Good Value for a Credit

This Ombinibus contains 12 books from the Quincy Harker - Demon Hunter series. These have previously been released separately, and also in "Year" Collections.

Year 1 (Books 1-4)
Year One is a collection of byte sized novellas, that combine into a great episodic series. Treat Year One as a novelized TV show, and you'll have a good handle on what to expect here. Characters are slightly on the tropey side, but work well when evaluating the whole book. Take some sort of Vampire Hybrid Wizard (connected to Dracula) and throw him into a modern day setting fighting the paranormal. Add in a little X-Files, some Warehouse 13 with perhaps a sprinkling of Buffy/Angel, and that's Quincy Harker. Not the most fleshed our character in the world, but it just works. Each story is different, and the characters grow and progress throughout. My only criticism would be some endings are a little weak, but the main story elements make up for this.

Will be interested to try out more of the series.

Narration - spot on. James Foster has a slight Cam Clarke vibe to him, and really brings the story to life. Fully Recommend

Year 2 (Books 5-8)
Is the Cambion Cycle a worthy successor to Quincy Harker Year One? Most certainly
Does it go out of it comfort zone? Not a chance. If you enjoyed the TV series esk reference filled bonanza that Hartness has been presented so far, then you are in for more of the same, but it won't win over any new fans.

This collection is composed of 4 books - but unlike Years Ones more episodic forma, these one join together and tell a full narrative. The overriding story arc is appreciated, and helps pull things together a lot more effectively. My only criticism would be the first story, which is a prequel. It feels a little shoe horned in, and is only really there to set up the plot of the other books in this collection

Overall - a decent read/listen

Year 3 (Books 9-12)
An enjoyable continuation of the story, Damnation carries on nicely from The Cambion Cycle: Quincy Harker Year Two. This time around Hartness has decided to mix things up a bit, and instead of the novels being mostly based around Quincy Harker, this time we get some stories from the perspectives of other characters. Its nice to see the narration shift, with both Calling All Angels, and Angel Dance having a familiar, but different feeling to them (told from the perspectives of Jo Henry and Adam respectively).

It's actually one of the Quincy Harker stories that lets the collection down. Devil Inside is a bit dull, especially when compared to the last few books that precede it.

Overall, good to see something a little different

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Very entertaining

This is no great classic but it is hugely entertaining and Mr Foster is fantastic to listen to, I thoroughly recommend this, for one credit it's great value entertainment and has a few good chuckles to keep you cheerful.

This book is, however, erroneously shown as being books 1-3 when it is in fact, books 1 through 12 ! Quite a difference, and immediately obvious when you notice the run time, but Audible should change this. I will edit this review if, and when, the title is updated.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Brilliant

Brilliance personified. Nice way of thinking what happened to Quincy Harker from Dracula. Would love more books of this character.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Great, great, great!

Highly recommend. Great narration, story and humour. What more can I say... Oh Omnibus was good value.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

excellent

a fun, insane ride. thoroughly recommend this story, can't wait for the next instalment.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Hellishly Funny!

Superb amusing and dramatic rendering of our favourite horror characters combined with biblical themes. Worth every penny!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

A great listen

I received a free copy of this book and I'm leaving an honest and voluntary review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it's got great characters, a good amount of humour. Each story is very well written. the detailing and depth is superb for each.
the narration is really good.
I would most definitely recommend this to anyone.
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

very good

First 3 book great, after that no good , it's like a new series, it like nobody knows anything and have to die before they can do something. stop at book 3 and don't worry about the rest

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

continuity is optional

this anthology is split into main sections, with the first feeling like episodes of a TV show. short, snappy, reasonably enjoyable sets of short stories. if the continuity wasn't regularly thrown out the window I'd have been happier. Overall this section felt like a rough draft for a book that eventually he couldn't be bothered finishing.
Then it moves into it's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen phase, which wasn't bad in essence. I actually like the main character. I like the side characters. Hell, I even like some of the villains. it finishes up loose ends from the first section and sets up the story for the last. which would make more sense if, again, continuity wasn't something the stories only had a loose connection to. it may have tied off some loose ends, but it made just as many.
then in the 3rd phase the perspective changes and several characters get their own story. I'll say one thing, the writing and narration really make a difference here. perspective changes like this can often feel like the same character but everyone calls them a different name. not the case here. the mannerisms, the vocabulary, it all does a great job of putting you in the head of each character.
I'm back to Quincy's perspective now and the book isn't finished yet. I'm hoping it has a satisfactory end, but I wouldn't be surprised either way. I won't even be happy or angry or sad. because I'm sure another series will come out and recon it all anyway.
which brings me to: what made me stop and write my review now?
continuity.
if you care about continuity or if small mistakes annoy you, avoid this entire series. it really breaks the immersion for me, I end up annoyed, then I end up thinking about when X was changed or when Y meant something else and suddenly I'm having to rewind because I've missed a few minutes.
a major character changes -species- three times, starting as a human with no power and it gets more annoying from there.
The final straw? Dragons.
series 1, they're not real, 100% fake, they know because Uncle D wanted one as a pet and couldn't find them.
book 2, they're not real because Q and Uncle D hunted them to make sure Nazis wouldn't get them. no trace, not real.
book 3, oh yeah, dragons, sure, Q has killed a bunch. American, south American, Chinese, there are all kinds - even half dragons are a thing and this bartender is one.

I won't pick up any of this authors other works, but will finish this one out of curiosity and maybe self-loathing.

narrator is great, despite a few mispronunciations. clearly defined character voices, good pacing, tone and emotional expression.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Good overall but not finishing the series

First of all if you are interested in this genre there are better and there are worse but this is in the middle.
Worth on credit but barely.
Since the "book" is split into seasons I'll just say that the 2'dn one almost made me quit.
The book starts out interesting, It got me hooked. I liked the tone, funny and dark.
The basic idea is good, characters are interesting and distinct, at least in the beginning.

Then the second "series" started and it all went down the drain. It felt like the first part of the Avengers Endgame mixed with The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and The Mummy (the 2017 marvel...).
They tried so hard to expand the universe into a franchise almost that I was thinking of giving up. Too much, too fast and in some cases almost nonsensical.
Another thing that is like many TV serials is the lack of internal consistency. In one part then tell a story then later they just change it. There were not a lot of moments like that but enough to be noticeable and also unpleasant. Like they could not be bothered to keep track of what they had already told.

Also speaking of trying too hard in some places they try to link the "universe" to another book series that i did enjoy a lot but that never mentioned anything related to this (Bubba the Monster Hunter)

Bottom line is that it's ok but barely and not something that I'll finish. I am interested in the rest but at the end it gets to be a little too much.

Check out The Dresden Files and Bubba the Monster Hunter.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful