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Joe Mack #1
Cauldron (Joe Mack, #1)
When you ask a god for favors, be careful what you wish for. You just might get it. Josef Magarac was a brave man, a strong man, a hard-working immigrant who only wanted a better life for his family. Instead he got a bloodbath. From the bloody steel mill strikes of Pennsylvania rose a true man of steel, a steelworker transformed into something more by the power of the Old Gods. Now Joe Mack is in Cleveland, and he’s working to protect those who can’t protect themselves. When a friend asks him to look into disappearances in a largely immigrant neighborhood, Joe takes an interest. When his interest leads him to a vampire stalking the streets of his adopted home, he takes more than an interest. He takes on a mission. Cauldron is the first in the Joe Mack series of Shadow Council Archives from Gail Z. Martin & Larry N. Martin, the duo that brought you Spells, Salt, & Steel. The Shadow Council Archives are urban fantasy novellas set in the universe of Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter and featuring folk heroes throughout history.
112 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 2019
27 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Gail Z. Martin
179 books1,784 followersGail Z. Martin discovered her passion for science fiction, fantasy and ghost stories in elementary school. The first story she wroteat age fivewas about a vampire. Her favorite TV show as a preschooler was Dark Shadows. At age 14, she decided to become a writer.
She enjoys attending science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs and living history sites. She is married and has three children, a Maltese and a golden retriever.
Gail Z. Martin is also Morgan Brice, which is her pen name for urban fantasy MM paranormal romance.
In addition to the online sites listed below, you can find me on
Facebook.com/Groups/MartinShadowAlliance
Facebook.com/Groups/WorldsOfMorganBrice
Twitter: @GailZMartin and @MorganBriceAuthor
YouTube: YouTube.com/c/GailZMartinAuthor
IG: @MorganBriceAuthorGail & Larry newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dd5XLj
Morgan Brice newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dy_8oL
BookBub for Morgan: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/morga...
Bookbub for Gail: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/gail-...
Amazon profile: https://www.amazon.com/Morgan-Brice/e...?
Amazon profile: https://www.amazon.com/Gail-Z-Martin/...
Pinterest (for Morgan and Gail) www.Pinterest.com/Gzmartin
She enjoys attending science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs and living history sites. She is married and has three children, a Maltese and a golden retriever.
Gail Z. Martin is also Morgan Brice, which is her pen name for urban fantasy MM paranormal romance.
In addition to the online sites listed below, you can find me on
Facebook.com/Groups/MartinShadowAlliance
Facebook.com/Groups/WorldsOfMorganBrice
Twitter: @GailZMartin and @MorganBriceAuthor
YouTube: YouTube.com/c/GailZMartinAuthor
IG: @MorganBriceAuthorGail & Larry newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dd5XLj
Morgan Brice newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dy_8oL
BookBub for Morgan: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/morga...
Bookbub for Gail: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/gail-...
Amazon profile: https://www.amazon.com/Morgan-Brice/e...?
Amazon profile: https://www.amazon.com/Gail-Z-Martin/...
Pinterest (for Morgan and Gail) www.Pinterest.com/Gzmartin
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 17, 2019
The Cold War, a Hungarian immigrant, Jozef Magarac is dying. He asks one of the old Slavic gods for help and chance for revenge. Krukis, the god of blacksmiths, grants his wish and gives Jozef supernatural powers and makes him immortal.
Thirty-six years later, under the name of Joe Mack, he leads a relatively quiet life, and occasionally takes care of some paranormal matters that require his intervention. Therefore, when people living in the Russian neighborhoods go missing in mysterious and undoubtedly "dark" circumstances, a friend asks Joe Mack to investigate the case. However, the truth behind the disappearances turns out to be much more serious than it seemed at first.
