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Pax Arcana #5
Legend Has It
For John Charming, living the dream just became a nightmare.
Someone, somewhere, is reading a magic book that is reading them right back. Real life is becoming a fairytale: high school students are turning, quite literally, into zombies, subway workers into dwarves, drug addicts into vampires.
John Charming and his motley band of monster hunters are racing to find the villain of this story, following the yellow brick road through a not so wonderful wonderland. And if they can’t find Reader Zero before the book is closed, there won’t be a happily ever after again.
Someone, somewhere, is reading a magic book that is reading them right back. Real life is becoming a fairytale: high school students are turning, quite literally, into zombies, subway workers into dwarves, drug addicts into vampires.
John Charming and his motley band of monster hunters are racing to find the villain of this story, following the yellow brick road through a not so wonderful wonderland. And if they can’t find Reader Zero before the book is closed, there won’t be a happily ever after again.
448 pages, Paperback
First published April 18, 2017
153 people are currently reading
1112 people want to read
About the author
Elliott James
20 books729 followersAn army brat and gypsy scholar, ELLIOTT JAMES is currently living in the blueridge mountains of southwest Virginia. An avid reader since the age of three (or that's what his family swears anyhow), he has an abiding interest in mythology, martial arts, live music, hiking, and used bookstores.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
May 4, 2017
3.5 stars
John and the gang are back, this time on the trail of someone who is making fictional monsters come to life. As before, the interactions between characters and John's trademark wise-assery make for an entertaining story.
Typical John observations:
“I’ve never understood that saying (about looking for a needle in a haystack),” I grumbled. “If it’s that big of a deal, just set the damn haystack on fire and pick the needle out of the ashes.”
“I could hear the urgent, quiet conversation that he had with another knight in Latin. It wasn’t smooth because the Romans had some kind of stick up their butts about prepositions, but their hurried conference translated something like this:
“What lobby danger troubles you?”
“Living statues. But that is the lesser vexation.”
“What mean you?”
“We occupy some strange dimension. Detroit is gone, brown glass mountains surround us, and the sun is red.”
“Incestuous mother lover! Do you require our immediate aid?”
Unlike many other UF characters, John's snark is more self-deprecating than cutting to others, making him a more endearing character, and he definitely has shown some personal growth over the course of the series.
I look forward to seeing what adventures and trials await the crew next.
John and the gang are back, this time on the trail of someone who is making fictional monsters come to life. As before, the interactions between characters and John's trademark wise-assery make for an entertaining story.
Typical John observations:
“I’ve never understood that saying (about looking for a needle in a haystack),” I grumbled. “If it’s that big of a deal, just set the damn haystack on fire and pick the needle out of the ashes.”
“I could hear the urgent, quiet conversation that he had with another knight in Latin. It wasn’t smooth because the Romans had some kind of stick up their butts about prepositions, but their hurried conference translated something like this:
“What lobby danger troubles you?”
“Living statues. But that is the lesser vexation.”
“What mean you?”
“We occupy some strange dimension. Detroit is gone, brown glass mountains surround us, and the sun is red.”
“Incestuous mother lover! Do you require our immediate aid?”
Unlike many other UF characters, John's snark is more self-deprecating than cutting to others, making him a more endearing character, and he definitely has shown some personal growth over the course of the series.
I look forward to seeing what adventures and trials await the crew next.
April 23, 2017
Originally published at Reading Reality
The snark is strong with this one. Very strong. And John Charming needs all the help that he can get.
At this point in the story of John Charming and his “Scooby-gang” of Sig, Molly and Choo, they, and the world, are in pretty deep foo-foo. Which is where they do best. And sometimes worst.
The story follows almost directly from last year’s In Shining Armor. At the end of that book, John says that he and Sig are going back to pick up the rest of the gang, and that’s pretty much where we are now. John and the gang heading to New York to meet up with John’s former and possibly future gang, the Knights Templar, along with his semi-present gang, the werewolves of the Round Table.
Those Knights Templar really are the descendants of the original Knights Templar. The werewolves of the Round Table, on the other hand, adopted that name because it was cool and because it fit into their frequently mesalliance with the Templars. And probably because it pisses the Templars off just a bit.
Not that werewolves in general don’t make the Templars very, very twitchy. The Templars aren’t merely charged with, but are actually geas bound to protect the Pax Arcana, the magic (ironic that) that makes it so that us mundanes don’t see or remember magic. And for a very long time, the Templars were taught to believe that the mere existence of werewolves (and vampires, and pretty much anything else that was magic but wasn’t Templar) were an automatic violation of the Pax.
Which they mostly aren’t. Most werewolves, and vampires, and cunning folk (witches) and other magical types just want to live their lives without bothering anyone. They don’t want to be outed any more than the Templars do. But negotiating that particular change in outlook makes the Templars very, very twitchy indeed.
And that’s where John Charming came in. John is a Templar. And he’s also a werewolf. The fact that he didn’t self-combust the minute he discovered those two supposedly contradictory identities has forced, often at swordpoint, the Templars to do a bit of re-thinking. Hence the very shaky alliance between the Templars and the werewolves.
What was discovered in In Shining Armor was that there is a group very much in opposition to the Templars, and that the opposition, the School of Night, had done an excellent job of infiltrating the Templars over the past 500 years. The mission of the School of Night is bring down the Pax Arcana, by any means necessary, to let magic loose in the world again.
And the Templars are bound to oppose the tearing down of the Pax by any means necessary, no matter how vile those means might be. Even to the point of nukes in New York City. They may not want to, but they may feel that they have to.
That’s what John Charming and his Scooby-gang are right smack in the middle of. Their job, and they’ve decided to accept it, is to bring down the School of Night before the Templars bring down Ragnarok. No matter what it takes. Or possibly who.
Escape Rating A-: If you’ve read the other books, this one is a humdinger, slam-dunk thrill-a-minute ride from the beginning to the end.
