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    Spectred Isle
    Spectred Isle
    Spectred Isle
    Audiobook7 hours

    Spectred Isle

    Written by KJ Charles

    Narrated by Ruairi Carter

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Archaeologist Saul Lazenby has been all but unemployable since his disgrace during the War. Now he scrapes a living working for a rich eccentric who believes in magic. Saul knows it's a lot of nonsense . . . except that he begins to find himself in increasingly strange and frightening situations. And at every turn he runs into the sardonic, mysterious Randolph Glyde.

    Randolph is the last of an ancient line of arcanists, commanding deep secrets and extraordinary powers as he struggles to fulfill his family duties in a war-torn world. He knows there's something odd going on with the haunted-looking man who keeps turning up in all the wrong places. The only question for Randolph is whether Saul is victim or villain.

    Saul hasn't trusted anyone in a long time. But as the supernatural threat grows, along with the desire between them, he'll need to believe in evasive, enraging, devastatingly attractive Randolph. Because he may be the only man who can save Saul's life-or his soul.

    Contains mature themes.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateSep 11, 2018
    ISBN9781977381750
    Spectred Isle
    Author

    KJ Charles

    KJ Charles is a writer and editor. She lives in London with her husband, two kids, a garden with quite enough prickly things, and a cat with murder management issues. Find her on Twitter @kj_charles for daily timewasting and the odd rant, or in her Facebook group, KJ Charles Chat, for sneak peeks and special extras.

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    Reviews for Spectred Isle

    4/5

    145 ratings10 reviews

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    • 4/5
      An exceptionally well-paced novel with good action. The romance was a bit heavy handed but still a delight. I want more!

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      KJ never disappoints. It's always a delight to listen to her work. The narrator did a great job.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Not my favorite of KJ Charles's work, but it's still a fun read. The romance was a bit tightly paced but exciting. The worldbuilding was fresh and intriguing, and I wanted more. Wish the series had been expanded.
    • 4/5
      Extremely well done from a historical perspective. Could have done without the sex scenes.
    • 4/5
      There was a challenge to read the hist rom that's been on my TBR the longest, this was it--but now I recall why I didn't! No follow-ups to this yet, right?? DANG.
    • 4/5
      This is an interesting use of English folklore and includes all my favourite bits - ghosts, real history, magic, and archeology.
      In this book, the Green Man is more than just lore, and whose power is the crux of a spell that holds paranormal denizens from hell at bay. Randolph, a kind of mage with a long family history, and his fellow Green Men, which include a ghost hunter and two Government-created mutants, are tasked at protecting England from what most of its citizens don't even know exist. The Government looks to use them to their own ends but the Green Men only work for King and Country and the new establishment doesn't jive well with that. Saul Lazenby, an archeologist that made some bad decisions in the War that got him dishonorably discharged, jailed, and ultimately disowned by his family, finally finds work with an eccentric Lord with a taste for the occult that leads to him crossing paths (and more) with Randolph.

      More great characters from K.J. Charles and a completely unique story makes this a really fun and interesting recommend.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this, and it could have partly been my mood or something, but I wasn't as drawn in as I usually am with Charles's books. Still, it was definitely worth reading.
    • 5/5
      If you had asked me to read a historical 2 years ago, I would have asked "do I have to?". I had read several, usually for challenges but they often were under duress, even if I ended up enjoying them *grin*

      Then I discovered this series. I'm sure you know which one I'm referring to. And it was historical, but with a major paranormal element. And I found I loved it. Then I found a lovely story co-written with K.J. Charles, and "that was all, she wrote"!

      The storytelling in this book was superb, as always. It might have taken a moment to become invested, but once I did the characters drew me in and wouldn't let go. I also really enjoyed the fact that it's set in the same world as Simon Feximal's story.

      My only regret is that there doesn't seem to be any sign of further books in the series. However, I'll keep hoping that the author finds the inspiration to continue, as I really want to read more!
    • 3/5
      3 stars. i'd have liked to like this more. but it's at best a workmanlike job. too bad, the Green Man folklore thing doesn't get explored too often, so more could have been done with that. ditto the hints at a Yggdrasil-in-the heart of London setup, also never explored. there's also a hint of a Laundry Files-like government occult org seen from the outside in post-WW1 England, and that could have been interesting. but all this background is just pastiche, little bits never really integrated into the narrative with any detail, presumably because they just didn't matter much to the writer. the only part that did seem to matter was the two principals, a disgraced archaeologist and an upper-class career occultist, both damaged by the war. unfortunately they both seemed rather wooden, on their own and then together. maybe the author's clear investment in their connection just didn't translate. at any rate, all these elements needed several more rewrites in order to really gel and become more than a collection of disparate parts. it could have been so much better, which is always frustrating for the reader.
    • 5/5
      A truly delicious read. People talk about the role of the occult in WWII, but what about WWI? In the aftermath of the war, Raymond Glyde, an occultist and Keeper, keeps meeting up with Saul Lazenby as Saul researches Geoffrey de Mandeville for his employer. Soon it becomes obvious the meetings are more than coincidence. What is the Shadow Ministry, and why does Raymond dislike it so much (and why are they so interested in Saul?). The two men find that their continued accidental meetings become anticipated as they find a building attraction between them. The supporting characters are intriguing and like-able (mostly), as Raymond and Saul struggle to break free from the ghosts of the past (literally and figuratively) and work together to save London from Geoffrey de Mandeville--in whatever form he exists. ARC supplied by the author. All views are my own.