Lidia Chymkowska

A great trilogy - fast paced and intense:)

Revisado: 02-11-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I first listened to all three books in the trilogy separately and wrote my reviews for each individual book (so go to those, if you'd like to read them whole) - here are the most important excerpts from them to give you a glimpse of what I think of the whole set:

BOOK 1 - The Moon Thief:
The first book of the new trilogy introduces us to Dr Breanna Perry, a psychiatrist working on a daily basis with criminals - the inmates of San Quentin, to be exact - so she's not a woman who gets easily scared. But when she is involved in a car accident which almost ends her life and then miraculously comes back to full health in not more than two weeks, well, nothing is as it was before any more... The strange events, things she can now do, unexplained small incidents - all this seems to get to her...(...) The plot is really fast, with the paranormal elements woven into the story in such a way that you do not doubt or question their logic (...) I also like the characters created by Ms Hamilton - and I don't mean in the sense I think they would be great friends; I like the way they are constructed; not all are amicable and friendly, some are grumpy, some irritating, some are simply vile and some quite nice - but they all feel real, three-dimensional people. (...) Another thing I like is the pace of the story - it starts off quite slowly, quietly in a sense, and then it speeds up until the last chapters feel like a rollercoaster ride... It's a great ending, making you want to jump right into book two:)

BOOK 2 - The Moon Walker:
Let me start with saying that I liked the book quite a lot; Ms Hamilton is a great writer, able to catch your attention and keep you glued to the pages all night long. And it is true about this book as well - when you start, it'll be difficult for you to take a break. But what is also true is that if you're looking for a fast-paced asventure full of twists and turns, this is not what you'll get in this installment. This part is mainly about Breanna coming to terms with what she has become, trying to tackle a "normal" relationship with Derek and finally understanding that she isn't normal any more and that her life can't be normal either.... And that is excellently done:) (...)

BOOK 3 - The Moon Mage:
The Moon Mage, the third and last installment in The Moonlight Trilogy, is a very good ending to the set.
Breanna is still learning how to tackle her powers, having panic attacks from time to time (which make me cringe, really:)) but finally finding a way to get herself under control. Cassius, while fighting his own demons, slowly becomes her pillar of strength. Both are finally able to decide what they are and what they are not (sorry for the slightly mystical description, but I want to avoid spoilers:)). The overall plot of this part is - as was also with the previous two books - fast paced, quite complex, with a few great surprises. The final scene, wonderfully written, while allowing for further stories to develop totally closes this particular story line - which I like because it allows ME to decide if I want to continue with the universe or not:) (...)

MY OVERALL OPINION: As you can see, I liked all three books in the trilogy a lot. I think Ms Hamilton is one of those wonderful writers that are able to grasp your attention with the first scene and never let go until the series ends. Also, she's great at creating characters that grow, develop, change with what experiences they have right from that first scene to where the story ends... Her characters seem to be one of the biggest strengths of her books, right next to the ease with which she creates her worlds, with a few sentences, a few pictures drawn with her words...

And talking about strenghts, narration by Ms Hazen definitely adds a lot to the impact the series makes on the listener - it obviously does for me:) As I have already mentioned numerous times (and here's a self-quote):
Narration by Ms Hazen as always adds gravity to all the characters - the irritating ones seem even more irritating (to the point you'd like to punch them:)), the sweet ones sound even nicer, and the evil ones are really creepy:) And as usual, the pace of her reading is just the right one (or even if you speed it up a bit, you don't lose anything in the process, such a clear narration it is:)).

So, if you like a fast-paced set of books, with quite a bunch of really intriguing characters that develop and grow and make you feel and think a lot, this definitely is a set for you - grab it and enjoy:)

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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A very good ending to the trilogy

Revisado: 02-11-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

The Moon Mage, the third and last installment in The Moonlight Trilogy, is a very good ending to the set.