"Cauldron", the first novella of the series about Joe Mack written by the Gail Z. Martin and Larry N. Martin duo, conquers a reader's heart in the blink of an eye, thanks to the combination of urban fantasy and historical novel. To be honest, I think it is the biggest advantage of this novella. We may say that when we start reading it, we already know at least part of the background of this story. After all, to some extent each of us knows the world history, and while it fascinates some people, it bores others. In the case of "Cauldron" there is no way to be bored. By adding a lot of urban fantasy elements to the historical ones, the authors made sure that the readers devour the story presented here. It also seems important that we easily see the difference between facts and fiction, so we don't have to be afraid that the novella will suddenly change our world and distort our historical knowledge in any way. In my opinion, it rather makes it more interesting and attractive than before.
The combination of fantasy and history is not the only advantage of "Cauldron", as the novella can also boast a large dose of interesting and fast action, which makes us read it with real pleasure, as we want to find out as soon as possible what else the authors have prepared for us in this story. We read about the events described here with bated breath from the very beginning to the end, because they consist of the interestingly presented work on the case, the turbulent history of the world at that time and the paranormal thread which bonds these elements together. It is also worth adding that Joe Mack is not the type of person who would work on solving the case by sitting in the library and reading the books, so when I mention the action, I mean real, "active" action with fight, shootout, car chase.
Other undoubted advantages of "Cauldron" are naturally the things that I consider the qualities of all the novels and novellas written by Gail Z. Martin and Larry N. Martin that I've read. In short, the universe and the characters. In this novel, I love the fact that its world is filled with people with some paranormal powers, and supernatural beings, about existence of which some folks know, while others are happily unaware. In fact, the reader doesn't discover the supernatural side of this universe step by step, but is "thrown" into the middle of this world of wonders. It's really great because it requires that we quickly accept everything that makes this world unique. It works like that also in the case of the characters we are surrounded with, and the vast majority of whom know exactly what hides in the dark. This makes them not only more fascinating, but I have no doubt that this is also more comfortable for our main character, and we can easily fell it while reading the story.
To sum up, "Cauldron" is a really great and addictive novella that quickly conquers our hearts. Once we start reading it, we can't stop until we know what happens in this fascinating, action-packed and exciting story. Therefore, with a clear conscience, I can highly recommend "Cauldron". This novel is really worth reading.
__________________________
W czasach Zimnej Wojny, Jozef Magarac, węgierski imigrant, umierając poprosił jednego ze starych słowiańskich bogów o pomoc i możliwość zemsty. Wysłuchany przez boga kowali, Krukisa, został obdarzony nadprzyrodzonymi talentami oraz długowiecznością. Trzydzieści sześć lat później, nosząc nazwisko Joe’ego Macka, wiedzie stosunkowo spokojny żywot, od czasu do czasu zajmując się paranormalnymi sprawami, które wymagają jego interwencji. Dlatego też, kiedy w okolicy w tajemniczych i niewątpliwie mrocznych okolicznościach zaczynają ginąć osoby mieszkające w rosyjskiej dzielnicy, Joe Mack zostaje poproszony przez znajomego o zbadanie tej sprawy. Prawda kryjąca się za zaginięciami okazuje się jednak o wiele poważniejsza, niż początkowo mogło się wydawać.
„Cauldron”, pierwsza nowelka serii o Joe Macku duetu Gail Z. Martin, Larry N. Martin, w mgnieniu oka podbija serce czytelnika, dzięki mieszance gatunków urban fantasy oraz powieści historycznej. Prawdę mówiąc, właśnie to uważam za największą zaletę tego tytułu. Możemy powiedzieć, że gdy zaczynamy lekturę, część tła przedstawionej tu opowieści jest nam już znana. W końcu każdy z nas w mniejszym lub większym stopniu zna historię światową, która jednych fascynuje, innych zaś nudzi. W przypadku „Cauldron” nie ma jednak mowy o nudzie. Autorzy dodając do elementów historycznych dużą porcję fantastyki miejskiej, sprawili, że czytelnik pożera przedstawioną tu historię. Istotne wydaje mi się również to, że z łatwością odnajdujemy pomost między faktami a fikcją, toteż nie musimy się obawiać, że nowelka zachwieje naszym światem i w jakikolwiek sposób spaczy naszą wiedzę historyczną. Moim zdaniem, raczej nada jej wyraźniejszych barw i sprawi, że spojrzymy na nią przychylniejszym okiem.
