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Montague & Strong Detective Agency #5
Homecoming
There’s no place like home…but they’re not headed to Kansas.
The Sanctuary is the hidden home of the Golden Circle - a sect of powerful mages. It’s a sacred place of learning, magic, and deep secrets. When Tristan discovers his father, Connor Montague, is being held prisoner he vows to return to the Sanctuary and release him.
There’s only one problem. The Sanctuary has been taken over by Mage Oliver, an Elder who has unleashed the magistrates and promises to destroy Tristan the moment he steps foot on the mountain.
Now together with the help of Simon, they must face a mountain of mages, free his father, and escape the Sanctuary before an Arch Mage erases them from existence.
The Sanctuary is the hidden home of the Golden Circle - a sect of powerful mages. It’s a sacred place of learning, magic, and deep secrets. When Tristan discovers his father, Connor Montague, is being held prisoner he vows to return to the Sanctuary and release him.
There’s only one problem. The Sanctuary has been taken over by Mage Oliver, an Elder who has unleashed the magistrates and promises to destroy Tristan the moment he steps foot on the mountain.
Now together with the help of Simon, they must face a mountain of mages, free his father, and escape the Sanctuary before an Arch Mage erases them from existence.
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2018
772 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Orlando A. Sanchez
104 books590 followersOrlando Sanchez has been writing ever since his teens when he was immersed in creating scenarios for playing Dungeon and Dragons with his friends every weekend. An avid reader, his influences are too numerous to list here. Some of the most prominent are: J.R.R. Tolkien, Jim Butcher, Kat Richardson, Terry Brooks, Piers Anthony, Lee Child, George Lucas, Andrew Vachss, and Barry Eisler to name a few in no particular order.
The worlds of his books are urban settings with a twist of the paranormal lurking just behind the scenes and generous doses of magic, martial arts, and mayhem.
Aside from writing, he holds a 2nd and 3rd Dan in two distinct styles of Karate. If not training, he is studying some aspect of the martial arts or martial arts philosophy.
He currently resides in Queens, NY with his family and can often be found in the local Starbucks where most of his writing is done.
Please visit his site at: www.OrlandoASanchez.com for more information about his books and upcoming releases.
The worlds of his books are urban settings with a twist of the paranormal lurking just behind the scenes and generous doses of magic, martial arts, and mayhem.
Aside from writing, he holds a 2nd and 3rd Dan in two distinct styles of Karate. If not training, he is studying some aspect of the martial arts or martial arts philosophy.
He currently resides in Queens, NY with his family and can often be found in the local Starbucks where most of his writing is done.
Please visit his site at: www.OrlandoASanchez.com for more information about his books and upcoming releases.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
January 3, 2022
3.75*
I am truly addicted to this series. And Peaches is by far my favourite character. I just can’t get enough.
That said it’s straight onto Dragons & Demigods now.
I am truly addicted to this series. And Peaches is by far my favourite character. I just can’t get enough.
That said it’s straight onto Dragons & Demigods now.
April 1, 2019
Death, destruction – two words that seem to follow Tristan and Simon around everywhere they go. The fifth book in this series, where some series are starting to lose a bit of steam, this series seems to be just ramping up. And it’s a fun ride, with some great characters, fun banter and great action sequences, you won’t put this series down for long. We learn more in each book about the backgrounds that made Simon and Monty who they are.
This time out, Tristan’s father is a prisoner of a crazed Mage and to free him, and he’ll need all his wits about him to survive. Along with Simon, Peaches and some fun characters, they will work to get to Tristan’s dad before it’s too late – along with fun banter and great action. If you are an urban fantasy lover, you can’t go wrong with this series, but start at the beginning – it’s well worth it. Reviewed by Cyrene
This time out, Tristan’s father is a prisoner of a crazed Mage and to free him, and he’ll need all his wits about him to survive. Along with Simon, Peaches and some fun characters, they will work to get to Tristan’s dad before it’s too late – along with fun banter and great action. If you are an urban fantasy lover, you can’t go wrong with this series, but start at the beginning – it’s well worth it. Reviewed by Cyrene
April 10, 2018
This is the best M&S installment yet. I felt like the momentum carried throughout the book and getting to know more about Monty and his family was great. I love the curmudgeon mage. It was exciting as the hits kept coming. I can't wait until the next book! Love it, Mr. Sanchez!
February 12, 2019
Looks like I'll have to be the dissenting opinion here.
So I've said it before but I think it bares repeating. An author's good books highlight their best while an author's bad books highlight their worst and I think I have found Orlando Sanchez's worst. If Tombyards and Butterflies is the metaphorical equivalent of starting with Under Siege in a Steven Seagal marathon, Homecoming is where you've gone onto the Straight-to-DVD collection and are watching Belly of the Beast.
The plotline of Homecoming at its core is simplistic; Monty and Simon are on their way to the Mage's Enclave to rescue Monty's father Connor and defeat the new lord of the Enclave Oliver. Along the way they get into a few needless side-quests, encounter some supremely boring NPCs and ultimately little of consequence is resolved and little of interest is generated.
