Long Past Dues

The Unorthodox Chronicles, Book 2

By: James J. Butcher

Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin

Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Grimsby, the newest Auditor in the magical Department of Unorthodox Affairs, finds himself in hot water when he intercepts a friend’s case in this fast-paced and thrilling urban fantasy.

Against all odds, Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby has become an Auditor, enforcing laws about magic for Boston’s Department of Unorthodox Affairs. But Grimsby soon realizes the daily grind of his job is far removed from the glamour he imagined. Overlooked for every exciting case, Grimsby tires of being told to handle mundane magical troubles, and appropriates a case file intended for a friend.

Alongside Leslie Mayflower, the temporarily unretired Huntsman, Grimsby aims to crack the case and discover the origin of a strange, unfinished ritual—one that seems to imitate the handiwork of a foe Mayflower put down twenty years ago.

Together, they’ll have to deal with escaped werewolves, a cursed artifact, and a perilous journey to the mysterious subterranean city below Boston, all to uncover the shocking truth. At any cost, Grimsby must stop this ritual from finally being completed. Yet the cost may be paid not by himself but by his friends. . . .

©2023 James J. Butcher (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Butcher’s deft dialogue continues with tongue-in-cheek humor, wry commentary, and snark, while this magical Boston setting is both familiar and fantastical. . . . This well-paced urban fantasy is a delightful addition to the subgenre.”—Library Journal

weak pseudo hero

so I listened to the 1st book. thought I would try number2. hoping the m.c would get stronger...nooo he crys about hurting monsters he crys at the drop of a hat.. he's a weak whinging crybaby...can't stand a m.c. so weak

If you love Butcher listen to it.

I love Dresden and this series is growing on me as well. I recommend it.

A good second book

The book can be a little slow but it still holds your attention and you don’t want to put it down.

Long Past Dues

Interesting book series. I enjoyed the characters and the story! Lots of action. Good narration but a few words like rune annoyed me how it was pronounced.

Be patient. Worth it.

I had written a somewhat lengthy review and just accidentally wiped it out. Got to love Android phones. Short version: there were kind of a lot of small mistakes in this story early on that I thought the editor(s) should have caught. for example, why would the Grimsby who has so much respect for the elsewhere in the first book enter the elsewhere in his jammies as he does in this book? Seems out of character.
The were also a few short conversations between Grimsby and Mayflower that just didn't seem consistent with both of their backgrounds and experience.
I found the first scene in the elsewhere to be boring and seemingly endless. so far the Elsewhere is not interesting to me, and neither is Wudge, though he is sometimes entertaining.
But once that was over, things improved quite a bit and got steadily better.
I like the reader overall, but he is missing a lot in the tone and humor department. There must have been a dozen times when I couldn't help but be distracted by what he just missed. Dude, you could have had so much fun with that! So maybe the production team can give him some coaching on catching the wry semi-sarcastic humor that comes frequently from Grimsby's point of view.
Complaints aside, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next story.

excellent sequel!

Butcher's second installment contains everything good about the first book with more besides. A gripping plot with plenty of action, twists, and suspense. Thoroughly enjoyable!

Loved this book

I loved The Dresden files and I think this will be just as great, can’t wait.

A great read

Expert narration. The variety and consistency of the different characters was incredible. The writing of Butcher is, as always, excellent.

Darker and Lighter

I read an interview where James talked about how an optimist in a utopia doesn't stand out, how Grimsby is the optimist in a dark world, and that makes him really special. James was right. His world is dark enough to keep pace with the best of the Grimdark genre but his use of Grimsby as a beacon in the dark makes you really care about him. I found myself afraid of what was coming to crush and torture Grimsby, not because I was afraid he'd give in to some dark side and stop being the hero, but because Grimsby doesn't deserve it. it's impossible to read James' story and not compare it to his father's urban fantasy defining collection, and like father like son, The Unorthodox Chronicles are well written fun reads that make you care about the characters and the world they are in, but the works are so different in just the right ways that you don't feel like Jim is just ghost writing an alternate version of his protagonist. A great read and a strong addition to the urban fantasy genre.

Series coming into its own!

love the book and really enjoying the series. it's good to see the characters evolving a bit and getting more interesting.