Audio Book Review: The Living End

The Living End

By:  Craig Schaefer

Publish Date:  August 27, 2014, Audiobook Release June 18, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 9 hrs 31 mins
Narrated By:  Adam Verner

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  3rd in Daniel Faust series; 1st Book ~ The Long Way Down, 2nd Book ~ Redemption Song

Impression:  Dark, gritty. Drugs, dark magic. Fighting and torture. Great combination!

Synopsis:
As the FBI closes in on the Las Vegas underworld, Daniel Faust -- grifter, thief, and sorcerer -- isn't the only one feeling the heat. Half-demon racket boss Nicky Agnelli is fighting to hang onto his empire, leaving a trail of dead informants in his wake, while Daniel's ex-girlfriend Jennifer rallies her forces on the street and aims her sights at Nicky's crown.

Meanwhile, homeless people are vanishing by the dozens. Daniel has bigger problems to worry about, but a plea from an old friend sends him on a search for answers. What he finds is a conspiracy twenty years in the making, involving a power-hungry senator, occult experiments, murderous British mercenaries...and Lauren Carmichael, Daniel's nemesis.

From a gunfight in the Arizona badlands to unearthing buried secrets in a New York laboratory, the hunt is on. With Lauren's deadly plan revealed and time running out, Daniel and his crew will stop at nothing to take her down. She's got the law in her pocket and a hired army at her back. He's got black magic, bullets, and the art of the con. It's high noon in Vegas and when the dust settles, only one side will be left standing.

May the best villain win.

First Sentence:
Eugene Planck wasn't a danger to himself anymore, not since the day he'd chugged down a bottle of acid to burn the snake living in his stomach.

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Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Adam once again blows away the voice of Daniel Faust and crew. He breaths new life into Daniel with each word through emotion and personality. He changes tone along with personality for each character. It's great to get a full rounded feel of the characters through voice with Craig's amazing writing.

Craig has an amazing ability to draw details and physical feelings in his unique descriptions to have me understand. I know if it's a good or bad with his word selection. I'm always taken with Craig's descriptions. They are unique and detailed to fit his world. The descriptions give the feel and detail to understand what it means or feels like. He uses what we know and twists them to the moment in the magical world. Amazing.

Sometimes I wonder how a story can move from one place to another. Where do the threads and ties come from? Craig flows through a story with ease. Each step forward creates that new thread and tie for Daniel to find the next step as he goes. Crafty, indeed.

Dark and gritty with drugs and dark magic. Fighting and torture. But there is so much going on in the story! There's the FEDs to worry about in a case against Nicky which draws Daniel and others into the line of sight of FEDs. There's Lauren Carmichael still trying to ascend. Meadow Brand is still after Daniel. And it's all coming to a point. If Lauren accomplishes what she wants, it will be the end of the world -- from her and maybe from others to stop her.

Craig creates another story that kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering how Daniel will get through this and come out on the other end, alive. Another outstanding addition to the world. I love it!



****If you found my thoughts helpful, please click Yes at Amazon and/or Audible. Thank you!

Audio Book: Queen of the Night

Queen of the Night

By:  Craig Schaefer

Publish Date:  June 26, 2016, Audiobook Release August 19, 2016

Format:  Audiobook - 11 hrs 3 mins
Narrated By:  Susannah Jones

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  4th in The Revanche Cycle series; 1st Book ~ Winter's Reach, 2nd Book ~ Instruments of Control, 3rd Book ~ Terms of Surrender

Impression:  Worth every moment of reading or listening. Wow.

Synopsis:
It all ends here.

It ends as Livia Serafini returns to her homeland with an army at her back, an exiled refugee turned ruthless conqueror, bringing war and witchcraft to any who dare stand in her way. It ends as Renata Nicchi and her ragged band of hunters and outlaws infiltrate a city under siege, making a last, desperate bid to save her lover from the jaws of the criminal underworld and be reunited at last.

And as the Owl and her coven work to unravel the mystery of Wisdom's Grave, a doom from the past threatens to consume them all. It ends here, in the final chapter of the Revanche Cycle, under the spreading shadow of darkness. In a land where poison is king, only one can become the queen of the night.

First Sentence:
The night before landfall, Amadeo Lagorio dreamed of dying.

Purchase At:
Amazon 

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Once again what grips me at the beginning of this fantasy story is the descriptions. Wow. I know fantasy books are detailed, but Craig's ability to make these descriptions lifelike and unique is breathtaking. Craig does NOT linger on things, he describes them and moves on as they relate to what's in the moment and scene. The first description we open with is awe striking, the vision of the city and the crystal tear. The crystal tear is what gripped me.

Susannah. I want to applaud you. This is one amazing narration. Susannah has amazed me through out this series. Susannah may use subtle differences but they speak loudly. Each character has their own heart and drive and it comes through in Susannah's voice. One thing I find amazing in a narrator is when I don't hear them. That sounds wrong to say, but in the essence it's that their narration IS the story and the characters. Susannah does this. The story speaks loudly through her and she lets it. Amazing job.

The story is told from numerous POV's. BUT! Hold on. Don't let that discourage you. The story follows a straight line, giving you all the information that fits together even though it's from different view points. It's easy to follow and it's great to see all sides of a working plan. To see who's planning what and how it's affected by another's plan. We know the spokes of that plan wheel and see how it all pans out for all involved. And who wins and why. So awesome! Of the POV's he have, we get to spend lots of time with our favorites from the series - Amadeo, Livia, Cardinal Marchello Accorsi, Felix, Renata, Mari, Owl, and many more.

I was so excited to get back into this world and everyone's corrupted stories. I had to know who would fall the hardest, and to witness it all happen. I found I wanted to yell at the characters, telling the ones I love that it's a trap, he lied! But it wouldn't help.

For me, this book feels a lot like Renata's book. Dang that woman has grown. She's brilliant and full of ideas to sneak around. She's really learned quick and changed. Felix has really grown as well. We saw him start down his dark path in the last book, and he continues there. But there could be one light that keeps him from fully drowning in the dark, Renata.

We follow the characters through their lives. For many these are their darkest days. We lose a few along the way, but in the paths they follow it's the only ending they could have.

This book is...just... wow. Craig does an amazing job of taking us through the end of the book and then some, tying up all threads. I had to take a few days to digest all I experienced in this book. Wow.



****If my thoughts helped you, please click Yes at Amazon and/or Audible. Thank you!

Audio Book Redemption Song

Redemption Song

By:  Craig Schaefer

Publish Date:  June 13, 2014, Audiobook Release March 6, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 9 hrs 33 mins
Narrated By:  Adam Verner

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  2nd in Daniel Faust Series; 1st Book ~ The Long Way Down

Impression:  How is Daniel going to pull through this? That's the thought I had, and curious to see how he does.

Synopsis:
Daniel Faust, Las Vegas sorcerer and career criminal, has never pulled the trigger on an innocent man. When the infernal Prince Sitri challenges him to do just that, though, he can't walk away. His lover, Caitlin, is Sitri's right hand...and if Daniel refuses the job, he'll never see her again.

While Daniel works to unravel Sitri's twisted game, putting his principles and his life on the line, Caitlin has problems of her own. A pack of renegade halfbloods are in town, armed to the teeth and aiming to go to war with hell itself. Their leader is a bad memory from Caitlin's past, one she thought dead and buried centuries ago, and he's got revenge on his mind.

As if that isn't bad enough, the fallout from Daniel's last job descends in the form of an FBI task force, aimed at putting him and everyone he cares about behind bars. The feds have a magician of their own, one who knows all of Daniel's dirty little secrets. Throw in a mythical road map to hell and the ghost of a 15th-century serial killer, and the stage is set for a deadly collision.

Sitri's games are never what they seem. Everything is connected. If Daniel and Caitlin can't solve the puzzle in time, the consequences will tear them apart forever.

First Sentence:
The ghost of Merle Haggard kept Sophia trapped in her house for two weeks.

