Fantasy

Dead Man's Hand

Dead Man's Hand

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-10-13 04:19:51
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：James J. Butcher
  • ISBN：B09S2W55W5
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Summary

11 hours， 10 minutes

In the tradition of his renowned father， James J。 Butcher's debut novel is a brilliant urban fantasy about a young man who must throw out the magical rule book to solve the murder of his former mentor。

On the streets of Boston， the world is divided into the ordinary Usuals， and the paranormal Unorthodox。 And in the Department of Unorthodox Affairs， the Auditors are the magical elite， government-sanctioned witches with spells at their command and all the power and prestige that comes with it。 Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby is。。。not one of those witches。

After flunking out of the Auditor training program and being dismissed as "not Department material，" Grimsby tried to resign himself to life as a mediocre witch。 But he can't help hoping he'll somehow， someway， get another chance to prove his skill。 That opportunity comes with a price when his former mentor， aka the most dangerous witch alive， is murdered down the street from where he works， and Grimsby is the Auditors' number one suspect。

Proving his innocence will require more than a little legwork， and after forming a strange alliance with the retired legend known as the Huntsman and a mysterious being from Elsewhere， Grimsby is abruptly thrown into a life of adventure， whether he wants it or not。 Now all he has to do is find the real killer， avoid the Auditors on his trail， and most importantly， stay alive。

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Reviews

Darcy ，

I really wanted to like this book， I love the Dresden series， was hoping it would be like father like son。 I even got my library to purchase the audio version of this one as that is how I like to read these kind of books。 Sadly this one didn't work out for me， I'm giving up at the 50% mark。 I didn't like Grimsby， who seems like a bumbling fool， barely scrapping by in life， didn't like the Huntsman either， who seems like he's given up on life and would rather spend his last days at the bottom of I really wanted to like this book， I love the Dresden series， was hoping it would be like father like son。 I even got my library to purchase the audio version of this one as that is how I like to read these kind of books。 Sadly this one didn't work out for me， I'm giving up at the 50% mark。 I didn't like Grimsby， who seems like a bumbling fool， barely scrapping by in life， didn't like the Huntsman either， who seems like he's given up on life and would rather spend his last days at the bottom of a bottle， despite being pretty young。 Both of them seemed to have contempt for the other。 The Huntsman forces Grimsby to help him because his name was bandied about。 I cant' bring myself to care if they get things figured out or even manage to work together。 In the end this one isn't for me。 。。。more

Barb Lie ，

Dead Man’s Hand by James J。 Butcher is his debut novel， which is the first book in his new series， The Unorthodox Chronicles。 The Unorthodox Chronicles is a magic world， with human Usuals and paranormal Unorthodox; the Department of Unorthodox Affairs and Auditors are government magical elites， with witches who use spells to control their power。 There are two main characters who lead in this story。Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby failed in his attempt to be an Auditor， and with his mentor now dead， Gri Dead Man’s Hand by James J。 Butcher is his debut novel， which is the first book in his new series， The Unorthodox Chronicles。 The Unorthodox Chronicles is a magic world， with human Usuals and paranormal Unorthodox; the Department of Unorthodox Affairs and Auditors are government magical elites， with witches who use spells to control their power。 There are two main characters who lead in this story。Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby failed in his attempt to be an Auditor， and with his mentor now dead， Grimsby has become the prime suspect。 He works at a restaurant to make some money， using his witch abilities， until he is approached by The Huntsman （a retired assassin for the Unorthodox）， who at first plans to kill him; but then Mayflower （the huntsman） realizes that Grimsby is innocent。 Despite their obvious differences， they partner to find the real culprit。Where Mayflower， is considered a legend， who has been around forever， and is an expert in all Unorthodox and Auditor affairs; even though he is now retired， he needs to find out who killed his former mentor。 It is Grimsby who Mayflower needs to help him， with his witch abilities。 Grimsby was in many ways a coward， bumbling up many things， while Mayflower would usually save him。 I found that both main characters were not totally likeable， with Mayflower being hard and sarcastic throughout， and Grimsby totally off the wall for the most part。 Closer to the end， they managed to work well together。 Dead Man’s Hand is a unique urban fantasy adventure， at times suspenseful; with witches that enforce the Unorthodox。 Grimsby and Mayflower are constantly thrown into chaos and danger; with Grimsby a reluctant witch， Mayflower a grumpy veteran， and mystery that has many twists and turns。 Will they survive？ Dead Man’s Hand was well written by James J。 Butcher， though I did think there was too many details and redundancy。 If you like Urban Fantasy， I do suggest you give this book a try。BarbThe Reading Cafe 。。。more