Let me say this upfront – the Pax Arcana series is one that is meant to be read from its beginning. Although the world starts out being very much like our own, as the series piles on, we see more and more of just how different it is – or rather just how much has been hidden from us by the Pax Arcana. The author makes a brave and hilarious attempt to get new readers into the action by opening with our hero John Charming in the midst of an imaginary interview with a very imaginary Barbara Walters. That intro does a good job of reminding series readers where last we left our heroes, but isn’t really a substitute for new readers actually reading at least most of the rest of the series.
So if you like really, really snarky urban fantasy, start with Charming.
As I’ve mentioned, John Charming definitely comes from the snarky end of urban fantasy. He reminds me a lot of Harry Dresden from the Dresden Files, but John’s attitude towards women in general is a bit more, I want to say enlightened but that isn’t quite right. John, unlike Harry or most heroes in urban fantasy, is managing to have a successful relationship with Sig the Valkyrie. And he’s less of a hound and more of a good man, if only because Sig can perforate him with her spear when he screws things up. He’s learning, and it makes him more sympathetic.
Like other urban fantasy heroes, including Harry Dresden, Atticus Finch of the Iron Druid Chronicles, and John Taylor from the Nightside, the book is literally his story. It’s told from the first-person, and we are inside John’s head. You do have to like his brand of snark to want to occupy that head for very long, but it’s generally a livable space. While he does use humor to lighten what are often grim situations, he is also funnier on the inside than even what comes out, and he says what he’s thinking, and often what we’re thinking too.
The thing in this story that causes all the fuss is an interesting one. It’s a book. An evil book. It’s one of those books from the Restricted Section in the library at Hogwarts (not literally, of course) that should be chained up because when you read it, it reads you. And it’s way more powerful than most people who read it. The School of Night is using it to let magical monsters loose in the world, test the responses of the Knights, and see if they can spread enough chaos to break the Pax. It’s a diabolical plan, from a very diabolical mind.
But the sheer amount of danger that John, his gang and the Templars are tipped into, while awesome and scary on so many levels, also brings out one of the inevitable twists of urban fantasy – that in order to keep the series interesting, the protagonist has to face and overcome more dangerous situations each outing, with bigger and badder villains, and hairier and scarier problems to solve. The hero becomes more powerful, and the villains get even more frightening and evil. The tone of the series gets darker the deeper you go. And so it proves with John Charming. Also Harry Dresden, John Taylor and every other urban fantasy series I’ve ever read.
I wonder where this one is going to end. But I certainly plan on hanging on to the ride. Possibly with my fingernails. And maybe my teeth.
The snark is strong with this one. Very strong. And John Charming needs all the help that he can get.
At this point in the story of John Charming and his “Scooby-gang” of Sig, Molly and Choo, they, and the world, are in pretty deep foo-foo. Which is where they do best. And sometimes worst.
The story follows almost directly from last year’s In Shining Armor. At the end of that book, John says that he and Sig are going back to pick up the rest of the gang, and that’s pretty much where we are now. John and the gang heading to New York to meet up with John’s former and possibly future gang, the Knights Templar, along with his semi-present gang, the werewolves of the Round Table.
Those Knights Templar really are the descendants of the original Knights Templar. The werewolves of the Round Table, on the other hand, adopted that name because it was cool and because it fit into their frequently mesalliance with the Templars. And probably because it pisses the Templars off just a bit.
Not that werewolves in general don’t make the Templars very, very twitchy. The Templars aren’t merely charged with, but are actually geas bound to protect the Pax Arcana, the magic (ironic that) that makes it so that us mundanes don’t see or remember magic. And for a very long time, the Templars were taught to believe that the mere existence of werewolves (and vampires, and pretty much anything else that was magic but wasn’t Templar) were an automatic violation of the Pax.
Which they mostly aren’t. Most werewolves, and vampires, and cunning folk (witches) and other magical types just want to live their lives without bothering anyone. They don’t want to be outed any more than the Templars do. But negotiating that particular change in outlook makes the Templars very, very twitchy indeed.
And that’s where John Charming came in. John is a Templar. And he’s also a werewolf. The fact that he didn’t self-combust the minute he discovered those two supposedly contradictory identities has forced, often at swordpoint, the Templars to do a bit of re-thinking. Hence the very shaky alliance between the Templars and the werewolves.
What was discovered in In Shining Armor was that there is a group very much in opposition to the Templars, and that the opposition, the School of Night, had done an excellent job of infiltrating the Templars over the past 500 years. The mission of the School of Night is bring down the Pax Arcana, by any means necessary, to let magic loose in the world again.
And the Templars are bound to oppose the tearing down of the Pax by any means necessary, no matter how vile those means might be. Even to the point of nukes in New York City. They may not want to, but they may feel that they have to.
That’s what John Charming and his Scooby-gang are right smack in the middle of. Their job, and they’ve decided to accept it, is to bring down the School of Night before the Templars bring down Ragnarok. No matter what it takes. Or possibly who.
Escape Rating A-: If you’ve read the other books, this one is a humdinger, slam-dunk thrill-a-minute ride from the beginning to the end.
Let me say this upfront – the Pax Arcana series is one that is meant to be read from its beginning. Although the world starts out being very much like our own, as the series piles on, we see more and more of just how different it is – or rather just how much has been hidden from us by the Pax Arcana. The author makes a brave and hilarious attempt to get new readers into the action by opening with our hero John Charming in the midst of an imaginary interview with a very imaginary Barbara Walters. That intro does a good job of reminding series readers where last we left our heroes, but isn’t really a substitute for new readers actually reading at least most of the rest of the series.
So if you like really, really snarky urban fantasy, start with Charming.
As I’ve mentioned, John Charming definitely comes from the snarky end of urban fantasy. He reminds me a lot of Harry Dresden from the Dresden Files, but John’s attitude towards women in general is a bit more, I want to say enlightened but that isn’t quite right. John, unlike Harry or most heroes in urban fantasy, is managing to have a successful relationship with Sig the Valkyrie. And he’s less of a hound and more of a good man, if only because Sig can perforate him with her spear when he screws things up. He’s learning, and it makes him more sympathetic.
