Review – Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne

Posted August 25, 2021 by Carole in Reviews / 8 Comments

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review – Paper & Blood by Kevin HearnePaper & Blood by Kevin Hearne
Narrator: Luke Daniels
Series: Ink & Sigil #2
Published by Random House Audio, Random House Publishing Group on August 10, 2021
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Paranormal
Length: 10 hours 6 minutes
Format: ARC, Audiobook, eBook
Source: Publisher, Purchased
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four-stars

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Druid Chronicles comes book two of an "action-packed, enchantingly fun" (Booklist) spin-off series, as an eccentric master of rare magic solves a supernatural mystery Down Under

There's only one Al MacBharrais: Though other Scotsmen may have dramatic mustaches and a taste for fancy cocktails, Al also has a unique talent. He's a master of ink and sigil magic. In his gifted hands, paper and pen can work wondrous spells.

But Al isn't quite alone: He is part of a global network of sigil agents who use their powers to protect the world from mischievous gods and strange monsters. So when a fellow agent disappears under sinister circumstances in Australia, Al leaves behind the cozy pubs and cafes of Glasgow and travels to the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria to solve the mystery.

The trail to his colleague begins to pile up with bodies at alarming speed, so Al is grateful his friends have come to help--especially Nadia, his accountant who moonlights as a pit fighter. Together with a whisky-loving hobgoblin known as Buck Foi and the ancient Druid Atticus O'Sullivan, along with his dogs, Oberon and Starbuck, Al and Nadia will face down the wildest wonders Australia--and the supernatural world--can throw at them, and confront a legendary monster not seen in centuries.

I really enjoyed this book! I had originally planned to read an ebook copy of this book but I realized that I just had to experience the audiobook first. It was fun to slip back inside its world and I absolutely loved the fact that we are treated with a quick summary of the events from the previous book before diving into this story. (Authors/publishers, please do this more often!) I had a great time with this book!

When a fellow sigil agent disappears, Al and his hobgoblin associate, Buck Foi, head to Australia to see what is going on. He soon runs into his secretary, Gladys, who is obviously more than he originally thought. The investigation really gets underway when Iron Druid, Atticus O’Sullivan arrives to help along with his dogs, Oberon and Starbuck. They make a great team and it was great to see them combine their skills to try to find out what was really going on. The mystery definitely kept me guessing and there was plenty of excitement to go around.

I have to admit that I haven’t quite read all of the books in the Iron Druid series yet but I have read enough to be very familiar with the world. Since this is a spin-off series, I didn’t think that there would be any issues so I was really surprised how big of a role Atticus played in this story. I wasn’t lost or anything but if you want to make sure that you avoid all spoilers, it would probably be best to read the books in the Iron Druid series before jumping into this series.

Luke Daniels did an amazing job of bringing this story to life. He uses wonderfully distinct voices for all of the various characters so that the dialogue flows naturally. I loved getting the chance to hear him narrate some of the characters that I loved in the Iron Druid series. I love the fact that he is able to add humor and excitement to the story at just the right moments. I am confident that his narration added to my overall enjoyment of this book.

I would recommend this book to others. This story is set in a fantastic and interesting world filled with wonderful characters. I will definitely be reading more of this talented author’s work.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley and purchased a copy of the audiobook.

8 responses to “Review – Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne

  1. I simply adore Luke Daniels, he does such great work as a narrator. Glad to see he did such good work with this title. Love those narrators that can bring stories to life such as this.

    Lovely review Carole.