Hard Magic

Grimnoir Chronicles #1

by Larry Correia

Jake Sullivan is a licensed Private Eye—with a seriously hardboiled attitude. He also possesses raw magical talent and the ability to make objects in his vicinity light as a feather or as heavy as depleted uranium, all with a magical thought. It's no wonder the G-men turn to Jake when they need someone to go after a suspected killer who's been knocking off banks in a magic-enhanced crime spree. Problems arise when Jake discovers the bad girl behind the robberies is an old friend, and he happens to know her magic is just as powerful as his, and the Feds have plunged Jake into a secret battle between powerful cartels of magic-users--a cartel whose ruthless leaders have decided that Jake is far too dangerous to live. . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Steampunk, Alternate History, Science Fiction

423 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 24, 2012

About the author

Larry Correia (born 1977) is the New York Times bestselling author of the Monster Hunter International series, the Grimnoir Chronicles, and the thriller Dead Six.

Reviews

[carol. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, Hard Magic doesn't measure up to Correia's first series, Monster Hunters International. One reviewer hit it on the head when he noted that there is a lack of world building, and tossed-in 1920s vocabulary is supposed to stand for setting. There's more detail on guns then there are physical characteristics of setting and mood, critical elements of the detective noir. There's a lot of odd ethnic referrals going on as well that make me vaguely uncomfortable. I don't know a lot about the 20s, but it almost seems if Correia is pulling on American political attitudes from the 40s-50s(post WWII) in his characterizations of Germans and Japanese and the political divisions. I get the feeling he didn't research the 1920s for this book--more like he watched a couple of Al Capone movies.

I enjoyed Faye, the grey-eyed talented Okie kid who grows into her power, but I think I loved her because I root for grrl-power, and not because the characterization was done particularly well. Her simplistic speech pattern when we are inside her head need finesse as she progresses through her development. As usual, females play the "almost-but-not-quite-equal" role, despite the actions of Faye. One's a healer and one's a ex-prostitute (I believe there's an ex-ho in Monster as well), so you can pretty much tell from there how their characterization is going to run. Yes, I get that Faye saved the day. However, she does so with a sense of glee and with her uneducated speech/text, and she's still technically a juvenile, so she's not equal or sophisticated enough to rank with the male leaders. Her end scene with the jellyfish might negate my assessment, but that section is a little to weird to analyze).

You can tell Correia put a lot of thought into the development of his Heavy, Sullivan. I liked the premise of the story, the fascinating idea of "powers" branching out into "adjacent" areas with practice.

He is also taking the narrative short-cut of the almost-omniscient narrator, and flipping between a number of protagonists and antagonists. Despite the shift in narrators, there is one character "surprise" and a mediocre plot twist based on character premeditated plans in the last few pages of the book. It's a technique that irks me to no end for two reasons: one, because it feels like it's substituting character sketches for a congruent storyline; and two, it smacks of poor characterization--shouldn't we already be aware of their goals if we are in the characters' minds?

Alright, so it's not the most positive of reviews, but you can see so many 5 and 4 star reviews, I don't really need to re-iterate what's good, do I?


** Stars removed 05/14 due to author behavior, generally being a lackwit and Hugo shenanigans. His latest blog is ranting against the campaign to raise awareness about the abducted schoolgirls, as well as mocking the men involved in the anti-pedophile campaign. Plus there's the whole effort to destroy the Hugos by "getting underrepresented white minority conservative writers" 'represented.' monsterhunternation.com



If you are an anonymous poster who joined goodreads this month (whatever month that may be), have no personal details, or no reviews on this site, you can take your opinions and put them in an appropriate place--your own review. In other words, move along. I will delete your nonsense.

BTW,
I also down-rated all his other books I read. For your trolling convenience:
#1: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#3: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a big greasy double cheeseburger...with all the works kind-of-a book. It's not deep, it's full of action, a rather unique magic system that while you've probably seen things close to...you haven't seen it exactly...adventure, and imagination. I like it. So far I've pretty much liked everything Mr. Correia has turned out.

Maybe if we had a 10 star system here I "might have" given it a 9 as there are a lot of books I'd rate higher. The same goes for a half star system, it might get a 4.5. But we don't have either of those, we have an "out of 5 star" rating system, and I think it deserves a bit better than a 4, so...I went to the complete 5.

The novel is all story right from the get-go without the slow build up you sometimes get even in action novels. While we don't find out what color socks each person wears or how they feel about polar bears or their favorite snack they are well drawn and complete. You come to know them and care when....well, that would be a spoiler. You'll see influences here from other well done fantasy. Don't get me wrong, the story is very original and shows lots of imaginative thought, it's all Mr. Correia's own, still there are distant echos of so many from H.P. Lovecraft to Sax Rohmer (with maybe a nod to Bob Kane?).

The book does something I've seen done before in that Mr. Correia takes actual people from history and re-imagines them into this (very) alternate history where magic has come to exist. As many are people I'm interested in (one way and another) and some I find very interesting (as in for example John Moses Browning or John J. "Black Jack" Pershing). I won't give any details about the way the world's different or the basis for the magic system other than what I've already said. It may slightly resemble things you've seen before, but it's one of the more original systems and alternate histories I've seen.

As you may have guessed by now, all in all I like the book. Not great literature but a great read. Maybe not the best, maybe a few gripes, (no need to go into those really. Are you curious? I'll mention one below, but it's no big deal) but nothing to turn me away. I'd say the book is fun, and it is, but there are serious moments and even some emotional moments. Well, done, well told, well written, enjoyed and recommended... enjoy.


nothing much here. One reason I might have dropped a half star was that there is a bit, and only a bit of social or political commentary which I agree with mostly, but not entirely. BUT most of that is in imagined quotes in chapter headings and has nothing to do with the story at all. No reason not to read the book if you like Urban Fantasy, Action or both. Very little down side to this bit of brain candy

This is a gut-busting, hard fighting, brawny, rugged dose of literary junk food...brain candy at it's best. As said before, enjoy.