Sarah ，

Grimsby yearned to be an Auditor， policing other magic-wielding Unorthodox like himself， but he was （justifiably） booted from the program。 Now the teen is reduced to party tricks at a fast food restaurant。 When someone murders the witch who killed his Auditor dreams， all clues point to Grimsby despite his general incompetence。 Only the Huntsman， a washed up but still lethal hitman， believes in his innocence。 The mismatched duo must find the real killer to avenge the dead witch and keep Grimsby f Grimsby yearned to be an Auditor， policing other magic-wielding Unorthodox like himself， but he was （justifiably） booted from the program。 Now the teen is reduced to party tricks at a fast food restaurant。 When someone murders the witch who killed his Auditor dreams， all clues point to Grimsby despite his general incompetence。 Only the Huntsman， a washed up but still lethal hitman， believes in his innocence。 The mismatched duo must find the real killer to avenge the dead witch and keep Grimsby from sharing her fate。 The humor falls flat; the narrative doesn't come together until it turns serious towards the end。 Thanks， Netgalley。 。。。more

Heidi ，

It’s a solid debut。 Ignore the genre famous father。 The writing style is quite different。 It’s a darker book。 And the Dresden Files aren’t exactly cheerful。 The magic here is a little bit more towards the horror side。 I mean sure the vampires and fae in the other Butcher’s books will eat you two but the magic is here more of a if you see it coming you’ll start screaming in horror at the sight kind of magic instead of dying with a smile as you’re seduced kind of magic…。Grimshaw in addition to hav It’s a solid debut。 Ignore the genre famous father。 The writing style is quite different。 It’s a darker book。 And the Dresden Files aren’t exactly cheerful。 The magic here is a little bit more towards the horror side。 I mean sure the vampires and fae in the other Butcher’s books will eat you two but the magic is here more of a if you see it coming you’ll start screaming in horror at the sight kind of magic instead of dying with a smile as you’re seduced kind of magic…。Grimshaw in addition to having a great side of trauma from surviving a fire that left him with some pretty terrible scarring he’s also on the bottom rung of the employment ladder。 He’s got a crappy apartment， barely makes ends meet， at one point he’s got a package of ramen to offer someone in his house。 Nothing else。 He has no prospects。 He’s a witch and while the mundane types know about magic magic sorts are looked down at and discriminated against。 He was denied what would have been a decent job by someone who turned up murdered and now he’s a suspect。 There are some saintly souls out there who’s still be nice through what he’s lived through but let’s be honest with ourselves。 Most of us don’t stay nice when the world seems arrayed against us。 A little sulking and sullenness is probably pretty justified where we meet this character。Good for a debut and I’d ready another book of this pretty cheerfully！ 。。。more

Anne - Books of My Heart ，

Review October 15

Bruce Raterink ，

I was anxious to read this because I loved his father's Dresden Files series。 Unfortunately， this one just didn't do it for me。 I couldn't really get into it， I found it slow and thought the characters were kind of one dimensional。 I can't really recommend this oneThanks to NetGalley and ACE books for the eARC。 I was anxious to read this because I loved his father's Dresden Files series。 Unfortunately， this one just didn't do it for me。 I couldn't really get into it， I found it slow and thought the characters were kind of one dimensional。 I can't really recommend this oneThanks to NetGalley and ACE books for the eARC。 。。。more

☕️Kimberly （Caffeinated Reviewer） ，

Indeed， fans of the Dresden Files and Alex Verus will find themselves cozying up to the Unorthodox Chronicles。 It stands on its own and was a fantastic debut。 This first in series has me excited about the stories to come。I love urban fantasy particularly in audio format as was delighted to listen。 James Patrick Cronin did a splendid job giving voice to our protagonist Grimsby， as well as Mayflower， known as the Huntsman。 This narrator was new to me， but I am looking forward to hearing more from Indeed， fans of the Dresden Files and Alex Verus will find themselves cozying up to the Unorthodox Chronicles。 It stands on its own and was a fantastic debut。 This first in series has me excited about the stories to come。I love urban fantasy particularly in audio format as was delighted to listen。 James Patrick Cronin did a splendid job giving voice to our protagonist Grimsby， as well as Mayflower， known as the Huntsman。 This narrator was new to me， but I am looking forward to hearing more from him。We are introduced to the world filled with ordinary Usuals， and the paranormal Unorthodox， who live among humans and the governing body that polices them。 The Department of Unorthodox Affairs whose Auditors; magically elite， government-sanctioned witches who have spells at their command， power， and prestige。 There were some unique elements， such as the glasses Grimsby wore， I found fascinating。When a powerful witch is murdered， Mayflower， the Huntsman who retired from the business， is called in。 He does so because the witch was his friend。 A note at the scene leads them to Grimsby。 He’s a disabled usual who works at a human pizza joint that hosts birthday parties for children， complete with a castle， knights and a mote。 Grimsby soon finds himself in danger and joins up with Mayflower。 The tale that unfolds held me captive and entertained as auditors， familiars and danger come to call。The pacing was well done as the world-building was woven throughout the tale。 Magic lairs， strange creatures， deadly battles and character growth formed our hero。 I have to say; I loved seeing the growth in Grimsby。 He started out as this down on your luck dude with a solid moral code。 He was flawed， noble， vulnerable and transformed out of necessity。 The creature he unwittingly befriends was a favorite。The story ended on a high note， but also dangled some knowledge that has me eager for the next audio in the series。 While I received an advanced copy， I also grabbed a copy with a credit so I can listen again。 This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer 。。。more

