ABANDONED IN DEATH

Abandoned In Death by JD Robb
Book 54 of the In Death series
Narrated by Susan Ericksen
Genre: scifi crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Abandoned In Death:

Homicide detective Eve Dallas must untangle a twisted family history while a hostage’s life hangs in the balance — in the new In Death novel by #1 New York Times bestselling J. D. Robb.

The woman’s body was found on a bench in a New York City playground. She was clean, her hair neatly arranged, her makeup carefully applied. But other things were very wrong — like the tattoo and piercings, clearly new. The clothes, decades out of date. The fatal wound hidden beneath a ribbon around her neck. And the note: Bad Mommy, written in crayon as if by a child.

It seems clear the killer’s childhood was traumatic — a situation Eve is all too familiar with herself. Yet the clues point to a perpetrator who’d be around sixty, and there are no records of old crimes with a similar MO. What was the trigger that apparently reopened such an old wound and sent someone over the edge? When Eve learns that other young women have recently vanished, the case grows even more urgent — and to solve it she’ll need to find her way into a hidden place of dim light and concrete, into the distant past, and into the depths of a shattered mind.

Source: Info in the "About Abandoned In Death" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57693470-abandoned-in-death on 29/05/2021.

Book Trailer:

Narrative Review:

This is one of those Eve Dallas' books that only Eve Dallas knows who the perpetrator is. So how did Dallas knew that Violet left letters to her children? That wasn't even explained. The book was a lovely reading experience.... but sometimes, you just have to sigh at the plot holes! Plot holes are sooooo not desirable in crime fiction!!

Another reason I was so looking forward to this book was that I wanted to see more of Jamal Dell and his brother and cousins. But I was disappointed in that department. There was Bella though! So that is at least something!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (13 hrs & 25 mins listening time)
Plot = 3
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

EMPEROR OF THE BORDERLANDS Book 1

Emperor Of The Borderlands (Book 1) by Alex Toxic and Eugene Astakhov
Book 1 in the Emperor Of The Borderlands series
Narrated by Victor Warren
Genre: progression fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Emperor Of The Borderlands (Book 1):

“Honor is the true measure of a man.” On this principle I built a powerful empire, united disparate lands and destroyed the greatest threat to our world. I died as a true warrior should: in battle. But instead of being granted a well-earned rest, I awoke on the border of a foreign kingdom, in the body of a noble-born outcast — with a noose around my neck.

Never mind if all that remains of my former greatness is a memory. Give me any backwater farm and I will turn it into a formidable stronghold! Give me any scruffy band of scoundrels and they will become the backbone of my new army! My experience, my knowledge and my memories remain with me.

Still, time is pressing. In the forests of this world, I encounter old foes: the same creatures that once nearly destroyed my kingdom. They have infiltrated even here. And only I, who know their nature, can stop them before it is too late. A new empire must rise, or this world will fall.

Source: Info in the "About Emperor Of The Borderlands (Book 1)" was taken from amazon on 26/06/2025.

Buy Link(s):

 

My Thoughts:

This series is being sold as historical progression fantasy. They have cars. Machineguns and automatic rifles. Smartphones which they call magophone with internet (which they call Aethernet). Socialmedia. Does that sound "historical" to you??

By the way, what do they power the magophone with? Do they have electricity?? What do they power the cars with? Do they have petrol?...

This is my first Eugene Astakhov read. But I am an old fan of Alex Toxic. Having said that, this book awfully reads pretty similar to The Dark Healer series by Alex Toxic and Nadya Lee. The same foreign realm enemy. The same modern-like society but with magic at the same time as technology. The same progression fantasy. The same wise hero.

This is my first Victor Warren audiobook. I like his voice. It is not grating to the ears. However, he has the tendency to read on without pause or break or notice or any indication at all that he is now reading a different scene. I know because I am reading the kindle ebook at the same time that I am listening to the audiobook and the ebook indicates a change of scene by separating the text with three asterisks. So if you are just listening to the audiobook alone, without reading the ebook or text, you would get confused as to why the narrative no longer make sense. Ah, maybe because the scene has changed...

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 3.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 5
Pace = (11 hrs and 1 min listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 3.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Emperor Of The Borderlands Series:

 

Meet The Authors

About Eugene Astakhov:

Eugene was born in Moscow in 1989. Since an early age, he spent countless hours in imaginary worlds, dreaming about someday creating one of his own. Despite pursuing a career in law, his passion for storytelling never waned. In 2022 he made the bold decision to leave office work behind and dedicate himself to writing full-time.

An avid fan of the LitRPG genre, Eugene devoured every series he came across but never quite found something to scratch that itch of immersing yourself in the adventures of a rogue creeping around enemies. So, he decided to take matters into his own hands and wrote Viasheron. This completed series, consisting of 9 books, has sold over 44,000 copies on Russia's second-biggest self-publishing website, garnering praise from readers and establishing Eugene as a rising star in the genre.