Independent publications have a myriad of negative quirks associated with them, not least of which is the speed at which authors throw them out into the Aether for readers to snap up like so many hungry pirahna and the lack of quality control. Homecoming in particular shows why both an editor is needed at the best of times and why some publication pacing is needed at the worst.
Sanchez has never been the strongest writer. In my review of Tombyards and Butterflies (see review here) I likened his work to that of a Pointless Action Movie, the kind of film where the plot is light, the characters are paper-thin but the action and spectacle pulls you along and keeps you engaged. But somewhere along the line, Sanchez decided to pull a Kevin Hearne and decided he wanted to give his stories more depth. More character development, more world-building, more quieter moments for characters to wank on about their personal issues/feelings/ambitions etc. The problem is that all of it feels so fucking shallow and lazy you may as well spread it out on top of a Vegan's pizza.
Let's start with the most obvious of problems: the fucking DOG. Here's why ladies and gents you don't work with children or animals unless you work in a school and even then you'll want a cattle prod. Neither of them make for compelling reading. I bring up Kevin Hearne again because Oberon from the Iron Druid had the same problem. All that stupid mongrel ever talked about was sausages and shagging poodles. Here, all Peaches the hellhound ever talks about is meat and the wonders of his *not* healing slobber. What is it with readers that think that dog characters are just inherently interesting or engaging? I get it, dogs are cute but you know what's not cute? A dog whose internal monologue is nothing but FOODFOODFOODFOODBITCHESFOODFOOD!
Next on our line of problems for me to take a potshot at is the pacing. It is a fucking NIGHTMARE in this book and its starts right at the beginning of the novel. We start In Medias Res with Monty and Simon looking for ways to get into the Mage's Enclave. We're given no context for what's going on, no setup for how they got there, no understanding of who these characters are. I came back to this book from a three month break from the series due to burnout and it was complete continuity lockout. I would need to go back and reread the previous book just so I could understand what was going on here. And while that might be fine in a series of better quality, here it would feel like rewatching Under Siege 2.
But that's not the only problem. In an effort to flesh out the world and make a more engaging narrative, Sanchez decided to include more moments of the characters expounding on magical theory gobbledygook that makes no sense, enlightens the reader to exactly ZILCH on the understanding metre and does nothing more than drag down the pacing to ICEBERG, RIGHT AHEAD levels of slow. In the previous books, a lot of this stuff was relegated to background noise, little tidbits the characters would expound on to flesh out the world and make Simon feel like an uneducated prat. But here it takes up roughly one quarter of the book! That's not something you want to do in a series like this! It's so fucking pretentious it makes my hipster radar hurt!
'So talking about Ziller's Theorem of Quantum Magic Abjuration.....'
Nobody cares! You're not half as smart as you think you are! Here's a timeline of how the pacing of this story works:
SLOOOOOOOOW-FASTACTIONSCENEFULLOFEXPLOSIONS-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING-ACTIONSCENE-boring plane sequence where dumb characters do dumb things and crash the plane-ACTIONACTION-FUUUUUCKIMBOOOOORED-ACTION!!YEAH!!!-Someone's dead and I couldn't give a rat's arse.....End
And then we get to the characters: Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaarrrrrr!
In previous Montague and Strong books, a lot of the side characters were really little more than cardboard cutouts or cannon fodder. They'd show up, have their moment to shine and ultimately disappear, either through plot contrivance or disintegration. Here however, Sanchez decided he wanted to make Monty and Simon's lives more complex and emotional so characters stick around for longer and two of them (a mage couple) even get upgraded to actual side-characters. Except they're boring. They have so little characterisation that makes them unique from any other side character that they actually fail at being compelling. For starters their names are LD and TK. I'm not fucking kidding, no-one knows their names, so they go by initials. Already it creates a distance between the reader and them, because they're not people. They're letters! INITIALS! Secondly, their characters are basically no different to all the other mages we've seen throughout the series. One of them is Spanish and one of them has a hair-trigger temper who blows shit up. Gee, where have I heard that before amidst all the other five hundred bloody hair-trigger-temper-mages-with-destructive-tendencies in these books?! They add nothing to the story beyond adding to the pacing issues.
The rest of the cast revolve around Monty as by and large this is his book. We learn that he had a Frost Giant fiancee, we learn that his father is being held hostage, we learn that his mother might be alive. Except none of this feels organic or impactful. This series for so long has thrived on bombastic off the wall nonsense and now it wants us to start taking this shit seriously? On their own, these things might have worked but none of them are fleshed out enough to make me give a shit. Monty's fiancee dies in a section of the book that could at best be described as a sidequest. His father dies in a moment that is meant to come across as sad and mournful but since we know precisely bugger all about him, it just feels hollow. And Oliver - the big bad of the novel - dies just like any of the other sixteen billionth villains of the series with about as much impact as a spider's fart in a tornado.
