OYENTE

KRLGA @Smada's Book Smack

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great narrator terrible story

Total
2 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
2 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-01-22

the narrator was legit the only good part of the story. the main character was a super special flower that everyone lusted over (even a cat, yep it was awkward) who had no real personality and there was an insta-love that never made sense and I hated. I will not be continuing this series

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Fantasy Royal Court Adventure

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 05-31-21

Lilac has a gift that nobody should have, causing her to be locked away in the palace and away from the public eye- she can communicate with the evil Darkling creatures that share the realm. Now that she is nearing her coronation for the throne, she sets off on an impossible quest to get rid of her gift and maybe better her kingdom along the way.

I did struggle a little bit with liking the main character Lilac. At times she was so bold and daring, having lots of courage and swagger, running through the woods alone and trying to seduce a stranger. And then other times she was naive and completely oblivious, trusting everything at face value and acting like a spoiled princess (which she technically was, but still). She spent half her life being shunned and kept away from the public (and most other people in general) for her dark gift of communication with Darklings, so her people and life skills are noticeably rusty.

The narrator did a good job of creating unique voices for all the characters, making a conversation between the characters easy to follow. There was an interesting audio effect used when Lilac heard the Darkling voices, making it sound like the voices were echoing through a tunnel to differentiate what was regular speech from the Darkling speak that not everyone else understands.

The world building is fantastic in this story, I love how all kinds of magical creatures come together in new ways and interact- the world is for sure my favorite part of the story!

Overall this was a very different kind of story, full of magic and quests as well as a forbidden romance and a princess who wants to save herself regardless of boundaries and rules. Keep in mind that this is the first book in a series to be prepared for more magical adventures to come

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Unique Fairytale Retelling Smash-up Series Start

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-13-21

**4.5 Stars**
Larkin was supposed to be watching her little sister when she realizes that her sister wandered into the Forbidden Forest, the place nobody ever returns from. Understanding that she will not get help from the superstitious town, she plunges into the forest to try and find her sister, irrevocably changing her life in ways nobody could have predicted.

We start the book with Larkin secretly in love with her friend Bane, who seems like an ok guy (I guessed a secret about him from the start but overall he was not a bad guy per se) but once we meet Denan, the guy who basically kidnapped her, I was in love. No, Larkin was not a victim of Stockholm syndrome, she wanted nothing to do with Denan and still loved her friend (much to my chagrin, I seriously wanted to shake this girl at some points- her bad choices moved the book from 5 stars to 4.5 since I was so mad at her). But I still loved Denan. He gave Larkin a choice and options, respected her views and wants regardless of them being conflicting with his own and was overall a really decent person. Keep in mind that this is not a romance story (there is a teeny tiny smidge but not a ton), but I adored watching the two of them develop a relationship through many adversities.

I purchased this forever ago as an ebook when it first came out (I mean seriously, Beauty and the Beast meets The Pied Piper? Yes please!) because I was super excited to read it but never got a chance. When I saw it was an audio, I jumped at the chance to listen to the story. The narrator was perfect at bringing Larkin to life, giving her personality and spunk and having a clear precise diction, as well as doing a great job creating distinct voices for the other characters. I would love for the rest of the series to be on audio and be narrated by this same voice. Keep in mind I listened at 1.75x speed which was just about perfect.

I really enjoyed this read and can't wait to continue the series. While this did not end on a cliffhanger, I have so many questions and concerns about what will happen and the overall fate of Larkin and Denan. I highly recommend this for anyone who loves fairytales and retellings full of action, magic and surprises.

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Steampunk Alice in Wonderland Romance Adventure

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-22-20

**3.5 Stars**
I really enjoyed this version of the Alice and Wonderland fairytale, with Alice escaping her life of crime just to be brought back in. All the characters from the original story were involved in the story in some way or another, but as humans. And there were tons of fun references to all the other Wonderland elements which made it fun to find the subtle clues. The world was fun with all kinds of steampunk gadgets, transportations and even a mechanical grinning cat- as well as some terrifying human alterations as well.

The one thing I was not a fan of was the memory flashbacks. The story was already very quick (about 5 hours listening) and half the story was memories that Alice had of previous capers or romantic moments that helped to fill in her past but did not move the story forward in my opinion. I am personally not a big fan of flashbacks anyway, and at least half the book was flashbacks, whereas the current storyline took place over a day or two. I wanted more of the present and less of the past.

The narrator did a good job, she gave Alice personality and made her personable, I liked her and rooted for her. She did a pretty good job for other character voices as well, but her Alice was the best. Keep in mind that I listened to the book at 1.8x speed which was perfect for this read.

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YA Supernatural Dystopian Fast Read

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-17-20

Adam will do whatever he can to protect his family and community and he leaps at the opportunity to join the elite Wardens who police the dangerous mutants. His first mission leads him into the woods to hunt down a rumor of a secret mutant compound. Lilah has been keeping her head down pretending she is normal while in truth she is a mutant who controls fire. When her secret is compromised, she is sent into the forbidden woods to find a hidden compound full of other mutants to be safe. When the two accidentally meet in the woods, secrets and betrayals may cost both of them more than they could know.

This is the second book in the Eden Saga, but can be read without having read the first book. This introduces new characters and conflicts, but I think the world building was missing a little bit so that may be in more detail in the first book. No world building is not needed to appreciate this story, but I am super curious about how the world got to be this way so I would love to read the first book and fill in my knowledge gaps.