[seak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool [no, not nearly cool enough]

Cooooool [so now we're not even using our words? Nope]

Super cool [almost makes it less cool ... no]

Very cool [oh, now we're getting so descriptive ... no]

Chilly [apparently the thesaurus isn't working, nope]

Boss [actually on the way to fitting despite going back a few decades, not quite]

Bully [actually getting to the right decade, but still not there]

Cawbullboss aka Coolawesomebullyboss [I was right up above, needed a new word to describe this]

Yep, Hard Magic reeks of cool in the best possible way, especially when read by Bronson Pinchot. Yup, the Perfect Strangers actor is, despite his character, one of the coolest narrators I've ever listened to.

Speaking of cool. Jake Sullivan. Jake freaking Sullivan. He's easily the coolest character I've ever read. He's a slow-witted meathead, at least it would appear on the surface, and you would think I would hate him, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Not only is he actually a very smart guy, but he works hard and keeps his word. And you probably don't want him to keep his word, it usually doesn't bode well for people.

This brings me to something I really enjoyed about this book. Correia's magic system in this book is excellent. It's extremely well thought out, but even better is that people can also use it in more ways than it appears. Jake is one of those who has figured out a way to use his magic differently, he's figured out that manipulating things so that he can easily lift them or move them is just a small portion of what his magic can do. It allows him to manipulate gravity much the same as a certain character in The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.

I've heard a lot about Larry Correia and never anything less than positive. Already he was on my list of authors to read, but I've obviously taken my sweet time getting there. Let me tell you, I waited far too long.

Hard Magic takes place around the time of the Great Depression. It's the early 1930's and things are not going well for people. However, there are oakies, gangsters, pin stripes, and everything cool about this time period. There are also secret organizations, some good and some bad, and there's more to the magic than it first appears.

I won't waste your time anymore. This was such a great read, with great characters and a great narrator in Bronson Pinchot, even though it did take some time to warm up to him. His slow drawl for Jake Sullivan was just pure genius. But beware, this may just make you cooler.

4.5 out of 5 Stars (very highly recommended)

[Tim The Enchanter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Magic Noir - 4 Stars

Posted to The Literary Lawyer.ca

Being that I am a big fan of the gun toting, monster slaying cowboys in Larry Corriea's Monster Hunter International it seemed natural that I would give his other series a shot. I am glad that I did. Correia bends the Urban Fantasy Genre once again by melding elements of noir with alternate history sci fi. The result is a unique reading experience that sets it apart from the Dresden clones.


Plot summary

For a large portion of the book, two major parallel storylines are taking place with a few smaller ones for good measure. The first focuses on Jake Sullivan, an ex military, ex con "spiker" (a person able to alter or spike gravity) under the thumb of the government. The second story line focuses on Faye, an Oakie (Gypsy) girl sold to a kind hearted farmer who shared her power as a "Traveler" (a person able to transport themselves from one place to another). After each of the them suffer a series of unfortunate events they each come into contact with a secret society of Actives (people with magical powers). Of course, once they do, all hell breaks loose.

The Good

Great Feel

The story was atmospheric and the reader has the sense that some of these characters would fit in with a bunch of gangsters in a mob flick or would be solving crimes from their poorly light, smoke filled offices. This is unlike most books in the UF genre which tend to be character centric while the setting is blurred or generic.

The novel is deeply rooted in a period of time. While I don`t recall that a date was given, you have the sense that it occurring in the 40`s or 50`s. The difference is that it is not the 40`s and 50`s that show up in our text books. Hitler, Einstein, Tesla, J. Edgar Hoover and a wide array of historical figures existed but their lives and deaths did not necessarily unfold as we remember. Some of them, Einstein and Tesla for example, were Cogs (Actives whose intellect is augmented by magic). At the beginning of each chapter, the author "quotes" historical figures. The quotes are generally related to real events but make reference to appearance or use of magic. This literary device did an excellent job of helping the reader he was reading an alternate history.


The Bad

It`s the good kind of slow

Fans of Monster Hunter International have come to expect specific pace from of Larry Corriea book. Namely, a plot on full auto with a hurricane at its back. This novel on the other hand moves at more leisurely pace. For the most part, this did not bother me. It did seem that from time to time the plot was dragging or some obstacle was put in the way simply to draw out the story. For some lovers of UF the pace with put them off. While it did detract somewhat from book (and ultimately my rating) don`t let it scare you away. The genre mixing style is entertaining and fun.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed the world building and a magic system that people did not understand. The exploration of how magic suddenly appeared and where it came from is an interesting aspect of the story. Corriea`s ability to draw in the reader and engage them with his story never fails to impress. While Monster Hunter International remains my go to series for all things Larry Corriea, this is an excellent addition to Corriea lore.

Audiobook Notes

The narration was 5 star. The narrator is genius with voices and accents. He does an especially good job of bringing to life two the odd speech patterns of the two unique characters.

Content Advisories

It is difficult to find commentary on the sex/violence/language content of book if you are interested. I make an effort to give you the information so you can make an informed decision before reading. *Disclaimer* I do not take note or count the occurrences of adult language as I read. I am simply giving approximations.

Scale 1 - Lowest 5 - Highest

Sex - 2

There is some sexual tension between a few characters. Once character is revealed to be a former prostitute. Sex is implied on at least one occasion. Overall, the sexual content is low.

Language - 3.5

Corriea does not shy away from the use of adult language. That said, there is less than in the Monster Hunter International series. Moderate occurrences of mild obscenities and low occurrences of the f-word.

Violence - 4

There is plenty of magical and gun related violence. As there is war between factions of those who have magic, there are battles on many fronts. There a several scenes where characters are disemboweled and it is moderate to highly graphic. In most every chapter, at least one person is killed by a wide array of means. It is pervasive and occasionally graphic.

[Mr. Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had high expectations when I picked it up and, boy, I was not disappointed. Awesome. Simply awesome. The book grabs you early and doesn't let go. And it has everything - super-bad bad guys, zombies, dames, magic, and more. Plus, I loved the setting - a blend of steampunk and 30's and 40's pulp fiction rollicking adventure. A great read!

