Audio Book Review: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had so much fun with this one! Jeff Hays does amazing vocal work with the characters and bringing them to life for us. Highly recommend audio!

There's so much more to this world than we know. I know there's more books, but there's lots of hints here for plot yet to come!

I really liked how the world has come to be in a dungeon setting, and a game scenario. This was a crafty way to get to it.

I had fun with Carl's relaxed personality. I love that he took on the foot! lol. And Donut. Oh Donut! Lol. She makes me laugh. Sharp cat there.

This was definitely an adventure as we get introduced to the dungeon with Carl. I look forward to the AI detailing achievements and explaining loot boxes. Such a quick wit that's fun. I do agree with Carl being a pet to the AI. Especially for the love of his feet. lol.

Carl's ways of taking care of bosses with items he comes across is great. He's got a great mind to adjust and use what's on hand.

Great adventure while fighting battles and so much world that's entertaining.

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Audio Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was first taken with the mystery of the boy and the girl. Then when the world opened up, I was drawn into the magic hierarchy. Very neat to see the details of the robe colors and the embroidery colors. 

This was not your typical school structure and story. That didn't come into play here as the focus of Alina's days. But she did have a focus to help her country. The Darkling had her drawn in and preparing.

She has had a dear friend all along growing up and he means more to her. I love this friendship and growth. That she kept this connection is something I loved seeing.

There's far more to the story and I liked the turns it took through the end. I'll be listening to the next two books too.

The narrator was good.

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Book Review: Faerie's Heart by S.M. Shadow

Faerie's Heart by S.M. Shadow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brialyn was one of six girls sent away from their home in Elysium when only 12 years old. Brialyn was willing to leave to escape what happens to the faerie females. Especially one of the power she has. But she misses her home.

Brialyn has been running from many things through her life. So when Devryn shows up and offers to bring her home and protect her with a partnership, she is tempted. But she wants to protect herself from what Faerie do to their females too. Brialyn grows through this book. She has her doubts and desires, but she also knows she should protect the females she left behind. However, she realizes she's been running from things her life and is determined not to run again. So where will she make her stay to be her home?

Devryn was a character we met in the previous book. He was one that caught my eye as he was different from the other Hunters. In this book we see he is different, and he cares. As they return to Hunter Territory in Elysium, we see he wants to do more. And he is glad to have Brialyn by his side, but he just has to get Hunters to accept a Faerie as his mate and leader. But she can be so much more.

I really like the connection Devryn and Brialyn have. There was a moment that meant a lot to them both as they both felt seen in a moment when they were at a low.

I love how the characters are straight forward with each other from the beginning. They both internally want more, but they know it's too soon to think there could be more. They have their heads about them, but it leads to doubt too with emotions. When their heads clear, they do think clearly and do talk.

We learn more about the Darkness in this book. Brialyn and Devryn see a different side to the Darkness. I'm intrigued by the Darkness and come to a few thoughts I've had on it and the Light. In the end, I love what I've seen of the Darkness and the thoughts that go with it. I want to know more and see how things progress with the other territories.

This book is a romance story with a great plot arc for a series with the Darkness and Elysium. So there are steamy scenes. I do like how these characters build their relationship and how the world brings them together. Great writing in bringing it all together.

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Book Review: Of Blood and Fire by Keri Arthur

Of Blood and Fire by Keri Arthur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been loving this trilogy. This is the third book and it doesn't let me down. Keri Arthur keeps the story moving forward with lots of happenings. We return to the world with Bryn and everyone with a lot of chaos that we left it in after the last book. I was worried about how the book would end as there was so much happening. I did get an ending that completes the story and has the world left to go on as it does.

I love the plot. I was waiting to get resolve to the people and gold birds. We also have the things around Damon. That's all interesting. It was not what I was expecting, yet it totally fit. Which then leads to a whole thing with his father.

The world building is great. We have magic and different regions to the world and land. This is fleshed out and feels like a real world with how things are divided and working together.

I love the connection that's created with the dragons. To read Raia and her view and reactions with Bryn is great. She's a strong queen dragon. We see Bryn and Kaia in action with flames.

The ending was just as packed as the lead up to it. Lots happens and we get an overview of how the world is left. I know there's another trilogy set in the same world in the future. I'm looking forward to reading it. I love what's been created in this world.

The romance in the story is low. We get romantic scenes and there's a connection between Bryn and Damon when they are together. But they aren't always together, which I love how independent Bryn is.

The battles are unstoppable. I couldn't put the book down and wanted to see how it ends. There's danger and it gets really hairy for a number of characters. I do love Raia and wanting to flame everyone.