Like other urban fantasy heroes, including Harry Dresden, Atticus Finch of the Iron Druid Chronicles, and John Taylor from the Nightside, the book is literally his story. It’s told from the first-person, and we are inside John’s head. You do have to like his brand of snark to want to occupy that head for very long, but it’s generally a livable space. While he does use humor to lighten what are often grim situations, he is also funnier on the inside than even what comes out, and he says what he’s thinking, and often what we’re thinking too.
The thing in this story that causes all the fuss is an interesting one. It’s a book. An evil book. It’s one of those books from the Restricted Section in the library at Hogwarts (not literally, of course) that should be chained up because when you read it, it reads you. And it’s way more powerful than most people who read it. The School of Night is using it to let magical monsters loose in the world, test the responses of the Knights, and see if they can spread enough chaos to break the Pax. It’s a diabolical plan, from a very diabolical mind.
But the sheer amount of danger that John, his gang and the Templars are tipped into, while awesome and scary on so many levels, also brings out one of the inevitable twists of urban fantasy – that in order to keep the series interesting, the protagonist has to face and overcome more dangerous situations each outing, with bigger and badder villains, and hairier and scarier problems to solve. The hero becomes more powerful, and the villains get even more frightening and evil. The tone of the series gets darker the deeper you go. And so it proves with John Charming. Also Harry Dresden, John Taylor and every other urban fantasy series I’ve ever read.
I wonder where this one is going to end. But I certainly plan on hanging on to the ride. Possibly with my fingernails. And maybe my teeth.
April 7, 2017
The School of Night is at it again. They have a book that they can use to transform people into something other than human. All in an effort to break the Pax Arcana. Enter John Charming and Co. They must all work together again to try to save New York and stop their enemies before this thing spreads. I love, love, love this series!! So many characters to love (or hate). I can't wait for more!
August 23, 2017
This series just gets better and better with each book... and we're finally starting to get some answers... it feels like this is starting to build to a big finale... it will be sad to see it go when it's done..
June 13, 2017
From the back cover: “Someone, somewhere, is reading a magic book that is reading them right back. The line between fantasy and reality is breaking down, and real life is becoming a fairy tale: bored office workers are turning, quite literally, into zombies, bullies into black knights, and squatters beneath bridges into trolls. John Charming and his motley band of monster hunters are racing to find the real villain of this story, following the yellow brick road through a not-so-wonderful wonderland. And if they can’t find Reader X before the mysterious grimoire is closed, there won’t be a happily ever after again.”
LEGEND HAS IT is book five in the Pax Arcana series by Elliot James. And while it would be easier to understand what’s going on if you’ve read the previous books, the author does a good job bringing you up to speed early on and keeping you from getting lost during the story. For example, in this book the prologue is an extended and imaginary scene where John is interviewed (tongue firmly in cheek) by Barbara Walters. I can’t think of another author who does series-up-to-this-point explanations better than this guy. Or more hilariously.
The humor is necessary, otherwise the dire circumstances John often seems to find himself in would leave a reader unable to continue as a result of the incredible tension. As in my review for FEARLESS, it often seems like the quests have no chance of ever being successful, the odds are too great and it’s difficult to see a solution. But would a Charming ever give up? No! And thank goodness he has a team he can trust and who trust him. There’s his girlfriend and part-Valkyrie Sig, the priest Molly, tech support (and occasional sniper) Choo, as well as enough people in the paranormal community who owe him the favors he needs to get the job done. It’s those very connections that makes John successful, as the Templar grand pubah Simon admits with extreme frustration. He wonders how an unrespectable guy like John can get so many people to trust him. But Simon’s a jerk, so what does he know?
The Templars need John to hunt down Reader X, but Simon isn’t telling the whole story, and that’s a serious problem (no wonder the other paranormals don’t trust the guy). John knows he should wash his hands of this entire debacle, but New York City and its citizens are in big trouble. While the story is told mainly from John’s PoV, there are a few interludes from the viewpoint of the various denizens around the city: a guy whose hook-up is lured by a pied piper, the Templar Janine and her crew’s efforts as part of the whole, an uncle’s heroic efforts to save his young niece from giant snakes at a playground, and etc. At times these felt like side-tracks, but ultimately they all fit into a bigger picture that John must work through and unravel.
Along for the ride is new-girl and dhampir (a vampire turning that gets botched in process) Kasia, a bad flash from Sig’s past, and assigned by Simon to John’s group to keep an eye on them and help out where necessary. Unfortunately, she may be there to kill John since John killed her ex-lover, who also happened to be Sig’s ex-lover….ug, what a mess. Can John convince her that once the job is done, that he isn’t worth trying to kill?
As always the best part of the book is John’s irreverent wit. Include that with an interesting and well-plotted story, clever characters, exciting battles, and excellent worldbuilding, all of which made it a hard book to put down, even with its 400+ pages, longer than most Urban Fantasy novels. I especially enjoyed John and Sig’s relationship, how it’s evolved, and how they relate to each other. It helps that John has been around the block and that despite his foibles, he’s gotten pretty good at reading his lady’s moods–and why. I keep reminding myself I need to go back and find the first two books and read them (I haven’t yet); my only excuse is that my to-read pile for EBR is currently falling over it’s so long. Hopefully the pile has more books as fun to read as this one.
Recommended Age: 16+
Language: A fair bit, our hero can get salty at times
Violence: John Charming is a magnet for violence, and the fight scenes are pretty intense
Sex: Lots and lots of innuendo/references, sometimes crass
***Read this and other reviews at Elitistbookreviews.com***
LEGEND HAS IT is book five in the Pax Arcana series by Elliot James. And while it would be easier to understand what’s going on if you’ve read the previous books, the author does a good job bringing you up to speed early on and keeping you from getting lost during the story. For example, in this book the prologue is an extended and imaginary scene where John is interviewed (tongue firmly in cheek) by Barbara Walters. I can’t think of another author who does series-up-to-this-point explanations better than this guy. Or more hilariously.
