Showing posts with label 5 cherries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5 cherries. Show all posts

Wednesday, 5 February 2025

LEADS & LYNXES


 

Leads and Lynxes by Rebecca Chastain
Book 1 in the Terra Haven Chronicles
Narrated by Cindy Kay
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


About Leads and Lynxes:
Be careful what you ask for...

Kylie got into journalism to write important stories. Ones about gargoyles and dryads, elemental warriors, and thwarted magical attacks on her city. The bigger the story, the better. So when she lands the opportunity to ask an enchanted everlasting tree for the answer to any question she desires, she doesn't have to think about it. She wants the story of a lifetime.

So does her nemesis, Nathan. If anyone is going to write a high-profile story, the senior journalist believes it should be him-and Nathan's not above playing dirty to get his way. Kylie must work fast or risk losing control of her story.

But with every new lead forcing Kylie and her gargoyle companion, Quinn, deeper into a deadly maze of murder, warped magic, and monstrous beasts, rushing could prove fatal. Kylie is determined to publish her dream story, but she is beginning to wonder...will she survive long enough to write it?
Source: Info in the "About Leads and Lynxes" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55830006-leads-lynxes on 22/05/2021.

Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books

Beltane Zipporah
My Thoughts:
The world building has been established a long time ago with Deadlines and Dryads and the Gargoyle Guardian Omnibus. The compelling story telling quality is brought over to this book as well! But best of all, there wasn't much of the "too stupid to live" (tstl) bullshit that was in the other books by this author! (Hooray!!)

This might be labeled as book one but I wouldn't recommend starting this series with this book though. Deadlines and Dryads is the actual start of this series. I would recommend starting there because there are events there that is mentioned in this book which a reader would not understand if he/she hasn't read that book first. Beltane Zipporah plays a significant role in this book and this is the best harpy image I could scrounge. So, there we are, the harpy!! And like the other books, this one also ended in a cliffhanger. I wouldn't really call it that much of a cliffhanger, really. The plot did end in this book which is more than I can say about the other books by Rebecca Chastain. Plot building is not her forté! However, she did well with this one. Kudos to the author!!

This is my first Cindy Kay listen and I like the way she reads. Her voice is also not aggravating to the ears. I especially like the way she makes Quinn sound young and cute.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 5
Pace = 4.5
Plot = 4
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries


Meet The Author

About Rebecca Chastain:
Rebecca Chastain has found seven four-leaf clovers to date, won a purebred Arabian horse in a drawing, and once tamed a blackbird for a day. She has been employed as a VHS sales clerk, bookshelf straightener, government pseudo-employee, professional finder of lost sporting goods, and strategy guide wrangler in the video game industry. Dreaming up the absurd and writing stories designed to amuse and entertain has been her passion since she was eleven years old, and she’s incapable of stopping. She lives in northern California with her wonderful husband and two bossy cats. To find out about new releases, sales, and freebies, sign up for Rebecca's newsletter: http://www.rebeccachastain.com/newsletter


The Narrator

About Cindy Kay:
Cindy Kay is a Chinese-Thai-American narrator and educator who grew up in the California Bay Area and lives in the Rockies. Her work has been described as listening to a "cozy best friend." She narrates fiction and nonfiction, and has studied Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, and Japanese.




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

Sunday, 5 January 2025

THE WONKIEST WITCH


The Wonkiest Witch by Jeannie Wycherley
Book 1 in the Wonky Inn series
Narrated by Kim Bretton
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


About The Wonkiest Witch:
Alfhild Daemonne has inherited an inn. And a dead body.

Estranged from her witch mother, and having committed to little in her thirty years, Alf surprises herself when she decides to start a new life.

She heads deep into the English countryside intent on making a success of the once popular inn. However, discovering the murder throws her a curve ball. Especially when she suspects dark magick.

Additionally, a less than warm welcome from several locals, persuades her that a variety of folk — of both the mortal and magickal persuasions — have it in for her.

The dilapidated inn presents a huge challenge for Alf. Uncertain who to trust, she considers calling time on the venture.

