John LevittCritiques

Passable fantasy adventure. Magicians in San Francisco battle evil, accompanied by their familiars. In this case a mini-Doberman is the familiar. I finished it, so it isn't awful.

What drew me to this book was the magical dog and I liked the opening chapter. What keep me reading is that I hate to put down a book because it's boring and I paid for it. As I got deeper into the book, there was nothing there that was holding my interest and for me, to write this review, says that when I finish the current chapter, I'm done with this book and the series.

The worst part of this book is the beginning, it starts of s-l-o-w, and drags fro a while. Then it takes off like a rocket and never slows down! Written by a man with a male protagonist, and a UF this is rare. It is the first book(of 3) by John Levitt about Mason, a wizard. A lazy lack luster type of life, till...

Mason has given up being a magical enforcer, and now makes a living playing jazz guitar in different bars. Louie, his dog/infrit , helps him out of trouble.there is trouble as someone is taking out practitioners of magic.
I enjoyed it i will read the next one and see if his style improved with experience.I think he had poorly paced the book and did not build the characters enough.

Good, solid third book in the series. This mainly deals with fallout from the previous novel, but it does so well and even manages to tie up a loose end from the first book. The mythology gets a bit deeper, and there are still questions to be answered, but this is much more of a unified series than a string of episodic adventures, and that's a strong mark in its favor.

Not a bad end to the series (or the first major arc; the author could return to it), but the conclusion does feel a bit abrupt. There's nothing specific I can point to as to why I gave it three stars instead of four, other than that it just felt rather perfunctory as a novel. There were some pretty big possibilities that only got skimmed over, and the lead character spends a bit too much time in the dark, being led around by his nose by the plot.

All things considered, it may not be a bad idea to let sleeping dogs lie here.

The first book in this series set up an interesting twist on the usual style of urban fantasy magic, and this sequel did a nice job of deepening that mythos without also falling prey to the mistake of ramping up the power levels. It's also refreshing to see a modern fantasy series that doesn't revolve around romance, although that did form an important aspect of this book.

All in all, I regret taking so long to get around to this book, but at least that means I've got two sequels waiting for me...

Mason makes a living filling in with different bands as a jazz guitarist in San Fransisco. With his dog which is quite a dog Leo by his side, life has settled into a comfortable routine. Sure he could be doing more with his magic and even more with his career but at the end of the day Mason is just too damn lazy to put in the effort. To play jazz, one has to be able to improvise and instead of learning the real fundamentals of magic and honing his skills, Mason simply improvises - that is until he meets someone runs afoul of a fellow practitioner who has decided to gain power at all costs.

Dog Days is a pretty steady novel but for an introduction to a series, it was really lacking in giving us a good feel for the world. We learn that each practitioner is born with varying degrees of magic and some of them are lucky enough to get a familiar (read ifrit) as a companion. We know that they have a series of governing bodies and that they use a check and balance system to ensure that they don't end up with a practitioner that is overly strong. That's essentially it for the world building. It's beyond basic.

Even the plot line is very basic. There are no real twists and turns to the story and I feel as though that really made the antagonists decision to go after the less than earnest Mason underwhelming at best. I just didn't buy his motivation. In the end, it all came down to Christoph wanting Mason's ifrit and that he simply didn't like Mason. We are told almost in passing that Leo is special but it is never really explained how or why. In fact, though the ifrit are everywhere in this story we don't know anything about them beyond the fact that each has some kind of special power and is bonded to a particular practitioner. Yep, that's a pretty massive plot hole.

Levitt made a real effort to be inclusive with Dog Days; however, all the marginalized characters read like cardboard cut outs. The two women characters are interchangeable love interests and victims. Naturally, being women, their special powers involve healing and you guessed it empathy. I wonder if their power comes oozing out of their ovaries? There was never any doubt that one of them was going to die but Levitt double downed and dumped the other into the plot box for later in a manner which made absolutely no sense. If someone had tried to kill you on several occasions, murdered someone you cared about before your very eyes, as well as attempted to murder a beloved pet and you respond by taking their life in self defense that doesn't make you a killer. The idea that Mason is now suddenly a killer and an unfit match for a healer is ridiculous.

The major GLBT character in this story is Victor who is a powerful practitioner, super wealthy, head of the enforcers and of course has an impeccable eye for fashion and all things classical. Victor apparently goes through men on a rotating monthly basis but has finally found love with Danny. If Levitt had not included a GLBT character while setting his story in San Francisco of all places I certainly would have been rolling my eyes; however, at times, Victor feels like another card board cut out, particularly because he is described as "Prissy. Bitchy. The perfect gay neighbour on a bad sitcom."

