story. Shade and Kelly head to 1877 San Francisco to do away with Willis's 2nd incarnation.
A colorful tale of an old West lawless city where pretty much anything goes
A colorful tale of an old West lawless city where pretty much anything goes
June 1, 2018
Great
I got so caught up with this series of books that I stopped watching TV. Great series by a great author.
I got so caught up with this series of books that I stopped watching TV. Great series by a great author.
October 31, 2016
Sunset Specters by Gary Jonas Note: This is Book 5 in the series and I recommend reading the previous books as there are major things that happened in previous stories that affect characters’s decisions in this book.
Book 4, Anubis Nights, left us with quite the cliff hanger, so I was very glad I didn’t have to wait too long for this book to come out on audio. Jonathan Shade and his crew are still hunting Henry Winslow through time. Jonathan, Kelly Chan, and Ankhesenamun were yanked from ancient Egypt into 1877 at the end of the previous book. At the beginning of this book, Jonathan & Kelly are reunited with Brand and Esther, and they all have the opportunity to bring the confused Ankhesenamun up to speed.
And that’s the perfect set up for things to go very, very wrong. First, they finish traveling to San Francisco, hoping to catch up to the sorcerous Henry Winslow before he expects it and well before he can complete the next stage of his immortality ritual. Meanwhile, Douglas Freeman, a former slave, has suffered a great loss. He’s made a list of men who must die. Vengeful, angry ghosts accompany him as he tracks his quarry to San Francisco.
San Francisco is a mixing pot of cultures but it’s far from any kind of equality in 1877. Might still makes right and being any skin tone other than white leaves you with plenty of extra hurdles. Very few establishments outside of China town will serve Kelly Chan and nearly everyone assumes she is Jonathan’s slave. This provides plenty of opportunities for Kelly to set people right, much to my amusement. I’m really glad that the author didn’t ignore these facets of historical San Francisco as it made the story very interesting; Jonathan and crew can’t help but apply their 21st century standards to whatever time period they happen to be in.
The bad guy is very bad indeed! Henry Winslow is a very formidable foe as we saw in Book 4. That continues on in this book, though his powers have grown a bit. Still, Jonathan and crew think they can take him if they can just get the right combo of might, luck, and surprise going. At the very least, they can mess up this stage of his immortality ritual. For the most part, Winslow ignores them (or tosses them over houses) until they become a true nuisance. Then, there is hell to pay. There is this one scene that was a little bit of a tear jerker. Jonathan, in the first trilogy, managed to undo a few deaths with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. However, I don’t know if that will be possible this time around. This book’s description doesn’t lie about not everyone getting out alive.
In the previous book, I felt it was a bit silly that all 3 main female characters were in love with Jonathan. That theme was carried forth in this book, but now things are more complicated. Kelly and Jonathan had this romantic relationship in ancient Egypt and they continue that in 1877, but now they have Brand (Kelly’s ex-boyfriend) and Esther (a ghost who’s had a crush on Jonathan for years) to pay witness to it. This makes for some uncomfortable moments for these friends. However, I am better with the idea of Jonathan being the center of so much female attention now that I’ve read this book, especially in light of how this one ends.
OK, leaving all this mushy romance stuff to the side, Jonathan has more than one bad guy to deal with in this book. He and Douglas Freeman eventually cross paths and a deal is struck to assist each other, as they have one bad guy in common. This eventually brings plenty of pain and a few broken bones to Jonathan as he fights a man who is near indestructible. I quite enjoyed how he resolved that issue.
In the end, this is one of my favorite books of the series. There’s a lot going on in San Francisco in 1877 and a lot going on with Jonathan and his crew. The books ends on a bittersweet note with a bit of suspense for what will come next. So looking forward to Book 6!
I received a free copy of this audiobook.
The Narration: Yet again, Joe Hempel continues to be the perfect Jonathan Shade. As per his usual performance, he does an excellent light Chinese accent for Kelly Chan and a Southern drawl for Esther. I liked the little bit of high-and-mighty he put into Ankhesenamun’s voice. There were some pretty emotional scenes in this book and Hempel did a great job getting those emotions across to the listener. Indeed, I believe he must be attached to these characters by now and that really shows in his narration.
Book 4, Anubis Nights, left us with quite the cliff hanger, so I was very glad I didn’t have to wait too long for this book to come out on audio. Jonathan Shade and his crew are still hunting Henry Winslow through time. Jonathan, Kelly Chan, and Ankhesenamun were yanked from ancient Egypt into 1877 at the end of the previous book. At the beginning of this book, Jonathan & Kelly are reunited with Brand and Esther, and they all have the opportunity to bring the confused Ankhesenamun up to speed.
