• Raphael

  • Vampires In America, Volume 1
  • By: D. B. Reynolds
  • Narrated by: Traci Odom
  • Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (665 ratings)

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Raphael  By  cover art

Raphael

By: D. B. Reynolds
Narrated by: Traci Odom
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Publisher's summary

Malibu, California, - home to rock-and-roll gods and movie stars, the beautiful, the rich...and vampires.

Powerful and charismatic, Raphael is a Vampire Lord, one of the few who hold the power of life and death over every vampire in existence. Thousands call him Master and have pledged absolute loyalty on their very lives. But when, in a brazen and deadly daylight attack, a gang of human killers kidnaps the one female vampire he'd give his life for, Raphael turns to a human investigator to find his enemies before it's too late.

Cynthia Leighton is smart, tough, and sexy - a private investigator and former cop who's tired of spying on cheating spouses and digging out old bank accounts. When Raphael asks for her help in tracking down the kidnappers, Cyn's happy to accept. But she soon realizes her greatest danger comes not from the humans, but from Raphael himself.

Battling Russian mobsters and treacherous vampires, and getting betrayed by those they trusted, Cyn and Raphael find themselves fighting for their lives while caught up in a passion of blood and violence that is destined to destroy them both.

©2009 Donna Beltz (P)2014 ImaJinn Books

What listeners say about Raphael

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    367
  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
    21
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Performance
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  • 4 Stars
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    61
  • 2 Stars
    17
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    10
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    343
  • 4 Stars
    159
  • 3 Stars
    71
  • 2 Stars
    17
  • 1 Stars
    13

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

WOW, WHAT A THRILLING NEW VAMP FEST

Just when you think you've heard the last of a good vampire book BANG this series hits Audible's vast Library and you dare to hope that it's going to be good. Well I can happily tell you it's not only good..…. it's positively great.

The dark, handsome, sexy and very Alpha Lord of the West Coast Vampires Raphael needs the help of a P.I. and Cynthia (aka Cyn) is more than capable at what she does but isn't prepared for the raw power that oozes out of Raphael he rules, he orders and all obeys him but although Cyn is frightened she is also fearless. Their attraction slowly simmers in the background then all of a sudden it erupts and the sex is frenzied, powerful and memorable and the sexual tension becomes intense. The romance runs alongside the other main plot of kidnapping, spies, murder, Russian vamps, a take-over bid, intrigue and some tense nail-biting times as the well described plot of who, when and why plays out with characters that are loveable, likeable, interesting and some that are just plain evil.

Worth a credit? It was exciting, fast-paced, addictive, action-packed, fresh and I couldn't stop listening (being desperate to get to the HEA part) BUT shock and horror, no it's not a cliffhanger, it's a 'to be continued' listen which was equally a 'rip you hair out and scream' moment and very frustrating. However, very credit-worthy and an auto download for book 2 and I only hope that the wait is going to be a short one….. because I want it like yesterday!!!!.

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22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

I really wanted to like the book....

I really-really wanted to like the book, especially since it has such high ratings... but I just did not. Just as another reviewer said, I could not relate to the characters at all. All of the characters feel too shallow for me and not exciting at all. I did not like the voice of Rapahel, it was pronounced as Rafiel by the narrator which also drove me crazy.

And Puskin character? Really? Looks as author just simply was out of ideas.... If the author is going to use the individual that revered by millions of people in the book, it makes only sense to develop a special character. As such, in my opinion it brought the value of the story down.

I am not sure if will continue with this author... Off to revisiting BDB, Night Huntres, Mercy Thompson, the books that make me to forget about everything in the world...

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Narration, Great Series!

I have read (re-read) all of the Vampire in America series.... and they are excellent reads. Raphael is the first in the series and have characters that you will find in most of the other books. Be warned that to me Raphael ends in a "cliffhanger". When I read the Kindle book I was able to immediately purchase Jabril (crisis averted)..... which is what you will want to do. Amazon has it. The author has stated that Jabril for audible is in production. This a series worth the time invested.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A Hidden Gem!

This story came highly recommended to me by a close friend, and it was a really good. It's fast paced, well written and had excellent character development. What I liked most, was the balance between action, suspense and the sexual tension between the H/h. There was never a dull moment. What I liked least, was the unresolved relationship between the H/h. I love vampire romances, and Raphael is everything I look for in a sexy alpha vampire so I know I will be listening to the other stories in the series.

Traci Odom's performance was great!

