Everything in this book was either stereotypical, clichée or I just plain didn't like it.
It might be a 3 star read for the right person but it's just too plain and unoriginal to go beyond that. ( )

Very good

Reminds me of Kevin Hearne’s ‘Iron Druid’ series more than Butcher’s ‘Dresden’.

No werewolves (yet) and vampires are mostly offscreen. Goblins, hags, witches, and redcaps keep things hopping. Interesting to see the title of ‘Cunning Man’ for the second time in recent novels.

I will read get the next novel. Worth the time and money. ( )

Very good

Reminds me of Kevin Hearne’s ‘Iron Druid’ series more than Butcher’s ‘Dresden’.

No werewolves (yet) and vampires are mostly offscreen. Goblins, hags, witches, and redcaps keep things hopping. Interesting to see the title of ‘Cunning Man’ for the second time in recent novels.

I will read get the next novel. Worth the time and money. ( )

Every once in a while I am lucky enough to stumble upon a book that really impresses me. This was one of those books. I decided to give this book a try simply because it sounded like it had some promise and I am always on the lookout for new urban fantasy series to try. Once I started listening, I quickly realized that this was going to be a book that I wouldn't want to put down. I really enjoyed every moment that I spent with this book.

I loved this story's setup. Ozzy is a cunning man who is also very resourceful. He tries to help others when he can. He decided to help a man find a family heirloom even though the job isn't going to pay well. And that's when things really start to go wrong. Ozzy will risk losing everything to get to the bottom of this case before long.

I loved the characters in this book. I found myself liking Ozzy right from the start. I loved getting a chance to see what he thought and see how his mind works. Besides Ozzy, there were plenty of other great characters. Ozzy's mentor, Early, kept me guessing and the Dealer was intriguing yet creepy. I loved the variety of beings that show up in this book include hags, goblins, hobgoblins, and changelings just to start.

The story had plenty of action and moved at a pretty fast pace. I was completely drawn into the mystery and couldn't wait to see how things would work out. The book took a lot of turns that I didn't expect and I loved the fact that it kept me guessing.

Gary Bennett did a fabulous job with the narration. I really felt like he brought this story to life. He used a variety of voices for all of the different characters and made everything sound very natural. He had a very pleasant voice that I found easy to listen to for hours at a time. I think that his performance added to my enjoyment of the story.

I would highly recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a great start to a very promising series. The characters, the mystery, and the world-building were all very well done. I cannot wait to read more of this series!

I received a review copy of this audiobook from the author via Audiobook Boom and have voluntarily left this review. ( )

I read this book on Kindle a couple of years ago. I failed to rate or review it then, but I must have enjoyed it as I have bought and read all the subsequent Lost Falls books.

The main character, Ozzie, is a Cunning Man or white witch:

“We were the ones you came to when your crops failed or your prized cooking pan went missing. We were there to track down your son after he wandered into the woods alone. We broke curses and protected against witchcraft. We provided magical assistance for the common folk, all at a reasonable price. And though we weren’t always trusted, we were always in demand.”

Ozzie is an finely drawn character with a troubled past that slowly comes to light as the story progresses. He and his mentor, Early, see themselves as the protectors of their community of Lost Falls - both of the visible human and of the hidden non-human populations - and that role of protector often puts them in the line of fire, whether from gun, curse, or some sort of magical strike.

The non-human entities are many and varied: hags, hobgoblins, vampires, goblins, ghouls, changelings, a roggenwolf, to name a few, and it is interesting to see how none of these - even those where the most evil has arisen - is portrayed as wholly bad.

The audiobook version, which I have just finished, has a good reader in Gary Bennett. His voice suits the character of Ozzie extremely well, and is pleasant to listen to. Most of the other characters are easy to distinguish, and I particularly enjoyed the voice he gave to the Dealer.

This is a novel that pulls together a complex series of seemingly unrelated incidents and characters, blending them into a startling finale and a satisfying conclusion. It is a good start to a series that continues to improve and enthrall.

The main reason I have not given a five star rating is the plethora of f-bombs, which I find irritating - particularly when I am listening to a book. I have recently re-read the other books in this series and don’t recall an excess of swearing in those, so I think the author must have been more creative in his language as his skills developed. ( )