The narrator was fantastic, her pacing was perfect and her inflections gave the characters personality. The story is dual narrated by two characters, a male and a female, but read by just one narrator but she was able to give them their own voices which I appreciated. Keep in mind that I listened to the book at 2x speed which was perfect for me.

Overall this was a super fast dystopian read with strong romantic overtones. The story was fast paced, non stop action and wrapped up well even if a little bittersweet. I would have liked a little bit more of character development but I enjoyed the action and would continue this series.

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Action Packed Space Adventure

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 10-21-20

Sally is stuck in a rut in her life, going through the motions but not really living. When she wakes up late one morning, costing her her job and basically making her have a terrible day, Sally had no idea that this was the start of what will be a very grand and epic space adventure with her very own alien guide. How can life be nothing but exciting when space travel, alien politics and saving the world are regular occurrences?

I was reading a lot of reviews on Goodreads about this being hysterical and I did not find it funny. Instead I found this to be action packed, full of crazy scenarios, kind of reminding me of the kind of science fiction adventure of The Hitchhikers Guide. We have Sally, a regular totally normal human girl who ends up finding herself in the middle of alien/space politics, evading capture, hiding the most sought after criminal, impersonating a certain frightening sister, having an alien roommate and attempting to date a nice normal human guy in the middle of all the space related mischief. It was a really fun adventure (it just wasn't funny- so don't expect humor going into this). While this book and current plotline wrapped up pretty well, this is just the start of Sally's adventures and I am interested in seeing what she will find herself involved in next.

The narrator for the audiobook did a good job of voicing Sally as well as creating distinct voices for all the other side characters. She had a great tone and pacing for every situation, keeping me engaged in the story and curious to learn more. I would recommend the audio version for anyone who enjoys listening to audiobooks.

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Super fun new paranormal academy adventure

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 09-30-20

Luna is unhappy with her life, about to graduate from high school and age out of the foster care system. Since paranormals are out of the closet due to the reality dating show Hitched, Luna is so curious to meet one, but it is unlikely to happen in her small town. But one day Luna has a visitor, a half sister she never knew existed, who is planning to whisk her out of the world she grew up in to take part in the supernatural.

I wanted to read Half-Blood after I read the author's previous series Hitched and adored it. I had thought Half-Blood was set in the same world, but I had no idea that this was basically a spin off with cameo's from all my favorite cast mates from Hitched- and my favorite guy Ryder is the love interest! Once Ryder showed up, I was sold on the book (keep in mind I was already enjoying it, but Ryder makes everything better!). Keep in mind that you can read this as a standalone without having read Hitched first (Luna a brand new character), but I don't recommend it because you would miss out on all the previous world building and relationship dynamics of the side characters.

This was a nice balance of supernatural shenanigans, magical academy school drama and forbidden love angst. I flew through the pages of the book, completely engrossed in the world building and the danger, hoping for a HEA for my new favorite forbidden couple, and overall really enjoying this read. I listened to the audio and the narrator was a perfect choice for Luna, giving her just the right amount of spunk and determination as well as sounding perfectly age appropriate. I really liked this story and I can't wait to jump back into the series, be it audio or ebook.

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Urban Fantasy Series Starter

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 09-18-20

Well this was wonderfully fun and I would love more now please!

Kiss of the Damned was the perfect mix of world building, character development and mystery- it also doesn't hurt that I am rooting for a romantic connection between a certain naive girl and an all powerful broody demon guy... I have read and listened to books previously by this author and been very happy with what I received and this is no exception. I blew through this in a single day because the plot progressed with great pacing and everything was just so easy for me to get lost in. The biggest problem with me reading this in a single day is that the second book in the series is not out yet and I have no idea how to cope while wondering how everything will play out next. Keep in mind, there is for sure a cliff hanger to keep you on your toes for the next book.

The narrator was a perfect choice to bring Paige to life. She nailed the perfect mix of sweet and naive with curious and resilient in her inflections, making me feel like I know Paige personally. Her other character voices were well done and distinct so I always knew who was talking, which is a requirement in my audios. I highly recommend the audiobook as an option if you are an audiobook fan- keep in mind that I listened at 2x speed which was perfect for me.

I am a super fan and I recommend this for anyone who enjoys urban fantasy, other worlds, angel and demon conflicts and a slow burn potential romance.

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YA werewolves romance mystery

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-21-20

werewolves + Native American culture/mythology + scary mystery = wonderful paranormal romance that I adore and will for sure finish the series!

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Fae Academy Meets Reverse Harem

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-08-20

Ok, this is exactly how I enjoy my reverse harem stories- with the main character being the focus of the men (I am not a fan when they have relationships with each other, I prefer her to be the only lust target since this is dream fulfillment fantasies here anyway) and the slow burn heat (not instant sex). I know that the main character will eventually need more guys, but right now she has two potential hot Fae mates and she has completely separate relationships with both (like she is dating them both separately) and I like that slow bonding and relationship growth. Based on the reviews I have read for the other two books in the series I am sure the heat increases, but for now I liked this steam level.

I also found that this was well balanced between world building, plot, relationship dynamics and steam. I liked that there is an actual plot here and that (currently) sex is not the main focus of the story or motivator for the character's actions, just a pleasant bonus. I look forward to seeing who else gets acquired and how that dynamic will impact the group.

I enjoyed this story and I can't wait to jump into the next book and see what happens next since this ends on a huge cliffhanger! Be glad all the books in the series are already out so you can jump into the next story. The audiobook was well done and the narrator had unique voices for all the characters, making it a fun experience.

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