Linda Swick ，

This book is not something I normally read but once I got into it it was enjoyable。 If you enjoy adventure and witches it’s for you。 Read and find out for yourself。

Sherwood Smith ，

Basically a solid beginning to a series by the son of the famous writer。 I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the setup; I loved the odd-couple main protagonists。While the voice isn't as polished as Butcher senior， this Butcher doesn't display the tick that finally stopped me from reading the Harry Dresden series， vis。 absolutely everyone always "said softly。" He said softly， she said softly， and *especially* I said softly。Looking forward to seeing more， as JLB polishes his voice and gets his world a Basically a solid beginning to a series by the son of the famous writer。 I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the setup; I loved the odd-couple main protagonists。While the voice isn't as polished as Butcher senior， this Butcher doesn't display the tick that finally stopped me from reading the Harry Dresden series， vis。 absolutely everyone always "said softly。" He said softly， she said softly， and *especially* I said softly。Looking forward to seeing more， as JLB polishes his voice and gets his world and his long story going。 。。。more

Linsey aka Bibliofiendlm ，

I really enjoyed this。 Butcher Jr。 has definitely been paying attention to his father and what elements make a strong sci fi/fantasy narrative。 It reminds me of early Dresden Files - as if a side trip with Morgan and Butters。 Good humor and worldbuilding， although I do see areas for improvement as the series develops。

Kim ，

If you are looking for another series by Jim Butcher， James J。 Butcher’s first book， Dead Man’s Hand， will not be it… but you won’t be disappointed。 I did get some similarities between the father and son’s books， but James made this one all his own。 I’m really hoping that he continues to do so and doesn’t let more of his father’s DNA slip into this series。We still have the rough living mentor （The Huntsman）， who wants to hurry this mission along so he can get back to the bottle。 And there’s the If you are looking for another series by Jim Butcher， James J。 Butcher’s first book， Dead Man’s Hand， will not be it… but you won’t be disappointed。 I did get some similarities between the father and son’s books， but James made this one all his own。 I’m really hoping that he continues to do so and doesn’t let more of his father’s DNA slip into this series。We still have the rough living mentor （The Huntsman）， who wants to hurry this mission along so he can get back to the bottle。 And there’s the newbie apprentice （Grimsby） with a traumatic past， where some of the humorous parts come in。 Plus there’s a creature that reminds me of Dobby （the house elf from Harry Potter） that is much more self-assured and literal， who also adds to the humor… and could be seen as Bob， the skull。But all of these points and other fantasy tropes could also point towards other authors like Kim Harrison with the use of demons， the agency that controls magic that really doesn’t like Grimsby or The Huntsman， and how the human world reacts to the supernatural world。So looking past all of that， because everyone is going to be doing comparisons， Dead Man’s Hand is an excellent start to a new fantasy series。 There is tons of action with some very amusing scenes。 The characters are well developed for a first in a series， but the world building does need some more building。 The bones are there and seem to be strong， but we need some more layers。 As for who the bad guys are， that really wasn’t much of a shocker， but with only so many characters and how it seems to now be set up for future books， there wasn’t too much room to cast many doubts。I’m looking forward to getting to know the characters more， especially the more side ones in this book and to seeing how in depth Butcher can make his new world。 。。。more

