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Northwoman

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Human vs. Alien fun and frightening

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-16-24

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

4.5 hearts

Due to an early wake up and getting right to my emails, I was lucky enough to get a working code to receive this audiobook on Audible from the author's newsletter. I love scifi and it is relatively short so I thought it would be fun.

The basics here are aliens coming to earth to see about colonizing it with humans as their food source. The aliens start by capturing people who are in remote areas like parks. They run some tests on them and also store many of them to eat. Clint is chosen, as a physicist, along with a few other scientists, for additional tests.

I enjoyed A Question of Navigation. What happens is uplifting and horrific. Without some humor, this would just be a horror story. Some of it is gruesome yet inspiring. Intelligence, heart and Science win in the end.

Narration:
Luke Daniels is brilliant. He has distinct, incredible voices for our characters including the aliens. He will always be a top favorite narrator of mine. I listened at my normal 1.5x speed.

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Enjoyed this more than I expected

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-11-24

I really enjoyed this much than I even expected. Sure Penny Reid is always awesome with her characters and she's an auto read but each story and its characters have a different effect.

Rex and Abby are a mess but a delight. Somehow they are the most worthy people of relationship trust and neither really believes they should have it. They are hard working and they care about others. The fake dating, in this case marriage, is my favorite trope. I loved seeing them getting to know each other and building something real.

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A genre I normally avoid and yet easily a favorite

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 08-03-23

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from Publicity team. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I am always excited to get a new audio from this author. It's weird because I don't read much historical fiction other than fantasy. So far I have avoided looking up what really happened with this series but after this one I couldn't resist. I think The Turncoat takes place during the summer of 1777. The actual battle at Fort Stanwix happened the first days of August 1777. The Revolutionary War is one of my favorite time periods to read and most of the characters are not real people other than the leaders of the armies. However, I do wonder about who the native Americans supported and what happened to them. Obviously, the Americans won eventually and did not treat natives well.

The previous books have focused on John Carlisle, a captain in the British army. He is estranged from his family. He is not perfect but works and tries so hard to do the right things. It is heartbreaking to see how others use him and how often he is injured. His wife, Dellis is in the Oneida tribe, and he joins when he marries her. She runs hot and cold on John which is another stress for him. Her tribe decides to fight with the Americans (against the British) as her cousin, Alexei has been doing.

Alexei's father, James McKesson has long been stealing from Dellis and really anyone he can cheat. He wants to see his brother, Dane dead. He's not a fan of his son, Alexei either. I hate James with a passion and I've not been overly fond of Alexei. Another horrid character is Mrs. Allen who wants John in her bed and as an investor in her brothel again. John has no interest. She courts many different British gentlemen and officers, including McKesson. She manipulates everyone for information to find investors and information she can sell or trade.

There were many horrific fights and battles which it is shocking people survived with the medicine in that time period. I was so afraid my loved characters would not survive. And there are those who don't survive.

An emotional story with lots of action, military strategy, and some very hot and steamy interludes, The Turncoat is an excellent addition to the Rebels & Redcoats Saga . At the end of this audio, was a brief clip from the next audio, The Rebel being released in 2024. It features Alexei's story and begins in April 1777 about four months before the end of this book.

Narration:
I really enjoyed all the narration of a full cast. I do know that one of my favorite narrators, Steve West, was replaced here by Kale Williams. I was a little apprehensive because I don't always do well when that happen. Kale Williams did an excellent job and I really appreciated his performance. The narrator for Mrs. Allen, Maryne Young, is also perfect and I hate her with all my passion. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.

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1 person found this helpful

A must read author in a genre I usually avoid

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-26-22

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from Publicity team. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I was surprised to learn there would be an audio version of the new addition to the Rebels & Redcoats Saga . Man of War is a prequel to the series. I truly wish I had read the blurb before reading, so I would know the setting was about 20 years before The Tory which happens right around 1776. I kept trying to figure out how this story fit in and especially characters with the same names to ones I have read in The Tory and The Traitor.

I don't read a lot of historical fiction because then I always want to know what really happened. I do seem to enjoy settings during the Revolutionary or Civil War though. Of course, there are exceptions to this generalization. The typical white male property owners having the power and doing some truly horrible things is very true here. I was in great suspense throughout worrying about characters I cared about being hurt, most likely brutally hurt.

The plot underlying the romance is the supporters of a previous King, using theft and debauchery to raise money to defeat the current King and try to reinstate the previous one. So when the current King, sends his favorite consort's daughter, to America to marry with a large dowry, the ship and dowry are confiscated. She is raped and tortured to try to get her to sign papers saying they are already married so they can kill her and take the money.