Downgraded to four stars after some reflection. Fun read, but not a classic.

[Heather Bobrowicz · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters are largely forgettable (especially the females-- some border on insulting), the possibly interesting setting is neglected in favor of dirigible-set combat, there's not enough atmosphere to invoke the "noir" suggested by the subtitle, and the ethnic stereotypes are cringe-worthy. I felt less like I was getting some fantasy/noir experience and more like I was reading the novelization of an uninteresting comic book. It's a mercifully quick read, but I wound up largely regretting the time I spent with it.

I liked the concept, but the execution just isn't there. Too bad.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good entertaining read, full of action, throughout the book. Most interesting character is a young woman, who I hope grows in heaps in the next books.

[Beanbag Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

This alt-history magic noir series is a great mind-bender. I love Larry Correia's no-holds-barred action writing. His world building in this is fantastic and the attention to detail is superb. I had been told by other fans of Monster Hunter International that this was even better and I think I might agree.

Jake Sullivan is a gravity manipulating "Heavy", forced to do jobs rounding up other magical "Actives" for J. Edgar Hoover. Faye Vierra is a girl of indeterminate age -- a teenager -- who has a rare ability and an over-abundance of Power. Delilah is a Brute, Francis is a Mover, Lance can talk through squirrels, Jane can Heal, and Blackjack Pershing is in trouble. It's intricate, driven, even poignant, and it engages completely. The use of real history and people is done with finesse and incredible cleverness.

As always, Correia's action sequences are over-the-top and filled with suspense and gore. There's an element of superhero mythology -- one reference made me laugh out loud at the end -- as well as military suspense, steampunk and epic fantasy.

Jake does seem like Owen Pitt (the protag from MHI) in a different setting, but that's okay because I love Owen. And this is third person so we get many points of view and they're all fascinating. And, yes, the story structure is also a lot like MHI but, again, I love MHI's story structure so I have no complaints. The rich detail of this imagined world is so full and unique I can't imagine the similarity of one character is going to bother anyone too much.

Check your political correctness at the door! This is noir written in the context and verbiage of 1920's/30's post-war America. And what impresses me so much is the accuracy of tone and general worldview of the time coupled with the outrageous aspects of the fantasy element. Correia has done an amazing job.

I had one complaint but it's a spoiler so I won't tell. It wasn't enough to lower the rating, however.

Now to distract myself so I don't plow through the next one and end up with nothing left.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contrary to its title, Hard Magic is not an urban fantasy: it's basically a superhero novel. Set in an alternate history between world wars, a mysterious alien "power" came to Earth in the middle of the 19th century and granted a subset of the population magical powers. For the majority of "Actives," these powers come in singular and well-defined forms: there are "brutes" who have super strength, "torches" who are pyrokinetics, "mouths" with mind control powers, "heavies" who can manipulate gravity, etc. But it turns out there are also other forms of magic, such as those wielded by the Japanese Imperium's "Iron Guard." These magical super-soldiers have kanji branded into their skins that give them accelerated healing, protection from harm, strength and speed, and other powers. There are also necromancers who raise the dead to create zombie armies, and other manifestations of magical power, but they all function pretty much like super powers.

In this alternate history, Japan is on a path to world domination thanks to possessing the most powerful and heavily trained magical warriors, and fleets of dirigibles that function like bombers and aircraft carriers all at once. Led by the most powerful man on Earth (literally and figuratively), Chairman Tokugawa, this is the Japan of the 1930s: expansionist, fascist, and unambiguously and unapologetically the bad guys. Tokugawa, as the Big Bad, is a great if somewhat stereotyped villain. Yes, he's a centuries-old samurai with magical superpowers who goes on about strength and honor and likes to recite poems to his enemies before killing them, but he has class and style and he's the sort of villain you love to see chewing the scenery and can't wait for the climactic battle where he finally goes down.

This book has lots of climactic battles, each one more epic than the last. Jake Sullivan, the main character, is a "heavy" who can control gravity. He's also a great big slab of macho, a war veteran, an ex-con, an ex-P.I., fearless alpha, and probably a little bit of an authorial wish-fulfillment. He hits every manly-man trope in the noir genre, and you know what? That's okay! Because this book is what it is, a raging male power fantasy like the classic superhero comics where Superman knocked Nazi fighter planes out of the sky. Here we have Jake Sullivan fighting other "Actives," then pitted against his own brother, who of course is bigger and badder than him and thus is the penultimate Boss level Jake must get past before he can face the Chairman himself.

But it's not just Jake tromping around in a California fortified with "Peace Rays" created by Tesla and fighting Imperium ninjas and invincible Iron Guards and dirigible sky pirates. He joins the Knights of the Grimnoir, an international organization dedicated to protecting the magically gifted and the non-magical alike. Jake's ex is Delilah, a former New Orleans whore with super-strength. A secondary protagonist is Faye, an Okie "Traveler" (teleporter) who is a hoot as a character, her mind running a mile a minute in a hundred directions, and in the climax (in which she, like Jake, has without a whole lot of plausible explanation powered up by a factor of about eleventy) is running amok through the Japanese dirigible fleet blasting magical ninjas with a shotgun that never seems to run out of ammo, and that's before she and Jake go completely Super Saiyan against the Chairman and his Iron Guard.

If you're thinking this sounds a lot like Steelheart or Mistborn, you're right. This was my first Larry Correia novel, but his writing style and his worldbuilding reminded me a lot of Brandon Sanderson. Like Sanderson, Correia writes straight-up action/adventure with lots of heroics and over-the-top power stunts and characters who are often archetypes more than fully-realized people, but if you are in the mood for grand pulp adventure, this book hits a high mark and almost got 5 stars from me. It is a guns blazing, powers activating, bloody spectacular pulp superhero slugfest that is, if not a literary masterpiece and unabashedly un-PC, absolutely great fun for those who like an occasional dose of fist-pumping "America, booyah!" heroics.

