BORROWED MAGIC

Borrowed Magic by Stephanie Foxe
Book 1 in the Witch's Bite series
Narrated by Laurel Schroeder
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Borrowed Magic:

A witch with a troubled past and a dangerous secret...
And bills to pay.

Peddling legal potions isn’t enough, so Olivia Carter works for the vampires now. She heals the people they feed on and does her best to avoid any trouble. She has a new boyfriend, a place to live (pay no mind to the rats living under the porch), and a cauldron for every occasion. Building a life in a new town isn’t easy, but Olivia is doing alright.

When the police show up at her door trying to pin a murder on her employer, and then her, she’ll have to risk everything to save her only friend and her future.

All magic has a price. Are you willing to pay it?

Source: Info in the About Borrowed Magic was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36310899-borrowed-magic on 19/10/2019.

My Thoughts:

Short and sweet!

Borrowed Magic may read like a book but it is so short, it is more like a novella. The print version is only 146 pages long. Having said that, it did manage to have a plot, which is more than I can say for a lot of full lentgh urban fantasy books that I have read. Plot-less-ness seems to be a plague in the urban fantasy genre! And of course, it ended in a cliffhanger, but only to point to the plot of the next book in the series. The plot in this one, actually sort-of resolved.

I first encountered this narrator in Dragon's Gift: Valkyrie by Linsey Hall, I didn't like her singsong then and I still don't like it now.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = 5
Plot = 3
Narration = 3

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Witch's Bite Series:

(TBC)

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Meet The Author

About Stephanie Foxe:

Stephanie Foxe was born and raised near Houston, TX. She grew up playing in the pond and woods in her backyard, and devouring every book she could get her hands on.

Her teen years were spent transitioning slowly from reader, to writer. She spent most evenings on the phone with her cousin writing the first few pages to many books that would never be finished.

Her adult years were spent toiling away at a corporate job until one fateful day when she heard about a little writing project called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). From there, the idea of writing a book went from a fanciful dream to a finished manuscript. The first book in the Witch’s Bite series was written, and Stephanie was addicted.

Now, she has plans to publish everything from paranormal fantasy to science fiction.

One book at a time.

Join the Newsletter to be kept updated on any new releases. Sign up today to receive Unsteady Magic, the short story prequel to the Witch’s Bite series, for free!

stephaniefoxe.com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Laurel Schroeder:

Laurel Schroeder is a classically trained actor who received her MFA in acting from the University of Houston. She's narrated over 100 audiobooks, and although her genres vary widely, she's particularly fond of narrating young adult and mystery novels. When not in the booth working on her latest project, she can sometimes be seen in film or on stage, most recently in the world premiere of Good for Otto, by Tony Award–winning playwright David Rabe. A Colorado native, she now lives in Chicago with her boyfriend and their dog, the cutest little troublemaker you ever did see.

tantor | twitter | facebook | linkedin | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The different formats of this book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

SLOW BURN Boxset (Books 1-9)

Slow Burn Series Boxset by Bobby Adair
Books 1 to 9 of the Slow Burn series
Narrated by Phil Thron
Genre: post-apocalyptic zombie urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Slow Burn Series Boxset:

It was one lucky mutation, lucky for the virus, that is. Unlucky for us. Of course, we weren't prepared for it. How does anyone prepare for a disease that can drive an entire species into extinction?

By the time it was truly understood what was happening, the hospitals were overrun, the virus was in the air, in the neighbor's veins, and it was already too late.

Except for those who would do anything to survive.

Source: Info in the "About Slow Burn Series Boxset" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49858579-slow-burn-box-set on 06/04/2023.

Buy Link(s):

 

My Thoughts:

At more than 55 hours long, this is not a short read.

If I was reading this series when it was first published, I would probably end up avoiding this author like the plague because the books were released like a year apart, mostly. So to come up to the cliffhanger endings and having to wait for a year for the next book would royally annoy me! Therefore, having bought this series in one big omnibus contributed greatly to my becoming a fan of this author and this series. Because really this series is just one big book. But an enjoyable read, none-the-less!

