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kathydavie's review
3.0
The twenty-fourth in the Rogue Angel magical realism/urban fantasy series about an archeologist who wields the sword of Joan of Arc, righting wrongs.
Okay, this one is more like it…hey, what can I say, I like the bad boys too! Yup, Garin Braden is back, and it looks like there might be a three-way conflict coming up five or so stories from now. Garin's got something going, and I don't trust him.
I suspect Garin likes the chase, Annja certainly took a huge chance on him. Roux…hmmm…I might sleep if he were in the same room…maybe; and, then there's Bart and his hugs! Annja is definitely feeling the drought.
Bone Conjurer tries to be subtle in its hit-me-over-the-head-with-a-hammer style. The treasure is a skull associated with the Knights Templar, although the chase is on throughout New York City. Naturally, some guy whom Annja likes will not be continuing on the next episode. The major bad guy is really bad with a suggestion of possessive evil, although his stated goal is hopeful while his minions have the brains of hammers.
The conjurer is a hammer when it comes to Annja, and he only wants the treasure for good..but then, there's the end. Garin wants the treasure…well, it's Garin, who knows what he intends. Roux is a surprise in this one…who knew he could learn discretion?! Annja is edging closer to spilling the beans to Bart, and Archer introduces a new character which opens up major possibilities for new adventures with the unusual.
There were a number of loose ends in this story. All these interested parties after the treasure with so little being revealed. It was a bit Keystone Kops for a while.
My Take
Okay, this one is more like it…hey, what can I say, I like the bad boys too! Yup, Garin Braden is back, and it looks like there might be a three-way conflict coming up five or so stories from now. Garin's got something going, and I don't trust him.
I suspect Garin likes the chase, Annja certainly took a huge chance on him. Roux…hmmm…I might sleep if he were in the same room…maybe; and, then there's Bart and his hugs! Annja is definitely feeling the drought.
Bone Conjurer tries to be subtle in its hit-me-over-the-head-with-a-hammer style. The treasure is a skull associated with the Knights Templar, although the chase is on throughout New York City. Naturally, some guy whom Annja likes will not be continuing on the next episode. The major bad guy is really bad with a suggestion of possessive evil, although his stated goal is hopeful while his minions have the brains of hammers.
The conjurer is a hammer when it comes to Annja, and he only wants the treasure for good..but then, there's the end. Garin wants the treasure…well, it's Garin, who knows what he intends. Roux is a surprise in this one…who knew he could learn discretion?! Annja is edging closer to spilling the beans to Bart, and Archer introduces a new character which opens up major possibilities for new adventures with the unusual.
There were a number of loose ends in this story. All these interested parties after the treasure with so little being revealed. It was a bit Keystone Kops for a while.
mrsjkamp's review
3.0
I have only continued listening to these because they are mega cool since they're done by Graphic Audio. The whole cast of narrators makes each voice and character easily distinguishable. The sound effects and music make this story come to life. It's pretty formulaic but enjoyable anyway.
This had action, danger, gun shots, sword fights, adventure, death, burying alive, supernatural necromancy, and the occasional mention of sex. I appreciated that Garin was in this one for a good chunk. I also liked the fact that there was a little more character development (hopeful, anyway) in the way of relationships between maybe Annja and Garin and Annja and Bart. Who knows how those might turn out, but either way, Annja needs some lovin' too! She always solves these mysteries, so she deserves it. Hopefully these books continue being fun!
Here is my review for the first book in this series: Alex Archer - Destiny
This had action, danger, gun shots, sword fights, adventure, death, burying alive, supernatural necromancy, and the occasional mention of sex. I appreciated that Garin was in this one for a good chunk. I also liked the fact that there was a little more character development (hopeful, anyway) in the way of relationships between maybe Annja and Garin and Annja and Bart. Who knows how those might turn out, but either way, Annja needs some lovin' too! She always solves these mysteries, so she deserves it. Hopefully these books continue being fun!