Should she pack her bags and head back to London?

Don’t be daft.

Alf’s magickal powers may be as wonky as the inn, but she’s dead set on finding the murderer.

Once a witch always a witch, and this one is fighting back.
Source: Info in the "About The Wonkiest Witch" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41550673-the-wonkiest-witch on 09/06/2021.

Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books

My Thoughts:
A fun romp in the witchy world! Clean read. Plot not twisty, but this is urban fantasy, not crime fiction. Not expecting twisty. The author's voice is compelling enough that I really enjoyed reading this book. But I am not sure if I want to buy the next book...

One quaint English countryside is like any other quaint English countryside. Jeannie Wycherley weaves it into the tapestry of The Wonkiest Witch world that it made connecting to the book easy because it is real.

I like Kim Bretton's reading. Very British indeed! This is the first time that I've ever listened to her and she is gaining a new fan in me!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 3.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 5
Pace = 4
Plot = 3.5
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In Wonky Inn Series:
Book 1: THE WONKIEST WITCH Book 1.5: THE WITCH WHO KILLED CHRISTMAS Book 2: THE GHOSTS OF WONKY INN Book 3: WEIRD WEDDING AT WONKY INN Book 4: FEARFUL FORTUNES AND TERRIBLE TAROT Book 5: THE MYSTERY OF THE MARSH MALAISE Book 6: THE MYSTERIOUS MR. WYLIE Book 7: THE GREAT WITCHY CAKE OFF Book 8: VENGEFUL VAMPIRE AT WONKY INN Book 8.5: WITCHING IN A WINTER WONKYLAND Book 9: A GAGGLE OF GHASTLY GRANDMAMAS Book 9.5: O WITCHY TOWN OF WHITTLECOMBE Book 10: MAGIC MURDER AND A MOVIE STAR Book 11: JUDGE JURY AND JAILHOUSE ROCKCAKES Book 12: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S WONKY Book 13: HALLOWEEN HEEBIE-GEEBIES Book 14: OH MUMMY! Book 15: PIECES OF HATE Book 16: WONKYTONK WITCH Book 17: A WONKY APPRENTICE Book 18: A BARBAROUS BAND OF BLOOD BROTHERS Book 19: THE WITCHY WOOD AND THE WEIRDLY WYSE Book 20: BY ALL THAT'S GREEN!

 
Meet The Author

About Jeannie Wycherley:
I’m a genre-hopping introvert and word witch living somewhere between the forest and the sea in East Devon, UK.

An ex-lecturer with a PhD in History, I now run a seaside gift shop with my husband and split my time between selling teddy bears (I’m fanatical about teddy bears) and writing stories about magic and witchcraft.

People ask where my ideas come from. The truth is, I find inspiration absolutely everywhere: in myths, stories and songs; a bit of people watching; a word here, a look there. But it is the beautiful landscape of Devon that holds me most in its thrall: the tangled forests, the rolling hills, the troubled skies, the everchanging seascape. Devon has it all – rocky coastline, cliffs, pebble and sandy beaches, winding lanes and picture-perfect villages.

A good day for me means a blustery wind, racing waves and salty rain. I live with my husband and two dogs whom I adore; I make a lot of soup, play too many computer games and love watching movies, but most of all I love losing myself in the worlds I create.

I hope you enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoy writing them.


The Narrator

About Kim Bretton:
Prior to moving from London to NYC in 2005 Kim worked predominantly on the London stage both originating roles in West End productions and playing in long running shows both in London and on National and International tours. She has played in numerous Shakespeare and classical works as well as musical theatre and modern plays. Her TV and film credits include Call Red for ITV, Don’t Look Back for New Forest Films, the lead role in the TV series Mentors and an obscene amount of radio, video games, commercials and voice overs.

She moved to Nashville, TN 10 years ago and continues to do theatre roles in between writing, directing and voice over work. Kim is an Audie Award nominee, a Broadway World Award winner and was Voted Best Actress in Nashville by The Nashville Scene.



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