But by far I think the worst thing about this book is that it exists as it does. This doesn't feel like a novel. It feels like the final third of a larger novel that Sanchez cut off from the rest and sold off as a separate story. The continuity lockout, the clunky buildup towards a final battle, the myriad attempts at emotional moments that feel token and lazy. None of it functions on its own, but might have served better in a larger story.
So having just whinged myself inside out, having just finished the literary equivalent of a fat old martial artist who still thinks he's in his prime, am I going to continue the series? Probably, if only because I'm five books in and I'm committed to this series if only because I'm Dutch and stubbornness is bred into my blood. Maybe this series will get back on track to stick to what it does best. After all Van Damme did JCVD. But then again, after Machete, Seagal went back to Against the Dark so............
So I've said it before but I think it bares repeating. An author's good books highlight their best while an author's bad books highlight their worst and I think I have found Orlando Sanchez's worst. If Tombyards and Butterflies is the metaphorical equivalent of starting with Under Siege in a Steven Seagal marathon, Homecoming is where you've gone onto the Straight-to-DVD collection and are watching Belly of the Beast.
The plotline of Homecoming at its core is simplistic; Monty and Simon are on their way to the Mage's Enclave to rescue Monty's father Connor and defeat the new lord of the Enclave Oliver. Along the way they get into a few needless side-quests, encounter some supremely boring NPCs and ultimately little of consequence is resolved and little of interest is generated.
Independent publications have a myriad of negative quirks associated with them, not least of which is the speed at which authors throw them out into the Aether for readers to snap up like so many hungry pirahna and the lack of quality control. Homecoming in particular shows why both an editor is needed at the best of times and why some publication pacing is needed at the worst.
Sanchez has never been the strongest writer. In my review of Tombyards and Butterflies (see review here) I likened his work to that of a Pointless Action Movie, the kind of film where the plot is light, the characters are paper-thin but the action and spectacle pulls you along and keeps you engaged. But somewhere along the line, Sanchez decided to pull a Kevin Hearne and decided he wanted to give his stories more depth. More character development, more world-building, more quieter moments for characters to wank on about their personal issues/feelings/ambitions etc. The problem is that all of it feels so fucking shallow and lazy you may as well spread it out on top of a Vegan's pizza.
Let's start with the most obvious of problems: the fucking DOG. Here's why ladies and gents you don't work with children or animals unless you work in a school and even then you'll want a cattle prod. Neither of them make for compelling reading. I bring up Kevin Hearne again because Oberon from the Iron Druid had the same problem. All that stupid mongrel ever talked about was sausages and shagging poodles. Here, all Peaches the hellhound ever talks about is meat and the wonders of his *not* healing slobber. What is it with readers that think that dog characters are just inherently interesting or engaging? I get it, dogs are cute but you know what's not cute? A dog whose internal monologue is nothing but FOODFOODFOODFOODBITCHESFOODFOOD!
Next on our line of problems for me to take a potshot at is the pacing. It is a fucking NIGHTMARE in this book and its starts right at the beginning of the novel. We start In Medias Res with Monty and Simon looking for ways to get into the Mage's Enclave. We're given no context for what's going on, no setup for how they got there, no understanding of who these characters are. I came back to this book from a three month break from the series due to burnout and it was complete continuity lockout. I would need to go back and reread the previous book just so I could understand what was going on here. And while that might be fine in a series of better quality, here it would feel like rewatching Under Siege 2.
But that's not the only problem. In an effort to flesh out the world and make a more engaging narrative, Sanchez decided to include more moments of the characters expounding on magical theory gobbledygook that makes no sense, enlightens the reader to exactly ZILCH on the understanding metre and does nothing more than drag down the pacing to ICEBERG, RIGHT AHEAD levels of slow. In the previous books, a lot of this stuff was relegated to background noise, little tidbits the characters would expound on to flesh out the world and make Simon feel like an uneducated prat. But here it takes up roughly one quarter of the book! That's not something you want to do in a series like this! It's so fucking pretentious it makes my hipster radar hurt!
'So talking about Ziller's Theorem of Quantum Magic Abjuration.....'
Nobody cares! You're not half as smart as you think you are! Here's a timeline of how the pacing of this story works:
SLOOOOOOOOW-FASTACTIONSCENEFULLOFEXPLOSIONS-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING-ACTIONSCENE-boring plane sequence where dumb characters do dumb things and crash the plane-ACTIONACTION-FUUUUUCKIMBOOOOORED-ACTION!!YEAH!!!-Someone's dead and I couldn't give a rat's arse.....End
And then we get to the characters: Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaarrrrrr!
In previous Montague and Strong books, a lot of the side characters were really little more than cardboard cutouts or cannon fodder. They'd show up, have their moment to shine and ultimately disappear, either through plot contrivance or disintegration. Here however, Sanchez decided he wanted to make Monty and Simon's lives more complex and emotional so characters stick around for longer and two of them (a mage couple) even get upgraded to actual side-characters. Except they're boring. They have so little characterisation that makes them unique from any other side character that they actually fail at being compelling. For starters their names are LD and TK. I'm not fucking kidding, no-one knows their names, so they go by initials. Already it creates a distance between the reader and them, because they're not people. They're letters! INITIALS! Secondly, their characters are basically no different to all the other mages we've seen throughout the series. One of them is Spanish and one of them has a hair-trigger temper who blows shit up. Gee, where have I heard that before amidst all the other five hundred bloody hair-trigger-temper-mages-with-destructive-tendencies in these books?! They add nothing to the story beyond adding to the pacing issues.
