Audiobook Review: The Iron Daughter

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Audiobook Review

By: Julie Kagawa

Narrated by: Khristine Vham

Published by: Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd 08/2010

Warm

Iron Fay Series # 2
13hrs and 16 mins

Sample

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart

Reviewed by Terra Lyne

Once I start a series, I like to get through all of the books before moving on.  So although I just reviewed The Iron King, I figured I’d chug along and do them all.  In the second installment of Ms. Kagawa’s Iron Fey series, The Iron Daughter, I was quite pleased with the twists and turns it took and the new characters it introduced. This series has quickly become a YA read that I feel good about recommending.   Of course, love, love, loving the narration helps any novel/series reach a higher plane and Khristine Hvam makes these books soar.  Just a word of advice: To get the full impact of Meghan’s journey from book one to book two, read the novella “Winter’s Passage” prior to diving into book two.
Meghan’s story in The Iron Daughter begins with her fulfillment of the bargain she made with Prince Ash.  In Iron King, she vowed she would return with him to Winter Court, essentially becoming prisoner to the Winter Queen, in exchange for his help in finding her little brother.  Ash has become even icier than before in order to “save face” in front of his family…or so it appears.  This is devastating to the love struck princess (of course….’cause this is a YA novel and where would we be without a young girl being stupid enough to question the love of a boy who so CLEARLY loves her!!  Argh!).  Even more devastating is when she realizes that her emotions for Puck have grown deep and are leaving her more confused than ever.  Ooooh, can you say love triangle??
While imprisoned, Meghan witnesses a terrible act  and is accused of crimes she didn’t commit.  This causes a chain of events beginning with her being turned into a human (actually half-human if we’re getting technical) Popsicle and ending with a war between the Winter and Summer Courts.  Along the way, we meet some fantastic characters, gasp as we realize that Ash has become the enemy, gasp again at the image of him in a tux, gasp/grin again at the image of our beloved Puck all cleaned up (and MAN do I want to see Puck decked out in his formal attire!), cheer for Meghan as she harnesses some of her power and are saddened by the loss of an honorable fey.  Questions are answered, more questions are raised and we are left feeling a wonderful sense of camaraderie for Ms. Kagawa’s creations.  With the maelstrom of activity in this installment, it would be easy to get lost or confused.  Not the case.  Again, she leaves me wanting to learn more about the characters and their amazing journey together.
As with any review, along with the good…comes the not-so-good.  Only a few times did I find myself doing the eye-roll thing…mostly at Meghan and her stupid teenage self.  I also found it odd that the main antagonist was sorta dropped into the story with a plunk.  Having a main character gasp her name didn’t make her seem more familiar…it just made me go, “Huh?  Who’s that?”.  I know there were a few other times when I felt annoyed but if I’m having a hard time remembering them, they aren’t worth mentioning.
4.27  ·  rating details  ·  14,114 ratings  ·  1,827 reviews on Goodreads

The Author

Julie Kawaga

Narration

Khristine Hvam’s narration, as usual, was an absolute JOY to listen to.  The voice she gave to Virus was perfection (think Jennifer Tilly).  And, have you ever been talking on the phone, and you can hear the emotion in the other person’s voice?  That is precisely how she narrates.   You can tell when Puck’s smiling and being his wiley self…you can also feel the sadness and heartache when our boy’s heart is breaking.  I love starting a book on audio with a great narrator and then reading it as the written word when I’m winding down before bed.  You can still hear the voices as they should be and it makes everything more enjoyable.  In case you’re confused and I haven’t been clear….Khristine Hvam is FANFREAKINGTASTIC!

Voices behind the books

Christine Vham

Audiobook Review of The Iron King

Audiobook Review

By: Julie Kagawa

Narrated by: Khristine Hvam

Published by: Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd. 02/2010

Check-in on GetGlue
Warm
 Iron Fay Series # 1
 11hrs and 48 mins

Sample 

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Reviewed by Terra Lyne

I almost let this one slip through my fingers….I am so very glad it didn’t.  Not only is Julie Kagawa a “new-to-me” author, but I really need to be in the mood for YA novels.    I’ve started so many only to get bored and give up.  Not so with the Iron King.  It grabbed me from the beginning and didn’t let go.  Christine Hvam is brilliant as narrator (as she was with Daughter of Smoke and Bone)…so that helped tremendously.     

Strange things are happening in Meghan Chase’s life.  She has lived a fairly low-key existence…especially after her father disappeared on her 6^th birthday.  Well, that’s about to change.  Her best friend, Robbie, is acting strange (even more so than his usual quirky self!) and she begins seeing and hearing otherworldly things.  Well, there’s a reason…

Meghan is the daughter of a Fey King.  She is half faery royalty and because of that she is being used as a pawn in the fey world (called the Nevernever).   Her four-year-old brother, Ethan, has been kidnapped and in his place is a changeling.  He looks like Ethan but Meghan soon finds out that the creature is far, far from being her sweet loving brother.  She decides she needs to find and rescue the real Ethan and in order to do that, she has to accept who she truly is and immerse herself fully into a fantastical world that has been purposely hidden from her.   Along her journey, she discovers that her best friend is, um, fanfreakingtastic and she meets a fey prince who will test how far she will go to save those she cares about.  She also encounters amazing beings, creatures and monsters that sparked my imagination and piqued my interest.  I loooove reading about fey worlds…especially fey royaly (eh-hem…V’Lane…need I say more??)

