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Nate Temple #1
Obsidian Son
Alternative cover editions for this ISBN can be found here & here.
To do list: Cow-tip the Minotaur. Cure a reptile dysfunction.
My name is Nate Temple, and I’m secretly a wizard. I ride a foul-mouthed unicorn, I drink with Achilles, and I’m pals with the Four Horsemen. I’ve even cow-tipped the Minotaur. I understand the theory of following the rules…I’m just not very good at the application.
Because rules were meant to be broken.
Especially when I find out a monster just murdered my parents. Now all I can hear is the sweet, soothing song of vengeance in my ears, playing on repeat.
But when shifter dragons come to town, I’m forced to step away from hunting down the scumbag murderer. Because I know the cure for a reptile dysfunction, and the dragons aren’t going to like it.
This fight soon opens up Pandora’s Box, and suddenly every flavor of supernatural thug is after me. The only way out of it—to save my city—is to murder my best friend.
I didn’t want, ask for, or start any of this. But I will finish it. It’s time I show St. Louis that magic is very, very real. And that an angry wizard is truly something to see—at least once in your life.
You know, right before he puts you and everyone you've ever met in the grave...
If you like Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, Steve McHugh, Michael Anderle, Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, Shannon Mayer, or K.F. Breene, you won't be able to put down the highly addictive Nate Temple Series.
To do list: Cow-tip the Minotaur. Cure a reptile dysfunction.
My name is Nate Temple, and I’m secretly a wizard. I ride a foul-mouthed unicorn, I drink with Achilles, and I’m pals with the Four Horsemen. I’ve even cow-tipped the Minotaur. I understand the theory of following the rules…I’m just not very good at the application.
Because rules were meant to be broken.
Especially when I find out a monster just murdered my parents. Now all I can hear is the sweet, soothing song of vengeance in my ears, playing on repeat.
But when shifter dragons come to town, I’m forced to step away from hunting down the scumbag murderer. Because I know the cure for a reptile dysfunction, and the dragons aren’t going to like it.
This fight soon opens up Pandora’s Box, and suddenly every flavor of supernatural thug is after me. The only way out of it—to save my city—is to murder my best friend.
I didn’t want, ask for, or start any of this. But I will finish it. It’s time I show St. Louis that magic is very, very real. And that an angry wizard is truly something to see—at least once in your life.
You know, right before he puts you and everyone you've ever met in the grave...
If you like Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, Steve McHugh, Michael Anderle, Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, Shannon Mayer, or K.F. Breene, you won't be able to put down the highly addictive Nate Temple Series.
312 pages, Paperback
First published October 8, 2012
7844 people are currently reading
4746 people want to read
About the author
Shayne Silvers
56 books2,132 followersLet's cut to the chase. You read stuff. I write stuff. So, If you want to nab a few of my free Amazon Best Selling Urban Fantasy books to test the waters, go here: http://www.shaynesilvers.com
Now, let's talk about this specimen of a man named Shayne...
Shayne Silvers writes the "Nate Temple Series" which features a foul-mouthed, flawed, young wizard with a chip on his shoulder attempting to protect St. Louis from the various nasties we all know and fear from our childhood bedtime stories.
Nate's been known to suckerpunch an Angel, cow-tip the Minotaur, and steal Death's horse in order to prove his point. His utter disregard for consequences and self-preservation will have you laughing and cringing on the edge of your seat.
But he has a lot to learn. Namely, how not to be so big of an A-Hole.
Get your FREE Nate Temple Starter Library TODAY at www.shaynesilvers.com.
Shayne holds two high-ranking black belts, and enjoys conversing about anything Marvel, Magical, or Mythological. You might find him writing in a coffee shop near you, cackling madly into his computer screen while pounding shots of espresso.
Now, let's talk about this specimen of a man named Shayne...
Shayne Silvers writes the "Nate Temple Series" which features a foul-mouthed, flawed, young wizard with a chip on his shoulder attempting to protect St. Louis from the various nasties we all know and fear from our childhood bedtime stories.
Nate's been known to suckerpunch an Angel, cow-tip the Minotaur, and steal Death's horse in order to prove his point. His utter disregard for consequences and self-preservation will have you laughing and cringing on the edge of your seat.
But he has a lot to learn. Namely, how not to be so big of an A-Hole.
Get your FREE Nate Temple Starter Library TODAY at www.shaynesilvers.com.
Shayne holds two high-ranking black belts, and enjoys conversing about anything Marvel, Magical, or Mythological. You might find him writing in a coffee shop near you, cackling madly into his computer screen while pounding shots of espresso.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 722 reviews
March 22, 2017
Obsidian Son: The Nate Temple Supernatural Thriller Series
by Shayne Silvers
Here is a prime example of a series that promises the moon and delivers a mud puddle. I thought the premise of this first-in-a-series novel sounded perfect, and certainly, the majority of the reviews on Amazon reflected the same. Sadly, it simply isn't so.
Yes, the premise of the story is promising. The main character, once you get beyond the first few "pages" (I read this on my Kindle) in which Temple is depicted as not much more than a swaggering, sophomoric, arrogant waste of space, does begin to grow on you. By the time I stopped reading (23% of the way through the book), I could tolerate him, sort of. The author had him say at least one thing that I totally agree with: "It is not irrelevant. It's paramount. The rules of grammar are just as important as the rules of engagement in war. Without them we are barbarians." Too bad the author couldn't live up to his main character's standards.
Okay -- what did I like in the little bit of the book I read? The premise; it's a very good idea on which to base a novel. The author describes things relatively well, although he is not always clear on his intent and often uses phrasing that is trite or overused. There is action from the beginning. The reference to/appearance of mythical entities such as the Minotaur and Charon works well in the premise of the story. Pacing (as far as I got) seemed good, as did the flow.
What didn't I like? Just about everything else. You know there's a problem when you can hardly stand the main character. There was simply nothing likable about him. He's childish, spoiled and full of undeserved privilege, he's described as a powerful mage and can't even wizard away cow manure and odor from his clothing, nor escape capture by normal, everyday, non-wizard police. When the author has the character describe his store/home he ends the description calling it the "ultimate man cave," when it really sounds more like a wealthy, spoiled teenage boy's room (about 390 on my Kindle). The author uses trite and tired descriptions and phrasing, is unclear as to the meaning of certain references, and some things are just too common in stories of this type and seem "borrowed" rather than original. Here we go with those that made me stop and note them down:
At 102 on my Kindle. 102! Just barely started! "...while imprisoned in Daedlus' Labyrinth I Greece." Huh? Labyrinth I Greece? What does that mean? Does it mean "in Greece?" Does it mean there was more than one Labyrinth and this was the first -- you know, maybe the author is a David Bowie fan.
Starting about 400, after leaving the police station, Temple comes home, still wearing the manure covered coat, meets his two friends, goes up into his home, throws the stinky, manure stained coat into a laundry basket and, without showering, changing or even just washing his hands, touches glasswear and other utensils to make drinks for himself and his friends. Ew.
And soon, about 423, he makes this wonderful toast: "To women and careers and the men who ride them." The copyright for this book is 2012, not 1950. This misogynistic bit of tripe pretty much seals the deal on the character's unlikeability and sheds doubt on whether either of his two friends will be likable as well.
At 431, Temple states: "I just got busted from the police station..." No, you didn't. One gets busted BY the police. If one's friends pull a jail break, you might say you got busted out. But this character, who wasn't under arrest, simply walked out.
At 520 the author injects the idea that the character has a memory palace. That's a common idea. Certainly fans of Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes series would remember it from "A Study in Scarlet," although it was called a Mind Palace in that episode, as it was in the BBC's "Sherlock" TV series, in the episode called "His Last Vow." Somehow, in the context of this novel, it seemed artificially inserted. That's probably just my take on it and other readers might not see it that way -- but this is my review, so...
At 549, in describing the seductive effect of "Raven," the author writes of the main character: My pants tightened instinctively, and her moan grew lustier, as if she had somehow sensed my reaction." Oh, please. Could it be more trite?
At 568 we see this: "...made one of the windows panes shatter..." Proofreading error.
At 749 there is a reference to the cemetery where Temple's parents are being laid to rest and where his ancestors (all of them, evidently) have been buried. There is a very unclear reference to William Clark (and two mistakes in reference to that historic gentleman) and to Mark Twain (and again, a grievous error in reference to Samuel Clemens). Let's look at the whole paragraph:
"After several minutes of silence we entered the infamous Bellefontaine Cemetery -- the final resting place for both my parents, and also my every ancestor who had come stateside since the 1700's (sic). The cemetery had been founded in 1849, and we had all of our pre-1849 ancestors transferred here from their previous graves shortly after. William Clark -- from the famous Lois (sic) and Clarke(sic) expedition -- and even Mark Twain (sic) were buried here. Only the best for the Temple clan."
Where to begin? First, there is no apostrophe when making a date plural. It's the 1700s, not the 1700's. It's Lewis and Clark, not Lois and Clark, that's Superman. The surname Clark (for William, at least) has no ending "e." And Mark Twain isn't buried anywhere, Samuel Clemens is -- and an author should know that. And there's one more thing. Is Temple hinting that his "clan" is related to these two historical gentlemen or just name dropping?
And at 798, Temple is surprised to learn that dragons might be able to shape shift. That's a pretty common element of dragon lore, so wouldn't an accomplished wizard be aware of it?
More triteness at 847: "The wings of the building hungrily embraced me..." I really hated this section, in fact, my notes say this 'etc., etc., puke.' And, then, the author ends the paragraph by again using the term hungry to describe the building. Umm, you already said that, Shayne, in just the sentence before.
At 872: "The funeral hadn't really been legit, merely an excuse for all the distant friends and celebrity crowd of St. Louis to come say their peace." Their peace, eh? Not their piece?
And, what finally made me throw up my hands in the middle of the spin cycle at the laundromat and say out loud (to the surprise and entertainment of those around me) 'I'm Done!': "...so I studied his silhouette against a streetlamp. He looked like an ancient Valkyrie, his Norse heritage obvious." Sigh. Big Sigh. Sorry, Shayne. Valkyries are female. Always. So, this man/werewolf who you have previously described as extraordinarily handsome and masculine now looks feminine? If you wanted to indicate he looked ferocious, then the word Viking might have worked.
Yes, I am being extraordinarily hard on this author. For one, this is the first of three or four books (depending on what the heck the fairy tale book he gives away is) in this series. I will give him that this is his first book. But he gives this first book away free to entice readers to read the next books in the series. The book is now 4 years old and he hasn't gotten around to correcting errors? Really? A book that has all the above in the first quarter (and more, I didn't list them all) hasn't been revised? Has no one ever been honest with him about the flaws in the book? He says in his Acknowledgments that he has beta readers. Then he needs new ones -- perhaps someone to whom he isn't related or who isn't a friend. I know a great proofreader with whom I would gladly put him in touch. She would not pull punches and say things are just fine when they are not. He also needs an editor to tell him when his wording is eye-rollingly trite. He has obvious talents and continuing to offer a flawed work as an enticement to read his later work is not smart marketing.
There are so many books out there which are free or very very low cost, that reading work that is in the condition of this book doesn't make sense. So, I'll move on to the new Jim Stevens book, a notice of which popped up on my e-mail shortly after my deciding to abandon poor, under-developed Nate Temple. Sorry, Nate. I'd hoped to have a long and happy relationship with your adventures. You need to have a serious conversation with your author. He let you down.
by Shayne Silvers
Here is a prime example of a series that promises the moon and delivers a mud puddle. I thought the premise of this first-in-a-series novel sounded perfect, and certainly, the majority of the reviews on Amazon reflected the same. Sadly, it simply isn't so.
Yes, the premise of the story is promising. The main character, once you get beyond the first few "pages" (I read this on my Kindle) in which Temple is depicted as not much more than a swaggering, sophomoric, arrogant waste of space, does begin to grow on you. By the time I stopped reading (23% of the way through the book), I could tolerate him, sort of. The author had him say at least one thing that I totally agree with: "It is not irrelevant. It's paramount. The rules of grammar are just as important as the rules of engagement in war. Without them we are barbarians." Too bad the author couldn't live up to his main character's standards.
Okay -- what did I like in the little bit of the book I read? The premise; it's a very good idea on which to base a novel. The author describes things relatively well, although he is not always clear on his intent and often uses phrasing that is trite or overused. There is action from the beginning. The reference to/appearance of mythical entities such as the Minotaur and Charon works well in the premise of the story. Pacing (as far as I got) seemed good, as did the flow.
What didn't I like? Just about everything else. You know there's a problem when you can hardly stand the main character. There was simply nothing likable about him. He's childish, spoiled and full of undeserved privilege, he's described as a powerful mage and can't even wizard away cow manure and odor from his clothing, nor escape capture by normal, everyday, non-wizard police. When the author has the character describe his store/home he ends the description calling it the "ultimate man cave," when it really sounds more like a wealthy, spoiled teenage boy's room (about 390 on my Kindle). The author uses trite and tired descriptions and phrasing, is unclear as to the meaning of certain references, and some things are just too common in stories of this type and seem "borrowed" rather than original. Here we go with those that made me stop and note them down:
At 102 on my Kindle. 102! Just barely started! "...while imprisoned in Daedlus' Labyrinth I Greece." Huh? Labyrinth I Greece? What does that mean? Does it mean "in Greece?" Does it mean there was more than one Labyrinth and this was the first -- you know, maybe the author is a David Bowie fan.
Starting about 400, after leaving the police station, Temple comes home, still wearing the manure covered coat, meets his two friends, goes up into his home, throws the stinky, manure stained coat into a laundry basket and, without showering, changing or even just washing his hands, touches glasswear and other utensils to make drinks for himself and his friends. Ew.
And soon, about 423, he makes this wonderful toast: "To women and careers and the men who ride them." The copyright for this book is 2012, not 1950. This misogynistic bit of tripe pretty much seals the deal on the character's unlikeability and sheds doubt on whether either of his two friends will be likable as well.
At 431, Temple states: "I just got busted from the police station..." No, you didn't. One gets busted BY the police. If one's friends pull a jail break, you might say you got busted out. But this character, who wasn't under arrest, simply walked out.
At 520 the author injects the idea that the character has a memory palace. That's a common idea. Certainly fans of Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes series would remember it from "A Study in Scarlet," although it was called a Mind Palace in that episode, as it was in the BBC's "Sherlock" TV series, in the episode called "His Last Vow." Somehow, in the context of this novel, it seemed artificially inserted. That's probably just my take on it and other readers might not see it that way -- but this is my review, so...
At 549, in describing the seductive effect of "Raven," the author writes of the main character: My pants tightened instinctively, and her moan grew lustier, as if she had somehow sensed my reaction." Oh, please. Could it be more trite?
At 568 we see this: "...made one of the windows panes shatter..." Proofreading error.
At 749 there is a reference to the cemetery where Temple's parents are being laid to rest and where his ancestors (all of them, evidently) have been buried. There is a very unclear reference to William Clark (and two mistakes in reference to that historic gentleman) and to Mark Twain (and again, a grievous error in reference to Samuel Clemens). Let's look at the whole paragraph:
"After several minutes of silence we entered the infamous Bellefontaine Cemetery -- the final resting place for both my parents, and also my every ancestor who had come stateside since the 1700's (sic). The cemetery had been founded in 1849, and we had all of our pre-1849 ancestors transferred here from their previous graves shortly after. William Clark -- from the famous Lois (sic) and Clarke(sic) expedition -- and even Mark Twain (sic) were buried here. Only the best for the Temple clan."
Where to begin? First, there is no apostrophe when making a date plural. It's the 1700s, not the 1700's. It's Lewis and Clark, not Lois and Clark, that's Superman. The surname Clark (for William, at least) has no ending "e." And Mark Twain isn't buried anywhere, Samuel Clemens is -- and an author should know that. And there's one more thing. Is Temple hinting that his "clan" is related to these two historical gentlemen or just name dropping?
And at 798, Temple is surprised to learn that dragons might be able to shape shift. That's a pretty common element of dragon lore, so wouldn't an accomplished wizard be aware of it?
More triteness at 847: "The wings of the building hungrily embraced me..." I really hated this section, in fact, my notes say this 'etc., etc., puke.' And, then, the author ends the paragraph by again using the term hungry to describe the building. Umm, you already said that, Shayne, in just the sentence before.
At 872: "The funeral hadn't really been legit, merely an excuse for all the distant friends and celebrity crowd of St. Louis to come say their peace." Their peace, eh? Not their piece?
And, what finally made me throw up my hands in the middle of the spin cycle at the laundromat and say out loud (to the surprise and entertainment of those around me) 'I'm Done!': "...so I studied his silhouette against a streetlamp. He looked like an ancient Valkyrie, his Norse heritage obvious." Sigh. Big Sigh. Sorry, Shayne. Valkyries are female. Always. So, this man/werewolf who you have previously described as extraordinarily handsome and masculine now looks feminine? If you wanted to indicate he looked ferocious, then the word Viking might have worked.
Yes, I am being extraordinarily hard on this author. For one, this is the first of three or four books (depending on what the heck the fairy tale book he gives away is) in this series. I will give him that this is his first book. But he gives this first book away free to entice readers to read the next books in the series. The book is now 4 years old and he hasn't gotten around to correcting errors? Really? A book that has all the above in the first quarter (and more, I didn't list them all) hasn't been revised? Has no one ever been honest with him about the flaws in the book? He says in his Acknowledgments that he has beta readers. Then he needs new ones -- perhaps someone to whom he isn't related or who isn't a friend. I know a great proofreader with whom I would gladly put him in touch. She would not pull punches and say things are just fine when they are not. He also needs an editor to tell him when his wording is eye-rollingly trite. He has obvious talents and continuing to offer a flawed work as an enticement to read his later work is not smart marketing.
There are so many books out there which are free or very very low cost, that reading work that is in the condition of this book doesn't make sense. So, I'll move on to the new Jim Stevens book, a notice of which popped up on my e-mail shortly after my deciding to abandon poor, under-developed Nate Temple. Sorry, Nate. I'd hoped to have a long and happy relationship with your adventures. You need to have a serious conversation with your author. He let you down.
November 4, 2016
Please, please stop comparing this to Jim Butcher's Dresden series. They are both books with wizards and supernatural beings living in secret. There is no further commonality. Dresden is a broke, self-abasing, fiercely loyal, witty guy that is genuinely surprised when things go his way, especially with women. Butcher is an author that can juggle several story lines intelligently, and knows how to create a believable and charismatic character. He can use spell check, a thesaurus, grammar, and an editor.
Silvers' book is the story of a billionaire who inherits billions more. He has magical talents that conveniently and mysteriously increase just when he needs them to. He's got an eidetic memory that he uses to throw around obscure quotes from ancient texts, but he can't use his brain to see blatantly obvious connections. He is a terrible playboy, claiming aloud to respect women, yet behaving as a misogynist - and of course, all the women fall for him. ALL of them; he even brags he got one to 'switch teams'. EYE ROLL. He's an egotistical dick.
I don't claim to have a fine mastery of grammar, but if I run out of fingers on which to count the misuses of apostrophes before the book is half over, that's unacceptable.
Did I mention he insists everyone calls him MASTER Temple? Not to be pretentious of course, but simply because it's the way in which every male family leader has been addressed.
I really could keep going as to why I didn't like this book, but I think you get the idea. Go read or reread the Dresden books, if that's what you are looking for. Avoid this masturbatory fan-fic.
Silvers' book is the story of a billionaire who inherits billions more. He has magical talents that conveniently and mysteriously increase just when he needs them to. He's got an eidetic memory that he uses to throw around obscure quotes from ancient texts, but he can't use his brain to see blatantly obvious connections. He is a terrible playboy, claiming aloud to respect women, yet behaving as a misogynist - and of course, all the women fall for him. ALL of them; he even brags he got one to 'switch teams'. EYE ROLL. He's an egotistical dick.
I don't claim to have a fine mastery of grammar, but if I run out of fingers on which to count the misuses of apostrophes before the book is half over, that's unacceptable.
Did I mention he insists everyone calls him MASTER Temple? Not to be pretentious of course, but simply because it's the way in which every male family leader has been addressed.
I really could keep going as to why I didn't like this book, but I think you get the idea. Go read or reread the Dresden books, if that's what you are looking for. Avoid this masturbatory fan-fic.
January 1, 2017
I ordered this for a bit of holiday reading, and how I wish I could return it! I tried to slog my way through the first 5 chapters, hoping in vain that it would get better, but nope. All it did was make me hate the main character more and more.
The writing: It feels like someone is writing a book for a 12-15yrs old demographic. Sadly, given some of the subject matter, it seems like the author was looking to cash in on the post-Twilight teen/millennial crowd. The sentences are just so simplistic. The flow is jagged. This book is written with a whole lot of telling and zero showing. It made me angry to read.
The meat: All horrible, starting off with a protagonist who is saturated with self-centered, chauvinistic, entitled bullshit. Plus, this special snowflake is naturally the most powerful, gifted, blah blah blah in existence who boo hoo just lost his parents. This deep backstory allows him to be a dick, all the while telling you that it's really him being 'charming'. The plot? Who the hell knows since I couldn't get past the first few chapters. But I assume it went something like this: Special snowflake does things he considers really badass. The twist is that his old un-special pal from back in he day is seduced by the dark side, which promises him the ability to be special if he just does some stuff that hurts his relationship with the special one. But in the end, the jealous friend-turned-traitor realizes he messed up, and the special one realized that he values his un-special friend's friendship, and together they bring down the baddy. Throw in some shape-shifting dragons and characters from Greek Mythology and watch to see if the royalties start flowing in.
Readers might argue that the main character is trying to be a reflection of what the loner, bullied, boring kid daydreams of being; rich, powerful, intelligent, and possessing secrets about a dual world they control. Instead, it read to me like someone's attempt to imagine what a sad, loner, bullied kid would want to read and what they daydream about, and their failure to produce it because they themselves had never experienced being a pathetic loner. The whole attempt felt fake. And yet, somehow, this book managed to rack up the positive Goodreads reviews. *sigh*
The writing: It feels like someone is writing a book for a 12-15yrs old demographic. Sadly, given some of the subject matter, it seems like the author was looking to cash in on the post-Twilight teen/millennial crowd. The sentences are just so simplistic. The flow is jagged. This book is written with a whole lot of telling and zero showing. It made me angry to read.
The meat: All horrible, starting off with a protagonist who is saturated with self-centered, chauvinistic, entitled bullshit. Plus, this special snowflake is naturally the most powerful, gifted, blah blah blah in existence who boo hoo just lost his parents. This deep backstory allows him to be a dick, all the while telling you that it's really him being 'charming'. The plot? Who the hell knows since I couldn't get past the first few chapters. But I assume it went something like this: Special snowflake does things he considers really badass. The twist is that his old un-special pal from back in he day is seduced by the dark side, which promises him the ability to be special if he just does some stuff that hurts his relationship with the special one. But in the end, the jealous friend-turned-traitor realizes he messed up, and the special one realized that he values his un-special friend's friendship, and together they bring down the baddy. Throw in some shape-shifting dragons and characters from Greek Mythology and watch to see if the royalties start flowing in.
Readers might argue that the main character is trying to be a reflection of what the loner, bullied, boring kid daydreams of being; rich, powerful, intelligent, and possessing secrets about a dual world they control. Instead, it read to me like someone's attempt to imagine what a sad, loner, bullied kid would want to read and what they daydream about, and their failure to produce it because they themselves had never experienced being a pathetic loner. The whole attempt felt fake. And yet, somehow, this book managed to rack up the positive Goodreads reviews. *sigh*
February 12, 2018
I hate giving poor reviews but since I only checked this book out because of all of the positive ones written by so many others, I feel like I would be remiss if I didn’t write one that may save someone else the time and the trouble.
