Leesh

Pleasantly Surprised

Reviewed: 07-20-22

I'm often skeptical of books included in my subscription... but five minutes in I was hooked. The story has a wonderful vibe of history and tradition, and quite frankly it's a GOOD story!
Absolute kudos to Ms. Zeller, because her narration brought such life to the story that I didn't want to hit pause, ever. I suspect that if I had picked up this book in print I might have struggled with some of the "foreign" (to me) terms, but her pronunciation and inflection added to the appeal instead.
Also, much thanks to the author for his addendum explaining some things.

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Son of a Nutcracker!

Reviewed: 05-25-21

This story was, well... fudging adorable. The story was fun and engaging, and the mystery, while not sherlockian in complexity, wasn't super obvious either. I love the character of Jayne. Her asides and comments made me giggle, as did her oh-so-very snow elfy exclamations.
The narrator was fun, bringing life to the various characters. I wasn't thrilled by her depiction of the two other girl snow elves, but it wasn't a deal breaker. Overall, this was a great, fun listen. I'm already into the second book of the series. :D

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Better than the Movie (of course)

Reviewed: 04-02-21

I read this series a few years before the movies came out, and it still remains one of the best dystopian stories I've ever read. It's also very difficult, in my opinion, to pull off a good story in first person, and Suzanne Collins does it not once but in all three books. If you liked the movies (which I did, honestly) you will love the greater depth of the books. There's so much more to the characters and the world Collins has created.
I know some have criticized the narrator, but even though she wasn't as polished in her reading as some might be (this is her first narration, I believe), she brought to Katniss the sense of wonder and horror that the story tries to convey, and I thoroughly enjoyed her reading. Also, I want to give her major kudos for correctly pronouncing "Appalachia." (It's app-ah-LATCH-ah. Most people give it the long A). All in all, it made me glad to revisit this series in audio format, and I'm not sorry I spent the credit.

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What a wonderful retelling!

Reviewed: 02-17-21

No matter what, this will always be a story of live and redemption. Hearing the story from the Beast's PoV was refreshing, giving it new depth as well as new material. The supporting cast of characters was well developed, and added much to the story beyond just being other people populating the world. Of course, Jim Dale's narration always showcases his remarkable talent, making a great tale even better.

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Wow

Reviewed: 03-26-19

I've always been a fan of Mercedes Lackey, and I enjoyed the first book in this series... but this second book was so much deeper! It was far more intense, which leaves me looking forward to the final book. The characters continue to develop, the complexity of the plot is slowly unfurled. I love the many layers of Elven society that continue to be fleshed out.
And, of course... Susan Ericksen. I've loved every narration I've heard from her, and I think that this already wonderful story is greatly enhanced by her talent.

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Needed a Better Narrator

Reviewed: 02-15-19

This was a fantastic story. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the premise... but it would have been far better served with an accomplished reader who could do accents rather than someone who read like a peasant in an eastern European fairytale. Her phrasing was terrible, as though reading were difficult, and while the accent worked for the main character, it detracted horribly from the others. A shame. The story itself was worth the listen, but if you're unable to tolerate listening to someone reading like a first grader, you might want to read it in print instead.

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Fantastic

Reviewed: 08-30-16

I was prepared to like this book, based on the reviews. I'm not sure I was prepared for HOW MUCH I liked it! I was a teenager in the 80s, and while I wasn't a huge computer geek, I totally spent every quarter I could come up with playing arcade games, and of course I was part of the Hughes generation. Everything touched upon in this book gave me warm fuzzies and nostalgia, and of course since Rush has been my favorite band since I first heard Fly By Night... well.

I wasn't quite sure about Wil Wheaton's delivery at first, but within ten minutes I was convinced he was the perfect voice for this book. It was stellar. I don't want to give out any spoilers, but near the end the main character is doing some dialogue and Wheaton just nails it. I laughed out loud, and of course told all my online geeky friends "OMG YOU HAVE TO HEAR THIS BOOK."

The story and characters are fun and engaging, and I don't think you have to be a geek, a gamer, or a child of the eighties to appreciate those things. When you get right down to it, it's a story about people who don't know how to connect very well without the buffer of the 'internet.' The ending made me feel good, and that's always a plus.

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Out of the Box

Reviewed: 08-22-15

I confess I thought long and hard before purchasing this book in the series; so many reviews were less than complimentary, and I was wary of spending a credit on a book I wouldn't like, or ending up disappointed in an author I have come to enjoy a great deal. But after consideration, I went ahead and got it, in part because I trust Penny's skill, and in part because I know readers get into a comfort zone, and are often out of sorts when a favorite author leaves it. The good reviews I read were very good, and so since I also prefer to make my own judgement call, in the end, I went ahead.

I'm not sorry I did. The things that bad reviewers mentioned as peeves, I found to be minimal or in some cases, not even worth mentioning. Penny's visual writing is, as always, stellar... and if there is more emphasis on feelings and perceptions, well... it's more that sort of book, really. If you're looking for another cozy cottage mystery set in Three Pines, it's quite possible that you, too, would give this book a poor review. If, however, you are looking for another fine work by Louise Penny with familiar characters, you won't be disappointed.

Gamache has changed some, certainly, but I think Penny has touched on things that one would expect from a real, live person, the struggles of not being the same, the struggles with people who expect him to be the same, and the ones who expect him to be different now that he's retired. Ms. Penny is certainly one of the most insightful authors I've had the pleasure of reading, and I enjoyed this latest book as much as I'd enjoyed any of the others.

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Wonderful!

Reviewed: 07-16-15

I confess I'd never heard of Louise Penny, or this series, until I happened to notice the latest book being touted as a pre-sell. Curious, I read the summary and a few of the reviews of the first book, and since I didn't have any books screaming at me to spend a credit on them instead, I purchased it. I was not sorry. The story was clever enough to keep me intrigued, the characters were wonderfully engaging, and the narrator was just fantastic. I was entranced, and completely hooked. I love a good mystery, and this series is several steps up from fluff without being so complicated that I needed to pay intense attention to the details. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a 'personable' murder mystery (and I've just started the third book in the series, and plan on hearing them all).

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2 people found this helpful

Great Fun!

Reviewed: 10-24-14

I'd been looking at this in my wish list for some time, and after re-reading a few reviews decided to give it a shot. I was very, very pleased. The story itself is a great romp, not terribly overpowering but realistically described. Fans of sailor stories will enjoy it, even if Jack IS a girl.

As for the narration? Wow. JUST WOW. Sometimes accents can be annoying, but this one was engaging, consistant, and just really, really added to the listening experience. I gave it five stars because there just wasn't a bad element, anywhere. Well worth the time and credit.

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