[Kat Hooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Jake Sullivan is not your average Heavy. He spent his jail time honing his skills and improving his mind and now he’s J. Edgar Hoover’s super-weapon, useful for fighting Fades, Torches, Brutes, and any of the other Actives who are using their magic for criminal purposes. Jake doesn’t like being used this way, but it’s his ticket out of prison. When the FBI asks Jake to bring down Delilah Jones, the Brute who used to be his girlfriend, Jake gets caught up in a world-wide battle that involves magic, mobsters, zombies, zeppelins, Ninjas and Nikola Tesla’s peace ray.

Knowing that Larry Correia was into big guns and B movies, I wasn’t planning to pick up Hard Magic, the first of his Grimnoir Chronicles. It doesn’t really sound like my kind of thing. But then I noticed that it was released in audio by Audible Frontiers (who always do a superb production) and narrated by actor Bronson Pinchot. I decided to give it a shot, and I’m glad I did. Even though it is a bit too gory for me, Hard Magic is an exciting story with a fully-developed world, a cool magic system, terrific characters, and some hard-hitting action scenes.

I won’t even try to classify Hard Magic — it’s urban, it’s alternate history, it’s paranormal, it’s steampunk, it’s romance, it’s horror, it’s noir — it’s a little bit of everything. The story is set in an alternate 20th century between WWI and WWII. Magic talents have evolved in some humans so that each Active has one particular skill. For example, Jake Sullivan can alter gravitational forces, making himself or other objects light or heavy, Torches can set or put out fires, and Brutes have super strength. In addition to these heritable magical skills, the Germans have developed a way to create zombies to keep their soldiers fighting during The Great War, and the Japanese have developed their own nearly indestructible human super-weapons which they call the Iron Guard. And everyone wants to find the missing pieces of the machine that Nikola Tesla was working on at Wardenclyffe.

There’s a lot going on in the Grimnoir Chronicles, but Correia gives us a break by setting it in our own almost-recognizable world. The bits of true history orient the reader, and the mangled quotes of real historical figures at the beginning of each chapter give Hard Magic an authentic feel:

* I am by heritage a Jew, by citizenship a Swiss, by magical gift a Cog, and by makeup a human being, and only a human being, without any special attachment to any state or national entity whatsoever. —Albert Einstein, 1919
* You can go a long way with a smile. You can go a lot farther with a smile and a gun. A smile, a gun, and a Brute get you the key to the city. —Al “Scarface” Capone, 1930

Hard Magic is well-written and frequently funny. The complex and twisty plot moves swiftly and is full of intriguing characters such as the uneducated orphan who can Travel, the German Fade who walks through walls, the Pale Horse whose curse kills, the greedy billionaire who designs airships... there are too many interesting characters to list. All of their cool magical skills lead to some hardcore fight scenes. Most readers will probably find these fights to be the most fun part of the book. I was grossed out more than once and kind of irked that dead people didn’t necessarily stay dead, but that’s just me.

If you’re familiar with Bronson Pinchot’s acting career, it won’t surprise you to learn that his narration of the audiobook was brilliant. He took the whole production to a higher level. He easily managed all those characters with their different ethnicities and education levels — it was delightful, and was one of the best audiobook performances I’ve ever heard.

Despite my queasiness, I’m looking forward to Spellbound, the next novel in the Grimnoir Chronicles. I can highly recommend this series to urban fantasy/noir fans who don’t mind reading about ripped off heads and steaming entrails. If you want to give it a try, read the first few chapters of Hard Magic at Larry Correia’s blog.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I downloaded this book from Audible way back in February, but I hadn't touched it since then. It could be that I tried to start Correia's Monster Hunter International series a couple times, but it just didn't grab me, and so I thought this one would be the same way. I was very wrong about that.

Almost from the first line I was drawn into this story. I loved it, and have every intention of finishing out the series and getting back to the MHI series.

I do think that quite a large part of my enjoyment of this book was due to Bronson Pinchot's reading though. I followed along in the e-book for a good chunk of this because I wanted to see some of the terms that I was hearing, and I realized that he wasn't just reading the book aloud, he was performing it. He wheezed, he croaked, he mumbled, he did the accents... and I liked it. His cadence and accent while reading The Pale Horse brought that character to life so much more than the words on the page alone would have. I know that this is a complete turnaround from my long-held stance against readers "doing the voices", but in this case, I feel like it benefited the book more than it got in the way of it. (But, on the other hand, the ebook edition did have lovely sketches of some of the characters, and I really enjoyed those!)

I will say that there were times when I wished he'd have gone in a different direction with the reading, though. For instance, I LOVED the way that he voiced Jake Sullivan, and I found myself wishing that he had more dialogue so I could listen to more of him. But Jake is a very large man, even among big men, so when he yells, I expect a bellowing roar. What I got was more of a slightly raised voice. It was OK, but I wished he'd just go for it and make me really FEEL the intensity and urgency of the moment that made quiet Jake need to yell in the first place.

Or, another example, sometimes he'd end a sentence with a slightly higher tone than I thought it should have had. To me, the sentence "He was pissed." is one that should almost be read staccato, and the last word should be either the same tone and inflection as the other two, or slightly lower. To me, it sounds SERIOUS that way. Dangerous. You don't want to fuck with him when he's pissed. But Pinchot would sometimes read sentences like that with a slightly raised inflection at the end. Not quite enough to make it sound questioning, but more as if it was amusing, and it just seemed strange to me.

But other than these little things, I thought that he did a fantastic job reading the book, and I hope that he reads the entire series because now that his performance is in my head, I don't think that anyone else would be able to hold a candle to it. Not even myself, in the unlikely event that I were to continue in text form.

But enough about the audio itself. This story was fascinating, and I really enjoyed it. I loved the characters, and I loved the magic system, and I loved the conflicts and the tone and the setting and... well pretty much everything.

I loved the alternate history style. I haven't read very many alt-hist books, but the ones that I have, I enjoyed quite a bit. I think that I will need to read more of these, because I'm not sure if it's the novelty of seeing real historical figures and events morphed into very different versions that I enjoyed, or the skill of Correia's execution in doing so. But honestly, it doesn't matter, because I DID like it, and that's enough for me.

