Skinwalker

Jane Yellowrock, Book 1

By: Faith Hunter

Narrated by: Khristine Hvam

Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Jane Yellowrock is the last of her kind - a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who can turn into any creature she desires and hunts vampires for a living. But now she's been hired by Katherine Fontaneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katie's Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire who's killing other vamps.

©2009 Faith Hunter (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Nominee - Judges' Award for Best Paranormal Audiobook, 2011

"A new, strongly unique voice in the dark fantasy genre." (Kim Harrison)

"Hunter's very professionally executed, tasty blend of dark fantasy, mystery, and romance should please fans of all three genres." ( Booklist)

"Khristine Hvam portrays Jane with an adventurous-sounding voice edged with a twang.... Hvam’s voices for the Louisiana locals whom Jane learns to love and respect.... augment an intriguing story with hints of Native American mysticism." ( AudioFile)

Surprisingly good!

I put off trying this series for a long time. I don't really recall why, but when I ran out of other things to listen to, I gave it a try. I was pleasantly surprised by the book and the main character. I ended up listening to the whole series (so far), and liked them all.

The reason I gave it four stars instead of five, is that the main character has an annoying habit of taking on responsibility for anything and everything bad that happens, even when she's not present. That was a bit much for me, but perhaps it's a character flaw that will be explained and/or developed later in the series.

All-in-all, it was a great listen!

"meh..." *shrug*

I am not a professor of literature like previous reviewers make the impression of, i have not read other books/series by this author for comparison so keep that in mind as you read my review. A review i read on amazon (i like to use other sites to get broader opinions) compared this book to that of Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thompson series. I would NOT go that far, but it wasnt bad. I gave it three stars (and not higher) for two reasons. First, it did take me 3 hours of listening to get into the book. This was mostly for the second reason though- I really disliked the dialog when Jane was in her other "forms". So much so that i skipped one chapter entirely because it was bugging me so much. Eventually however you get sucked into the the plot enough that those few chapters are bearable. Other than that, i found the story and characters interesting and well developed. I will probably try the next in the series at some point but as it is, i do not regret the credit spent.

Jane Yellowrock Rocks!

Would you consider the audio edition of Skinwalker to be better than the print version?

The audio version of Skinwalker is a GREAT enhancer for the story, even if you've already read it in hard copy. Listening to the story being read can bring to the foreground things we missed while reading...there is less distraction when you have the ear buds in than when you're reading and can hear traffic, airplanes, kids etc. Definitely recommend listening in addition to reading in this case.

What did you like best about this story?

Jane and Beast, no two ways about it.

What about Khristine Hvam’s performance did you like?

Khristine's work with various accents and sometimes hard as nails 'tude fits right into the story. Better than reading in my imagination could have done.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not only was it one I wanted to listen to in one sitting, it was one I tried to listen to in one sitting but the body was weak and fell asleep...good thing I could turn that selector wheel back on my player.

Any additional comments?

For that extra dimension and drama in the story, listen to it and be carried away.

Good Vampire Thrashing

If you find yourself about to be bitten by a vampire, you will want Jane Yellowrock’s help. She has vampire experience, carries an arsenal of anti - vampire weapons and fights as if possessed by a beast. A very entertaining listen, and based on the number of reviews, very popular.

So yeah this is pulpy "True Blood"ish stuff, but..

Any additional comments?

...it was FUN! I'm not sold on Hvam's narration, I thought she was talking too fast at normal speed, but slowing it down to half speed sometimes caused issues. On the other hand the slower speed gave her voice a sensuous drawl that I felt fit the character perfectly. Khristine, take note: Slow it down a bit and purr a bit!

The story has a couple of good twists, and the heroine is confused and confusing enough to be very believable. Not high drama, but damn fun. Enough that I'll probably pick up the next in the series.

Enjoyable

I have no complaints for buying this. I would read it again. I think the author could have advanced the plot a wee bit faster, but I still liked it.

What a great start to a series

Its not often that I start a series that really catches my attention and empathy right from the start. The characters are realistic; not too stupid and not too smart. The pace of the book is just right. The balance of the book is the icing on the cake. There is nothing more irritating than a main character that is naive and goes up against bad guys that get away with murder for most of the book. This does not happen here. There is no doubt I will be gathering the rest of the series to see where these characters go.

Surprisingly good

This is a title my daughter chose. I was hesitant to listen, as it appeared to be just another "romance in disguise" fantasy. Thankfully, it was not. I liked Beast and Jane's interactions throughout the story. I also appreciate Ms. Hunter's take on the skinwalker legend. The plot is fast paced and it is an easy quick listen. I finished all five in the series within a week, all just as enjoyable as the first.

another series to love

Jane is just the right mix of strength and vulnerability, serious and sass, courage and fear. can't wait to read more.

A lot of fun.

This author knows how to torture her lead character. This lead suffers a lot. Every victory is paid for in blood and suffering. I do love the stream of awareness that beast uses. Very good with the narration.