Dorothea

Not for Nuns

Revisado: 10-13-11

I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Genvieve Bevier.

This story mostly follows Nicolai and Jane as they escape from the evil clutches of some regal witches and work their way back to Nicolai’s kingdom. Nicolai is a vampire who has been enslaved as a sex slave and Jane is a modern day woman who has been transported back in time to where Nicolai is being held in a castle.

First, I must tell you that I don’t usually read erotica and I didn’t realize that this book was in that category. The reason I don’t read erotica is because I like to have some story with a little sex thrown in, not some sex with a little story thrown in.

I liked the idea of this story but, the actual story involved a lot of caveman type sentences for the main character, Nicolai. There was no build up of romance between the main characters. Just throw them into a room together and let the gyration begin. It kind of blew the top off of my prude-o-meter.

I think for those who like erotica, this book would fit right in squeezed between another hot, steamy book and juicy novel dripping with desire. 

The Narration Review
For the most part, Genvieve Bevier did an okay job narrating this story, until it came to the main character, Nicolai. I did not enjoy her voice for him at all. It sounded like she was trying too hard to create a male sounding voice and it just came out wrong.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 11 personas

Not Your Typical Zombie Story

Revisado: 10-08-11

Any additional comments?

This story follows teenager, Benny Imura, who has lost both of his parents to the zombie infection. The story starts out with Benny’s teenaged boy attitude and his need to find a job. He doesn’t like his older brother, has no respect for him, and doesn’t really understand what his brother does. He searches out all of the other jobs available and finally decides he has to go out with his brother into the place referred to as the ‘Rot and Ruin’ and learn the family trade.

Outside the walls of their city, zombies walk around in the Rot and Ruin and will go after anything that moves, makes loud noises, or smells good to eat. There are also some other people out there and they can be just as dangerous as the zombies. Benny starts getting real lessons in what his new zombie-infested world is all about.

I really enjoyed this story. I had some reservations when it started off and I got to know Benny a little, but once the story took off, I was hooked. These aren’t your typical zombies and this isn’t your typical zombie story. The world created by Jonathan Mayberry was very well done and I was left wanting more!

Although this was the first book in a series, I was not left hanging with a giant cliff hanger. I was left with the feeling that I had just heard a really good story and wanted more. I will definitely be looking for the next book in the series, Dust and Decay!

The Narration Review
Brian Hutchison has a nice, clear story telling voice that is very easy to listen to. Although he didn’t have a whole cast of character voices in his pocket, I could easily differentiate between people when they were speaking in dialog.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Immortal Warriors Possessed by Demons.

Revisado: 10-06-11

Any additional comments?

I have heard a lot about this series and seen the abbreviation LOTU so much that I decided everyone must have read this series except me. So I decided to take the plunge.

This story is about some immortal warriors that opened Pandora’s box and released demons into the world. As a punishment, the Gods decided that each warrior would have to host one of the demons.

This book sets up the groundwork for the series, so there is a lot of information given out and then some story telling. The main characters in this story are Maddox (who is hosting the demon Violence) and Ashlyn (a mortal human with the ability to hear voices of the past.) And of course they fall in love … this is a paranormal romance after all!

I really enjoyed how Maddox was portrayed as fighting his demon. Especially when he had to really look into what he was feeling and decide if it was what he was feeling or what the demon was feeling. I enjoyed the steamy romance between our two main characters.

Things I didn’t like were the mono-syllabic responses from Maddox when he was with Ashlyn. I think those dialogs the first time were okay, after that … not so okay. Also, Paris having to find at least one different woman everyday in a remote isolated place. How many women were there and how long had they lived in that place? Don’t see that. They had people delivering stuff to their house, yet Ashlyn couldn’t find the road to their door? Hmmm.

Overall, I think it is a great addition to anyone’s paranormal romance collection and I am looking forward to the next in the series.

The Narration Review
I really must ask if it is alright just to put down … holy smokes! And have that cover my narration review? No… hmm. It could be because I have not listened to a male narrator for a long time, but Max Bellmore’s voice was very enticing. When it came to the intimate scenes between Maddox and Ashlyn, listening to Max made me feel like I was eavesdropping on a love scene in the next room. He inserted just the right amount of emotion to drag the words off the page and whisper them gently into my ear. Great job!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Creepy Southern Bayou Story

Revisado: 10-03-11

Any additional comments?

My Review

This was a great little audiobook to start off my October reading and listening month. Since I have visited the bayou before and I know what a creepy, spooky, and eerie place it can be … this book gave me shivers!

Anyone who has ever been there can tell you that there are things that go on in the bayou that just don’t happen anyplace else. Strange lights, strange sounds and people disappearing are just some of the strangeness that happens around the bayou. So this was the perfect setting for this book.

This story follows Dunny Pollock who was gifted with an extra finger. Her extra finger helps her find things, but she tries to hide it by wearing gloves all the time. Although her sister Angelle knows about her extra abilities, she has promised to keep quiet about it and never bring it up.

When two children go missing and other bizarre things start happening to Angelle, she feels compelled to call Dunny and ask for help. So Dunny travels to the small Lousiana town and quickly becomes involved with the strange happenings going on.

