Sharp, sarcastic, and efficiently lethal, John Charming would feel right at home having drinks with Dean Winchester and Harry Dresden. If you’re looking for a new urban fantasy series to pick up, CHARMING is a guaranteed page-turner. John Charming isn’t your average Prince…He comes from a line of Charmings — an illustrious family of dragon slayers, witch-finders and killers dating back to … killers dating back to before the fall of Rome. Trained by a modern day version of the Knights Templar, monster hunters who have updated their methods from chain mail and crossbows to Kevlar and shotguns, John Charming was one of the best–until a curse made him one of the abominations the Knights were sworn to hunt.
That was a lifetime ago. Now, John tends bar under an assumed name in rural Virginia and leads a peaceful, quiet life. That is, until a vampire and a blonde walked into his bar…
CHARMING is the first novel in a new urban fantasy series which gives a new twist to the Prince Charming tale.
Pax Arcana CharmingDaringFearlessIn Shining ArmorLegend Has It
Short Fiction in the Pax Arcana world: Charmed I’m SureDon’t Go Chasing WaterfallsPushing LuckSurreal EstateDog-GoneBulls Rush InTalking Dirty
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Fans of the Dresden Files would love this series
James’ writing is superb and the action flows beautifully in the story so it all makes sense, not like “we are stopping for an action scene now.” James also has extensive knowledge about martial arts, meditation, and monster lore. Fantastic read. The whole series is great.
I loved this. This urban fantasy is usual in its broad strokes – the interaction of magic in this modern world – but the details (i.e. the magic system, the societies, the actors) are so very different and so very fascinating. This is like a grim twisted thriller version of Kristine Grayson’s Fates series crossed with Simon Green’s Secret Histories or Chloe Neill’s Devil’s Isle books. John is the kind of character I have to keep following; he is sarcastic, politically incorrect and paranoid to a fault, but he really tries to be the protective knight in rusty armour. Charming, he is and he ain’t!
There was a time if a story contained vamps or wolves, I would want it to be a romance. Lately, my tastes have changed, and I find I want something more. Less romance and more excitement. Luckily, Charming by Elliott James is fitting that bill for me because this page turner grabbed me from the beginning, and I couldn’t put it down. To be honest, the title and blurb had me believing I was going to be reading a completely different kind of book. I see Prince Charming and Knights Templar and my mind immediately goes to swash-buckling battles, maidens to rescue and all that other brouhaha that goes along with it…only set in more modern times. Instead I get a half-werewolf bartender, living with secrets that are all about to be exposed when a mysterious blonde walks into his bar.
What a collection of characters! Got to admit it, I loved John. He was such a fun character for me. It’s not often I enjoy a story told in a first person POV from a male perspective. His inner monologs had me on more than one occasion laughing out loud. The other characters I also found engaging. Sig is great and the banter between her and John was stellar. Not to say the rest of the characters weren’t great because they were. Really all the bantering around is what kept me sneaking in quick reads at work.
The story itself I found to be completely amazeballs. The world-building was paced perfectly for me and I thoroughly enjoyed how I couldn’t predict what was going to happen next. Filled with quick banter and gun toting/katana swinging action, it’s slow to build but once the momentum picks up, the story moves fast. Who was good, who was bad is anyone’s guess and that ending, WHOA! Did not see that coming. Judging by other reviews, Charming falls into either the love it or hate it column. You can put me firmly in the love it category I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Can’t wait to see what happens to John next!
Stars: 4.5
I received this book from Netgalley. I was not compensated for the book other than the entertainment it provided. All thoughts and opinions are my own.