Reviewed by Delene Vrey for Readers' Favorite

Time-Marked Warlock: The Chronos Chronicles, Book 1 by Shami Stovall is a paranormal detective novel. Adair Finch and his brother were legendary warlock PIs. That is until his brother was killed and Adair became a recluse. When twelve-year-old Bree Blackstone turns up at his front door in the early morning hours, he has no idea what is in store. Adair reluctantly agrees to help Bree find her mother’s murderer. Adair has a special ability; he has made a deal with Chronos and can mark time and rewind to that mark in a twenty-four-hour period, so if things go sideways he can rewind time and start again, knowing what to expect. This enables him to solve a case in one day as he can relive the day as many times as needed. As they follow leads and have to reset time often, Bree starts to break through Adair’s hard shell. Along the way, Adair needs the help of a spirit, Kull, and in exchange for its help, he promises to help it find a human body. The three navigate corrupt police, feuding witches, traffic accidents, and booby-trapped houses. When they finally solve the case, Adair has a new warlock apprentice and a spirit tagalong who is always ready for some mischief. This is a clean and wholesome story with a little bit of violence and explosions, which is to be expected.

Shami Stovall has written a fast-paced, fun-to-read, paranormal adventure that reminded me of The Dresden Files. The reader almost hits the story running as Adair is woken by the banging on his door and the action builds momentum with each day that passes. The characters are interesting and Adair, Bree, and Kull make an awesome and entertaining trio. The main theme in the novel is fear. Adair has become a recluse because he could not save his brother, now the fear of failing keeps him locked in his apartment. Bree finds Adair as she is afraid of her mother’s killer and fears for her father. Bree’s father is forced to make magic necklaces and he complies out of fear. Most of all, the fear that the police have for the magically inclined leads them on a path that could only end in corruption and death. The other strong themes are those of loyalty, friendship, and kindness. The world of Adair Finch is a magical and authentic one that makes sense and enriches the plot—definitely a great addition to the paranormal genre.

Wow! What a performance! I loved the entertaining elements of Time-Marked Warlock. The cast of Soundbooth Theater did a marvelous job of bringing this awesome work of fiction to life. The voices fit the characters perfectly and it was easy to distinguish them from one another as the actors gave an energetic and creative interpretation, capturing each character’s quirks and nuances as well as their tone and pace of speaking. It is easy to become lost in the story as it happens. The different voices brought each character to life so uniquely that you fall in love with them and their quirks. Kull, when she purrs as a cat, Bree with her childlike optimism and convictions, and then Adair with his grumpy, “I don’t want to be disturbed” voice and his “I kind of like this kid and being on a case again” voice. I have listened to many other audiobooks and this one will rank in my top five list.