neichan

Anita has family issues (Spoilers)

Reviewed: 11-09-23

I am currently listening a second time. Usually I read the title as well as listen to it. But...I haven't decided if I will buy the book this time. I'm listening a second time through because I want to be sure of my review. So this review may change a bit.

I love Nicki, He still is my favorite, and I'm glad he had a bigger part of this story. There is no Micah and Nathaniel, and very little JC. A touch of Richard. Wicked and Truth have early roles, but not enough.

Anita's family have too much exposure. I did like Josh. And Judith. But the others were tough. And despite Anita harping on again about evil...she didn't recognize her Father or her Grandmother as bad guys. But Granny is the worst, a calculating murderer in the making. She did everything I thought she would, and it was pure accident that it didn't result in a death. Anita should have sent Grandma back home from the airport.

Demios wasn't much. He was too easily defeated. The book was long enough, sure. But only if the Family part of the plot was shorter. As it was,,,the book needed to be a few hours longer. Or maybe just a bit less in the way of digression.

Hard to say if I will listen to any more future books.

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2 people found this helpful

Anita?

Reviewed: 03-28-23

The first thing that struck me was how much Anita was the problem. This has been happening in the series more and more. It is Anita who slows things down, Anita who increases everyones risk, Anita who must be catered to. I STG I could not be around her for a single day. She is the master of dithering. I like introspection and self awareness in my fiction. But I do not like self absorption, nor do I like unlikeable characters. In the beginning I loved Anita. What a fantastic character and what great stories. Then....

OK the first issue I started to have was her absolute inflexibility. Anita is always in the right.

Then the overwhelming sex scenes. I loved the inclusion of LGBTQ characters, but so much was all about Anita. To unbelievable extremes.

The third issue was how she always managed to dither to the point all I wanted was to yell at her to make a darn decision. But still the stories were still worth reading.

The fourth issue. Therapy. Is the central focal point in this book. so much therapy it is ruining the novel.

Now, well the stories are getting more and more irrelevant to the book. Every character must be in therapy. Apparently the therapists are in cahoots to ensure Anita always gets her way. Yet the therapy didn't/doesn't seem to be improving anything else.

Anita is petulant, controlling, inept and unlikeable, and sleeping with a small nation of characters. She seems to want everyone to do her bidding, to be her puppets, and she clearly doesn't care nor is she willing to sacrifice for anyone else. She emasculates every man she meets. Each of whom for some reason, is salivating over her lady parts.

I care more about the peripheral characters than Anita who always wants to dictate to everyone that they, not her, are the problem, to draw things out and natter on and on and assert her passive aggressive control over everyone, including the vampire king of America. Anita beats down the power and beauty that used to be in the other characters. OMG.

Curiosity keeps me thinking I might/probably will read the next book. Maybe. When the central character of your books is the very thing making your books less readable...what do you do? Hmmm. Food for thought.

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great

Reviewed: 10-10-22

I look forward to listening this book every time I can. I'll be sad when it is over. Why am I hooked? It is not easy to say.

The MC Maker is one of my favorites, Zora is a close second. Miles is fully fleshed out for a small side character. Duke is interesting. Rollo is not bad. Neka...well the mystery of who and what he really is... I'm hooked. All the characters add to the story, none detract. No annoying romance to spoil from this very listenable action tale. Also, I like the introspection. Nice, no...very good world building.

I enjoy the narrator, perfect choice. The delivery is worth listening instead of reading.

I hope there is another audiobook in this Series. And soon.

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two stars at the start, four by the end

Reviewed: 09-24-22

First off I'd have to say this is not much in the way of LGBTQ offering.

Why did I rate the beginning so low? I found the MC, Sterling incredibly over the top and profoundly irritating. Too loud in every way. I'd have found it far more interesting if there was more getting to know the depths of the author's version of vampires, werewolves and necromancers. The gods proved to be blowhards of the highest octave.

Lots of violence, insane voices by the narrator began to increase the rating I felt the book deserved by the end. It was gradual. I don't have much of a sense of humor, so I'll take other reviewer's word that it was funny at all. None of the seductiveness one usually experiences when listening or reading to vampire fiction. And oddly the world building was so seamless and minor it was not a factor in how much I liked the story at all.

