Challenge of the Court

The Other Realm, Book 5

By: Heather G. Harris

Narrated by: Alyse Gibbs

Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

I’m supposed to be meeting with Emory’s dragon court and amazing them with my suave wit and shining intellect. Instead, I’m on the trail of a kidnapper. Someone has stolen away a centaur teenager, Alfie, from a magical circus. The circus master has hired me and Gato to find out who took him–hopefully before Alfie swims with the fishes.

The problem is, no one in the circus is who they say they are. The other circus is a front for a magical underground, helping those that want to leave their magical lives far behind. They’ve spent years keeping their heads down and their mouths shut, and it’s going to take more than asking nicely to get this bunch to crack.

The clock is ticking, not just to find Alfie, but also for me to impress Emory’s dragon court. When I finally meet them, I’m going to have to pass through a series of consort challenges before they’ll recognise me as Emory’s intended mate. Oh, and they won’t tell me what is and what isn't a challenge. Nothing is what it seems, but luckily, I come with a built-in lie detector. I’m itching to prove to the standoffish dragon-shifters that I’m more than a pretty face, but finding Alfie has to come first.

I’m juggling things as best I can, but all it will take is one wrong move to bring everything crashing down on my head....

Burn through this fun, fast-paced, laugh-out-loud mix of urban fantasy and mystery.

Fans of Kim Richardson, Annette Marie, and Helen Harper will binge through this addictive new series.

Written in British English. For the maximal listening experience, it is recommended that you listen to The Other Wolf series before you listen to Challenge of the Court, though the events in the Other Wolf series are explained if you prefer to dive right in.

©2023 Heather G Harris (P)2023 Heather G Harris

Fun adventure filled series

4.25 Stars

Overall Rating ★★★★
Plot ★★★★★
Humor ★★★★
Characters & Character Development ★★★★
Narration ★★★★★

Story: This is the beginning of Jinx time with the dragon court. I loved this story. The challenges that that the court elders were quite annoying. But I loved to get to know all the new characters in the story. I can’t wait to see where this new journey goes. I know there’s a lot more chaos to come from the court.

Narrator: Alyse Gibbs is amazing!

Another Fun Jinx Story!

I'm thoroughly enjoying this series! This is a new, up-and-coming author, and she does not disappoint. The character development is great and the story keeps you interested the whole way through. There's some fun humor and plenty of intrigue sprinkled throughout.

This narrator also does an excellent job portraying all the characters and helping the story come to life. I'm excited for the next book! Well worth the credit!

Love this series

The story continues, and gets even better! I love the plot and the characters of the character development. The narrator does an excellent job as well. I can't wait to start on the next one!

Another great installment

The writer kept me engaged throughout the story and I loved how it all played out. The narrator was also fantastic as always. My only complaint there is I wish the audiobooks in this series were edited a little better to clear background noises.

Keeps getting better

Love the characters and storyline. Author does a good job giving enough information to get you involved but not so much that you are skipping pages.

Dragons and centaurs and sphinxes oh my!

The Other Realm series picks back up after the Other Wolf series with Jinx off to meet Emory’s court. The challenges they set are interesting and exciting, and you can feel Jinx’s frustration through the excellent narration by Alyse Gibbs. This book is a nonstop ride and wonderful!

Exceptional Continuation to the Series!!

