Title: Thunderstruck
Author: Daniel Quigley
Date/year published: Sept 21, 2023 by Lost Boys Press to pre-order your copy click here (Lost Boys Press Site) I am not affiliated with Lost Boys Press, because they are a small indie publisher, I decided to share their site.
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format: e-pub, ARC (advanced reader copy) read on my kindle
Why did I choose to read it: I was looking for something different. When I read the blurb on the publisher’s website it sounded interesting.
Synopsis: Zev, a young man able to harness electricity through magic, finds himself ensnared in a world of black-market magic sales, mythical creatures, and covert operations when he is hired to purchase a rare item for some shady business men. When he gets sent to Savannah GA for the sale, he gets lost in the city, makes many acquaintances, and, of course, saves the world.
Thoughts:
This is the first book in a planned series. That being said, I liked that the main plot of this book concluded at the end, making it a one-off read as well; meaning you wouldn’t have to read the sequel to find out what happens. I hate when that happens. It left openings for more adventures without obvious cliff hangers or questions left unanswered. And the questions that were left unanswered–like what happened to his uncle–fall into the “obvious reasons for a series” category and leave just enough encouragement to read the next book if you want to.
This was a quick read for me. The words flowed easily, and the plot moved along well. I especially liked that even though it was a chosen one trope, Zev had, and could use, his powers from the get-go. That was a refreshing change of pace, as was his age. It had many of the bits that make YAF (young adult fantasy) fun reads but with more mature characters, themes, and wit.
The writing style was occasionally too repetitive for my taste, using multiple examples to get the point across. However, Zev has a unique personality and what felt like overuse to me created a distinct image of his persona. As did the many social and cultural references. The author even included a running joke, the word gadzooks, which was a cute, creative touch.
I also enjoyed the use of older myths, monsters, and folklore. As with any fantasy book, there are magic rules, creature traits, and vocabulary created for it. The author did a good job working explanations into the story. It helps that Zev is new to the magical world as well. Written from his point of view (POV), he gets (and gives) the answers the readers may need.
Would I re-read or recommend it?
Re-read? Probably not. It was a fun, quick read. If/when the sequel comes out, I would consider reading it but won’t feel like I’m missing anything if I don’t.
Recommend: If you like snarky main characters and urban fantasy, consider looking into this book.
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