A debt that needs to be repaid ASAP. A messed up alcoholic with shamanic powers. And a plan that sounds just crazy enough, it might even work! What could possibly go wrong?

Jonah Heywood is not your typical shaman slash P.I. - he's a cripple with crude manners, first to run away to save his skin, and has a soft spot for the bottom of the nearest bottle. But he's also in debt. And to get out of it - and unscathed, seeing as the loan sharks are not exactly lenient and would like nothing more than to tear him limb from limb - he needs cash. Lots of it, and fast. So when an opportunity appears itself in the form of a job he knows is not safe to accept, he takes his chances only because there's nothing left to do. But things rarely go Jonah's way, and this time is no different...

This book left me in quite the dilemma, I must say. On one hand, the characters were all unique and quite easy to relate to. It didn't hurt that the dialogues between them were also witty and interesting.

Let's start with Jonah himself. He was a flawed man through and through. He was so addicted to booze, and everyone BUT him could see it, which is quite realistic. A person with an addiction usually never sees the problem themselves. It was also quite nice to see that the writer didn't feel the need to keep showing that addiction as something tiring, or forcing it down our throats - you know, every other scene and such. Jonah would reach for the bottle only when things would get rough, or when he was starting to get insecure and all that. Another thing I actually liked is that he wasn't weak. Far from it. When he finally decided to stand up to everyone trying to push him around, we got to see he had the power to do so to begin with, he just chose to ignore his self-worth and was scared of his own abilities, due to past traumas. This shows a man willing to lower himself to a point where everyone underestimates and insults him, as long as he doesn't get innocents killed again. He was trying to learn from his youthful mistakes, even if he went all wrong about doing it - it was still so humane of him to do so clumsily.

Aside from Jonah, I adored the scenes with his father. The old guy had no magic powers whatsoever, and was more badass than his own son in his prime! Respect!

Oh, and Sam! Sam was the kind of best friend I wish we all had. Sarcastic, considerate, and yet so subtle in his ways. He didn't try to filter his mouth when he was ripping a new one on his friend, but he was also trying to be accepting of his flaws and what he had gone through before all this fiasco in the current book. Not to mention that he was willing to risk his life to save Jonah - despite being a normal person himself.

The only problem with this book was the number of plot holes. There were many things that went unanswered, or that didn't make sense. Like, how did Sam get from laying asleep on Jonah's floor to rescuing him in the woods? In terms of time, the whole event happened quite fast for him to have managed that. The scene with the payment with Lysone - the whole thing with the price going up and then being the same confused the heck out of me. And what on Earth happened with that girl who kept warning Jonah not to give the runestone to Lysone, only for her to kill one of Mama Duvalier's daughters and then blame it on him?

Like I said, plot holes.

But the story was relatively easy to read through, and enjoyable. Lots of action, and dry humor, and suspense. And of course, magic! The kind we don't usually see in books - you know, the whole voodoo-style and the idea of using spirits from bottles (which I'm totally stealing for one of my D&D campaigns, Mr. Donovan, just so you know!). Simply refreshing. I wouldn't mind seeing more of Jonah and his peers, hopefully filling in the blanks I got from this book - and my, that plot twist with Kari and Lysone! You seriously don't know which one to trust and who is the Big Baddie after all!

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***

The only good thing I can say about this was it was short.
There was no depth to the plot, characters or story.
Will certainly not bother with any more in this series.

Thank you to #Negalley and the publisher. I received this for free in exchange for a free review.

I rated this book a 3 star. But not because the writing wasn't good. It just wasn't my type of book.

In this book we are introduced to Jonah Heywood.. Jonah Heywood is a drunk and he is constantly making bad choices. He is in debt with some very bad people. I an effort to get himself out of debt and save his life, he joins a cast of unconventional characters in an effort to go looking for a missing artifact called the Ledberg runestone.

This book was just okay but not something I think I will continue on with. This is the first book in a new series.

