Friday, 10 May 2024

FORBIDDEN MAGIC

Forbidden Magic by Stephanie Foxe
Book 4 in the Witch's Bite series
Narrated by Laurel Schroeder
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


About Forbidden Magic:
Join Olivia Carter one last time in the final installment of the Witch’s Bite series.

Loyalties tested. Prophecies fulfilled. And magic’s final price.

After being kidnapped, shot at, blown up, and barely escaping a collapsing building…I'm done following orders; and the threats don’t scare me anymore.

My trust in Reilly has grown since the attack on the Summit and meeting his clan. But when he suggests the unthinkable, I realize I must find my own way to kill this God.
Source: Info in the About Forbidden Magic was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39809577-forbidden-magic on 24/10/2019.

My Thoughts:
Like all the books in this series, this one is also short and sweet with 252 pages long. This is the finale of the series and I liked it! However it was not the big bang that I expected. That may only be because my expectation bar was a little higher than it ought to be. My bad! Furthermore, the ending although not a cliffhanger, but also hints of possibilities that there might be more stories coming of the Olivia Carter world. And like the previous book, I read this ebook more than I listened to it. Still not a fan of Laurel Schroeder's singsong reading. At the end of it, I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it to all urban fantasy readers! However, to get here, you need to read the previous books in the series!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 5
Pace = 5
Plot = 3.5
Narration = (N/A)

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Witch's Bite Series:
Book 0.5: UNSTEADY MAGIC
(TBC)
Book 5: (No Title Yet)
(TBC)


Meet The Author

About Stephanie Foxe:
Stephanie Foxe was born and raised near Houston, TX. She grew up playing in the pond and woods in her backyard, and devouring every book she could get her hands on.

Her teen years were spent transitioning slowly from reader, to writer. She spent most evenings on the phone with her cousin writing the first few pages to many books that would never be finished.

Her adult years were spent toiling away at a corporate job until one fateful day when she heard about a little writing project called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). From there, the idea of writing a book went from a fanciful dream to a finished manuscript. The first book in the Witch’s Bite series was written, and Stephanie was addicted.

Now, she has plans to publish everything from paranormal fantasy to science fiction.

One book at a time.

Join the Newsletter to be kept updated on any new releases. Sign up today to receive Unsteady Magic, the short story prequel to the Witch’s Bite series, for free!


The Narrator

About Laurel Schroeder:
Laurel Schroeder is a classically trained actor who received her MFA in acting from the University of Houston. She's narrated over 100 audiobooks, and although her genres vary widely, she's particularly fond of narrating young adult and mystery novels. When not in the booth working on her latest project, she can sometimes be seen in film or on stage, most recently in the world premiere of Good for Otto, by Tony Award–winning playwright David Rabe. A Colorado native, she now lives in Chicago with her boyfriend and their dog, the cutest little troublemaker you ever did see.




FTC Disclosure:
The different formats of this book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

Sunday, 5 May 2024

HOPELESS

Hopeless by Melissa Haag
Book 1 of the Judgement of the Six series
Narrated by Julie McKay
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


About Hopeless:
Gabby's brain is like a human fish finder. It comes in handy when she wants to avoid people. Mostly men. They seem to like her a bit too much. It's lonely being different, but she's adapted to it. Really. She just wishes she knew why she is different, though.

In her search for answers, she discovers a hidden community of werewolves. She immerses herself in their culture, learning about their world until she meets Clay. He's unkempt, prone to mood swings, intense without saying a word, and he thinks Gabby is his.

It's going to take every trick she knows to convince Clay to go away, and every bit of willpower not to fall for him when she discovers the man beneath the rough exterior.

Judgement has begun...
Source: Info in the About Hopeless was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20985371-hope-less on 19/08/2019.

My Thoughts:
I first met this author with the Of Fates and Furies series and I liked the way she tells a story. So I thought I'd seek out her other works... Thus this book got bought and read. Like the other series, the books in this one also has multiple cover arts. For this particular book, the cover arts are apropos to the story but not high up in the "grab-me-now-and buy-me" scale.