Breanna is still learning how to tackle her powers, having panic attacks from time to time (which make me cringe, really:)) but finally finding a way to get herself under control. Cassius, while fighting his own demons, slowly becomes her pillar of strength. Both are finally able to decide what they are and what they are not (sorry for the slightly mystical description, but I want to avoid spoilers:)). The overall plot of this part is - as was also with the previous two books - fast paced, quite complex, with a few great surprises. The final scene, wonderfully written, while allowing for further stories to develop totally closes this particular story line - which I like because it allows ME to decide if I want to continue with the universe or not:)

As before, I still am not sure if I really like Breanna; her mood swings and going up and down from total professionalism to a complete childish hysteria are irritating as hell, but they also keep you going - you never know how she'll react to what's happening... (And there's A LOT happening in this book:)). But, I like the fact that we can see "the other side", sometimes quite unexpected, of some characters we got to know in the previous books and that the new characters seem to be as interesting and intriguing.

Narration by Ms Hazen as always adds gravity to all the characters - the irritating ones seem even more irritating (to the point you'd like to punch them:)), the sweet ones sound even nicer, and the evil ones are really creepy:) And as usual, the pace of her reading is just the right one (or even if you speed it up a bit, you don't lose anything in the process, such a clear narration it is:)).

Generally, grab the book and see how it all ends:)

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Somehow didn't come up to my expectations....

Revisado: 02-11-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

A DISCLAIMER first: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Unusually for me, I'll start with the narration - as always, it's great:) Ms Meisberger is a wonderful narrator who can make an even bad book a nice listen... Her voice adds warmth to every story, makes it flow in your ears and relaxes you allowing you to immerse yourself in the book. And such it was this time as well, so 5 stars for the narration:)

As for the book itself... I really wanted to like it more. I finished it almost two weeks ago, but I needed time to think over what I want and can say about it to give it justice, and I still have my doubts. On the one hand, it's a decent variation of Elizabeth and Darcy's story, with the background of the second world war seemingly allowing for great turns in the plot we know so well. On the other, I think this is where the book has lost me - the possibilities that haven't been put to good use. I know it's the WWII because I am told so and I see the Bennet sisters working in a hospital. I know it's WWII because I am told Darcy and Bingley are officers recovering from their battle wounds. There even is a close-to-home bombing which serves as an excuse for some plot revelations - and yet all that sounds so distant and unemotional somehow...
I don't know if that's the author's fault or if it's me, reading and listening to too many Pride and Prejudice variations, but somehow in this case I just couldn't make myself get involved with Elizabeth and Darcy. I still don't know how and why he fell in love with her and what really made her change her mind about him. I mean, I can guess which scenes in the plot are the poignant ones, but I know it on a logical, not emotional level, if you follow me...:) And in a romance I want emotions, not logic, I want passion and sparks, not cold psychoanalysis on my part...

But, not to be so harsh, the book has a few really nicely written emotional scenes, some of the other characters do catch your eye and have their moments, and overall the book really IS a nice listen, so you should give it a chance. Maybe in my case it was just the wrong book at the wrong time... It happens sometimes, you know...:)

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Another great book in the series...:)

Revisado: 05-29-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

It's been a while since my last meeting with Peyton and Marco and I seem to have forgotten how fast-paced and engaging the books are:)
The plot as always is full of surprises, twists, complications and mysteries; as always, a lot happens also in Peyton's private life - this time she's expecting her first baby, an adventure in itself both for her and Marco. That also adds to the tension - will the elusive enemy attack her while she's carrying or will he be hesitant because of her pregnancy? That is the question we constantly ask ourselves...
I like the structure of the book - coming back and forth in time makes you follow the plotline more intensely as you have to keep up with where you are in the investigation.
As always, the characters are well-defined and well-described, although it definitely would be helpful if you knew previous books in the series: there are a lot of characters that appear for one or two scenes only. As they are all part of Peyton and Marco's circle of co-workers and friends, introduced to us before, their presence in this installment is plausible and logical. But that really huge number of individuals may be confusing for those readers/listeners who are new to the series - and that's the only flaw of the book I can pinpoint:)

Narration by Ms Hazen is very good, as usual, although this time I did not really like some of the voices she's given a few characters (I just remembered these were the ones I didn't like in the previous books either - Ms Hazen is very meticulous about maintaining the same voicing of particular characters throughout a series - which I love about her narrations:)). That said, she's a great interpreter of emotions the characters feel and she carries those emotions to us and brings the whole books to life with her wonderful interpretations.

