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The Burdens Trilogy #2
The Secret of the Unknown Burden
There’s an indestructible, 500-year-old maniac on the loose—and that’s just the start of Gray Studebaker’s problems. It’s tough being the only one of his friends without a supernatural talent, especially when no one believes Gray that he’s having visions of Vlad the Impaler and his homicidal trail of destruction. Having been plucked from an orphanage, Gray hasn’t taken to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood life, even though his once-estranged mother is silent film actress Mary Pickford and his good friend is comedian Charlie Chaplin. And to top it all off, Elsie, the girl he maybe sorta likes, has just become betrothed to her childhood sweetheart from England. To protect his supernaturally talented friends known as the Sixteen Burdens, Gray must leave the familiarity of Los Angeles and venture east to the vibrant, gritty streets of Harlem, where he hopes to hunt down a killer of supernatural strength and save Elsie from a romance that’s not what it’s cracked up to be. But he has the unique talents of musician Louis Armstrong and inventor Nikola Tesla to help him navigate hidden speakeasies, exclusive nightclubs, tangled subway systems, and secret interrogation rooms filled with ruthless FBI agents. Gray finally discovers what it means to be the Unknown Burden, and the revelation may cost him his life. The Unknown Burden is the second book in David Khalaf's historical fantasy series. If you like The Night Circus, The Paper Magician, or Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, then you’ll love Khalaf’s page-turning period-piece adventure with a fantastical twist. Buy Houdini's Last Trick to read the first in Khalaf’s award-winning series today! The 16 Burdens Fantasy Adventure Series
Houdini's Last Trick , Book 1 (Prequel novella)
The Mystery of the Sixteen Burdens , Book 2
Pancho Villa's Aztec Death Stone , Book 3 (standalone novella)
The Secret of the Unknown Burden , Book 4
Houdini's Last Trick , Book 1 (Prequel novella)
The Mystery of the Sixteen Burdens , Book 2
Pancho Villa's Aztec Death Stone , Book 3 (standalone novella)
The Secret of the Unknown Burden , Book 4
311 pages, Paperback
Published February 6, 2019
2 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
David Khalaf
7 books36 followersWant to read Houdini's Last Trick, the first book in David's historical adventure series for free? Get it here!
________________________________________
David Khalaf was born in Orange County, California. He studied journalism and creative writing at the University of Southern California, and wrote his first full novel, a futuristic social satire, right out of college. It's still sitting on a shelf somewhere. Don't go looking for it.
David's award-winning historical fantasy adventure series, The Burdens Adventure Series, grew out of David's interest in Los Angeles history and Hollywood during the Golden Age of film.
After nearly twenty years in Los Angeles, he came to know the city well, mostly after getting lost. He still gets lost sometimes. David currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with his husband Constantino. They blog and wrote a book together on same-sex marriage called Modern Kinship .
________________________________________
David Khalaf was born in Orange County, California. He studied journalism and creative writing at the University of Southern California, and wrote his first full novel, a futuristic social satire, right out of college. It's still sitting on a shelf somewhere. Don't go looking for it.
David's award-winning historical fantasy adventure series, The Burdens Adventure Series, grew out of David's interest in Los Angeles history and Hollywood during the Golden Age of film.
After nearly twenty years in Los Angeles, he came to know the city well, mostly after getting lost. He still gets lost sometimes. David currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with his husband Constantino. They blog and wrote a book together on same-sex marriage called Modern Kinship .
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 1, 2018
Gray blood
This book was okay not as good as the first one s in this series i thought this was a bit of a letdown would have like them to have more action but okay for the book
This book was okay not as good as the first one s in this series i thought this was a bit of a letdown would have like them to have more action but okay for the book
April 5, 2018
Good 2nd installment
Was really hoping the story line would end with this book. Guess I'll have to read the third one too just to see what happens to everybody.
Was really hoping the story line would end with this book. Guess I'll have to read the third one too just to see what happens to everybody.
July 21, 2018
kindle unlimited, think this was the one that just came up on freebie day though, would have read it on ku if had remembered but didn't even remember to review 2 anywhere and got it way back
There’s an indestructible, 500-year-old maniac on the loose—and that’s just the start of Gray Studebaker’s problems. It’s tough being the only one of his friends without a supernatural talent, especially when no one believes Gray that he’s having visions of Vlad the Impaler and his homicidal trail of destruction. Having been plucked from an orphanage, Gray hasn’t taken to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood life, even though his once-estranged mother is silent film actress Mary Pickford and his good friend is comedian Charlie Chaplin. And to top it all off, Elsie, the girl he maybe sorta likes, has just become betrothed to her childhood sweetheart from England.
