Alex

I really like this series, my only problem is that the narrator doesn't have a... I guess it would be a sense of timing, or maybe they were in crunch time near the end of the book. It is clear that there should be some brief pauses but the narrator just goes from one line to the next without a pause. I listened to it at half speed and it helped a lot.

Other then that the narrator is great.

How can I put this properly? This is a three part download and I was able to get through the entire first part, and a good hour of the second part. so a good 8+ hours in or so. Let this serve as background.

I love reading books and listening to them, but I also don't have a problem putting one down when it just ends up being dull, and that what this book is. I don't know if it is a difference in perspective, or I wasn't the target audience for this series, but audible kept recommending it to me so I went ahead and go it.

First the good points.
* The narrator is wonderful, she has good voice and breathes live into theses characters.
* The story is interesting, old magics hiding the secrets of why monsters exist? That is what kept me in for as long as it did, I really generally wanted to know where it was heading.
* The characters are interesting, and I like the little side characters sprinkled throughout and it feels like there is a depth to this world.
* Speaking of characters I like how there are limitations in the races of the book.
* Alchemy, what can I say, it is neat, I really like how the main character is trying to write a paper on how alchemists were trying to solve/understand issues brought to light by modern science. It is interesting, I wish there was more. (The screaming scientist in me can cram it, I know its a fantasy book)

And the bad points.
* The romance subplot/main plot? I don't know how to explain this properly, but about half way in the first part the romance plot takes over entirely, but good lord is it SLOW, and to make it worse (in my mind) they are almost back to back, she meets him while rowing and has a long "don't stalk me" talk, then shortly there after he starts hitting on her as soon as she gets back from the row. And not too long after that she is cooking him dinner.

* While the detail put into the background scenery are nice, and they are well read, I really wish I could just go in and say "OK he has a nice old house from the 1600's do I really need to know every little bit of this house?" The answer is no, just give me the highlights of the house and let me imagination it my own way.

* This one is a pet peeve of mine but damn it, when you put in a vampire, make it a VAMPIRE! What the crap is the main character? They 'say' he feeds off of blood like a vampire but apparently he is just fine 'eating' I don't know emotions or something. I don't understand it. The vampire has no teeth, no weakness to the light, there is nothing about this vampire that tracks with the vampire mythology. If you are not going to rely on the vampire mythology why call them vampires at all?

> To note, when I got this book I did not get the second paragraph liking it to Twilight. That being said clearly the only reason why he is called a vampire is because it is popular, If this was written before twilight I am sure it would of been called something else

* The demons in this book are also painfully dull, all they are are basically either mad men or super geniuses. Why call them demons? This is back at the mythology complaint, if nothing else at least give examples of the mad ones, all we get are the calm ones who are no different than humans as far as I can tell.

I am running out of steam now and I can't think of other things to mention. In the end I guess all I can say is that it it would of been a lot more interesting if the story focused more on "Ashmole 782" and less on the tedious hot/cold love plot. For some reason it feels like the author just shoe horned it in and it would of been fine if it didn't start taking up the entire story.

Anyway I am returning this book, I just can't finish it. I really wish there is an abridged or alternate version where the love plot is greatly reduced and the alchemy story has more time to breathe.