The humor is necessary, otherwise the dire circumstances John often seems to find himself in would leave a reader unable to continue as a result of the incredible tension. As in my review for FEARLESS, it often seems like the quests have no chance of ever being successful, the odds are too great and it’s difficult to see a solution. But would a Charming ever give up? No! And thank goodness he has a team he can trust and who trust him. There’s his girlfriend and part-Valkyrie Sig, the priest Molly, tech support (and occasional sniper) Choo, as well as enough people in the paranormal community who owe him the favors he needs to get the job done. It’s those very connections that makes John successful, as the Templar grand pubah Simon admits with extreme frustration. He wonders how an unrespectable guy like John can get so many people to trust him. But Simon’s a jerk, so what does he know?
The Templars need John to hunt down Reader X, but Simon isn’t telling the whole story, and that’s a serious problem (no wonder the other paranormals don’t trust the guy). John knows he should wash his hands of this entire debacle, but New York City and its citizens are in big trouble. While the story is told mainly from John’s PoV, there are a few interludes from the viewpoint of the various denizens around the city: a guy whose hook-up is lured by a pied piper, the Templar Janine and her crew’s efforts as part of the whole, an uncle’s heroic efforts to save his young niece from giant snakes at a playground, and etc. At times these felt like side-tracks, but ultimately they all fit into a bigger picture that John must work through and unravel.
Along for the ride is new-girl and dhampir (a vampire turning that gets botched in process) Kasia, a bad flash from Sig’s past, and assigned by Simon to John’s group to keep an eye on them and help out where necessary. Unfortunately, she may be there to kill John since John killed her ex-lover, who also happened to be Sig’s ex-lover….ug, what a mess. Can John convince her that once the job is done, that he isn’t worth trying to kill?
As always the best part of the book is John’s irreverent wit. Include that with an interesting and well-plotted story, clever characters, exciting battles, and excellent worldbuilding, all of which made it a hard book to put down, even with its 400+ pages, longer than most Urban Fantasy novels. I especially enjoyed John and Sig’s relationship, how it’s evolved, and how they relate to each other. It helps that John has been around the block and that despite his foibles, he’s gotten pretty good at reading his lady’s moods–and why. I keep reminding myself I need to go back and find the first two books and read them (I haven’t yet); my only excuse is that my to-read pile for EBR is currently falling over it’s so long. Hopefully the pile has more books as fun to read as this one.
Recommended Age: 16+
Language: A fair bit, our hero can get salty at times
Violence: John Charming is a magnet for violence, and the fight scenes are pretty intense
Sex: Lots and lots of innuendo/references, sometimes crass
***Read this and other reviews at Elitistbookreviews.com***
June 7, 2018
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
John Charming continues to be a wild and interesting ride! He is smart and rather too fearless at times. His integrity has granted him an interesting set of friends and allies, which every hero needs. He is not a typical hero, often more in the background, except when a battle is raging.
Legend Has It continues in the fashion of the Pax Arcana series. The School of Night is out to destroy the Knights and the werewolves, or let them kill each other. There is John with his humorous and insightful views on what is really happening. The chapter titles again provide clever bits for our amusement.
The world continues to have many types of supernatural characters for all they are being hidden. They come from many mythologies with interesting stories and results. The characters in this story, consist of many of John's friends and people he has worked with in the past. There are still so many new people, it's a bit of a blur.
I'm happy John and Sig continue to develop their relationship. They work well together and have each other’s back. Their communication is improving, and they have supported each other and their causes. The relationship is just a few brief moments; it is not any kind of focus.
THIS is the bottom line. In spite of no one really supporting or loving John, in pretty much his whole life, John supports, and loves. He puts himself out there, and often for others, all the freaking time. He allows himself to be vulnerable, body and heart. That, right there, is why he is collecting his odd band of allies, as all great heroes do.
I wondered where things would go after the previous book. John and Sig seemed to be continuously caught up in battles but there didn't seem to be any kind of plan for the future. Legend Has It culminates with a plan. I didn't even realize the meaning until I wrote this review, reading my questions at the end of the previous book. I'm in for the next round of how this will develop.
Narration:
I don't know if I have heard Roger Wayne previously but this was very enjoyable. I did find myself slowing the audio to 1.0x speed. There are so many characters and witty comments and references; I needed to slow down to catch them or chuckle as they happened. There were many giggle-worthy quotes but I find them very difficult to highlight or provide when listening to audio rather than reading. While I totally enjoyed the audiobook, I might need to read this series to grasp all its intelligence and humor.
Listen to a clip:
https://soundcloud.com/user-149056452...
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
John Charming continues to be a wild and interesting ride! He is smart and rather too fearless at times. His integrity has granted him an interesting set of friends and allies, which every hero needs. He is not a typical hero, often more in the background, except when a battle is raging.
Legend Has It continues in the fashion of the Pax Arcana series. The School of Night is out to destroy the Knights and the werewolves, or let them kill each other. There is John with his humorous and insightful views on what is really happening. The chapter titles again provide clever bits for our amusement.
The world continues to have many types of supernatural characters for all they are being hidden. They come from many mythologies with interesting stories and results. The characters in this story, consist of many of John's friends and people he has worked with in the past. There are still so many new people, it's a bit of a blur.
I'm happy John and Sig continue to develop their relationship. They work well together and have each other’s back. Their communication is improving, and they have supported each other and their causes. The relationship is just a few brief moments; it is not any kind of focus.
THIS is the bottom line. In spite of no one really supporting or loving John, in pretty much his whole life, John supports, and loves. He puts himself out there, and often for others, all the freaking time. He allows himself to be vulnerable, body and heart. That, right there, is why he is collecting his odd band of allies, as all great heroes do.
I wondered where things would go after the previous book. John and Sig seemed to be continuously caught up in battles but there didn't seem to be any kind of plan for the future. Legend Has It culminates with a plan. I didn't even realize the meaning until I wrote this review, reading my questions at the end of the previous book. I'm in for the next round of how this will develop.