I definitely want to learn more about the umm... source of the magic, and more about the different skills that the Grimnoir mentioned but that we didn't much get to see in action. I want to live in this world for a while, so I'll definitely be picking up the other books in the series.

[Ryan Draga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've now read this along with Book 2 of the series (entitled "Spellbound"). I found this on a whim as an audiobook on Audible whilst looking for something for my girlfriend. I had a few free monthly credits thanks to a promotion, so I snagged both books.

First off, for novelty's sake I should note that the audiobooks are (quite wonderfully) narrated by none other than Bronson Pinchot...known to most of us 80s kids as Balki from Perfect Strangers.

Now I'll be honest here, when I saw a pulpy-looking, steampunk-bandwagon-riding alt. history/hard-boiled noir book narrated by an 80's castaway known for an over-the-top comedic character, I snapped the book up expecting a trainwreck involving everything I just described. However...a trainwreck, it was CERTAINLY not.

On the COMPLETE contrary, this book (and it's sequel) was FANTASTIC. I couldn't stop listening. I got these as an excuse to have a chuckle whilst doing housework, and instead found myself putting down the mop and broom and becoming completely lost in this wonderfully-imagined alternate version of the world where Magic existed alongside early 20th century technology and culture...the book has small tidbits of information (which it often opens chapters with) regarding historical and cultural icons who happened to also have been "actives" (what the book calls magic users who have a proper grasp on their abilities).

Beyond that singular curiosity though, there is certainly much more. The characters are wonderful and a motley bunch to be certain: a hard-boiled ex-con turned FBI muscle that can manipulate gravity, a femme fatale with physicality that would make the Hulk crap his giant purple shorts, a firecracker hayseed girl who can teleport, a famous big game hunter who makes Doctor Doolittle look like a chump...the list goes on. There's A LOT of story packed into this book.

TL;DR version: if you're a sucker for steampunk and/or alt. history, if you're a Dresden Files fan, hell, beyond all that, if you love a good old fashioned "good guys versus bad guys" pulp yarn, PICK THIS DAMN BOOK UP. I guarantee you won't put it down.

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

An odd mix of Steampunk and sci-fi, elements of fantasy. Think film noir meets The X-men in an alternate history. Various characters have "powers" over elements, gravity, The time-frame is between the World Wars, but this is a US with regular blimp and train travel with a united Asia (imagine Mao working with Hirohito) poised to take over the world. Correia's world is fairly well-crafted, with interesting touches of humor--oblique references to the alternate nature of this history where a fanatic "failed painter" ended up in front of a firing squad rather than ruling Germany.

The problem is that for the most part these are fairly two-dimensional characters. Take the beautiful but hard blonde who was done wrong (type-cast Carole Lombard or Jean Harlow), and the hick kid (Doris Day should play her) come to the big city to avenge her grampa (think of Obi-wan Kenobi's death), throw in the "fop" with money who backs the resistance fighters (very Scarlet Pimpernel) because no one wants to run the X-men school from anything less than a comfy mansion. The hero is a mix of "big dumb lug" (take any Gary Cooper role) and savvy private eye (Nick Charles with less alcohol, a taller Sam Spade)--he is pulled into a fight he doesn't want and doesn't understand (imagine a slightly older, somewhat embittered Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter). Add a spash of famous names and then throw in action scenes straight out of the Matrix. In the end, despite the historical wit, the story is rather predictable and we've heard it before.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great world and setting created by the author- a blend of magic, steampunk, magic and noir. I enjoyed the characters and their different powers: travellers, Brutes, Faders, Gravity benders. Very well conceived! Sort of like the Diviners with guns and violence!

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great spin on the noir genre with magic and alternate history thrown into the mix. Reminded me of Mickey Spillane, Scott Westerfield's Leviathan series, Monster Hunters International and Jim Butcher's Dresden books all rolled into one heck of an action packed story. I'll be reading the next one.

[Jim Gorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right off the bat I just want to let you know this is not what I would call "high literature". But I did really, really enjoy this book. It is the perfect beach read in my opinion. Nothing that is going to make your head swim remembering who did what or who is related to whom. This is just a good old film noir movie in book form, just with magic. Yeah, magic takes place in this universe. Some few people have a Power, singular. They may be able to manipulate fire, or become extra strong, or heal people. But, there are not many of these "Actives" in this world, and not all of them are strong with Power. This book takes place after WWI, in the 30's. There is a whole different, alternate history with changes to the basic world that you learn over time. Nothing super important to remember. The basic premise is that Actives were used to fight in WWI and that Tesla built his "Peace Ray" that blew up Berlin and then that stopped all future wars. Like us with the atom bomb in WWII.

Our main character is a "investigator" who has Power over gravity. He went to prison for murder, but Hoover got him out after a few years to help arrest any other Actives. He tries taking down his former girlfriend who is an active, but is thwarted by a team of Actives rescuing her. We also have a young woman who can Travel, ie Teleport. Her adopted father is killed for a bit of device that was made by Tesla. This sets her out on a course for revenge. They collide at the base of a secret society of Actives called the Grimnoir who are in a war with the Imperium of Japan, who is bent on taking over the world for all Actives.

Throughout this book we find several famous people were also Actives, either fighting on one side or the other. The Imperium is run by the Chairman, who is the most powerful Active ever. Sullivan, the hero is probably the second most powerful around, but he keeps that secret. Faye the Traveler is also very powerful which we learn as she discovers her powers. Working for the Chairman is Sullivan's brother, an evil and heartless bastard if there ever was one. We get running battles between these two sides through the book. We also have sub-plots, like the plot to kill Black Jack Pershing by the richest man in the world. We get some love and romance. We get the horrors of war. We get a little bit of everything. Due to the time period we get a lot of travel by train, and by blimp. We do get a bit of non-Active magic, use for communication mostly.

