Orson cover art

Orson

A Paragon Society Novel

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Orson

Written by: David Delaney
Narrated by: Matt Godfrey
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About this listen

Orson Reid: college freshman, gamer, and quite possibly the legendary boogeyman of the magical world. And you thought your life was weird.

It all started the night Orson kissed his best friend, Elyse, and she kissed him back. Yes, the kiss was life-changing, but in ways Orson never could have imagined. It seems he contracted a "virus" that is making him taller, faster, and stronger. But his life doesn't go completely off the rails until the night Elyse shows up at his house, strips out of her clothes, and shape-shifts into a giant cat - a panther, to be exact.

Now, instead of preparing for his freshman year of college, Orson is tossed head first into a world where shape-shifters, magic, and monsters are real. A world ruled by the secretive Paragon Society, a group that enforces magical law with brutal efficiency.

And if all that wasn't enough for one guy to deal with, Orson may just be the Ollphiest, the legendary monster that even monsters fear.

©2017 David Delaney (P)2019 Tantor Fantasy Magic Supernatural Thriller & Suspense Fiction Paranormal

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'Orson Reid' is a fairly cookie-cutter 18-year-old gamer geek with a heart of gold who discovers that he's secretly a superpowerful shapeshifting were-creature the likes of which hasn't been seen among the 'Paragon Society' for centuries (the hidden magical community living in plain sight throughout time). This book follows his revelation as a uniquely unstoppable superpowered comic book nerd's wet dream (shrugging off magical attacks & tearing through bad-guy monsters like they're made of tissue paper).
David Delaney writes a solid YA Fantasy story that echoes themes best exemplified in the 'Twilight' books (with a sprinkle of 'Harry Potter).. but delivered with sardonic humor and a dedicated PG-13 mindset (this book is obviously aimed at teased tweens with fantasies of unsuspected power and dreams of what it would be like to harbor a violent überpowerful partner being like Tom Hardy's 'Venom').

As to presentation: Reader Matt Godfrey is an "above-average" narrator and clearly understands the assignment. His diction, timbre, cadence, and tone are spot-on.. with only occasional questionable voice-acting. If given the option between a text version of the book or this recorded iteration, take this one every time.

Altogether, 'Orson' merits 8.5/10 stars. It was a brilliantly fun - somewhat silly - distraction for a couple of quiet afternoons for free.. an incredibly pleasant surprise. Even when they ask for a Credit, you won't go wrong spending it.

[Note: I genuinely liked the 'Orson' character. He's OP like you wouldn't believe but a sweet, incredibly polite kid. Given the likable characters & Delaney's rollercoaster-ride plotting, I downloaded Book Two while I had a chance to listen before the book leaves the 'Plus' menu.. and I could easily see myself visiting the series again in future]

Charming - If A Bit Sophomoric - Urban Fantasy

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