Narration:
I don't know if I have heard Roger Wayne previously but this was very enjoyable. I did find myself slowing the audio to 1.0x speed. There are so many characters and witty comments and references; I needed to slow down to catch them or chuckle as they happened. There were many giggle-worthy quotes but I find them very difficult to highlight or provide when listening to audio rather than reading. While I totally enjoyed the audiobook, I might need to read this series to grasp all its intelligence and humor.
Listen to a clip:
https://soundcloud.com/user-149056452...
January 1, 2024
I love this series for many, many reasons.
John’s sense of humor is awesome
The fight scenes are topnotch. A lot of UF/PNR writers don’t put in as much detail. James makes them believable and he makes them understandable to the masses. He has a gift for explaining weapons, armor, and how they work and I’ve only really seen that with two other authors Ilona Andrews (who does superb fight scenes) and Faith Hunter (who does a great job explaining how a weapon will sit on a person and how armor really feels/looks.)
The lore used throughout the series … it is so very interesting. James uses lore and myths from obscure (at least to me) religions and regions all over the world and I find not knowing exactly where something comes from refreshing to read about.
The characters are just plain awesome all around. Each one is its own individual and doesn’t fit a cookie cutter mold for a character/trope from other series. (At least not to me they don’t.)
One thing that I liked about this book was the whole issue revolving around the Book of Am and the secret society from back in the day. I loved reading about the intrigue and the possible machinations of the School of Night amongst the ranks of the Knights for a very long time. The bag guy as a whole was rather unique, once again this is where James excels, it was an amalgamation of a whole bunch of things, each scarier and freakier than the next.
There were so many quotes that I wanted to post, but I didn’t because I didn’t want to take the time to do so and wanted to keep reading the book. I highly recommend reading this series for so many reasons. I can’t wait to see what John does about his new found family and what he will be doing once he gets back home in regards to Ben’s suggestions.
A couple of quotes I remember from when I was finishing the book last night … I’d post more but I’d get sucked into reading the end of the book again.
Page 338
Simon’s voice got a shade tauter. “You’re pretty fond of lecturing people on which allies they should share information with. You don’t seem to practice what you preach, though.”
“F*** off,” I said diplomatically. Well, it was more diplomatic than stabbing him in the side of the neck, anyway. I like to think that these things are relative.
Page 340
“Well, you know what I always say about wishes and assholes.”
Simon’s lips curled. “Everyone has them?”
“No,” I said. “I just wish you weren’t such an asshole.”
John’s sense of humor is awesome
The fight scenes are topnotch. A lot of UF/PNR writers don’t put in as much detail. James makes them believable and he makes them understandable to the masses. He has a gift for explaining weapons, armor, and how they work and I’ve only really seen that with two other authors Ilona Andrews (who does superb fight scenes) and Faith Hunter (who does a great job explaining how a weapon will sit on a person and how armor really feels/looks.)
The lore used throughout the series … it is so very interesting. James uses lore and myths from obscure (at least to me) religions and regions all over the world and I find not knowing exactly where something comes from refreshing to read about.
The characters are just plain awesome all around. Each one is its own individual and doesn’t fit a cookie cutter mold for a character/trope from other series. (At least not to me they don’t.)
One thing that I liked about this book was the whole issue revolving around the Book of Am and the secret society from back in the day. I loved reading about the intrigue and the possible machinations of the School of Night amongst the ranks of the Knights for a very long time. The bag guy as a whole was rather unique, once again this is where James excels, it was an amalgamation of a whole bunch of things, each scarier and freakier than the next.
There were so many quotes that I wanted to post, but I didn’t because I didn’t want to take the time to do so and wanted to keep reading the book. I highly recommend reading this series for so many reasons. I can’t wait to see what John does about his new found family and what he will be doing once he gets back home in regards to Ben’s suggestions.
A couple of quotes I remember from when I was finishing the book last night … I’d post more but I’d get sucked into reading the end of the book again.
Page 338
Simon’s voice got a shade tauter. “You’re pretty fond of lecturing people on which allies they should share information with. You don’t seem to practice what you preach, though.”
“F*** off,” I said diplomatically. Well, it was more diplomatic than stabbing him in the side of the neck, anyway. I like to think that these things are relative.
Page 340
“Well, you know what I always say about wishes and assholes.”
Simon’s lips curled. “Everyone has them?”
“No,” I said. “I just wish you weren’t such an asshole.”
May 9, 2017
My review for the previous novel stated:
Well, the big news is that this series has now entered the Top Tier of urban fantasy.... purely on the strength of the main character. The battles are well drawn, the villains interesting and, strangely enough, somewhat sympathetic; the heroes, becoming more and more interesting.
Highly recommended.
Believe it or not... I'm getting tired of urban fantasy... you go to the Sci-Fi/Fantasy section of your local bookstore and it seems like 3/4 of the selection is taken up with urban fantasy novels. Having said that, some of my favourite authors write in this genre - Butcher, Aaronovitch, and Jacka (to name my favourites) have all taken the core conceit and done something interesting with it If I was to create a hierarchy, however, this series would definitely be on the second highest tier and quickly clawing its way to the top tier. This series just keeps getting better - and this book is the best so far in the series.
....
James' protagonist is continues to be the best thing about these books... a sarcastic, self-aware smart-ass. He is however starting to improve in the creation of his secondary characters and the sketching out of his world (although I like Sig, she is far from his strongest character; I definitely want to see more of Nick and his mortal girlfriend, the Templars are, to my surprise, actually becoming interesting).
Well, the big news is that this series has now entered the Top Tier of urban fantasy.... purely on the strength of the main character. The battles are well drawn, the villains interesting and, strangely enough, somewhat sympathetic; the heroes, becoming more and more interesting.
Highly recommended.
April 10, 2023
I finished my re-listen of 2023. And I am still sad that the series ended here. There were so many options for more stories there - but apparently the sales were not good enough for more books to be published.