Julie Kagawa does a great job transitioning from Meghan’s human life to her life in the Nevernever.   There were times when some aspects of her story seemed incredibly familiar (ie. Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz, Narnia and even KMM’s fever series) but it’s easy to get past that and fall in love with the characters and worlds she has created.  I did also feel as if Meghan’s meeting with her brother’s kidnapper was a bit anti-climactic.  I guess the build-up was so great that anything short of amazing would have been disappointing…and it was to me.  BUT, that still doesn’t take away from my enjoyment of this new series.  I love how she melds together myth, fantasy, humanity, and science/technology.  She speckles in just the right amount of romance to keep things interesting.  What a fantastic story.  I cannot wait to see what’s next!

  4.06  ·  rating details  ·  20,433 ratings  ·  3,423 reviews on Goodreads

The Author

Julie Kagawa

Narration

As I said previously, Khristive Hvam is amazing as narrator.  Going from character to character was seamless.  Her speed and inflections were perfect in every scene.   It’s actually a little obnoxious how much I loved listening to her.   I so thoroughly enjoyed her storytelling and I have no doubt that you will, too.  When a narrator’s performance prompts me to do a narrator search on Audible…he or she is a keeper

Voices behind the books

Khristine Hvam

Audiobook Review of Lothaire

Audiobook Review

By: kresley Cole

Narrated By: Robert Petkoff

Published by: Simon & Schuster Audio 1/2012

Check-in on
Burning

Immortals After Dark Series # 12
16 hrs and 42 mins

Sample

ALL FEAR THE ENEMY OF OLD

Driven by his insatiable need for revenge, Lothaire, the Lore’s most ruthless vampire, plots to seize the Horde’s crown. But bloodlust and torture have left him on the brink of madness—until he finds Elizabeth Peirce, the key to his victory. He captures the unique young mortal, intending to offer up her very soul in exchange for power, yet Elizabeth soothes his tormented mind and awakens within him emotions Lothaire believed he could no longer experience.

A DEADLY FORCE DWELLS WITHIN HER

Growing up in desperate poverty, Ellie Peirce yearned for a better life, never imagining she’d be convicted of murder—or that an evil immortal would abduct her from death row. But Lothaire is no savior, as he himself plans to sacrifice Ellie in one month’s time. And yet the vampire seems to ache for her touch, showering her with wealth and sexual pleasure. In a bid to save her soul, Ellie surrenders her body to the wicked vampire, while vowing to protect her heart.

CENTURIES OF COLD INDIFFERENCE SHATTERED

Elizabeth tempts Lothaire beyond reason, as only his fated mate could. As the month draws to a close, he must choose between a millennia-old blood vendetta and his irresistible prisoner. Will Lothaire succumb to the miseries of his past . . . or risk everything for a future with her?

My Thoughts

This is the first novel in this series that I didn’t read prior to listening to the audiobook, therefor my opinion is strictly about the way I perceived it on audio.

Being back on Kresley Coles' incredible and brilliant creation  was just  plain awesome!!

I truly loved Lothaire back story; it it explained a lot about his actions,  personality and where he’s coming from, I also loved some tender and insightful moments between him and Nix. Once again Kresley Cole weaves another gripping tale for the IAD series. I enjoyed this book tremendously. This is a terrific new addition.

Why only 4 hearts? I had such a mixed emotions about  this book, I was upset that it didn't blow me away, I like it a lot, but I wanted to love it, maybe my expectation were too high for one the most intriguing characters in the series.
Ok…. When an author is going to write his/her Baddest and most arrogant character in the romantic lead, he/she runs the risk of turning him into a real wimp. In  this case, Lothaire stayed true to character; but he ended up sounding and acting not very nicely - and at times, he rubbed me the wrong way, it did help a little that was  paired with a human that gave as good as she got, and that he was nicely redeemed a la Kresley's style.
Another small issue I had, is that when the human world is mixed with the paranormal one (when it has not been done from the beginning) I get a little thing call logic. I don't want to be logical when I read or listen to these novels, because it gets in the way of the fantasy and the seduction, and it makes it a little harder for me to be fully seduced into the story. Don't get me wrong, I was seduced, but not 5 hearts seduced.
With that said, this is Kresley Cole, (whom I adore) and she's always brilliant, the action and quirky dialogue are always enthralling and downright entertaining. She always manages to grab you and keep you at the edge of your seat, in my case glued to my Ipod, and Lothaire by all means is not the exception. 
But forget everything I just said.....Everything, and let me just tell you; This is the HOTTEST book in the series!! Need I say more?

