TURNS OF FATE

Turns Of Fate by Anne Bishop
Book 1 in the Isle of Wyrd series
Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Turns Of Fate:

A young detective investigating crimes of the uncanny will learn that bargains can change your fate — for good or ill — in this darkly enthralling fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Others and the Black Jewels series.

Words have power. Intentions matter.

Most people come to Destiny Park for entertainment. They come to have their cards read to tell them a bit about their future. They come to walk through a beautiful park and to eat at the hotel’s restaurant. They come in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Arcana, the paranormal beings who rule the Isle of Wyrd.

But some people come to make a bargain with the Arcana — to change their fate. And some people come for dark purposes.

When Detective Beth Fahey is sent to Destiny Park to inquire about a “ghost gun,” she will begin a strange journey on which she must learn to navigate the Arcana’s unforgiving laws and dangerous attractions. Her search will draw her into seemingly impossible cases and the secrets of her own past as tensions rise between the Arcana and their human neighbors across the river.

For the Isle of Wyrd is a place where the dead ride trains to their final destinations, predators literally become prey, and seekers’ true natures are revealed in the ripples of destiny unknowingly stirred in their wakes.

Who will live? Who will die? And who will be lost in between?

Source: Info in the "About Turns Of Fate" was taken from amazon on 13/04/2025.

Buy Link(s):

 

My Thoughts:

I am an old Anne Bishop fan. So, of course, this book got bought!

So what was it that Captain Charles Forrester wanted to ask Beth when Beth reported to him after her first trip to the island? The chapter ended hanging and the next chapter did not reveal what happened...WTF!

As usual for a book of this author, the world building is beautiful!!

This is my first Jesse Vilinsky audiobook and I would listen to her again. The only complaint I have is that the narration reads through changes of scenes without pause. I could not really blame the reading since the ebook text also continues on save for a line of bar indicating the change of scene. Therefore every time the story lines no longer makes sense, I have to stop and look at the text to see what is happening. This made the going slow.

On the plus side, I like the way Jesse Vilinsky deepens her voice to indicate a male character. She sure has talent!!

Couldn't wait for the next book to get published!

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = (17 hrs and 45 mins listening time)
Plot = 3.5
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Isle of Wyrd Series:

 

Meet The Author

About Anne Bishop:

Anne Bishop lives in upstate New York where she enjoys gardening, music, and writing dark, romantic stories. She is the author of over twenty novels, including the award-winning Black Jewels Trilogy. She has written a new series, the Others, which is an urban dark fantasy with a bit of a twist.

Crawford Award (2000)

www.annebishop.com | facebook | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Jesse Vilinsky:

Jesse Vilinsky is a classically trained actress and voice actor, having graduated from the USC School of Dramatic Arts and BADA in London. Jesse has lent her voice to numerous film and television projects, performing and voice matching children, teen, and adult voices. She has worked on various video games, animation, and commercial projects as well. As a narrator, Jesse has garnered recognition in AudioFile magazine for her expertly voiced characters and ability to bring forth the strength and truth of their stories. She has been lauded for her facility with dialects and accents, as well as her youthful tones. A New York City native now living in Downtown Los Angeles, Jesse spends her spare time exploring the city with her husband, eating donuts.

jessevilinsky.com | x | instagram | linkedin | goodreads

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

HOMECOMING

Homecoming by Orlando A. Sanchez
Narrated by Kevin T. Collins
Book 5 of the Montague & Strong Case Files series
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: paperback, ebook, & audiobook

About Homecoming:

There’s no place like home… but they’re not headed to Kansas.

The Sanctuary is the hidden home of the Golden Circle — a sect of powerful mages. It’s a sacred place of learning, magic, and deep secrets. When Tristan discovers his father, Connor Montague is being held prisoner, he vows to return to the Sanctuary and release him. There’s only one problem. The Sanctuary has been taken over by Mage Oliver. An Elder who has unleashed the magistrates and promises to destroy Tristan the moment he steps foot on the mountain.

Now together with the help of Simon, they must face a mountain of mages, free his father, and escape the Sanctuary before an Arch Mage erases them from existence.

Source: Info in the About Homecoming was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39790804-homecoming on 10/08/2019.

Buy Link(s):

 

Peaches

My Thoughts:

I hit a snag with this book.... I'd gotten so used to the convenience of the audiobook and got royally annoyed when I found out that there was no audiobook version for this book! That I actually had to read this one... But I really, really wanted to read book 6, A Proper Hellhound, so I had to read through all the books before that, before I could read A Proper Hellhound because I am anal that way. So this book got read. It only took me two years to read this book, until the audio version came out and I finally finished reading this book.

This is also the book that I noticed that the characters are starting to take on a "too stupid to live" (TSTL) tendencies. Not just Simon, because we already know that is what he is supposed to be. But everybody else??! Geez!! I could actually forgive Monty not seeing the magical consequences given that he was not in prime condition, but Dex, and TK, and LD?? Come on!! Someone should have seen it coming!

Peaches is still my favourite hellhound!

Empirical Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (6 hrs and 40 mins listening time)
Plot = 2
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Books in the Montague & Strong Case Files series:

                                                                   

Meet The Author

About Orlando A. Sanchez:

Orlando Sanchez has been writing ever since his teens when he was immersed in creating scenarios for playing Dungeon and Dragons with his friends every weekend. An avid reader, his influences are too numerous to list here. Some of the most prominent are: J.R.R. Tolkien, Jim Butcher, Kat Richardson, Terry Brooks, Piers Anthony, Lee Child, George Lucas, Andrew Vachss, and Barry Eisler to name a few in no particular order. The worlds of his books are urban settings with a twist of the paranormal lurking just behind the scenes and generous doses of magic, martial arts, and mayhem. He currently resides in Queens, NY with his family and can often be found in the local coffee shop where most of his writing is done.

www.orlandoasanchez.com | twitter | facebook | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Kevin T. Collins:

Kevin T. Collins is an actor, singer, and recording artist with a BFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. He has performed in numerous theater performances, including Angels, City of Angels, Paradise Lost, and on television in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, As the World Turns, and The Guiding Light.

www.kevintcollins.com | twitter | instagram | goodreads

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