Julius

Another romance set in a secondary world.

Revisado: 03-02-25

I took a chance on Between Wrath and Mercy based on a book tubers recommendation. This is supposed to be a fantasy heavy, romance light kind of story. The book tuber, and I clearly have differing opinions on what romance heavy stories are. This book is definitely a romance first, fantasy second, kind of story.
Between Wrath and Mercy boarders on being good, IF and that’s a big if, its what you are looking for? A romance heavy story set in a secondary world, then this may be your book. But if you like the story to be about the story, and not just introspective brain talk about the gorgeous guy the MC left behind 16+ years ago and suddenly had to reconnect with, then this may not the book for you. As for me, I made it 21 minutes into chapter 20 (of 52) and I have to call it quits. This is just not a book for me.
Overall, the characters are reasonably well done. No spoiler as this is in the book discretion, the main character is a 30 something year old mother of 1 looking for her missing daughter. Her actions and motivations on that subject seem on par to me. She is in an arranged marriage that she agreed to somewhere in her very late teens or early 20's after the trauma of losing her sister. As of the time of the story, she dislikes her husband, because he is older than her and agreed to the arranged marriage, a thing that she herself agreed to. She uses that to justify denying him any form of intimacy and is uninterested in the fact that her coldness takes an emotional toll on him over time. By the time of the story, he is a despicable man, who treats her badly.
As for the narration, Kelsey Navarro’s performance is very reminiscent of Elizabeth Evans, sisters of narration as it were. If you like Evans, you probably like Navarro. There is a second narrator listed in the credits, but as of chapter 20 Sean Christen has yet to make an appearance. For me, Evans narration takes me out of the story rather than enhancing it. I think she would be better suited to doing a contemporary story. I would much prefer to listen to Kate Redding for a book like this.
I accept that I'm likely not the target audience for this book and that is fine. Not every book is going to appeal to everyone. If you like soft porn romance set in a secondary world and call that fantasy, then this is a good book to take a chance on. However if you like your story to be about strong female or male characters doing the thing the story is actually about, then pass on this. Their are older books out their like Mercedes Lackey's The Oathbound among others, that can scratch that itch.
Maybe someday soon their will be an influx of authors who want to tell a story that I want to read; a story that focuses on the plot first and uses thought and emotion to enhance rather than dominate it. Sadly, this is not one of them.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

It's okay-ish, but surprisingly it's not for me.

Revisado: 11-02-23

In the interest of full disclosure, this review will contain **marked** spoilers down below. Pass that paragraph and you will be okay.

I have not read any of the Throne of Glass books nor any of Sarah J. Maas’ works before this one. The Assassin’s Blade is a collection of five shorter stores; in order, The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, The Assassin and the Healer, The Assassin and the Desert, The Assassin and the Underworld, and The Assassin and the Empire.

I admit, it’s a guilty pleasure, but I enjoy a good anti hero. A protagonist that has a lot of flaws and hopefully finds redemption somewhere in the tale. And who embodies that more than a thief or especially an assassin. All the stories in the Assassin’s Blade follows Celaena Sardothien, the most feared assassin in the land and protégée of Arobynn Hamel, King of the assassins.


At the start of the first story, Celaena is a sixteen year old girl. At the finish of the book, I believe she is eighteen or nineteen. And this is the beginning of my issues with this book. As we pick up the story, she is the simply the best assassin, surpassing even her mentor, Arobynn… or that is the implication. The only thing is, as written, she isn’t at all that the book claims she is.

I love fantasy stories, so I am fine with a significant level of “suspension of disbelief.” But the story has to be grounded in some level of reality, especially when it comes to people in the story. The people in Sarah J. Maas’ world appear much like us. And yet a cocky, arrogant, entitled petty, and quite frankly, whiney little girl with little to no self control, is the best assassin? Okay I know SJM wrote the story and she can say a thing in within the story, but then WRITE it that way. Celaena just makes some repeatedly bone headed decisions. Decisions that someone who lives or dies by them, would simply not make. Not without dying before this book takes place. I am assume, she’s undergone years of training and tutelage AND as she is the “best,” has demonstrated it through actions—repeatedly. The implication in the book is the training was harsh and demanding, which makes complete sense. Only she does not exhibit the traits in the stories. She shows all her flaws in her personal as well as professional life. And she show no growth as it goes on throughout all five stories.

This book as all in the Thrown of Glass series, is also a fantasy romance. I did not know it going in. I’ve never read a fantasy romance, but I understand this one is very tame compared to some others. Especially, as I understand it, other Sarah J. Maas’ books. I guess this one is not too bad, but as a genre, fantasy romance is not my cup of tea.