Ok, so I like this book, while some people will probably find it cheesy. But I was always a fan of the old black and white serials from back then. I also love the whole feel of this being some old movie. We get some character development, to better understand a few of the main characters. But not everyone, but then this is the first in a series and I am assuming we will get more into the others in the next books. It is a very easy read, so the pages zip along when I sat down to read. I will definitely remember this series when I want to get something that is just a mindless read for the pleasure of reading. So if you like tough guys and gals, gun fights, magic and that whole 1930's feel, then this is a great little book for you. There was a whole lot I didn't get into, but that is for you to discover.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this audiobook at my local library; it's read very nicely by Bronson Pinchot. It's a rather long and involved fantasy that can't seem to decide if it wants to be a superhero adventure or a modern fantasy with political airs or an alternate-history study with magic stirred in... It does all of these things well enough from scene to scene, but seems to lack focus. Perhaps if I had picked up the print version it would have been clearer... In the meantime, there were several very enjoyable scenes and situations, even if they didn't always fit together too well.

[Derpa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nowadays my reading has real ups and downs. I DNF some, I absolutely adore others, which probably means I tried a bunch of things and took the risks. Or I don't know what's going on, but this one was absolutely fantastic in my opinion.
We had everything. Alternate history '30s, people with superpowers, crazy weapons that could destroy the whole world, steampunk, zombies, a secret society of people who try to save the world no matter what. I swear it had everything.
The two protagonists are a teleporting young girl who grew up on a farm and is every bit a country soul and a hardened veteran who can manipulate gravity. Very different, both cool characters that are a pleasure to read, which is not always the case with multiple POV characters. These ones worked.

I still love stories about gangs of misfits when it's done like it was here. You have to consider that when there are a lot of characters working together they have to be sufficiently different and unique to not make the reader just skim. Of course the easiest way for it is just different functions in the group (which also justifies them being on the team), but that is not nearly enough to make things readable. Take that, Sic of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, where everyone was the same kind of YA shit.
Here we got it. It can be done.

Another thing that could have failed spectacularly (like in Samantha Shannon's The Bone Season) was the fact that as the powers were part of this underground, kind of illegal and troublesome system, they all got their little slang name. Shannon managed to make it a jumbled mess, without rhyme or reason, which made her writing a pain in the ass to read.
Mr. Correia, on the other hand... just made them make sense. Travellers teleport, Cracklers use electricity, Menders heal. You know, in a way that is logical to the normal human brain. It should be common sense to write fantasy concepts in a way that would make sense to people if it was real.

Because of all the elements mixed together I found it hard to guess what was coming. I don't personally need plot twists and crazy stuff to enjoy a book, but this was one of the more surprising reads. Some elements of history connected into our one, but others were changed with the involvements of magic. Hell, chapters started with quotes from famous historical figures, like Einstein or Gandhi, all slightly changed to add in the difference of history and it was so lovely.
Important to point out that you don't need in-depth historical knowledge, though. Sometimes history-based literature assumes you know all the minor battles and political figures of the time period, which can mess you up real good, but here that wasn't an issue, with a high school WW1 education you will be fine.

It was very visual as well. You could see it all, the fight scenes, the powers, it could work very well on film or in any other visual medium. It's probably not going to happen, because who am I kidding, but this is one book where they would have no problem in translating it onto a screen.
Why not? Because the book is realistic. It is not compatible with today. I wouldn't say it is particularly offensive, but we know how things work, so using certain words to describe certain people, even if said in a way that the author obviously doesn't think are right are considered sacrilege and unacceptable.

I am definitely reading the rest of the series, probably even right now, which is something I very rarely do. I would definitely recommend it to many people and I will do it.

Good night and if magic is hard, be harder!

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one for me I'm afraid. This was a novel that seemed, from the description, to be trying to do something really interesting with the Urban Fantasy genre but doesn't succeed.

The Good:
- The story moves along at a fast pace
- The action scenes are well written and exciting (although a couple feel like they are thrown in for no real story reason and the final one goes on for too long in my opinion).
- The idea is pretty original.

The Bad:
- The writing. Just to point out that I'm not saying here that the writing is difficult to follow or poorly constructed. But the cover and the description gives the impression that this was going to be an homage to noir detective fiction but with magic and I would expect the writing to reflect that. It doesn't. There is no attempt made to achieve that, which is a failing for me given how the book is marketed. Hand in hand with this comes...

- The Language. Throwing in a few words and phrases from the 30's does not make a book a period piece. Especially when most of the characters use a lot of modern phrases which really serve to break the immersion.

- The "Period". Little attempt is made to reflect a sense of the period where the book is supposedly set and you have to wonder whether the author actually did any research. Although to be fair the "alternate world" he is depicting is radically different from the real world of the 30's that maybe he didn't feel the need (for me, there is a very fine line in historical fantasy between reflecting the changes that a particular supernatural element would have on the world and keeping a sense of the historical period. This book falls far too much into the "fantasy" side of things. So much so, that I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been a purely fantasy novel).

So overall, a disappointing book and I don't think I'm likely to be picking up any more by this author.

[Janie Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was recommend this book by a friend, so I decided to try it out even though it is an adult fantasy and I rarely do well with this genre. I both listened to this book and read along with it which helped since I don't really like Audio all that much. The story did keep my interest, it just did not blow me away. I am glad I read it and I think there is enough here to the story for me to venture into the next one.

Synopsis
Jake Sullivan is a licensed Private Eye—with a seriously hardboiled attitude. He also possesses raw magical talent and the ability to make objects in his vicinity light as a feather or as heavy as depleted uranium, all with a magical thought. It's no wonder the G-men turn to Jake when they need someone to go after a suspected killer who's been knocking off banks in a magic-enhanced crime spree. Problems arise when Jake discovers the bad girl behind the robberies is an old friend, and he happens to know her magic is just as powerful as his, and the Feds have plunged Jake into a secret battle between powerful cartels of magic-users--a cartel whose ruthless leaders have decided that Jake is far too dangerous to live.

First off let me say that the world building was not the greatest, it was lacking a bit, which was probably the biggest problem I had with the story. I did like the plot of this story once I recognized what the plot actually was. There was a lot going on in the story and was not always easy to follow at the beginning, but it does come together. I liked the writing style of the author which helped a lot. There were also not so many characters that I got confused by who was who, as many fantasy books do and that made me happy. There was plenty of action and excitement to keep me very entertained and engaged. I have to say that this is not your normal run of the mill fantasy which is why I enjoyed it.