And that’s the perfect set up for things to go very, very wrong. First, they finish traveling to San Francisco, hoping to catch up to the sorcerous Henry Winslow before he expects it and well before he can complete the next stage of his immortality ritual. Meanwhile, Douglas Freeman, a former slave, has suffered a great loss. He’s made a list of men who must die. Vengeful, angry ghosts accompany him as he tracks his quarry to San Francisco.
San Francisco is a mixing pot of cultures but it’s far from any kind of equality in 1877. Might still makes right and being any skin tone other than white leaves you with plenty of extra hurdles. Very few establishments outside of China town will serve Kelly Chan and nearly everyone assumes she is Jonathan’s slave. This provides plenty of opportunities for Kelly to set people right, much to my amusement. I’m really glad that the author didn’t ignore these facets of historical San Francisco as it made the story very interesting; Jonathan and crew can’t help but apply their 21st century standards to whatever time period they happen to be in.
The bad guy is very bad indeed! Henry Winslow is a very formidable foe as we saw in Book 4. That continues on in this book, though his powers have grown a bit. Still, Jonathan and crew think they can take him if they can just get the right combo of might, luck, and surprise going. At the very least, they can mess up this stage of his immortality ritual. For the most part, Winslow ignores them (or tosses them over houses) until they become a true nuisance. Then, there is hell to pay. There is this one scene that was a little bit of a tear jerker. Jonathan, in the first trilogy, managed to undo a few deaths with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. However, I don’t know if that will be possible this time around. This book’s description doesn’t lie about not everyone getting out alive.
In the previous book, I felt it was a bit silly that all 3 main female characters were in love with Jonathan. That theme was carried forth in this book, but now things are more complicated. Kelly and Jonathan had this romantic relationship in ancient Egypt and they continue that in 1877, but now they have Brand (Kelly’s ex-boyfriend) and Esther (a ghost who’s had a crush on Jonathan for years) to pay witness to it. This makes for some uncomfortable moments for these friends. However, I am better with the idea of Jonathan being the center of so much female attention now that I’ve read this book, especially in light of how this one ends.
OK, leaving all this mushy romance stuff to the side, Jonathan has more than one bad guy to deal with in this book. He and Douglas Freeman eventually cross paths and a deal is struck to assist each other, as they have one bad guy in common. This eventually brings plenty of pain and a few broken bones to Jonathan as he fights a man who is near indestructible. I quite enjoyed how he resolved that issue.
In the end, this is one of my favorite books of the series. There’s a lot going on in San Francisco in 1877 and a lot going on with Jonathan and his crew. The books ends on a bittersweet note with a bit of suspense for what will come next. So looking forward to Book 6!
I received a free copy of this audiobook.
The Narration: Yet again, Joe Hempel continues to be the perfect Jonathan Shade. As per his usual performance, he does an excellent light Chinese accent for Kelly Chan and a Southern drawl for Esther. I liked the little bit of high-and-mighty he put into Ankhesenamun’s voice. There were some pretty emotional scenes in this book and Hempel did a great job getting those emotions across to the listener. Indeed, I believe he must be attached to these characters by now and that really shows in his narration.
October 31, 2016
Note: This is Book 5 in the series and I recommend reading the previous books as there are major things that happened in previous stories that affect characters’s decisions in this book.
Book 4, Anubis Nights, left us with quite the cliff hanger, so I was very glad I didn’t have to wait too long for this book to come out on audio. Jonathan Shade and his crew are still hunting Henry Winslow through time. Jonathan, Kelly Chan, and Ankhesenamun were yanked from ancient Egypt into 1877 at the end of the previous book. At the beginning of this book, Jonathan & Kelly are reunited with Brand and Esther, and they all have the opportunity to bring the confused Ankhesenamun up to speed.
And that’s the perfect set up for things to go very, very wrong. First, they finish traveling to San Francisco, hoping to catch up to the sorcerous Henry Winslow before he expects it and well before he can complete the next stage of his immortality ritual. Meanwhile, Douglas Freeman, a former slave, has suffered a great loss. He’s made a list of men who must die. Vengeful, angry ghosts accompany him as he tracks his quarry to San Francisco.