I’ll preface this by saying that I’m a guy in my 30s who reads a fair amount of fantasy/urban fantasy. Reading is an escape and a pleasure for me and I can dive into a pulpy slugfest like Simon R. Green’s novels, the wonderfully rich storytelling of Seanan McGuire, or the layered depth of Patricia Briggs. I have no preference for male or female protagonists, nor do I care whether the novels are told in the first or third person narrative. What makes an amazingly engaging novel to me is the characters and the world with which they interact. I love Alex Verus just as much as I love Nell Ingram and I could read about Daniel Faust or Scarlett Bernard any day of the week. I mention all of this because I want anyone who sees this review to understand that my tastes are varied and that I always keep an open mind when reading a novel as the whole purpose is to be taken away or transformed.
This novel failed to do that on so many levels I am not sure I even have the words. I made it 34% into this book before I had to stop and immediately return here to read the reviews again because I couldn’t for the life of me understand how the rating for it was so high. This is what prompted me to leave a one star review when I almost never do. If you read many of the same authors I mentioned and you want an honest opinion of this book, please continue reading.
The main character is extremely unlikeable. It’s not because he is rich or seems to be fairly overpowered when it comes to magic, it’s because of the distasteful way he interacts with the world around him. He is for all intents and purposes a jerk who derives pleasure from annoying people around him. There is no real growth as he (and the author) clearly thinks he is perfect the way he is and needs no improvement or character building. He is juvenile and often extremely unpleasant. Even with all of that, I could possibly look past most of these issues if the plot or the supporting cast supplimented and/or made up for a poor main character but what really turned my stomach and eventually made me walk away from this story as quickly as possible was the discription of the female characters and the lascivious way with which they are described.
The narrator doesn’t describe these women as attractive or reference there physique as curvy, alluring, or allude to their figures using some other more subtle and less demeaning prose. Instead, he points out the largeness of their breasts and how they bounce and jiggle when they jump up and down or just go about doing their jobs. If Harvey Weinstein was to write a novel, it would be this but with less magic and probably more food. This doesn’t just happen with one female character. It has occurred with several already and I stopped at 34%. This was enough to make me grimace with distaste and roll my eyes but then when one of the female characters, someone who works for the main character, does get a few lines spoken in order for us to get a glimpse of her personality, we get this:
““Cross it if you wish it.” Her pupils dilated with honest lust. “But know that you can have me however you desire. I know your heart better than anyone, Nate. You live a lonely life. I only want to see you smile. I only want to make you smile …”
This.....this is just terrible. It’s demeaning and misogynistic but most of all, it’s just bad writing. She switches from the common vernacular of a normal young woman in her 20s to bodice ripper heroine-esq within the span of one page. It’s too much. It took me right out of the story, one with which I was already struggling, and made me re-think the tastes and opinions of hundreds of reviewers.
I’m honestly and completely baffled by this book and the positive aggregate review. Please, if you are looking to enjoy a fast paced story with characters you can understand, whether they be heroic or anti, read books by Faith Hunter, Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, Craig Schaefer, etc...not this. It will only leave you disappointed and wishing you could take back the minutes you spent reading it. I’m not writing this author off completely as I don’t think that would be fair nor could this offering be indicative of his entire body of work. However it will be a long while before I try anything of his again. A long, long while.
I’ll preface this by saying that I’m a guy in my 30s who reads a fair amount of fantasy/urban fantasy. Reading is an escape and a pleasure for me and I can dive into a pulpy slugfest like Simon R. Green’s novels, the wonderfully rich storytelling of Seanan McGuire, or the layered depth of Patricia Briggs. I have no preference for male or female protagonists, nor do I care whether the novels are told in the first or third person narrative. What makes an amazingly engaging novel to me is the characters and the world with which they interact. I love Alex Verus just as much as I love Nell Ingram and I could read about Daniel Faust or Scarlett Bernard any day of the week. I mention all of this because I want anyone who sees this review to understand that my tastes are varied and that I always keep an open mind when reading a novel as the whole purpose is to be taken away or transformed.
This novel failed to do that on so many levels I am not sure I even have the words. I made it 34% into this book before I had to stop and immediately return here to read the reviews again because I couldn’t for the life of me understand how the rating for it was so high. This is what prompted me to leave a one star review when I almost never do. If you read many of the same authors I mentioned and you want an honest opinion of this book, please continue reading.
The main character is extremely unlikeable. It’s not because he is rich or seems to be fairly overpowered when it comes to magic, it’s because of the distasteful way he interacts with the world around him. He is for all intents and purposes a jerk who derives pleasure from annoying people around him. There is no real growth as he (and the author) clearly thinks he is perfect the way he is and needs no improvement or character building. He is juvenile and often extremely unpleasant. Even with all of that, I could possibly look past most of these issues if the plot or the supporting cast supplimented and/or made up for a poor main character but what really turned my stomach and eventually made me walk away from this story as quickly as possible was the discription of the female characters and the lascivious way with which they are described.
The narrator doesn’t describe these women as attractive or reference there physique as curvy, alluring, or allude to their figures using some other more subtle and less demeaning prose. Instead, he points out the largeness of their breasts and how they bounce and jiggle when they jump up and down or just go about doing their jobs. If Harvey Weinstein was to write a novel, it would be this but with less magic and probably more food. This doesn’t just happen with one female character. It has occurred with several already and I stopped at 34%. This was enough to make me grimace with distaste and roll my eyes but then when one of the female characters, someone who works for the main character, does get a few lines spoken in order for us to get a glimpse of her personality, we get this:
““Cross it if you wish it.” Her pupils dilated with honest lust. “But know that you can have me however you desire. I know your heart better than anyone, Nate. You live a lonely life. I only want to see you smile. I only want to make you smile …”
This.....this is just terrible. It’s demeaning and misogynistic but most of all, it’s just bad writing. She switches from the common vernacular of a normal young woman in her 20s to bodice ripper heroine-esq within the span of one page. It’s too much. It took me right out of the story, one with which I was already struggling, and made me re-think the tastes and opinions of hundreds of reviewers.
I’m honestly and completely baffled by this book and the positive aggregate review. Please, if you are looking to enjoy a fast paced story with characters you can understand, whether they be heroic or anti, read books by Faith Hunter, Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, Craig Schaefer, etc...not this. It will only leave you disappointed and wishing you could take back the minutes you spent reading it. I’m not writing this author off completely as I don’t think that would be fair nor could this offering be indicative of his entire body of work. However it will be a long while before I try anything of his again. A long, long while.
December 12, 2016
I give up!!! I've tried to read this book - twice. The main character, Nate Temple, is an absolute a$$hole. He's a rich, spoiled adult who lords it over his 'friends' giving them expensive presents which he then threatens to take back if they don't do what he wants. He's so stuck on himself it's unbelievable. I liked the plot; but Master Temple, as he insists on being addressed just ruins it for me. Luckily the book was free, but I did buy book 4 which I will not bother reading.
And no, this series doesn't come close to Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.
And no, this series doesn't come close to Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.
July 5, 2017
It would seem our hero has it all, vast wealth, super wizard powers and an attitude that, well, one could take as comical or conceited, or would arrogant be a better word? Nate Temple is a young man of power and along with his two best friends, an FBI agent/werewolf and a Normal, non-magical regular kind of guy, life is good. Nate avoided the family mega business and runs his own bookstore, purchasing special items for his clients at a hefty profit, but when he discovers his late parents may actually have been murdered, he is determined to find who and why.
OBSIDIAN SON by Shayne Silvers is one of those fantasy books readers will love or not, for various reasons. I mean who wouldn’t love a guy with the sheer audacity to go cow-tipping a Minotaur, a very old, very wise and powerful Minotaur? Then there are the were-dragons who show up with some bones to pick and they seem to belong to Nate. But wait, there’s more…seems the fate and lives of St. Louis citizens lay in the hands of our wayward wizard, too!