Dunny arrives in Louisiana and meets Poochie, Angelle’s grandmother-in-law. Poochie is an outspoken, spiritual southern lady who occasionally yells out bingo numbers. But there is much more to this strange lady who throws shoes up in her prayer tree.

I could have used a little more back story on some of the characters in this book and what was up with the ghosts and the shoes? I absolutely loved the Poochie character. Overall this is a great little read.

The Narration Review
This audiobook was narrated by Xe Sands. This is the first book in the horror genre that I have listened to Xe’s narration and wasn’t sure if I was going to like it since she is one of my favorite paranormal romance narrators, but I did. Once she started on the voice of Poochie and her southern accent for the other folks, I felt like I was right back in the bayou. Xe used her even cadence and great story-telling abilities to help contribute to the goose bumps you got in this story.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Driven Crazy by the Moon!

Revisado: 09-27-11

What did you love best about Noah?

This is Noah’s story (obviously, right?) So we have to take all the things that we have learned about Noah in the last 4 books and apply them to his story. He is a diplomat, a brother, an Uncle, a friend, and a king. What we haven’t seen yet is Noah in love.

We have seen the brotherly love he has shown for his sisters, but not the real pull at your heart strings, can’t get enough of her, on my mind every waking moment type love. But one other thing we mustn’t forget about Noah is that he is a demon and as a demon he is susceptible to the madness that the call of the moon at Beltane and Samhain can bring.

In this story, Jacquelyn Frank shows us how the pull of the moon can drive a man do things he would never do if he were in his right mind. It will be the enforcers, Jacob and Isabella, that will have to dole out Noah’s punishment for his little indiscretion.

Kestra is the one that is meant for Noah and she is a strong woman. She is tuff and doesn’t take crap from anybody. She has dreams about a mystery man for several months, but when some guy just shows up and tells her that she is his soulmate and now they will be together forever … well, he has another thing coming! She is not just going to roll over and act all submissive and let him dominate her. She doesn’t care who he is. As far as she is concerned all that soulmate stuff is a bunch of crap.

This story was a great addition to the series. I loved the dynamic between Noah and Kestra. I enjoyed that they didn’t just meet and fall love and live happily ever after. I also enjoyed how Kestra was not a girly, girly but more of a tuff warrior babe type person and she stayed true to form right to the end.

When this story ended, there were a lot of unanswered questions but I don’t feel like I was left hanging. We now have quite a few mixtures of races and we don’t know what all the different new guys (and gals) can do. I will be looking forward to the next in the series.

What about Xe Sands’s performance did you like?

Xe Sands was the narrator for this book as well as for the other four in the series. As always, she uses her rich sultry voice to immediately draw you into the story and keep you listening well into the night. She really captures the essence of the love and romance that goes on in these books.

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

Absolutely!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 9 personas

Forget what you knew about Vampires and Witches!

Revisado: 09-18-11

Any additional comments?

This futuristic story centers around a witch named Rachel Morgan and it is set in time after a genetically engineered virus wipes out a good chunk of the human population. After the virus, the paranormal community decided to come out of hiding and make itself known to the rest of the world. The rest of the world wasn’t quite ready for the big reveal so the two communities still keep themselves mostly separate.

Rachel works as a type of cop for an organization called IS. The IS doesn’t treat her very well so she decides she wants to quit and work on her own. A little pixie named Jenks and her vampire friend Ivy also want to quit the IS and work with Morgan. The IS can’t have these renegade types out there, so they put a contract out on Rachel. Now Rachel and her two friends must hide from hit men while they try to figure out a bust that will be big enough for them to get out from under the contract.

I really enjoyed this story. Kim Harrison has created a whole new world for us to explore and enjoy. There was a whole different take on vampires and witches that I found a bit confusing at first. That was due to my preconceived notions about the paranormal traits of vampires and witches, not because of the writing. So flush your brain of all other vampire and witch stories and start fresh.

I enjoyed that there was a mystery surrounding Trent that was never actually divulged. Normally that would tick me off, but with all the rest of the action and suspense, it didn’t. There was a whole lot going on in this book and it will be one that I will probably go back and listen to again.

This was the first book in a series and I will definitely go on to the next.

The Narration Review
I think Marguerite Gavin did a great job on the narration. I liked that she would increase the tempo just a bit for when she was talking for Jenks and that she gave him a good I-got-attitude voice. All the voices were clearly distinguishable so I never had to wonder who was speaking.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 13 personas

Mixing Vampire and Lycanthrope Blood ... oh no!!

Revisado: 09-03-11

What did you like best about this story?

This story follows Damien, the Vampire Prince and Syreena, the Lycanthrope Princess as they develop a never-before-known relationship. Syreena is brutally attacked by Ruth the Demon and Damien tries to save her. Because she is bleeding and they are alone, the only way Damien knows to stop her bleeding is to drink from her and inject her with his coagulation serum. But drinking from other Nightwalkers is strictly forbidden in the vampire world. It will have consequences. Are the consequences worth it to save the beautiful lycanthrope princess? Will taking her blood kill him?

