A Plain-Dealing Villain

Daniel Faust Volume 4

De: Craig Schaefer

Narrado por: Adam Verner

It's hard to make a dishonest buck in Sin City, especially when a rogue FBI agent is gunning for your head. Flat broke and one step ahead of the law, Daniel Faust flees Vegas and lands in Chicago, where a risky heist promises to fill his pockets with cash.

There are the risks you can account for, and then there are the risks you never see coming, the ones that leave you blindsided and fighting to survive. Daniel is a stranger in a strange land, out of his element and surrounded by corrupt sorcerers, demons, and worse. Still, with a friend's soul hanging in the balance - not to mention a pile of stolen cash - giving up isn't an option.

Before he's done, Daniel will descend into the depths of Chicago's occult netherworld, competing in an underground poker tournament where the winner takes all...and with the infernal Court of Night-Blooming Flowers running the show, "winner takes all" has an entirely new meaning. The Flowers haven't forgotten Daniel's past insults, and if they get their way, he'll never leave the Windy City alive.

©2015 Demimonde Books (P)2015 Demimonde Books

Love this series!

Great narration! The character voices make the story complete. Great story line, best in the series.

Could. Not. Put. Down.!

I started this and then had to put it aside. Not by choice! Once I got back into it, it maybe took a day to finish. Could. Not. Put. Down.!

Interestingly, this feels more like a book that was divided in two. Unlike his previous three, Craig Schaefer ends this on a major cliff hanger. His others mostly come to an end with everything answered. Although Faust has been in trouble since day one and it tends to follow him around, this one was very different. The ending had me immediately picking up the fifth in the series. Thank goodness I am not reading these when they were published because I had a moment of anger, frustration, and denial, and then I started reading book five.

This did have all of the other aspects of Daniel Faust. All the old characters are in this and causing just as much havoc as before. The problem is, and maybe my lines are blurring a little here, I don't think of Faust as a bad guy. People tell him that they could not just murder the way he does, but he doesn't. He does if someone is an (insert expletives here) but only if they deserve it. This part of Faust's identity has really given me a lot to think about. I always come out with the same conclusion, though, I just love him!

Like the others this has a bit of a twisty plot. It starts out linear and then next thing you know there are fifteen different ways the plot can go. And once again Adam Verner is up to the task of narrating through the different ways of that plot. He has the perfect voice for Faust but I am always amazed at his accents. Caitlyn's is still my favorite but by book four I can easily discern every single character. As for the other books in the series as well, the audio is amazing. Never does it skip a beat. I was able to fully feel brought into the story and forget that I actually have a life outside of Faust's crazy world!

Be ready, at the end of this, to have book five immediately accessible. You will not regret it!

Audiobook provided for review by the narrator.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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excellent story. but im done with the series.

i have throughly enjoyed the daniel faust novels, but at this point i clap my hands and walk away. just to many things are starting to tumble. harmony black comes off as an obnoxious spoiled child in all aspects, and leaves me sorely tempted to skip forward whenever she showed up, and that the author is releasing a series based on her? ill pass.

the story is good, though some odd inconsistencies mar things here or there. and i am still baffled by how faust is suppose to be a "villain". granted, he is not a good guy, but he isnt evil, just a dick. he has been one of the more realistic and enjoyable characters ive read in a long while, and i love how clever he is. but again, this is where i say goodbye. part of me would like to continue the stories and learn more, but its just starting to drag with things.

Entertaining, if a bit repetitive

While the story played out similarly to the previous novels, it was still written well and very entertaining to listen to, much credit given to both the author and the narrator.

JESUS GOD THAT ENDING!

I could go on and on about the rest of the book, but the other books so far didn't end on this massive of a cliffhanger. Shit...now I GOTTA know what happens next.

does it again

Craig Schafer just seems to know how to do this as easy as breathing. always fun, and a good thrill.

Another great addition!

A Plain-Dealing Villain
Daniel Faust Volume 4
By: Craig Schaefer
Narrated by: Adam Verner
This has demon action, magic gone bad, worse deals, evil sorcery, and plenty of action! Danger and suspense is constant in this book! Very intense!
Narration perfection!

Enjoyable

The narrator of the series is a very good reader. This is a solid story to listen to.

Love the series

Both the story and narriation are fantastic, love the whole series I'm very glad the same guy narrated them all!

Excellent long-con standalone, even better UF arc

The series hit my Goldilocks zone with this book. Finally, all the elements of urban fantasy come together with the right ratio. Gritty urban fantasy, unique world building, action, intrigue, and snark. The first book was lighter on Faust’s magic, thief, and grifter skills, with each successive book slowly showcasing them to a greater degree; this book brings all his skills out to play. Prior books were a bit choppy with the baddie’s screen time, giving mere scraps and then plopping them down at the climax. But here, we get multiple baddies chewing the scenery throughout the book: Echo, Royce, Nadine … so many great villains to hate. Also, this is the first book where I felt the emotional punch of lost characters. That’s either because the writing is better or because I’ve reached saturation level and am now invested in the series.

The standalone heist gone wrong story was excellent, with each misstep upping the stakes and delivering a nail-biting thriller. But, I also loved how a new series arc is woven in, with a cliffhanger ending that ensures I’ll move onto the next book.