Dana

I love this series and the story was absolutely fantastic but WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND DECIDED SWITCHING NARRATORS WAS A GOOD IDEA? Can you tell I'm hacked? The timing sucked. The character's were horribly portrayed to the point that she used her female intonations for male characters at some points. I mean REALLY? The whole freakin world of listeners loves Hillary Huber doing these so what...I know...let's get someone else to do it who has no freaking clue! Sorry...I'm ranting and I'll get control of myself at any minute...really....I will...

It sure wasn't the narration. The story was brilliant but I'm just as invested in my listening experience as I am in the story itself and right at the moment...Yeah...As is typical with these stories there is a wonderful blend of action, adventure, hot romance and a healthy dose of humor. Of course, a great deal of the humor is lost due to the timing of the narration and the narrator's lack of experience with the characters. If you are new to the series, you'll want to at least start with the first Horseman so that you can truly enjoy the story. Better yet, head back to the beginning of Demonica because you will want to understand the world and the players.

HACKED. ME. OFF. I hate that I'm so freaking mad about this because I can tell that Erin Bennett doesn't suck as a narrator. In fact, I'd probably like her in any other circumstance but you don't jump in with a new narrator in the middle of the series unless you know said narrator can seamlessly carry on the roles or greatly improve on them. They were already perfect..so..... It's not as bad as Renee Raudman's performance of the 3rd story of the Demonica books. In fact, by comparison, it's extremely tolerable.

I think you'll find that my extreme reaction, as noted above, was to the narration.

Don't take my whining and ranting to mean you shouldn't get the story. The world Larissa Ione has created and the wonderful, rich, funny and sexy hot characters will keep you coming back for more. If you're just starting, don't forget you need to go back to Demonica. Once you start, you'll be uploading new stories so fast it will look like you've cashed out the credits!

This is the second title in Callahan's Dragonfury series. If you are a J. R. Ward fan, and read the first title, you may have been ready to stand on the rooftops and scream "PLAGARISM!" Ms. Callahan's first attempt was wrought with style, plot and character development that was not simply reminiscent of J. R. Ward, it was an almost exact replica-aside from a very interesting story line.

This title; however, shows that Ms. Callahan may just well have what it takes to develop her OWN world, characters, etc. It isn't 100% purged of all things 'Wardian' but it's getting there and the story line is very good! I do recommend making your way through the first title, if you have not already, so that you begin to learn about the characters. If you haven't read any J. R. Ward, it won't bother you in the least and you'll likely enjoy the title far more than those of us who would give just about anything to have our own hellren!

I'm, admittedly, very critical of the narration of audio books. It is, after all, the main component of why many of us listen, as opposed to or in addition to reading books. The narrator for this title isn't bad; however, his performance isn't what it could be. I tend to blame a lack of direction or editing for the majority of the issues I have with narration. He tends to make his female voices come across a bit whimpering at times, lessening the strength of the character. The words, thoughts and actions of the character don't match the tone of voice and it lends to making the character come across as weak. Also, he has this habit of isolating the word "and" that is so bloody annoying that it drives me crazy. It can't be that the author writes "and" that much more than other authors. I wish that we had the ability to reply to reviews with Audible because I would love to know if anyone else finds this particular habit of the narrator to drive them to distraction!

All in all, I am pleased that I continued the series in spite of my initial issues with the first novel. I would recommend this title 'AND' even though I've already read the next book 'AND' will be reviewing it shortly, I can already say that I look forward to her future world development.

I read Maya Banks' Colters' series some time ago and greatly enjoyed it. If you read many 'poly' stories, you will note that the majority fall into either the full on erotica (smut) category or erotica with a plot. I would categorize the Colters' stories as falling into the latter category-for the most part and would fully admit to having enjoyed the series.

If your feminist side absolutely cringes at the damsel in distress being saved by the alpha male(s) in a story, don't bother reading this title or any others in the series. I believe that whatever a person's views are on the matter are their own, and shouldn't be inflicted upon those that feel differently. I simply point it out so that there is no confusion before purchasing and/or reason for complaint thereafter.

The Colter brothers, like their fathers before them, believe that there is one woman out there who is meant to be theirs and that they will know it when they find her. They find her, half frozen, outside of their home, during a snow storm.

