Temporary Monsters

The Temporary Magic Series, Book 1

By: Craig Shaw Gardner

Narrated by: Thomas Machin

Lenny Hodge is a young man with certain abilities - special talents that even he doesn't understand. It is only when he joins Terrifitemps (the temporary employment agency that secretly controls the world) and meets his new team - a psychic, a vampire, a ghost hunter, and a werevole (yes, a werevole) - that Lenny realizes how much his special talent will put him in jeopardy.

But it's worth it, right? Hasn't Lenny always wanted to save the world?

©2016 Craig Shaw Gardner (P)2017 David N. Wilson

Scary good fun`

Characters are unique and fleshed out, the narrator does a great job getting there voices different. The story does drag a butt on the carpet a bit but then it takes off and your glued to the words.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher

Another light hearted addition from Mr Gardner

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, A fun light listen

What other book might you compare Temporary Monsters to and why?

This book is, in many ways, much like many other of Mr Gardner's

Have you listened to any of Thomas Machin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This seems to be my first encounter with Mr Machin's work. But I look forward to future works form him.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, It's a good story, but it seems to follow the same formula as many of Mr Gardner's previous works.

Any additional comments?

First, to get it out of the way, "I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."
With that said, anyone who has ever read, or listened to any of Craig Shaw Gardner's earlier works can be prepared for more of the same. He writes with a familiar formula that tells a fun lighted hearted story that entertains the reader/listener. If you are looking for an epic with deep meaning, you will disappointed.
If you have never encountered Mr Gardner's work, have no fear. This is a great story to introduce your self to his works.
Mr Machin's narration of this book is a superb compliment to this book. Making the story that much more enjoyable.

Temporary Monsters

Any additional comments?

It took awhile for me to get into the story. I really like the quirky characters. The narrator seemed to hit his stride third way into the book. I would recommend this book to my friends. I received this audiobook for free from Audiobook Boom for my unbiased review.

A cute story

Wonderful for young adults. This is one I would let my children read. I received this audiobook for free and voluntarily reviewed.

An amazingly funny Urban Fantasy!

Lenny Hodge has had weird stuff happen to him since he was a kid. Mermaids, aliens, you name it, Lenny has probably seen it. Lenny can't seem to hold a job. Weird things just keep happening to him. He eventually ends up at TerrifiTemps, a job placement company. They offer him an immediate job on their staff. What Lenny doesnt know is that TerrifiTemps is a group dedicated to fighting supernatural and superscience Evil. Lenny is put on a team with a Romanian Vampire, a ghost finder, a Werevole (Think a really big Mole), and a psychic. They immediately head out on a mission after Terrifitemps boss is cursed, and they track the villainy to Foo, an evil genius. This begins the race against time to stop Foo's evil machinations for world domination. Can Lenny's erratic powers be trained enough on the job to stop Foo? Only way to find out is to listen to the book.

Characters are a major strength of this book. They're quirky, funny and earnest, and that includes the villain, who looks at world domination as just another corporate merger. Lenny is a likable everyman who just has so much weirdness swirl around him. The TerrifiTemps crew is hilarious, as are Foo's Henchmen and his narcissist of a daughter. This is a worthy successor to his Wuntavor books of the 80's, which are some of my favorite comedic fantasies.

Thomas Machin did an excellent job narrating. He brings each character to distinctive life. His pacing is good, and the narration never lagged or became monotone. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment of this team.