Audio Book Review: In an Absent Dream

In an Absent Dream

By:  Seanan McGuire

Publish Date:  January 9, 2019, Audiobook Release January 8, 2019

Format:  Audiobook - 4 hrs 57 mins
Narrated By:  Cynthia Hopkins

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  4th book in Wayward Children series

Impression:  A view on fair living, in a paranormal market

Synopsis:
This fourth entry and prequel tells the story of Lundy, a very serious young girl who would rather study and dream than become a respectable housewife and live up to the expectations of the world around her. As well she should.

When she finds a doorway to a world founded on logic and reason, riddles and lies, she thinks she's found her paradise. Alas, everything costs at the goblin market, and when her time there is drawing to a close, she makes the kind of bargain that never plays out well.

First Sentence:
In a house, on a street, in a town ordinary enough in every aspect to cross over its own roots and become remarkable, there lived a girl named Katherine Victoria Lundy.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles 

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

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

Cynthia is a new narrator for me. She feels to be precise in what she says, which would fit the personality of Katherine at this age. But in doing that it leaves the narration feeling a little flatter for me, almost like no emotion in the narrators voice. I do like that she gives a different feel when she vocalizes the Archivist and a few characters.

The story starts with a lot of details for a few chapters. There's not much interaction with Katherine and others. This is Katherine's interaction with what she sees. It felt slow for me as it built up Katherine (Lundy's) character and reasoning for why she does what she does. Then when Lundy finds the door, all changes and the story becomes much more.

This story feels to have much to share and teach, more than what Lundy's story is. It feels as though it's teaching people how to treat each other kindly. There feels to be a cost for everything, even in questions. But, if you are fair to each other it's a balance - a fair value for everything. There is a bond in promises too. Promises are not something you make then easily break. There is meaning in that promise, and you should honor it.

The story is a shorter one. It's classified as a prequel as well. I've not read or listened to the previous three books, so I don't know how it falls in the events of the other books. I do know, the story can stand on it's own and the other books aren't needed to be read first. Though the mention of one person at the end of this book had me searching out the other book descriptions to learn who she is. And it also has me very curious and wanting of the previous books.

I really liked this story for all the meanings and themes I felt pop into my mind as I listened. I really got drawn into Lundy and her story of wanting to be at the Market. In the end, I wanted more of the world and Lundy's life. I went searching to see if the books were on Audible, and they are! I'll have to save up to get them in the future.



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

Audio Book Review: Boneyard

Boneyard

By:  Seanan McGuire

Publish Date:  October 17, 2017, Audiobook Release October 17, 2017

Format:  Audiobook - 11 hrs 27 mins
Narrated By:  Emily Bauer

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  3rd in Deadlands series (But can stand alone as each book by different author)

Impression:  Their internal battles come to ease when they fight the external horrors they face.

Synopsis:
The newest book based on the hit Weird West RPG franchise Deadlands!

Step right up to see the oddities and marvels of The Blackstone Family Circus and Travelling Wonder Show! Gasp at pit wasps the size of a man’s forearm. Beware the pumpkin-headed corn stalker, lest it plant its roots in you!

Annie Pearl is the keeper of oddities, the mistress of monsters. Her unique collection of creatures is one of the circus’s star attractions, drawing wide-eyed crowds at every small frontier town they visit. But Annie is also a woman running from her past . . . and the mother of a mute young daughter, Adeline, whom she will do anything to protect.

Hoping to fill its coffers before winter sets in, the circus steers its wagons to The Clearing, a remote community deep in the Oregon wilderness, surrounded by an ominous dark wood. Word is that a traveling show can turn a tidy profit at The Clearing, but there are whispers, too, of unexplained disappearances that afflict one out of every four shows that pass through the town.

The Clearing has it secrets, and so does Annie. And it may take everything she has to save her daughter―and the circus―from both.

A gripping tale of the Weird West, set on the haunted frontier of DEADLANDS, the award-winning game from Pinnacle Entertainment Group.

First Sentence:
The plains of Idaho seemed to stretch from here to Heaven in the moonlight, if such a place existed, and the Blackstone Family Circus rolled over them as silently as a wagon train can roll, which was to say, not silently in the least.

