Lethal Rider (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Review

By: Larissa Ione

Narrated by: Erin Benett

Published by : Hachette Audio 05/2012

HOT

Lords of Deliverance Series # 3

12hrs and 53 mins

Sample

They're here.
They ride.
They are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Born of a match between good and evil, four siblings stand between hell's minions and everything they want to destroy. They are the Lords of Deliverance, and they have the power to ward off Doomsday . . . or let it ride . . .
In Lethal Rider Thanatos, the most deadly Horseman of the Apocalypse, has endured thousands of years of celibacy to prevent the end of days. But just one night with the wickedly sexy Aegis Guardian Regan Cooper shatters centuries of resolve. Yet their passion comes with a price. And Thanatos must face a truth more terrifying than an apocalypse - he's about to become a father.
Demon-slayer Regan Cooper never imagined herself the maternal type, but with the fate of the world hanging in the balance, she had no choice but to seduce Thanatos and bear his child. Now, as the final battle draws closer and his rage at being betrayed is overshadowed by an undeniable passion for the mother of his child, Thanatos has a life-shattering realization: To save the world, he must sacrifice the only thing he's ever wanted - a family.

My Thoughts

I was intrigued from the moment Regan and Thanatos began their drama in Immortal Rider, I know it didn’t begin with the best of circumstances, and the acts shined a terrible light on the heroine, yet, I thought the ground had been laid for a phenomenal romance - since then I’ve been counting the days to the release of this novel, and just like I knew it would be, I loved it!!
I love the way the author moves the stories forward, and how she grabs you with the twist and turns, darkness, suspense, and the sensuality always so delicious in her novels, and in Lethal Rider her talent is as palpable as ever.
Thanatos has managed to escape his paralytic confinement and has located Regan at the Aegis’s facilities.
With nothing but thoughts of revenge, he kidnaps hers and brings her to his home, but he is going to have to re-evaluate his feelings, because now, there is little being that will capture his heart and will need his protection.
I loved Regan and Thanatos together; their chemistry was top notch, their romance was sweet, HOT, emotional, and  the hurdles  only made it better.
Regan’s transition to likable heroine was skillfully done. I already loved Thanatos, but now I love him even more.
On to the action, Pestilence as usual is up no good, he’s doing his best to bring death and destruction to the world; however, the glimpses we get of what he used to be like before his seal was broken are promising a great story.
Discoveries are made about the parentage of the Horseman, but new theories could be formed.
I’m just loving Ms. Ione’s imagination and how perfectly she’s weaved the facts together to deliver a cohesive plot that never insults your intelligence.
Reaver (I want to know a lot more about him) Harvester, Gethal as well as the Aegis provide plenty of drama, and they’ll have you asking for more.
All in all, this is awesome entry to The Lords of Deliverance - a lot exciting events take place, it’s definitely a “do not miss” entry.
I highly recommend this series to all UF and Paranormal Romance fans, and the Demonica series is a great place to begin to discover how fantastic Ms. Ione’s writing and imagination truly are.

  4.51  ·  rating details  ·  748 ratings  ·  190 reviews on Goodreads

The Author

Larissa Ione

 

Voices behind the books

Erin Bennet

Narration

This book should be 5 flaming hearts all around, but the only reason I'm deducting a point is because this is a review of my audio experience.
What can I say? Larissa Ione delivers without disappointment, no complaints at all with the story, but unfortunately the narration by Erin Bennett was less than ideal, despite her ability to bring the book to life in a nice tone and pace all throughout  the narration parts , the distinctions of the voices were horrendous or let’s just say, were nonexistent, as a result,  her delivery and characters portrayal felt flat and unimpressive.
I have to say that the book felt like she was just reading it without putting any effort to accomplish an accurate depiction.
I wish they had kept the same narrator from the previous book, Hillary Huber, and then I'm sure I would be giving this audiobook the 5 hearts it deserves.
Would I still buy the audio? Yes, I still managed to enjoy it; the story is so good, and Ms. Benntt's pleasant tone makes up a little bid for the not so great characters transitions.

