Showing posts with label Leia Stone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leia Stone. Show all posts

Friday, 5 April 2024

MAGIC SIGHT


Magic Sight by Leia Stone and Lucía Ashta
Book 2 of the Supernatural Bounty Hunter series
Narrated by Kate Marcin
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


About Magic Sight:
When Evie found out she was knocked up with the alpha's baby and a rare Kitsune with untold power, she thought life couldn't get anymore complicated.

Then she was told she was also the guardian of the gate to the underworld and that her dad was still alive. Now she has 48 hours to bring in the Siren who started this whole fiasco in the first place.

What could go wrong?

*18 and up recommended reading age. Sexy times and cussing are sure to be found in this series.
Source: Info in the About Magic Sight was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43384275-magic-sight on 14/08/2019.

Buy Link(s):


My Thoughts:
The story started right where the first book left off and ended right in the middle of the story. So this one is more like a chapter of a bigger book. The start was began in Maigc Bite and the continuation will be in the subsequent installments in the series. Therefore, plot-wise this book hasn't got much. In fact, if one reads Magic Sight on its own, the reader will be mightily confused because a lot of the explanations are in the previous book. I really like the premise of this book so the poor plot building and the cliffhanger ending is really a downer! And I don't like cliffhangers, so I probably wouldn't be reading further into this series...

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 3.5
Character development = 3.5
Story itself = 1.5
Writing Style = 3
Ending = 1
World building = 4
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = 2
Plot = 1
Narration = 4

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Supernatural Bounty Hunter Series:


Meet The Authors

About Leia Stone:
Leia Stone is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Matefinder series which is optioned for flim, and the Hive Trilogy. She lives in Arizona with her husband, two kids and her dog. When she is not chasing around her twin son and daughter, or writing, she has her nose shoved in a book. She wrote her first book when she was 23 years old. Keep reading and live with purpose.


About Lucía Ashta:
I'm Lucía Ashta, creator of alternate realities and the kind of stories I like to get lost in as a reader. I love magical adventures (the more magical, the better!) that fascinate me with their twists, turns, and wild characters, both human and otherwise, so that's what I write. Fresh stories that move beyond the ordinary to explore what's possible when we suspend disbelief.

A former architect and attorney, I now get to dedicate myself full-time to bringing life to worlds I wish existed. Since I get to live in these other worlds through my writing much of the time, i consider myself pretty lucky.

Sign up for my newsletter to find out about new releases, giveaways, and sales and to receive a free book at: http://luciaashta.com/newsletter.


The Narrator

About Kate Marcin:
I do voiceover so that I can help bring my client’s projects to life with a voice that sounds real and relatable. I absolutely love it. Since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated with the performing arts. Now working for clients like Google, Dell and Skechers, I feel most comfortable embodying that relaxed, conversational, down-to-earth millennial spirit. Why am I telling you all this? Because I want to make your choice of who you hire as easy as possible so that your boss gives you the keys to her brand new Tesla and let’s you take over her corner office on the same day she’s come down with measles and has almost been pecked to death by a pigeon. Seriously, I’m here to help.


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

Sunday, 31 March 2024

HOUSE OF ASH AND SHADOW


House Of Ash And Shadow by Leia Stone
Book 1 in the Gilded City series
Narrated by Vanessa Moyen
Genre: fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


“And what if I go dark?” I whimpered. His face sobered. “Then I will jump into the shadows and pull you back to the Light.”

Seventeen-year-old Fallon Bane was born with a a single touch from another person will always cause her excruciating pain. Thus, she has accepted that she will die without ever being kissed, without even hugging her own father.

But when her beloved father falls ill, she breaks into the magical Gilded City to find a healer fae that can save him. When handsome healer Ariyon Madden agrees to help, everything she knows about herself and her curse changes. Because during her father’s healing, Ariyon reaches out and touches her bare skin. She waits for the agony… but it never comes.

For the first time in her life, she imagines a new future for herself. However, that fantasy is short-lived, because not only does Ariyon flee from her in disgust when he learns of her curse; he also reveals her existence to powerful fae who want to hurt her.

Fallon is then swept away to a magical academy, there she learns the terrifying truth about her family history and her dark magic. Her life and the future of fae everywhere hang in the balance, and all the while Fallon is dreaming of being touched by Ariyon Madden one more time before she dies…
Source: Info in the "About House Of Ash And Shadow" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/193374407-house-of-ash-and-shadow on 22/01/2024.


Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


My Thoughts:
I like the premise! It appeals to the fantasy geek in me. However, I was not fond of the cliffhanger ending. Authors with a tendency for cliffhagners tend to be avoided. I bought the second book because I wanted to know what happens after the cliffhagner, but, I have only read about a quarter through it and I am not sure if I am going to finish reading it...