San Francisco is a mixing pot of cultures but it’s far from any kind of equality in 1877. Might still makes right and being any skin tone other than white leaves you with plenty of extra hurdles. Very few establishments outside of China town will serve Kelly Chan and nearly everyone assumes she is Jonathan’s slave. This provides plenty of opportunities for Kelly to set people right, much to my amusement. I’m really glad that the author didn’t ignore these facets of historical San Francisco as it made the story very interesting; Jonathan and crew can’t help but apply their 21st century standards to whatever time period they happen to be in.
The bad guy is very bad indeed! Henry Winslow is a very formidable foe as we saw in Book 4. That continues on in this book, though his powers have grown a bit. Still, Jonathan and crew think they can take him if they can just get the right combo of might, luck, and surprise going. At the very least, they can mess up this stage of his immortality ritual. For the most part, Winslow ignores them (or tosses them over houses) until they become a true nuisance. Then, there is hell to pay. There is this one scene that was a little bit of a tear jerker. Jonathan, in the first trilogy, managed to undo a few deaths with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. However, I don’t know if that will be possible this time around. This book’s description doesn’t lie about not everyone getting out alive.
In the previous book, I felt it was a bit silly that all 3 main female characters were in love with Jonathan. That theme was carried forth in this book, but now things are more complicated. Kelly and Jonathan had this romantic relationship in ancient Egypt and they continue that in 1877, but now they have Brand (Kelly’s ex-boyfriend) and Esther (a ghost who’s had a crush on Jonathan for years) to pay witness to it. This makes for some uncomfortable moments for these friends. However, I am better with the idea of Jonathan being the center of so much female attention now that I’ve read this book, especially in light of how this one ends.
OK, leaving all this mushy romance stuff to the side, Jonathan has more than one bad guy to deal with in this book. He and Douglas Freeman eventually cross paths and a deal is struck to assist each other, as they have one bad guy in common. This eventually brings plenty of pain and a few broken bones to Jonathan as he fights a man who is near indestructible. I quite enjoyed how he resolved that issue.
In the end, this is one of my favorite books of the series. There’s a lot going on in San Francisco in 1877 and a lot going on with Jonathan and his crew. The books ends on a bittersweet note with a bit of suspense for what will come next. So looking forward to Book 6!
I received a free copy of this audiobook.
The Narration: Yet again, Joe Hempel continues to be the perfect Jonathan Shade. As per his usual performance, he does an excellent light Chinese accent for Kelly Chan and a Southern drawl for Esther. I liked the little bit of high-and-mighty he put into Ankhesenamun’s voice. There were some pretty emotional scenes in this book and Hempel did a great job getting those emotions across to the listener. Indeed, I believe he must be attached to these characters by now and that really shows in his narration.
Book 4, Anubis Nights, left us with quite the cliff hanger, so I was very glad I didn’t have to wait too long for this book to come out on audio. Jonathan Shade and his crew are still hunting Henry Winslow through time. Jonathan, Kelly Chan, and Ankhesenamun were yanked from ancient Egypt into 1877 at the end of the previous book. At the beginning of this book, Jonathan & Kelly are reunited with Brand and Esther, and they all have the opportunity to bring the confused Ankhesenamun up to speed.
And that’s the perfect set up for things to go very, very wrong. First, they finish traveling to San Francisco, hoping to catch up to the sorcerous Henry Winslow before he expects it and well before he can complete the next stage of his immortality ritual. Meanwhile, Douglas Freeman, a former slave, has suffered a great loss. He’s made a list of men who must die. Vengeful, angry ghosts accompany him as he tracks his quarry to San Francisco.
San Francisco is a mixing pot of cultures but it’s far from any kind of equality in 1877. Might still makes right and being any skin tone other than white leaves you with plenty of extra hurdles. Very few establishments outside of China town will serve Kelly Chan and nearly everyone assumes she is Jonathan’s slave. This provides plenty of opportunities for Kelly to set people right, much to my amusement. I’m really glad that the author didn’t ignore these facets of historical San Francisco as it made the story very interesting; Jonathan and crew can’t help but apply their 21st century standards to whatever time period they happen to be in.
The bad guy is very bad indeed! Henry Winslow is a very formidable foe as we saw in Book 4. That continues on in this book, though his powers have grown a bit. Still, Jonathan and crew think they can take him if they can just get the right combo of might, luck, and surprise going. At the very least, they can mess up this stage of his immortality ritual. For the most part, Winslow ignores them (or tosses them over houses) until they become a true nuisance. Then, there is hell to pay. There is this one scene that was a little bit of a tear jerker. Jonathan, in the first trilogy, managed to undo a few deaths with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. However, I don’t know if that will be possible this time around. This book’s description doesn’t lie about not everyone getting out alive.