The plot is predictable but enjoyable. The narration greatly detracts from the story and makes it somehow 'less' than the experience of reading the title. If you read any of my other reviews, you will see that I have a real issue with poor narration and the lack of proper editing or production guidance. As an example, Holly is from the west coast, yet because the lead males in the story live on a ranch and ride horses, the narrator gave her a cheesy, country accent. The accent he landed on the guys wasn't much better. I wasn't aware that Colorado cowboys automatically gained a bad west Texas accent just because they landed their butts in a saddle but at least that inflection made sense. His narration actually does make Holly irritating and pathetic, which is a feeling I did not get when I read the story beforehand. It's actually such a detractor in this case that I would almost recommend reading this title instead of listening.

An extended epilogue is available for download (free I believe on Amazon) as an e-book. The title is 'Colters' Wife' and it picks up a few months after the end of 'Colters' Woman.' The next title in the series is 'Colters' Lady' and I believe that it is now or soon will be available on Audible. It involves, you guessed it, the three sons of Holly, Adam, Ethan and Ryan. I have not checked to see if it is the same narrator on the next book but, if it is, hopefully someone has provided some direction this time.

As always, Hillary Huber delivers spot on narration, which makes an already great story a perfect listening experience. I still believe that she could refrain from mentioning the name of the character (from the extensive list of characters) she is representing and the audience would be able to tell like they were listening to an old friend on the phone. She's that good and that consistent.

The previous Midnight Breed novel provided so much closure that it seemed as though we might be at an end of the series. I expected a spinoff series might be in the works but had not thought there could be such seamless continuation, much less so with a two decade time jump. Lara Adrian just proved me oh so wrong.

This story centers on Mira, who was still a mere child in the last book and Kellan, who was still a teenager when we last met him. Mira's sweet, hopeful nature has been warped by the loss of the Breed male she would have called mate. She's now a warrior in her own right and out for vengence.

There's a new threat on the horizion (well, at least one) and a whole new generation of Breed warriors prepared to fight along side the one's we know and love. I loved it, loved it, loved it and can't wait for more!

I purchased both this title and the second one as part of a sale. I had read other reviews that indicated that there seemed to be quite a bit of J. R. Ward style writing or "branding" and I love J. R. Ward so I thought, why not?

I find myself completely torn as to how I feel about this book and this author. On the one hand, the story is great and highly entertaining. On the other, I'm surprised the woman hasn't been sued by J. R. Ward. It isn't just a similarity, it's an absolute copying of style, vocabulary and race personality. It was like reading really excellent fan fiction based on the Black Dagger Brotherhood even though the supernatural race is different. Note that I said "really excellent" fan fiction, because it would be but it hardly qualifies as original. Maybe that's what this started out being...I have no clue.

So, I'm torn. I like the storyline but I'm put off by what I feel is theft. I'd love to know J. R. Ward's thoughts on this. If she didn't care, I'd read easier knowing my purchase hasn't contributed to supporting blatant rip off of another's imagination and effort. It's a GREAT storyline that didn't require the dragons speak and think like the Brothers so it's a shame I can't give the story a better rating or review.

Ok, so I know it's a very strange thing indeed to have the leads in this storyline be blessed with the names of Jacob and Isabella. I'm sure, after the thousand and twenty combinations of Twilight characters put together for very poorly written books that you've downloaded from Kindle you are running screaming from this title thinking that this is yet another of those nightmares! Wait! Don't go! It's not another one of those...I promise! Ms. Frank has created a stunning new world for us to play in with rich characters to get to know. Call them Marge and Bob if you have to in your mind to get past your fears!

The Nightwalkers live right along side of we of the human race. Their world is mostly confined to the darkness of night. After getting to know this "world", I'd gladly give up daylight, electricity and a whole lot more if I were lucky enough to "fall" into their world the way Isabella did!

I'm going backwards with my reviews so I'm actually posting this one after reviewing the first book of her Shadowdweller series. As I mentioned in that review, Isabella is a bit annoying to me but the story is excellent and the series is outstanding becoming better and better with every book!

I enjoyed the Nightwalker series greatly and this first book of the spinoff series proves to be just as good. If you haven't read (or listened to) the other series, you won't be confused if you start with this book but it will make the series all the more enjoyable for having been introduced to the Nightwalker world. The foreshadowing is a bit more obvious than usual with this particular story but that doesn't take away from the great storyline. The rich world created for the Nightwalkers becomes even more wonderful as we learn about the Shadowdweller race and their world of darkness. I can't wait for more!

My only complaint in the narration of this story is that a character we know from the Nightwalker series is portrayed as having a Russian accent. In the dialog leading up to his introduction it is said that he is currently living in the Russian territories so the narrator gave him a Russian accent. This is one of my pet peeves with narration. I think that when they switch narrators within a series or when any boundaries between stories are crossed, the new narrator should listen to what has come before so that the characters remain constant.

