Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts

Saturday, 12 April 2025

PATH OF BONES


Path Of Bones by L.T. Ryan & K.M. Rought
Book 1 in the Cassie Quinn series
Narrated by Patricia Santomasso & Sean Patrick Hopkins
Genre: paranormal crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


The dead do not forget.

Cassie Quinn was their voice. As a medium working with the FBI and police nationwide, she communicated with murder victims, giving them a shot at justice from beyond the grave. But after an abduction that stole her powers, Cassie escaped to the quiet life of an art museum curator.

That peace shatters when the ghost of a murdered woman invades her home, reigniting her lost gift. Now, Cassie is back in the game, racing against time to decipher the dead woman's message and stop a heartless killer. She's teetering on the edge of life and death, one step away from crossing into the eternal silence.
Source: Info in the "About Path Of Bones" was taken from amazon on 02/03/2024.


Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


My Thoughts:
This is my first L.T. Ryan & K.M. Rought read. Glad I stumbled upon these authors!

However, I had a bit of trouble getting into this book at first. It was slow going for the first few chapters. It did pick up though!

I am an old urban fantasy reader. 99.9% of urban fantasies are slim on the plot side. I was expecting this book to be the same. It was not!

I bought the boxset version containing the first three books in this series. And I am glad that I did because as soon as I hit the ending of the first book, I wanted to dive straight away into the next book and find out what happens next! So my suggestion is to get the boxset.

The main character, Cassie, sometimes act like an idiot and I find that annoying! That is one of the main reasons why the character development will never get a 5 out of 5 rating with me.

This is not my first Patricia Santomasso audiobook listen but this is my first Sean Patrick Hopkins audiobook. They work well together. It is just very unfortunate for Hopkins that he is reading the bad guys' lines.


Quantitative Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = (7 hrs and 8 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 5


Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Cassie Quinn Series:
Book 1: PATH OF BONES Book 2: WHISPER OF BONES Book 3: SYMPHONY OF BONES Book 4: ETCHED IN SHADOW Book 5: CONCEALED IN SHADOW Book 6: BETRAYED IN SHADOW Book 7: BORN FROM ASHES Book 8: RETURN TO ASHES Book 9: RISEN FROM ASHES Book 3: (TBC)


 
Meet The Authors

About L.T. Ryan:
L.T. Ryan is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, renowned for crafting pulse-pounding thrillers that keep readers on the edge of their seats. Known for creating gripping, character-driven stories, L.T. Ryan is the author of the Jack Noble series, the Rachel Hatch series, and more. With a knack for blending action, intrigue, and emotional depth, L.T.'s books have captivated millions of fans worldwide.

Whether it's the shadowy world of covert operatives or the relentless pursuit of justice, L.T.'s stories feature unforgettable characters and high-stakes plots that resonate with fans of Lee Child, Robert Ludlum, and Michael Connelly.

When not writing, L.T. enjoys crafting new ideas with coauthors, running a thriving publishing company, and connecting with readers. Discover the next story that will keep you turning pages late into the night.


About K.M. Rought:
K.M. Rought is a writer and editor hailing from Upstate New York. Though she graduated with a degree in Art History, she fell into a career of freelancing, fulfilling her childhood dream of being a published author.

Now residing in Ohio, K.M. spends her days writing, playing video games, and telling her cat that no, it's not time to eat yet. Her obsessions include foraging for mushrooms, daydreaming about her next tattoo, and adding to her to-be-read pile.


The Narrators

About Patricia Santomasso:
Patricia Santomasso has always been an avid reader and storyteller. Her love of literature led her to earn a BA in English, and shortly afterward she moved from Connecticut to New York to study theater. She worked for years on stages around the country doing mostly classical plays and Shakespeare. It was there she met her husband, narrator Sean Patrick Hopkins, doing a production of As You Like It. Now she has merged her love of acting and the written word and happily reads stories out loud from the comfort of a booth. To date she has recorded over 150 audiobooks.

Patricia's youthful voice and comic timing give heroines a warm relatability, and her surprising dips into baritone make her male characters engaging and believable. Paste Magazine has called her narration style "warm-but-tart," which she agrees is a fitting description. Patricia and Sean have a sweet baby daughter, Lyra Róisín, who isn't much interested in hearing either one of them read to her.


