Thursday, March 6, 2014

AudioBook Review: Shadow Sight

Shadow Sight

By:  E.J. Stevens

Publisher:  Sacred Oaks Press

Publish Date:  July 24, 2012 (Audio published April 4, 2013)

Format:  AudioBook

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  1st in Ivy Granger series

Recommendation:  If you are looking for a light fey read, pick it up.

Synopsis:
Welcome to Harborsmouth, where monsters walk the streets unseen by humans…except those with second sight, like Ivy Granger.

Some things are best left unseen...

Ivy Granger's second sight is finally giving her life purpose. Ivy and her best friend Jinx may not be raking in the dough, but their psychic detective agency pays the bills--most of the time. Their only worry is the boredom of a slow day and the occasional crazy client--until a demon walks through their door.

Demons are never a good sign...

A demon attorney representing the water fae? Stranger things have happened. And things are about to get very, very strange as a bloodthirsty nightmare hunts the city of Harborsmouth.

There's blood in the water...

Kelpies have a reputation for eating humans. Unfortunately, Kelpies are the clients. When an Unseelie faerie this evil stalks the waterways of your city, you have to make hard choices.

The lesser of two evils...

First Sentence:
Welcome to Harborsmouth, where monsters walk the streets unseen by humans...except those with second sight.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository  /  Audiobooks

**I listened to this book for my own enjoyment.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Ivy has a new client appointment. One her over competent assistant can't remember the name of. When he shows, Ivy learns he's a Demon. That's why Jinx couldn't remember his name. The case Ivy grudgingly, but willingly takes when she learns it will help save her town and the people in it, is to find the kidnapped Kelpie Kings Bridle and return it to the Kelpie. Then the Kelpie will stop the attacks of a dangerous and deadly sea fey that is behind all the bad happening in town. The case brings Ivy and many more to a battle between fey they never thought would come.

We get an introduction that is done in a tour fashion. The voice is the tour guide and introduces us to the world, and Ivy who is a detective in Harborsmouth. Telling us there is many strange creatures here, but humans can't see them.  The first chapter starts in as Ivy, which you don't realize it's her, at the age of six upset over her missing cat. Then how she gets a vision as to what happened to her beloved cat. This is the starts of how Ivy came to her powers and who she is. And how she met her best friend and business assistant, Jinx.

The story is in first person POV from Ivy. There is a lot of set up with Ivy's history and ability then meeting Jinx and setting up the company. We didn't get to the case until the sixth chapter.

As Ivy combs the town and those that could help her save the city from emanate death, we come across many different fey here. With each character we meet, we get a story about them and their kind. Feels like it slows the actual story for me.  There is lots of information drops throughout the book. Lots of details and world setting in chapter one. It's a neat world but slow for me getting to the case. I know we need to meet everyone but...I was ready to move on. It feels like a tour though the city, Maybe I'm an assistant tagging along for her first day, with Ivy as she tells me about different places and fey and their story as we go.

The voice (reader) has done different tones and voices for Ivy, Jinx, and other characters through out the story. It makes it easy to differentiate them all while reading. The reader, or maybe word choices of the author, makes me feel like the story is a bit for older young adults. The story was a relaxed story and Ivy sounds young. I think it was the voice talent with this story, but I didn't feel my normal kick butt feel for Ivy. I felt like the voice was trying to make to much fun into the story. There were little jokes, but trying to make the story too lighthearted. The story came across as a mid-line feel.

This is a vast world created. There are creatures from Brownies, Demons, Trolls, and Witches (or hunters) to much more. Vampires, Kelpie, Selkie, and rare fey of the ocean and land.

When we get into action and doing things with Ivy, I'm right there with her. I'm looking and wondering what will happen.

I think I'll read the next book, not listen to it. I like that there are many magical beings here in the world. It opens this detective series up to many things. By the end I think Ivy has grown. I'd be curious to see more of where she goes.

8 comments:

  1. I do have the book...now I just have to read it

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  2. Sometimes with that many characters it is easier to read it. Still glad you enjoyed it.

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    1. Thank you Melissa (B&T). Yea, I thinks so too. It's a light UF story too. :)

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  3. That's a badass cover. Happy you enjoyed it.

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    1. Jennifer Bielman, I thought so too. But the voice didn't seem to fall through with the image of the cover for me. It wasn't bad, but didn't feel the kick butt-ry I thought I might get. A calmer UF than I usually read. But not a bad thing.

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  4. We hosted this author on Tynga's but I haven't had a chance to read her work. Good to know it's promising. Thanks for the review.

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    1. Sure thing Jenn. It didn't feel as high octane as I usually read, but not bad. :)

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