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Confusing at times but entertaining:)

Revisado: 04-27-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I listened to all the books in the series separately and then re-listened as a box set - and I still liked it, which is the best recommendation for the series, I think:) But to give you a more detailed opinion, I'll partly cite myself - so here it is:

Book One - Bloody Hell
On the one hand, it was a really nice listen, one that kept me going on without much disappointment or irritation; on the other, I did not feel an urge to listen to the second part immediately after finishing the first... Two things killed the curiosity in me while listening: one, the vampire lore itself - the amount of information felt excessive and slowed the dynamics of the plot. Secondly, I felt rather indifferent to Mercy, the main heroine - I neither liked nor disliked her, her cruelty and mercilessness didn't move me at all, and she reminded me more of a naive child that hadn't yet been taught how to control emotions and impulses rather than a monster she's supposed (?) to be. But, the plot itself was quite interesting, some ideas will probably be developed later on (there's much potential there), also some of the secondary characters are very well written and the ending does make you want to find out what will happen next.

Book Two - Bloody Mad
Definitely better than book one. I still don't know if I like Mercy, but the whole bunch of new characters is an interesting and very well written crowd. Not only do they complicate Mercy's life but they also provide some really hillarious scenes, with the wacky kind of humour I like. The plot itself is fast, with Mercy locked up in an asylum, her psychiatrist trying to persuade her she is schizophrenic, and a new demonic danger in store for us, surely to be further developed in the following books. All this makes the book definitely more engaging than the previous one:)

Book Three - Bloody Wicked
The demonic possession of vampires is in full swing and Mercy seems to run against time. If she doesn't manage to figure out how to stop it, no-one will, and the world as she knows it will end. But the task is difficult as hell, and there are new enemies she has to face. Again,the plot is fast, there are quite a few nice twists and turns and the characters are fantastically written. It's definitely a character driven story, with quite a bit of sarcastic humour that adds life to it.

Book Four - Bloody Devils
In book four Mercy is still trying to figure out how to stop demons from possessing vampires, how to control her destiny, how to deal with Moll, and at the same time facing an even more challenging enemy. Legion - a demon being one in so many... The concept is not new, but it's very masterfully executed here, allowing Mercy and her weird sisters to show off a bit:) Again, characters are a definite strength of the book; they are complex, three-dimentional, real...

Book Five - Bloody Gods
The last book in the series, bringing the solution to everything that has been happening so far, is both satisfying and... disappointing. Satisfying in that all the threads, all subplots get their solution, all our questions are answered, all doubts explained. Disappointing in that it all kind of seems too simple; after looking for so long Mercy finds the solution almost by accident, and everything works out well with no big obstacles or mishaps on the way... But overall it's a very nice closure to Mercy's adventures.

The greatest strength of the whole series is the way characters are built and developed - they are full bodied, complex individuals, ambiguous at times, with secrets and hidden motifs... They surprise the readers now and again, they give us a headache sometimes when we try to guess the reasons behind their actions... This is what really kept me listening to the series:)

Narration by Ms Hazen is great throughout the series. She adds life to the books, the voices of individual characters match their personalities and the pace of her reading is OK. It's a great interpretation of the series.

And one more thing: with how the final book ends, there's room for some more of Mercy Brown and her friends for the future...:) And I wouldn't say NO to meeting them again...:)

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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The final chapter... or is it?

Revisado: 04-27-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

The last book in the series, bringing the solution to everything that has been happening so far, is both satisfying and... disappointing. Satisfying in that all the threads, all subplots get their solution, all our questions are answered, all doubts explained. Disappointing in that it all kind of seems too simple; after looking for so long Mercy finds the solution almost by accident, and everything works out well with no big obstacles or mishaps on the way...
Also, I find the whole witchy - vampiric - were - demonic - Nordic - elemental - infernal - celestial - and voodoo mix of magic too confusing in general; it gets a bit overwhelming at one point, and so, not being an expert in any, I kind of let it pass with an internal "OK, Mercy, if you're saying it's true, then I believe you..." attitude to all this :)

But overall it's a very nice closure to Mercy's adventures. I still am not sure whether I like her or not, but she has definitely grown on me throughout the series. I like the streak of loyalty and faithfulness in her - she isn't my favourite heroine but she isn't as bad either:)
The greatest strength of the whole series is the way characters are built and developed - they are full bodied, complex individuals, ambiguous at times, with secrets and hidden motifs... They surprise the readers now and again, they give us a headache sometimes when we try to guess the reasons behind their actions... This is what really kept me to the series:)

Narration by Ms Hazen is great throughout the series. She adds life to the books, the voices of individual characters match their personalities and the pace of her reading is OK. It's a great interpretation of the series.