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Action Packed

this book is the first book i have ready by DB Reynolds. I had seen this before and have intended to try it but just have not gotten around to it. I got a chance to get this book free from the narrator in exchange for an honest review. Wow, I did not know what i was missing. This is exactly the type of paranormal romance/urban fantasy i love. Raphael, the vampire lord of the west hires P I Cyn(ex cop) to find his sister. Raphael is intimidating and everyone is afraid of him. Cyn, however, stands up to him and goes against him when he tries to tell her what to do. There is lots of action, some hot romance. No this does not end with happily ever after but the story is continued and i have faith that Raphael and Cyn will finally get together. I can't wait to read more of this series. I think i have found me a new author. The narrator is great. She really brought the characters for me.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Listen

Where does Raphael rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I loved this book so much I had to buy the eBook to continue the story when I couldn't listen to it. Worth the credit. Hot vampire, spicy heroine and it's a series, Yay.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Duncan a quiet, powerful, charismatic vamp. Can't wait for his listen. Of course, Raphael and Cyn.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the scene when Rapheal entered Cyn's house and found her on the steps after she escaped the blood house.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Neither I just couldn't get enough of the story and was elated to find the story continues.

Any additional comments?

I liked how it is written in real talk, common everyday language.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

I want more!

This is a popular series on Amazon, with many, many books already available, which is very exciting provided Audible records them all!

This first book was an intriguing mixed bag for me because I both hated and loved the h, Cyn or Cynthia. Mostly because her dangerous and pig headed actions made me nervous. I shouldn't have worried. She's every bit the bad ass she thinks she is, so I look forward to reading more about her and her relationship with Raphael.

Traci Odem's performance of Cyn's voice, while good, bordered on strident at times. I found myself turning down my ipod because of the sharp pitch of her voice. This may have impacted my overall opinion of the character, at least until the end.

The main criticism I have is that although we've all been trained to accept that the vampire love interest is A. gorgeous, and B. powerful, aside from a few cliched descriptions, I really wanted to SEE Raphael in my mind, and I didn't feel that D. B. Reynolds did justice to her character in this book. It was a bit disappointing to realize at the end that he was never fully fleshed out. That being said, I'm hoping that this is remedied by the many, many books to come.

It also bugged me that if Cyn had only told Raphael one name, so much of the situation would have been solved. It felt a little silly that she wouldn't have told him, but then, that's the nature of these kinds of books, so whatever.

I am excited that the action scenes, in particular, are well done. Spare and easy to envision, there is nothing cliched about them! The villains are interesting and scary, and the resolution was nicely executed. The world is interesting and big enough to make a series worth my time.


The sex scenes were what you'd expect -- hopefully, they'll get a bit hotter.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Nicely Aged Vamp Romance

At the time of this review, this audiobook is about 2 years old. I think it must've been released in the midst of a lot of vampire romances, and it's a shame I missed this one until now. It is well-written and well-narrated and has a good deal of action and intrigue. There are some steamy encounters, though it isn't terribly heavy on the romance (yet), but it is an enjoyable listen all the same. By the end, I could see that this is not a series where book one is the story of one couple and book two explores another but rather a series about this world in which things move at a more realistic pace. I suspect there will be more romance as we dig into the series further. I liked it, and I look forward to more. It ends on a "to be continued" but not on a cliffhanger and I greatly appreciate that. I think this series is definitely worth a listen for a credit, but given it's release date, my guess is you can get it on a sale or Whispersynch deal for less.

Traci Odom is a pro narrator. I've listened to several of her performances, and this one is about on par with her others. Narrators do tend to get better with time, and this is a bit older, but I thought she did an awesome job. Her male and female voices and the depth of emotion she gives to each character and situation is perfect for the feel of this book. I think her performance definitely brought the book to life and enhanced the writing. I received this audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Welcome to the Dark Side

Where does Raphael rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would rank him in the top 10. This is an awesome start to a great series.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Raphael?

Definitely when Rafael broke into her condo to save her. That cemented the bond for me..well until he decided to be jerk and mess that up. LOL

What does Traci Odom bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I really liked the way the secondary characters came to life for me while listening.

Who was the most memorable character of Raphael and why?

Cynthia is by far my favorite character. Tough, beautiful, smart and fearless. Loved her from the first page.

Any additional comments?

I have read this entire series and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great PNR story.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Amateurish

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Needs more description, I wasn't drawn into their world.

Has Raphael turned you off from other books in this genre?

Once again: Characters needs more description

What does Traci Odom bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Good Narrator, is what it is... THE STORY

Could you see Raphael being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

no

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4 people found this helpful