The thieves run into an English navel warship which captures them and saves her. She gives her name as India. The captain of the ship is killed, with the new captain being Merrick. The King took all the titles, land and money from his family when Merrick was a teen because his older brother, James, was one of those plotting to go back to the former King. Merrick and his other brother, Stephen, turned in James, but the whole family was punished. Merrick was forced into service in the navy.

India and Merrick have both been treated savagely but Merrick has had time to grow and adjust to his circumstances, worked hard and risen within the naval hierarchy. India's changes have just happened. Merrick recognizes her strength and they had a kindred spirit in survival. They work together to figure out who and why she was hurt.

Merrick keeps trying to protect India, and she wants to be involved in the discovery of the villains. It IS very dangerous and India really takes some terrible chances. Even once the villains are known, evidence must be found and the villains captured. In spite of the villains mostly getting what they deserve, some of them escape and some of the "good guys" die, and both Merrick and India suffer fallout from the whole mess. I was grateful to see their happiness in the end.

Narration:
The large cast did a great job with the narration. Many of the narrators were new to me, but some are in the series going forward. I appreciated the distinct voices for many characters which made it easy to understand what was happening. We primarily have Dane and Caroline's point of view. The voices seem appropriate for the different regions and accents. I was able to listen at my normal 1.5x speed.

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Great narrator, old style thriller

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 02-01-20

Set in the 1960s, the wording and attitudes speak to the era. Travis McGee is an equalizer kind of guy, knowledgeable but not perfect. It will be interesting to see if he grows during the series.

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Liked that it was not the typical rockstar romance

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-20-19

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I don't read many rockstar romances but I love music so they appeal to me. There is the difficult part of dating a rockstar, usually a guy, who can get away with a lot and always have women after them. I liked it not being the big issue in Starfish.

I loved Marin and her sense of humor. Her roomie, Grace, is the best. Marin works hard, does all the right things, and doesn't get enough credit really from Brad or her employer. I understood her reluctance to get involved in a work environment which was temporary.

Brad was less likable for me. He cared about Marin but didn't really understand many of her issues or how to support her in them, more only caring about getting what he wanted. He's a smart guy, and I thought he could do better. I thought his internal descriptions were a bit low-class since he is educated but maybe that's the rockstar raunchy slang. He did do well with his grand gestures though.

I enjoyed the story with its business aspects of public relations and doing a tour. The band's antics, pranks and support like family was enjoyable. I was glad the "problem" and blow up of issues was not the typical misunderstanding about some groupie being seen in a compromising way with Brad. The plot was well-crafted with realistic emotions for Marin, although Brad seemed a bit too much at times.

Narration:
Erin Mallon and Sebastian York are highly talented and well-known narrators. I enjoyed their narration. As Mallon voiced Marin's chapters, and York performed Brad's chapters. Their voices for Brad were quite different and that is a reason I prefer the lesser used duet narration. Mostly, it is that I have heard quite a bit of Mallon's narration so particularly for one of her male voices, I kept hearing him as a character from another book, but I still enjoyed the performances. I listened at 1.25x speed which is a slower than my usual 1.5x speed.

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A complex story to complete many story lines

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-13-19

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart

Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

For some reason, I thought Thunderhead was the sequel to Scythe and it was the end of the Arc of a Scythe series . After I finished reading, I went to look because, man, it could NOT end there. I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger but there is so much more I want to know. The Toll is the completion of so many story lines with a few new ones developed. It is really necessary to read these books in order.

We have my long time beloved characters in Rowan, Citra, Farraday, Grayson and the Thunderhead. We have the "villains" with Goddard and Rand. There are new players like Jerry, Mendoza, Minerva, and some Nimbus agents. These are complex characters with flaws and strengths. Even the side characters are quite well developed.

Again, Rowan and Citra are separated for most of the story. Citra is so strong and compassionate. She makes a difference in the world. Rowan is mostly a prisoner until he is not. I want them to have a future together.

Grayson is the main connection with the Thunderhead. Through him, we see the Thunderhead staying just barely within the rules to make the changes needed.

Another key player is Rand who serves Goddard. She is having second thoughts about his harsh love of killing and her part in taking Tiger's body for him. She sees no way to make a change and goes along doing her work as always.

I was lost in the world, my feelings for the characters and the world events. The intricate details were stunning. There are many moral issues involved from immortality to artificial intelligence. I recommend this series highly.

Narration:
I have really enjoyed the voices by Greg Tremblay. He made it easy to bring the characters back to my mind as well as my feelings. The different voices for different characters were great, particularly the non-emotional tone for The Thunderhead. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.

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I LOVE Murderbot! Smart, funny, insightful

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 08-06-18

This  Murderbot Diaries series is just the most fun. "Murderbot" as it calls itself, is logical which is hilarious as its unfiltered thoughts. It' sheds light on how it feels to be different.  In this novella, Artificial Condition, it goes to figure out what happened when it went rogue, since its memory was scrubbed.  The records of the event and even the place it occurred have been deleted.

I can't say too much; I don't want to spoil this short story. To get to the place where it happened, it needs a contract. So it takes a contract as a security consultant. In doing so, it gets another round of humans who aren't always logical. Actually, they are not at all logical. The humans are going to a meeting to get their research which was taken from them when their contract ended, which is not typical.

" I was only 97% certain this meeting was a trap.  ~ Murderbot"

Murderbot is an irresistible delight to humans, including me. I can't wait to read and review Rogue Protocol which releases on August 7. It is about double the length of the first two novellas and more a full length book.

Narration:
I continue to love the way this narrator voices Murderbot and its humans. He gave it a straightforward style with lack of emotion one would expect for a droid but the words contradict this at times. The witty thoughts and comments are executed with  great timing. I enjoyed it immensely.  I'm going with the whole series on audio.  I listened at my usual 1.25 speed and LOVED it.

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Amazing! Ordinary women who are extrodinary

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-27-18

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart.

I have enjoyed all my listens to this author's work.  I'm more than halfway through the Temeraire series.  Uprooted is one of my all-time favorite audiobooks.  So I was very excited for Spinning Silver.  It did not disappoint.

Russian fairy tales set in a historic fantasy world are not pleasant places for women.  They have no rights, no choices. They are the property of men: their fathers, their husbands or their church.  They are told who to marry or sent to convents. If they marry, they become brood mares and servants unless their new husband is wealthy enough to have servants.

This type of setting generally makes me spitting mad. BUT, in this story, we have the tale of at least three main females, from all walks of life, who survive and overcome what life hands them. Wanda is the daughter of a drunk, whose mother has died. She doesn't have enough to eat, works hard and gets beaten when he is drunk.  Miryem is the daughter of a moneylender, who is good at lending all their money but not collecting. So she is also hungry but has a home with a loving family.  Irina, is the loved daughter of a Duke, whose mother has died.  She is isolated with the new stepmother being the focus, but she has wealth enough to live comfortably.

There are many points of view in this story. The three main females primarily, but also Wanda's little brother and Irina's old servant. There are plenty of men who have a limited view of women but they learn. These women are strong, smart and so capable. That's not to say it is easy. It is VERY hard. I love this kind of story with a strength of spirit where the characters learn and grow and fight to achieve their goals. While the men do so for power and wealth, the women do so to feed, nurture and protect those they love.

Narration:
Lisa Flanagan did a very fine performance with all the voices. Both her male and female voices were good. It was especially important to have some differentiation in the three main females as then one can tell who is in this section of the story. The pacing was comfortable at 1.25 speed. Best of all, this was such an enjoyable presentation.

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6 people found this helpful

Loved this! Definitely going on with the series!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-03-17


I listened to this recommendation from an Ace Roc Star friend.  It's one of her favorites. It's also fantasy, which isn't always the easiest for me to assimilate, so I got the audio from the library. The tale goes from childhood to manhood of Fitz, the bastard son of the prince, who many wish to control or kill. He has special skills and works to learn more in support of the King, his grandfather.

The characters, the story are widely varying and memorable. It may be long but it kept me intensely engaged. I wanted to know more, know everything and I felt deeply. Fitz, even in his situation, and at a very young age,  has a moral integrity and such strength of character few others can match. There is a magic which is my favorite paranormal type and it is more accurately talents of the mind, my very absolute favorite.

The narrator did an excellent job, bringing forth my emotions. The sound of his voice suited the work and the time period very well. It was so seamless I can't tell you if he did very much with voices as I was completely lost in the Assassin's Apprentice.  That tells me it was the best.

I loved this so much I bought it on Kindle and audio. It is the first in the Farseer Trilogy, and the first of at least three trilogies. I'm hooked and will definitely continue. I've already bought some audio books in the other trilogies when Audible had a sale recently.

AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY

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