Pink Pixie

The forward is fantastic

Reviewed: 07-21-23

Please ignore reviews complaining about the foreword, which is fascinating and respectful of both Woodiwiss and her readers. While it’s totally fair to not want to think that deeply about the books, there are plenty of people who will want to just that. Just skip the forward if you’re not interested.

Jayashree Kamblé situates the books in their 20th-century context, which is important for readers unfamiliar with Woodiwiss and the genre she helped define. Of course the gender politics are somewhat dated, but her point is that for their time these books were revolutionary in their depiction of women’s desire and agency. It’s very cool to know how much Woodiwiss was invested in portraying women as sexual agents rather than objects. Critique does not equal denigration. And the same goes for pointing out that Woodiwiss’ books set in the Americas have a weird way of depicting slavery that reflects our still-extant difficulties reckoning with our slave-holding past. She’s not taking Woodiwiss to task, she’s telling readers that yes, it is weird that all of Brandon Birmingham’s slaves are referred to as servants even though other people’s slaves are just called slaves. You’re not the only one who noticed and isn’t it interesting to think about what it means to have a romantic hero participate in a racist and inhumane system?

All that said, the book, despite its outdated depiction of gender and racial dynamics remains compelling. The characters are sharply drawn and the writing retains its energy. The narrator is great too (although I dislike her portrayal of Thomas Hint because he doesn’t sound threatening enough for me).

This is one of the first romance novels I ever read and one that my late mother and I loved together. We even at one point bought ourselves (fake) pearl necklaces with ruby pendants in honor of the connection we shared over this book. My mother even named me after the heroine in Ashes in the Wind. So, needless to say, I will always love this novel and all of Woodiwiss’ work. The added context just makes my enjoyment richer.

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1 person found this helpful

Beautiful story

Reviewed: 12-18-21

This book was absolutely gorgeous to listen to. The language is lush and the characters well drawn. The concept of binding makes for a fascinating meditation on memory, history, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we and others are. The love story at the center of the novel is sweet and tender. When I finished listening (the narrator was excellent, btw) I was left with a feeling of peace, knowing that to know yourself is to truly live. This book will definitely go on my reread list.

One CW that I think is important: this book contains a scene of violence against an animal. I had to cover my ears during that part because as a pet owner it was too heartbreaking to listen to.

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Good premise, character development needs work

Reviewed: 05-18-21

I really enjoyed the mystery with horror elements. And Joel Leslie, the narrator, did a great job. But I found Seneca to be obnoxious and off putting. I usually appreciate Winters’ blend of humor and flirting but this time around it was out of control. Seneca seems to have only one register and it’s sexual harassment. Even when trapped in the mind of a serial killer, all he can seem to do is demand to make out. It’s gets better when we finally get some back story, but by the time that happens more than halfway through the book, I was out of patience with him. Maybe it needed to be clearer that Chevy actually enjoyed the flirting despite what he claimed or Seneca needed a few more redeeming qualities, like being able to focus on his job instead of being a walking, talking erection, but I found him nearly unbearable.

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4 people found this helpful

Loved it!

Reviewed: 12-22-16

I wanted to title this review "Nope!" but was afraid to confuse people. What a fun book! Sophie and Nik are two of the most fun characters I've read in awhile and like all of Harrison's books, this one had sexy heat to spare! The story was a nice spin on the existing Elder races world, the side characters were fabulous, and I just want to go back and reread because it would feel like a warm snuggly blanket.

As always, Sophie Eastlake does a brilliant job with the narration. She does men's voices especially well--Nik was super sexy--and she's got great timing.

Definitely recommend!

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29 people found this helpful

Huge Disappointment! Don't waste your money

Reviewed: 09-12-16

What would have made Dragonmark better?

If it contained more new content. Only the first half and last chapter are new. The second half of the book is composed of scenes from Son of No One and Dragonbane. All the parts that should have be written, such as how Illarion and Edilyn survived in exile or coped with separation were glossed over in a sentence or two. Instead, readers are treated to copy/paste from previous books with only a few sentences thrown in to account for Illarion's POV--and those sentences didn't actually do anything to progress either the story or the character.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Something entirely different. I re-read the entire DH series in preparation for this release and I'm wrung out from the good ones and burned out from the bad ones.

Did Holter Graham do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

I don't mind Holter Graham most of the time, but I wish he would expand his range for female voices. He has 3 categories: romantic heroine, bland friend, and screechy/annoying/whiny woman who we're supposed to hate. Too often he goes with the latter, even when it's not wholly appropriate.