By the end I did like the story at the level of 3 stars, the narration at 5 stars and overall I gave it 4 stars. I suppose I will listen to the next bit. I'm still puzzling over the LGBTQ categorization, though.

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Great subject matter for a mystery. *spoilers*

Reviewed: 04-07-22

There is a melding of ancient and modern musings here. I love detailed anthropology, linguistics, history and there is a lot of it in the novel. The lovingly described history of words, etymology, a good bit of it Norse roots, is very appealing. (I'm a big fan of Jackson Crawford-esque Old Norse). An all too brief mention here and there/discussion of the Eddas.... It all comes together for an action and brain fueled murder mystery.

There are a few interesting characters, very appealing ones. The brilliant anthropologist with a Sherlockian memory and dwarfism. The officer who is his best friend. The Amazonian/Valkyrie graduate assistant who likes to throw axes. And others less fully described, but nevertheless interesting.

As much as I enjoyed the subject matter and the mystery, I did feel a bit of annoyance that the idea of a man and a woman being best friends isn't enough, there had to be a budding romance, unrequited for now. But, this is only book one. It is that which (and the low level of excitement) made me hesitate with 5 stars, and the intimation that perhaps Seiðr Magic is akin to Satanism and black magic. Maybe I was a bit too sensitive? I am still leaning towards listening to book 2 if and when it comes out.

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1 person found this helpful

Spoilers. difficult to review...

Reviewed: 03-17-22

The book is well written. However there are other issues for me.

Some of the characters are very appealing. Others are definitely not. The nobles are not at all appealing, they are thoughtless and self absorbed. There are very few characters who are likable. The likability or level of interest seems the primary criteria for how quickly a character will die off. Stupidity means they will stick around.

The MC foolishly seems to do what these unappealingly spoiled characters want. Personally, I wonder he doesn't just let these mostly strangers just dash off and suffer the fate they bring on themselves. It is nice when a book can make you care about entirely fictitious happenings. But, I just didn't like any of the young people. I was outraged when the Ranger didn't extricate himself when he saw how awful they were. Especially after one of them got a second ranger killed. Like Rew said, run! Too bad he didn't take his own advice.

I love Simon Vance as a narrator, he reads so very well. I actually enjoyed listening to the story. Yet, I doubt I will listen to the next book. I don't care about what is going to happen to those people.

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Story got lost.

Reviewed: 03-09-22

I became lost and muddled around chapter 19. From chapter 20 the story seemed..unconnected to the story to that point (to my perception). I found myself asking, 'what does this have to do with the journey to this point?' I liked a number of the characters. I did feel like it was too long. Maybe if it was concentrated, condensed it might have been improved.

The story wasn't bad, no, it was decent, pretty good. Just not super catchy. I liked the idea of it, the premise.

Narration was good. A nice youthful voice that got well with the main character. That part was enjoyable.

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five stars without a doubt

Reviewed: 01-31-22

Dick Francis wrote so well about a subject he knew in and out, through and through. I enjoyed every book of his I picked up, I believe I've read nearly all of his racing fiction. A few years back when it became easier to find them I started buying his audiobooks for commute, and liked every one of those, though they were on cassette. This book is no exception though some of the medical stuff was obvious to me, but it was still relevant to keeping up the mystery. He also writes characters with disability without apology, and with dignity, which I appreciate. Grief is handled with equal dignity and sensitivity.

Simon Prebble is a fantastic choice as narrator. He does so well bringing characters to life and conveying emotion subtly, without bashing a listener over the head with it.

Very much recommended!

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Best of the series.

Reviewed: 01-08-22

Quinn is finally less shrill. I liked him in this story. So, along with the growing menagerie, I pretty much liked all the good guys!

Good story, good narrator. Sorry not to see a book 5.

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I liked all the characters but one

Reviewed: 12-26-21

I liked Daddy Starfig, Twig, Pie, and Bill. I wasn't crazy about Quinn. I really don't like whiny characters, or manipulative ones.

There was a little too much concentration on sex for my tastes.

The story was enjoyable, And I liked it enough to move on to book #2.

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