Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for The Last Orphan by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz starting on April 7, 2025.


Happy Reading!

Once-a-Month schedule:
1. Orphan X (June 7) [link]
Short: Buy a Bullet
2. The Nowhere Man (July 7) [Link]
3. Hellbent (Aug 7) [Link]
Short: The Intern
4. Out of the Dark (Sept 7) [Link]

--2025--
5. Into the Fire (Jan 7) [link]
Short: The List
6. Prodigal Son (Feb 7) [link]
7. Dark Horse (Mar 7) [link]

8. The Last Orphan (Apr 7)
Short: The Recital

9. Lone Wolf (May 7) [link]
10. Nemesis (Jun 7) [link]

audiobook: no library/subscription copies.
ebook: 1-4 on KU

Zooming through my re-read... I love so many elements of this one, and Evan's continuing evolution...

(view spoiler)[realizations of aging, interactions with Naomi Templeton & Candy...

How he gets the Boston family to trust him...

Things to come in the climax of the story... (hide spoiler)]

I'll likely be here this weekend <3

I read this (and the novella) today and surprise I loved them. (view spoiler)[So many good parts! When they set the print for the foot cuffs to the guy's big toe which means he'll have to at least lose a toe to get the cuffs removed! When Evan went though the plan to rescue him from custody off the top of his head! Evan and Joey becoming closer, the birthday gift, my heart <3 Candi coming to the rescue, the text "Don't kill anyone", her advice how to dispose of a body. The main story was a bit different than most, his target is a threat to the President's re-election and I am still not certain if he should have pulled the trigger or not. I loved the action and the characters and I can't believe we only have 2 more left! (hide spoiler)]

The Recital (view spoiler)[OMG I loved this! Poor Joey with a group of people who are so outside of the norm, when they kept calling the recital "training" I was like /facepalm And then the mess to get Tommy, Candi and Aragon (plus his 2 henchmen) together to attend the recital. And Candi and the eventually dead body, taking a trip to convince the kid to snitch about drugs for Aragon, it was just fun to read. (hide spoiler)]

I'm not sure I've read The Recital before...

this main novel is great, tho... I love how much Evan has changed over the course of the series...

It's definitely gonna be a shame once we have to start waiting monthly for new releases... you guys will feel the pain I've been dealing with since Dark Horse...

Just finished this. So great!

(view spoiler)[I love Candy as his helper now. He’s creating quite the Scooby gang and I love that troupe. I still like Joey, she can be quite a bit of drama but given her upbringing, it makes sense. (hide spoiler)]

I’ll have to track down Recital.

Candy's the best... now... 7 books later... this is why I was all "give Candy a chance to grow as a character", back in the book 1-2 BR :D

Her intro made her seem pretty one dimensional villain trope...

(view spoiler)[now she's like Evan's work wife :D

This is why I said I think some people probably ship Candy & Evan, vs Mia and Evan... altho I've never looked into it... (hide spoiler)]

I totally understand the girl's reaction to Candy! Who wouldn't want to be like her!:)))

Through Ch. 55... (view spoiler)[ Is it wrong for me to want Evan to terminate the Elon inspired character? He is responsible for those parties and having these horrible dudes as his security. He claims he is in control of everything, but here they are raping and killing on his turf ...

Ruby and her family are very nice, but it was kind of sad how jealous Joey is of them... (hide spoiler)]

This was good, but not as good as the previous one... Maybe because I was a tad disappointed that (view spoiler)[ he didn't kill Devine! I did love all the commentary on the current state of politics and I absolutely enjoyed Joey and Candy! I can absolutely ship Evan and Candy in the future! (hide spoiler)]

Choko wrote: "I totally understand the girl's reaction to Candy! Who wouldn't want to be like her!:)))"

For real.

I’m more chill with Mia now but I think Evan and Candy would be more fun.

Felina, I totally agree! The biggest selling point in Mia's favor is Peter. He is precious!

Also finished The Recital! What an absolutely delightful story! Made me so happy! That entourage of eccentric misfits was perfection! I do wonder why she didn't invite Peter and Mia though...

Probably because of the hospital incident in book 8, I'd guess (haven't read Recital I don't think... gonna read it soon in this thread)...

Iain, totally worth it!

Choko wrote: "Felina, I totally agree! The biggest selling point in Mia's favor is Peter. He is precious!

Also finished The Recital! What an absolutely delightful story! Made me so happy! That entourage of ecc..."

Re Mia & Peter (view spoiler)[was Mia well enough to attend? Also I kind of thought when Mia and Evan had that phone call in the hospital and he sort of admitted her & Peter may have been in jeopardy that was another stop to their relationship. (hide spoiler)]

You guys might be right... I was just thinking, she could have at least asked for him to bring Peter. He is a very whimsical kid and would have enjoyed the evening 😀.

Speaking of whimsical, that actor kid and how they "employed" him was hilarious!

Late to the party, but read these yesterday and loved them!! Like Ann-Marie said, there are so many good parts!! I'm also with Choko, a little disappointed (view spoiler)[that Devine wasn't taken down at the end... I seriously don't trust him. How do we know he's not manipulating Evan again, making him believe he had nothing to do with anything? If he didn't know about the murders, sanction them, how did he know he needed to manipulate Evan into cleaning house? And someone who supposedly knew so much to have so many things going on under his nose. I don't believe it. I kind of hope he shows up again later, with a bigger slip, and Evan takes care of him. On the other hand, I'm ... hm. I wish Devine had been taken out. But I'm glad that Evan didn't do it, if that makes sense? Like, with the evidence Evan did have, Devine didn't qualify under his codes. I just think that Evan shouldn't have stopped digging.

The conversation with the president though--about who should be making those decisions, and how the president actually wasn't democratically elected... I can see why Evan doesn't feel comfortable making the shots either. When he takes a job, he likes the ones that are... easier to parse, morally. Someone needs help, he helps them. He'd been burned before by decision makers, so like, the choices he makes now are not so gray. The people who initiate fights with him never do so out of the goodness of their hearts...

I also really enjoyed Candy here. The moments y'all pointed out, like giving advice on getting rid of a body. I like the idea of her being Evan's "work wife"--I'd actually be okay if there was no physical romance and was just work camaraderie... Though I am of course glad Mia isn't dead. Peter is adorable as always.

I loved the Joey bonding too--the necklace and the birthday were perfect.

But man... that pimp getting killed by giant ant... oh man... that's so horrible.... (hide spoiler)]

That was such a gruesome scene!!! Very vivid!

Oh, yeah, and I absolutely LOVED the Recital!!! (view spoiler)[Not only was it awesome to see everyone come together, but to see them do so for a non-lethal situation--how do all these folks do a normal day?? Whatsisname, the ex-Cartel boss, totally stole the day--Evan needs someone like him in his life to model "good father" behavior. But then the ending, with Evan feeling that "proud father" feel himself, watching Joey--sooooo goood!!!

And yeah, that actor kid gets a serious honorable mention! I wish that Evan would get him the tape of his performance to use on his resume!! (hide spoiler)]