The rest of the cast revolve around Monty as by and large this is his book. We learn that he had a Frost Giant fiancee, we learn that his father is being held hostage, we learn that his mother might be alive. Except none of this feels organic or impactful. This series for so long has thrived on bombastic off the wall nonsense and now it wants us to start taking this shit seriously? On their own, these things might have worked but none of them are fleshed out enough to make me give a shit. Monty's fiancee dies in a section of the book that could at best be described as a sidequest. His father dies in a moment that is meant to come across as sad and mournful but since we know precisely bugger all about him, it just feels hollow. And Oliver - the big bad of the novel - dies just like any of the other sixteen billionth villains of the series with about as much impact as a spider's fart in a tornado.
But by far I think the worst thing about this book is that it exists as it does. This doesn't feel like a novel. It feels like the final third of a larger novel that Sanchez cut off from the rest and sold off as a separate story. The continuity lockout, the clunky buildup towards a final battle, the myriad attempts at emotional moments that feel token and lazy. None of it functions on its own, but might have served better in a larger story.
So having just whinged myself inside out, having just finished the literary equivalent of a fat old martial artist who still thinks he's in his prime, am I going to continue the series? Probably, if only because I'm five books in and I'm committed to this series if only because I'm Dutch and stubbornness is bred into my blood. Maybe this series will get back on track to stick to what it does best. After all Van Damme did JCVD. But then again, after Machete, Seagal went back to Against the Dark so............
April 10, 2018
Outstanding! My favorite installment so far. Monty and Strong ratchet up the everything to deliver nonstop enjoyment that all buddy cop movies would envy. Had the feel of a supernatural Lethal Weapon 2. Even the supporting characters (and a certain hellhound) contribute heavily to the hilarity, action, and unintentional causality. So much fun.
March 8, 2020
Thoroughly hooked into this world
I started reading this series about a week ago. Here I am at the end of book 5 with four of the short stories under my belt as well in less than seven days.
I am loving all the nerdy references throughout the books. The characters have me hooked and I can't wait to see what's happening next. The relationships in these books are rich and fun.
I started reading this series about a week ago. Here I am at the end of book 5 with four of the short stories under my belt as well in less than seven days.
I am loving all the nerdy references throughout the books. The characters have me hooked and I can't wait to see what's happening next. The relationships in these books are rich and fun.
June 14, 2023
Book 5 & still fun!! I’m so glad I discovered this author & series! Simon & Tristan face their biggest challenge to date by trying to navigate their way into the Sanctuary & defeat a rogue power-hungry mage.
As usual, Sanchez peppers the story with a wild, eccentric group of colorful characters (looking at you, TK & LD) & gives them unique & well thought out conflicts as well as some fun, often exploding resolutions.
But the true magic in these stories, for this pop culture junkie who often speaks in movie quotes, are the well placed Easter eggs! Who doesn’t love a good Princess Bride quote, really?
As usual, Sanchez peppers the story with a wild, eccentric group of colorful characters (looking at you, TK & LD) & gives them unique & well thought out conflicts as well as some fun, often exploding resolutions.
But the true magic in these stories, for this pop culture junkie who often speaks in movie quotes, are the well placed Easter eggs! Who doesn’t love a good Princess Bride quote, really?
January 1, 2024
Peaches is just the best! Another fun adventure with Strong and Montague this time to save Monty and his father at the sanctuary.
April 10, 2018
Plus sized Peaches!
Monty and Simon are on a mission. That’s usually true, but this one is special. No spoilers, but expect a good time. Does that count as a spoiler?
Monty and Simon are on a mission. That’s usually true, but this one is special. No spoilers, but expect a good time. Does that count as a spoiler?
May 7, 2019
Whenever I start a new Montague and Strong novel, I always go in knowing it will most definitely be better than the last book. Homecoming was no exception. When the book began, I was a bit confused due to all the talk of Hades and Kokutan no Ken, because I knew this book was about going home. But then I mentally shrugged and let it go because Sanchez will tell me that story when he is ready, and it will be magnificent.
When one is reading a M&S story you must understand that there is never a dull moment in these books. Even the dialogue scenes are pack with unexpectedness and intrigue, you never know what Simon is going to say. Hell! You never know what PEACHES is going to say, although it will most certainly be something pertaining to meat, because “meat is life.” (LoL) Sanchez packs his books with so much action, funny bit, sarcasm and sheer awesomeness that you don’t have time to get bored. There is no room to nitpick about anything because you’re too caught up in the story, trying to figure out how Monty and Simon are going to get themselves out of the situations they manage to get into. They always manage to destroy something, it never fails and its never one thing, several things always end up blown up.
