That's What I'm Talking About
I generally review romance, paranormal and urban fantasy. I tend to pick review books that I want to read, so generally my reviews will be positive. I always give my honest opinion: good, bad, and indifferent.
Note: on my blog I use a letter grading system. I've listed the ratings below. For sites with stars, I have listed the equivalent rating. If I didn't finish the book, I will not rate it with stars.
A+ Personal Favorite (5 stars)
A Loved It (4.5 or 5 stars)
A- Enjoyed A Lot (4 or 4.5 stars)
B+ Liked It A Lot (4 stars)
B Liked It -- Recommend (4 stars)
B- Liked It -- But I had a few small issues (3 or 3.5 stars)
C+ Liked It -- But I had issues (3 or 3.5 stars)
C Finished It -- Liked some, didn't like some (3 stars)
C- Finished It -- Liked a little, didn't like a lot (2 or 2.5 stars)
D Not A Big Fan (2 stars)
E Don’t Waste Your Time (1 star)
----
TW: Reading this book was like watching a Train Wreck
DNF: Did Not Finish
updated July 9, 2015
Currently reading
Audio Review: Alpha and Omega Prequel Novella by Patricia Briggs
The Alpha and Omega series is a spin off from the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. The series opens with this novella, sharing the story of how Charles and Anna meet. For those unfamiliar with Mercy's world, Charles is her adoptive brother of sorts - the son of Bran, head of all werewolves, the man that helped raise Mercy. This story takes place during the same time as the first Mercy book, Moon Called.
Anna is an emotionally and physically abused female werewolf, who didn't ask to be turned (a big no-no in this world). She knows little about her own kind except darkness and cruelty. When she realizes something isn't quite right with her pack, she contacts Bran and shares her concerns.
Charles is Bran's second and executioner. He arrives in Chicago to discover what is wrong with the local pack, but finds himself inexplicably drawn to the timid female wolf, Anna.
Anna and Charles are special right from the start. There is a huge gap in their experiences, ages, and knowledge, yet the pair click immediately - even through Anna's fear. What I love is that instead of this being explained away by "true mating" or "insta-love," the author gives logical explanations based on who each wolf is in relationship to the other and the larger werewolf society. I also enjoyed the back-and-forth changing POV's from Anna and Charles, giving great insight from two perspectives.
The story is quick, but satisfying for me, especially having learned about the events in Chicago peripherally via the Mercy series. However, the novella is completely stand alone and works as a great introduction to the Alpha and Omega series.
Overall, the narration by Holter Graham is good. I enjoy his soothing "narrator" voice, and find his female voices well-done. However, I did not care as much for the voice of Charles. The voice came across sounding like a "big brut" and someone slow, rather than the intelligent, sharp Native American that I find Charles to be. While it didn't bother me enough to disrupt my enjoyment of the story, I still didn't care for it that much.
Rating for the story (overall rating): B+
Rating for the narration: B-
1