Połączenie fantastyki i historii to nie jedyne zalety „Cauldron”, jako że nowelka może pochwalić się także dużą dawką interesującej i szybkiej akcji, która sprawia, że czytamy ją z prawdziwą rozkoszą i chcemy jak najszybciej dowiedzieć się, co jeszcze w tej historii przygotowali dla nas autorzy. Opowiedziane tu wydarzenia śledzimy z zapartym tchem od samego początku aż do końca, ponieważ składają się na nią emocjonująco przedstawiona praca nad sprawą, burzliwa historia tego okresu w dziejach świata oraz łączący to wszystko wątek paranormalny. Warto również dodać, że Joe Mack nie jest typem osoby, która pracowałaby nad rozwiązaniem problemu siedząc w bibliotece i wertując książki, toteż kiedy wspominam o akcji, mam tu na myśli prawdziwą, „aktywną” akcję z walką, strzelaniną, pościgiem.
Kolejną niewątpliwą zaletą „Cauldron” jest naturalnie to, co stanowi mocną stronę w przypadku wszystkich znanych mi powieści i nowel autorstwa Gail Z. Martin oraz Larry’ego N. Martina, a więc uniwersum oraz bohaterowie. W tej noweli bardzo podoba mi się to, że świat przedstawiony jest przepełniony paranormalnymi osobami i istotami, z których istnienia część osób zdaje sobie sprawę, podczas gdy inni żyją w słodkiej nieświadomości. Tak naprawdę, czytelnik nie odkrywa coraz to nowszych nadnaturalnych dziwów krok po kroku, ale zostaje wrzucony w sam środek świata, z którego dziwactw bohaterowie zdają sobie sprawę. To naprawdę fantastyczne, ponieważ wymaga od nas szybkiej akceptacji paranormalnej strony tego uniwersum. Podobnie ma się sprawa z postaciami, którymi zostajemy otoczeni, a z których ogromna większość wie, co kryje się w ciemności. To czyni je nie tylko bardziej fascynującymi, ale niewątpliwie daje także pewne poczucie komfortu naszemu głównemu bohaterowi, co możemy z powodzeniem wyczuć w noweli.
Podsumowując, „Cauldron” to naprawdę świetny tytuł, który szybko podbija nasze serca i uzależnia. Kiedy już zaczniemy lekturę, nie jesteśmy w stanie przestać, póki nie poznamy całej tej fascynującej, pełnej akcji i emocjonującej historii. Dlatego też z czystym sercem mogę Wam gorąco polecić „Cauldron”. Tę nowelę warto przeczytać.
Thirty-six years later, under the name of Joe Mack, he leads a relatively quiet life, and occasionally takes care of some paranormal matters that require his intervention. Therefore, when people living in the Russian neighborhoods go missing in mysterious and undoubtedly "dark" circumstances, a friend asks Joe Mack to investigate the case. However, the truth behind the disappearances turns out to be much more serious than it seemed at first.
"Cauldron", the first novella of the series about Joe Mack written by the Gail Z. Martin and Larry N. Martin duo, conquers a reader's heart in the blink of an eye, thanks to the combination of urban fantasy and historical novel. To be honest, I think it is the biggest advantage of this novella. We may say that when we start reading it, we already know at least part of the background of this story. After all, to some extent each of us knows the world history, and while it fascinates some people, it bores others. In the case of "Cauldron" there is no way to be bored. By adding a lot of urban fantasy elements to the historical ones, the authors made sure that the readers devour the story presented here. It also seems important that we easily see the difference between facts and fiction, so we don't have to be afraid that the novella will suddenly change our world and distort our historical knowledge in any way. In my opinion, it rather makes it more interesting and attractive than before.
The combination of fantasy and history is not the only advantage of "Cauldron", as the novella can also boast a large dose of interesting and fast action, which makes us read it with real pleasure, as we want to find out as soon as possible what else the authors have prepared for us in this story. We read about the events described here with bated breath from the very beginning to the end, because they consist of the interestingly presented work on the case, the turbulent history of the world at that time and the paranormal thread which bonds these elements together. It is also worth adding that Joe Mack is not the type of person who would work on solving the case by sitting in the library and reading the books, so when I mention the action, I mean real, "active" action with fight, shootout, car chase.
