Rhonda

Unfocused and Underdeveloped

Revisado: 07-23-18

I can count on one hand the books I could not finish, but this one added to that number. I made it 75% of the way through before I could take it no more. It felt like the author was trying to use every mythological and fantastical reference she knew into the book. The result was a scattered mythos with no focal point for the story to be framed around. There were were-everythings, a dragon, witch, vampire, elves, the Moon Mother, Coyote Grandmother, Egyptian goddess Bastet, references to Norse mythology, and the list goes on. There was no real romance because the characters were working on collecting many lovers over their years. The main character, who was supposed to be a rather mature adult, read like angst-ridden teenager who kept telling her sisters she was all grown up now, though she did not demonstrate any independence – at least not in the first 75% of the book. The narration, at least, was decent but there is little I can actually recommend about this book.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Narration Killed the Story

Revisado: 07-23-18

This book was a relatively decent fantasy romance novel, but the narration made it challenging to get through. The heroine of the story sounded like a rather annoying cartoon character. And the male lead was supposed to have British accent, but the accent he had was unidentifiable. I liked the idea of the story more than the execution. There was a love/lust-at first-sight romance, an intrigue with the heroine being the target of assassination attempts, and the introduction of the main character to the fae world. Unfortunately, character and story development were lacking due to an over-emphasis on the sexual part of the relationship between the two main characters. However, because it was difficult to listen to the characters talking, some of my perceived lack of character development may be due to the poor narration.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Quality and Refreshingly Different YA Fantasy

Revisado: 04-19-18

Where does The Cruel Prince rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would rank this book well within my top 25%.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Cruel Prince?

The most memorable moment of this book for me is the end of the novel, but I do not want to even hint at why so as not to spoil the book for anyone. I appreciated the character development and imagery throughout the novel. Reflecting on it now, there are scenes I can see as clearly as if I had watched it play out in a film. The terrible beauty of the land of Faerie was treated with enough detail to conjure clear images but not so much that the imagination was inhibited.

What about Caitlin Kelly’s performance did you like?

The narrator did a quality job with the performance. Each character's voice was distinct enough to make it easy to distinguish between them. Her rhythm and inflections were consistent and smooth, making it an enjoyable novel to which to listen.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I believe I grabbed a couple hours of sleep, but I did listen to this novel all in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

There were times I wanted to reach in and shake or slap the characters, but because they were so believable. There was a depth of character in this novel that I am unused to seeing in YA fantasy. The characters were far from perfect, and it was clear how their pasts shaped and continued to shape the choices they made and the adults they were becoming. I look forward to seeing how the characters continue to grow.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas