OYENTE

LaffingKat

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Norse myth, magic, mystery, & intrigue

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

Revisado: 03-11-25

Odin's Child is the first novel in Siri Pettersen’s The Raven Rings series of Norse-inspired epic fantasy. I loved the magic, mystery, romance, and intrigue. Our 15-year-old tailless heroine Hirka was brave, resourceful, and easy to root for. She has a very sweet friendship with the slightly older Rime, an elite warrior and son of a powerful ruling family. I found the other characters interesting as well, although I wasn’t sure which of them could be trusted.

The book gets off to a slow start, but the pace picks up if you stick with it. I found the story held my attention, and I wanted to know what would happen next for Hirka and Rime and the other characters. I still do, and I am eagerly looking forward to Book 2. I recommend this book for fans of epic fantasy, Norse mythology, political intrigue, and slow-burn romance.

The audiobook production was excellent, and I loved the narration by Siobhan Waring. She’s a joy to listen to, with a delightful accent and distinctive voices and speech patterns to suit each character, and the ability to convey mood and emotion effectively. The story works very well as an audiobook.

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Complex characters, very cool mythology

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

Revisado: 10-22-24

I absolutely loved this first book in Genoveva Dimova’s thrilling gaslamp fantasy duology, The Witch's Compendium of Monsters. It’s so well written, I felt completely immersed in the story. The world building is fantastic, and Dimova does a great job incorporating creatures from Slavic folklore. I loved the complexity of the characters, human and monster alike. The story easily held my attention with all of its twists and turns, and I enjoyed the mix of magic, mystery, suspense, humor, and a hint of romance. Our main character, the witch Kosara, is able to solve the main mystery posed in this first book, but many plot threads remain to be resolved in the second book.

The audiobook production was excellent, and Zura Johnson’s narration really contributed to my enjoyment of the story. She was fun to listen to, with good pacing, clear pronunciation, distinctive voices to suit each character, and the ability to convey mood and emotion effectively. The story works very well as an audiobook.

This is a story I will want to listen to again, and I highly recommend this audiobook for fans of gaslamp fantasy and Slavic folklore.

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Fun characters and a very exciting plot

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

Revisado: 12-01-23

This is the second full-length novel in the More than Magic series of new adult urban fantasy by Elizabeth Kirke. It’s a complete story that can be enjoyed on its own, although I do recommend reading the entire series in order.

I love how this book starts out with warm, cozy scenes of a group of friends enjoying a ski vacation together, laughing and teasing each other and enjoying meals around a fire. Then the author slowly ratchets up the tension until I was so anxious to know what happens next, it was hard to put the book down. Who will live and who will die? What will the long-term consequences be of difficult choices?

I love these characters, and the rich magical world the author has created. There’s a lot of humor and very sweet scenes between the various characters, but also incredible action and suspense.

The audiobook production was excellent, and I loved Starla Huchton’s narration. She has good pacing and pronunciation, distinctive voices and speech patterns to suit each character, and the ability to convey mood and emotion effectively. The story works very well as an audiobook.

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Fun PWF with complex relationships

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

Revisado: 02-27-23

This is the second book in T.J. Deschamps’s Midlife Supernaturals series of paranormal women’s fiction. The series is best enjoyed in order, but I dove straight into Book 2 and it was understandable and enjoyable on its own.

I liked the diversity of characters and the complex relationships. I thought it was a fun twist that our main character, Miriam, is going through a second puberty and developing new fae characteristics. I love her relationship with her childhood friend Phyr, and the way the love triangle with angel/werewolf alpha Gabriel was handled. I also enjoyed the author’s unusual take on Baba Yaga. I had some trouble suspending disbelief at times because a lot of crazy things happen in this story, but it’s a fun ride and it kept me guessing.

The works well as an audiobook. Angela Ohlfest did a fine job with narration. I noticed a few words mispronounced, but her performance was well paced and easy to understand, expressing appropriate mood and emotions, and her voices suited the characters.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the author and volunteered to provide an honest review. If you like paranormal women’s fiction, give this a try.

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Couples share honestly about challenges & success

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

Revisado: 02-13-23

The authors interviewed couples who had been together for at least 15 years, and they present 27 of those couples’ stories in their own words in a dialog format. This wasn’t quite what I expected, but it is interesting if you have patience to consider each couple’s story. Some stories resonated with me more than others.

What stood out most to me was all of the challenges that these couples faced. Their relationships weren’t perfect, but they found ways to learn, grow, and face their challenges together. I was particularly inspired by the couples who faced serious health challenges or great losses and still found happiness together.

Doug MacKechnie did a great job with narration. He’s easy to understand, he has distinct voices for the different interviewees, and his pacing and emphasis are wonderful.

Although it takes some effort to glean specific lessons from these stories, I found this audiobook interesting and inspiring.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the authors. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

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All together now

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

Revisado: 02-04-23

This novella is the sixth book published in Sarah Noffke’s Ren series, which is part of her Dream Traveler universe. Chronologically, it would come before Ren Book 5. It will make the most sense if you have already read The Lucidites Series, The Reverians, and at least the first three Ren books.