Monty and Simons relationship is as strong as ever, stronger I think now that Simon has to step up and be what Nana made him, Monty’s Shield bearer. Family is not just a word throw around loosely between these two and the people they hold dear. No, it means EVERYTHING, it is EVERYTHING for them. Although, Monty forgets sometimes, Simon always reminds him in some way. With every problem they face, they go in with the knowledge that they will no leave without the other or if they must leave one, they will come back to get whoever was left or taking. No questions, no arguments. There is always a sense that they have hit a point where they know they are attracting bigger issues and they acknowledge that by going in ready to die, even though they don’t necessary want to die. You can tell this from the way Simon always ignores the little voice in his head that tells him to run and how Monty, while he questions Simon’s intellect is always right there with him, he even has the nerve to tell Simon to leave him sometimes. Funny guy. Family. They ride together, they die together. Montague and Strong for life. (LoL – I’m serious though.)
With Homecoming we get to meet new and interesting characters like the Ice Mages. Well one ice mage and that was a ball of fun, I get the feeling Sanchez will explore the consequences of that little trip in later books (hopefully.) I must admit though TK was my absolute favorite character to meet, LD wasn’t far behind for my love but there was something about TK’s deadliness that was fascinating, and I loved how she was self-aware, she knew her weakness and her strength. She understood herself. We got to also got a small (not nearly enough) peek into TK and LD’s relationship, they were like Goku and Vegeta when they are in fusion, but you know they aren’t fused. They just work like they are one. We also get to meet a man that we have had referenced so much in previous stories but have never met, until now and oh, that was fun and mind numbing. I know everyone is going to love him when they read the book.
Well… time to cut this off… Homecoming was everything I didn’t know I wanted this book to be. I’m was so upset when it ended that I kept trying to scroll even though I knew it was over because it said “The End”… So sad… I will definitely be reading this one multiple times and loving it each time.
When one is reading a M&S story you must understand that there is never a dull moment in these books. Even the dialogue scenes are pack with unexpectedness and intrigue, you never know what Simon is going to say. Hell! You never know what PEACHES is going to say, although it will most certainly be something pertaining to meat, because “meat is life.” (LoL) Sanchez packs his books with so much action, funny bit, sarcasm and sheer awesomeness that you don’t have time to get bored. There is no room to nitpick about anything because you’re too caught up in the story, trying to figure out how Monty and Simon are going to get themselves out of the situations they manage to get into. They always manage to destroy something, it never fails and its never one thing, several things always end up blown up.
Monty and Simons relationship is as strong as ever, stronger I think now that Simon has to step up and be what Nana made him, Monty’s Shield bearer. Family is not just a word throw around loosely between these two and the people they hold dear. No, it means EVERYTHING, it is EVERYTHING for them. Although, Monty forgets sometimes, Simon always reminds him in some way. With every problem they face, they go in with the knowledge that they will no leave without the other or if they must leave one, they will come back to get whoever was left or taking. No questions, no arguments. There is always a sense that they have hit a point where they know they are attracting bigger issues and they acknowledge that by going in ready to die, even though they don’t necessary want to die. You can tell this from the way Simon always ignores the little voice in his head that tells him to run and how Monty, while he questions Simon’s intellect is always right there with him, he even has the nerve to tell Simon to leave him sometimes. Funny guy. Family. They ride together, they die together. Montague and Strong for life. (LoL – I’m serious though.)
With Homecoming we get to meet new and interesting characters like the Ice Mages. Well one ice mage and that was a ball of fun, I get the feeling Sanchez will explore the consequences of that little trip in later books (hopefully.) I must admit though TK was my absolute favorite character to meet, LD wasn’t far behind for my love but there was something about TK’s deadliness that was fascinating, and I loved how she was self-aware, she knew her weakness and her strength. She understood herself. We got to also got a small (not nearly enough) peek into TK and LD’s relationship, they were like Goku and Vegeta when they are in fusion, but you know they aren’t fused. They just work like they are one. We also get to meet a man that we have had referenced so much in previous stories but have never met, until now and oh, that was fun and mind numbing. I know everyone is going to love him when they read the book.
Well… time to cut this off… Homecoming was everything I didn’t know I wanted this book to be. I’m was so upset when it ended that I kept trying to scroll even though I knew it was over because it said “The End”… So sad… I will definitely be reading this one multiple times and loving it each time.
November 2, 2021
The best character is no doubt the hellhound, Peaches.
April 12, 2018
Orlando Sanchez has delivered another fantastic book in the Montague and Strong series. If you’ve not read any of these yet, you’ve seriously missed out.
In brief, Tristan Montague is a grumpy Earl Grey drinking Mage, Simon Strong is his Valhalla Java (coffee) drinking, immortal partner in crime who’s has been cursed by Karma and has a Hell Hound called Peaches, yes he’s called Peaches.