As for the writing, it varies from pretty good to mediocre. Sarah J.Maas writes a pretty good fight scene which really enjoyed. Ditto the world building, but at times, the dialogue is really sub par. I met a fencer in the late 70’s who won the Women’s Under 19 National Championship and then in the same year won the Open Women’s National Championship. And you know what she did not do… People who are exceptionally good at a thing do not refer to themselves as being the best, they focus on the process. In real life, other’s debate or talk about exceptional people that way, not the people themselves. It's a small thing, but it nudges me away from caring about the MC. There are other more blatant faux pas that I could give, but it's not really necessary. I believe the dialogue could be more consistently better.

**SPOILER AHEAD** pass the bellow paragraph and read on.

Another issue, is Sam. He is Celaena’s rival, friend and then, surprise surprise, love interest. They argue, she bullies him, repeatedly does not allow him to “get his way” until the end of the last story. She dramatically; knows it's the wrong thing! It goes against her training! But because he is so beautiful she will allow him to have his way, this one time. And you know what—he gets killed. Then true to her character as written, she does something stupid and impetuous and gets captured. “Shocked Face” She is given to the King for trial and execution. True to the cheesy 60’s Batman plot device, (BAM!) she is sent to the salt mines to suffer for as long as possible before dying I believe in the next book she escapes. (Whammo!) It is just lazy writing. SJM could have done so much better. By the end of the last story, I don’t care about Celaena or Sam. By the time it happens, I am completely okay with with them getting what they get. Maybe that’s the message to kids who are “leaders in their field,” but really do not know what they are doing. I just would have expected this result to happen long before these stories take place.

**SPOILER OVER**

Individually, these nits I am picking, are small-ish. Maybe nonexistent for some folks. But cumulatively, they took me out of the story over and over. And that's why I have issue with the Assassin’s Blade. I just could not stay connected. If you love Sarah J. Mass’ books, then by all means pick this one up. You will probably like it, maybe love it. For me, it just doesn't pass the "sniff-test." For that reason I call it so-so.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Okay story, just not for me

Revisado: 09-21-23

I very much enjoyed Jeri Westerson's Crispin Guest series and I tend to love a good heist story. This one disappointed me. The story, written in first person, is alright. The narrator does a solid job overall. But for me, the combination of the two left me wanting more. Story wise, I hoped for a little more on the caper side. More importantly, I did not enjoy Noah James Butler's performance. He does different voices for the characters and gives a clear performance...but I just could no stay engaged in this story. As I believe both the story and the narration are technically good, I have come to the conclusion that it's a personal preference thing. That special something in a story and performance that "speaks" to an individual and makes a story great, is missing for me. Give it a try, you may love it. Unfortunately as much as I wanted to, this one is not for me.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Not a BAD book, but I couldn't get into this one.

Revisado: 08-06-20

I really wanted to like this book. If you like Wuxia, then my guess is you LOVE this. As for me, I made it through the first two and a half hours and switched to a book I have already read. I just could not get engaged. I listened to that other book for an hour before feeling like I did not give “Hero” enough of a chance. So I went back and pick up where I left off. Another hour+ and I still could not make it through. It just never scratched the itch I was looking for.
Understand, this is not a BAD book. It is just not one that I can listen to. The characters are interesting, the fights are fantastic, the world (granted it take place in China long ago) is well put together. Although the writing is good, it is not quite what I am looking for. The translation and narration are fine, but I am afraid overall it is not for me. I am sorry to say, I will be returning this one.
If you can can make it through that first hour and a half and you love or even like this book, then it is for you. Pick it up, listen and enjoy. I am really sorry that I can’t.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Good book + great narration = worthwhile listen!

Revisado: 04-26-20

In The Shadow of What Was Lost, James Islington does a nice job of giving us good characters and putting them in a well realized world. The magic system is reminiscent of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time. Dispite that, I still enjoyed the unfolding story. Wheel of Time co-narrator Michael Kramer gives his usual wonderful performance. Similarities notwithstanding, this is a nice new world to dive into and I think it is well worth the listen in it’s own right.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Finally, my favorite, and it didn't disapoint!