Purchase At:
Amazon 

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*At my request, this audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.

Another of Daniel's friends is brutally murdered by Meadow Brand, the woman who's connected to Lauren Carmichael and likely after Daniel for thwarting her occult a few weeks ago. Then Daniel learns Prince Sitri forbids his lover from seeing him. It's a spiraling fall when Daniel agrees to take a job for Prince Sitri to gain his trust to be with Caitlin. The job... to kill a good priest. When Daniel visits the man, he ends up saving him just to fall into the mouth of the beast. Daniel has to work his magic to save himself, the priest, and keep his love if she wants him.


I enjoyed the first audio book in this series, and the same holds true for this one which is done by the same voice, Adam Verner. I am always thrilled when we get the small extras with voices, like giving a vibrating sound to voices and such. Adam adds these extras in for us to give us the feel and sound of what's described by Craig. I love the personality Adam puts into the words as he narrates. He is in the moment as the character and it comes through. He also voices each with different tones to match the feel of the character, male and female, along with slight accents when noted. I love how easily Adam converts to the different tones, personalities, and accents keeping the story in a smooth flow. Amazing work.


Craig has crafted this story with many items needling Daniel. Daniel has a rough start in this book as things start to spiral downward for him in life. He's determined to keep trying through, and that doesn't always work out. All these things working at Daniel are important and come together at the end, or Daniel uses them that way.

What are these items?
~ A dear friend is murdered by someone who's killed a friend before.

~ Daniel finds himself under the microscope of Special Agent Harmony Black from the FBI as she's investigating Nicky Agnelli and all connected to him in any type of operations. Nicky's not a friend, but turning any information on one of the biggest crime bosses over to the FBI wouldn't be healthy for Daniel. And there are ties Daniel has with Nicky that could not go well for Daniel if Nicky's caught.

~ Caitlin, Daniel's lover, is working to create a safe home for cambion refugees trying to get to Prince Sitri's borders. But, there are cambion's mixed in with different beliefs. Beliefs that they can be cured of their curse and harm others they see as 'spawn of evil'.

~ Daniel and Caitlin love each other. Then, stand before Prince Sitri to learn that he sees Daniel as an enemy. Caitlin is forbidden to consort with Daniel, unless he performs a service for Prince Sitri. Kill an innocent soul. If he refuses he could lose his love forever.

Craig goes for the big punches. He has no worries about blood and gore. When the 'bad guy' hits, they hit hard and ugly. We start off with a bloody death in chapter one and the tension rises from there. Even though Craig writes dark, the story doesn't come across heavy. Daniel's personality helps lift the story, along with Adam's voicing of his dry humor.

We pretty much get the lowdown on what's happening in this complicated world of demons and magic in the beginning. So much happening at one time and Daniel's connections are all seeing something different. But it creates a wonderful feeding bed for so many possibilities.

The connections between all the problems is so well done. They are connected yet happening on their own, thriving off the others to help their selves. But, anything involving demons can't be easy and they would play off others to get what they want. I'm always mesmerized at the well thought out actions and interactions in Craig's stories. Wow.

Craig draws me in, paying close attention to details as there is always something happening. Just when you think things can't get worse. It does. And keeps you wondering how Daniel's going to fix it all. With all that's happening to Daniel, Craig timed it perfect - right when I was starting to not like the down and out Daniel, it hit Daniel why he was on this path and there is new revived life to the story and Daniel. The Daniel that's always thinking and scheming to come out the other end is the Daniel I enjoy. We get him at the start and when he returns, the story feels to jump in excitement once again. So two amazing skips of heart as we take off!

Oh, I've enjoyed Craig's writing and creation here. I'm totally on to the series!



**If you found my thoughts helpful please click Yes at Amazon and/or Audible. Thank you!

Audio Book Review: Terms of Surrender

Terms of Surrender

By:  Craig Schaefer

Publish Date:  November 11, 2015, Audiobook Release March 28, 2016

Format:  Audiobook - 11 hrs 10 mins
Narrated By:  Susannah Jones

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  3rd in The Revanche Cycle series; 1st Book ~ Winter's Reach, 2nd Book ~ The Instruments of Control

First Impression:  We get all the masterful schemes, partnerships, fights, and deaths.

Synopsis:
Felix Rossini is a man with a thousand enemies. Framed for murder, hunted by Mirenze's protectors as well as the criminal underworld, he struggles to survive and fight back against the conspiracy that has marked him for death. A conspiracy of another kind is brewing across the ocean, as the corrupt aristocracy draws Livia Serafini’s oldest friends into a plot to destroy her. If she can’t find a way to overcome the occult infection spreading through her veins, they may not have to.

And in the shadows, the Owl prepares to wage bloody war against the most dangerous foe of all -- her own coven -- as she leads her disciples in a quest to recover a deadly relic. It's a showdown that will end where it all began: in the frozen hell of Winter's Reach, under a rain of fire.

From a rebel uprising in the west, to a broken crusade in the east, the dominoes fall one by one. Where they land will determine the fate of an empire.

First Sentence:
The night was a hungry thing in Belle Terre.

Purchase At:
Amazon

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I requested to review a copy of this audiobook for an honest review from the author or narrator.

Pope Livia looks to return home and unseat Carl as Pope, but will people accept her? Her witchy deeds to protect her Brown Cloaks and herself have been seen as a grace from the Gardener, but what if they knew the truth. Felix is hunted by all sides of the law and finds a new ally against his wife and her partner, but he has to stay alive to clear his name and leave to find his love, Renata. But first he'll take care of Aita and Lodovico so he and Renata won't be hunted.

The Empire has pulled all but 1/3 of his army from Belle Terre to fight in the desert, a Crusade the Emperor is determined to fight. The Terrai take advantage of the movement and attack to take back their own. Owl finds trouble in her coven, and is more determined to take over as the Mother witch.

All need a strong weapon to win the battles before them, that aren't looking good. A few find the weapons in them or around them. Others know of one that was hidden away years ago, one that was to powerful to use then. But now.... it may be able to be handled. But who will get to it first?

Susannah has a magnificent talent in the way she holds suspense and my interest in her voice. From the first words of this story, she has gripped my attention and pulled me in. I don't know if I can express how much I love Susannah's work in this series. I love listening to Susannah as she voices each character giving them an individual sound and feel. They all are written with vastly different personalities, and Susannah brings that alive for us.

Everything is as we left it at the end of Instruments of Control. In turmoil. I love how the story starts right where we left off. There is no rehashing of what has happened. But Craig drops reminders as the characters think or talk of where they are going or to do next, easily bringing past events to mind.

We get to see the story from a few different POV's, but it's extremely easy to follow who's who. In this world, we need all POV's we can be given as there is so many different sides that are touched with the waves of change.

These characters each have their own agenda in life, their own person they are looking to unseat or kill. By this book, they all have dark agendas they are fighting for. It's a beautiful thing! All their lives interlace with one another and actions against one affects many more, whether for good or bad is yet to be determined.

We get deeper into the witch life with Nessa. We see an ages old tradition of a Coven Knight brought back and how the coven works, or I should say is working and should be working in Nessa's eyes. We see rituals performed and the witch side of the story come to light here. I am surprised to see (and dare I think) Nessa growing fond of Mari and who she's created her to be.

Livia, I want to applaud her and say, You go girl! She's learned a lot and some of it dire, but she's a strong woman and will do well for all while she's around.

There is trouble stewing with the crusade in the desert, and crusaders trying to get there. All ties back to Lodovico Marchetti and what his plans are. These plans affect so many people, and people are starting to get a glimpse of what he's doing. But what is his end game? What is Lodovico really working toward?

Felix is reminded what he's fighting for. Love. For his love and safety of his love, Renata. He works to remain the man he is for Renata, but life pushes in other ways the longer he stays in Mirenze. Renata has found a new strength in herself. Renata fights through physical battles in the previous book and this one. But now, she sees she can fight for what she wants. And she's ready to do just that.