I have to say, the humor and snark factor runs high for this one, even though Nate could be a bit of an arse and definitely isn’t my favorite hero evah. That aside, this is a good story, filled with over-the-top action, beasts and creatures of nightmares and myth, and the ever-elusive and deadly “book.” Someone does need to bring Nate into the 21st century as his basic attitude toward women is as shallow as a creek bed in the Mojave. Again, be warned, keep the humor meter running, because in spite of Nate, (and because of) this is a fast-paced read with tons of entertainment value.
Series: The Temple Chronicles - Book 1
Publisher: Argento Publishing, LLC; 2 edition (October 8, 2012)
Publication Date: October 8, 2012
Genre: Paranormal
Print Length: 302 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
OBSIDIAN SON by Shayne Silvers is one of those fantasy books readers will love or not, for various reasons. I mean who wouldn’t love a guy with the sheer audacity to go cow-tipping a Minotaur, a very old, very wise and powerful Minotaur? Then there are the were-dragons who show up with some bones to pick and they seem to belong to Nate. But wait, there’s more…seems the fate and lives of St. Louis citizens lay in the hands of our wayward wizard, too!
I have to say, the humor and snark factor runs high for this one, even though Nate could be a bit of an arse and definitely isn’t my favorite hero evah. That aside, this is a good story, filled with over-the-top action, beasts and creatures of nightmares and myth, and the ever-elusive and deadly “book.” Someone does need to bring Nate into the 21st century as his basic attitude toward women is as shallow as a creek bed in the Mojave. Again, be warned, keep the humor meter running, because in spite of Nate, (and because of) this is a fast-paced read with tons of entertainment value.
Series: The Temple Chronicles - Book 1
Publisher: Argento Publishing, LLC; 2 edition (October 8, 2012)
Publication Date: October 8, 2012
Genre: Paranormal
Print Length: 302 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
July 29, 2018
This reads like some teenage fangirl squeeing over a smug, self-centred guy who wears a long black leather coat and sunglasses --- come on, you know just the sort of character I am talking about!!
Nate Temple is one of the most obnoxious H I have ever read. He is rude, patronising, smug and takes pleasure in humiliating other people, including the few friends he has.
I'm not going to go into length about how awful the character is, or how poor the writing. Other reviewers have done a far better job, but there is one scene that needs noting.
"Who were you talking to?" Gunnar's face was curious, still staring at the alley.
"Whom. Fucking whom! Is everyone illiterate?" I grouched.
(see- I SAID he was rude and obnoxious)
No. 'Who were you talking to?' is correct conversational English. 'WHOM were you talking to?' is totally wrong.
It's not 'illiterate' to speak incorrectly. It's ungrammatical, uncultivated etc. Illiterate refers to being unable to read or write.
The CORRECT grammar is: To WHOM were you talking? but that is not used in casual, conversational dialogue.
I gave up at 10% when I realised I had highlights on nearly every page of the text so far.
Nate Temple is one of the most obnoxious H I have ever read. He is rude, patronising, smug and takes pleasure in humiliating other people, including the few friends he has.
I'm not going to go into length about how awful the character is, or how poor the writing. Other reviewers have done a far better job, but there is one scene that needs noting.
"Who were you talking to?" Gunnar's face was curious, still staring at the alley.
"Whom. Fucking whom! Is everyone illiterate?" I grouched.
(see- I SAID he was rude and obnoxious)
No. 'Who were you talking to?' is correct conversational English. 'WHOM were you talking to?' is totally wrong.
It's not 'illiterate' to speak incorrectly. It's ungrammatical, uncultivated etc. Illiterate refers to being unable to read or write.
The CORRECT grammar is: To WHOM were you talking? but that is not used in casual, conversational dialogue.
I gave up at 10% when I realised I had highlights on nearly every page of the text so far.
December 18, 2016
Obsidian Son (The Temple Chronicles #1) by Shayne Silvers is truly a super awesome book and I stopped midway through the book and bought the rest of the books, yes, it is that good! Plus it is all happening near my home town so of course I will enjoy it more. There is sooo much action, fantasy/magic/shifters/creatures of all kinds that any respecting fantasy lover will adore this book! The wit and smart dialogue will keep you on your toes, there is a mystery or two, a romance or two, and more dragons then you can count. A super woman, a werewolf cop, and a wizard billionaire. Gargoyles, unicorns, and Minotaurs and in the book too. Can't forget them. There is so much and it is soooo fun. LOVED IT!!! Too bad 5 stars is all you can give. Great plot, exciting characters, and never, ever boring! Off for book 2....
August 15, 2019
Honestly I should’ve DNF’ed this book. I stubbornly continued it to the very end for the simple reason the Feathers & Fire series (same author) has been such an enjoyable read. Sadly this was truly monotonous, absolutely arid, & incredibly dull. Will not be continuing such a mundane series. 1 Star.
August 14, 2017
It's been a long wait for the next Dresden book, but it's best to just say no to this one. Tedious,immature, sexist ...and I'm just describing the hero in the first few chapters.
July 25, 2018
"The name's Stu... Gary Stu."
I'm just your average ordinary guy: fabulously wealthy, devilishly charming, stunningly handsome, an effortless master of mystic arts, and every woman of even passing acquaintance starts begging me to use them as my personal sock puppet. I'm so cool I encourage smoking and emotionally abusing your friends... You know, totally ordinary.
Seriously, the main character is an insecure 15 year old boy's idea of the epitome of cool. If this story were a visual medium, I would expect him to wear a sandwich board at all times that reads "My penis is so much bigger than yours." Within the first two chapters he has firmly explained why he is more successful in every strata of human endeavor than anyone who has come before him. By halfway through the book, my eyes were rolling so hard they threatened to pop out of my head and spin around on the table like catherine wheels. Just over halfway through, my stomach threatened to show me the contents of my last meal in protest of this dross, and I had to put it down.
This story is crap. The narrator did a good job at portraying an arrogant little prat, and that's the only praise this is going to get from me, because he was unspectacular otherwise. You should definitely give this one a pass.
I'm just your average ordinary guy: fabulously wealthy, devilishly charming, stunningly handsome, an effortless master of mystic arts, and every woman of even passing acquaintance starts begging me to use them as my personal sock puppet. I'm so cool I encourage smoking and emotionally abusing your friends... You know, totally ordinary.
Seriously, the main character is an insecure 15 year old boy's idea of the epitome of cool. If this story were a visual medium, I would expect him to wear a sandwich board at all times that reads "My penis is so much bigger than yours." Within the first two chapters he has firmly explained why he is more successful in every strata of human endeavor than anyone who has come before him. By halfway through the book, my eyes were rolling so hard they threatened to pop out of my head and spin around on the table like catherine wheels. Just over halfway through, my stomach threatened to show me the contents of my last meal in protest of this dross, and I had to put it down.
This story is crap. The narrator did a good job at portraying an arrogant little prat, and that's the only praise this is going to get from me, because he was unspectacular otherwise. You should definitely give this one a pass.
July 29, 2018
Obnoxious Son
I enjoy reading Urban Fantasies, but this book reads like a YA book for prepubescent boys. For giggles, it starts with the protagonist sneaking up on and cow-tipping Minotaur. Uh. Wait a second. The Minotaur has a human body, therefore human feet. Was the protagonist cow-tipping a humongous, four-legged Centaur?
I suppose the gorgeous and arrogant, billionaire playboy-protagonist could be some boy-child’s wet dream. He’s an all-powerful wizard, has OTT intelligence with eidetic memory, is obnoxiously rude, but lacks common sense. Worse, he’s a lecherous and misogynistic horndog, who sees and treats all women as sex objects, who should drool all over him.
The plot is adequate, the secondary and tertiary characters need development, and author’s writing style is trite, flat and stale with cliches. Abandoned at 47%.
I enjoy reading Urban Fantasies, but this book reads like a YA book for prepubescent boys. For giggles, it starts with the protagonist sneaking up on and cow-tipping Minotaur. Uh. Wait a second. The Minotaur has a human body, therefore human feet. Was the protagonist cow-tipping a humongous, four-legged Centaur?