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The first in the series. A good start, sets things up nicely. Mason and Louie are interesting characters. Nice side characters. Leaves you wanting to learn more about them.

I really loved #1 - I don't know what took me so long to get around to book #2. I love Mason's character & all his quirks. The personality he gives Lou is great as well - they make quite the pair. Enough reference was made to book one & the returning characters to freshen up my memory. It's a great story - so sad to see the unhappy 1-star ratings. I will be diving into 3 shortly.

An amazing read! Great unique story & wonderful characters!

This just isn't working for me. (I'm not having a lot of lucky with series containing dogs lately and it's just not fair.) There is way too much telling telling telling. The main character is laid back which is nice. He really fits my image of a musician who's a slacker.

But he's too laid back. He deals with a magical attack and he isn't scared and when it's over he just moves on to whatever he was going to do before the attack. So far the attacks have been really weak, too. I've not been impressed with the alleged peril the protagonist is under.

Also, we are constantly reminded of how lazy he is and how much potential he has. So we know he's strong and powerful (although he's only used his powers once so far and he's been magically attacked three times). But he has also informed us that he's really good looking, that he's an amazing guitar player, that he's the perfect sub guitar player because he can do this and this and that. For a laid back guy, he is certainly not humble. Oh, and at one point he disguises a fire hydrant so he can park in front of it (not even in an emergency)! There's a reason you can't park in front of them selfish jerk.

It's great that there's a main character whose gay, although he's an ass. Mason is careful to point out that although he intellectually understands homosexuality, he really doesn't get it at all. Thank you manly man.

Aside from Mason and the gay guy, the other key players are a woman and a brilliant black man. Diversity: cool. But the black guy is huge and played football (and coaches it for kids although he doesn't like it) and the woman's magic skills are empathy and intuition. Yea, let's break some stereotypes there. I think his heart is in trying to. E good and yet his inner white boy is showing. At one point he is almost mugged by some gangsters. He uses the PC word, Latino, but he does point out their race. Now it makes sense in storytelling but it's also a stereotype. Hopefully later on in the book he breaks some of these down but not so far.

I am ambivalent about this book. I could go on, I don't hate it, but I'm also suffering from ennui. The not-dog isn't interesting enough to spur me on. The laziness of the protagonist is catching. So I can't be bothered finding the energy to finish this.

The fourth in a series, this work has a smart plot and excellent character development. The "regulars" from the other stories are familiar and continue to be themselves fully, and the new characters are complex and full of surprises. Who can be trusted? Mason (the practitioner protaganist) and Lou (the canine Ifriti) make a dynamic duo that complement each other's abilities and personalities. I laughed out loud multiple times at Lou's confident, doggie-Ifriti behavior that enhances magical events, protects Mason and others, and confounds enemies. The author has small dog behavior down! I enjoyed the jazz scenes (knowing jazz musicians), and the small humorous details (e.g., calling fake books, "real books"). Music connects much of the action, and the writing supports a melodic and cacaphonic pace. San Francisco plays a role, and those familiar with The City will enjoy walking along its familiar streets and paths (usually). I heard a rumor that this may be the last book in the series, and the ending hangs, so who knows. I hope not because I enjoy these books.

Sometimes, I find to my annoyance, I allow myself to be swayed by others' opinions. For example: a while back I tentatively suggested John Levitt's Dog Days for a group read on a GR group I used to belong to, and one comment the suggestion received was that it "sounds really bad". There was a little support, too, but I actually allowed my preconception of the book to be swayed by others' concentration on the possibility of cheesiness in the concept, and I dropped the idea and moved on to other books.

But it filtered back up to the upper stories of my TBR skyscraper. I seem to be trending right now toward urban fantasy: here and now and with at least one foot in reality. So I settled down with Dog Days, set in present-day slightly-alternate San Francisco.

Moral: I need to not let myself be at all influenced by others who have not read a given book.

I loved it.

Was it perfect? Of course not. Did it inspire Dresden-like feelings? No – but then, neither did Storm Front, really. Was it cheesy? Not at all. Is it ill-served by a somewhat questionable cover and over-abundance of canine puns in the title and marketing? Oh, my, yes. Whoever had the idea to put the series titles' focus on the dog and choose some fool's punny comment as this edition's cover blurb should be flogged (even if the titles were Levitt's idea). The packaging gives every impression of just another annoying entry in the Animal Companion subgenre, a book and series throughout which the hero will be having many conversations with his smart-alecky or wiser-than-he-is or what-have-you TelCom (Telepathic Companion).

It's really not.

More going up shortly on my blog.

I enjoyed reading this book - it has the right amount of action to character development. The ifrits (familiars) are a nice touch - it was nice to see a companion that didn't talk or use telepathy.

For the most part, it was a straight forward story. A few unexpected turns, but mostly kept true to the whole detective/evil fighting type urban fantasy that is now very popular these days.

Theres even a romance, that I wasn't quite expecting and worked in a normal sort of way.

Its a nice book. Not spectacular but enjoyable to read.½

It is a special pleasure when an author draws both the mundane and the fantastic into their writing. In this fourth installment in the Dog Days series, John Levitt thrilled me with the magical world he created, the mystery that drives the plot, and a number of sweet little details about the day to day of being a musician.

And Mason needed all the improv skills he could muster to unravel the threats he faced. The mystery elements of PLAY DEAD held hints of our favorite Chicago wizard, if only because Mason shared Harry Dresden’s inability to see danger in the form of a beautiful woman. Levitt does a good job of making the story his own, however, and I found the similarities with Dresden superficial if anything. I wouldn’t have minded a bit more of Dresden, though, when Mason had moments of immaturity where he exposed himself to additional danger. While these episodes didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book, they certainly helped me understand why all the women in Mason’s life are of the ex- variety.

The one relationship Mason seems to do well with maintaining is his partnership with Lou, his canine Ifrit companion. I particularly liked that, despite being a mysterious magical creature, Lou was still a dog that loves bacon, squirrels, and bad smells. Lou sometimes has a hard time getting his blockhead owner to understand what he was “saying,” and I thought that added a great dynamic between him and Mason. Rather than taking all the guess work out of the mystery, Lou added another level of interpretation for Mason (and thus the reader) to navigate.

Playing along with Lou and Mason was both a satisfying read and a great introduction to the Dog Days world. While I’m not yet ready to commit to a pre-order, I am going to head back to the eponymous first book, DOG DAYS, to see where Lou and Mason got their start.

Sexual Content: A mildly graphic sex scene.

Dog Days by John Levitt is the first in the Dog Days series, featuring Mason and Lou. In the Dog Days world, magic exists side by side with ordinary reality, though most people miss it. Mason is a disillusioned magician in this world, with untapped powers as he is content to play jazz and take things easy. He has been chosen by Lou, an ifrit (magical companion) who takes the shape of a dog. Mason gets pulled back into the world of magic by investigating mysterious occurrences of harmful magic. This is an enjoyable and entertaining story, primarily due to Lou and his relationship to Mason. It is interesting to see Mason come out of his rather selfish seclusion and begin to take make something of himself and his potential.½

Unbelievably, Levitt captures the essence of dogs and their magical qualities even better in Play Dead than the previous books in the series. Lou is *always* a dog, ever ready to abandon Mason for a quick snack of bacon or ham–but ever mindful that he is Mason’s protection, friend, and loyal companion. There is something more to Lou, just like most dogs; that keen intelligence that shines from their eyes, the unquestioning loyalty and a happiness that radiates. Lou may be an Ifrit, but as you read Play Dead, you start to believe that…just maybe, all good dogs have a little Ifrit in them. From the tilt of his head to Lou’s fierce defense of Mason, he is a dog, he is magic, and his is a story that is easy to love.

Mason is Mason; he’d be more admirable if he weren’t *quite* so careless, but he gets talked into things too easily, whether it’s a job or the fact that no one in their right might should donate even a drop of blood to a black practitioner–not in the name of learning, not in the name of…anything. Because in the end, forwarding black magic always goes bad. It isn’t that Mason is stupid, but his decision-making borders on “for the sake of the plot” in a couple of instances. Mason redeems himself just in time…only to get careless again, in a cycle that has the reader wanting him to just once keep it all together. One of the things that saves the plot is that Levitt takes the time to draw complex characters; ones you aren’t sure are all bad. In fact, you see the good. Just like in real life, you’re dealing with lots of variables and lots of hope. And Mason has stayed in character throughout the series; he’s basically a good guy, and he means well, he just sometimes wants annoyances to go away so he does something “quick” instead of smart.

Mason really shines in his love of music and improvising spells. He’s unique in the way his magic is layered, and Levitt always takes time to create the magic rather than wave a wand–you’re there, you’re watching the elements come together like the notes come together in a song. There’s no sloppiness there, and I love the cleverness.

Levitt is the only writer I read or have read who makes the villain entirely too human. Instead of feeling a complete lack of empathy–hatred even–for the bad guys, when the time comes for justice, you feel their pain. You watch their loss with a sense of…but if only. The villains are evil, sometimes insane–but you know who they are, how they got where they are and the complex good and bad inside each character. You may not like them, but the sense of loss is there nonetheless. This is a skill that captures war or death as the real necessary evil–even as we suddenly realize that the guy on the other side could be us and is us.