Here is my review for the first book in this series: Alex Archer - Destiny
blackbibliophile's review
1.0
What I Hated:
· I know that Alex Archer is a pseudonym that several writers use to contribute to the Rogue Angel series. Unlike in the previous installments in this series, Annja was VERY needy and consistently harping on being with a man or in the arms of a man or going home to be with a man to make her feel better. The Annja in this installment is NOT consistent with how she’s been presented in the 23 other installments that preceded ‘The Bone Conjurer’. I know that each writer has their own style, but is it too much to ask for the writers to keep Annja’s character consistent for the sake of the series?
· After so many installments, HOW is Annja still doubting the sword, its impact on her life, and anything supernatural? At the end of this installment, Annja had the audacity to state, “I try to believe in what is shown to me.” I call BS on that, because throughout this entire installment she lacked belief in the sword and the powers of the Skull of Sidon. Again, this points to an inconsistency between the various authors of this series. Here’s a clue for the publisher, if you’re going to get new writers on board, at least make sure they maintain the integrity of the character that was previously established and helped to make the series great. It feels like the author of ‘The Bone Conjurer’ did not read the previous installments and just did whatever they felt like doing with Annja.
· The writing in this installment wasn’t as compelling as in previous installments. It was very basic and detracted from the overall story; a story that was great, but the execution was terrible. The simple writing style adopted for this installment detracted from its entertaining qualities.
· The editing. This installment was riddled with grammatical and spelling errors. I HATE when I have to spend too much time trying to figure out what the author was trying to say. This helped to contribute to the less than fantastic writing style adopted by the author of this installment.
What I Loved:
· I was happy to see Garin and Roux back in the picture. Annja, Garin, and Roux are tied to the sword, and thereby each other, so I feel the stories are more compelling when they are all involved.
Overall I was NOT impressed with this installment. This installment was so disjointed from the others that preceded it and I’m disappointed because it doesn’t feel like it’s the same series. Are the publishers so desperate that they just adopted a lax attitude towards the character consistency, grammar, and spelling and just don’t care about the integrity of what once was a great series? I will read another installment in this series and hope that it gets back to its former greatness, if not, you’ve lost a loyal reader to this series.
· I know that Alex Archer is a pseudonym that several writers use to contribute to the Rogue Angel series. Unlike in the previous installments in this series, Annja was VERY needy and consistently harping on being with a man or in the arms of a man or going home to be with a man to make her feel better. The Annja in this installment is NOT consistent with how she’s been presented in the 23 other installments that preceded ‘The Bone Conjurer’. I know that each writer has their own style, but is it too much to ask for the writers to keep Annja’s character consistent for the sake of the series?
· After so many installments, HOW is Annja still doubting the sword, its impact on her life, and anything supernatural? At the end of this installment, Annja had the audacity to state, “I try to believe in what is shown to me.” I call BS on that, because throughout this entire installment she lacked belief in the sword and the powers of the Skull of Sidon. Again, this points to an inconsistency between the various authors of this series. Here’s a clue for the publisher, if you’re going to get new writers on board, at least make sure they maintain the integrity of the character that was previously established and helped to make the series great. It feels like the author of ‘The Bone Conjurer’ did not read the previous installments and just did whatever they felt like doing with Annja.
· The writing in this installment wasn’t as compelling as in previous installments. It was very basic and detracted from the overall story; a story that was great, but the execution was terrible. The simple writing style adopted for this installment detracted from its entertaining qualities.
· The editing. This installment was riddled with grammatical and spelling errors. I HATE when I have to spend too much time trying to figure out what the author was trying to say. This helped to contribute to the less than fantastic writing style adopted by the author of this installment.
What I Loved:
· I was happy to see Garin and Roux back in the picture. Annja, Garin, and Roux are tied to the sword, and thereby each other, so I feel the stories are more compelling when they are all involved.
Overall I was NOT impressed with this installment. This installment was so disjointed from the others that preceded it and I’m disappointed because it doesn’t feel like it’s the same series. Are the publishers so desperate that they just adopted a lax attitude towards the character consistency, grammar, and spelling and just don’t care about the integrity of what once was a great series? I will read another installment in this series and hope that it gets back to its former greatness, if not, you’ve lost a loyal reader to this series.
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