Also, I know that readers aren't necessarily afforded lots of takes or time for their work, but it would behoove them to learn how to pronounce words that are commonly used in a series, especially when those names are proper nouns. For example, Hecate is not pronounced "Heck-ate," it's "Heck-uh-tee." Anyone who reads a lot of paranormal fiction, Shakespeare, or is familiar with classical mythology ought to know that. These books touch on two of the three, so you'd think Graham would either be given notes or look it up. Similarly, Samhain isn't "Sam-hayne," it's "Sow-wain" and Tuatha de Danann isn't "Two-ah-thuh day Dan-on," it's "Two-uh day Dan-on." Since these are less common and Irish has different phonetics, it's understandable that he may not know these, but someone in the mix should, especially when books like Karen Marie Moning's Fever series make a huge point early on about how the words are pronounced.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Dragonmark?

Most of the second half.

Any additional comments?

Sharrilyn kenyon is putting out a lot of books per year. Maybe it's time to slow the release schedule down a bit. Either that or just write a novella and call it a day. I think most fans would rather have a good book every two years than a scam copy/paste job thrown together at the last minute just to meet a deadline. I know I would.

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Ugh, the narrator!

Reviewed: 08-28-15

What would have made Dream Warrior better?

A different narrator

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Story was fine. It was the narrator that ruined it.

What didn’t you like about William Dufris’s performance?

I'd think he wasn't taking the narration seriously if the samples of his work on other genres didn't evidence the same issues (although that doesn't necessarily preclude the possibility that he doesn't take his work seriously). His female voices are whiny and his male voices sound like they're in pain. He overemphasizes certain words and parts of sentences so that he sounds like he's reading melodramatically or sarcastically. His work on this novel is actually an improvement over the narration he did for Kenyon's One Silent Night, which was truly horrific.

What character would you cut from Dream Warrior?

the narrator

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Irish, Scottish, Australian-what's the difference?

Reviewed: 04-11-15

What did you like best about Primal Bonds? What did you like least?

The world building is good--it's not necessarily a unique take (the premise shares similarities with the Fea reservations in the Mercy Thompson series), but it's interesting and different within the shifter genre. I do wish it pushed a little harder on challenging gender roles, though. I enjoy an alpha male as much as the next reader, but it would be nice if alpha females weren't quite so "rare". All the women are depicted as being strong, so why do they still have to all be subordinate in the power structures?

What was one of the most memorable moments of Primal Bonds?

The final confrontation-- this is actually the second time I've listened to this book, and it's one of the more memorable in the series (trying not to give away spoilers). Also, the part with the underwear.

Would you be willing to try another one of Cris Dukehart’s performances?

I've heard her before and she's ok. This is not her strongest performance. Really, if you can't do a passable accent, you really ought not to try. The Morriseys sound like a garbled mixture of Irish, Scottish, and Australian. And Ronan inexplicably has a conglomeration of various English accents. The editing/pacing of some scenes is also pretty rough, with Dukehart pausing in the middle of a line as if she lost her place. It's not the worst narration ever (by a long shot) but I can see why some reviewers are so put off by it.

Do you think Primal Bonds needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Well, it's part of a series, so yes, of course there should be more books. But do Andrea and Sean specifically need a second book? Eh.

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Good narrator, but accents need work

Reviewed: 02-20-13

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, this series is a great component of the Cassie Palmer universe. The characters are fun, and Dory is nice contrast to a lot of urban fantasy heroines.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dory-- she tough and snarky and totally competent and confident. It's a nice change from other heroines who can sometimes be too riddled without doubt or are thrown into a universe they don't totally understand. I also enjoy that she enjoys being crass and "low class" just to piss people off.

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

Joyce Bean is a great narrator. I've listened to her before, and I think she really nails Dory and the other main characters in terms of attitude and timing. My only problem with her narration is her accents. Sometimes Louis-Cesare sounds German instead of French, and Mircea and Dracula seem a little heavy-handed. And Casanova, who is less of a character in this book than in the Cassie Palmer books, for some reason has a Cockney accent. That was actually a little disturbing since his whole shtick is "Latin lover".

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. But I've read it before, so I wasn't really feeling the suspense that a first time reader/listener might feel.

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Great Story, Great Narrator

Reviewed: 10-20-12

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I feel this series works even better on audio than in print/ebook. When I first read the series, I didn't really buy into Ty and Zane's romance (at least initially), but hearing the series makes it more real. And, Sean Crisden makes the characters super sexy!

Have you listened to any of Sean Crisden’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first I've heard, but I really enjoyed his narration. In fact, I was surprised to read the other reviews complaining about his interpretation of the characters. I enjoyed his narration far more than the narration of the first two books in the series, which were narrated by Sawyer Allerde. Although Allerde did a good job, I don't feel that he differentied enough between Ty and Zane, whereas Crisden gives each character a distinct voice. I also didn't hear any sort of Yogi Bear impersonation, but maybe that's because I didn't watch that cartoon enough to have a real sense of which chracter might have a Yogi bear voice.

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