A friend who I recommended the series to said „there are a lot of fights“. And she is right. So maybe people who do not like to read detailed action scenes with various monsters might not enjoy this as much as I do. I just imagine the movie and go with it. I like me a well choreographed fighting scene.
And there is some good story telling in between. And the characters! I could never tire of them and always end up disappointed that this or that person did not play as big a part as I wanted them to…
2017 Review
I love Elliott James, I love John Charming, I love Sig, and all the many side characters, human and supernatural. I cannot get enough of their crazy adventures and the humor that makes them bearable. Also I am still reading this series for the romance, even though there is hardly any time for it. But what there is, I like. And I want to know how all the new plans and developments work out! This is all so INTERESTING!
And I want to especially mention how awesome Ben is. He is always there, mostly in the background, but when he interacts, what he says - it is just what is needed. Best werewolf ever.
A friend who I recommended the series to said „there are a lot of fights“. And she is right. So maybe people who do not like to read detailed action scenes with various monsters might not enjoy this as much as I do. I just imagine the movie and go with it. I like me a well choreographed fighting scene.
And there is some good story telling in between. And the characters! I could never tire of them and always end up disappointed that this or that person did not play as big a part as I wanted them to…
2017 Review
I love Elliott James, I love John Charming, I love Sig, and all the many side characters, human and supernatural. I cannot get enough of their crazy adventures and the humor that makes them bearable. Also I am still reading this series for the romance, even though there is hardly any time for it. But what there is, I like. And I want to know how all the new plans and developments work out! This is all so INTERESTING!
And I want to especially mention how awesome Ben is. He is always there, mostly in the background, but when he interacts, what he says - it is just what is needed. Best werewolf ever.
May 11, 2017
My husband and I are big fans of this series. I have read all the books aloud to my husband. We love John Charming with his snarky, irreverent attitude, smart mouth, extensive knowledge of monsters and kick butt fighting skills.
Sadly this book was frustrating to read. There were many chapters with various POVs from random characters. These were usually depressing, always distracting and often irrelevant to the story. I began to groan everytime I ran into another of these chapters. They were frequently confusing and I think the story would have been perfectly clear without any of them. It would have flowed a lot better too. All they seemed to accomplish was to bulk up the number of pages.
Sadly this book was frustrating to read. There were many chapters with various POVs from random characters. These were usually depressing, always distracting and often irrelevant to the story. I began to groan everytime I ran into another of these chapters. They were frequently confusing and I think the story would have been perfectly clear without any of them. It would have flowed a lot better too. All they seemed to accomplish was to bulk up the number of pages.
November 27, 2017
I have rally liked the other books in this series. This one was a mess. It had no coherent story plot. The few action moments were ok, but It me a long time to read this book, because it was actually a little boring.
April 18, 2017
Obligatory metaphorical fiction about reading books. Fun though! The main character is right, "Reader X" sounds cool.
April 29, 2017
Story moves right a long, good solid plot and characters I like. In fact I've been resistant to Sig but I really warned to her for the first time in this book. It came together very nicely.
July 13, 2017
I was really looking forward to reading this latest addition to the series, but as the book progressed, I found it was a bit of work. It started off well enough, with a much neeeded but slightly cringe-inducing recap. The author continues to build continuity by bringing back characters from previous books. Kevin (book 3) and Sarah, the cunning woman, make a reappearance (though they didn't add much to the plot for all their screen time), as well as Ben, leader of the werewolves' Round Table (unfortunately, he didn't add much to the plot, either), and Simon Travers, lately the Knight's fixer from the previous book, who is moving up in the ranks (he got a lot of screen time and characterization, sadly for a rather unlikeable character). The story starts off as a mystery, but unfortunately, the solving of it was more a case of John and crew bumbling around and finding conveniently placed breadcrumbs than brainy deduction. There is a large cast of characters, and by three-quarters of the book, it was getting hard to keep track of them all amidst the evermore confusing bad-guy motivations. The shifting POVs every other chapter or so while adding interest in the beginning, just contributed to the mayhem as the book progressed. There were a lot of small plot threads that seemed to have gotten dropped along the way or not satisfactorily resolved. If left for a sequel, most readers will have forgotten them by then. On the plus side, John and Sig weren't arguing with each other throughout the book, so their relationship was a bit more believable, but I'm still not buying the attraction between the two. Ultimately I was a bit disappointed with this book. I'm giving it a 2.5, generously rounded up to 3.
May 29, 2017
Elliott James continues the saga of John Charming, ex-Templar knight and werewolf, with this new adventure. Our reluctant hero Charming is sometimes not-so charming, witty, snarky, and humorous. In this installment we see more of the would-be romantic too (which felt weird in a good way). We also have our usual cast of characters with Valkyrie Sig, healer Molly, and other friends like Choo.
In this installment we have the Templars and the Were's teaming up (uh-oh!) to work against the School of Night who have put an all out attack on our reality.
This book is good, but not as good as the last one. This one has more explanation of "stuff" and I found myself bogged down with it (right in the middle, too). But this is John Charming so I hung in there. The whole book had an entirely different feel than the previous ones and I hope that the story returns to a past style for future volumes. No you may not skip this book. Yes, you must read the other books first.
There is A LOT of fighting in this one. It gets a bit predictable but James does a fabulous job of detailing every action. Sometimes too much detail though will get in the way of just moving on.
All in all this was worth it. I anxiously await book 6.
In this installment we have the Templars and the Were's teaming up (uh-oh!) to work against the School of Night who have put an all out attack on our reality.
This book is good, but not as good as the last one. This one has more explanation of "stuff" and I found myself bogged down with it (right in the middle, too). But this is John Charming so I hung in there. The whole book had an entirely different feel than the previous ones and I hope that the story returns to a past style for future volumes. No you may not skip this book. Yes, you must read the other books first.
There is A LOT of fighting in this one. It gets a bit predictable but James does a fabulous job of detailing every action. Sometimes too much detail though will get in the way of just moving on.