As always, Ren has a filthy mouth and frequently insults everyone around him. He is so mean sometimes, I’m embarrassed to admit that he makes me laugh and I can’t help cheering for him. It is fun to see him working with characters from the other Dream Traveler series and seeing how much the characters have grown.

Tim Campbell’s narration was wonderful as always. His pacing is good and I enjoy his character voices. The voice and British accent he uses for Ren is perfect for Ren’s arrogance and snarky comments. I definitely recommend the audiobook.

I purchased the ebook and was given a free copy of the audiobook by the author. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

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Gothic bodice-ripper full of dark secrets

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

Revisado: 12-11-22

This is the sixth book in Emmanuelle de Maupassant’s The Lady's Guide... series of historical romances. Each story stands alone.

This didn’t really work for me as a romance, but I thought it was delightfully creepy fun as a Gothic mystery. Setting her story in a dark and dilapidated Transylvanian castle filled with secrets, where a noble family tries to hide their curse and their many crimes, the author has created an oppressive atmosphere. Our poor heroine Sofia is determined to make the best of her difficult situation and win back the affection of her estranged husband, but she seems to be surrounded by danger with no idea who she can trust.

Constantin seems like a good man with very poor communication skills; he was just too distant for me to feel any romance between this couple. There is passion, though, if you are looking for jealousy and lust in the bodice-ripper tradition.

This worked well as an audiobook, with sound effects and music contributing to the spooky atmosphere. I enjoyed the narration by Gareth J. Davies. His performance was well paced and easy to understand, and I loved his accented character voices.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the author and volunteered to provide an honest review. If you like Gothic mystery/suspense and tortured romance, give this a try.

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Entertaining urban fantasy but uneven pacing

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

Revisado: 05-08-22

This is the second full-length novel in the Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective series by E.J. Stevens. It features great world-building, a fascinating diversity of paranormal creatures, and snarky dialog. I always laugh listening to the introduction to an Ivy Granger story—it perfectly sets the tone for what’s to come.

The first half of this story contains a lot of action and a high-stakes mystery for Ivy to solve. It was exciting, and I really enjoyed that half. However, the second half of the book felt disjointed and seemed to drag a bit. We get some interesting insights into the characters and learn more about Ivy’s past, but it felt anticlimactic after the adrenaline rush of the first half.

I appreciated the narration by Traci Odom. Her performance was well paced and easy to understand, and I enjoyed the character voices.

If you enjoy snarky urban fantasy, I recommend this book and the entire series, and I think it’s a great choice for listening. There is some swearing, but it’s generally terms like “Mab’s bones” or “Oberon’s eyes,” which I found amusing.

I was given a free copy of this audiobook by the author and volunteered to provide an honest review.

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Interesting characters, action, suspense, surprise

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

Revisado: 10-17-21

This boxed set collects all four novels in Sarah Noffke’s Genetically Altered series, which is part of her Dream Traveler universe. It’s an interesting world, and I always enjoy learning about different Dream Travelers’ abilities. This series is best enjoyed in order, so the boxed set is very convenient. In addition, although it’s not essential, I recommend reading Noffke’s Lucidites Series first so you have a better understanding of Dream Travelers before tackling this series.

I liked the premise of human men who have been genetically altered to become werewolves as well as Dream Travelers. Most of the characters had distinct personalities, and it was fun to learn about their powers, strengths, and weaknesses. I didn’t initially like the two main female characters very much, but they grow over the course of the story and become more relatable.

The story was interesting and filled with action, suspense, and surprises. I enjoyed watching the pack bonds and other relationships evolve. One weakness is that I wish the villain had been more nuanced and relatable. Mika Lenna was unrelentingly awful.

Elizabeth Klett did a good job with narration. She’s easy to understand, her pacing is good, and I enjoyed her distinctive character voices. This story works well as an audiobook.

I purchased the ebook and was given a free copy of the audiobook by the author. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

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A wild ride, with some answers & more questions

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

Revisado: 08-27-21

This is the third and final novel in the Ravenwood Academy trilogy of young adult paranormal mystery by Lena Mae Hill. The series should be read in order. It’s fun and exciting, so I do recommend it to fans of this genre.

Our main character, Timberlyn, experiences some dramatic changes in this story and has a lot of growing up to do. We also get a chance to learn more about her friends and family.

The story was entertaining and easily held my interest. There’s a bit of a love triangle here, and also a suggestion of fated mates. The plot is interesting, with interspecies tensions and conflicting goals straining relationships, and plenty of surprises revealed. My main disappointment is that while this book answers some of the questions posed throughout this trilogy, it leaves many questions still unanswered. I wanted more resolution for these characters.

There are a couple of steamy scenes, though nothing too graphic. Be prepared for violence and know that some characters die heartbreaking deaths. This is not a “happily ever after” kind of story.

I really enjoyed the narration by Vanessa Moyen. Her performance was well paced and easy to understand, and I love her character voices. I think this is a great choice for listening.

I was provided a free review copy of this audiobook by the author via StoryOrigin; I volunteered to provide an honest review.

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