Hobart ，

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader。---THE WORLD OF THIS NOVEL This is a Fantasy world where the Muggles （here， they're called "Usuals"） know about Magic and the Supernatural populace （called "the Unorthodox"）。 They're largely not that comfortable with them， it doesn't seem—and maybe look down upon them。 We don't get a lot of Usual/Unorthodox interaction， so it's difficult to get a good read。The Unorthodox are policed by a division of the Department of Unorthodox Affairs called This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader。---THE WORLD OF THIS NOVEL This is a Fantasy world where the Muggles （here， they're called "Usuals"） know about Magic and the Supernatural populace （called "the Unorthodox"）。 They're largely not that comfortable with them， it doesn't seem—and maybe look down upon them。 We don't get a lot of Usual/Unorthodox interaction， so it's difficult to get a good read。The Unorthodox are policed by a division of the Department of Unorthodox Affairs called Auditors。 They're witches with the power to enforce the laws governing the Unorthodox。 And there are rules governing how the Unorthodox interact with Usuals。 We don't get to see a lot of them here—but you know they exist。It occurs to me now that we really don't get that much insight or information about all the situation the protagonists find themselves in （more below）。 Dead Man's Hand cares about the story and will let the rest take care of itself。 It took me until now （and this is the last section of the post I'm writing） to realize just how little we know because I didn't care。 My mindset apparently was the same as the novel's: just tell me the story。 I got the impression that there were rules and bureaucracy and some sort of history， but my focus was on this case。That's kind of cool， really—until it comes time to think about and write about the book。SO WHAT EXACTLY IS DEAD MAN'S HAND ABOUT？ One of our two protagonists is Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby。 Grimsby grew up wanting to be an Auditor and tried to work on the requisite skills as much as he could to prepare himself。 He's not the most powerful witch， but he can do a lot with what he has （roughly the equivalent of "street smarts" vs。 "book smarts"）。 He's flunked out of the Auditor Training Program at the very end and has to go find a job in the Usual world。He ends up as a performer/custodian at a Chuck E。 Cheese-style restaurant， where the animated figures are powered by his magic。 It's humiliating， embarrassing， and eats at his soul。 Grimsby went through some big trauma in his childhood; was on the verge of his dreams coming true before that ended; and now he's scraping by demeaning himself and his abilities。 It's hard to find a character with supernatural abilities downtrodden or pitiful， but。。。Grimsby is。 To put it concisely， he's a schlub and he's fully aware of that。The other protagonist is a Usual who worked with the Auditors， Leslie Mayflower， better known as The Huntsman。 He's responsible for enough death and destruction amongst the Unorthodox that many don't believe he actually exists—he's an Urban Legend to keep people in line。 In reality， he's a guy who's seen too much， done too much， and when personal tragedy hits， he's done。 He retires to drink himself into oblivion to avoid the memories and his own tragedy。The Auditor who flunked Grimsby is considered one of the most powerful and dangerous witches in the world。 Mansgraf is respected and feared—mostly feared。 And when the novel opens—she's been killed in a fairly brutal fashion （the only way she's going to be able to be taken out）。 Mayflower spent his career （at least the bulk of it） as her partner—and he's brought in to look at the scene to see if he can pick up any clues。 He comes up with one—and doesn't share it with the Department—and it points right to Grimsby as his prime suspect。The Huntsman is back in the saddle for one last ride—to get vengeance， and his target is a man currently wearing a pink tutu with taco wings and an avocado wand。 The Taco Fairy at Mighty Magic Donald's Food Kingdom。It's almost patently obvious to Mayflower that Grimsby can't have killed Mansgraf， but that's where the evidence points。 The Auditors won't be far behind， and they'll be less inclined to listen to Grimsby。 So Mayflower has to stay one step ahead of them while protecting the witch and using him to help the investigation。 The result is a buddy cop kind of story—without that much comedy or much in the way of buddy-ness。 The duo drag themselves and fight their way through a variety of hazardous situations facing a variety of supernatural obstacles （some are solid takes on well-established ideas—some are new and surprising twists to them）。BROKEN HEROES Mayflower is your typical brooding， laconic， action hero。 He's grizzled， he's serious， and he really only cares about wrapping this up so he can get back to destroying his liver。 But he's fair， he's got a strong moral core， and on some level， he feels sorry for Grimsby and wants to help him out。 We know just enough of his backstory to understand what kind of man he is and the scars he carries。We get more information about Grimsby and the hardships he's endured。 His cowardice， his lack of confidence， and his lack of career prospects make him a relatable kind of character， and you want to root for this underdog。 Although you （and Grimsby） know that he's going to need a lot of help from Mayflower to survive， much less succeed here。 His problems are both played for laughs and treated with respect—frequently in the same paragraph。 He has a genuine reason for being scared by things， but it can result in some laughs/grins。 I keep thinking about Arthur from The Tick。There's a stoic， stay standing while the waves crash against you， feel to Mayflower's outlook and the way he treats Grimsby。 Yes， life is hard， but keep moving because that's what you have to do。 Whatever problems there are with that worldview， the immediate circumstances the duo finds themselves in， it works。 if they survive it， maybe more nuanced approaches and help can be found。 But that's a problem for another day。COMPARING THIS TO THAT OTHER BUTCHER I really don't want to spend a lot of time comparing this Butcher to his father， but 1。 everyone I talk to about this asks about it and 2。 the publisher's description mentions him， basically inviting the comparisons。 I'd prefer to consider him on his own—but here we are。Honestly， I don't see a lot of similarities—beyond seeing the influence that Jim Butcher has on many UF series （see Anton Strout， Kevin Hearne， Mike Carey， Benedict Jacka， etc。， etc。）。 Sure， there are similar attitudes portrayed， similar character types and voices， and even a couple of situations that feel like I could easily name some parallels to in The Dresden Files。 But again， every time I could point to something and say， "That's his Dad，" I could point it and say， "That's Peter Hartog" or "That's Jacqueline Carey。" So maybe it's just James J。 Butcher。His writing style is different， the characters aren't just retreads of Harry or his friends， and the particulars of the plot don't seem to fit something for Harry。If you're looking for someone who writes things in the same general vein as Jim Butcher， you can look to James J。 Butcher。 But if you're looking for Butcher 2。0？ There are other options that would be better。SO， WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT DEAD MAN'S HAND？ This is a solid introduction to a series。 I want more of the worldbuilding， I want to see how Usuals/The Unorthodox interact when they're not at a lousy restaurant， etc。 But I'm more than content to wait for it—like I said， I didn't really realize what we didn't get until now。I would say I'm not a huge fan of the epilogue—the events of it should prove interesting， even if I might want for a different storyline to be pursued—but I don't like the way it functioned in the novel。 Personally， I'd have been happier if it had been a prologue to book 2 or 3， and let the book end without it。 I don't think it was needed， and I think the book ending with Chapter 47 would give a stronger impression。Aside from that， I really have no complaints about the book—I was solidly entertained and invested from Chapter 1 onward。 I don't know that I can say that I was blown away by anything—but there are some things I'm not talking about here because of space/don't want to give something away， that I will be talking about for months （and have already started doing so）。 I'm not going to be announcing to the world that the next Jim Butcher/Seanan McGuire is here。 But I will say that this new writer is really good and absolutely worth reading。 You're going to be entertained。 Seriously， pick this up just for the kid's birthday party scenes， and then stick around for the excitement。In the last twelve months， we had to say goodbye to Jane Yellowrock this year and Alex Verus the year before， I'm glad we got to say hello to The Unorthodox Chronicles now。 I think this series could be as long and as satisfying as those if it's given the chance to grow naturally and doesn't get overshadowed by Butcher's DNA。Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this。 。。。more

