GJ's Review of "Jove Brand Is Near Death" by J.A. Crawford Audiobook

Thank you to NetGalley and CatCam Publishing for giving me a copy of the Jove Brand Is Near Death Audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

So before I get into my review of the book itself, I wanted to talk about the audiobook narration. The narrator was Tim Campbell, a popular voice actor and he did a fantastic job. I probably would have given up about at 10% if it wasn't for his work. He brings a likable drollness that nails both the noir tone and Ken's unique perspective. He really shows how funny and tragic of a character Ken Allen really is. His performance especially shone during the last act. I really hope if Crawford does a sequel, Campbell comes back because he is Ken Allen for me.

That said, I do have a major problem with the narration: Around chapter 6, Ken goes to visit a pair of legendary Chinese producers and the narrator does what is basically vocal yellowface, speaking with an old, gravelly voice and a faux Chinese accent.  Thankfully, it isn't much dialog and but I wanted to call this out. I won't stand on my soapbox about how this is harmful to Asian people but at the end of the day, this was a lazy and unneeded choice that cheapened the hard work that came before it. It was especially gross because Crawford's writing didn't indicate any accent of any kind. I don't know if this was a call by the director but this went past numerous people and they said nothing. DO BETTER. 

Now as for the book itself, it wasn't my usual fare but I otherwise enjoyed it. Crawford is a clear fan of both spy thrillers and noirs and it shows. The mystery soon sucked me in and he did a great job planting his big reveals without giving too much away. I spent the last 30 minutes of the audiobook leaning forward, screaming "I knew it!" and "OF COURSE, IT WAS THERE ALL ALONG!" 

I also enjoyed how Crawford used the old tropes of spy thrillers and noirs: The dusky and blonde women from Ken's past, the quartermaster fitting him with his spy gear, the old beater of a car AND a motorcycle, the dark secret following our lead, they're all here gang. Unfortunately, there are some tropes that were best left in the past, namely regarding the queer characters and the aforementioned scene when Ken meets with the Chinese producers. I'm not queer or Chinese so I can't speak for those groups but it was a bit cringe.

I also would have liked fewer descriptions of Ken's diet. As someone with bad experiences with diet culture, it was less triggering and just annoying. 

Still, even with the parts I didn't enjoy, this was a fun read and I'll likely read the next book. Crawford is a gifted writer. 

TW: Blood, Violence, mentions of human trafficking/enslavement, death, gun violence,