The biggest thing I've been waiting for, what's in the alum mines at Winter's Reach that the witches have been hiding. Yes. We learn what it is! What I learn of it does not let down. It's told in a way that it's as terrible as I had hoped.

The growth and fall of all these characters, WOW! There was so much thought put into this world, characters, internal and external battles and it shows. Excellent job!

Who is on the good side? Um... I don't know if there's a good side anymore. All have blurred the line between right and wrong. All just want what they want, whether it's peace to live with a loved one, money, power, control, or all these things.

Good grief! I am captured by Craig's writing and Susannah's vocal talent. What a dynamic duo this is! Craig seamlessly crafts a world where waves of change ripple through all the classes and divisions of the world, and we see the splashes it makes in each persons plans to better themselves. Craig does not leave us wanting, but keeps us dreading when we have to put the book down. We get all the masterful schemes, partnerships, fights, and deaths.

I don't know if it's possible to love this series any more. With each book, I fall more and more for this world and characters with the turmoil they live through.



***If you found my thoughts helpful, please click Yes at Amazon and/or Audible. Thank you!

Audio Book Review: The Long Way Down

The Long Way Down

By:  Craig Schaefer

Publish Date:  July 12, 2014, Audiobook Release January 6, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 9 hrs 51 mins
Narrated By:  Adam Verner

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  1st in Daniel Faust series

First Impression:  Wonderful story full of dark magic and dark deeds in the world, and Daniel gets tangled up fighting them.

Synopsis:
Nobody knows the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas like Daniel Faust, a sorcerer for hire and ex-gangster who uses black magic and bullets to solve his clients' problems. When an old man comes seeking vengeance for his murdered granddaughter, what looks like a simple job quickly spirals out of control.

Soon Daniel stands in the crossfire between a murderous porn director; a corrupt cop with a quick trigger finger; and his own former employer, a racket boss who isn't entirely human. Then there's Caitlin: brilliant, beautiful, and the lethal right hand of a demon prince.

A man named Faust should know what happens when you rub shoulders with demons. Still Daniel can't resist being drawn to Caitlin's flame as they race to unlock the secret of the Etruscan Box, a relic that people all over town are dying -- and killing -- to get their hands on. As the bodies drop and the double-crosses pile up, Daniel will need every shred of his wits, courage and sheer ruthlessness just to survive.

Daniel Faust knew he was standing with one foot over the brink of hell. He's about to find out just how far he can fall.

First Sentence:
"I know what you are," the old man said.

Purchase At:
Amazon 

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I requested to review a copy of this audiobook for an honest review from the author or narrator.

When the police didn't seem to help Jud, he hired Daniel Faust to look into Stacy, his granddaughter's, murder. The time of death by drowning is wrong, by two days, from the date of the storm that she was to drown in. Daniel agrees to look into it, not expecting there to be much of a case. What Daniel finds in the sewers is something else. Stacy was definitely murdered, but the ghost he found in her place is not what he's seen of ghosts. Her screams are powerful and dangerous. What had she become? "This has the stink of magic all over it." Daniel will fix it, solve the poor girls murder along with sending the deadly specter on, but when he digs deeper he finds demons and more are present and have others in the magic world spooked.

Adam has made my list of favorite narrators after just this one book! Adam starts strong and in character from the first word. I didn't feel like he had to ease into the story or characters at all. He had me believing he was, is, Daniel Faust at first sound. He even does voice differences for other characters, like with Jud an old man meeting with Daniel to easily differentiate the characters and draw us to them. Adam embodies the characters in tone and personality as he speaks. Yes! Adam makes the story fun to listen to! When he does the voice of a demon... I enjoyed it! Adam really is all the characters at all times.

Daniel.... Daniel has the feel of a vigilante when it comes to the magic world and the evil people in it. He's a strong character and has some serious power to him. We see part of it here, but what I've learned of his past and what Caitlin says about his past really has me curious as to how powerful he is. Daniel uses cards with his magic, fitting for being in Las Vegas. Neat! I really liked Daniel! Daniel seems to have morals, yet he's willing to cross a line to help people too. Daniel had a terrible history with his dad and the home he found himself part of when on the run but he tries to help those in dangerous situations or suffered from others terrible acts upon then.

I love the relationship started in this book with Daniel. There will be obstacles for them and they know it, but they are positive about it and willing to work through together.

There was a great balance in the writing here. We have dark deeds done and dark magic yet there is a sense of humor weaved through the story with Daniel and his friends. Also there is a being who says, magician toes tasting like candy... LOL! Well, I don't know if it's true, but it's one of the things that came up that kept the story light for me in this dark world. It made me smile at the thought.

Craig has done a fantastic job of writing sex into the story line as it's part of the plot. What Stacy was mixed up in with a few others is not pretty, and what she lived through was definitely not as well. The thing is it's the plot and not the whole world and only thought of all the characters. Well done! We do have a succubus present as well, and the thoughts do gravitate toward sex at times, but it's not the focus of the story. Now, there is a relationship started and the scenes felt to flow and fit the characters and story for them. I loved this balance and use.

I'm finding, after listening to his fantasy series and now this book, I'm a huge fan of Craig's writing style. He tells of the settings through the story that makes the surroundings real. I can mentally see and know the smells that's here with ease. Craig is wonderful at balancing delicate subjects in the proper ways to not seem overly dark or to let take over the story being told.

The story is dark with the deaths and 'monsters' but there is a humor in the comments as well. I was excited to keep listening to the story, to see what happened and what comment Daniel would have. There is sex and death, murders, and ghosts. It's all soooo well mingled together creating a world and story that is addicting. I'm looking forward to continuing on with Daniel in his adventures, as there will be more with how somethings end in this book (and there are already more books out).


**If you found my thoughts helpful, please click Yes at Amazon and/or Audible. Thank you!

Audio Book Review: The Instruments of Control

The Instruments of Control

By:  Craig Schaefer

Publish Date:  April 19, 2015, Audiobook Release November 9, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 11 hrs 38 mins
Narrated By:  Susannah Jones

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  2nd book in Revanche Cycle series; 1st Book ~ Winter's Reach

First Impression:  The tides are changing, and dangers are shifting.

Synopsis:
Livia Serafini must die.

To the Church she is a heretic, tried in absentia and sentenced to burn. To her brother Carlo, she stands as a threat to his corrupt rule and a symbol of resistance. To her new "allies" in the east, she is a pawn to be played and sacrificed as they see fit. They don't hear the whispers that follow her in the streets: whispers of hope, and the name of a long-dead saint.

When Livia rises up to fight, she will not rise alone.

Across the ocean, Felix struggles for control of his family's fate against the crime lord Basilio Grimaldi. Basilio is wealthy, ruthless, and the master of a hundred killers. All Felix has are his wits and his courage. It won't be enough. To break free, and to save the lives of everyone he loves, he'll have to face the darkness that followed him home from Winter's Reach.

And as the Owl's horrific vengeance unfolds, her coven teeters on the brink of civil war. All the dominoes are in place now, lined up from the frozen north to the swamps and ruins of a dead empire, and set to tumble at one man's command. When they do, a world will fall with them.

First Sentence:
Otto Blum often claimed he'd lost his taste for prayer.

Purchase At:
Amazon

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I requested to review a copy of this audiobook for an honest review from the author.

Livia was able to get the remaining people to safe harbor, but is it safe for Livia? King Rhys and his adviser, Merrion, wonder what Carlo and the Church will give them for Livia's return. Simon's not to go after his only target that got away, Felix. But Basilio Grimaldi was to, and still needs to, die. With Felix marrying Basilio's daughter, Aita, he takes pleasure in thinking how accidents could happen...at the wedding. Felix's worry for his love's safety may have put her in greater danger. Basilio now has hunters looking for Renada. There is something more going on in the city as someone is trying to do what Aita and Felix are planning, kill Basilio Grimaldi. Everything Werner told Mari about the Order of the Autumn Lance is about to be exposed, now that they cross a woman who wants to hire them to find the remaining members of the Order. Is Nessa who she claims to be? But what Werner knows of the Order of the Autumn Lance could be trouble for them...