Once again, Jacqueline Frank has surpassed normal Vampire and Shapeshifter norms. She does tie in with old myths and legends, but still it is not common place for two different species to mix. This is the third time she has mixed species with very interesting results. I can’t wait to find out the results of all this mixing of genes and abilities. Very interesting ….

What about Xe Sands’s performance did you like?

Xe Sands has narrated all the books in this series so far. I must admit, I have become quite the fan of Xe Sands and her enthralling story telling voice. I love the way she reads the romantic (and sometimes erotic) passages. When you think about someone telling a love story, this is the voice you imagine doing it! Sultry, passionate, and hot!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 10 personas

No pussy-footing around!

Revisado: 09-02-11

Would you consider the audio edition of One Foot in the Grave to be better than the print version?

This is the second book in the Night Huntress series. Although you could read this as a standalone, I think it would be hard to relate to what was going on without reading the first book Halfway to the Grave first.

In this story, we find Cat still hunting vampires, but as a federal agent with a team of guys that act as her backup. When we hear how Cat runs her team, I tend to think of this as more of a Lone Ranger type setup and wonder why she even has a team. When they are facing the bad guys it’s, ‘okay, I’m going in alone boys. Give me 30 minutes and then come in and clean up anything that is left.’ That is not teamwork! Cat is so cocky in this book. It is a good thing that she finally runs into Bones.

Although we do get into some good fighting scenes with Bones and get to discover some of his newly revealed Master Vampire skills, it is mostly Cat doing all the fighting in this story.

I really wish Cat had a bit more feeling in this story. She seemed like a walkin-talkin-pissed off-s.o.b. through the whole thing.

What about Tavia Gilbert’s performance did you like?

I think Tavia Gilbert did a great job with this book. Each character has a different voice and she does really well keeping them all separate. This is one of those narrators that can make you forget you are listening to just one person and not a whole cast of people.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Demons vs Lycanthropes ... who will win??

Revisado: 08-31-11

This is the third book in the Nightwalker series. This book revolves around Elijah, the Demon Warrior Captain and Siena, the Lycanthrope Queen. Ruth, the Demon Chancellor, has teamed up with the necromancers and they have trapped Elijah and have beaten him down to the brink of death. Luckily for Elijah, Siena was prowling nearby and scarred off the necros before they could deliver the death blow to him. Siena then pulls Elijah to safety in a nearby cave and starts tending to his wounds.

We know from earlier books that Elijah and Siena both have a hidden attraction for each other, but it is an attraction that is best hidden because mating between the two species is strictly forbidden for him. Because of the Lycanthrope history of war with the demon races, demons should be the last choice of a mate for lycanthropes also. So that is what makes it that much better! Forbidden love is so sweet.

Elijah and Siena try to fight the in grown prejudices they have for each other’s species, the growing attraction they have for each other, and the call of that dreaded moon has on their libido. It is difficult to do because every touch, every glance, and every breath draw them closer together.

I loved this book! I was worried when I didn’t enjoy the second in the series as much as the first that the series might be on a downward spiral, but I don’t think that anymore. I love the way Jacqueline Frank is putting folks together in her Nightwalker series and cannot wait to see what happens to Damien in the next book.

The Narration Review:
This book was narrated by Xe Sands, who also narrated the first two in the series. She has a very alluring voice and clear diction. I always think the production team must have to run to the showers after a session listening to her read.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 7 personas

What happens when all choices are made for you.

Revisado: 08-30-11

This story is set in a dystopian future where everything you do is planned for you. The ‘Society’ decides what clothes you wear, where you work, who you will marry, when you will have children, and when you die. The story revolves around three main people: Cassie, Ky, and Xander. Cassie and Xander have known each other since birth and Ky since he was around 10.

When you are 17 you get to go to a Match Banquet and find out who you are going to marry. At Cassie’s banquet they call Xander as her Match.

Everyone is so happy that Cassie and Xander are matched, now neither child will have to leave to live in another city with their match. Even though Cassie knows just about everything about Xander, she puts the data card into the computer port at her home just to see what is on it. She is very surprised that Ky’s face pops up … just for a second, but it was there.

The Society rushes in to tell her it was a mistake. Because of something Ky’s father did, Ky has been given the label ‘aberration’ and will never be allowed to be Matched. Now she is curios and that curiosity will lead her to want to learn more about Ky. The more Cassie learns, the more she realizes that she is in love with Ky. Real love. The type of love expected from her by Xander as his Matched girl. But Ky’s love is against the rules. If Cassie breaks the rules not only will she be punished, but her whole family could be punished also.

We enjoyed listening to this book. When we picked it, we didn’t realize that it was a trilogy, so you can imagine our surprise when it didn’t have a final conclusion at the end. As a matter of a fact, there were many things hinted at but never explored. So you are left feeling that you only got part of a story. I am sure that is a trick by the author to get us to want to read the next in the series when it finally comes out. Which we will do, but still …

Kate Simes has the voice that sounds closer to 10 or or 11 than 17, but it didn't distract from the story

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 12 personas