Knight Awakened

Circle of Seven, Book 1

By: Coreene Callahan

Narrated by: Suzan Crowley

Length: 17 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Warlord Vladimir Barbu has seized control of Transylvania, but his claim to the throne remains anything but certain. The king of Hungary opposes his rule, his people despise him, and the high priestess needed to crown him has vanished without a trace. Refusing to see his ambitions thwarted, he hires an assassin to hunt her down.… Killing is the only life Xavian Ramir knows. But now the elite assassin wants out, vowing to start anew after one last job.…

High priestess Afina Lazar is running for her life, desperate to protect the magical amulet entrusted to her care. When Barbu’s hired killer finds her, she knows her only chance of stopping the warlord’s rise to power is to convince this enigmatic - and handsome - hunter that she is more valuable alive than dead. Together, they will undertake a dramatic adventure through a magical world where love and redemption come at a terrible price.

©2012 Coreene Callahan (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Was on the money!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I loved this book so much. Whenever I had a free moment I was listening to this book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Knight Awakened?

The raw emotions from the two leads and the romance.

Which character – as performed by Suzan Crowley – was your favorite?

I can't decide, they all were so good.

DNF - It just rambled on and on

I really really tried to like this story and it wasn't bad it just rambled on and on and on and on. Each critical moment where there is a threat to their life, in the middle of battle or trying to escape, the author then paused the action to have the character muse through all their feelings in long drawn out diatribe. I found myself rolling my eyes as I wanted to stay in the action, not relisten to the inner musing of things that had already been disclosed over and over again. At one point I realized I was so mired in the things that bothered me that I didn't care about the conclusion of the story anymore so I gave up and returned the book.

The narrator bothered me at first but as soon as I sped up the narration to 1.5x it was much better.

Might be my favorite!!

This might be my favorite series from this author IF the rest of the books are going to be like this first one. The storyline was pretty exciting and had me hating when I had to take a break for whatever thing in life demanded my attention at that time. That alone is what I always look for in a book. I want the story to grab me and not let go.

The other big thing that made me love this was the hero. He has this dark intensity about him that I just loooove in my heroes. He's also very deadly, and yes that is just as appealing to me. The only thing I wish there was less of about him was that he did feel like he wasn't good enough for the heroine. That always leads to resistance and I just prefer little resistance. The fact that they were so drawn to each other kept that resistance from bothering me.

I also really liked the heroine. That's not always a requirement for me but it is definitely a bonus when that happens. She's very powerful on her own but she was just learning those powers. She's very compassionate and was a natural mother to those who needed that from her.

Overall, great start to the series and the narration was fantastic. This is a new narrator for me and I will be looking for more books she has done.

Very good read

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book, and am looking forward to all the rest to come. I could listen to Suzan Crowley narrate again and again, she does a great job. I am now starting to listen to the Fury dragon books and am not disappointed.

Not good for the narrator

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I tried to read and listen to this book on two separate occasions. I just can't get past the narrator. Her pitch is too slow.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sorry, I didn't finish the book.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Suzan Crowley?

Justice Eyre, Simon Vance, Devra Woodward, or Kristen Potter

Did Knight Awakened inspire you to do anything?

Stop listening and just read.

Any additional comments?

The narrator read too slow. Too many long pauses. I tried increasing the speed to 1.25, but it sounded like Alvin and the Chipmunks. The summary and the cover of the book was the attraction. I may give it a third try, only if I can't find anything else to read and listen.

A great story brought to life by Suzan Crowley!!

What made the experience of listening to Knight Awakened the most enjoyable?

Absolutely the best performance for audible books I've heard in a long while. The voice of the narrator added to the flavor of the story, and she delivered it fabulously!

What did you like best about this story?

The story wound around and up and down, so that it kept my interest at all times. A little slow in the beginning, but quickly picked up pace and was off and running. The creation of characters was superb -- as usual for Ms. Callahan.

Which character – as performed by Suzan Crowley – was your favorite?

By far we have to vote Exsabian as the main guide to the story. He is the female's hero of dreams with both the dark side of his assassin nature as well as the caring and gentle lover.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The moment you feel that all is lost, breath is gone, and he must live without the soul of his world, I actually felt tears in my eyes and my heart ached for him.

Any additional comments?

This will be another hit series for our favorite authoress, and I can't wait until Book 2!!

WOW, another great by Coreene!!!

Would you listen to Knight Awakened again? Why?

Yes, the story is compeling and the action is HOT (both in the bedchamber and on the battle field).

Who was your favorite character and why?

Vlad, because he is such a sadistic bastard. And his plans Afin are so graphic.

Which character – as performed by Suzan Crowley – was your favorite?

Afin, the depth of the character is brought out by Suzan's performance.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

A damaged warrior, a virginal priestess, a power hungry warlord, and magic; combined to make an explosive combination.

Great book ! Bad Narrator

The book was excellent but the narrator messed it up for me.. she was bad but the book was great

Not A Favorite

Despite loving Callahan's Dragon series, I'm not a fan of this series. I just couldn't connect with the characters which meant I never became invested with the story. BUT I will admit it was well written - just not for me.

Love this new series

I really enjoyed Knight Awakened I listen to your books over and over. Starting next in series. Keep them coming!