Other undoubted advantages of "Cauldron" are naturally the things that I consider the qualities of all the novels and novellas written by Gail Z. Martin and Larry N. Martin that I've read. In short, the universe and the characters. In this novel, I love the fact that its world is filled with people with some paranormal powers, and supernatural beings, about existence of which some folks know, while others are happily unaware. In fact, the reader doesn't discover the supernatural side of this universe step by step, but is "thrown" into the middle of this world of wonders. It's really great because it requires that we quickly accept everything that makes this world unique. It works like that also in the case of the characters we are surrounded with, and the vast majority of whom know exactly what hides in the dark. This makes them not only more fascinating, but I have no doubt that this is also more comfortable for our main character, and we can easily fell it while reading the story.
To sum up, "Cauldron" is a really great and addictive novella that quickly conquers our hearts. Once we start reading it, we can't stop until we know what happens in this fascinating, action-packed and exciting story. Therefore, with a clear conscience, I can highly recommend "Cauldron". This novel is really worth reading.
__________________________
W czasach Zimnej Wojny, Jozef Magarac, węgierski imigrant, umierając poprosił jednego ze starych słowiańskich bogów o pomoc i możliwość zemsty. Wysłuchany przez boga kowali, Krukisa, został obdarzony nadprzyrodzonymi talentami oraz długowiecznością. Trzydzieści sześć lat później, nosząc nazwisko Joe’ego Macka, wiedzie stosunkowo spokojny żywot, od czasu do czasu zajmując się paranormalnymi sprawami, które wymagają jego interwencji. Dlatego też, kiedy w okolicy w tajemniczych i niewątpliwie mrocznych okolicznościach zaczynają ginąć osoby mieszkające w rosyjskiej dzielnicy, Joe Mack zostaje poproszony przez znajomego o zbadanie tej sprawy. Prawda kryjąca się za zaginięciami okazuje się jednak o wiele poważniejsza, niż początkowo mogło się wydawać.
„Cauldron”, pierwsza nowelka serii o Joe Macku duetu Gail Z. Martin, Larry N. Martin, w mgnieniu oka podbija serce czytelnika, dzięki mieszance gatunków urban fantasy oraz powieści historycznej. Prawdę mówiąc, właśnie to uważam za największą zaletę tego tytułu. Możemy powiedzieć, że gdy zaczynamy lekturę, część tła przedstawionej tu opowieści jest nam już znana. W końcu każdy z nas w mniejszym lub większym stopniu zna historię światową, która jednych fascynuje, innych zaś nudzi. W przypadku „Cauldron” nie ma jednak mowy o nudzie. Autorzy dodając do elementów historycznych dużą porcję fantastyki miejskiej, sprawili, że czytelnik pożera przedstawioną tu historię. Istotne wydaje mi się również to, że z łatwością odnajdujemy pomost między faktami a fikcją, toteż nie musimy się obawiać, że nowelka zachwieje naszym światem i w jakikolwiek sposób spaczy naszą wiedzę historyczną. Moim zdaniem, raczej nada jej wyraźniejszych barw i sprawi, że spojrzymy na nią przychylniejszym okiem.
Połączenie fantastyki i historii to nie jedyne zalety „Cauldron”, jako że nowelka może pochwalić się także dużą dawką interesującej i szybkiej akcji, która sprawia, że czytamy ją z prawdziwą rozkoszą i chcemy jak najszybciej dowiedzieć się, co jeszcze w tej historii przygotowali dla nas autorzy. Opowiedziane tu wydarzenia śledzimy z zapartym tchem od samego początku aż do końca, ponieważ składają się na nią emocjonująco przedstawiona praca nad sprawą, burzliwa historia tego okresu w dziejach świata oraz łączący to wszystko wątek paranormalny. Warto również dodać, że Joe Mack nie jest typem osoby, która pracowałaby nad rozwiązaniem problemu siedząc w bibliotece i wertując książki, toteż kiedy wspominam o akcji, mam tu na myśli prawdziwą, „aktywną” akcję z walką, strzelaniną, pościgiem.
