An excellent fantasy with some really cool additions to the wonderful world of dragon mythology. I loved the story telling devise, thought it worked really well and very much look forward to reading the next in the series.

I didn't think this would be a comedy piece, based on external trappings. The first chapter was embarrassing, since neither was I anticipating what read as 1940s misogyny, in a Lost World/Lankhmar setting. But it was engaging, once I'd made piece with those elements. I'd be willing to read the sequel.

World creation of the primal dragons is great. I love why they became what they are and look forward to future books of the Dragon Apocalypse. The three systems of magic ruling the world, blood, weaving and dreams, plus the multi-religious powers with each being right in their own way add another level of flavor to the story.

And then the uniqueness of the point-of-view character keep pulling me forward. It is not every day the POV dies in the first chapter. Truly an inspired twist that was never a gimmick.

But the most important thing is the characters and storytelling. The characters are all flawed, likable (but not lovable), and not in any sense of the understanding "good" guys. The story drives relentlessly forward on a trip that leaves you gasping.

I have previously read James Maxey's superhero stories, which, while inventive, I did not like. I decided to give Mr. Maxey a second try because he writes extremely well with twists never seen before. And I glad I have. He has made a unique fantasy world; not all unicorns and butterflies, but then the series title of The Dragon Apocalypse kind-of lets you know that up front.

Greatshadow is a solid beginning to an interesting series.

Audio
Not my usual genre but I enjoyed this.
Fantasy & always moving story.
Jake Urry as always did a great job narrating and keeping the story flowing with life.

Greatshadow, who dwells in the Isle of Fire, is one of the called primal dragons. His power is the power of fire, which he can use to spy on men, control them, and even kill them. The Church of the Book has decided to send a mission to slay Greatshadow, and has enlisted twelve member on this quest, but their backgrounds are so diverse, that tensions grow amongst the group.

Even though I like fantasy, I am quite picky with this genre, and I found that many fantasy books do not fulfill my needs. When I came across this book though, I knew I was against something different, something special, and later I discovered that it was just not due to the story, but also because of how it was told. The book is told from the point of view of Stagger, a bounty hunter which is always seen in the company of Infidel, an indestructible and super strong woman, who doubles as Stagger's friend and bodyguard. The curious thing is that Stagger dies on the first chapter of the book, but he continues to be the narrator of the story in the form of a ghost.

There quite some characters (just the company is formed by twelve members). A tip for this is writing down the names and main characteristics so not to get lost. The characters are varied and interesting, and their relationships create a dynamic driving the story forward. The most developed characters are Stagger and Infidel, and we will discover new things about them along the story, like peeling layers upon layers. 

There is adventure, action in this book, but also humor, love, and mystery. Listening the story from the point of view of a dead man was sometimes heartbreaking. A good sign of how well developed the characters are and how well the book is written.

The most amazing thing of this book is the world building. The events happen on the Isle of Fire. I am not sure what is beyond this Isle, since only the Silver City was mentioned, and it was not clear to me if it was on it. I especially liked the description of Common Ground, a village made out of docks and ships on a bay. This part totally made me think of 'The Secret of Monkey Island', and it left me wanting for more. I would also like to learn more about the Vanished Kingdom and how evolved their society was.

Again, with this kind of book I would appreciate having a map on hand. I ignore whether the printed and the ebook versions have one. It is a pity that audiobooks get ignored regarding this. Since audiobook distributors do not include a map, I think it would be a great idea for the authors to include this on their website.

The main story arc is complete, but the book ends on a kind of a cliffhanger and opens a door to new adventures. Nevertheless the end gave me a feeling of closure in a way that I was not annoyed by the cliffhanger. I was mystified by the Black Swan, and I suspect that we will hear a lot more from her in future books.

One of the reasons for the success of this book is Jake Urry's great narration. His deep voice and interpretation skills trapped me from the start in a way that I could not let go. I finished this 13-hour book in just two days, so this shows how this book got me hooked. Each character had a unique voice and style, which helped in bringing them to life. I was surprised at first at hearing a British narrator for an American book, but after some minutes through the story I realized that Urry had the perfect voice and skills for this book. No one else would have been the same. The audio production was spotless. I have to mention that in the first chapter, when Stagger is still alive, there are some sound effects not present in the rest of the book. I wonder if this was intentioned. They were okay but I am happy that Urry did not use them for the rest of the book since I found them a bit distracting. I think they add an extra dimension to the story, but since this is not often used in audiobooks, it mainly distracts me from the story. And adds more "interferences" to the background noise outside (sometimes I listen to audiobooks while walking on the street or taking the metro).

