KChandra

Unhealthy depiction of abusive relations

Reviewed: 03-21-23

A potentially good story is totally tainted by the male lead's unforgivable abuse and the author's depiction of their relationship. I finished the book and enjoyed parts but in the end I felt pretty squicked out and several times wanted to give up. This book might as well be subtitled "Stockholm Syndrome: A Romance" or maybe "How to fall in love with your r**ist". I don't care about cultural differences. Wrong is wrong. Consent matters. Trauma isn't something that just goes away. It seems like the main theme of their relationship is that as long as the woman eventually forgives everything the man does, it'll all be fine in the end... The most unbelievable element in this whole fantasy book isn't magic, it's that these two characters could actually have any kind of healthy, loving relationship.

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4 people found this helpful

Tasteless, excessively gory, over-sexualized

Reviewed: 10-03-22

Yes, this book is really everything in the title. It's also really, really entertaining. Seriously, it's really horrifying and yet hilarious. If you're not okay with gore and sexual content and want something of true literary merit, stay away. If you like the sort of book that makes you go "Man, that's so wrong, I probably shouldn't be laughing but I can't stop" then go for it. Seriously twisted. Seriously entertaining. As usual Jeff Hays does an excellent job narrating and Soundbooth Theater always has great production quality.

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Great overview of true crime

Reviewed: 04-11-22

If you want to learn about the factors that go into making a criminal, prosecuting cases, and getting justice for victims, but don't want to be bogged down with dry data, this is the audiobook for you. It's not a deep dive analysis that requires you to already be a true crime aficionado, and presents the information in a very listener-friendly way. I watch true crime shows and listen to true crime podcasts, but this book highlighted some criminal cases that I had never heard of. Being podcasters, Suruthi and Hannah are naturally great narrators as well. Highly recommend.

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1 person found this helpful

Fun science fantasy adventure

Reviewed: 05-16-20

Magic, monsters, and space ships are a great combination. This is an exciting adventure that will leave you wanting more. I loved the dual narration, and thought both narrators did a good job putting life into the characters. Also if you're looking for a break from dark, gritty fantasy with ultra violence and brooding antiheroes, this is a good palate cleanser. I like reading about heroes I can root for, that have a strong set of moral principles. I highly recommend this book.

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Good start to a series that gets better

Reviewed: 11-18-19

I just listened to this for the third time. I love the series, though I think this book is the weakest in a series that gets better with every book. The very beginning drops you into a story in a slightly confusing way, with minor characters you can't keep straight that aren't very relevant to the rest of the book, and introduces the fantasy element. However, that fantasy element is then put on the back burner for much of the early part of the book, and it focuses on 18th-century-esque military life and battles with muskets and bayonets. I like military fiction with a heavy focus on tactics and a sense of the realism of military life, but that section might be less engaging at first if you don't already like that sort of thing. It gets better as it goes on, in particular when it introduces more and more fantasy elements. I think the series is well narrated, and all of the characters' voices fit the characters.

Overall, if you find yourself feeling a bit "meh" about this book, please give the next one a try.

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Love this series!

Reviewed: 11-11-19

I was so excited when I saw this on Audible. I have the book on Kindle but it had been years since I'd read it. Ginn Hale recently released a new Cadeleonian book and I was meaning to re-read the earlier books to refresh my memory. It worked out great that the audiobook came out now. Ms Hale is an incredible author, one of my favorites. The world-building is intricate and fascinating, the plot draws you in, and the characters are all complex, all with their own flaws and their own motivations. Though it takes place in a fantasy setting, there are many relevant real-world themes, such as the racism Kiram faces, and the homophobia of Cadeleonian society, that elevate this series from "just" a fantasy novel or "just" M/M romance to something more poignant that will stick in your mind.

As for the narrator, I found him largely unobjectionable. Not the best, but far from the worst. I don't think he brought anything particularly special to the story, but neither did he distract from the story with things like overdone character voices or a totally wooden narration.

Overall, I highly recommend this book, and this author in general. I hope to see more of her books coming to audible. Just a note, this book is part of a duology, but to me they read more like a single long book, and Part 2 continues directly where Part 1 ends, and completes the tale.

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3 people found this helpful

So many feels - ALL the feels

Reviewed: 12-10-18

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started this book, but just to be clear, it's not some lighthearted sci-fi romance. This is a real distopian sci-fi with deep themes about the nature of life and emotions. It was really, really dark in places, as any good post-apocalyptic dystopian story is, but the hope and the love shared by Ronin and Lara tempered the darkness and kept it from being bleak. It was epic and heart wrenching and full of action and tension. I loved both the characters. Lara was strong, full of fortitude despite the way life kept kicking her when she was down. Ronin's journey to find his meaning in life, and understand his connection to Lara and his own emotions, was moving and very relatable. He might have been a "bot" but I never questioned his humanity. The ending of the book was super satisfying, if a bit bittersweet, and made me teary-eyed. I really felt like I ran the gamut of feels with this book, and it's the sort of story that will linger with you afterwards. I've read most of the books Tiffany Roberts has written and she's definitely one of my favorite romance novelists, and I hope more of her books get released on audiobook.

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4 people found this helpful