In the previous book, I felt it was a bit silly that all 3 main female characters were in love with Jonathan. That theme was carried forth in this book, but now things are more complicated. Kelly and Jonathan had this romantic relationship in ancient Egypt and they continue that in 1877, but now they have Brand (Kelly’s ex-boyfriend) and Esther (a ghost who’s had a crush on Jonathan for years) to pay witness to it. This makes for some uncomfortable moments for these friends. However, I am better with the idea of Jonathan being the center of so much female attention now that I’ve read this book, especially in light of how this one ends.
OK, leaving all this mushy romance stuff to the side, Jonathan has more than one bad guy to deal with in this book. He and Douglas Freeman eventually cross paths and a deal is struck to assist each other, as they have one bad guy in common. This eventually brings plenty of pain and a few broken bones to Jonathan as he fights a man who is near indestructible. I quite enjoyed how he resolved that issue.
In the end, this is one of my favorite books of the series. There’s a lot going on in San Francisco in 1877 and a lot going on with Jonathan and his crew. The books ends on a bittersweet note with a bit of suspense for what will come next. So looking forward to Book 6!
I received a free copy of this audiobook.
The Narration: Yet again, Joe Hempel continues to be the perfect Jonathan Shade. As per his usual performance, he does an excellent light Chinese accent for Kelly Chan and a Southern drawl for Esther. I liked the little bit of high-and-mighty he put into Ankhesenamun’s voice. There were some pretty emotional scenes in this book and Hempel did a great job getting those emotions across to the listener. Indeed, I believe he must be attached to these characters by now and that really shows in his narration.
October 23, 2016
I was offered a copy of this book in audio format from the narrator in exchange for an honest review.
After defeating Henry Winslow in ancient Egypt, Jonathan and Kelly are dragged to the year 1877, to join Brand and Esther to kill Winslow's second aspect. This time Henry Winslow is much stronger than his version in ancient Egypt, and Jonathan realizes that completing the mission seems much harder than what he thought. They will face terrible dangers that will change things forever.
I was a bit surprised that this book is shorter than the previous one. This is the second book in the time travel series, and it is definitely a transition book between the beginning of the story and the resolution. I found it a bit disjointed though. Important things happen in this book but I had the impression that most of the time Jonathan and his team were busy with other things than the real matter. There are secondary characters and secondary stories to the main plot which contribute to how things turn in the end, but I missed more interaction with Henry Winslow, which demonstrated to be a very powerful enemy this time. I felt that there was something missing tying all the secondary stories, and that prevented it to be a solid book.
Although the book is short, there are many heartbreaking moments in it. We will learn important things about the past, and the future will be changed forever. The time lines get a bit confusing with all the changes, but I am impatient to see how everything lines up in the next book, which promises to be decisive.
Joe Hempel's interpretation was superb! He really becomes Shade and he has differentiated voices and accents for all the characters. This is a great series but Hempel elevates it to a higher level. The story becomes alive when he narrates it.
After the rush I got after the previous book I expected a bit more from this one, or al least a more polished story. This did not stop me from enjoying it all the great moments Jonas has wrote for us, and looking forward to the next book.
After defeating Henry Winslow in ancient Egypt, Jonathan and Kelly are dragged to the year 1877, to join Brand and Esther to kill Winslow's second aspect. This time Henry Winslow is much stronger than his version in ancient Egypt, and Jonathan realizes that completing the mission seems much harder than what he thought. They will face terrible dangers that will change things forever.
I was a bit surprised that this book is shorter than the previous one. This is the second book in the time travel series, and it is definitely a transition book between the beginning of the story and the resolution. I found it a bit disjointed though. Important things happen in this book but I had the impression that most of the time Jonathan and his team were busy with other things than the real matter. There are secondary characters and secondary stories to the main plot which contribute to how things turn in the end, but I missed more interaction with Henry Winslow, which demonstrated to be a very powerful enemy this time. I felt that there was something missing tying all the secondary stories, and that prevented it to be a solid book.
Although the book is short, there are many heartbreaking moments in it. We will learn important things about the past, and the future will be changed forever. The time lines get a bit confusing with all the changes, but I am impatient to see how everything lines up in the next book, which promises to be decisive.
