Hidden Voices (Arcane Casebook #9) ★★★★☆

~ Bookstooge

This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress & Blogspot by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission

Title: Hidden Voices
Series: Arcane Casebook #9
Author: Dan Willis
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 275
Words: 91K

Willis is finally getting to the point where he can’t connect multiple mysteries and so he doesn’t even try now. But he still shoves in multiple mysteries just to keep the page count up there.

This time we’re dealing with Nazi’s in America chasing down an alchemist of some sort, There’s also a murder that involves a Stradivarious. There’s also more involvement with the Supernatural OSC and a vengeful FBI agent who is pissed at Alex Lockerby because he helped the Sorceress Sorsha instead of him.

Runes are tattooed on a german making him an ubermensch. It reminded me a LOT of the beginning of the Grimnoir Chronicles where the main character there talks about magic users in World War I. This sounded like a prequel to that kind of thing, but for World War II instead.

I started out really gung-ho for this series and while my overall enjoyment hasn’t waned, the never ending nature of it is starting to wear on me. The ending where it is revealed that Alex is fully addicted to Limelight and his mentor makes a mysterious call to some unknown person just increases the scope again. At the same time it is fully in line with how Willis writes. He’ll introduce an idea (the group of good guys who are supposedly opposing Legion) and use it for a book or two and then just abandons it and starts using some other idea.

I don’t want to rag on a series that I like, but the weaknesses of the author are fully on display by now. If those weaknesses don’t bother you then they won’t bother you for 1 book or for 10. But I am reaching my limit. It used to be that I would eagerly await and snap up any Arcane Casebook as soon as it came out. Now? I’m going to be waiting until a couple come out instead of reading them as they come out.

I’m including a large scale picture because once again I absolutely love the artwork!

★★★★☆

21 thoughts on “Hidden Voices (Arcane Casebook #9) ★★★★☆”

    1. Dan Willis is actually the non-de-plume of Alex Good as he narrates his real life adventures. He’s admitting he has a problem with bin collecting and is trying to get help, but just isn’t strong enough to say it so he writes stories hoping someone will intervene.

      I was hoping you’d give the correction here. It’s a bother looking up stuff myself you know….

      Like

      Reply

    1. Some people don’t seem to mind the never ending style of storytelling, but I am not one of them.
      I’m also picky about series in general, so Willis is going to have an almost impossible job of pleasing me.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  7. Pingback: November ’22 Roundup & Ramblings – Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road

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