The mystery plot is always good; there are miscellaneous clues here and there brought together in a knot that gets tighter throughout the book rather than tied neatly at the end. This book also visits “fantasy” with a touch of quest without the urban, but it works.

There’s talk/rumor that this might be the last in the series; that would be a shame because there’s still a lot of heart and soul here. There’s a magic that merges the real world into something special. This will no doubt make my top ten of the year, not because it is perfect but because, in the end, this book ended with such poignancy, I couldn’t help but love it.

And Mr. Levitt, you owe me a pan of brownies. Mine seem to have overcooked while I was reading.

This second book of a series went very fast for me, and was more complex than the first. All the returning characters became more whole, and both the humor and horror were upped a notch. I like that minor storylines from the first book carried over into the second and gained more importance. Several new characters were introduced whom I hope show up later in the series (e.g, the leathery gargoyle and Timothy), and one character dies too early a death for me -- he would have been an interesting competitor for Mason's love life. Lou, entertainingly, acts just like a dog (sort of) who is an equal partner with Mason in keeping them both alive in their magical world. Again I knew "whodunit" before the halfway point in the book, but it didn't diminish the fun read. Now I'm on #3.

A fun read, although a bit awkward in some places, Dog Days kept me interested until the end. I figured out "whodunit" midway through, but it almost seemed as if the author wanted us to know. The characters were well drawn and there was enough action to keep it moving forward. I liked the Campbell character a lot, and of course Lou. Mason (the lead) can be annoying sometimes, but he admits it so I can live with that. The dog (sort of) is charming and San Francisco is a strong character. Jazz enthusiasts will be pleasantly surprised.

This is the first book in John Levitt’s series about Mason, a wizard who’s magical talent is improvisation. He’s got a lot of power but lacks the discipline to train properly, as if often the case with intrepid heroes and heroines. What’s neat is that his improvisational skills expand over to his normal job as a jazz musician.

In Dog Days, the first in what is now a three-book series, Mason has given up being a magical enforcer, and now makes a living playing jazz guitar. He lives with his ifrit, Louie, who’s a very special dog. He helps Mason out of jams, including the ones he finds himself in this story, as someone is taking out practitioners. Toss in some special duels and romantic entanglements and it makes for quite the story.

This is one of those rare urban fantasy series with a male protagonist. Most urban fantasy stories have female protagonists, and are written by women so this is something of an exception. I’m pleased to say that, despite my fears, it’s different from the other man wizard series I read (The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher). There are some similarities but there are enough differences that the story felt fresh. Fresh enough that I’ve purchased the next two stories for my e-reader, at least. We’ll see how the series develops soon!

Also published at http://ireadgood.wordpress.com

John just gets better and better!

With this latest addition to the "Dog Days" series, I am officially a fan. "Unleashed" is my favorite so far. Levitt did a great job of building suspense, creating vivid images of the paranormal, and keeping the reader guessing.

The second book in the series, "New Tricks", was fine, but did not grab me as much as the first book, "Dog Days." "Unleashed" just seems more put together as a story and is definitely more creepy. I wish I could comment in more detail, but I don't want to give anything away--however I was glad to see some characters from earlier in the series back and I am interested in seeing what Levitt does with them in future editions.

There is one issue in this novel that the author addresses, but ultimatley leaves unanswered. I suspect it will be part of the next book, and I am looking forward to seeing how it is handled. I can say I was pleased how this story ended.

If you are a fan of Butcher's "Harry Dresden" or Brigg's "Mercy Thompson" series, you will probably enjoy Levitt's stories.

Dog Days gets off to a rough start. The main character not only drops cliches, he gets them wrong, and his self introduction is a little long winded, but once the mystery starts up and people start dying the wit becomes more focused. The worst parts of the book are in the beginning ("Black isn't a color, but this black is"? What does that mean?).

The Ifrit angle is a neat one, and I am partial to animal sidekicks.

If you can get through the begining you'll have yourself a nice, short urban fantasy to pass the afternoon with.

This series is a wonderful urban fantasy--who can resist a magic practioner that just wants to be left alone, a dog that isn't quite a dog and pets that are disappearing?

If you like the Dresden Files, Ilona Andrews, or any urban fantasy, this series is highly recommended. If you just enjoy a good mystery, this series is highly recommended. It's one of my all-time favorites!

This series is a wonderful urban fantasy--who can resist a magic practioner that just wants to be left alone, a dog that isn't quite a dog and mysterious deaths of magic practioners in San Francisco?

If you like the Dresden Files, Ilona Andrews, or any urban fantasy, this series is highly recommended. If you just enjoy a good mystery, this series is highly recommended. It's one of my all-time favorites!