Together they cause untold destruction and mayhem in their bid to save people and places from Demons, rogue mages and anything else Orlando Sanchez’s wonderful imagination can conjour.
If you like Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaman then these books are for you. There are moments during these books where I either snigger or laugh out loud, my husband asks Pratchett again and I reply no Sanchez this time.
The character development, both old and new, is always refreshing to read and there are many new and returning characters that leave you wanting to learn more about them. There are several series that Orlando Sanchez writes that allow for small crossovers and links between his books that give an added interest. You will not be disappointed.
In brief, Tristan Montague is a grumpy Earl Grey drinking Mage, Simon Strong is his Valhalla Java (coffee) drinking, immortal partner in crime who’s has been cursed by Karma and has a Hell Hound called Peaches, yes he’s called Peaches.
Together they cause untold destruction and mayhem in their bid to save people and places from Demons, rogue mages and anything else Orlando Sanchez’s wonderful imagination can conjour.
If you like Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaman then these books are for you. There are moments during these books where I either snigger or laugh out loud, my husband asks Pratchett again and I reply no Sanchez this time.
The character development, both old and new, is always refreshing to read and there are many new and returning characters that leave you wanting to learn more about them. There are several series that Orlando Sanchez writes that allow for small crossovers and links between his books that give an added interest. You will not be disappointed.
November 18, 2023
Another AWESOME book by Orlando. I’m a fan of urban fantasy. That being said, I’m leery of just assuming that a new series that sounds good, will BE good. I read the first book in the series, and loved it. I was somewhat put off by the feeling that I had started in the middle of a series, but, after realizing that it was designed that way, I actually like the idea. (After all, whenever you meet someone, you learn their personality and background as you go, right?) Upon reading the first book, I immediately bought the next two. After reading the second book, I bought the following three books. After reading book three and four, I bought the entire series, and the spin-off series. (Seeing a pattern?) I can only say this. If you haven’t read the series, start off with Tombyards and Butterflies, and go from there…you will NOT be disappointed. If you’ve read the preceding books? Continue on, as Simon, Monty, Dex, and Peaches never fail to entertain, impress and inspire! (BTW, did I say I named my puppy Peaches? Yeah…it’s THAT good!) ♥️
September 19, 2018
I have enjoyed every moment I have spent reading this series. One of my favorite things is when an author gives a nod to another author through his work. Sanchez does this--seamlessly, I might add--over and over. But Homecoming took the cake. The snark and wit in these books is already off the charts, but this particular book pays homage to one of the greatest movies of wit ever made--The Princess Bride. And while I was (slightly) disappointed not to see my all time favorite PB quote ("You keep using that word...), the rest made up for it. Don't get me wrong; this book has a very serious plot line. But serious never stopped a good author from adding in the wit and snark to lighten the mood. And Orlando A. Sanchez is good. Do yourself a favor. Go acquaint yourself with Simon Strong and Tristan Montague. Oh, and let's not forget Peaches. You might want to bring meat.
October 15, 2022
Wow! This one certainly was tense! I even forgot what I knew and let myself be fooled when I most certainly shouldn't have been.
Seeing Monty as someone less than his all-powerful mage self was scary, and we learn quite a bit about his background and motivations in this story. And I stand for my previous statement: his family is scary. But I love uncle Dex, he's the original daredevil *laughs* But then, what can you expect of someone who voluntarily engages with the Morrigan?
And I so love Peaches' obsession with the properties of his spittle *laughs* But it's kind of him to try to help :P
What can I say, I love this series and I'm going to for the next book as soon as I hit Post.
Seeing Monty as someone less than his all-powerful mage self was scary, and we learn quite a bit about his background and motivations in this story. And I stand for my previous statement: his family is scary. But I love uncle Dex, he's the original daredevil *laughs* But then, what can you expect of someone who voluntarily engages with the Morrigan?
And I so love Peaches' obsession with the properties of his spittle *laughs* But it's kind of him to try to help :P
What can I say, I love this series and I'm going to for the next book as soon as I hit Post.
April 11, 2018
More action and laughter with Monty and Simon
Going home should be welcoming but unfortunately not for Monty. Blood is Thicker is the 4th book in the Montague & Strong series (Tombyards and Butterflies being the 1st) which already started off well but gets even better with every book. This book is full of action with a slightly warped sense of humour. As we catch up with Monty and Simon we find out more about their dysfunctional family as this story goes more in depth into characters you already knew as well as introducing you to new ones with potential to be seriously interesting. You probably ought to set some time aside as once I started reading I really didn't want to stop!
Going home should be welcoming but unfortunately not for Monty. Blood is Thicker is the 4th book in the Montague & Strong series (Tombyards and Butterflies being the 1st) which already started off well but gets even better with every book. This book is full of action with a slightly warped sense of humour. As we catch up with Monty and Simon we find out more about their dysfunctional family as this story goes more in depth into characters you already knew as well as introducing you to new ones with potential to be seriously interesting. You probably ought to set some time aside as once I started reading I really didn't want to stop!