I suppose the gorgeous and arrogant, billionaire playboy-protagonist could be some boy-child’s wet dream. He’s an all-powerful wizard, has OTT intelligence with eidetic memory, is obnoxiously rude, but lacks common sense. Worse, he’s a lecherous and misogynistic horndog, who sees and treats all women as sex objects, who should drool all over him.
The plot is adequate, the secondary and tertiary characters need development, and author’s writing style is trite, flat and stale with cliches. Abandoned at 47%.
March 8, 2020
*Writing this review after reading the first 4 books*
Has potential
Ok, I admit, I wasn't very impressed with this book.
It's interesting, it's fun, but it doesn't have anything special (yet). It will though, just you wait for the next books!
It is a pretty good start for an amazing series, but not a great start. Just you wait for the second, though! It will blow your mind!
Has potential
Ok, I admit, I wasn't very impressed with this book.
It's interesting, it's fun, but it doesn't have anything special (yet). It will though, just you wait for the next books!
It is a pretty good start for an amazing series, but not a great start. Just you wait for the second, though! It will blow your mind!
Read
November 17, 2021I started reading this since there are a few books in the series and all are rated favourably. I was hoping for something akin to Jim Butcher's Dresden series. That is not what I got. I fear there is no unit of measurement suitable enough to describe my disappointment. The main character is an absolute bellend, who has little in the way of redeeming qualities. I'm sure the author thought he was making a character who was suave and sophisticated, what we got instead was a sleazy, lecherous creep. Almost every one of his interactions with the fairer sex made me cringe.
I am truly at a loss as to how this book is rated as highly as it is, and the rest in the series are rated higher, though I have zero intention of putting myself through that kind of trauma again.
The writing is sub mediocre, almost like it was written by an adolescent kid as an English project at high school. Avoid like the plague.
I am truly at a loss as to how this book is rated as highly as it is, and the rest in the series are rated higher, though I have zero intention of putting myself through that kind of trauma again.
The writing is sub mediocre, almost like it was written by an adolescent kid as an English project at high school. Avoid like the plague.
January 21, 2017
Sexism combined with a main character who seemed immature at best.
I like fantasy and this book seemed to fit into my interests. I will give the writer some points for a half way decent plot. However, you have to deduct points for the blatant sexism throughout the entire book. This could have been overlooked if it was written in the 1950's that comes across as highly distasteful for a book that was written in the 21st-century. His main character continually displays a patronizing attitude towards women. Basically they're just walking sex objects for his sexual fantasies and a weaker sex. Another problem lies in the fact that every other character calls his protagonist "Master Temple ." At a certain point having everybody addressing him as "master" seemed absolutely ludicrous. Even in the fantasy genre there should be some anchoring in reality. So points off for creating a character who is both sexually immature in his views about women and has an over pretentious sense of self importance. It appears the author strove to make his hero a "bad boy" but only ended up in making him insipid & bad .
I like fantasy and this book seemed to fit into my interests. I will give the writer some points for a half way decent plot. However, you have to deduct points for the blatant sexism throughout the entire book. This could have been overlooked if it was written in the 1950's that comes across as highly distasteful for a book that was written in the 21st-century. His main character continually displays a patronizing attitude towards women. Basically they're just walking sex objects for his sexual fantasies and a weaker sex. Another problem lies in the fact that every other character calls his protagonist "Master Temple ." At a certain point having everybody addressing him as "master" seemed absolutely ludicrous. Even in the fantasy genre there should be some anchoring in reality. So points off for creating a character who is both sexually immature in his views about women and has an over pretentious sense of self importance. It appears the author strove to make his hero a "bad boy" but only ended up in making him insipid & bad .
July 29, 2018
DNF 55%
I live in Saint Louis, where this is set, and in three weeks there is going to be a full eclipse, just like in the book. The appeal of this should be obvious. The problem is that the main character is just so unlikable that I can't finish it. The writing itself is fine. But I honestly think the whole thing is just author wish fulfillment. "Master Temple" (seriously, Master) is supposed to be rich, witty, irresistible, powerful, etc, etc etc. He is the male version of a Mary Sue, TOO PERFECT. But it's a very male perfect, as a female reader I find him horribly alienating. And that's before I get into the sexism and gay "jokes." I gave up when the strong female police officer was immediately reduced to flirty arm candy and the assistant left her panties as a good luck charm for her boss. That's after a random woman on the street passed him her number. God, no more. Please!
I live in Saint Louis, where this is set, and in three weeks there is going to be a full eclipse, just like in the book. The appeal of this should be obvious. The problem is that the main character is just so unlikable that I can't finish it. The writing itself is fine. But I honestly think the whole thing is just author wish fulfillment. "Master Temple" (seriously, Master) is supposed to be rich, witty, irresistible, powerful, etc, etc etc. He is the male version of a Mary Sue, TOO PERFECT. But it's a very male perfect, as a female reader I find him horribly alienating. And that's before I get into the sexism and gay "jokes." I gave up when the strong female police officer was immediately reduced to flirty arm candy and the assistant left her panties as a good luck charm for her boss. That's after a random woman on the street passed him her number. God, no more. Please!
April 3, 2018
Couldn't finish it.
I hate not finishing a book but I just couldn't get into this one. The story seems compelling but the characters, specifically the protagonist, are just poor. The main character is just... I can't even get over how "perfect" he is. An obscenely wealthy, handsome, genius who also happens to be a very powerful magic user. I'm sure if I read further another string of amazing qualities would be revealed about him but I just couldn't like him. He came off as a pretentious bully and his only good qualities are superficial. I'm not saying don't read it but I won't be continuing this series.
I hate not finishing a book but I just couldn't get into this one. The story seems compelling but the characters, specifically the protagonist, are just poor. The main character is just... I can't even get over how "perfect" he is. An obscenely wealthy, handsome, genius who also happens to be a very powerful magic user. I'm sure if I read further another string of amazing qualities would be revealed about him but I just couldn't like him. He came off as a pretentious bully and his only good qualities are superficial. I'm not saying don't read it but I won't be continuing this series.
June 12, 2017
Too much female objectification
The author spent far too much time describing every single female (who all happened to be drop dead gorgeous) and most of that objectifying and dehumanizing them. No objectification and few descriptions of the male characters. A female character can be interesting without being eye candy or a possible future sexual encounter.
The author spent far too much time describing every single female (who all happened to be drop dead gorgeous) and most of that objectifying and dehumanizing them. No objectification and few descriptions of the male characters. A female character can be interesting without being eye candy or a possible future sexual encounter.
October 7, 2017
has it's moments ,but all in all.the usual trash
November 17, 2018
I wholeheartedly agree with the other 1star and 2star reviews, I don't want to waste time listing all the things wrong with this series.
December 10, 2018
Damnit. I wanted to like this book. I sat with my thoughts. I waited for clarity. None came.
Now I find myself frustrated that thinly-veiled misogyny can make someone income like this. Another reviewer called this “masturbatory fanfic”. I think that term is perfect. It’s ridiculous how many times the MC talks about the following things:
1. How great he is (powers, money, fashion sense, smarts, etc.)
2. How his “pants get tight” when near the “fairer sex”.
I’m sorry, but when is that passable fiction? I’m left questioning so many things about this author. This would have been a one star if not for some of the funnier one-liners and a few plot points-cow tipping a Minotaur anyone?
While I’m here, let’s discuss the ending and foreshadowing. If you didn’t see exactly, word for fucking word, how that ending was going to play out the moment you meet the gold dragon, you probably need to get a brain scan. I mean, 75% of the ending was obvious before that, but the rest clicked neatly into place with Alaric. The foreshadowing was about as eloquent as a kick to that place where the main character’s pants seem to constrict at least twice in every chapter.
Reviewers note: I’m from the Midwest just like this author. We aren’t all this douchey. Some of us recognize privilege as a negative and did vote for Obama (this is in the book, I’m not making it political).