Now, of course, whenever I hear Phil Thron, I would automatically think Zed. Can't complain about his narration. It was done masterfully!

Highly recommended to all zombie fans!

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 5
Pace = (55 hrs and 16 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Slow Burn Series:

 

Meet The Author

About Bobby Adair:

A bio is a weird thing to write.

Just trying to imagine presenting the highlights of ME sets off alarm bells in my head. Why would anybody want to know anything about me? What about me is remarkable enough to tell?

When I think about these questions, I recall lying on my bed back in high school, headphones muffed over my ears, heavy metal blasting through my head. As with most teens, music’s power seduced me, and as I listened, I found myself admiring the albums' cover art (yeah, I’m old enough that I used to by LP’s) and I found myself reading about the singers and guitar players and drummers in the liner notes. Why? Because those musicians had created something that was deeply personal, passionate, and wonderfully emotional, and they’d shared it with the world. They’d shared it with me.

It made me want to know them through more than just their music. So, I read.

Through the years, I found myself reading about writers I’d enjoyed, historical figures I’d admired, politicians who weren’t dipshits, and business leaders who’d built great companies. Again, why? Who the hell knows? We’re all just people. I think we find each other interesting. We like to feel connected.

And that was my answer, at least as to the WHY.

On the WHAT I can say about me, for those who feel moved by my work: I’ll give it a quick go.

I was born an Air Force brat and lived in a dozen states before I graduated high school. I’ve worked my way through a wide variety of jobs, left most on a whim, owned businesses, lived through times when I had more money than I knew what to do with, and worried my way through times when I wondered how I’d pay the rent.

Life has been boring at times, and it’s been plenty exciting, too. So far.

I’ve traveled to India, stood atop the tallest mountains around, swam with sharks, smarted-off to cops, and been arrested. I’ve tried beer and weed, but never made a thing of either one. I’ve been brushed too close by death a few times. Thankfully, doctors, EMT’s, and nurses were kind enough to put all the pieces together again. I've ridden my bike so deep into the mountains it felt like I was alone on the edge of heaven, and I've watched the red sun sinking on an evening so clear it looked like it was falling off the edge of the world.

I’ve always had a hard time being where I am, wherever that is. My daydreams forever call from just over the horizon.

I’ve been asked by a dozen bosses where I see myself in five years, and I've lied every time, always telling them what they wanted to hear. Because the only thing I knew for sure, was that I wanted to be anywhere but there.

www.bobbyadair.com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Phil Thron:

Phil Thron has been narrating audiobooks for over 6 years, with 100+ titles and numerous award nominations, winning in the Humor category in the 2020 Independent Audio Book Awards.

A classically trained actor, Phil has worked in the theatre, on camera, and doing voiceover for decades. He was one half of a comedy duo during the 90s, and knows his way around comic characters and interplay, with authors and listeners alike commenting on his “impeccable comedic timing”.

He has written and directed several short films and taught an acting class in Manhattan (at Carnegie Hall, so he can provide the answer to “How do you get to…”).

He also loves to juggle, which translates so well to audiobooks.

A native New Yorker, Phil made the long and treacherous trek to New Jersey where he’s lived for the past 20 years. In his spare time, he devours books and movies, plays every type of game imaginable, plays guitar as badly as is humanly possible, and tennis just a bit better.

His proudest creative collaboration is his two children, where he was just happy to play a supporting role to his wife’s lead.

www.philthronvoice.com | twitter | facebook | instagram | linkedin | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The various copy(ies)/format(s) of this book were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.

COUNTING CROWS

Counting Crows: One For Murder by Joe Talon
Book 1 in the Lorne Turner Supernatural Thrillers
Narrated by Edmund Bloxam
Genre: supernatural thriller
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Counting Crows: One For Murder:

The moor is darkening.

Lorne Turner’s army days are over, but his haunting memories never rest. One fog — bound morning he stumbles across a murder. The crows feasting on a sacrifice.