I found the characters to be my favorite part. This book is very character driven I think. I found them to be quite fun. They were well developed throughout the story and most were very likable as well. I really liked Jake Sullivan's character a lot. He was very flawed, gritty, and very strong willed. I also enjoyed Faye a lot as well. I was not too sure of her in the beginning but she really grew on me. There is a great cast of very unique characters in this story.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a different kind of fantasy, because this is it. Even if you don't do well with fantasy I think you would enjoy this one. I look forward to the next book in this series, Spellbound. I am giving this book a 3.5 star rating.

[Mogsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is just way cool! It did take a while for me to get into it; for about the first 10% I was completely lost and figured I was going to have to force myself to finish. That said, the development of the story and the setting up of the world is on the heavy, extensive side especially in the beginning -- but patience pays off.

The reason behind all that build-up is simple: the Grimnoir Chronicles series takes place in probably one of the most awesome and unique fantasy worlds I've ever had the pleasure to come across in speculative fiction. It's got a little dash of everything -- hard-boiled/noir, alternate history, steampunk, sci-fiction, urban fantasy, magic and gangsters and superpowers and zeppelins and sky pirates and oh my. Throw all that into novel and you have Hard Magic, one hell of a fun read.

Larry Correia is probably better known for his Monster Hunter series, which I am enjoying as well, but his writing and his crazy amazing world building in this takes everything to a whole new level. I have a feeling Grimnoir Chronicles might not be as appealing to the mainstream, as it's themes are somewhat more esoteric and considerably less humorous and "goofy" than his MH books, but I'm definitely liking this series more.

[Skylar Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mobsters and magic, what's not to like??

This was a really unique and very cool book. I haven't read anything quite like it before. It's pretty much an alternate history and urban fantasy blend set in the early 1900s and it's loaded with cool stuff like zeppelins, zombies, and retro guns galore! And of course, some serious magic.

I thought the writing was very good and the narrator of the audio version did a fantastic job. I'd recommend it if you're looking for something out of the ordinary with a pulpy noir feel to it.

[Daniel Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've enjoyed Larry Correia's Monster Hunter International series, then you'll love Hard Magic, the first of his series set in an alternative history in 1930s America, where for just over seventy years (since the 1860s) magic has begun to manifest in random people around the world. Some become stronger, others can walk through walls, and still others can heal, curse, see the future, teleport, control the weather, raise demons, or create zombies.

That's right. You didn't think that Correia would write a book and not include zombies and other ghoulish monsters, did you? And, true to form, Correia gives his heroes plenty of armaments because a fair fight is only fair when the good guys are armed to the teeth.

So we've got monsters, magic, guns, and alternate history...did I mention that there are aliens, too?

If it sounds like Correia is blending too many genres, trust me: it works, and it's every bit as enjoyable as the rest of Correia's novels. Not only does Correia make it fun, weaving a creative new universe where almost anything goes, he brings his usual care to create characters that are both sympathetic and conflicted, diverse and credible. There's something for everyone, from the tough guy who is soft inside to the fem fatal with a heart of gold, from the wizened and ancient mentor to the young, naive, and innocent prodigy on a mission of vengeance. There are pirates, gangsters, war heroes and villains, and Correia tells it with an almost effortless style.

Truth be told, Hard Magic kept me up burning the mid-night oil several days in row, and it was worth the lost sleep.

I ran into Correia on the floor of the Salt Lake Comic Con last week. Introduced by a mutual friend of ours, I was lucky enough to get a picture with him, but to look at the picture, you'd think he was the one who thought he was lucky. He's wearing this smile that says "I can't believe they pay me to do this." It's the smile of a man having the time of his life.

And, if you talk with him long enough, he'll take the opportunity to note that he would have the number one audio book in the country right now, but for J.K. Rowling. Her revelation that Robert Galbraith was her pen name behind the critically acclaimed Cuckoo Calling catapulted her just over Correia ("Let's start a rumor that 'Larry Correia' is a pen name for J.K. Rowling," he said at one panel during the Salt Lake Comic Con). He says it with mock bitterness, and though other, less successful panelists occasionally rolled their eyes at him, he clearly enjoys the success that he's enjoyed, and perhaps, as his smile seems to betray, he really can't believe that he gets to write novels featuring his monsters, magic, and munitions.

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jake Sullivan is a war hero, a private eye — and an ex-con. He’s free because he has a magical talent and the Feds need his help in apprehending criminals with their own magical abilities. ... Jake found out that not only have the Feds been lying to him, but there was a secret war being waged by opposing forces of magic-users. Worse still, he had attracted the attention of one side’s ruthless leaders — who were of the opinion that Jake was far too dangerous to be permitted to live.

This looked like something of a Harry Dresden copycat and I'm also rather tired of novels that insert magic into our world to create an alternate history. Then Jeff Miller gave it five stars and I had to rethink my position. My Audible monthly credit became available and I saw Bronson Pinchot narrates it ... and I was lost. No one narrates like he does.

All descriptions I've seen don't describe my favorite character, Faye, a teenage Okie whose irregular upbringing combines a good Catholic upbringing with puckish unpredictability. The Catholic element is quite light but Faye's story is equal in interest and weight to Jake's.

I was fascinated by the book's complexity, especially as compared to the first Harry Dresden or Joe Ledger novels. This one doesn't spoon feed you but gets the story rolling while providing information for you to pick up on the interesting magical attributes which some people have, how they can be used, and how this affects the struggle between good and evil. The story also examines the origins of the magic which suddenly began appearing in people in the late 1800s. This provides an unexpected story layer which I found interesting and welcome. Certainly it is a part of what made me interested in the trilogy beyond the first book.

In the midst of the action-packed finale, I suddenly saw all the pieces fit into place, just as the author intended. I was also interested to have some of the characters gain a depth I didn't expect which switched my perspective, all in aid of the puzzle pieces fitting neatly. That was nicely done by author Larry Correia.

