I loved this very short book, it was a blast to hear how the whole St Mary’s time travel (yes, I know Mr B, it’s not time travel...per se) thing started. It makes me want to go right back to the beginning of the series and start a re-read /re-listen from book 1. This one wasn’t narrated by Zara Ramm but by Jodi Taylor herself and once you got used to that, I liked it. She pronounces some names differently from Zara but it’s her book so she can do what she bloomin’ well likes, it’s what Max would do.

How Dr. Barstow brought the group together.

3 stars

This short story is a prequel to the first book in The Chronicles of St. Mary’s series, Just One Damned Thing After Another. The story follows Dr. Bairstow as he slowly assembles his team at St Mary’s.

I appreciated reading this entry shortly after the first novel. I saw a lot of reviewers saying to wait several more books before reading this prequel, but author Jodi Taylor indicates on her website that this is the suggested reading order, and I’m nothing if not a rule follower. This story definitely helped me solidify some of the more important characters at St. Mary’s. I loved the first novel, but one thing that kept it from being a perfect read was trying to keep track of the characters. Understanding who are some of the St. Mary OGs helped me gauge who is most prominent at the institute, which hopefully will lead me to caring more deeply for them later on. Most importantly, it gave me a better glimpse at Dr. Bairstow himself. I didn’t really connect with him much in the first novel, but given that this story was mostly following him, I got to see a little more of his personality. I can’t say he’s anywhere close to one of my favorite characters (at this point), but it did make me respect him more given the sacrifices he made for this establishment.

This story didn’t really have the same charm as the first novel, which I kind of expected since it wasn’t focused on Max. Nor was it read by the same narrator as the main novels. It was actually read by the author herself, which was pleasant to hear, but didn’t add that extra layer of spice that the regular narrator adds.

Overall I can’t pinpoint anything I hated about this, but it wasn’t remarkable either. It’s just a quick read that gives some background information about the founding of St Mary’s.

TL;DR

5.0 —One of the best I've ever read. Will be burned into my brain. Couldn't care less about weaknesses (if any). Would recommend to everyone and their mother.
4.5 —Loved this read. Will remember it fondly. Few weaknesses. Would recommend to anyone.
4.0 —Enjoyed this read. Will remember it fondly. Minor weaknesses. Would recommend to fans of the genre.
3.5 —Somewhat enjoyed this read. Might be memorable. Notable weaknesses. Would recommend to fans of the genre.
▌3.0 —Somewhat enjoyed this read. Not very memorable. Notable weaknesses. Would recommend to people who like similar books.
2.5 —Neutral or Underwhelming read. Not very memorable. Significant weaknesses. Would recommend to people who like similar books.
2.0 —Underwhelming or unenjoyable read. Not very memorable or memorable for the wrong reasons. Significant weaknesses. Might recommend to people who like similar books.
1.5 —Unenjoyable read. Not very memorable or memorable for bad reasons. Major weaknesses. Probably wouldn't recommend.
1.0 —Awful read. Memorable for bad reasons. No significantly redeeming qualities. Would never recommend.
0.5 —I wish I never wasted minutes of my life on this trash. I would go out of my way to convince others not to read it.

Well, that went fast. Not much Max but still fun.

I've listened to a few of these short stories out of order and enjoyed them so I decided to go to the beginning. I enjoyed hearing the quick version of the origin and I will be listening to more of these fun stories.