Anubis Nights (Jonathan Shade #4) by Gary Jonas takes Jonathan Shade and Kelly time traveling. This starts a three book series that I read in one day! I couldn't stop. I had to know what was going to happen next. I am so into these characters, esp. the ghost character Ester. She is my favorite. She is tied to a typewriter/ typewriter key now. There is so much suspense, action, a touch of romance, and heart break, and time travel that makes my head spin in a good way. Anything can happen and so many unexpected things do. Wonderful book. ( )

*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.

The one person Jonathan swore he'd kill if he saw again has arrived to call on Jonathan's payment due to the Ferryman. Sharon needs Jonathan to travel through time with the help of Chronos, the keeper of time, to stop three versions of sorcerer Winslow before he changes all that they know.

Joe Hempel is the voice of Jonathan Shade as he returns in this fourth novel. He feels to really be Jonathan to me with his emotion, sarcasm, and more that hits the mark with Jonathan's words. Joe's audio is clear and flawless to my ears. Not much more I can say but I enjoy his narration of Jonathan.

I like that we start with the characters where they are and how they feel now. Terrible things have happened to a few characters in the end of the last book, and they are dealing with the results. In seeing them now we also get a reminder of what happened, and how horrible it was for them.

Jonathan is definitely back to himself and moved through much of his concerns in the last book. I have to smile when the crew act up together. They all have an individual sense of humor that they all thrive off of, bringing more out of each person. When Sharon tries to explain about Henry Winslow they frustrate her with their wandering focus and jokes. But it's funny 'watching' them act as kids at this moment but know very well they are understanding and will get the job done when time comes.

This novel is in a different format from the previous books. We get POV from different characters - Jonathan, Kelly, Brand, and Rayna. They are in different areas and times in the world looking for our man who's in three aspects, this format lets us see what's happening in those places until they reunite. There is a lot of story of the different characters in their time, waiting for the others to arrive. All find troubles they need to struggle through, and stay alive, along with personal struggles too. I enjoyed the journey through time with Jonathan and friends. Jonathan and Kelly are in Egypt, Brand with Esther in 1870's, and Rayna in 1929. We start in Egypt and meet King Tutt. Cool!

I really started to worry that things would not work out or come to the end I was expecting. Gary is known for this in his previous books. So when I started to get nervous, I was also getting excited to see his twist to the ending ~ something Gary does not let me down at. The ending comes at us fast, and we are left on a bit of a cliffhanger here. The overall missions are not completed in this book and it leaves you looking for the next book (which is out in ebook and print). We do get through Jonathan's time frame completely though.

Oh, I'm waiting for the next book in audio, even though the ebook is out... hmm... maybe I'll get the ebook? lol. I will be looking for the rest of the books! ( )

Note: This is Book 4 in the series and I recommend reading the previous books as there are major things that happened in previous stories that affect characters’s decisions in this book.

Private investigator Jonathan Shade starts his day off having a serious argument with a witch and the ghost of her son. Things only get worse when Sharon and Chronos show up at Kelly’s dojo and force Jonathan and his friends into taking care of a little problem for them. Henry Winslow, a powerful magician, is attempting to become immortal. To do so, he split himself into three aspects and placed each one at a different time and place in the past. Now Jonathan and his friends must travel back in time and kill each aspect.

This was a fun addition to this urban fantasy series that I have enjoyed so much. Jonathan has done a smidge of time travel before (a fact that he keeps hidden from his friends) but this time he and Kelly (a magically constructed warrior) are sent back into ancient Egypt to find Winslow and kill him. Meanwhile, Brand (also a magically constructed warrior) and Esther (a ghost who is tied to these old typewriter keys) go back to the 1870s. Reina (who isn’t of this world and has some special abilities) heads to the 1920s.

Let me get my one criticism out of the way. We have three main ladies in this series now: Kelly, Esther, and Reina. For some reason, the author chose to write them all as being in love with Jonathan and that really comes to the forefront in this book. It’s silly and not really necessary for the plot. Plus, there are other interesting men, so why not spread the joy?

OK, back to the good stuff. Most of the book is spent on Jonathan and Kelly in ancient Egypt. I really enjoyed the scenes where everyone was getting ready for their trip and had to dress the part. Reina got a flapper dress plus some practical wear. Brand had some rough yet really durable clothes. Meanwhile, Kelly and Jonathan were given revealing (by today’s standards) clothing that was the norm for King Tut’s time period. Eventually, Kelly and Jonathan rebel and a compromise (sort of) is made. In the end, it didn’t matter much because the two of them materialized in front of people and therefore, folks thought they must be deities.

We get a little bit of time with Brand and Esther in the 1870s. They soon land in some serious trouble with Priscilla and Edward that they weren’t expecting. Brand used to be a very strong warrior, but at the end of the previous book, things changed for him. Now he finds himself in a next to helpless position but I think he’s too stubborn (or dense) to notice. He keeps on thinking, bidding his time, quietly flexing those muscles.

Meanwhile, Reina goes to the 1920s. She doesn’t know much about this time period and she’s never been to New York city. We only get a smidge of her story and she swiftly finds herself in trouble. I was surprised at how quickly she was subdued and also a bit disappointed. Not much is being done with this character that has so much potential.

It’s a swift moving plot with fun characters and I like that Kelly and Jonathan continue to be at the heart of the story. I also like that things between Jonathan and Sharon are unresolved. Her previous betrayal still rankles him (as it should!) and I look forward to seeing how the author deals with that. The ending was great! I loved the last big fight scene and how things in Egypt resolved themselves. This book does leave us on a cliff hanger, so I’m really looking forward to having Book 5 in audio.

I received a copy at no cost from the narrator in exchange for an honest review.

The Narration: Joe Hempel continues to be the perfect Jonathan Shade. Also, he’s the perfect Kelly Chan, with her light Chinese accent. He really pulls it off well. I also liked his ‘dumb jock’ voice for Brand (which suits his humor and character well) and I continue to like his light Southern drawl for Esther. All around, it’s a great performance. ( )