Challenge of the Court is the next part in the Other series and picks up from Book 4, Glimmer of Deception. Whilst it is not necessary, you do probably get a bit more out of this series if you have also read Glimmer of Christmas, and the Other Wolf series that follows Jinx’s best friend Lucy, who was turned into a werewolf to save her life in Glimmer of Death. In this book, our main character, Jessica Sharp, or Jinx (only her family and close friends get to call her Jessica), has been engaged to Emory, the Prime Elite of the Dragons, as well as many of the other sentient creatures of the Other. However, to be accepted by the Dragons, and actually allowed to become his Mate, and thus the Prima of the Dragons, Jinx must pass several challenges as deemed by Emory’s Court.
It has taken a long time to set up a time for everyone to come together and meet between the different schedules of Emory, Jinx and the members of the Court, but finally a date has been set.
At the start of the book, Jinx is just finishing up a job at a circus, one that supposedly has members of the Other using magic in its acts, and she has been sent to uncover them as a P.I., rather than using a member of the Connection.
Jinx makes some interesting discoveries (I’ll let you read about that, no spoilers), but whilst she is there, she is approached by the head of the Circus, to ask for help, as one of his younger members has been kidnapped by the looks of it. Jinx finds herself in a quandary, the young teenager who has been taken, is actually a centaur who was hiding at the circus as it is a front for different people from the Other who have gone into hiding. They stay in the common so that no one knows that they are Other, so young Alfie just appeared as a teenage boy, not a centaur.
Jinx can’t leave a missing child, but she also can’t leave the challenge, and so, she takes on both. Using Hess, her assistant who is still desperately trying to redeem herself, to do a lot of the leg work for her, Jinx starts a full-on hunt for the teenage boy, whilst at the same time, heading off to the challenge.
On heading to the castle which houses the Court, she comes across Shirdal, the Griffin. Bastion is otherwise detained, busy with Lucy and so has asked Shirdal to come and look after Jinx. Shirdal is a brilliant character, all Griffins are assassins, they have an urge to kill, they can’t stop it, like we need to breath, they have to kill, they can’t help it. So, to alleviate that, they act as assassins. Most work under a code in which they won’t do certain things (No innocents, kids etc). Shirdal however, has turned to the light, and has given up killing, but it is painful for him, so he drinks to dull the pain, and is almost constantly drunk, well, that is the appearance he gives off anyway. He can go from slobbering drunk, to deadly assassin in the time it takes you to blink. But his dialogue is hilarious. He offers his services as bodyguard to Jinx, and she willingly accepts his services and friendship.
Once at the castle, Jinx is subject to some pretty petty and pathetic ‘challenges’, things that are nothing but insulting, not only to her and Emory, but to the people involved. She calls out those involved, telling them they are pathetic, and if they want to challenge her, do it – and unwittingly walks right into a trap that has been set for her by a malicious Dragon, the Mother of Greg Manners who hates her for turning her son into a werewolf.
And so, Jinx now faces a true Challenge, one not seen for several hundred years, and one that may just cost her everything, including her very life. And she still has to find a missing teenager yet!!
This is everything you have come to expect from Heather G Harris, faced paced, fun, action, with magic, and lots of sarcastic wit that will have you laughing so hard you will lose your place (this is not a book to be listened to in public).
As with all her books, the world building is just outstanding, from the different locations, to the various magical beings and the magic itself. The thing I really love about this story, is that it is so immersive, you really feel like this is an actual story, when Jinx relates something, you know she has done it (like jumping out of a helicopter to parachute), and you have to wonder if the Author has actually done it? Then there are emotional aspects to the story and you really feel them to – it is powerful writing and exceptionally well done. I love to, that whilst there is romance in her books, she doesn’t feel the need to get carried away, it is subtle, keeping it fun. Harris has a really clever writing style, and whilst she does confront things like death, and loss of loved ones (I mean, characters die, it is Urban Fantasy!!), she is both supportive of her characters, but also has a wicked sense of humour in other parts of the book to balance it out.
Whilst the story is told from Jinx’s point of view, we get to see so many wonderful characters, Emory, Nate, Shirdal, Amber (have to love Amber!!), and of course Gato. There are a lot of other great characters (too many to list), but each one is brought to life with so much realism, you feel you know them so well!
This continues to be a sensational series, one that is fun, engaging, with some really clever and captivating characters that you just want more of! An absolute must read!!
Alyse Gibbs has the voice of an angel, and is easily one of the most delightful female narrators to listen to. I could happily listen to her non-stop. She has a very clear and concise voice, and does a wonderful job with creating both male and female voices, especially the voice of the main character Jinx. She does a great range of voices to, so that you can clearly tell who is speaking, with distinct male and female characters.
On top of this, she not only narrates, but does a wonderful job of voice acting, adding emotion to each of her characters, bringing them to life, so we know how they are feeling as she tells the story, be it happy, sad, angry, elated, or a good dose of sarcasm from Jinx.
Alyse Gibbs is brilliant and adds something special to these stories, and it is absolutely worth listening to them rather than just reading them, as she really brings Heathers characters to life with that beautiful voice of hers.

So much fun!

Kickass heroines, friendly banter, deepening friendships, love, mystery, blood, and gore. What’s not to enjoy?!

Grrrr!

Man these court members are something else! I was mad on Jinx’s behalf most of the book! Of course, she kicked but and made new friends along the way!

Jinx Returns!

Leave it to Jinx to get sidetracked! Jinx is supposed to be meeting Emory's court to prove she would be acceptable as his mate.
But someone kidnapped a Centaur. How could Jinx not try to find him?
And of course nothing is the way it is supposed to.
Heather is a master at keeping you on the edge of your seat! I can't stop reading her books!
Alyse Gibbs is brilliant at defining each and every character, She is a great narrator.