Purchase At:
Amazon

Audible, Audiobooks.com 

My Thoughts and Summary:

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


Emily is a new voice actor for me. I found I liked her early on. She tells us the story as though I'm sitting and listening to a talented story teller. When she comes to the voices of the characters she puts added tones and innuendos into the voices that fit for the characters. Each character had their own voice and emotion to fit their personality and the moment they are in. She even voices a little girl as young as she should sound. Emily did a great job with voicing all characters differently. Wow. She's one great voice actor. Emily's tension grew with the story as we went. In the darkest moments, her voice was strong with emotion, tension, and worry. I felt all the emotions and was drawn to keep listening. Amazing work. I enjoyed her voice acting very much!

I've not read or listened to any of Seanan's books yet. This is my first. And I liked how she hints at things with details instead of just saying what the obvious is. Like the description of bruises and seeing ribs, instead of telling there was abuse or lack of food. This gives me a feel rather than just knowing what has possibly happened.

We start the book with the Blackstone Family Circus traveling and get a feel for the people in the circus. It's a bit slower paced as we meet the characters in their surroundings.

As the story is told, we get it mostly from Annie's view point. But there are times we get the view from Nathanial's mind along with a few others. It's a graceful shift in the story that you don't realize it right away that you are seeing the story from another's view. It keeps the story going forward with a smooth transition.

I think if I was reading this book, I would have stopped. It felt slow moving for me. But, Emily's narration kept me holding on. And I started to grow curious about The Clearing. Chapter seven is about when I started getting interested in the story. The reaction of the town to the circus people and Oddities Annie cares for. Things picked up for me in the book when we got to The Clearing. When we got into the woods, oh yes, this is what I was looking for. But before all this, it felt slow.

When we get to The Clearing, we start to see the personality of the people who live here. They are... unkind. And the things that could go oh so wrong with what the circus has and the way these town folk are... oh so wrong can happen. Though, when out on the search I get lost in Annie's thoughts as she's walking through the forest. I just didn't feel to connect with this character. I felt as though it was more character driven and I just wasn't into it. I wanted more events to happen.

The cover depicts some of the Oddities that Annie cares for very well. I really like this cover.

These characters have internal battles they are fighting before they come to the external ones. They grow in their experiences and understandings along with fighting what's after them. Great parallel here with both. Sometimes external battles help make the internal ones clearer. Annie has more baggage she's carrying along, more battles she'll have to fight with what and who is after her.



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

Throwback Thursday (144)

I found this picture of Trinity College Library, and thought it would work for this meme with a little play with lighting and adding the words.

Let's talk about those books already on the shelves, yours or the stores.

I have a post for books I'm looking forward to coming out;

Looking Forward To...

But what about all those wonderful books that are ALREADY on the shelves.

Whether it be on your shelf waiting to be read or on the shelves in the stores waiting for you to give it a good home.

So, I thought I would share a book a week that is just waiting for me to travel through it's world.

Now... where do I start? Lets go by Published Date on the books...

This Week:

I am embarrassed. The lovely Melliane of Between Dreams and Reality gave me this as a gift. I don't like letting gifts sit for to long. But life has gotten in the way. I'm trying really hard to get caught up with review books so I can read what I have sitting on the shelves. I'm trying to get here.

But, from what I hear from everyone, this sounds like an amazing series to be into.

Goodreads Synopsis:
October "Toby" Daye, a changeling who is half human and half fae, has been an outsider from birth. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the Faerie world, retreating to a "normal" life. Unfortunately for her, the Faerie world has other ideas... 

The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening's dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby must resume her former position as knight errant and renew old alliances. As she steps back into fae society, dealing with a cast of characters not entirely good or evil, she realizes that more than her own life will be forfeited if she cannot find Evening's killer.

I've heard back from a few bloggers that they would like to join in this meme post, so I'm adding a Linky for you to join in.  Grab the picture above, and join in.  All I ask, is if you can acknowledge my blog in the post so others know where to come back to.