About Sean Patrick Hopkins:
A student of neuroscience and speech pathology, Sean Patrick Hopkins has translated his understanding of human behavior and vocal performance into a career in storytelling. His classical training and versatility with dialects has helped to create distinct and varied characters across many genres. In addition to narrating over 100 audiobooks, he has been seen and heard on film, television, video games, and stages in New York City and across the country. When not in the booth, you can find him buried in genealogy research, out exploring our National Parks, and raising an amazing daughter alongside his wife, fellow narrator Patricia Santomasso.



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

Saturday, 5 April 2025

ENDLESS KNIGHT


Endless Knight by Annabel Chase
Book 1 in the Midnight Empire: The Restoration series
Narrated by Jill Smith
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


About Endless Knight:
Return to the world of the Midnight Empire where darkness reigns and vampires rule.
New York is my prison.

Once a sought-after assassin, a single error in judgment landed me in servitude to House August, the most powerful vampire family in North America. Now I use my special brand of magic as a member of their security team, fighting monsters in the city and keeping the royal family’s many enemies at bay.

When the queen summons me for an assignment and offers my freedom in return, I want to jump at the chance — until she tells me what the assignment is.

Like a valiant knight, I am to escort her son from the family’s stronghold in Florida back to New York, which would be difficult enough without my messy romantic history with the rogue prince.

I accept the job because my freedom means more than my wounded pride.

Darkness and monsters stand between us and our destination. Thankfully I’ve never been afraid of either one.

I soon discover there’s more at stake than the return of the prodigal son. Even if we survive our enemies, I’m not sure I’ll survive the journey with the vampire who broke my heart.

Endless Knight, Midnight Empire: The Restoration, is the first book in a new urban fantasy trilogy set in the same world as Wild Knight, Midnight Empire: The Tower.
Source: Info in the About Endless Knight was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60434851-endless-knight on 09/05/2022.

Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


My Thoughts:
This is my first Annabel Chase read and at first it was hardgoing to get into the story! I first read the kindle ebook sample and that sample stewed in my knidle for like a couple of months before it got finally read. I just keep putting it down. Then when I was in the GP (General Practitioner or doctor's office) waiting room for like an hour and a half before I was seen, this book got dredged up and read little bit more. Then I decided to buy the audiobook version in the hopes that this book might go quicker with a narration. By that time I was past chapter one and the story has started to pick up.

There isn't much of a plot. But then again this is not a crime fiction book, so I can forgive that.

My first Jill Smith listen and I like he way she reads.


Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4
Story itself = 3
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4
Cover art = 4
Pace = (6 hrs and 57 mins listening time)
Plot = 2.5
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Midnight Empire: The Restoration Series:


Meet The Author

About Annabel Chase:
Annabel Chase is the author of urban fantasy and cozy mystery novels. She would love to live in a magical town where she can shop at Ready-to-Were for the the perfect outfit, flirt with hot angels and vampires, and cook gourmet meals without exerting any effort.


The Narrator

About Jill Smith:
Hi! I’m Jill Smith, an Ohio-based voice actor specializing in audiobook work. I have a background in theater and creative writing, so I value collaboration and understand how exciting and important it is as an author to hear your project come to life in audio. I work with you to make sure you get the results you want! Please feel free to reach out with any questions or for more information at jillsmith.voice@gmail.com.




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

Monday, 31 March 2025

FOLLOW THE CROW


Follow The Crow by B. B. Griffith
Book 1 in the Vanished series
Narrated by Paul L. Coffey, Kirsten Leigh, Ryan Jordan McCarthy, and Stina Nielsen
Genre: paranormal crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


Ben Dejooli is a Navajo cop who can't escape his past. Six years ago his little sister Ana vanished without a trace. His best friend saw what happened, but he refuses to speak of what he knows, and so was banished from the Navajo tribe. That was the day the crows started following Ben.

Caroline Adams is a nurse with a special talent: She sees things others can’t see. She knows that Ben is more than he seems, and that the crows are trying to tell him something.

What the crows know will shed new light on the mystery of Ana’s disappearance, and throw Ben and Caroline into a race against time to find out what happened before they end up vanishing just like she did.
Source: Info in the "About Follow The Crow" was taken from amazon on 02/03/2024.


Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


My Thoughts:
The build-up is so slow that I had to force myself into persevering with this book. It doesn't pick up until after the half-way mark and picking up slowly at that. The narration is good, for the most part.

It seems like I am reading a few too many Native American Indian stories of late. The Sorrow Hand by Dwight Holing. Wild Sign by Patricia Briggs...

This is only the beginning of the plot. The continuation and ending is presumably in subsequent books in this series.

What I wanted to know is, why didn't Caroline nor Ben picked up the totems? When Joey specifically warned Ben about it? And Ben could "feel" the truth in Joey's words? Because the author needs the characters to act "too stupid to live" (tstl) to create a dilemma and/or tension in the story? I tend to avoid this kind of authors.

I like the theme. I like the story. But I do not like this author's writing style. Nor the tstl.

This is my first Paul L. Coffey, Kirsten Leigh, Ryan Jordan McCarthy, and Stina Nielsen audiobook listen. For all of them. And I couldn't really tell which is who in the audiobook so couldn't give any of the narrators an individualised review. I can only evaluate the audiobook as a whole.


Quantitative Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 3.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 1
Ending = 3.5
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (24 hrs and 43 mins listening time)
Plot = 2
Narration = 5


Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Vanished Series:
Book 1: FOLLOW THE CROW Book 2: BEYOND THE VEIL Book 3 THE COYOTE WAY Book 4: THE WIND THIEF Book 5: CHILD OF THE SKY Book 6: DEN OF THE BEAR Book 7: (TBC)


 
Meet The Author

About B. B. Griffith:
B. B. Griffith is the best selling author of the Vanished series, an epic story of life, death, love, magic and mystery set in the American Southwest. His novels have been called “rare and imaginative,” “full of lovable, memorable characters,” and his personal favorite: “A literary breath of fresh air.” He lives with his family in Denver, Colorado, where he can often be found sitting on the porch, notebook in hand, working on his next story.


The Narrators

About Paul L. Coffey:
Paul L. Coffey is an actor, musician, audiobook narrator and Fiasco Company Member.


About Kirsten Leigh:
All her life, Kirsten Leigh was told that she had a sexy voice. After attending acting school, she put that voice to work and has enjoyed narrating over 100 romance and erotica books. In her free time she enjoys cooking, going to wine tastings, and walking her pooch. She is currently writing a romance series of her own — stay tuned!

Voice: casual, warm, welcoming, un-intimidating, unique, cool.

The perfect non-announcer announcer who makes people to want to listen. A voice that draws people in.

10 years of stand-up comedy experience. Ability to improvise, add humor and personality to a script.


About Ryan Jordan McCarthy:
Actor and Audiobook Narrator in NYC!


About Stina Nielsen:
New York based actor & audiobook narrator.

Stina made her Broadway debut in THE JUDAS KISS with Liam Neeson, a show they also performed in London’s West End. Her other Broadway credits include WAITING IN THE WINGS with Lauren Bacall; WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? with Kathleen Turner and Bill Irwin; and THE LITTLE FOXES with Stockard Channing.

Stina’s regional theatre credits include Tennessee Williams’ 'The Notebook of Trigorin' with Lynn Redgrave at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; 'Crumbs from the Table of Joy' at Capital Repertory Theatre; '1933' at the Denver Center Theatre Company; Pericles at the Mint Theatre in New York City; and 'A Month in the Country', 'The Odyssey', 'Dirty Work', and 'Babes in Boyland' at Arena Stage in Washington DC.

Her TV credits include "Law & Order–SVU", "Another World", "The City", and "All My Children". She also works with DeValk Associates interactive diversity training.

She has narrated over 250 audiobooks, is a multiple Audie Award finalist, has earned multiple Earphones Awards, and was named one of the “Best Voices of 2011” by AudioFile magazine. A short film she narrated for Metabook Films, YOURS SINCERELY, LOIS WEBER was an Official Selection for the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and the Huesca Film Festival and won Best Documentary at the LA Shorts International Film Festival.



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