Kolejną niewątpliwą zaletą „Cauldron” jest naturalnie to, co stanowi mocną stronę w przypadku wszystkich znanych mi powieści i nowel autorstwa Gail Z. Martin oraz Larry’ego N. Martina, a więc uniwersum oraz bohaterowie. W tej noweli bardzo podoba mi się to, że świat przedstawiony jest przepełniony paranormalnymi osobami i istotami, z których istnienia część osób zdaje sobie sprawę, podczas gdy inni żyją w słodkiej nieświadomości. Tak naprawdę, czytelnik nie odkrywa coraz to nowszych nadnaturalnych dziwów krok po kroku, ale zostaje wrzucony w sam środek świata, z którego dziwactw bohaterowie zdają sobie sprawę. To naprawdę fantastyczne, ponieważ wymaga od nas szybkiej akceptacji paranormalnej strony tego uniwersum. Podobnie ma się sprawa z postaciami, którymi zostajemy otoczeni, a z których ogromna większość wie, co kryje się w ciemności. To czyni je nie tylko bardziej fascynującymi, ale niewątpliwie daje także pewne poczucie komfortu naszemu głównemu bohaterowi, co możemy z powodzeniem wyczuć w noweli.
Podsumowując, „Cauldron” to naprawdę świetny tytuł, który szybko podbija nasze serca i uzależnia. Kiedy już zaczniemy lekturę, nie jesteśmy w stanie przestać, póki nie poznamy całej tej fascynującej, pełnej akcji i emocjonującej historii. Dlatego też z czystym sercem mogę Wam gorąco polecić „Cauldron”. Tę nowelę warto przeczytać.
June 2, 2020
Another series from the team of Gail and Larry Martin. If you like their formula, this will work for you. Strong supernatural male, strong woman (rich and skilled), super-spy action, bars, mayhem, friendships. Monty Haul D&D level given loot.
This is the beginning of a series, so everything is being defined. I expect the next book with stroll off the base formula to become its own amazing read. But this one is a little too formula to be great.
(Read through Kindle Unlimited)
This is the beginning of a series, so everything is being defined. I expect the next book with stroll off the base formula to become its own amazing read. But this one is a little too formula to be great.
(Read through Kindle Unlimited)
February 28, 2020
Originally posted on Amazon.
Overall, this was a good book. The main characters were engaging and I enjoyed the storyline and hidden world that was created by the authors. At the end, I found myself wanting more stories with these characters.
There was a lot of detail when describing locations and characters which was helpful, but at times there was so much extra information and detail it distracted from the story and I found myself losing focus. Even with the slow areas, I would read another book in this series.
Overall, this was a good book. The main characters were engaging and I enjoyed the storyline and hidden world that was created by the authors. At the end, I found myself wanting more stories with these characters.
There was a lot of detail when describing locations and characters which was helpful, but at times there was so much extra information and detail it distracted from the story and I found myself losing focus. Even with the slow areas, I would read another book in this series.
March 24, 2020
A great books to get.
The books was great like all your other books that I have read that you are a author of. The books kept me interested all the time I was reading, well done I only wish the books was longer to read.
The books was great like all your other books that I have read that you are a author of. The books kept me interested all the time I was reading, well done I only wish the books was longer to read.
September 30, 2022
I don't know why it took me so long to read Joe Mac's story. From the steel mills of PA to the dirty streets of Cleveland, OH, Joe Mac is making a life after selling his soul to the old-world Gods. This is a fast paced, interesting story with vampires, mobsters, werewolves, and the Russians.
August 4, 2023
I really loved to learn more about Joe and it helped to understand him better
November 1, 2019
This is a short novella from the Shadow Council Archives series and features a main character called Joe Mack (actual name Josef Magarac), who the reader gets to know from his starting point defending his workplace and trying to gain a better life for their families. He was a simple steelworker, who had emigrated from Hungary and then lost his wife and young child. At a protest with his fellow workers and their families outside the steel mill in Pennsylvania, they were met with great force by a large independent police style force and a bloodbath ensued. Most of the people around him were shot dead, including young lads acting brave and others with no weapons at all.