All in all this was worth it. I anxiously await book 6.
May 9, 2017
James has really hit his stride with this one.
It was excellent from start to finish but I particularly enjoyed the interludes from the non-main characters. Just two or three pages that gave us a little vignette into different monster attacks, but each was narrated with such a strong voice that I felt like I wanted to read short stories about each of these people.
Charming is very fun as always. His quips remain extremely lively and funny. His relationship with Sig has really deepened to the point that you actually feel like they're a real couple, happy to be together and happy to figure things out when they don't always agree.
Many of the characters from previous books are here as well with interesting supportive rolls and their own smart-aleck remarks. Really a great book.
It was excellent from start to finish but I particularly enjoyed the interludes from the non-main characters. Just two or three pages that gave us a little vignette into different monster attacks, but each was narrated with such a strong voice that I felt like I wanted to read short stories about each of these people.
Charming is very fun as always. His quips remain extremely lively and funny. His relationship with Sig has really deepened to the point that you actually feel like they're a real couple, happy to be together and happy to figure things out when they don't always agree.
Many of the characters from previous books are here as well with interesting supportive rolls and their own smart-aleck remarks. Really a great book.
July 9, 2017
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Pax Arcana novels of which this is the fifth. I also enjoyed this one which leaves the series at a tidy stopping point. While it can continue, it feels like it has reached a good stopping point.
The whole gang is back and absolutely needed as they race to stop the end of the world as we know it. Magic is manifesting in new and unpleasant ways, uniting the Round Table of werewolves with the Knights Templar in order to keep the magic from spreading. Naturally John Charming is in the thick of things. But just who is the bad guy responsible for all the nastiness?
You must have read earlier books in the series to enjoy this one. That said, if you have read them and liked them, I think you'll like this one, too.
The whole gang is back and absolutely needed as they race to stop the end of the world as we know it. Magic is manifesting in new and unpleasant ways, uniting the Round Table of werewolves with the Knights Templar in order to keep the magic from spreading. Naturally John Charming is in the thick of things. But just who is the bad guy responsible for all the nastiness?
You must have read earlier books in the series to enjoy this one. That said, if you have read them and liked them, I think you'll like this one, too.
August 6, 2017
An enjoyable romp. Our hero - John Charming - has some flaws, but always steps up, no matter the cost to him personally or his friends, and better still, he doesn't angst over that fact, he just gets on with it.
His loyalties are tested b/w the Knights and the Wolves yet again - with tension on all sides. And the big bad - is seriously convoluted and fun/scary this go round, with lots and lots of different monsters stepping into the fray. There is loads of LOL dialogue, mostly due to John's smart mouth, but Sig gets in a few zingers. The romance continues - and while it is tested by several different factions - I get the sense that John & Sig are growing stronger as a couple - though the author doesn't dwell.
His loyalties are tested b/w the Knights and the Wolves yet again - with tension on all sides. And the big bad - is seriously convoluted and fun/scary this go round, with lots and lots of different monsters stepping into the fray. There is loads of LOL dialogue, mostly due to John's smart mouth, but Sig gets in a few zingers. The romance continues - and while it is tested by several different factions - I get the sense that John & Sig are growing stronger as a couple - though the author doesn't dwell.
January 19, 2018
Once again this series did not disappoint. The writing and the characters are the big sell and I'm buying. Action, adventure, mystery, love, friendship, enemies, wit, and humor all blend together and it works. After a little break from the last adventure, our rag tag team is called in to assist the Knights and the werewolves for a mystery in New York. This book had a feeling of an ending of the series. If so, it would be a shame. I've grown to really love this series. Though the narrative is told from John Charming's perspective, the other characters are what draw me back in every time. I will miss them. Highly recommended.
May 11, 2017
Yeah, no.
This installment was just... flawed. The writing was the problem, I'll be honest. I don't think I am going to continue to read this series.
It's just not well written. John has a team. There are a whole host of characters in the books. We don't really know, get to know, or want to know any of them very well.
Scene after scene blurs. I am a person who reads most books in one sitting. It took me days to finish this. And I only did it so I could add it to my Good Reads book total.
This installment was just... flawed. The writing was the problem, I'll be honest. I don't think I am going to continue to read this series.
It's just not well written. John has a team. There are a whole host of characters in the books. We don't really know, get to know, or want to know any of them very well.
Scene after scene blurs. I am a person who reads most books in one sitting. It took me days to finish this. And I only did it so I could add it to my Good Reads book total.
June 6, 2017
I love John Charming
John Charming is brave, loyal, intelligent and witty- how can you not love him and this series. The gang is back together fighting the bad guys. I loved having more interaction with Molly- she is one tough cookie. My two favorite things about this series is: the witty dialogue and the development and growth of the characters. Since this is not one of those stagnant series where the characters stay the same and only the bad guys change, I recommend that you start at the beginning of the series and enjoy the ride
John Charming is brave, loyal, intelligent and witty- how can you not love him and this series. The gang is back together fighting the bad guys. I loved having more interaction with Molly- she is one tough cookie. My two favorite things about this series is: the witty dialogue and the development and growth of the characters. Since this is not one of those stagnant series where the characters stay the same and only the bad guys change, I recommend that you start at the beginning of the series and enjoy the ride
May 2, 2017
This is book 5; start with Charming if you need to.
Delighted with how this series is coming along. Some good snark, some good world-building, a lot of leveling up by our main characters. Can't wait to see what happens next.
My only disappointment: I thought the Book 4 intro (the movie clips set to Eminem) was so good it couldn't be beat, and I was right. Didn't enjoy the Book 5 prologue nearly as much.
Delighted with how this series is coming along. Some good snark, some good world-building, a lot of leveling up by our main characters. Can't wait to see what happens next.
My only disappointment: I thought the Book 4 intro (the movie clips set to Eminem) was so good it couldn't be beat, and I was right. Didn't enjoy the Book 5 prologue nearly as much.
May 8, 2022
This may be the best one yet. The last third was some of the tightest, fast-forward action I've read in a while.