To protect his supernaturally talented friends known as the Sixteen Burdens, Gray must leave the familiarity of Los Angeles and venture east to the vibrant, gritty streets of Harlem, where he hopes to hunt down a killer of supernatural strength and save Elsie from a romance that’s not what it’s cracked up to be. But he has the unique talents of musician Louis Armstrong and inventor Nikola Tesla to help him navigate hidden speakeasies, exclusive nightclubs, tangled subway systems, and secret interrogation rooms filled with ruthless FBI agents. Gray finally discovers what it means to be the Unknown Burden, and the revelation may cost him his life.
Houdini's Last Trick (The Burdens Trilogy #0)
The Sixteen Burdens (The Burdens Trilogy #1)
The Unknown Burden (The Burdens Trilogy Book 2)
There’s an indestructible, 500-year-old maniac on the loose—and that’s just the start of Gray Studebaker’s problems. It’s tough being the only one of his friends without a supernatural talent, especially when no one believes Gray that he’s having visions of Vlad the Impaler and his homicidal trail of destruction. Having been plucked from an orphanage, Gray hasn’t taken to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood life, even though his once-estranged mother is silent film actress Mary Pickford and his good friend is comedian Charlie Chaplin. And to top it all off, Elsie, the girl he maybe sorta likes, has just become betrothed to her childhood sweetheart from England.
To protect his supernaturally talented friends known as the Sixteen Burdens, Gray must leave the familiarity of Los Angeles and venture east to the vibrant, gritty streets of Harlem, where he hopes to hunt down a killer of supernatural strength and save Elsie from a romance that’s not what it’s cracked up to be. But he has the unique talents of musician Louis Armstrong and inventor Nikola Tesla to help him navigate hidden speakeasies, exclusive nightclubs, tangled subway systems, and secret interrogation rooms filled with ruthless FBI agents. Gray finally discovers what it means to be the Unknown Burden, and the revelation may cost him his life.
Houdini's Last Trick (The Burdens Trilogy #0)
The Sixteen Burdens (The Burdens Trilogy #1)
The Unknown Burden (The Burdens Trilogy Book 2)
June 15, 2019
Please understand my low rating does not imply this is not worth reading. It is at its core an interesting narrative that is worth considering.
This series has had an interesting narrative, story, and premise. Which is what keeps me coming back to it.
However, this installment falls short in quality, as there is inconsistency and changing of rules whenever it suits the situation in which characters find themselves.
We are constantly introduced to vague abstractions embodied by a character’s unique trait, some of which produce real world effects that are tertiary to the characteristic. It is an odd personification of Plato’s forms, distilled down to arbitrary words and conditions, which absurdly produces something.
While I think it falls short as a great story, it is nonetheless interesting. I have enjoyed the basis of what it could be, while slogging through the actual storyline that is.
I appreciate the world that Khalaf has created, but it often seems that he has forgotten rules and made more and more outlandish, non-sensical leaps which make the story less and less consistent within its boundaries than each preceding entry.
I recommend reading it, but also understand that while this is not a fantastic piece of literature, it is worth the time to takes to read as it is entertaining.
This series has had an interesting narrative, story, and premise. Which is what keeps me coming back to it.
However, this installment falls short in quality, as there is inconsistency and changing of rules whenever it suits the situation in which characters find themselves.
We are constantly introduced to vague abstractions embodied by a character’s unique trait, some of which produce real world effects that are tertiary to the characteristic. It is an odd personification of Plato’s forms, distilled down to arbitrary words and conditions, which absurdly produces something.
While I think it falls short as a great story, it is nonetheless interesting. I have enjoyed the basis of what it could be, while slogging through the actual storyline that is.
I appreciate the world that Khalaf has created, but it often seems that he has forgotten rules and made more and more outlandish, non-sensical leaps which make the story less and less consistent within its boundaries than each preceding entry.
I recommend reading it, but also understand that while this is not a fantastic piece of literature, it is worth the time to takes to read as it is entertaining.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews