Audio Book Review: Prophecy Queen

Prophecy Queen

By:  Timothy Bond

Publish Date:  April 28, 2015, Audiobook October 13, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 4 hrs 13 mins
Narrated By:  Jilletta Jarvis

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  .5 in Triadine Saga series

Impression:  A strong woman does what she must to keep the prophecy on the right path.

Synopsis:
In this prequel novella to the epic fantasy series The Triadine Saga, we follow the Elven Princess Rozlynn as she struggles with her role in The Prophecy and what she must do to keep the world from falling into darkness.

This is a story of love and conflicts, personal growth, and freedom to choose your own destiny. The world of Elves, Dwarves and humans, is inexorably tied to magic, wizards and dragons, as the battle of good versus evil, light versus darkness, wages on.

Will Rozlynn make the sacrifices and the choices necessary to ensure that The Prophecy stays on the right path? Will her sister, the Elven Queen, prevent her from making her own choice? Will Rozlynn's love for an Elven Hunter betray her and lead her astray? Will fate intervene with Prophecy's Queen?

Join Rozlynn and many of your favorite characters from The Watcher's Keep and The Dragon Rises to find out how it all started.

First Sentence:
"And I forbid you even talking about it!" Queen Lilliene was furious with her sister for bringing up the same topic again.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

Audible


My Thoughts and Summary:
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.

Rozlynn is determined to help the prophecy stay on the right path, taking her place in the way things go. She'll do what it takes to keep the Elves kept secret but to bring the ones that will save the world from the Dark Wizard. Yet, Rozlynn must face the losses she'll feel along with the King she needs to grow close too.

This is my first experience with the narrator Jilletta. I liked the sound of her voice as she voiced the many characters present. She did small extras to help the story pop in vocals such as; someone talking through a door with you on the inside, a dragon's voice is deeper (whether hers or digitally enhanced, I don't know but liked), and different tones for each character. However, at the beginning I struggled with the vocal editing. It sounded like the voice quality kept changing. Like the narrator did voices for different characters separate then spliced them in where needed to be. I felt the quiet space around her is different, along with the echo around her voice. There felt like there was a break and addition in the pauses. It's hard to explain, but I felt it in the beginning. I don't know if it was the equipment or the room she was in. There was also a strange skip in the narration of three to four words, like they were clipped in. Some may not even pick up on the background silence, or even bother them, but it was distracting for me. It cleared up before I was half way (maybe a third) through the four hours and continued on through the end with the clearer feel I could enjoy. There weren't any chapter number notations either.

Rozlynn, our main character, is a smart and strong woman in the way she does what she's to do. She has strong reasons for her actions, though I can see others seeing her as she may think too highly of herself. But to capture the heart of a man who finds it easy to bed any woman, you have to stand your ground and make a show of how she won't be taken advantage of. She goes about this with a well rounded thinking, I liked this as it wasn't as cut and dry as others would like to think.

This story is of Rozlynn as she does as she feels is right to bring the prophecy to pass, for the good and not evil path. This book isn't all fight and glory. It's about a woman facing what she leaves behind and what new is before her. She helps make a life she can live with in doing so.

I found that suddenly I was caught up with who was who and what was the agenda of everyone present, listening intently to learn what happens to Rozlynn and about the prophecy. But in the beginning of the story I felt like I was missing information, things that would have made it a bit easier for me to place where I was and what the characters were striving for. I was confused on two characters names for a short time as well.

After listening to the whole prequel, I think this might be one for readers to read after the first book. The way it ends left me wondering what would come to pass for Rozlynn and if the prophecy was true or not. Thankfully, the author also adds the first three chapters of the first book, which gives you the answers. But I also think that reading the first book then going back to this moment would help fill in gaps a first time reader, starting here, will feel are present.

After hearing the first three chapters of the first book, I'd be curious to hear where it goes. Prequels are hard to judge a series on as we don't get all the information but a piece of it.