 Am I going to get up again at 5am for the next novel? YOU BET.

One more thing, I highly recommend this audiobook to be enjoyed as part of this terrific series.

  4.53  ·  rating details  ·  1,119 ratings  ·  360 reviews on Goodreads

The Author
Kresley Cole

Narration

 Robert Petkoff is the perfect choice to bring this series to life. With his deep and sexy voice he beautifully interprets all the male characters (yes!! YUM-YUM)

Even though I felt that his interpretation of Ellie was not as strong as it could have been (I'm starting to believe that  a genuine southern accent is the hardest to accomplish) the magnificent portrayal of the remaining characters earned  him a pass, without even  mentioning how his years of experience on Broadway are more than apparent with his rendition of Lothaire. He delivers this story with a multidimensional feel that makes you experience it as if it is being performed by a full cast production and places you right in the middle of it, I Loved it!!!

Voices behind the books

Robert Petkoff

 Robert talks about Lothaire

Check out what this gals had to say
about Lothaire

Audiobook review: The Duke is Mine

Audiobook Review

By: Eloisa James

Narrated by: Susan Duerden

Published by: Harper Audio 11/2011

Hot

Fairy Tales series # 3

10 hrs and 40 mins

Sample

He is a duke in search of a perfect bride. She is a lady—but a long way from perfect.

Tarquin, the powerful Duke of Sconce, knows perfectly well that the decorous and fashionably slender Georgiana Lytton will make him a proper duchess. So why can’t he stop thinking about her twin sister, the curvy, headstrong, and altogether unconventional Olivia? Not only is Olivia betrothed to another man, but their improper, albeit intoxicating, flirtation makes her unsuitability all the more clear.

Determined to make a perfect match, he methodically cuts Olivia from his thoughts, allowing logic and duty to triumph over passion…Until, in his darkest hour, Tarquin begins to question whether perfection has anything to do with love.

To win Olivia's hand he would have to give up all the beliefs he holds most dear, and surrender heart, body and soul…

Unless it’s already too late

This sexy, witty version of The Princess and the Pea turns the classic fairy tale into an enticing, funny, and moving romance.

My Thoughts

 

The Duke is Mine is loosely based on “The Princess and the Pea”

I’m glad I didn’t let the not so kind reviews influenced my decision to purchase and listen to this audiobook.

The previous book in the series “When Beauty Tame the Beast” was one of my favorite’s reads of 2010, but the audiobook wasn’t released until last year. I’m certainly planning a re- visit via audio.

Olivia (heroine) is engaged to be married to Rupert, son of The Duke of Canterwick; this arrangement was made by their fathers before Olivia and Rupert were born.

Sadly, Rupert was damaged at birth, and as a consequence he is  a little intellectually challenged. Although Olivia feels affection towards Rupert, he is not what she wants for a husband.

 But now is time for Olivia to accept her destiny and family wishes and become Rupert’s wife and ultimately a Duchess, a dream her parents have pursuit since before their daughters were born.

 But it seems that all those years of training and grooming to make them into proper Duchesses have failed with Olivia-not only is she not as slender or graceful as her twin sister Georgiana, but she also has a smart mouth that gets  her in trouble (I’m afraid with some of the readers too).

When Rupert decides to go to war to prove his self-worth, Olivia is resigned to the idea that they will marry when he returns.

The mother of the Duke of Sconce has decided the Georgiana would make the perfect Duchess for her son, but when Olivia accompanies her sister to a visit with the duke, things will inevitably change for Olivia.

Under his mothers protest and against her wishes, Tarquin (Duke of Sconce) can’t help but to become quite taken with Olivia.

I don’t ask a lot from my romance reads/listens; all I want is genuine chemistry between the protagonists, likable- believable characters, a story worthy of their romance and some sexual tension to go with it all. I certainly got it all with The Duke is Mine.

Tarquin was the perfect hero… Olivia?.... Not so much, but she undoubtedly redeems herself with her actions, and that’s why the duke and I like her so much.

To all historical romance fans: don’t let the unfavorable reviews of the printed book discouraged from enjoying this audiobook. You won’t be disappointed.

  3.89  ·  rating details  ·  391 ratings  ·  104 reviews on Goodreads

  

Narration

When I first started listening to this audiobook I wasn’t  convinced by Ms. Duerden’s approach. I found myself a little distracted by her melodious tone.  But when the dialogue commenced, and interpretations of the characters begun I became utterly enthralled with her delivery.

The characters came to life in a way that undoubtedly conveyed their personality and like-ability.

With the perfect temper and manner, Olivia and Tarquin were nicely depicted. The distinctive voices for the remaining characters leave you no doubts about the acting training and the ability of Susan Duerden to accurately bring these stories to life.

The Author
Eloisa James

 

Voices behind the books

Susan Duerden