Leslie ，

Thank you Edelweiss for the ARC。 This book was ok。 I found it to be slow often through out the book。 It just didn't catch my interest。 I found it difficult to get invested in the characters。 Thank you Edelweiss for the ARC。 This book was ok。 I found it to be slow often through out the book。 It just didn't catch my interest。 I found it difficult to get invested in the characters。 。。。more

Sandy ，

I had a tough time getting through this。 I just didn’t like the main characters enough to care what was happening to them。 And the humor didn’t work for me。

Conny ，

I was a First Read Winner of this Book and even thought I don't read a lot of Urban Fantasy， I was excited to get started on the book。 The pacing was good and it held my interest and I liked the characters and the storyline was interesting I have high hopes for future books in the Series。 I was a First Read Winner of this Book and even thought I don't read a lot of Urban Fantasy， I was excited to get started on the book。 The pacing was good and it held my interest and I liked the characters and the storyline was interesting I have high hopes for future books in the Series。 。。。more

Nannette Demmler ，

ARC provided by Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley for an honest review。Even though this started off a bit shaky I ended up really enjoying the story and the characters。 It reminded me a lot of an old eighties buddy cop movie with a hardened cop who has seen it all and the rookie who is in way over his head。 But this one of course has magic。The story is mostly told through Grimshaw Griswold Grimsby， yep that is quite the name and it does say it all。 He is young， nineteen I think， and down on ARC provided by Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley for an honest review。Even though this started off a bit shaky I ended up really enjoying the story and the characters。 It reminded me a lot of an old eighties buddy cop movie with a hardened cop who has seen it all and the rookie who is in way over his head。 But this one of course has magic。The story is mostly told through Grimshaw Griswold Grimsby， yep that is quite the name and it does say it all。 He is young， nineteen I think， and down on his luck， working a shitty job and not having a great day when he is suddenly on the run。 Grimsby doesn’t see himself as someone who can save himself， let alone others， but he tries really hard and he has a heart of gold。 I really liked that he was able to befriend one of the creatures that he encounters and appears to understand some of the others as well， even when others dismiss them as stupid and unimportant。 I would have liked a bit more back story on him though。 We know his mom was killed in a fire when he was young and he was severely burned in that same fire， but there were some hints that the fire was not accidental。 I would also like to know more about how his burn scars interfere with his magic。 His lame jokes could use a bt of work also， but then I remember how young he is and how lame everyone is at that age， and I will give him room to grow into his humor。Mayflower， also known as the Huntsman， has a haunted past that I would also like more information about。 I would also like to know more about his job and how he got it。 But other than that， he is your typical tired cop/detective that has probably seen it all and then some。 But he does take Grimsby under his wing， grudgingly， and begins to appreciate that Grimsby may be useful and a good cop/Auditor。 He doesn’t appear to have any magical ability himself either， so I am kind of interested in knowing how he ends up with the auditors。The story is well done， and except for a few hiccups and a shaky start will keep you interested and rooting for the good guys。 There are also some nice twists of who commited the murder that were unexpected。 The world building was good as well， I really liked the magical system and that magic is a known entity in this world， but there so far only appear to be witches who can perform magic。 （Both the men and the women are called witches） Although there are demons and other creatures that come from the Elsewhere some of them friendly and others kind of terrifying。 I really enjoyed the parts about the Elsewhere and hope that we get to see more about that in future books。I think this was a pretty solid start to a new urban fantasy。 There is lots of room for growth both of the characters and of the world。 I look forward to reading the next and hopefully many more books in this series。https://elnadesbookchat。com 。。。more