Detective Inspector Tony Shaw tries to tell him the occult symbols on the dead man are nothing but faked staging. Lorne’s honed instincts scream in warning. There is darkness and it’s spreading.

The first person he turns to for help is the only friend he has, Ella Morgan, vicar of his parish. Together they reach out to the pagan Willow Hunter and they begin to unravel the crime.

Corruption, greed and the abuse of occult mysteries lead Lorne into a world he never thought existed in Somerset. Trained to stand strong against terrorists, now he must fight the ghosts of his mind and the darkness of a madman.

An old soldier once more goes into battle. What will break first, his mind, or his enemies?

Source: Info in the "About Counting Crows: One For Murder" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58167577-counting-crows on 28/06/2022.

Buy Link(s):

 

My Thoughts:

Another white mundane male protagonist with military background, just like The 13th Witch (book 1 of The King's Watch series) and the Blue Moon Investigations Series. This theme is getting popular. I wonder if this is going to be the new vampire now?...

Why is this book not whispersynced?!! ** sigh**

Edmund Bloxam's scratchy voice match the old grizzled curmudgeon of a retired soldier that Lorne is in my head. However, the words are not distinct like some of the narrators I am used to. There is a slurry quality to it which is not helped by the lack of whispersync feature of kindle/audible. However, the slurry quality also adds character to Lorne who is supposed to be narrating the story to the readers.

On top of not being whispersync, the audiobook version skips lines like: "The body in the moor, the one in the papers, he found it." (page 46 of 234 of the kindle ebook) — That line would have made the following next few lines make sense! As it is, I had to stop listening and read the ebook because the conversation no longer make sense. This made the going really slow. It is obvious that the script that Edmund Bloxam is reading is not the same to the ebook that I bought. As an audiobook listener, this drives me up the wall. It tends to stop me buying from producers of this kind of audiobooks, i.e., Sarah Luddington. Anyway, I ended up reading the ebook on the first round of reading. I listened to the audiobook on subsequent re-reads. Because, yes, this book is good enough for re-reads.

I recommend the book to any supernatural thriller reader! However, I do not recommend the audiobook format. It has a lot to be desired.

Empirical Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 5
Story itself = 5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 3.5
Pace = (7 hrs and 9 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 3.5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Lorne Turner Supernatural Thrillers:

 

Meet The Author

About Joe Talon:

Joe Talon is an author used to walking on the wild and darker side of life. A place where you're never quite certain if the world is full of rainbows or shadows.

Having grown up on Exmoor, Joe has been fascinated by the mysterious and spooky places that dwell in the dark woodlands and quiet combes. Joe has created a world just a little sideways from ours in this new series. It is full of shapes moving on the edge of our vision when they shouldn’t and cold spots in warm places. For Joe, there is always the question, 'what would I do if'?

The creaking door isn't just a draught.

The footfalls not friends but foes.

The scream is not a crying fox it is...

What spare time Joe has is spent with six dogs, lots of walks and exploring the strange worlds just the other side what we think we know to be real.

You can find Joe via joe@joetalon.com or www.joetalon.com

If you'd like to try Joe's first novella for free then please visit the website and download Forgotten Homeland.

joetalon.com | facebook author page | facebook group | instagram | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Edmund Bloxam:

I can offer expert audio proofing, editing and mastering. I specialize in audio book creation, having made ten audiobooks for Audible.com. I have done plenty of other audio production work too. Look up www.edmundbloxamaudio.com for projects, as well as https://soundcloud.com/g1hkk9pkpteg and https://www.audible.co.uk/search?keywords=edmund+bloxam&ref=a_hp_t1_header_search.

I have been a professional editor and writer for seven years, principal clients being Enago, Richie's English and Oxbridge Consulting, the latter of which I still work with. I have edited the widest possible range of documents; from textbooks, novels, articles, essays, white papers and many more. I have experience of preparing papers for publication.

I write fiction. See my website for details. I am available for any project related to that, including ghostwriting.

www.edmundbloxamaudio.com | twitter | facebook | linkedin | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.