Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge

A Novel of Magic and Mixology

By: Paul Krueger

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Bailey Chen is fresh out of college, with all the usual new-adult demons: no cash, no job offers, and an awkward relationship with Zane, the old friend she kinda-sorta hooked up with during high school.

But when Zane introduces Bailey to his monster-fighting bartender friends, her demons become a lot more literal. It turns out evil creatures stalk the city streets after hours, and they can be hunted only with the help of magically mixed cocktails: Vodka grants super strength, whiskey offers the power of telekinesis, and tequila lets its drinker fire blasts of elemental energy. But will all of these powers be enough for Bailey to halt a mysterious rash of gruesome deaths? And what will she do when the safety of a real-world job beckons?

This sharp and funny urban fantasy is perfect for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and grown-up listeners of Harry Potter. Includes 15 recipes from a book of ancient cocktail lore.

©2016 Paul Krueger (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Good in theory

Loved the premise of this book but the execution was lackluster. The plot was a little all over the place and characters were fairly one-note

Unique concept

Worth a listen it’s a unique concept. Drawbacks of the story is no one is super likeable. The protagonist was way too pressed to get with her friend who legit had a girlfriend up until the last few chapters and who was mean to her

Not an Old Fashioned

Cute premise. Good but not great writing. It’s was distracting that the author has no idea what a real old fashioned is but what can you expect from a ‘Noiser?

Fun listen

great concept and lore. recommend if you are looking for mild entertainment, but not expecting an all-time favorite.

Light and entertaining

I enjoyed this book. The story is original and well thought out. The world and characters are interesting, although some could use a little more development, but I'm thinking we'll see more of that in the next books.

The next part includes spoilers...

My biggest issue with the story is how inconsistent and immature she is when it comes to Zane. First she doesn't even see him as an actual guy but only as her highschool friend, but as soon as she realizes he has a girlfriend he really cares about then suddenly she develops a huge crush. And when he becomes a complete jerk she still has weird growing feelings for him even though she only worked with him briefly and has little to no contact with him afterwards. And in the end she just takes his hand and now they're a couple without ever having a discussion about it, and everyone has conveniently forgotten all about his beloved girlfriend, including him.

Anywho, despite this I really did like the book and I will probably give book two a shot as well.

Not bad, but not great

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

The story itself was not too bad, if Krueger put out a sequel, or even a book outside this realm, I would probably give it a try. The concept is definitely there. He has the talent. So, yes, I would urge someone to give it a try. Just because I wasn't head over heels about it, doesn't mean someone might not love it.

Would you be willing to try another one of Emily Woo Zeller’s performances?

I doubt it. It took me 6-7 chapters to not notice her voice and the way she speaks. It was very distracting. I actually considered asking for a refund and picking a different book. Once I was halfway through the book I was more into the story and didn't notice her voice as much.

Was Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge worth the listening time?

The story is solid. I think people will like it. It's fun, but I just wish there'd been a different narrator.

Fun...Did not need the love story

This was fun, exciting, and a book I can imagine could be bought for a series or a movie. It’s entertaining. I didn’t like the leading man and honestly without spoilers he doesn’t deserve the love story arc.

Silly but satisfying

Just that. Silly but satisfying. Lots of unanswered questions but that’s ok. Cute October read.

Loved

It had a definite twist on magic and demon slayers maintained a slight mystery at the end

So much fun! Hopefully a new series!

A fresh concept on magic and thoroughly entertaining, without complicated character delving and rationale. Well done! Looking forward to further books from this author!