May 13, 2018
Let me start by saying that, when I first started reading this, I had to go back to the end of the previous novel to make sure I hadn't missed anything (I hadn't): it's just that, for some reason, this one did not seem to 'flow' as well from the previous; to seamlessly transition from one to the other.
Once I got past that initial feeling of 'huh?', however, I then burned through this in only a matter of days: it moves at a fair old clip (perhaps to its detriment?), with a large dose of magic and mayhem running throughout.
You've go to love the hell-hound Peaches (and his priorities), however!
Once I got past that initial feeling of 'huh?', however, I then burned through this in only a matter of days: it moves at a fair old clip (perhaps to its detriment?), with a large dose of magic and mayhem running throughout.
You've go to love the hell-hound Peaches (and his priorities), however!
April 9, 2018
Homecoming is another hit!
It engages the reader with edge-of-your-seat action and fight scenes from page one. The characters feel like part of your life, and you are actually sad when the book ends and you have to wait to interact with them again. Orlando Sanchez wraps the story-line up in his trademark humor and keeps you chuckling throughout the book. The piece de resistance...who can resist a ginormous hellhound (that can communicate with his owner through their bond)whose name is Peaches? Not me!
It engages the reader with edge-of-your-seat action and fight scenes from page one. The characters feel like part of your life, and you are actually sad when the book ends and you have to wait to interact with them again. Orlando Sanchez wraps the story-line up in his trademark humor and keeps you chuckling throughout the book. The piece de resistance...who can resist a ginormous hellhound (that can communicate with his owner through their bond)whose name is Peaches? Not me!
April 9, 2018
If you haven't read this author yet what on earth are you waiting for?
Our intrepid trio (no, you can't forget Peaches) find things getting up close and very personal, Tris' past raises its dysfunctional head and Simon realises who really wears the trousers in the man-v-dog narrative.
If you like your stories fast-paced and engaging on a personal level this is for you. As usual so many questions are answered and, yes, so many more raised.
This book rates as a 5-star read with Orlando Sanchez just getting better and better.
Our intrepid trio (no, you can't forget Peaches) find things getting up close and very personal, Tris' past raises its dysfunctional head and Simon realises who really wears the trousers in the man-v-dog narrative.
If you like your stories fast-paced and engaging on a personal level this is for you. As usual so many questions are answered and, yes, so many more raised.
This book rates as a 5-star read with Orlando Sanchez just getting better and better.
April 9, 2018
Homecoming is the fifth book in the Monty and Simon series, and it just keeps getting better and better. This time Monty has to go home to help his father. But like the saying goes, you can't always go home. As the Golden Circle is not what it used to be. There are some new characters in the book, TK is really interesting, as long as she doesn't get mad at you, you are okay. Peaches is also learning a few new tricks and Dex is at his best, and we even get to see what his full name is, quote by no one else than Ziller himself.
All in all a great book, cannot wait for the next one.
All in all a great book, cannot wait for the next one.
April 10, 2018
OMG! Monty and Strong are back
This one is a classic. Monty and Strong are back; wrecking havoc and perfecting the art of snark. We see some exciting new characters in this book, as well as many of our favorites; including Peaches so buckle up, it is going to be a wild ride.
In this book Monty, Strong and friends must rescue Monty's dad from his childhood home and the evil head of the golden circle mages. Chaos and mayhem ensue. Will our hero's rescue Month's dad? Will they live through it? Will Sanctuary be left standing?
Dive in and find out, You will be glad you did.
This one is a classic. Monty and Strong are back; wrecking havoc and perfecting the art of snark. We see some exciting new characters in this book, as well as many of our favorites; including Peaches so buckle up, it is going to be a wild ride.
In this book Monty, Strong and friends must rescue Monty's dad from his childhood home and the evil head of the golden circle mages. Chaos and mayhem ensue. Will our hero's rescue Month's dad? Will they live through it? Will Sanctuary be left standing?
Dive in and find out, You will be glad you did.
April 11, 2018
The next fast paced and exciting adventure in the Monty and Strong series see our intrepid detectives and faithful hellhound , together with a familiar family member and new associates, in a battle for their own lives and the safety of others once again. Some very tense moments, some, erm, interesting experiments with magic, and the usual adventurous mayhem. Once you are familiar with these characters you certainly don’t want to leave them on the shelf. Fast paced and quick read, but definitely read books 1-4 first.
June 24, 2019
Good series, solid book, but not as strong as the others
The story continues to advance strong into the right direction. The plot remains consistent, fun, and fast paced.
Only think I am beginning to dislike is that the main guy (Strong), is slowly lagging behind the powerhouse that are the other characters. But at this point Mr. Strong could be erased from the plot, and all events could still happen in a very similar way of the way they occurred in this story.
Still it was fun, and believe me you want to read this!!!
The story continues to advance strong into the right direction. The plot remains consistent, fun, and fast paced.
Only think I am beginning to dislike is that the main guy (Strong), is slowly lagging behind the powerhouse that are the other characters. But at this point Mr. Strong could be erased from the plot, and all events could still happen in a very similar way of the way they occurred in this story.
Still it was fun, and believe me you want to read this!!!
July 23, 2021
Up to their necks in angry mages
Obviously, this series was written for 40-60 year olds who grew up watching tv and movies during the 70’s and 80’s. Finally, a series that aligns with my childhood. Wait, this isn’t about me.
Simon, Monty and Peaches are up to their necks in angry mages and they turn to Dex’s lethal renegade mages to “help” save Tristan’s father from incarceration at the Sanctuary.
More fun, magic, action, bad humor and I’ll timed requests for meat from Peaches.
Obviously, this series was written for 40-60 year olds who grew up watching tv and movies during the 70’s and 80’s. Finally, a series that aligns with my childhood. Wait, this isn’t about me.
Simon, Monty and Peaches are up to their necks in angry mages and they turn to Dex’s lethal renegade mages to “help” save Tristan’s father from incarceration at the Sanctuary.
More fun, magic, action, bad humor and I’ll timed requests for meat from Peaches.
April 15, 2018
Fantastic Story!!
So many things to love about this book! The comaradarie and loyality of Monty and Strong and their extended family is bolstering in a world full of treachery and greed!
The comedic timing of snark and silly jokes is perfect! Sometimes things are so serious and dark that a diversion is a must!
The author plays with our emotions - taking one from laughing - out loud sometimes - to serious tears, and so much more..
Well done!!
Read the book!
So many things to love about this book! The comaradarie and loyality of Monty and Strong and their extended family is bolstering in a world full of treachery and greed!
The comedic timing of snark and silly jokes is perfect! Sometimes things are so serious and dark that a diversion is a must!
The author plays with our emotions - taking one from laughing - out loud sometimes - to serious tears, and so much more..
Well done!!
Read the book!
April 23, 2018
What more can I say about M and S?
A buddy buddy movie. A coming of age story. Dark magic. Action. A lot of random destruction and a lot more not so random. Oh and peaches. Cars, swords, wizards and monsters. This is the roadkill of the Fast and furious and Harry Potter if Harry Dresden were driving a Jack teacher novel.
Orlando Sanchez has certainly come into his own with this series.
A tour de force. A huge pile of tour and a ton of force!!!
A buddy buddy movie. A coming of age story. Dark magic. Action. A lot of random destruction and a lot more not so random. Oh and peaches. Cars, swords, wizards and monsters. This is the roadkill of the Fast and furious and Harry Potter if Harry Dresden were driving a Jack teacher novel.
Orlando Sanchez has certainly come into his own with this series.
A tour de force. A huge pile of tour and a ton of force!!!
June 24, 2018
The more we learn about these two fellows, their puppy, and their friends/family/allies, the more fascinating they get. The villains are equally well-drawn - they feel like they have real motivations, and truly believe their way is the best way.
OK, Peaches. I wrote a review. Will you go aw- too short? Come on, Peaches - you know my sche- what? Sausages? I have a couple of hot links in the- Good start, eh? Fine. Let's eat.
OK, Peaches. I wrote a review. Will you go aw- too short? Come on, Peaches - you know my sche- what? Sausages? I have a couple of hot links in the- Good start, eh? Fine. Let's eat.
July 25, 2018
Homecoming is excellent, full of action, Simon and Monty (and Peaches!) with a few great additions such as the inimitable Professor Ziller. Still it is not quite up to the standards of the first three books in the series and we don't benefit from new characters LD and TK Tush.
Please see my full review here: https://www.morebooksthantime.com/hom...
Please see my full review here: https://www.morebooksthantime.com/hom...
January 27, 2020
MONTAGUE & STRONG IMMANENTLY READABLE ABSOLUTELY ENJOYABLE!
These characters grab hold of you and refuse to let go. You'll want to camp on their doorstep to meet them and they won't understand why. The storyline Sanchez weaves is like a straight line wind that you can't resist. Imaginative, creative and uniquely Sanchez. I've read the first five and now plan on going back to buy them for my library. He deserves the praise.
These characters grab hold of you and refuse to let go. You'll want to camp on their doorstep to meet them and they won't understand why. The storyline Sanchez weaves is like a straight line wind that you can't resist. Imaginative, creative and uniquely Sanchez. I've read the first five and now plan on going back to buy them for my library. He deserves the praise.
September 29, 2021
I laughed so much in this book I hurt.
3/4 of this book had me in stitches. LD and TK are the best characters yet. They get the award for best supporting mages.
This whole series so far has been great. Simon and Monte are always in for a big exercise of beating unbeatable odds. And then there is Peaches. Who doesn't want to have a beast/dog/hellhound like him. Where can I get my own!!!
If you haven't read the series yet get started.
3/4 of this book had me in stitches. LD and TK are the best characters yet. They get the award for best supporting mages.
This whole series so far has been great. Simon and Monte are always in for a big exercise of beating unbeatable odds. And then there is Peaches. Who doesn't want to have a beast/dog/hellhound like him. Where can I get my own!!!
If you haven't read the series yet get started.
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