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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More demons joining the party...:)

Revisado: 04-27-22

It turns out listening to 4 books in a series one straight after another and then trying to write individual reviews for each one is hard...:) Especially with a series like this one, in which we have definite continuity of the plot and whatever happens has its roots in the previous book/books and is continued in the next one:)

In book four Mercy is still trying to figure out how to stop demons from possessing vampires, how to control her destiny, how to deal with Moll, and at the same time facing an even more challenging enemy. Legion - a demon being one in so many... The concept is not new, but it's very masterfully executed here, allowing Mercy and her weird sisters to show off a bit:) Again, characters are a definite strength of the book; they are complex, three-dimentional, real...

And again, narration by Ms Hazen brings the whole story to life, to a new level, with perfect voicing of individual characters, matching their personalities right to the point:)

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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More monsters, more fun...:)

Revisado: 04-27-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Well, in book three in the series the demonic possession of vampires is in full swing and Mercy seems to run against time. If she doesn't manage to figure out how to stop it, no-one will, and the world as she knows it will end. But the task is difficult as hell, and there are new enemies she has to face.

Again, I like this book more than book one, and I think it's at least as good as book two in the series. The plot is fast, there are quite a few nice twists and turns and the characters are fantastically written. It's definitely a character driven story, with quite a bit of sarcastic humour that adds life to it.

Narration by Ms Hazen adds colour to the whole experience; she's a master of voicing individual characters in such a way that they feel real for you.

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Definitely better than book one...:)

Revisado: 04-27-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

"Bloody Mad", the second installment in the series, is definitely better than book one. I still don't know if I like Mercy, but the whole bunch of new characters is an interesting and very well writen crowd. Not only do they complicate Mercy's life but they also provide some really hillarious scenes, with the wacky kind of humour I like.

The plot itself is fast, with Mercy locked up in an asylum, her psychiatrist trying to persuade her she is schizophrenic, and a new demonic danger in store for us, surely to be further developed in the following books. All this makes the book definitely more engaging than the previous one:)

Narration by Ms Hazen is impeccable; the individual characters come to life, their personalities shine through her voice.

Definitely looking to listening to book three.

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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It has potential...

Revisado: 03-13-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Well, I needed almost two weeks to think over my review for this book... On the one hand, it was a really nice listen, one that kept me going on without much disappointment or irritation; on the other, I did not feel an urge to listen to the second part immediately after finishing the first... So I'd say it has some potential, but still needs a little bit more of that spark that would grasp me and make me forget about the world around...

There are two things that kind of killed the curiosity in me while listening: one, the vampire lore itself - there is a lot of information on how vampires and their world work, but because there are not many real differences between this book's vampire world and so many others out there, this amount of information felt excessive and slowed the dynamics of the plot. Secondly, I felt rather indifferent to Mercy, the main heroine - I neither liked nor disliked her, her cruelty and mercilessness (so much talked about in the book) didn't move me at all, and she reminded me more of a naive child that hadn't yet been taught how to control emotions and impulses rather than a monster she's supposed (?) to be. I also didn't buy her plans to somehow save her brother and herself...
That said, the plot itself was quite interesting, even with the slower first part, some ideas mentioned in this first installment will probably be developed later on (there's much potential there), also some of the secondary characters are very well written and the ending does make you want to find out what will happen next, even if you don't want to just immediately jump into the next book.
Generally, it's an OK book, and quite a good introduction to the new series, I think.

When it comes to narration, Ms Hazen as always does a great job, saving the book in some weaker moments:) She adds life and energy where they're lacking in writing. It's a great interpretation of the story.

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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