Pax Arcana is now firmly on my list of UF series rec's, along with Dresden Files and Iron Druid.
Pax Arcana is now firmly on my list of UF series rec's, along with Dresden Files and Iron Druid.
May 4, 2017
Another very enjoyable series keeps trucking along. This one seemed a little more plot and action driven the others in the series, but coupled with my re-read of book 4, that was just the sort of thing I needed.
May 14, 2017
Legend Has It does not disappoint! This book was an entertaining ride from beginning to end.
July 4, 2017
The shtick is really starting to get stale, but tons of points for a very original spin on supernatural foes.
July 28, 2018
why do i keep reading these?! why do i keep loving them?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME
May 8, 2019
Legend Has It is the fifth and final book in the Pax Arcana series written by Elliott James and centered on John Charming, a descendant of illustrious monster killers, who is also a werewolf.
When a half-vampire named Kasia crashes his peaceful summer evening with an ominous message, Charming finds himself dragged into a disastrous supernatural. People in New York City are transforming into monsters out of fairy tales, myths, video games, and role-playing games they have inspired, wrecking havoc and violence on innocent bystanders.
The knights summon Charming to New York, along with his team of friends and fellow monster hunters: Sig, his Valkyrie girlfriend; Molly, who specializes in holy knowledge and exorcisms; and Choo, who acquires cars and weaponry with ease. Along with the mysterious and brutal Kasia, they must find the person causing the horrific transformations by reading them into existence with the help of a magical book.
Legend Has It was written rather well. The narrative is rather serviceable with fight scenes, terrible puns, and tough-guy repartee. The characters are likable with Charming's voice being the strongest and most enjoyable element of the story.
Overall, the Pax Arcana series is written rather well. The premise was rather intriguing with having the Charmings, a family of mythical monster killers, albeit the execution of it could have been better. John Charming, the main protagonist, is a smart-mouth hero, which makes the series rather entertaining and his character arc has a satisfying ending.
All in all, Legend Has It is written rather well and is a good conclusion to a wonderful series.
When a half-vampire named Kasia crashes his peaceful summer evening with an ominous message, Charming finds himself dragged into a disastrous supernatural. People in New York City are transforming into monsters out of fairy tales, myths, video games, and role-playing games they have inspired, wrecking havoc and violence on innocent bystanders.
The knights summon Charming to New York, along with his team of friends and fellow monster hunters: Sig, his Valkyrie girlfriend; Molly, who specializes in holy knowledge and exorcisms; and Choo, who acquires cars and weaponry with ease. Along with the mysterious and brutal Kasia, they must find the person causing the horrific transformations by reading them into existence with the help of a magical book.
Legend Has It was written rather well. The narrative is rather serviceable with fight scenes, terrible puns, and tough-guy repartee. The characters are likable with Charming's voice being the strongest and most enjoyable element of the story.
Overall, the Pax Arcana series is written rather well. The premise was rather intriguing with having the Charmings, a family of mythical monster killers, albeit the execution of it could have been better. John Charming, the main protagonist, is a smart-mouth hero, which makes the series rather entertaining and his character arc has a satisfying ending.
All in all, Legend Has It is written rather well and is a good conclusion to a wonderful series.
June 2, 2017
As usual I love the characters and the sarcastic wit. I wonder if the humor comes from the author or through this specific character. The ending could suggest another book - or even an offshoot series - or it could be a nice wrap.
December 31, 2018
Hey, my favorite knight is back!
As with other series I enjoy reading, it's hard to be critical of this latest outing for John Charming. There's the usual getting out of scrapes that I like, and the fun cast of characters we've previously met are still fun. There's a new addition, Kasia, who seems like she's there to be the mean, scary pot-stirrer. But she's fun too.
The wordplay and puns and general smart-ass sense of humor have developed an ease (whether that's a natural progression or intentional, I couldn't say). In earlier books, a lot of it comes off as forced and distancing. Both to the characters and to us as the readers. This time, it feels comfortable; a shorthand between friends. Both to the characters and to us as the readers. (ohh, that was awkward. But I hope you know what I mean.)
There's a neat trick where this story basically closes the book on John Charming Is A Loner, yet it's also the start of a new chapter -- John Charming Has Friends and Family. He's finally got close ties to people! I guess you can only be an angry loner for so long in these kinds of adventures, especially if you are out there helping people.
Anyway, it's closure and setup all at the same time. Many of the people from past books show up here to help John in some capacity, which underlines how different his life has now become. Like any reunion, you reflect on where you've been while looking forward to what the future may bring.
Some new characters are just kind of thrown in as setup, which is about as subtle as an anvil. But I forgive, because a) see 2nd paragraph, and b) I can't wait to see what's in store with these people!
As with other series I enjoy reading, it's hard to be critical of this latest outing for John Charming. There's the usual getting out of scrapes that I like, and the fun cast of characters we've previously met are still fun. There's a new addition, Kasia, who seems like she's there to be the mean, scary pot-stirrer. But she's fun too.
The wordplay and puns and general smart-ass sense of humor have developed an ease (whether that's a natural progression or intentional, I couldn't say). In earlier books, a lot of it comes off as forced and distancing. Both to the characters and to us as the readers. This time, it feels comfortable; a shorthand between friends. Both to the characters and to us as the readers. (ohh, that was awkward. But I hope you know what I mean.)
There's a neat trick where this story basically closes the book on John Charming Is A Loner, yet it's also the start of a new chapter -- John Charming Has Friends and Family. He's finally got close ties to people! I guess you can only be an angry loner for so long in these kinds of adventures, especially if you are out there helping people.
Anyway, it's closure and setup all at the same time. Many of the people from past books show up here to help John in some capacity, which underlines how different his life has now become. Like any reunion, you reflect on where you've been while looking forward to what the future may bring.
Some new characters are just kind of thrown in as setup, which is about as subtle as an anvil. But I forgive, because a) see 2nd paragraph, and b) I can't wait to see what's in store with these people!
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