Revisado: 07-23-19

I read this book years ago and have been hoping it would come to Audible. It finally has and I like it as much as the read. Still a good story, only now complemented by a good performance. Skif (the main character) falls on hard times...well harder times and is "rescued." No real spoilers, but things go well, until they don't. Grab this one and find out more. Ties in with Exile's Honor and Exile's valor, so if you like those, grab this one. If not, this book stands on it's own well. All you need to know to enter Mercedes Lackey's world of Valdemar is right here. Take a leap and enjoy.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Promising but unrealalized potential

Revisado: 04-26-17

After reading a few reviews of Matthew Dunn's other books I decided to start with Sentinel. Unfortunately that didn't save it for me. Rarely do I stop listening to a book before the end, but I did with Sentinel. The characters are a flat, not dynamic at all and I found the plot started to DRAG very quickly. I found myself wanting to listen to almost anything else before I'd gotten 1/2 way through. By the 2/3 mark I had to punch out...
Additionally Rich Orlow's narration is not my particular favorite. The character's voices get garbled and indistinct after a very short while. Listen to the sample and imagine adding a bunch of characters, something I normally like, but no way to differentiate them. FRUSTRATING.
All this is too bad because there are moments that hint at more. But those moments come too far apart for me to continue. I really wanted to like this book, but I am sorry to say I'll be asking for my credit back.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

An interesting concept

Revisado: 08-24-16

I was drawn to this book to a large degree because of its unique premise. One story passed along through 15 different authors with no guidance or notes passed with it, just the trust in fellow professionals to do what they do. A bold concept.

Although The Chopin Manuscript is not as sharp and tight as a book written by a single author, you will still find the misdirects and twists you expect in a good thriller. Also several themes are carried through the entire book that binds the story together. There were lot of characters for a book this size and it did read a little spasmodic at times, and though I am no English major or literary expert, the differing “voices” of the authors (which I enjoyed) was evident through out. It wasn’t perfect, but I applaud the author team for doing a good job. Overall I found the book engaging and fun to read, so I say it worked.

As for the narrator, Alfred Molina is a talented actor and bounces between accents with amazing fluidity. He does a truly great job of bringing the dialogue-packed story to life.

In the end I gave the story 3 1/2 stars, and the performance 5 stars, for a solid 4 overall.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Predictable action sequences, one after another

Revisado: 08-01-16

Unfortunately Court Gentry (the Gray Man) is a cardboard cutout of a character, and that makes it hard to connect with him. Add to that, the author spends more time telling the reader how scary and dangerous the Gray Man is, and not enough time showing it.

Even the chase scenes get a little cartoony after a while...a very short while in fact. If you like nonstop thrill rides this is the book for you. If like me, you like pauses in the action, then this book will leave you wanting more.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Like The Tourist only better, so pay attention!

Revisado: 05-02-16

Having enjoyed Olen Steinhauer's The Tourist I tried The Cairo Affair, and disliked it. Naturally I was unsure about trying The Nearest Exit. I took a chance and was surprised to find it better than the first Milo Weaver book. They changed the narrator and that took some getting used to but The Nearest Exit did not disappoint.

Olen Steinhauer's books demand you listen intently. If you are looking for a mindless listen where the author walks you by the hand through the story, highlighting everything you need to pay attention to to stay with the story, then pass by this one. BUT it you like a book with a complex plot that will challenge you to keep up, then Milo Weaver is your guy.

Be advised, Milo Weaver is not a super hero. He is a guy doing a job. He needs help at times, gets captured, beat up and limps afterwards. If you like the invincible man protagonist this might not be the book for you.

This book picks up where The Tourist left off, so if you haven't I would listen to that first. The reader is forced to find out a lot more about the Department of Tourism. I enjoyed the peak behind the curtain.

In The Tourist, Milo is tiring of the multiple cover identities and the semi-rootless life. He leaves it by the end of that book. Circumstances force him back in but he struggles. The story really unfolds because Milo tries to do the right thing and that throws a wrench in the works.

We catch up with familiar characters from the last book and meet some new one along the way. Fellow "tourist" James Einner is back along with two new tourists. Alan Drummond takes over Thomas Granger corner office in the Avenue of the Americas building. We meet BND director Erika Schwartz and her crew. Xin Zhu, a shadowy Chinese spymaster is hinted at. And of course, like any good espionage story, not everyone is who they seem.

Minor Tourist SPOILER: we catch up with Milo's biological father again and we learn a little twist concerning his mother.

The book is not perfect, the author overuses the word tourist too much for my taste. Some of the secondary and tertiary characters could use some development. He gives some of them interesting Idiosyncrasies but then just overuses those. Sometimes less can be more. Also Milo's wife get annoying. In all fairness that might be because I identify more with the protagonist and I am a man. She is well written, it is simply that she make me mad, and that might be the point. Judge for yourself.

Tom Weiner (the narrator of The Tourist) is an acquired taste, but I like him, so it took me a while to warm up to David Pittu's performance. Now that I am "acclimatized" to David's narration, I enjoyed the story.

Life is about choices and the scars we receive with each questionable one we make. Milo has quite a few scars and they tug from time to time. The Nearest Exit examines what is done in the name of the greater good and brings to light the scars those choices can leave behind. I enjoyed the book and hope you do too.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 4 personas