Steven ，

Review to come upon release

Ken ，

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me。I picked up this book （as I expect many will） because of the connection to the author's father: Jim Butcher。 Unfortunately this book didn't hold up very well。 The first part of the book， in particular， was pretty uneven with lots of unnecessary descriptions。 The worldbuilding was interesting in places， but could have used a heavier-handed editing。 The problems with how the glasses were integrated into the magic system and to My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me。I picked up this book （as I expect many will） because of the connection to the author's father: Jim Butcher。 Unfortunately this book didn't hold up very well。 The first part of the book， in particular， was pretty uneven with lots of unnecessary descriptions。 The worldbuilding was interesting in places， but could have used a heavier-handed editing。 The problems with how the glasses were integrated into the magic system and to society at large made me a dis-believer。That said， at the core （and particularly in the latter part of the book） there was the possibility of a good story， and it does give hope for better storytelling in future books in the series。 So， don't give up on this series yet。 With a little maturing as a writer this author could still give us some very worthwhile books。 Just， sorry to say， not this one。 。。。more

Jeremy Fee ，

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a free ebook ARC of Dead Man's Hand。 This review is my honest opinion。I can’t even imagine what it must be like to be the son or daughter of a famous author and then attempt to have your own writing career， but inevitably， people will make comparisons with the writing of the parent。 There is an obvious connection here with the cover art， the idea of a story with urban fantasy elements， etc。 Even with that in mind though， I can’t help but Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a free ebook ARC of Dead Man's Hand。 This review is my honest opinion。I can’t even imagine what it must be like to be the son or daughter of a famous author and then attempt to have your own writing career， but inevitably， people will make comparisons with the writing of the parent。 There is an obvious connection here with the cover art， the idea of a story with urban fantasy elements， etc。 Even with that in mind though， I can’t help but consider how James J。 Butcher may or may not be similar to Jim Butcher。I think this is an interesting story。 The writing is fine， but obviously it’s not at Jim Butcher’s level yet; some scenes feel rushed and the characters less mature than they should be for their age。 I feel like saying “it has potential” is somewhat of an understatement。 It’s good。 It’s just not the best out on the market right now。 Having said all of that though， I would still recommend this book to fans of Jim Butcher and urban fantasy。 。。。more

Suzanne ，

I admit， I picked up this book because of the blurb saying that it was a "brilliant urban fantasy" from the son of Jim Butcher （author of The Dresden Files）。 Urban fantasy is one of the genres I enjoy and I was curious to see what the next generation in the Butcher family had to offer readers。 It is a world filled with the Usuals （aka Muggles） and the Unorthodox （anyone or anything magical）。 The Department of Unorthodox Affairs has witches known as Auditors （aka Aurors of a sort） who handle prob I admit， I picked up this book because of the blurb saying that it was a "brilliant urban fantasy" from the son of Jim Butcher （author of The Dresden Files）。 Urban fantasy is one of the genres I enjoy and I was curious to see what the next generation in the Butcher family had to offer readers。 It is a world filled with the Usuals （aka Muggles） and the Unorthodox （anyone or anything magical）。 The Department of Unorthodox Affairs has witches known as Auditors （aka Aurors of a sort） who handle problems involving magical entities and artifacts。The protagonist is a mediocre witch who has physical problems that interfere with his use of magic。 He grew up wanting to be an Auditor， but didn't make the cut during training。 Now the witch who had him dropped from the program is dead and the Department is after him as a suspect。 How does one failed applicant take on the might of the Auditors and prove his innocence？ Among other things， he is also at a disadvantage because of his name - Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby。 （What kind of parent does that to a child？） There are power plays at work within the Department， ordinary troubles at Grimsby's job， the retired partner of the dead witch takes an interest in the investigation， and creatures from Elsewhere （an alternate dimension that witches can see and enter） are also following poor Grimsby around。 When it rains， it pours。I especially liked the descriptions of Elsewhere。 They reminded me of the movie "Constantine" when he enters the afterlife。 Locations have a connection to those in our physical world， but they may look different or be inhabited by dangerous creatures。 The method of entering and exiting the Elsewhere is also clever （nope， not telling）， and the need for witches to wear some sort of mask to block their perception of that dimension is an interesting touch。The ending wraps up some issues， but also leaves openings for a sequel。 For those who have come to appreciate Grimsby and his underdog style， as well as some of his companions， that means more adventures in the future。 For now， Dead Man's Hand hits shelves on October 11th。I received an advance copy from the publisher for review purposes。 。。。more