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Audio Book Review: Beta's Heart by S.M. Shadow

Beta's Heart by S.M. Shadow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm going to be honest. Going into the book, I wasn't really a fan of Kiera's after the previous book. We hadn't meet her much. But I did love Gareth. So I was curious about how this novella was going to go.

In the end, I absolutely loved Kiera! And still loved Gareth.

This story is one from hints of attraction from Gareth and his wolf for Kiera. It takes things we learned of Kiera's father, who is beta in Hunter's Heart. We know he's not an honorable man, or at least suspect. And what we learn of the man here... wow, so much worse than I had expected.

And with Kiera's father, we see Kiera is a stronger person than I gave her credit for. People are working through tough things in ways they think will work.

These characters are upfront with their feelings and they respect each other for them. They also have a connection in the past that gives them something to build on. Thankfully. They once again work through their personal doubts along with struggles together. Learning what they want and how to let friends help and others in closer.

I love how S.M. Shadow takes a character I'm not sure about and has me love her in such a short story! Well written to draw me to the characters with their life circumstances.

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Audio Book Review: Hunter's Heart by S.M. Shadow

Hunter's Heart by S.M. Shadow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Six girls were exiled from Elysium when they were twelve years old, all because the Oracle said it would help with the Darkness. Separated and sent to the human realm to live. Twelve years later it's time they come home to save Elysium from the growing danger of the Darkness.

This book is the one where Luca is sent to bring Ashlynn home.

Ashlynn is a strong independent woman. She has taken the initiative to try to find the other girls, with no avail. She knows who she is and even though she doesn't fit in with the human world, she's living her life.

I love when we meet Ashlynn as she's tending bar. Perfect for her personality.

Luca is a wolf who's had a strong history with Ashlynn. They were thick as thieves, until the day she was exiled. So there's hard feelings there.

I'm a fan of story being the focus with romance that fits with the story. This book gives me exactly that.

There's more going on in Elysium with the Darkness. People are getting sick and not making it. The center hexagon star is shot through with black veins. The oracle is vague, so is it really true or just a con to protect his own skin?

Ashlynn faces the darkness along with her feelings with her family and old friend. This all fits together to tell of what is happening in Elysium. We start to see what's happening. In the end we learn a few things and have a few questions.

This is a story with a steamy romance element to it. I'm a fan of when couples have a connection that can be a base and grown. Luca and Ashlynn have that in spades. They have personal struggles to get over. I love that they are smart characters. They take the cues and even though they have self doubts, they figure things out past their person feelings. Well created and written characters.

We get to see who the next is to be brought home from the six. And who's to find her.

I was taken with what we learned of the Darkness and how it acts. I want to continue with the series to see how it comes together and what happens with the Darkness.

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Audio Book Review: The Awakening of Joel Singer: the Evolution Within by Scott McCaffrey

The Awakening of Joel Singer: The Evolution Within by Scott McCaffrey
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This story had elements I liked. It's a science fiction story with someone who's created with abilities. I like the exploration of abilities and how far they can go through the story.

The first portion of the book is done in glimpses of moments in time for Joel, Doctor Harrington, and a few others. I know this is a setup process and important moments in Joel's life in finding his ability again, but it didn't let me connect with the characters to care or be drawn into what they are doing and who they are. A consistent flowing story would have made it easier to connect with the story, but I know abilities don't surface overnight.

We do smooth out to a story. It has multiple POV's so we see all the actions and corruption and movements of the story. This keeps the story moving forward and us filled in to see how it comes together. Then we get to a part of the book that I think fans of Science Fiction military may enjoy this book with how things go in the last portion of the book.

We see Joel uses his shifting and knowledge to help people. He does have a kind heart.

Joel grows into a rather smart man and creates medicine that can help with illnesses. I'm curious as to what the connection was with his first medication and why he was so determined to create it. It didn't feel to connect to him or the story, at first. Later it does come back into play in a different way.

This is a science fiction story so there's scientific talk. It uses common things as examples to relate and explain. This could bring up things to think on and discuss. But it can be a lot. Some was interesting but I lost track and phased out after a while in one conversation because I wasn't involved in that discussion to absorb all that was talked about.

The Audio had sections that sound different, like they were rerecorded and cut in. There's no chapter separation voiced in the audiobook version. It is broken down into the parts of the books, but all the chapters in those parts are together.

The story was a slow start for me but it does smooth out and flow as a science fiction story with battles of learning self and what's good.

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