Stacy Hoyt

A strong sequel to Unveiled!

Revisado: 05-14-20

You won't feel Betrayed by this book, it delivers. (See there, I did it again)

You really should read Unveiled first and I will attempt to avoid spoilers. That said, I wholeheartedly recommend these books to anyone who enjoys a paranormal romance. The series has heart, a wonderful cast of characters and a good plot.

Snarky Jo and arrogant Caius are back, and I love them more with every page. As Jo comes to grips with the realities of her world (a world where her most trustworthy ally is a high-ranking demonborn), she begins to embrace her powers, all of them. As they continue their quest for the Dagger to stop the tide of Lost Souls, a prophesy comes to light. From the sound of it, Jo learns that war is on the horizon, a war she will start, And that she will bring about the end of the Morrigan, supernatural Mother of All. But prophesies are tricky things.

The action is fast-paced and there are plenty of dangers awaiting her and her allies, not the least of which is her own unfathomable power and her growing affection for her demonborn partner. Jo and Caius sport the same rebellious streak concerning the rules of people who are trying to kill them (which I totally love). And we discover another bond between them that makes me root for them all the harder. The loyalty they feel for each other and the sparks that fly are tantalizing and satisfying at the same time - as any good romance should be.

Suzanne T. Fortin and Zachary Johnson reprise their roles from Unveiled and again I could listen to them over and over. I love how well Ms. Fortin portrays Jo's fiesty nature and Mr. Johnson's Caius is as brooding and dark as a demonborn should be.

Again there is a slightly cliffhanger ending as with Unveiled but I am sure all loose threads will be tied up in the pending sequel Changed. I just can't wait to find out what happens next. You do not want to miss this series.

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Trosper "unveils" another delightful story!

Revisado: 02-01-19

I have to say, this is my favorite series from A.D. Trosper. I have enjoyed other books by her and I'm always struck by the ease with which Ms. Trosper creates her worlds. Her language is unadorned and straightforward. The prose itself quickly slips into the background as the setting she creates fills your imagination. The world-within-worlds reality of Unveiled is truly fascinating and I can't wait to see what further lands are explored in the sequel(s) to this book.

Moreover, Trosper manages to put us smack dab inside the heroine's head and never lets it slip. Jo, short for Josephine, is an ordinary if extremely stubborn young woman who has never suspected anything supernatural about her life. But when her mother dies, she discovers just how wrong she was. From her unusual parentage to her decision to join the ranks of Reapers (guides who help souls to the appropriate afterlife), she has to embrace a new worldview which she does with a only a smidge of kicking and a good dollop of sarcastic snark. She is tough and vulnerable at the same time; you can't help but love her. As for her counterpart and reluctant partner-in-crime Caius, he has a Darcy-like haughtiness that just begs for a comeuppance. The two mains play well off each other, with a great deal of enjoyable spark. I bet their relationship will bear further watching.

As for the narrators, I really enjoyed both performances. Ms. Fortin did a great job with Jo's snark, portraying her as young but not too young. She was easy on the ear, completely believable and I was drawn even deeper into the story by her narration. Mr. Johnson, as usual, pulls off a terrific performance as Caius, Jo's demonborn "partner." He is one of my favorite narrator voices. Though Caius's comments are short and to the point, they provide insight into the contrast and the relationship between the characters.

Overall, Trosper's mix of angels, demons, and older gods is fun and fresh. If you love paranormal romances with a strong sense of snark and humanity, Unveiled should definitely be your next listen.

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Standing between two worlds...

Revisado: 10-18-17

As usual, Dr. Pinkola-Estes' lyrical storytelling ways illuminate our deepest selves through story and symbol. Having been a psychology major, I deeply regret not having taken any course in Jungian theory because I think I would have loved it. Archetypes, the basis for words, the structure of stories all play a role in how we can interpret our lives, both the small life and the larger soul life, for our benefit and to be a light for others. As Dr. Estes says, we are all born to create something. I really enjoyed this group of lectures and if you liked her book, Women Who Run With The Wolves, you will like it too.

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Wilderness Living at its Finest.

Revisado: 10-18-17

True Belonging is something we all aspire to and yet something we pursue in all the wrong ways. Fitting in is not the same as belonging, as Ms. Brown discovers in her research. Spurred on by a Maya Angelou quote ("You only are free when you realize you belong no place — you belong every place — no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great."), Brene brings her considerable research skill and dedication to the question of what does it mean to belong.

This book resonated with me on so many levels and I had quite a few A-ha! moments reading it. I love psychological books that touch on the real problems we face as individuals and as a culture. As usual, Brene Brown treads these delicate issues with fierce courage and vulnerability and tells it like it is. I'm sure this is a book I will go back to more than once to re-read and digest and course-correct myself in my dealings with others. A great read for anyone who has felt left out by the world at large. Inspiring, hopeful and vulnerable.. just like we all should be. Thank you, Brene.

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Space is terrifying.

Revisado: 05-16-17

I saw the movie before I got this audiobook. Honestly, I bought it for listening while using the elliptical at the gym. Although it was good, I didn't feel my typical craving to keep listening until the end in one fell swoop. I could put it down each day and not feel like I needed to sneak in a chapter while doing the dishes.

That said, the story is good and stays fairly close to the movie. It is a terrifying idea to me, being lost on a planet like that. But the book wasn't particularly thrilling. In some places, I was even a little bored by the details which slowed the pace. The narration was good, clear and easy to understand.

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This sequel does not disappoint!

Revisado: 05-16-17

I was eagerly waiting for this sequel to come out, having been delighted with An Ember in the Ashes. I knew in my bones what was coming would be heart wrenching and difficult but I trusted in Ms. Tahir. I was not disappointed. I held my breath and hurried through the chapters needing to know what came next. In her world that is intricate, complicated and brutal, you grow to appreciate each of the three characters,. You want to hate some, to say this one is good and this one bad, but you can't. An expert at the gray area, Tahir sneaks them into your heart with their hopes, their dreams, their virtues and their flaws.

As for the narration, the voice actors reprised their performances from An Ember in the Ashes and I felt like I was meeting old friends after a lengthy absence. The continuity in the voices, in the characters felt like coming home. I don't normally like present tense, but the reading here was so smooth, that even when I transitioned to the page for a time, I didn't even notice until I was done.

Highly recommended.

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Inspiring essays for ink slingers.

Revisado: 05-16-17

Read by the author, this is a wonderful inspiring collection of essays. A daunting double-dog-dare to the would-be writer. His words gentle and encouraging despite acknowledging the sometimes heartbreaking nature of the creative life. He covers a range of topics some more pertinent to me than others, but I believe there is something here for everyone.

Part of the charm of this particular work is that the author is the narrator. And he has a lovely accent. Something about his manner of speaking enhances his message (a la Neil Gaiman) or perhaps it's just sexy.

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Bladerunner in the Red Light District

Revisado: 05-15-17

This title is a bit outside my usual fare. I'm not a huge fan of noir or crime novels but it looked intriguing. Unfortunately, it turned out not to be my cup of tea. (I rated it as if it was the kind of book I would like, personal prejudices aside.)

It was a cliche in a slightly over the top kind of way. And though, that is not to my taste I'm sure many would love it. It was very tactfully written for the subject matter, neither too gory nor too timid. It was moderately well paced but I felt, at times, the clues didn't quite follow and coincidences were too pat. Otherwise, it was enjoyable.

As for the narration, it was the bright spot in this book for me. Mr. Pena sounds just like you'd expect a rough around the edges cop to sound. A likable jerk. He did a good job with the acting, this being entirely from the 1st person perspective which is a tough job. And though he did a wonderful job altering his voice to perform the voices of the robots and other characters, i felt that at times the story let him down.

If you like noir crime, I predict you will really enjoy this book. For those of us who don't, you may want to pass.

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Enchanting characters that will win you over.

Revisado: 05-09-17

A medieval mystery series, Blackthorn and Grim are two dispossessed souls trying to do go in a world they no longer believe in. Blackthorn because of a deal made with the Fae, and Grim because he'd follow her anywhere. I have enjoyed the mysteries, though at time I felt they could move on a bit faster. Nonetheless, I enjoy the language and the characters enough to be content.

I'd listened to the first Blackthorn and Grim book by Marillier a while back. It is done with a full cast and when I heard Grim for the first time (though the voice actor is delightful) I cringed. I didn't think I'd like him enough to stand a whole book with him. But thanks to Marillier, by the time I was done with that book, I liked Grim. And a third of the way through this one, I loved him. The relationship between stubborn Blackthorn and her "lump of a man" is something you find yourself rooting for, though her obtuseness about his feelings at the end was a bit unbelievable. After all, she is supposed to be wise.

Nonetheless, I am looking forward to the next installment to see what trouble they can get up to now. If you like fantasy and a bit of romance, you'll love these books.

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I'll be watching for more of the Golden Guards.

Revisado: 01-29-17

Would you listen to The Crown's Dog again? Why?

Yes, I love the accents which made the banterish dialogue even more fun.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jax, I love a brooding tortured hero.

What does Zachary Johnson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The accents were different for every character. He also does a great job of imbuing each with personality right from the start. If I were reading, it would take longer to come to those conclusions.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Ghosts and curses can't hurt you if you don't believe in them, or can they?

Any additional comments?

This is my first experience with Ms. Kova's Air Awakens series. I found out, after the fact, that this is a prequel trilogy but it was intriguing and fun nonetheless and I didn't feel lost not having read the others. I haven't read a pirate queen story in ages so this was a nice diversion. Ms. Kova's handling of the magic and sorcery is seemless,as well as the tension between high and low borns. These three men, though often they felt like overgrown boys, certainly bear further watching. Her other trilogy is on my TBR list now.

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