The 13th Witch

The King's Watch, Book 1

By: Mark Hayden

Narrated by: Ciaran Saward

Length: 10 hrs

Publisher's summary

Did you know that the gods can use mobile phones?

They can, and Odin has a message for Conrad....

Conrad Clarke, former RAF pilot and alleged gangster, gets a text – and a visit – from The Allfather.

Odin has a challenge for Conrad: Sign up to protect England from wild magick and get a commission in the King’s Watch.

All he has to do is find a missing witch. Simple.

Conrad never could resist a challenge. Before you can say “Ragnarok”, he’s plunged into a world of gods, mages, witches, dwarves, and one very aggressive giant mole.

But the witch doesn’t want to be found, and powerful mages will kill to keep her hidden. Going back isn’t an option. Going forward looks a lot like death.

Armed with nothing but a sense of humor and a willingness to cheat, Conrad has to find the Witch and save his life.

Superbly narrated by Ciaran Saward, the first two books of the King’s Watch are now available in audio format.

Treat yourself to a copy now and experience a whole new universe of magick. And moles....

©2017 Mark Hayden and Paw Press (P)2020 Mark Hayden and Paw Press

Only had one complaint

I enjoyed this a lot, but I really don’t like the love interest. I think she distracts from the main characters and their stories.

Loved it.

I did get a little lost on who was who but really liked the main characters. I'm looking forward to the next book.

good overall

like the magic and the storybut the love interest seems forced throughout by both the author and the preformance and I'm on the 4th book. it's very distracting from otherwise engaging characters

Despite the sample, Odin's not that big a part of

(As posted in Goodreads)
Well, I fear that my rating of this does not reflect my opinion of it; that is to say that I didn't really care for it that much.
On the other hand, I think it's probably pretty well written. I like the flavor of Norse mythology, but it was no more than a flavor, and overall, that ended up just being a misdirection. That may well be the reason that I didn't care for it as much as I expected to.
The characters were well defined and consistent. And the plot was pretty good. It was nice to see one of the early important characters show up at the end, as opposed to being totally forgotten. Actually, it may in fact be worthy of an entire series after all…

A great story becomes even better

This is a great series of books, so I was a bit nervous about whether I'd like the audio version or not, but I need not have worried. As good as the books are, the story becomes even better with the narration. Little bits and pieces of the original story come alive under the effects of Ciaran Saward's voice. I was reading the latest book (Six Furlongs), and could almost hear the text in his voice! I can't wait for the next one!

If you're new to this series, it's a great mystery, with a strong urban fantasy element, and a nice romance thread that surfaces from time to time.

A Fun Read if You're an Urban Fantasy Fan

HUGE RoL fan here, always looking for more Urban Fantasy, and I enjoyed this romp. The prose is well-written, which is a deal-breaker for me if not. Past that, the story and characters are engaging. I enjoyed a couple of satisfying "Yeah! They deserved that!" moments. You can tell the author is finding his feet in the genre, and I expect his next installments will continue to gel. I'm looking forward to continuing with the series.

The 13th Witch

Complicated, but very enjoyable book!
The narrator was great with the different characters, making it easier to tell who was speaking.
I’ve purchased the next two books in the series!

Great series start

This book is a little rough around the edges. It starts rather abruptly and the romantic subplot is worked in oddly. And the whole series suffers from overuse of "There was one more thing to say". That said, as a first book in the series, it's a fantastic introduction into the world, characters, and magic system. I wouldn't call Conrad the most likeable character, but his narration is spot on, the perfect perspective for the story. The supporting characters are incredibly loveable!
The narrator for the audiobook is absolutely amazing and really makes it for me. Incredibly talented.
I highly recommend the series to anyone who enjoys "magic police" stories with a humorous edge. I'm currently on book 8.

not as good

This book is compared to the rivers of London books but...

The characters are not as engaging. the framework is crude by comparison and the situations are not as well written. The breadth and depth of this book does not live up to that formula. The main character is not engaging - more like a James Bond with a mythological God for a sponsor. All he needs is a little magic and kapow.

On top of that this book uses a magical term that is used frequently in the rivers of London books but redefines it differently. Grates on the ear.