Now I find myself frustrated that thinly-veiled misogyny can make someone income like this. Another reviewer called this “masturbatory fanfic”. I think that term is perfect. It’s ridiculous how many times the MC talks about the following things:
1. How great he is (powers, money, fashion sense, smarts, etc.)
2. How his “pants get tight” when near the “fairer sex”.
I’m sorry, but when is that passable fiction? I’m left questioning so many things about this author. This would have been a one star if not for some of the funnier one-liners and a few plot points-cow tipping a Minotaur anyone?
While I’m here, let’s discuss the ending and foreshadowing. If you didn’t see exactly, word for fucking word, how that ending was going to play out the moment you meet the gold dragon, you probably need to get a brain scan. I mean, 75% of the ending was obvious before that, but the rest clicked neatly into place with Alaric. The foreshadowing was about as eloquent as a kick to that place where the main character’s pants seem to constrict at least twice in every chapter.
Reviewers note: I’m from the Midwest just like this author. We aren’t all this douchey. Some of us recognize privilege as a negative and did vote for Obama (this is in the book, I’m not making it political).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2018
So many other reviews have recounted in depth the short comings of this book and have done it with more wit and panache than I could ever muster. My only comment is that this entire book is simply a 15 year old boy's wet dream.
I will just add that I listened to this book via an audio version read by Marcio Catalano. I'd give him a 2 star rating as well. He has a good 'voice' to work with but it's all downhill from there. He mispronounced so many words that I was shocked. He ought to try googling the pronunciation of words such as epitaph and Minotaur. He compounded the already high cringe factor of this book with his own sneeringly odd cadence and lots of mumbles (probably around words he couldn't pronounce). Because I was listening rather than reading, I was unable to tell if the stilted dialogue was how Silvers wrote the book or if the complete lack of contractions throughout the dialogue was Catalano's own addition. It might have worked if the author was creating a different world but it just sounded affected and false when placed in a 21st century metro setting.
I will just add that I listened to this book via an audio version read by Marcio Catalano. I'd give him a 2 star rating as well. He has a good 'voice' to work with but it's all downhill from there. He mispronounced so many words that I was shocked. He ought to try googling the pronunciation of words such as epitaph and Minotaur. He compounded the already high cringe factor of this book with his own sneeringly odd cadence and lots of mumbles (probably around words he couldn't pronounce). Because I was listening rather than reading, I was unable to tell if the stilted dialogue was how Silvers wrote the book or if the complete lack of contractions throughout the dialogue was Catalano's own addition. It might have worked if the author was creating a different world but it just sounded affected and false when placed in a 21st century metro setting.
January 28, 2017
2.5 Stars
If Harry Dresden met Nate Temple, they'd probably try to kill each other. And I'd be on team Harry. I'd give acknowledgement that yes, it was sad that Nate was gone, and then go on at some length about how he'd lost even though he had so much more power, because he was such a pretentious, self-important, condescending and immature brat that Harry Dresden's loyal friends would have gained up on him....and all of Nate's friends would have joined Team Harry.
What I mean to say is...Nate Temple is unlikeable. But, his story is interesting and its possible he gets beat up enough in later books that he learns a lesson or two about humility.
If Harry Dresden met Nate Temple, they'd probably try to kill each other. And I'd be on team Harry. I'd give acknowledgement that yes, it was sad that Nate was gone, and then go on at some length about how he'd lost even though he had so much more power, because he was such a pretentious, self-important, condescending and immature brat that Harry Dresden's loyal friends would have gained up on him....and all of Nate's friends would have joined Team Harry.
What I mean to say is...Nate Temple is unlikeable. But, his story is interesting and its possible he gets beat up enough in later books that he learns a lesson or two about humility.
April 8, 2020
I've previously read Fairy Tale- A prequel of The Temple Chronicles, and was really looking forward to reading the Obsidian Son.
Well, it has a good plot, easy to follow and entertaining writing style. What this book could have used is a good editor. The first book of a series is usually rough around the edges and this was no exception. I liked the author's take on mythology. The plot was interesting enough for me to over look the typos and grammatical mistakes but I thought some parts were overdone and felt juvenile. Like Nate's wealth and his sudden increase in power didn't make any sense. Also I thought the female characters were objectified. Apart from Tori, they were either bad or useless. Even Tori was called eye candy a few times. That was just meh. This has all the ingredients of a very good urban fantasy; a sexy wizard, cool mythical beings, snarky writing, quirky secondary characters. It just needs to be polished a bit and a few parts toned down. Hope the next one in the series will be better.
Well, it has a good plot, easy to follow and entertaining writing style. What this book could have used is a good editor. The first book of a series is usually rough around the edges and this was no exception. I liked the author's take on mythology. The plot was interesting enough for me to over look the typos and grammatical mistakes but I thought some parts were overdone and felt juvenile. Like Nate's wealth and his sudden increase in power didn't make any sense. Also I thought the female characters were objectified. Apart from Tori, they were either bad or useless. Even Tori was called eye candy a few times. That was just meh. This has all the ingredients of a very good urban fantasy; a sexy wizard, cool mythical beings, snarky writing, quirky secondary characters. It just needs to be polished a bit and a few parts toned down. Hope the next one in the series will be better.
September 7, 2016
Super story with a spin on dragons that I've not come across before and how interesting it was! Possibly the strangest beginning to a book that I've yet encountered, a deft misdirection by the author.
Nate Temple, outwardly a womanising extremely wealthy young man, but all is not quite what it seems.
There's a great deal of humour amidst the action, magic and mayhem. The characters are larger than life, realistic (apart from the wizard and werewolf part) and very appealing.
A really refreshing difference to the typical tale in this genre. Enjoyed it so much I've already downloaded the next two.
Polished writing by an adept author.
Highly recommended.
*Note: I received an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review.*
Nate Temple, outwardly a womanising extremely wealthy young man, but all is not quite what it seems.
There's a great deal of humour amidst the action, magic and mayhem. The characters are larger than life, realistic (apart from the wizard and werewolf part) and very appealing.
A really refreshing difference to the typical tale in this genre. Enjoyed it so much I've already downloaded the next two.
Polished writing by an adept author.
Highly recommended.
*Note: I received an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review.*
July 31, 2016
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Obsidian Son is an urban fantasy thriller. It is also very much a man’s type of fantasy.
The story involves lots of high-end cars driven at high speeds as often as possible, an astounding collection of incredibly beautiful women (many of them are dragons in disguise), exotic hotels, clubs, and mansions, legendary creatures, vast sums of money, and a nearly irresistible flow of Wizardly power. As I said, definitely a guy-type fantasy.
Nate is not above being scared by his opponents from time to time, and he occasionally takes a hit or a tumble, but he never seems to be in real danger for very long. The affinity of Nate and his friends for the famous comic-book characters is entirely appropriate.
I love the description of Plato’s Cave, the bookstore Nate has created for himself to be separate from his parents’ business. I could live there myself, as long as those dragons would stay away. And I would probably have something other than a video game emporium in the back.
The one thing in the book that actually bothered me (after deciding this was a guy fantasy, I didn’t stress too much about any of the other questionable aspects of the book) was the treatment of Officer Marlin. This tiny and beautiful but super-strong policewoman saves Nate’s life during one of the high-speed chases that also involves a dragon. On discovering that she is gifted with special powers, Nate and his werewolf best friend Gunnar invite her to join their supernatural crime fighting team. But when Nate’s power increases during one of their encounters with the super-bad dragon later that evening and he starts losing control and leaking power on her and Gunnar, her response is to start acting like a bimbo, although you get the impression that she would not normally be that way. What’s up with that? I am less bothered by all the other stunning beauties Nate encounters. After all, it seems that unless a woman is super-sexy, he almost doesn’t see her at all. And the female dragons are obviously meant to be using sex as a weapon.
The writing style is fairly sophisticated in general. I would have rated the book higher, except that I am less enthralled by guy-type urban fantasies.
Obsidian Son is an urban fantasy thriller. It is also very much a man’s type of fantasy.
The story involves lots of high-end cars driven at high speeds as often as possible, an astounding collection of incredibly beautiful women (many of them are dragons in disguise), exotic hotels, clubs, and mansions, legendary creatures, vast sums of money, and a nearly irresistible flow of Wizardly power. As I said, definitely a guy-type fantasy.
Nate is not above being scared by his opponents from time to time, and he occasionally takes a hit or a tumble, but he never seems to be in real danger for very long. The affinity of Nate and his friends for the famous comic-book characters is entirely appropriate.
I love the description of Plato’s Cave, the bookstore Nate has created for himself to be separate from his parents’ business. I could live there myself, as long as those dragons would stay away. And I would probably have something other than a video game emporium in the back.
The one thing in the book that actually bothered me (after deciding this was a guy fantasy, I didn’t stress too much about any of the other questionable aspects of the book) was the treatment of Officer Marlin. This tiny and beautiful but super-strong policewoman saves Nate’s life during one of the high-speed chases that also involves a dragon. On discovering that she is gifted with special powers, Nate and his werewolf best friend Gunnar invite her to join their supernatural crime fighting team. But when Nate’s power increases during one of their encounters with the super-bad dragon later that evening and he starts losing control and leaking power on her and Gunnar, her response is to start acting like a bimbo, although you get the impression that she would not normally be that way. What’s up with that? I am less bothered by all the other stunning beauties Nate encounters. After all, it seems that unless a woman is super-sexy, he almost doesn’t see her at all. And the female dragons are obviously meant to be using sex as a weapon.
The writing style is fairly sophisticated in general. I would have rated the book higher, except that I am less enthralled by guy-type urban fantasies.
October 4, 2016
Just finished reading “Obsidian Son: (The Temple Chronicles Book One)” by Shayne Silvers. This is my first read by Shayne, but will not be my last. This was quite an adventure and so much fun to read. We have present day Wizards, Werewolves, Dragons, Shapeshifters and other assorted paranormal creatures throughout this very busy adventure. There is a lot going on, however it is very easy to follow and keep up with all the characters and events from start to finish. I was sort of reminded of James Bond with special paranormal powers while reading this action packed Fantasy/Supernatural/Thriller gem. I am looking forward to the next installments, and my next read by Shayne Silvers.
Synopsis: “A city that doesn’t believe in magic. Bloodthirsty weredragons. Good thing this reckless playboy has superpowers…
It’s been said that monsters cry when a good man goes to war. But they should run screaming like little school girls when that man is secretly a wizard, and maybe not necessarily good…
Nate Temple’s all-consuming quest to avenge his parents is temporarily put on hold when shape-shifting dragons invade St. Louis. And perhaps cow-tipping the Minotaur for answers might not have been Nate’s smartest opening move, because now every flavor of supernatural thug from our childhood nightmares is gunning for him. Nate learns that the only way to save his city from these creatures is to murder his best friend…Nate’s choice will throw the world and his own conscience into cataclysmic chaos: avenge his parents or become a murderer to save his city. Because to do either, he’s going to have to show the world that magic is very, very real, and that monsters are very, very hungry… To survive, he might just need to take a page from the book, How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters.”
Synopsis: “A city that doesn’t believe in magic. Bloodthirsty weredragons. Good thing this reckless playboy has superpowers…
It’s been said that monsters cry when a good man goes to war. But they should run screaming like little school girls when that man is secretly a wizard, and maybe not necessarily good…
Nate Temple’s all-consuming quest to avenge his parents is temporarily put on hold when shape-shifting dragons invade St. Louis. And perhaps cow-tipping the Minotaur for answers might not have been Nate’s smartest opening move, because now every flavor of supernatural thug from our childhood nightmares is gunning for him. Nate learns that the only way to save his city from these creatures is to murder his best friend…Nate’s choice will throw the world and his own conscience into cataclysmic chaos: avenge his parents or become a murderer to save his city. Because to do either, he’s going to have to show the world that magic is very, very real, and that monsters are very, very hungry… To survive, he might just need to take a page from the book, How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters.”
June 23, 2017
This sounded good on paper, with lots of positive reviews. Errrr..... it's a fail.
Wow! What a disappointment. The story proceeds at a fairly rollicking pace and all the elements are there to construct an awesome reading experience, however, it lacks the necessary quality to get the reader involved. For me it felt very flat and linear. It's not a page turner at all and I had to dig deep to finish it. Overall I took around two weeks to plow through this book (which included taking timeouts and reading other books to take a break from the pain).
The story is first person perspective and like a flat stone skipping across the pond, there is no depth. All the characters are two dimensional cardboard cutouts. The main character is a carefree, rich, handsome, genius who is also a super powerful wizard. However, he's also arrogant, stubborn, idiotic, lacking in emotional intelligence and throughout the story fails to take any kind of meaningful control. Instead he lurches from one disastrous event to another. Unfortunately, the reader is dragged along willy-nilly, with little insight into any character's internal thoughts or emotions. This is altogether very unsatisfying.
Pros: The story is very well edited and I detected none of the normal grammatical, spelling, word usage and sentence construction screw ups that one commonly finds in many books on the kindle store these days.
Cons: See above and in addition, it is neither thrilling, exciting or even funny.
I'm giving it two stars instead of one because it wasn't totally terrible and the author has potential to improve. Later books might get better (I hope) but I won't know because I won't be wasting my time with this series.
Wow! What a disappointment. The story proceeds at a fairly rollicking pace and all the elements are there to construct an awesome reading experience, however, it lacks the necessary quality to get the reader involved. For me it felt very flat and linear. It's not a page turner at all and I had to dig deep to finish it. Overall I took around two weeks to plow through this book (which included taking timeouts and reading other books to take a break from the pain).
The story is first person perspective and like a flat stone skipping across the pond, there is no depth. All the characters are two dimensional cardboard cutouts. The main character is a carefree, rich, handsome, genius who is also a super powerful wizard. However, he's also arrogant, stubborn, idiotic, lacking in emotional intelligence and throughout the story fails to take any kind of meaningful control. Instead he lurches from one disastrous event to another. Unfortunately, the reader is dragged along willy-nilly, with little insight into any character's internal thoughts or emotions. This is altogether very unsatisfying.
Pros: The story is very well edited and I detected none of the normal grammatical, spelling, word usage and sentence construction screw ups that one commonly finds in many books on the kindle store these days.
Cons: See above and in addition, it is neither thrilling, exciting or even funny.
I'm giving it two stars instead of one because it wasn't totally terrible and the author has potential to improve. Later books might get better (I hope) but I won't know because I won't be wasting my time with this series.
November 20, 2019
Rating 4.0 stars
This is definitely a wish fulfillment book. It has everything. An insanely overpowered main character that gets more powerful throughout the story. That same character is a multi-billionaire. He also happens to be a wizard. He is surrounded by insanely attractive women who are bad-ass as well. There is sexual tension and flirtation throughout the book, and a lot of the time the women he is surrounded by are completely naked. His best friend is a werewolf. Oh and lets not forget that he gets to hang out with supernatural creatures like the minatour and dragons. This is every geeks fantasy. I can't necessarily say this was a good story but it sure was a lot of fun. Specifics of what happened in this story I think would just ruin it for people. If you like OP main characters, hot sexy women, supernatural creatures, sarcastic banter and a lot of action, I would give this one a chance.
This is definitely a wish fulfillment book. It has everything. An insanely overpowered main character that gets more powerful throughout the story. That same character is a multi-billionaire. He also happens to be a wizard. He is surrounded by insanely attractive women who are bad-ass as well. There is sexual tension and flirtation throughout the book, and a lot of the time the women he is surrounded by are completely naked. His best friend is a werewolf. Oh and lets not forget that he gets to hang out with supernatural creatures like the minatour and dragons. This is every geeks fantasy. I can't necessarily say this was a good story but it sure was a lot of fun. Specifics of what happened in this story I think would just ruin it for people. If you like OP main characters, hot sexy women, supernatural creatures, sarcastic banter and a lot of action, I would give this one a chance.
May 17, 2018
I liked the story and the writing style. I would have given 4 stars but neither the writer nor the editor knows when it should be " I " and when it should be "me". Every time it should have been "me", it was "I". They got it wrong every time. That annoyed me.
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