I like the way Julie McKay reads. She sounds so much like Therese Plummer, another favourite narrator. Kudos to the narration! However, even with the convenience of the audiobook format, I would still say that this book is not a fast "read". I find myself needing breaks from it from time to time. I contribute this to the tstl (too stupid to live) and whiny-ness of the heroine which I find royally annoying! However, the premise of the story is intriguing enough to keep me reading until the next book.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 3.5
Character development = 3.5
Story itself = 3
Writing Style = 3.5
Ending = 4
World building = 4
Cover art = 3.5
Pace = (10 hrs and 55 mins)
Plot = 2
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Judgement of the Six Series:


Meet The Author

About Melissa Haag:
I love to write! Sharing the worlds I've created is beyond amazing . Want to read a book for free? Check out my website at:
http://melissahaag.com/free-ebook

Connect with me on:
https://twitter.com/MelissaHaag
https://www.facebook.com/author.MelissaHaag

I also write adult books under the pen name M.J. Haag. Happy reading!


The Narrator

About Julie McKay:
Julie is an Audie-nominated audiobook narrator of nearly 300 audiobooks. Her work has also been favorably reviewed in the industry magazine Audiofile.


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

Wednesday, 1 May 2024

SAINT JUSTICE


Saint Justice by Mike Grist
Book 1 in the Christopher Wren series
Narrated by Jeff Harding
Genre: crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


THEY TRIED TO PUT HIM IN A CAGE. BIG MISTAKE.

Chris Wren was the ultimate black-ops warrior — a relentless killer highly skilled in psychological warfare. As an elite Marine then CIA assassin, he infiltrated and destroyed the world's darkest terror cells, jihadi threats and criminal cartels — all to keep the homeland safe.

But the darkness took a toll on his family. When his wife takes the kids and runs, fearing Wren's enemies, he goes AWOL to keep them safe — until a biker gang in Utah tries to put him in a cage.

Big mistake.

Now Wren's out for payback in the desert. But as the body count rises and the heat soars, a stunning national conspiracy unravels, with the clock ticking on a devastating attack. To save his country, Wren must plunge deeper into the darkness than ever before — and risk losing his family for good.

But justice must be done, and soon...
Source: Info in the "About Saint Justice" was taken from amazon on 29/04/2024.


Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


My Thoughts:
This is my first Mike Grist read and I like the way he tells a story.

I do not understand the psychology, the basis, nor the system of Wren's Foundation. Or why it works. It is so much simpler to just accept that it does, whether it is realistic or not.

While the ending resolved the current dilemma in the book it is also a cliffhanger that points to the next book at the same time. An incentive to encourage readers to buy book 2. While a very good marketing ploy, I do not like it. I do not like cliffhangers.

I've been listening to Jeff Harding as Charlie Parker by John Connolly for more than ten years now. Every time I hear him it is like hearing Charlie Parker talking. It takes a lot of adjusting to hear him as Christopher Wren.


Quantitative Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 3
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (7 hrs and 49 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 5


Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Christopher Wren Series:
Book 1: SAINT JUSTICE Book 2: NO MERCY Book 3: MAKE THEM PAY Book 4: FALSE FLAG Book 5: FIRE STORM Book 6: ENEMY OF THE POEPLE Book 7: BACK LASH Book 8: NEVER FORGIVE Book 9: WAR OF CHOICE Book 10: HAMMER OF GOD Book 3: (TBC)


 
Meet The Author

About Mike Grist:
Mike Grist writes the bestselling Christopher Wren and Girl Zero thriller series.

He was born in the UK to a British father and American mother, and spent his childhood winging between the family farm in Kentucky and a terraced house in Manchester. At 18 he finished his last year of high school in Indiana, took Greyhounds across the US coast-to-coast then worked at a summer camp in Massachusetts.

Fascinated by the extremes of human behavior, Mike got his undergraduate degree in Psychology then followed up with a Masters in motivation theory. After backpacking through India, he taught English in Tokyo, Japan for 11 years, also documenting the dark side of the country's gangs, cults and abandoned places. His photography and articles about urban exploration have been featured in the Guardian and the Daily Mail.

Now based in London, UK, Mike enjoys working out, eating out, running his local writers' group, playing ultimate frisbee and spending time with his wife and two cats.


About Jeff Harding
Jeff Harding
Jeff Harding is one of the most active American actors based in Britain. He is regularly seen in film and TV but he maintains interest in fringe theatre. He is particularly active in voice-over and radio. Having competed in rowing for many years, he still lives by the Thames and rows regularly – an appropriate sport for the reader of Ben Hur.
naxos | audible | facebook | goodreads


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