Joe was badly beaten and wavering on deaths door when he threw out a plea to one of the Old Gods. His plea was answered and he was made into a tool of his God, as strong as steel and now immortal as well. He could also use the magic of his God when really needed. He is now a true man of steel. He has to change his location, due to the fact he no longer ages, and ends up in Cleveland. He gains a few friends, one who runs an illegal bar but is also a witch and from a powerful family in the area, another called West who is in law enforcement, but that Joe has found to be more on his side and a good back-up. The area is also full of other supernatural beings, such as werewolves and vampires and has recently been added to by vampires from Russia.
Someone comes and asks for Joe’s help. One of their friends has gone missing suddenly and there have been other unusual disappearances as well. Joe learns a strangely powerful vampire is stalking the area, but not if they are responsible for the missing people. He is also asked to accompany a rich, single lady to an evening event, held by one of the old Russian high society dames. It is a gathering of those wanting to see the Tsar’s family back in charge of Russia and to oust Stalin. It seems someone has made it out alive after the massacre of the Russian Royal Family.
Add in all the magic going around, the battles with vampires and werewolves, and Joe has a lot to contend with to find the solution to all the missing people, but to also solve the Russian mystery that arises. Joe is now part of a Shadow Council who keep an eye on supernatural behaviour or should that be misbehaviour? He has lived more than a few lifetimes already, but not yet in the realm of hundreds of years. His strength and powers sound as if they will bring about many such tales and I can’t wait to see if they continue and match up to the Trifles and Folly series, as is suggested at the end of the book.
This is just a taster of the Joe Mack character and the Shadow Council mentioned in the later set Trifles and Folly series. A great addition to the supernatural genre and fab for all those who love a touch of magic, witches, vamps and werewolves. I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
Joe was badly beaten and wavering on deaths door when he threw out a plea to one of the Old Gods. His plea was answered and he was made into a tool of his God, as strong as steel and now immortal as well. He could also use the magic of his God when really needed. He is now a true man of steel. He has to change his location, due to the fact he no longer ages, and ends up in Cleveland. He gains a few friends, one who runs an illegal bar but is also a witch and from a powerful family in the area, another called West who is in law enforcement, but that Joe has found to be more on his side and a good back-up. The area is also full of other supernatural beings, such as werewolves and vampires and has recently been added to by vampires from Russia.
Someone comes and asks for Joe’s help. One of their friends has gone missing suddenly and there have been other unusual disappearances as well. Joe learns a strangely powerful vampire is stalking the area, but not if they are responsible for the missing people. He is also asked to accompany a rich, single lady to an evening event, held by one of the old Russian high society dames. It is a gathering of those wanting to see the Tsar’s family back in charge of Russia and to oust Stalin. It seems someone has made it out alive after the massacre of the Russian Royal Family.
Add in all the magic going around, the battles with vampires and werewolves, and Joe has a lot to contend with to find the solution to all the missing people, but to also solve the Russian mystery that arises. Joe is now part of a Shadow Council who keep an eye on supernatural behaviour or should that be misbehaviour? He has lived more than a few lifetimes already, but not yet in the realm of hundreds of years. His strength and powers sound as if they will bring about many such tales and I can’t wait to see if they continue and match up to the Trifles and Folly series, as is suggested at the end of the book.
This is just a taster of the Joe Mack character and the Shadow Council mentioned in the later set Trifles and Folly series. A great addition to the supernatural genre and fab for all those who love a touch of magic, witches, vamps and werewolves. I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
October 23, 2019
I received this book as part of an ARC review. It is great start to a series. I liked that it was based on a legend. Jozef makes a deal with a god, Krukis, for vengeance and it is granted. Jozef chances his name to Joe Mack and he helps rights wrongs where he can. There is vampires, werewolves and witches along with secret agents in this book. The latest is what can cause another great war unless stopped. A Russian vampire named Rasputin who claims he has a member of the Romanov family to put back on the throne. It comes out after the plot to steal the Chalice of Thaddeus the Black which fortunately Joe and his friends get to first and intend to destroy. With the help of Ben, a strega, who provided cover while Joe fought with Rasputin and destroyed both him and the chalice. A big showdown with the mob winning goes down outside and then Tsar turns up asking for help. Combined Ben and Joe release him to his final rest. I certainly look forward to more in this series.