I am thrilled to say Susannah is back with the second book. I enjoyed her voice and reading in Winter's Reach, and continue to do the same here. I really enjoyed the voice and attitude Susannah added to each character as she narrated the story. The voice differences are slight but you know the difference and who is who. Susannah has the emotion of each character down pat, from the leer of a threat to the shock of learning that you'd just sealed the death warrant of your loved one. She did slight voice differences for each character, differentiating each character for us as she brings them to life.

Susannah's voice coupled with Craig's descriptions gives us, and Susannah the narrator, the clear direction of what emotion is felt by each character. Craig has the right format and amount of description to emphasis the story and draw the scenes around for us. He has me wanting to listen to it all and hear what's going to happen with the characters I've grown to love.

This may not be the high magic fantasy full of Orc's, Elves, and other fierce creatures but the people present in this world are just as dangerous and cunning. We do have witches that bring magic to the world, but the things people put into action and work to get their way... oh I love it. Death, lies, backstabbing, it's all here! I'm drawn in with Craig's masterful imagery with words. The world and the characters past are used to highlight the characters now, then, and the world we are currently in. All are touched on in few words yet drawing a huge picture.

I love how the tides change and the dangers turn from person to person. Craig is skillful in crafting the schemes that the characters create and how they turn to bring death to the doorstep and threats from others. Where we saw the characters in the beginning is not where the characters are in the end. They have evolved in the events happening around and to them. Mari, Felix, Aita, Renata, Livia, all of them and more have grown in so many ways. No one is safe in this world, anywhere.

We lose some characters in this book, which can be expected. However! It's the manner of which they die. Some are unexpected and by the hand of those we wouldn't have expected. I love it!

We get to see the witches at work here. Their way of things start to be divulged to us. Interesting as they are hiding something too! And what we experienced in Winter's Reach is starting to be explained here. Oh what the world has to offer. The witches are more important than we saw in Winter's Reach. They start to come out in this book with the events that happen and lead them to where they are, for revenge, self defense, and accidental usage.

A mind catching fantasy read. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!

Audio Book Review: Winter's Reach

Winter's Reach

By:  Craig Schaefer

Publish Date:  November 11, 2014, Audiobook July 28, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 11 hrs 24 mins
Narrated By:  Susannah Jones

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  1st in Revanche Cycle series

Impression:  An epic fantasy full of conspiracies in close proximity. Everyone has an enemy, or one desiring what another has.

Synopsis:
Pope Benignus is dying, and the man who takes his throne will hold the reins of an empire. Conspiracies swirl like shadows around Livia, the pope's daughter, who refuses to be anyone's pawn: chasing the whispers of a deadly coup, she vows to expose the truth and save her church from disaster. Livia has secrets of her own, though, and one wrong move could cost her life and her soul.

Felix is the scion of a dying merchant house, a man with just one chance to save his family and the woman he loves. His last hope lies in the snowbound hell of Winter's Reach, a former prison colony turned "free city" under a brutal tyrant's reign.

Livia and Felix have never crossed paths, but they've both been snared in a far greater web than they can imagine. They -- along with a pair of veteran bounty hunters, an exiled politician, and a sadistic coven of witches -- are cogs in one man's apocalyptic plan for revenge. A plan which, if it succeeds, will leave an entire nation in flames.

First Sentence:
The family estate reminded Felix of a giant's rotting corpse, laid out under skies smeared a filthy gray.

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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.

Felix is determined to set his families financial debts straight so he can marry his love, and not the merchants daughter he was arranged to marry that will save his family. He has a plan. According to old records, the dangerous free city of Winter's Reach has Alum mines being unused, and he plans to strike a deal with the Mayor to make money for him and her. However, others don't want him to get to those mines. Lodovico Marchetti is of the current family that has the control of the Alum market, and plans to keep it that way at any action. The witches have their own secret and plan to keep it that way. Then we have the church that is slipping into the wrong hands as the Pope is on his death bed. In all this a pair of hunters are out to do their job and working to forget the past of deeds they wish they didn't do.