Chris ，

** Note: I was sent an ARC copy from a Goodreads giveaway **First and foremost， if you enjoy the Dresden Files， you'll probably want to give this book a try。 James J。 Butcher， son of Dresden Files author Jim Butcher， tries his hand at starting a new urban fantasy series， also focused on a semi-outcast wizard in a large city who gets caught up in events larger than himself and ends up working with a law enforcement（-ish） partner who keeps him at arm's length。 In this case， the city is Boston， the ** Note: I was sent an ARC copy from a Goodreads giveaway **First and foremost， if you enjoy the Dresden Files， you'll probably want to give this book a try。 James J。 Butcher， son of Dresden Files author Jim Butcher， tries his hand at starting a new urban fantasy series， also focused on a semi-outcast wizard in a large city who gets caught up in events larger than himself and ends up working with a law enforcement（-ish） partner who keeps him at arm's length。 In this case， the city is Boston， the semi-outcast wizard is Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby， a young man who tried and failed to join the Auditors （think wizard FBI）， and his law enforcement partner isn't necessarily a love interest like Karin Murphy， but he is a dogged investigator who's handy with a gun。It's an enjoyable enough read， with some twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes。 James Butcher is clearly writing here to start a new series， one with enough little threads to spin off into something far bigger than a trilogy。 There are many similarities to the stories done by his father and you can sort of see where he was picking up some pointers from what works in the Dresden Files， but there's enough of a difference that it's worth picking up and trying out。 。。。more

Louisa ，

Loved reading this book， this world and these characters were so great to read about！ Can't wait for book 2！ Loved reading this book， this world and these characters were so great to read about！ Can't wait for book 2！ 。。。more

Krysti ，

If you’re looking for a serious， deep book that makes you think about your life， this is not it。 Dead man’s hand takes you on a journey with Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby as he goes through his less than desirable life as a wizard with very little magic。 Horrible job， demeaning work and generally broke。 His life changes when “the Huntsman，” Mayflower walks into Grimshaw’s place of work， the Mighty Magic Donald’s Food Kingdom， and tells Grimshaw， who is clad in a hot pink tutu with taco shell wings， If you’re looking for a serious， deep book that makes you think about your life， this is not it。 Dead man’s hand takes you on a journey with Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby as he goes through his less than desirable life as a wizard with very little magic。 Horrible job， demeaning work and generally broke。 His life changes when “the Huntsman，” Mayflower walks into Grimshaw’s place of work， the Mighty Magic Donald’s Food Kingdom， and tells Grimshaw， who is clad in a hot pink tutu with taco shell wings， that the woman mostly responsible for his predicament is dead。 Normally this might bring a smile to one who was wronged except the people who handle magical crimes believes he was responsible。 Thus begins a tale staring young Grimshaw as he fights for his very life and the ability to buy ramen。 Along the way， he meets several magical beings， not all of them nice， and every one of them more adept at magic than him。 Mayflower definitely reminds me of the tough old cop who takes nothing from no one， drinks too much and is always armed。 As someone who has never read anything by Jim Butcher， I can’t say whether his son writes like him or not， but it was an entertaining， fun story。 Definitely reminiscent of Kevin Hearne’s writings。 Plenty of mirth along the way。 Interesting world building。 Nice light read。 Good start to a new series。 I was fortunate to have received this Arc from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review。 。。。more

Kristin ，

Ya know， I actually liked this debut！ It was a quick， engaging read。 The main characters were exactly what I needed to read right now: they are not perfect！！！ I especially appreciated the main character being young and somewhat disabled （it's not a spoiler， per se but （view spoiler）[the left side of his body is burned badly as a result of an accident when he was a child （hide spoiler）]）。I will be looking out for the next book in the series。 I need to know more :） And by the way， James J。 Butcher Ya know， I actually liked this debut！ It was a quick， engaging read。 The main characters were exactly what I needed to read right now: they are not perfect！！！ I especially appreciated the main character being young and somewhat disabled （it's not a spoiler， per se but （view spoiler）[the left side of his body is burned badly as a result of an accident when he was a child （hide spoiler）]）。I will be looking out for the next book in the series。 I need to know more :） And by the way， James J。 Butcher does NOT write like his father so don't compare them， ok？ 。。。more

Marcia ，

I liked it， but not as much as the Dresden stories。 I did not particularly like Grimsby， but that may change as he further develops。

