Viva Jacquelina!

Bloody Jack, Book 10

By: L. A. Meyer

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Winner, Teens, 2014

The vivacious Jacky Faber return in the 10th tale in L. A. Meyer's Bloody Jack series! Once again under the thumb of British Intelligence, Jacky is sent to Spain to spy for the crown during the early days of the 19th-century Peninsular War. She finds herself in the company of guerilla freedom fighters, poses for the famous artist Goya, runs with the bulls, is kidnapped by the Spanish Inquisition, and travels with a caravan of gypsies...all while hoping to one day reunite with her beloved Jamie Fletcher.

©2013 LA Meyer (P)2013 Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

love the series!

I love the Bloody Jack series and is tread sk wonderfully! Hate that I have to include 15 words for a review.

Back on Course

I came to this series very late, but made up for that this summer by devouring all nine then available in an embarrassingly short time. For those very familiar with the series, take what I write with the knowledge that my favorites were the first, second, fourth, sixth and eighth, and that I ccan only be said to have been disappointed in the ninth. I was so disappointed that I worried about this book as much as I eagerly awaited its release.

Mark of the Golden Dragon with what I considered to be an overly convoluted plot and uneven pacing made me wonder what the rest of the series would hold, particularly with its emphasis on Jacky's nights on the town and involved scheming. This time around though, we have something I think is far more akin to Bonnie Light Horseman, with Jacky hopping from place to place, balancing her attempts to learn what's going on in a given locale and building relationships with the friendly or not so friendly people she meets, particularly every young male in sight. There is also action distributed fairly regularly throughout to keep things lively, and of course, Jacky is cursed with as much bad luck as she's blessed with good. I think Jamie's side-chapters were at their best with Mississippi Jack and Lorelei Lee, where he was actively pursuing her. Having him on his own, while better than watching him go insane, doesn't really add much if you're not overly invested in that aspect of the story aside from wanting it to reach some sort of conclusion. All the same though, it is not so distracting as in the last installment. Also, there is no nautical action in this outing, but a return to running around continental city streets and countryside looking to bring confusion to Napoleon's forces.

Happily, this book continues to deliver the constants that will always make this series a favorite, regardless of the odd turns it might take. The writing is still hilarious, Jacky is still a lovable scoundrel and Katherine Kellgren's performance is simply top notch.

If you were at all hesitant, I urge you to sail on. And if you haven't tried the series before, this installment means you now have one more adventure to look forward to than you did before.

Continually entertaining

Would you listen to Viva Jacquelina! again? Why?

Absolutely. In five to ten years, I will listen to the whole series again

Who was your favorite character and why?

No question. Jackie as always

Which character – as performed by Katherine Kellgren – was your favorite?

Lord Dick

terrific as usual

What a wonderful story, yet again. Jackie is a terrific role model for girls and Meyer handles all her adventures with great aplomb. Kellgren is a great performer! A great book to listen to while gardening and doing housework. Not just for young people.

Exceptional Narration

Narrator Katherine Kellgren is in a class of her own. The story and characters come alive in a way no reading nor other narration can match.

I love Jacky's adventures!

Would you listen to Viva Jacquelina! again? Why?

No, I don't usually listen to books twice...but I LOVE Jacky Faber!

What about Katherine Kellgren’s performance did you like?

Katherine Kellgren is, without a doubt, one of the best voice artists ever! She IS Jacky Faber. I seek out books narrated by Katherine.

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

No, only because I hate it when the book is over, so I stretch them out.

Any additional comments?

This may not be the best in the Jacky Faber series, but I enjoyed it very much. Jacky has become like an old friend and I very much enjoy her adventures. She is my favorite literary heroine and I will continue to buy as long as L.A Meyer continues to write!

Our Spanish princess.

A great adventure in Spain. This one reminds me a bit of My Bonny Light Horseman. I especially got a good laugh when Jacky finds the mushrooms. Jacky without a doubt either has the worst luck or the best luck. I guess it all depends on where you are on the grand scheme of things. The last book I liked the first half and didn’t like the second half due to the whole Jamie debacle. I am a bit over that storyline. As usual the narrator is one of the best, she does a great job at making the story exciting and full of life.

Great, but left me wanting more.

This story was as great as all the previous ones, with one exception. The ending. I felt a little cheated. I think the story should have continued for one more chapter. But it does leave me breathlessly waiting for the next book, as ususal. Katherine Kellgren was awesome, as I have come to expect.

Rushed

What did you love best about Viva Jacquelina!?

Love the characters
The tongue in cheek

Who was your favorite character and why?

Of course Jackie

Which character – as performed by Katherine Kellgren – was your favorite?

All

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

If possible

Any additional comments?

It felt like it was written quickly, a little incomplete . I was let down at the end , figuring there would a follow up novel right away. Still love this series though.

Jacky Faber, Back in Action

Okay, this is more like it. I was not a big fan of Mark of the Golden Dragon, so I hesitated about starting Viva Jacquelina, because I didn't want to deal with the disappointment again. So it was a relief to discover that Jacky is back in the fight against Napoleon this time around, with plenty of battles and action. Is it up to par with WotLL or UtJR? No, it isn't (those are tough acts to follow), but this was still an enjoyable listen. Jacky still exhibits plenty of "free and easy ways" with the lads in this outing, but she is much more restrained and focused. She really does seem to be maturing, in my opinion. We get mostly new characters in this book, although Higgins (LOVE him!) and Richard Allen both make appearances early on.

I actually thought that the most interesting parts of Viva Jacquelina were the chapters told from Jaimy's point of view. I was impressed with his growth as a character in WotLL, and while he regressed in MotGD, we get continued character development from him in Viva Jacquelina, and I wish he had gotten more "screen time," because he is turning out to be quite an exciting guy. I wouldn't mind having a whole book told from his perspective, especially given recent developments in his combat skills, which I won't spoil here. Let's just say that he and Jacky are going to be much more evenly matched as characters when they meet up again.

Overall plot aside, my favorite little moment was when Jacky announces herself as "la belle jeune fille sans merci" to a group of French soldiers - I know I won't be the only listener to have cheered out loud to hear Katherine Kellgren growling that phrase in her fiercest Jacky voice once again.

This was a pretty good listen, and we now have quite a buildup of anticipation for the next Jacky/Jaimy reunion. I, for one, can't wait.