Susannah is a gentle voice to listen to. She's done a lovely job with voicing the emotional rise and falls of the characters in the book and telling the tale of this world beaming with conspiracies. She doesn't do different voices for the many characters present, but she does pose different attitudes for each one. But she has told the story with heart. By the end of the book I felt I was sitting around a fire listening to an old tale, and wanting to hear more.

Where do I start? This is an epic fantasy with the many characters that are in play here.

All of these families are dangerous. They have desires and needs that they will do anything to get or keep in their favor. The lives of different groups of people heading in the same direction, though for different reasons. The political pull in the world is evident. Those with enough money and connections can make anything go their way. Everyone has their own motivators for their goals - love, guilt, lose - all the emotions pushing people to do more. The world not only has the evils of mans desires but also dangerous creatures and weather.

The Rossini family has no one to deal with, others are held on tight strings. Felix is to marry into the Grimaldi family to make a strong alliance. Felix has another idea. Winter's Reach. It's a free city now, but once was a prison colony where mines were built in the mountains, and is rich in Alum. Felix does what he wants for his reasons, but then becomes pushed to do more. And he decides to take new avenues to get what he wants.

Lodovico Marchetti... oh he's one we love and love to hate. He is the power hold in Mirenze right now. He makes the market go as he wants, and for him, as he holds the biggest Alum mine production. Alum is a mineral used in about everything. But, Lodovico has another plan in motion with his 'friend' Carlo at the church. He wants more, and revenge...

Carlo, Livia, Amadeo, and Benignus. They are all part of the church. Benignus is Pope and he's dying. The question is who will take over his throne when he's gone. There is discord among the Cardinals over this. Carlo, his second child and only son, is who is expected to do so. But he's not what we would think of as Pope material, and others think so too. However, he could be one used as a tool by others. Livia is the daughter and more than ready to stand up as Pope, however she's a female. In this world, females are not thought of more than marrying off for mergers and alliances. But, people don't realize she's more dangerous to their plans than they give her credit for. She is one to watch out for. Amadeo. Ah. I did enjoy him very much. He's a priest and one of the ones to have the most growth in this book, for me. I enjoyed his journey and how strong he's become.

I think the ones I enjoyed the most are Mari and Werner. This duo is a wonderful set. I love the care they have for each other. The hunters are not a couple, but more a father/daughter feel to them. Mari is a hurt girl. She suffers from PTSD from the death of her family and many of her home land. Werner found her and brought her back from the brink of the edge. Werner has given Mari something to strive for, and she does just that. She has morals to her ways and does her best to live by them. However both have moments in their past that haunts them, and could be a danger to them now.

Oh! I can't forget about the witches! They are cruel. The actions they take! Oh wow. Makes me cringe. We don't get all the dealings with the witches just yet. But they are here and we know what they are looking for, or at least Owl. I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in the future books!

The writing draws the visual world in a magnificent poetry, this caught my attention at the opening of the book. This is echoed throughout the book, usually at the beginning of a chapter.

I did find myself curious about the Empire here. We didn't get much in way of past details of coming to power, nor the relationship the throne of the church has with the Empire's king. There were a few things in the world building that I would have liked to have seen or learned more of, but I'm hoping that will come in the future books.

Everyone has an enemy, or one desiring what another has. There is always someone after another or another's material possessions. The different plots in the city by different people start to cross paths and collide as each person works for their own results. It seems the strongest of will and cunning will survive.

As in epic fantasy fashion, I'm left anxious for what's to come. Craig has drawn the world and characters to bring them all to this moment. Some are in precarious places and don't know it. Others are heading into a wind storm and don't know it. Some are expecting to create the wind storm. Oh I want to hear more of this world to see what happens with them all! Will the make it?