Jamie Henry ，

I was able to read the ARC for this， and I thoroughly enjoyed it。 A wonderful new addition to adult urban fantasy。 The book hits action fast and then it doesn't let up and it keeps a reader wanting to keeping turning pages to see what could happen next。 The characters are interesting and well-thought out。 The magic system has drawbacks but it reaches those magical heights needed for an urban fantasy title。 I'm looking forward to see what might happen in book 2。 I was able to read the ARC for this， and I thoroughly enjoyed it。 A wonderful new addition to adult urban fantasy。 The book hits action fast and then it doesn't let up and it keeps a reader wanting to keeping turning pages to see what could happen next。 The characters are interesting and well-thought out。 The magic system has drawbacks but it reaches those magical heights needed for an urban fantasy title。 I'm looking forward to see what might happen in book 2。 。。。more

Jenn ，

DNF。

Nialla42 ，

It’s obvious this is the first book in a series， even without listing it as part of “The Unorthodox Chronicles”。 That’s not necessarily bad， but there were some weaknesses for me， such as not quite having enough character and world building to stand on its own。 I expect that will be filled in as the series progresses。Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby is a witch who basically failed out of Auditor training thanks to one instructor in particular。 Now she’s been horrifically murdered and left behind a clue It’s obvious this is the first book in a series， even without listing it as part of “The Unorthodox Chronicles”。 That’s not necessarily bad， but there were some weaknesses for me， such as not quite having enough character and world building to stand on its own。 I expect that will be filled in as the series progresses。Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby is a witch who basically failed out of Auditor training thanks to one instructor in particular。 Now she’s been horrifically murdered and left behind a clue pointing to him as the one who did it。 Leslie Mayflower， The Huntsman， picks up on the clue first and decides to take out what he assumes is a deadly witch who managed to take out one of the best。 What he finds is someone who can barely do magic properly due to something that happened in his childhood。 Technically knowledge， kinda， ability， not so much。 They end up working together to solve the murder mystery， but find a much bigger mystery behind that death。This is in a “magic is known” setting， but we don’t see very much of the mundane world’s POV， so it’s hard to tell how well it’s known to lay people。 Though judging by the ending， it’s not going to matter much， as it appears we’re going for “mismatched buddy cops with magic” for the series setup。It’s an interesting， if sometimes slow， start to a new series。 I’ll definitely check out book two to see how things have progressed。ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Catherine ，

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this， as a lifelong reader of The Dresden Files。 In case you didn't know， this book was written by Jim Butcher's son。 I was pleasantly surprised！ It was still an urban fantasy， and you can for sure feel some inspiration may have been taken from his father's urban fantasy noir series， but it is definitely its own thing。 I thoug Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this， as a lifelong reader of The Dresden Files。 In case you didn't know， this book was written by Jim Butcher's son。 I was pleasantly surprised！ It was still an urban fantasy， and you can for sure feel some inspiration may have been taken from his father's urban fantasy noir series， but it is definitely its own thing。 I thought Dead Man's Hand would follow Mayflower， the grizzled older retired Auditor of the Department of Unorthodox Affairs。 If I'd read the synopsis like a normal person， I'd have realized this book actually follows Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby， a failed Auditor trainee that is down on his luck。 The humor was what really got me and kept me entertained throughout this story。 I can't say that I was so engrossed that I was constantly trying to solve the mystery， so I can't tell you if that aspect was obvious or not， but I had a fun time with that as well。 Do I like this as much as the Dresden Files？ No， but I could have said the same thing about earlier Dresden books。 I gave this 4 stars， and I will continue to read books released in this series for sure to find out what Grimsby does next。 。。。more

Penny ，

I was excited to see that an author I really enjoys son was writing a book， so I requested it。 I was granted that request， and I finally read it。 I don’t like to compare authors because they are all different， so I started this with no expectations it would be anything like his father’s book。 It shouldn’t be because again they are two different people。 My take is as follows: this book is quite enjoyable， but it still has a couple of issues which are mostly minor。 First the good。 It’s well-writte I was excited to see that an author I really enjoys son was writing a book， so I requested it。 I was granted that request， and I finally read it。 I don’t like to compare authors because they are all different， so I started this with no expectations it would be anything like his father’s book。 It shouldn’t be because again they are two different people。 My take is as follows: this book is quite enjoyable， but it still has a couple of issues which are mostly minor。 First the good。 It’s well-written， and I can see so much potential in this series。 I love how Mayflower and Grimsby are working together; I love partner books with magic。 Now for the not quite so good。 I really didn’t care much about either character。 Grimsby came across as a coward， very little usefulness at all other than full of pure luck， and a little wishy-washy。 Mayflower was too hard-bitten and not nice at all。 They seemed better towards the end。 Also， there was a little too much description of everything， and there wasn’t much plot。 How does magic work？ What are the rules？ Why can’t Mayflower use his magic （I might have missed that）？ However， everything put aside， I really enjoyed the book for the most part， and I am more lenient with debut and first-in-a-series books because it takes a while to set a good rhythm。 Besides， that epilogue was quite an ending。 I’m looking forward to reading the next book。 Recommend。 I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Dead Man's Hand

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Dead Man's Hand&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Dead Man's Hand&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0