Eugene finds inspiration in various sources, including video games, fantasy and sci-fi books, TV shows, and tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. As a big fan of D&D, he brings his love for immersive storytelling and world-building to his writing, crafting vivid and engaging tales that transport readers to other realms.

His path is a reminder to all aspiring writers - you only need to take up a pen to create art of your own. And remember, "There are other worlds than these."

amazon | goodreads

About Alex Toxic:

Alex Toxic was born in 1978. He liked reading and playing video games from childhood. These two hobbies found ideal common ground when the LitRPG genre arrived.

Alex dreamed of becoming an author but the profession seemed just too complicated to him. So he began working first as a journalist, then as a TV anchor and then as a documentary filmmaker.

There came a point when Alex had run out of books he wanted to read. The authors simply couldn’t write new ones fast enough. The only way out was to write a book of his own. That’s how he launched into the passion that would with time become his primary profession.

Alex believes that the most important thing in a book is its main character. He or she has to be strong and unrelenting in the face of whatever challenge arises in their path, and they must always triumph.

amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Victor Warren:

Audiobook narraotr / voice-over artist. Actor. Director. Screenwriter.

Victor began his career in LA as a film and television actor, then moved to the east coast to raise his children. An award-winning actor, director, screenwriter, fight director and audio-book narrator. In all these disciplines, he's won close to 30 awards. He is a Sundance table read finalist and recipient of Nevada International Film Festival's First Time Director award. Victor is a graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University where he majored in acting and directing. After graduation, he worked at Universal Studios playing the comic at the western stunt show. Victor continues to work successfully living on Cape Cod where he raised his family and is bi-coastal flying in where the work leads him.

www.victorwarrenaudiobooks.com | x | facebook | instagram | linkedin | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The print book/ebook and/or audiobook were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

UNINTENDED CULTIVATOR: Volume 6

Unintended Cultivator: Volume 6 by Eric Dontigney
Book 6 in the Unintended Cultivator series
Narrated by Adam Verner
Genre: fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Unintended Cultivator: Volume 6:

Never owe a fox a favor…

With his body cultivation at least temporarily under control, Sen sets out for his long-awaited reunion with the divine turtle, Elder Bo. It is a fraught meeting where Sen learns hard lessons and unwelcome truths, and despite his advancement, his old obligations still threaten to pull him back.

Years before, the nine-tail fox Laughing River did Sen a “favor.” The fox is finally ready to collect on that debt. Of course, if you give a fox an inch, they’ll try to take a mile.

The trifling matter that Laughing River wants Sen to accomplish is retrieving an old relic from some ruins. What could be simpler for a powerful core cultivator?

Yet, the demon is in the details, and Laughing River left out a few. Like the horde of devilish beasts, the potent wards, the fact that the ruins are the size of a city.

Sen will have to draw upon all his power, threatening the newfound balance in his body cultivation, to fulfill his obligation, or else risk the eternal enmity of a nine-tailed fox.

Source: Info in the "About Unintended Cultivator: Volume 6" was taken from amazon on 18/02/2026.

Buy Link(s):

 

Glimmer Of Night

My Thoughts:

Again, another middle chunk of a bigger book. Not recommended to be read on it's own. As per usual, the ending is a cliffhanger, even as it ended the current journey in this installment. Yeah, Sen goes off on journeys. Fights evil and almost gets dead. That is the trend of this series. Our author also likes to bash him around.

In this book we meet Misty Peak. I'm still of two minds whether I like her or not.

And let's not forget Glimmer Of Night! Him, I definitely like!

I wonder if the demon would appear in future installment(s) of this series...

Another thing I like about this book/series is the art. I like the cover art, banners, and the associated art of this book!! Kudos to the cover artist!

Middle chunk or not, I still enjoyed this book immensely!

Kudos to the narrator for another job well done!

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = (14 hrs and 12 mins listening time)
Plot = 3
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Unintended Cultivator Series:

 

Meet The Author

About Eric Dontigney:

Raised in Western New York, Eric Dontigney has lived in New Mexico, Florida, Wisconsin, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. He currently resides near Dayton, OH. He is a fan of photo-realism and impressionist paintings, coffee, and well-made food.

Not wishing to tarnish the good names of writers who have come before him, he refuses to name influences. He will admit to reading Neil Gaiman, Harlan Ellison, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ayn Rand, Stephen J. Cannell, Jim Butcher, Kate Chopin, Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, Camus, James Baldwin, Tim O'Brien, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and Stephen King.

ericdontigney.com | x | facebook | instagram | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Adam Verner:

Adam Verner is a full-time narrator and voice talent with over one hundred titles recorded. He is the recipient of AudioFile Earphones Awards for Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck and The Big It by A. B. Guthrie, Jr. Adam earned his MFA in acting from the Chicago College of the Fine Arts at Roosevelt University.

www.adamverner.com | x | facebook | instagram | threads | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.