Aryn

Well written from a technical point of view and the narration is tight, appropriate and really well done on individuating the characters.

But it is dystopian and, well, I prefer a lot less angst and a lot more hope with my fairy tales. YMMV.

Action, suspense, great characters and a well-written story. I am getting used to the narrator/voices in my head disconnect (you know, when what you're hearing isn't how you thought the characters should sound ); Ms Corbett is absolutely capable-her men sound like men, her accents are amazing, and I like her voice.

If you're up for a decent forensic series without a lot of gore and isn't going to leave you unable to sleep at night, allow me to suggest this entire series. And I do suggest you start at the beginning to get the full flavor of how things are put together and who these people are.

And I'm delighted to say that while this series is beginning to flag a bit, it is still a solid 4 stars.

The snippets of fiction at the beginning of chapters is, to me, weird. Not complaining, just saying... However, I don't think I've enjoyed a narrator more than Ms Quirk. The story is well done, but repetitive in little ways--I think it was six times in the book that the hero lifted the heroine (and once a secondary female character) seemingly effortlessly. We got it, you're showing us that he is strong. Showing rather than telling is part of good writing, however, twice drives the point home, more than that gives me to understand that the author thinks her readers have poor memories or she, herself, forgets what she's written or perhaps just is over-invested in her hero.

That having been said, I enjoyed the Raven Prince. I failed to find it particularly witty, but it had charm and, while not historically accurate in speech or setting, it is done well enough not to overly jar this reader's senses.

And the author has a very good grasp of grammar. Only once was I jarred from the story with a grammar "huh?', but turns out it was correctly written. So she wins a HUGE number of points from me for that. Especially in the oral form when an error is so jarring on both halves of the brain.

So, to sum up, the narrator reads as though she is actually invested in the story without going over the top and without sounding bored or emitting the verbal equivalent of an eye roll. The author does a creditable job of telling a story (foreshadowing by the chapter introductions notwithstanding) and if you like the genre and are looking for something that might hold your interest for a long car ride, this just might be what you're looking for. Certainly far better than a lot
of the swill out there. And as always, YMMV.

The behavior of the protagonist was just too childish for words. She carries dog poop up to a neighbor's apartment because she's mad at her. Yep, that was about the end for me. She may mature, she may not, but I've already done it once and don't want to watch her try. Not that it may not be someone else's cup of tea. I confess to wondering what the missing dog and the palm itchiness is all about, which is why I bought the book. Do not care to wade through the rest. I'll wait til someone else reads it and get see if s/he will tell me.

The story was not at all what I was expecting, and it was all the better for that. I'm afraid to say anything about the story, because the expectations might ruin it for you. But, no violence, ideas offered, a great imaginative tale that kept me guessing, willingly, til the end. Wish I had a book group to discuss it with. YMMV

While the preface wasn't believable, it was fun and I liked it. Chapter one was also worth several grins, although for me the narrator (who can, bless her heart, do humor) puts the emphasis in, for me, unlikely places. I find myself repeating the phrases to figure out why they didn't 'work'. But then, it wasn't distracting enough to make me stop listening.

If you've read Julie Garwood before, you know what to expect, and you'll get it in this book. It doesn't feel phoned in and, while I may not listen to it again any time soon, it wasn't a waste of time or money, either.

Interesting story, well-researched without being a 'snooze', and I like the main character. The story is believable, the characters act like people with real issues and problems. There were a few things toward the end that rather had me scratching my head and wondering if it were believable, but then, this is fiction.

I've enjoyed this entire series, and while this book stands alone quite well, I'll find myself going back a couple of books to catch up on some of the back story. I suspect those that HAVE read the entire series and have a better memory than I might find some of the frequent references a tad boring.

The narrator does a wonderful job; the pacing is great and no annoying to me lilts and cadences that tend to grate after a while.

I read his Seven Daughters of Eve when it came out in print and had a wonderful time with it. So when I heard about this book, I got it. It is, for me, fascinating information and a nice stroll down geek alley. The narrator does a good job of keeping the book at a conversational pace rather than a lecturer's measure. While the book is too technical for me to drive to, it isn't so abstruse as to require a technical dictionary or a degree in BioChem to 'get it'. (I did get rather a jolt from his implication that mitochondrial DNA was co-opted as slave labor rather than the symbiotic relationship I had always heard it was; but that is part of the fun of reading this stuff.)
Anyway, if you've any interest and want some science in your life, this might be the book for you. Part One of the book is a rehash of Clovis points and stuff you've probably already seen on The History Channel or PBS, and it is said as though it were fact instead of supposition (number of warriors in the chase and women relegated to watching the children play in the water, you know--same old same old) but it paints some worthy word pictures, which was fun.
Perhaps it would have been better (to my mind) if it had broadened the sweep of information and been less specific as to groups, but I found it a worthwhile book and well worth the time and credit spent.

While I truly enjoyed Ms Phillips's humor, I found the book's format predictable and I winced at the angst ("a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity" per Merriam Webster Free Dictionary) and upset that begins this book mildly distressing.

Also, as much as Ms Cochran is an able and talented narrator, for me she is miscast.(If I were to recast the narration, it would most likely be Xe Sands; she has that same wink-and-a-nudge intonation that Anna Fields used to such wondrous effect.)

I do not mean to disparage either Phillips as a remarkably talented author nor Cochran as an able narrator; it is just that I could have spent the time with a different book and not felt a loss. I have read some of her other books, I knew what to expect. And I'd hoped for more. Judging from other reviews, obviously YMMV.

A new take on waning subject. It is really well written and narrated. I didn't find it a fun read.