Several of the stories I have downloaded have Kirsten Potter as narrator and, as time goes on, I'm getting used to her narration. At first, I thought she was a bit to breathy and porn star for my tastes but that quality seems to be toning down the more books she does. There are times when she gets carried away but she does an excellent job outside of the more passionate scenes and her narration of Maya Banks' Highlander books was outstanding. So, my above complaint isn't with Kirsten Potter but moreso with the editor(s) who do not see being consistent with the narration as being as important to the editing process as inconsistencies within the written word. Perhaps they need to hire obsessive listeners to catch these issues....

If you go back to listen to the Nightwalker series, the first book is Jacob. The female lead in that particular story is a bit annoying at first (well, to me at least...she says "Jacob" every single time she addresses him...like almost every sentence...who does that?) but the series is absolutely wonderful.

I was completely unprepared for how much I enjoyed this book...well, this trilogy. I had read a few other titles by Maya Banks and, in the midst of a complete tantrum over a lack of new reading material, I gave in and purchased this title. I enjoyed it so much that I was racing to download the second and third installments!

The McCabe brothers are (wait, be shocked...gasp...) ALPHA males with vengence on their minds and in their hearts. When Mairin arrives wearing the enemy's colors and with Ewan's missing son in tow, Ewan McCabe is impatient for answers. Too bad Mairin isn't on board with giving answers or following his orders and she's convinced his son to be just as tight lipped!

While the whole Alpha warrior thing isn't new, the personalities of the characters suck you into their world and their lives. I know it's tempting to have that "I am woman" moment and reject the alpha hero, but really...why would you do that when they are just so yummy!

I really liked this first book but found that they got better with each subsequent title. So, don't stop with this one, cash in the credits and keep going!

Ummm...I have to admit, I've already listened to it so often that if it were a record, it would have grooves! I love this particular installment of the series. Rune is so very...well, HOT and possibly the most enjoyable of all of the male leads in the series. I love the portrayal of his lazy, playful, lion's side. Plus, the story itself is extremely well done and highly entertaining. There are perfect blends of steam, action and drama with the typcal comedic moments that catch you by surprise sprinkled throughout. If you haven't started this series, you'll want to begin with Dragon Bound. What I like about this series is that each of your male and female leads have very distinct personalities. You don't feel like you are reading something made from a cookie cutter formula of alpha male, helpless female, blah, blah, blah. The women are strong in their own rights and the men are delicious and the stories will be ones you wish to listen to again and again.

Sophie Eastlake rocks the narration for this series. If she never said which character was supposed to be speaking in the midst of an all out argument with every single character involved, you would know who was speaking just like you know your own family or friend's voices. I've read a couple of reviews complaining about the way she might pronounce a word here and there. I would challenge that regionally, we all pronounce words slightly differently. Being from the south, I do prounounce the word fillet as 'Fill-Ay' but my neighbor, commonly pronounces it as 'fill-it'. It's no different than the whole 'roof' argument about whether it is pronounced like 'goof' or whether you say it like you are a dog barking. See...I can be snarky too!

So if you are already into the stories...keep going and don't forget to swing over to Kindle to check out the novellas that are only available in electronic form. You'll meet some new characters and revisit some older characters and there's a bit of glue that will bind the series in preparation of the book that will come out after "Oracle's Moon." Read "True Colors" and "Natural Evil" before you read "Devil's Gate" and make sure you don't read "Devil's Gate" before listening to "Oracle's Moon."

I'm not going to lie, Renee Raudman makes listening to this particular book of the series almost painful. The thing is that I love this series and I love this story!

Wraith is the funniest of all of the Demonica characters. You find yourself just shaking your head at what he comes up with next. He rocks the 'I'm a bad, bad boy and don't give a damn about anything or anyone" attitude as hard as he can, but he isn't convincing anyone, including himself. Gotta love Wraith!

She made the characters sound like either old men from the wild, wild west or breathy, air-headed saloon girls. Ummm, hello...hot present-day demons not cowpokes from 1815! It was just awful. I find myself seeing her name as the narrator for other books and going right past them.

If you picked this one out of all of the Demonica books to see if you were interested in the series, you may find yourself saying 'never again' just because of her narration. I'm telling you to keep going with the other books and then head over to meet the horsemen because this series has just about everything you could possibly want!

The book rocks even though the narration was awful. Don't skip it though...you'll have a huge hole in your storyline if you do.