I received a copy of this book via Net Galley. This has not influenced my review in any way.
Let's start off by saying, I COULDN'T"T PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!!!! The main character, Jonah, he's kind of messed up, but his heart is in the right place. I like that he's not the magical heavy hitter like in other books that I have read. He has some serious problems, and has conned people with fake seances,even stole things from the houses of the people who hired him. Jonah is a seriously flawed character, that makes him seem real and not just a fictional character is a book. When he made bad decisions or reached for a bottle, these things led to him being more believably human. Jonah was somewhat sarcastic, showing that there is a personality there waiting to be seen. The book is suspenseful with just the right amount of dark humor and sarcasm. I can't wait to get other books in this series.

Great start to a new series, where the main character is NOT a copycat of other urban fantasy protagonists. I"m hooked.

Jonah Heywood is a drunk, a liar, and he probably owes you money. Although THE LEDBERG RUNESTONE introduces us to a familiar male urban fantasy character, the humour and the plotting keeps the novel fresh. When Jonah’s debtors come calling,, he has to work with an untrustworthy client to find a lost runestone.

Jonah is a shaman and spirit talker, which means he’s constantly making deals, gifting tributes, and giving bribes. The plot moves fast and the entire book just takes place over a couple of days. During that time Jonah is repeatedly beaten to a pulp, stalked by otherworldly characters, and still manages to find the time to steal magical artifacts.

My only issue with the novel is that it relies on the tired ‘his crush’s ex boyfriend is definitely evil and is a rapist’ trope. Melly is introduced as a sassy bartender but quickly devolves into a damsel in distress after two attempted rapes. She’s then forgotten in the back half of the novel when the ex boyfriend is dealt with. Since the plot moves so fast, it makes sense to ignore Melly and focus on the action, but it leaves the reader wondering why this minor plot was introduced at all. We already knew Cash was evil because he threatened Jonah’s father and beat Jonah to a pulp - attempted rape is unnecessary.

I appreciated that the author took Jonah’s addiction seriously, instead of treating it like a hard-boiled character trope. Like most addicts, Jonah doesn’t realize how bad his drinking actually is but everyone around him is begging him to get help. The novel also doesn’t pull its punches when it comes to fights and character deaths. There are consequences to every hit and to every new ally or enemy. THE LEDBERG RUNESTONE showcases a fun and intriguing new characters and sets up a fun magical world. Jonah has enough character flaws and backstory to fill more novels.

I am always in two minds about these kinds of books before I start them. On the one hand I am always looking for another urban fantasy with a snarky male protagonist to fill the hole that the Cal Leandros series left in my heart [this isn't quite up there with that series but it is very enjoyable, and I would say that this book and also the Immortal Mercenary series by Connor Kressley are both a lot of fun and run in the same vein]. On the other hand, it's very easy to turn this type of character into a totally unrelatable jerk and most authors can't really find that balance. Luckily this book was one of the good ones!

I really liked Jonah, despite [or maybe actually because of] him being a total mess. But I liked that his bad decisions actually had some consequences and also he's got a really great POV. I liked that his alcoholism actually caused him problems and made him make bad decisions a lot of the time instead of the usual 'sexy drinking problem' trope. I also liked that his disability actually came up in the story rather than just 'oh I want him to have a cane that would be cool' but then write him where he never actually struggles physically with anything. This book actually tackled quite a few more serious topics in this vein and I appreciate that the author actually spent time to think them through, while still making the book very enjoyable and fun overall.

The actual plot was pretty interesting and flowed fairly well. There's some twists at the end and it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger so if that bothers you maybe wait until the next one comes out. It was definitely a fun short read though and I actually really think this length is a great length for urban fantasy books. I'll definitely be on the lookout for the sequel!

I’ve been picky about what new snarky, action-packed type of urban fantasy books I’ll read ever since I got kind of burnt out on those, but I’m glad I decided to try this one since it ended up being great, and now I have a new series to look forward to continuing!

Things I Liked:

– I knew from the very first page that this was gonna be my kinda book. The main character, Jonah, was a mess. He had a serious drinking problem. He conned people with fake seances and other similar services. He even stole things from the houses of the people who hired him. He was completely unlikeable, and yet, that was exactly what made him likeable because I happen to love seriously flawed characters when they’re written well, which he was (his voice was well-written too). And then he’d go and do something nice or I’d find out about something good he did, and gah, I just couldn’t help but root for the guy. I mean, I still didn’t really like him as a person because he was still a jerk sometimes, but when he made bad decisions or reached for a bottle, more than anything, I felt sympathy for him, for the things that led to him being in such a bad place. And I felt terrible about all the beatings he got throughout the book because he definitely did not deserve that.

– Jonah’s alcoholism was a topic that was handled well. It wasn’t just glossed over; it caused him to make bad decisions, it took a toll on his body, and people were worried about him and wanted him to get help.

– Jonah’s physical disability was handled well too. He had a bad leg from a broken femur and used a cane, and it obviously didn’t stop him from doing things, but it was a part of him, sometimes causing him pain, sometimes causing him to have trouble balancing, sometimes making things more difficult, etc.

– In fact, all the serious things were handled well. There was something that happened about halfway through the book that was… really bad. Intense. I almost felt like crying while I was reading it because it was written in a way that made me feel the gravity of the situation and made me feel horrible for Jonah. And then when more bad things happened, they were given the gravity they deserved too.

– This book was also funny at times because Jonah was somewhat sarcastic and snarky. Sometimes it was mean, but sometimes it was just funny without being mean.

– There was a touching family element. Jonah’s father was not perfect, but he loved Jonah and was worried about him and would do anything to help him. I actually shed a tear after the intense thing when things got all emotional during a father-son moment. I also teared up again when I read the very last line because of more father-son feels.

– I think this was the first time I had ever read about a main character who was a shaman, and I don’t know much about shamans, so I can’t say much about how that was portrayed, but I liked the explanations we got for the magical/spiritual things and thought it was all really interesting, especially the stuff about how belief and religion can create or alter or give power to things.

Things I Disliked:

– I was a little confused at the end. I’m not sure exactly what happened, and then Jonah had a conversation that supposedly revealed some things to him, but it just kinda lost me. I still don’t understand what part all the characters played. Maybe this will be cleared up in the next book since there’s clearly an overarching plot in addition to the individual book plot.

– Jonah sometimes made bad decisions due to his alcoholism and his life, and that I had no problem with, but his complete lack of plan sometimes didn’t really make sense.

Other Things Worth Noting:

– This book had some pretty graphic violence.

– A potential future romance was hinted at since Jonah was interested in someone, but this book didn’t have any romance.

So overall, this was a great start to a new urban fantasy series that managed to stand out in a genre that has felt repetitive to me lately, the protagonist was flawed but well-written, and the story was intense!

This is the first book in a new series titled Jonah Heywood Chronicles. First off, this is the first book I have read by this author. I’m always looking for a good urban fantasy because that is by far my favorite genre to read. I read others, but UF is my favorite. I’m glad to say I think I’ve found another author to add to my arsenal of authors to read. This book was well-written and kept my interest from the beginning. I found Jonah to be very flawed, sometimes a little too flawed, but he tries to do his best. I do wish he had been a little more adept at his trade, but I think that’ll come with time and changes that need to be made through effort. Events in the story had me cringing for Jonah, and I really wanted to yell at him to quit making mistakes. So, yes, don’t expect a competent protagonist. Expect instead a wounded, suffering practitioner who is doing his best and has lots of potential. I can’t wait to see how Jonah is in the next book considering how the book ended and what happened. Can’t say much: spoilers! If you like light urban fantasy, give this one a try! Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Diversion Books for the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.

In a genre awash with modern spellslingers, Donovan manages to create a fresh new take on modern magic that will leave you begging for more.

The Ledberg Runestone is the first installment of a new urban fantasy series featuring the shaman Jonah Heywood. At times, it did remind me of the Dresden Files. Jonah is a drunk who tends to get himself in situations that involve him undergoing bodily harm to the point of where he blacks out. He also owes some very dangerous people some money and is trying to fix this by getting himself involved with some other unsavory characters who hires him to locate a powerful missing artifact called the Ledberg runestone. The story was just okay. I found it be very repetitive - he drinks all the time and gets physically hurt and blacks out a number of times. There wasn't much character development when it came to Jonah. For me, there also wasn't much involved that hadn't already been done in other urban fantasy series.

3.5 Stars
Overall I enjoyed The Ledberg Runestone. It was a good start doe this new UF series. For sure Jonah is a flawed hero, and while I do think it makes for an interesting character and storyline, at times it was too much. For example, if numerous people are after you, both supernatural and normal, do you decide to go home and take a shower and then be surprised by an attack? There were a bunch of instances I was rolling my eyes because he was TSTL. Despite that I liked the world and the characters, and am hoping to enjoy the next book in this series even more.

The Ledberg Runestone will appeal to fans of the Dresden Files and other, similar urban fantasies. It features a ragtag ne'er do well shaman more used to pretending than to using actual magic. Past experience has taught Jonah that being a hero is not all it’s cracked up to be. But being in debt to the Carver brothers, Asheville’s version of the mafia, means that if he doesn’t come up with the cash he owes, he will be six feet under and his father will come tumbling after. Still, retrieving a runestone for 20,000 has too many risks. Jonah may be a drunken fool, but even he realizes that that much cash comes with strings attached. Reluctantly, Jonah begins his search for the runestone and finds himself drawing the attention of powerful players. Jonah doesn’t have a plan, but he does have ability and friends.

It’s difficult to dislike Jonah. Despite his alcoholism, his heart is in the right place. He wants to protect his father and his friends, but his blindness to his flaws is a major weakness. Like most alcoholics, Jonah is in denial about his problem and that problem leads him into a hell of a lot of trouble.

As a series debut, The Ledberg Runestone is a definite success. It has a well developed lead that despite his flaws is likable. It introduces a supernatural world that is complex and a little different from the norm. And the story creates interest as well as curiosity as to what will happen next. I definitely recommend The Ledberg Runestone to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy.

4 / 5

I received a copy of The Ledberg Runestone from the publisher and NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

Review of The Ledberg Runestone by Patrick Donovan

In the interests of full disclosure, I was sent an ARC of this book by the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes. All my reviews, good, bad, or indifferent, are based on my own opinion and from my personal viewpoint. They are also spoiler free.

Jonah Heywood is having a bad day. And his luck keeps getting worse.

Events are happening around, and to, Jonah and the people he cares about at a pace he can’t keep up with. But he has to find a way to turn that around, and fast.

Jonah is one of those characters you like from the start, for no discernable reason. Which makes you care about everything that happens. The story starts fast and keeps on moving at high speed until the end.

Along the way you meet a lot of people, good, bad, maybe both at the same time depending on your point of view. All interesting.

No spoilers so I will just say I hope to read Book Two in the reasonably near future.

I give it 4 stars.

The Ledberg Runestone, Book One of the Jonah Heywood Chronicles, is available for pre-order now and scheduled to be available for purchase January 30, 2018.

Book Review Rating System
1 star Not even worth the $1 at the used bookstore
2 stars Worth the $1
3 stars Worth the time to read
4 stars Good book! Earns bookshelf space
5 stars Great book! Start hunt for more books by this author

The Ledberg Runestone was a decent read. It was very reminiscent of The Dresden Files but a little slower moving. It took me a while to get through the first half of the book as we were introduced to new characters and everything was set up plot wise. Second half of the book had a much more rapid pace with more plot twists. I’d be interested to see how the next book in the series plays out.

I just thought this was a really boring book from the start. I didn't find the character interesting, the writing was a bit dry and basic(nothing I haven't seen before), and the plot was just eh. I mean I liked the idea of it, but it really needs to be worked on before you can send it out to the world. It was an okay book, but not good enough for me to finish it. I stopped around the 20% mark :(