Book of Souls

A Prof Croft Prequel

By: Brad Magnarella

Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin

How did Everson Croft discover his powers?

Let's go back to the night I turned 13, the night Grandpa filleted my finger with his cane sword.

I can't say what terrified me more, the cold anger in his eyes or the crazy things in his locked study. A talking trunk. Squirming coats. A bookshelf whose titles shifted before my eyes. And one chilling title in particular: Book of Souls.

Ten years later I'm on my way to a Romanian monastery, in search of that lost book. But I'm not the only one. Three others have beaten me to the local village: two researchers and...

Well, I'm not sure who Flor is other than Spanish, secretive, and sexier than a summer dress.

Can I trust her - or any of them? I don't know, but we've got werewolves on our scent, not to mention an ancient curse hanging over the remote ruins.

Getting there and back is going to require serious cooperation. Or serious magic.

Book of Souls is a short prequel that can be listened to before or after Demon Moon (Prof Croft, Book 1).

©2016 Brad Magnarella (P)2016 Brad Magnarella

A good background

from the first story. This was a fun read, though I recommend reading it after the first one.

My only gripe is how obvious the plot twist was. Otherwise it was really on point.

Book of souls was awesome

I didn’t want it to end! Now I need to read the whole series - I only hope they’re just as good or better.

Great series intro!

This was a pretty good story and a great introduction to the series. Lots of twists and turns. If you're looking to try out this series, this novella is a good start. I enjoyed the narration. He kept all of the characters voices separated well and made the story more enjoyable.

Kind of glad that it ended the way it did.. Not a fan of secondary characters

Most definitely a good partial start (prequel) to what I imagine might be an enjoyable series for me to read/listen to. I grabbed this book along with the other prequel to the Prof Croft series, partially sure to his involvement in the Blue Wolf book that I have read. I do have others in the aforementioned book series, so I shall see if he continues to be in the books or even is a central character to the heroes team/cadre of friends.

Nice stand alone beginning to the series

I was hoping to get more backstory to some of the secondary characters but it was good to find out how he got his start. James Cronin is an excellent reader.

Like the backstory

How the prof and Thelonious met. Short story that fills in some background.

Indiana Jones/Lara Croft-esque plus magic

A solid prequel story. It starts off a little slowly, as Everson Croft, our main character recalls memories about his taciturn and mysterious grandfather that hint that he was more magical than just ordinary. Nothing much is really revealed to us. The action really gets good when Everson, now a grad student in mythology, travels to Romania to find an old monastary that is rumored to contain some ancient transcripts of books, including one (The Book of Souls) that he recalls seeing on his grandfather's bookshelf. Once there, he encounters some fellow travelers also set on finding the old monastery's books in the only hotel in the small town. The locals seem hostile, and warn the travelers of local legendary giant werewolves that haunt the woods they will have to traverse to get to the monastery. The group of travelers don't seem to want to share personal information, and are secretive about why they are going to the monastery. Reluctant to travel together, bad weather and the danger of the wolves they hear howling at night convince them to set off together. From that point it's a fast-paced adventure story that is somewhat Indiana Jones/Lara Croft-esque: wolves, double-crosses, guns, and the looting of the secret temple (oops, I mean monastery). The story is fun and exciting. Everson discovers a secret and has to try to outwit his competitors to keep it.

A fun prequel, I am excited to move forward into the actual series and see Everson discover and build his skills. I bet we've certainly got a sidekick coming, maybe a love interest, and a nemesis to revel himself. Magical artifacts and ancient secrets, ahoy! Pleasant, smooth narration. 3.5 stars

Don't miss this!

urban-fantasy, mage, magic, action-adventure, wizard, werewolves

What fun! I've read Demon Moon, and loved it. This comes before he completes his PhD and becomes a professor. In this one, he learns more about his grandfather and the mysteries surrounding him. He travels to an abandoned monastery in Europe to find the Book of Souls, and then the adventures begin! Don't miss this one!
I got the audio on the cheap, and James Patrick Cronin is excellent as Prof Croft and all the others!

Introduction to the Everson Croft Series

I had downloaded Blood Deal when I noticed this book was a prequel to the story and an introduction to the character of Everson Croft. I love the unusual name and really enjoyed this too short introduction. There were twists and turns I didn't expect and Everson is a great down to earth guy with a fun sense of humor. There were some tantalizing tidbits of his family background and I am curious to learn more. Fun, enjoyable book with excellent narration by James Patrick Cronin. He really nailed Croft's easy going tone. His character voices were excellent as well.

Book of souls

I enjoyed reading this adventure book with paranormal activity and archeological searching. I want to read more from this author.