Joe Hempel's interpretation was superb! He really becomes Shade and he has differentiated voices and accents for all the characters. This is a great series but Hempel elevates it to a higher level. The story becomes alive when he narrates it.
After the rush I got after the previous book I expected a bit more from this one, or al least a more polished story. This did not stop me from enjoying it all the great moments Jonas has wrote for us, and looking forward to the next book.
November 15, 2016
( Format : Audiobook )
""I'd rather not shoot you, Jonathan""
The weird world of Jonathan Shade just keeps getting weirder, and the West was never so wild. Back from ancient Egypt, Jon and Kelly are reunited with their companions, Esher and Brant in a lawless 1877 in their continued quest to stop Winslow and save the world. This is proving to be an exceptionally costly and dangerous enterprise as all does not go well (does it ever?). Could be only time will heal some wounds ...
As always, the narration is superb, with Joe Hempel's adroit voicings of each protagonist such that he becomes each character he assumes at the time. And his fast paced reading brings further excitement and magic to an already excellent story.
I was fortunate in being gifted a copy of Sunset Specters via Audiobook Boom. My thanks to the right's holder as this is a book in a very enjoyable series, which made me smile, laugh and sometimes be filled with dismay. With great characters, fast paced action, quirky situations and comedy, too. Best if read in series sequence for fullest enjoyment, though not totally essential, this is the second of a time travel trilogy within the Shade listings - and it all just keeps getting better! I am really looking forward to the next installment of Jonathan's complicated life in book six.
""I'd rather not shoot you, Jonathan""
The weird world of Jonathan Shade just keeps getting weirder, and the West was never so wild. Back from ancient Egypt, Jon and Kelly are reunited with their companions, Esher and Brant in a lawless 1877 in their continued quest to stop Winslow and save the world. This is proving to be an exceptionally costly and dangerous enterprise as all does not go well (does it ever?). Could be only time will heal some wounds ...
As always, the narration is superb, with Joe Hempel's adroit voicings of each protagonist such that he becomes each character he assumes at the time. And his fast paced reading brings further excitement and magic to an already excellent story.
I was fortunate in being gifted a copy of Sunset Specters via Audiobook Boom. My thanks to the right's holder as this is a book in a very enjoyable series, which made me smile, laugh and sometimes be filled with dismay. With great characters, fast paced action, quirky situations and comedy, too. Best if read in series sequence for fullest enjoyment, though not totally essential, this is the second of a time travel trilogy within the Shade listings - and it all just keeps getting better! I am really looking forward to the next installment of Jonathan's complicated life in book six.
October 23, 2016
This was another entertaining book in the Jonathan Shade series. I have to admit that this was not my favorite of the series, but it was still good nonetheless. It still contains all the Jonathan Shade wit, that I really like, and the characters are always interesting. It seemed a little more "rushed" or thrown together than the other books and a couple parts didn't make a lot of sense to me, but I've really liked this series, and I will continue on with it. I listened to the Audible audio version of this book narrated by Joe Hempel. He did a great job giving unique voices to each character and really contributed to the story.
September 15, 2015
Once again I'm giving this book only 3 stars because it isn't a complete story. #'s 4,5,& 6 are one story in three books. I don't always enjoys series' because they usually go one of two ways, not enough backstory or too much backstory instead of a stand alone story w/ continuing characters. I also honestly think a lot of the series' coming out these days are more concerned about the reader buying the next ( & the next & the next )instead of a decent story. I prefer a big dense novel & never balk @ a book due to length/ # of pages. This trick of three books for one story is really tiresome.
September 6, 2018
Apparently the book before this left in a cliff hanger, but I've never read that story before... Yes it was a bit confusing at first to understand what was going on, but by the time I'd thought about possibly not finishing the story it was already sounding so good I couldn't stop. This story was great. There were sad moments, happy moments, and plenty of actiony goodness. Joe Hempel did a wonderful job narrating and this story has made it to where I have to find and read the first 4 stories.
August 14, 2016
Continues the previous narrative, there are some odd choices/scenes that go a bit too quickly for me. I think most people will feel the same, but it still sets up a hell of a lot of interesting scenarios. I think this is where we get into: "Casting off characters because the author didn't know what else to do with them." But other than that, it's flawlessly executed.
February 9, 2017
Wow
Not sure how to feel right now except confused. Onto the next book for some answers......hopefully. Such a good series.
Not sure how to feel right now except confused. Onto the next book for some answers......hopefully. Such a good series.
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