It was a very enjoyable listen, and I am looking forward to the sequels and other audiobooks narrated by Jake Urry. 

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Jake Urry. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

4.5 stars
I found it interesting how the characters on the journey to kill Greatshadow have their lives intertwined with this adventure. We learn a great deal about them and face dangers as we journey, and I didn't realize that we were still working to get to the dragon. I didn't feel as though the book needed to skip ahead or anything. I truly enjoyed the story from the view point we got it.

****FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW****

Well, what can I say? First, seriously, don’t judge this book by its cover and the long and short of it is that I’m absolutely going to be continuing this series.

This is fantasy as it should be: A surreal world with primal and all powerful magic, an adventure to take down a foe against all odds, and unpredictability to the nines. Furthermore, the two main protagonists are a lot of fun and I found myself rooting for them all along the way. Which in this day and age of dark fantasies, is saying a lot.

I strongly recommend this book to fans of sword and sorcery fantasy.

Greatshadow, the first book of The Dragon Apocalypse by James Maxey, reminds me in so may ways of the TSR quest-driven novels I cut my fantasy teeth on so many years ago. More specifically, it reminds of Forgotten Realms adventures by the likes of R.A. Salvatore, Ed Greenwood, Troy Denning, and Douglas Niles. Before anybody takes that the wrong way, let me assure you that's absolutely not a criticism or a complaint - I have fond memories of those adventures, and Maxey rekindled that same kind of wide-eyed enjoyment.

The writing is fresh, the characters intriguing, the action frantic, and the story line deeper than you might originally suspect. I must admit, it took a while to get used to having a ghost narrate the novel, but there's purpose to Stagger's narrative role that goes far beyond mere novelty. He's a coward and a scoundrel, a greedy, drunken adventurer with questionable ethics, but one who is loyal and sincere where it counts. I definitely warmed up to him over the course of the novel, and I quite liked the way Maxey gave his story closure towards the end.

Infidel, his magically endowed, super powered partner in crime seemed a little thin at first. She reminded me too much of the characters at the heart of the Runelords saga, a series where the novelty wore thin long before the final pages of the first book. Fortunately, Maxey has an entertaining backstory for her that is slowly unveiled over the course of the novel, slowly adding layers of humanity to her impervious exterior. Of course, it helps that she's entirely aware of her role as a sex-object within the genre, something she takes great joy in subverting. There's a scene where Infidel explains to Aurora, high priestess and frost giantess extraordinaire, just how deep her superhuman strength runs, and why she could never doom a man to the throes of orgasm, that will leave you laughing and crossing your legs at the same time.

Where Maxey breaks away from the style of those Forgotten Realms adventures of 20+ years ago and cements his place alongside his genre contemporaries is in his sheer unpredictability. This is one of those novels where nobody is safe, where good and evil are not absolutes, and where truth and lies are simply a matter of perspective. For such a small band of adventurers, a lot of main characters die along the way, and not all of them in the grand, heroic fashion you might expect. There's an element of realism here - or, as much as there can be within a swords & sorcery tale - that acknowledges the fact that things don't always work out simply because we want them to.

One final note on this book, I thoroughly enjoyed Maxey's take on religion. The Church of the Book is an interesting concept, both a satiric parody of organized religion and an almost logical mythological construct. The idea of a Book that contains the complete story of the universe, but which cannot be read except by the arrival of long-anticipated Omega Reader, is brilliant in its absurdity. Similarly, the duelling magics of Father Ver and the Deceiver is both ridiculous and inspired, with the magical outcome of their respective 'truths' and 'lies' dependant solely upon the belief of those around them.

It's been a long time since I've had the pleasure of enjoying a good, old-fashioned, straight-up quest adventure, complete with magical artifacts, inhuman races, and truly epic dragons. He amused me, entertained me, and amazed me on several occasions. Much to Maxey's credit, he maintained both my interest and my smiles the whole way through, more than ensuring I'll be back to discover what happens with Hush.


Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins

Slow in the first third, awesome in the middle, kinda fell apart at the end. And Stagger got a little voyeuristic for my tastes... Not sure if I'll be back for Book Two or not.