October 25, 2019
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
This was an interesting start to a new series.
Josef was a steel mill worker who after being brutally beaten and watching the Pinkertons kill his friends prayed to on of the old gods for vengeance. Now he protects those who can't stand against the darker paranormal world with an odd collection of friends and allies. Taking place during prohibition, after the end of The Great War, made for an interesting setting. I liked the mix of characters that all worked together in this story, they were all from such different backgrounds but managed to work well together when they needed to. The story is short, but there was a good bit of action packed into those pages. I'm looking forward to seeing what trouble Joe will face next.
There are hints of other stories if you are familiar with their other books, but nothing that you would need to know about before reading this story.
This was an interesting start to a new series.
Josef was a steel mill worker who after being brutally beaten and watching the Pinkertons kill his friends prayed to on of the old gods for vengeance. Now he protects those who can't stand against the darker paranormal world with an odd collection of friends and allies. Taking place during prohibition, after the end of The Great War, made for an interesting setting. I liked the mix of characters that all worked together in this story, they were all from such different backgrounds but managed to work well together when they needed to. The story is short, but there was a good bit of action packed into those pages. I'm looking forward to seeing what trouble Joe will face next.
There are hints of other stories if you are familiar with their other books, but nothing that you would need to know about before reading this story.
September 22, 2019
A solid and thoroughly enjoyable addition to the Harkerverse
One of my favorite Shadow Council novels, aside from Hartness' own Quincy Harker novels. I love this fresh take on truly American folklore, a folklore that like the nation it comes from is a melting pot, a gumbo that is all the better for the great peoples that call this place their home, people from places that aren't here.
One of my favorite Shadow Council novels, aside from Hartness' own Quincy Harker novels. I love this fresh take on truly American folklore, a folklore that like the nation it comes from is a melting pot, a gumbo that is all the better for the great peoples that call this place their home, people from places that aren't here.
October 21, 2019
Gail Z. Martin really understands John G. Hartness' Harkerverse. Joe Mack is iron-willed, strong-willed and smart-mouthed with a truly pragmatic POV of life, while being a noble-hearted knight in formerly shining armor under all the muck. I keep comparing Joe to Sir Dunk from George RR Martin and Jack Fleming from PN Elrod. Definitely worth reading!
I received this book from Hidden Gems and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received this book from Hidden Gems and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 28, 2019
The exciting first Joe Magarac series book
A short novel introducing the local Pittsburgh legend, Joe Magarac, a Hungarian refugee who made himself a tool for an old god to balance against injustice. This is typical Martin fare - well written story, a strong varied cast of characters, a bit of magic. I really enjoyed how the authors used real historical events and added a patina of the otherworldly to craft great urban fantasy.
A short novel introducing the local Pittsburgh legend, Joe Magarac, a Hungarian refugee who made himself a tool for an old god to balance against injustice. This is typical Martin fare - well written story, a strong varied cast of characters, a bit of magic. I really enjoyed how the authors used real historical events and added a patina of the otherworldly to craft great urban fantasy.
August 1, 2019
Another good one
Another great book from Gail and Larry Martin! If you have read any of their other books, you will notice a couple of cross-over references but it isn’t necessary at all to the enjoyment of this story. I love how these writers create such vivid characters. Another good take on the supernatural genre. Highly recommend you read this book!
Another great book from Gail and Larry Martin! If you have read any of their other books, you will notice a couple of cross-over references but it isn’t necessary at all to the enjoyment of this story. I love how these writers create such vivid characters. Another good take on the supernatural genre. Highly recommend you read this book!
August 4, 2019
I found this novella to be a very enjoyable read. The Martins have a knack for balancing supernatural horror with great characters.
October 22, 2019
This is a great start to a new series. Great characters, great setting, and superb writing. Thoroughly enjoyable.
I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy.
I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy.
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