There isn't much of a plot. The entire book is about Fallon going to school and finding romance and that is it! And yes, there is the usual teen angst, too.

This is my second series with Vanessa Moyen narrating and I still like the way she reads!


Quantitative Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 1.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (8 hrs and 20 mins listening time)
Plot = 2
Narration = 4.5


Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Gilded City Series:
Book 1: HOUSE OF ASH AND SHADOW Book 2: HOUSE OF WAR AND BONE Book 3: HOUSE OF LIGHT AND ETHER


 
Meet The Author

About Leia Stone:
Leia Stone is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Matefinder series which is optioned for flim, and the Hive Trilogy. She lives in Arizona with her husband, two kids and her dog. When she is not chasing around her twin son and daughter, or writing, she has her nose shoved in a book. She wrote her first book when she was 23 years old. Keep reading and live with purpose.


The Narrator

About Vanessa Moyen:
Vanessa is a voiceover actor living in New York City with her husband, baby boy, and fat pug princess, Olive. Her voice can be heard on national network TV, radio and video games for companies such as NBC, Nickelodeon, MTV, Noggin, Travel Channel, HGTV, and most recently for the MTV VMAs and 2021 Olympics! She's narrated over 250 audiobooks, most of which fall in the young adult fantasy genre. A California native, Vanessa grew up tapping her toes in the theatre world and holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Emerson College in Boston. She's a fangirl of new adventures, DIY'ing, Mother Nature, and all things chocolate.



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

Friday, 5 May 2023

MAGIC BITE


Magic Bite by Leia Stone and Lucía Ashta
Book 1 of the Supernatural Bounty Hunter series
Narrated by Kate Marcin
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


About Magic Bite:
Evie Black and her demon imp partner, Cass, are two of the most fearsome supernatural bounty hunters on the West Coast. But when Evie’s beloved grandmother dies, her world shatters. After finding the bottom of a bottle of tequila, Evie breaks the one rule she knows better than to ignore: Never hook up with a werewolf. Especially when he’s the local alpha who, oh by the way, happens to be her gran’s sworn enemy. Yeah, complicated doesn’t even begin to cover what happens next. On top of it all, she’ll have to navigate the consequences of her actions while hunting a dangerous siren who’s on the most wanted mark list, the one whose secrets are as dangerous as her own.
Source: Info in the About Magic Bite was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43130378-magic-bite on 19/06/2019.

Buy Link(s):


My Thoughts:
Promising start to a new-to-me series.

This book ended in a big whooping cliffhanger and that is one of the main resasons that this book is never going to be a 5 out of 5 when the story telling quality is good.

This is a coming of age book where the heroine embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Not much of a plot. But then again, this is an urban fantasy book and not a thriller nor crime fiction, so I wasn't really looking for one.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 3.5
Story itself = 3
Writing Style = 3.5
Ending = 1
World building = 4
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = 3
Plot = 2
Narration = 4

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Supernatural Bounty Hunter Series:


Meet The Authors

About Leia Stone:
Leia Stone is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Matefinder series which is optioned for flim, and the Hive Trilogy. She lives in Arizona with her husband, two kids and her dog. When she is not chasing around her twin son and daughter, or writing, she has her nose shoved in a book. She wrote her first book when she was 23 years old. Keep reading and live with purpose.


About Lucía Ashta:
I'm Lucía Ashta, creator of alternate realities and the kind of stories I like to get lost in as a reader. I love magical adventures (the more magical, the better!) that fascinate me with their twists, turns, and wild characters, both human and otherwise, so that's what I write. Fresh stories that move beyond the ordinary to explore what's possible when we suspend disbelief.

A former architect and attorney, I now get to dedicate myself full-time to bringing life to worlds I wish existed. Since I get to live in these other worlds through my writing much of the time, i consider myself pretty lucky.

Sign up for my newsletter to find out about new releases, giveaways, and sales and to receive a free book at: http://luciaashta.com/newsletter.


The Narrator

About Kate Marcin:
I do voiceover so that I can help bring my client’s projects to life with a voice that sounds real and relatable. I absolutely love it. Since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated with the performing arts. Now working for clients like Google, Dell and Skechers, I feel most comfortable embodying that relaxed, conversational, down-to-earth millennial spirit. Why am I telling you all this? Because I want to make your choice of who you hire as easy as possible so that your boss gives you the keys to her brand new Tesla and let’s you take over her corner office on the same day she’s come down with measles and has almost been pecked to death by a pigeon. Seriously, I’m here to help.


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