For a more detailed, and a great review visit:

The Winter Sea (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Review

By: Susanna Kearsley

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Published by: Audible, Inc. 07/2011

Warm

15hrs and 54mins

Sample

In 2008 Carrie McClelland can't hit the right note for her next novel but an unplanned detour, and a stop at the castle that inspired Count Dracula, sets her on a different path; a path that took her back in back exactly 300 years, to that same castle, and to a rebellion doomed to failure. Alternating between the contemporary setting and the past, The Winter Sea takes us at every turn into little known worlds; historical footnotes writ large, a history of Scotland and the Jacobite rebellion of 1708 and the possibility of genetic memory. Historical fiction at it's best and Susanna Kearsley at hers, The Winter Sea evokes the writing of Thomas Raddall, Daphne Du Maurier, and Mary Stewart.

Reviewed by Lisa Kay

I love to listen to the talented Rosalyn Landor read a book. Her elegant narration is perfect for this lyrical, atmospheric book. Ms. Landor does the accents nicely, especially the Scottish. She does a great job of the male and female voices in this sweeping, emotional novel, switching between the sexes seamlessly. Ms. Landor can be anyone, from an innocent young woman who feels like a fish-out-of-water, to a worldlier writer piecing together a historical account of memories of the Scottish Slains Castle and its inhabitants that haunt her. So, it was easy for one of my GoodReads groups to talk me into doing a “buddy read” of this one.

 This author can write! No doubt about it, it is superb, along with being well researched on the Jacobite uprising of 1708. However, I was expecting a romantic book, and I quickly realized this was deeper and darker than I was in the mood for, at the time; therefore, I set it aside for a while. Consider that when looking at my rating. Some of you are definitely going to give this book a five star rating.

This is a “parallel” manuscript, telling two stories 300 years apart, alternating between a contemporary setting and the past. It wasn’t a lot of fun holding my breath, wondering which one was going to end badly (though I quickly figured it out). Then I held it again, wondering how bad it was going to be. Nevertheless, some of you will love the angst of that. Personally, I felt myself distancing myself from the heroine, as I didn’t want to get too attached. Still, I ended up crying.

Wonderful book! So worth the listen.

  4.07  ·  rating details  ·  7,860 ratings  ·  1,590 reviews on Goodreads

The Author

Susanna Kearsley

 

Voices behind the books

Rosalyn Landor

Rosalyn Landor has been nominated for the Audie Awards 2012 “Solo Narration-Female” category for her narration of The Winter Sea

 

Another Kind Of Dead (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Review

By: Kelly Meding

Narrated by: Xe Sands

Published by: Tantor Audio 08/2011

WARM

Dreg City Series # 3

10hrs and 42mins

Sample

Been there. Done that. Evy Stone is a former Dreg Bounty Hunter who died and came back to life with some extraordinary powers. Now all but five people in the world think she is dead again, this time for good - immolated in a factory fire set specifically for her. Evy and Wyatt, her partner/lover/friend, can no longer trust their former allies, or even the highest echelons of the Triads - the army of fighters holding back from an unsuspecting public a tide of quarreling, otherworldly creatures. They can trust only each other, because when the Triads raided a macabre, monster-filled lab of science experiments and hauled away the remnants, they failed to capture their creator: a brilliant, vampire-obsessed scientist with a wealth of powerful, anti-Dreg weaponry to trade for what he desires most of all: Evy Stone, alive and well, and the key to his ultimate experiment in mad science.

My Thoughts

Thanks to a review on RED HOT BOOKS I decided to pick back up right where I left off.

And oh boy! I’m so glad I did, this is undoubtedly the best in the series thus far.

 Ms. Meding hardly gives you time for your emotions to settle, before she takes you for another head-spin in this gripping and exciting episode in the dangerous world of, Evangeline Stone.

Evy has plenty of enemies, but this time her ability to heal has made her the point of attention of a mad scientist, whose delusional pursuit to find exactly what makes Evy different will have our tough heroine challenging her limits.  In this installment, she will have to fight tooth and syringes for her survival. This nightmarish trip will have you biting your nails until you reach its conclusion.

The uncanny ability of Kelly Meding to make you experience this world with all its gory details prompts me to warn you about the content, this is definitely not for the faint of heart, but if you enjoy fast action and don’t mind a little carnage in a well constructed plot with skillfully developed characters, then this series is a must listen.

Wyatt (Evy’s love interest) reaches his full potential, and in this novel, he becomes the kind the hero that you love and love to root for - your heart will definitely go out to him. Their moments together are heartfelt, and it gives the story the right touch of softness.

You will be anxious to find out what’s in store for Evy and Wyatt’s future, lucky for us the following novel is already out.

If you are a fan of UF genre don’t let this series go by without getting acquainted with this engrossing creation by Kelly Meding.

All in all, this is a fantastic entry, and in my opinion, must be enjoy as a part of the ongoing Dreg City series.
My review of Three Days to Dead - book #1
  4.01  ·  rating details  ·  435 ratings  ·  68 reviews

The Author

Kelly Meding

Narration

I love the way Xe Sands found the perfect balance of toughness and vulnerability to bring Evy to life, her portrayal delivers the kind of heroine that you can’t help but to root for.

Again, she does an excellent job transmitting to the listener all the angst, suspense and the creepiness of this world without neglecting the tender and heartfelt moments between the protagonists.

As much as I enjoyed her delivery in the previous books, I have to say without a doubt, this is her best work yet. All the elements that make a good listening experience are present, from her believable male voices to the perfect tone applied to the reading.

I’m really hoping the fans of this genre will begin to discover this fantastic UF, and help to persuade the publishers to continue to bring this series to audio, as of right now; there are no plans for The Wrong Side of Dead to be released on this format.

 I’m keeping my fingers crossed in hopes that they will reconsider their decision.

Voices behind the books

Xe Sands

More detailed and great reviews at

When Beauty Tamed the Beast (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook Review

By: Eloisa James

Narrated by: Susan Duerden

Published by: Harper Audio 10/2011

When Beauty Tamed the Beast

HOT

Fairy Tales Series # 2

9hrs and 20mins

Sample

Miss Linnet Berry Thrynne is a Beauty . . . Naturally, she's betrothed to a Beast.

Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, lives in a castle in Wales where, it is rumored, his bad temper flays everyone he crosses. And rumor also has it that a wound has left the earl immune to the charms of any woman.

Linnet is not just any woman.

She is more than merely lovely: her wit and charm brought a prince to his knees. She estimates the earl will fall madly in love—in just two weeks.

Yet Linnet has no idea of the danger posed to her own heart by a man who may never love her in return.

If she decides to be very wicked indeed . . . what price will she pay for taming his wild heart?

Reviewed By Lisa Kay

 

  I loved this one, narrated by Susan Duerden, who does an excellent job. I’ll be looking for more of her work. She is so good with the male (not easy) and female voices and the accents, regardless of the country or the social class. Ms. Duerden is very good at making me forget the book is even being narrated, instead drawing me into the story.

 Speaking of the story…granted, there are a few things for which I really should mark off on my star rating; however, I just couldn’t because it was such a joy to listen to. In the opening, the plotting and rationalizations by the heroine’s father and aunt were almost too ridiculous for me to get over. I was rolling my eyes. All they had to do was dress Linnet, the heroine, in a form-fitting outfit and the rumors would be reduced by half. The author also throws in some modern day expressions, such as “What happens in Wales, stays in Wales” and “It’s not me, it’s you. No, it’s not you, it’s me…” Ms. James even admits in the author’s note that the hero was inspired by the irascible doctor on TV’s House.

Still, the upshot of it all was just too tongue-in-cheek to resist; I found myself laughing, smiling, and enjoying the tale – a lot!

Plus, I really adored the way the heroine handled the hero, Piers, without resorting to snipping; Linnet used charm, wit, and inner beauty to tame her beast.

  4.13  ·  rating details  ·  3,082 ratings  ·  460 reviews on Goodreads

The Author

Eloisa James

Voices behind the books

Susan Duerden