Hard Magic is more of a guilty pleasure than anything else but it is a roller coaster ride I'm happy I took.

I'm about as smart as Jake Sullivan but, like everyone else, not nearly as clever as Faye (who is a character to fall in love with, especially as narrated here). I can see I'm going to have to read the next book in the series. Dammit. Because I didn't want another trilogy to invest my time in. But I'll be spending an Audible credit on the next book.

Note: I'd have given it another star but the long battle in the middle of the book really slowed things down and made my interest sag.

[Steve Naylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 4.0 stars.

I really enjoyed this book but not as much as I think I should. I enjoyed almost every aspect of it, but for some reason that I can't really articulate I can't give it 5 stars. Usually I can come up with reasons for taking stars away, but in this case I can't really put my finger on why. The magic system was very interesting and it was explained in more detail as the story went along. The time period was around the 1930's and magic had been around for a long time. Some of the greatest historical figures were magic users of one type of another, so while history was the similar, it wasn't actually the same. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did an excellent job. I thought the speech styles were unique, especially with the main character Jake Sullivan and the young traveler Fay. Those two were by far my favorite character. Jake had a very slow speech pattern with a drawl and wasn't very well spoken, but he was extremely intelligent. I did enjoy the contrast. Then Fay's speech was like a young "hick" without much education and had an innocent quality to it. One example is when Fay said that she was told killing people was wrong but all the people she killed were bad and she was killing them with her God given power, so she and God were probably okay. There also was non stop action, which is a good thing, though there was a point in the middle where I felt the odds against the main characters were a little too much. I do like the David vs. Goliath stories, I just don't like it when the odds get too outrageous and it feels like there is no hope at all. While the story was unique it did remind of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn - the first book. Having Jake be the very powerful magic user and then having Fay be someone even more powerful. They were also fighting someone insanely more powerful than them who did atrocious acts, but maybe there was an underlying reason for what he was doing and he thought he was doing it to protect the world? It wasn't the same, but I did get those hints that reminded me of Mistborn . There was a twist at the end of the story which I did see coming early on (or to me more precise, I felt the story could end up the way it did but I didn't know for sure it would end up that way).

So, I am kind of in a weird place on this one because I would highly recommend this book, but I am not sure if I am going to read the next book. Even though this book is part of a series, I do think it does a good job of being a stand alone story.

[Jacob · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I say this not because I want to qualify this review, but because I honestly and truly did. I expected a Chandler-esque novel filled with magic.

That is very much not the novel this is. This is a high-fantasy with a papier-mâché fedora. The world building is made from ironic snippets of this new world without actually engaging it in a meaningful way. Instead of seeing the society function in ways that would be unique, we are given historical anecdotes about how Hitler was killed before he could seize power. This type of world building is like being smacked in the face with mackerel and told you've now been to the ocean.

It’s an empty high-concept nothing. A few interesting ideas lost in the wake of paper-thin characters and cliché-drenched dialogue that had me snarling in disgust at the laziness of it all. Instead of constructing something meaningful it pushes you forward by dotting the world with enough gore and blood that you don't have time to realize just how bad the entire setup is.
It is a world where a girl's shift from idyllic youth to murderous heroine is handled by giving her the self-amused whims of a budding psychopath. If this was the way she had been built from the get go, I’d have given it a pass, but it’s not. It’s just that the easiest way to tackle loss of innocence is to just ignore it entirely. There is no character growth of any kind, just the same paper cutouts slamming into each other until the author decides he's had enough.

There is a market for this. Obviously. Economically it is a masterwork. It feeds into the blockbuster action movies of the 1980s with a lacquer coating alt-history ‘noir’. Different enough to be different, but familiar enough no one reading will be made uncomfortable by a stray thought or uncomfortable plot twist. Instead you can snicker at the old folksy racism and distantly think about how different the past was.

The book found its market. It has been consumed and praised for things it doesn't have and in a decade no one will know it ever existed.

There is a comfort in that.

[✨Susan✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun ride that launches a mystery right from the start. The characters who make up the Grimmnoir are so unique and are all introduced thoroughly without lingering on too many small details. The different magical powers they all possess and the different ways they use them is realy sensational, a lot of unexpected twists and turns.

Throughout the story we learn more about the depth of each character and they about eachother, which in turn, helps them to build a wonderful commeradery and the learned loyalty they will need to access to survive the journey.

Great heroes, sneaky villains and a fantastic narrator made this a very entertaining listen. Bronson Pinchot does such a crack job with all the voices you know exactly which character is speaking. Even with siblings he managed to place an apparent simularity but individuality between them. Wonderful talent. I would Recommend this book.

[Sublimacia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ja to žeriem aj s navijakom. Poriadná akčná Béčkovina plná nábojov a mágie a odtrhnutých končatín.
Larry je proste majster tohoto žánru.

Je to ideálny teaser pred lovcami monstier (tie série sú si dosť podobné ... no a?)
Takže kto má rád neutíchajúcu akciu ľudí so superschopnosťami, slabosť pre záchranu sveta a vesmíru, alebo vzducholode ... sem sa!!!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOOOVE this book. I'll post a more comprehensive review when I can be bothered! BTW this is a reread.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Larry Correia sure can write the hell out of a book.

Here we've got an alternate history where magic-users (known as Actives) work on the fringes of western society. Hitler, with his crazy Active breeding program, has been executed before he could do any damage, but the real threat is the Japanese Empire, with its army of super-enhanced Actives.

This book has everything: X-Men-like powers, noir-esque writing, action, romance, mid-air zeppelin battles, and lots and lots of guns. What always pleases me about Larry's books is that he creates not only great male characters, but his female characters are wonderful. There's not a single dumb bimbo to be found, but instead we've got complex and realistic women, the perfect matches for the equally well-written men.

Also, deapite the many alterations to history (big and small), the threads of political intrigue, history and working of this particular magic, rival secret societies, social commentary, and smaller relationships, Correia manages to keep track of it all, and weave it deftly into a marvelous story that just WORKS, y'know?

It just . . . it's just a hell of a read.