A Witch's Path Box Set

Books 1 - 3: Witch for Hire, A Witch's Path, A Witch's Trial

De: N. E. Conneely

Narrado por: Soundbooth Theater, Jeff Hays

Most witches don't work for police departments, but Michelle isn't your average witch. She's clanless, looking for a warlock who isn't offended by her lack of family connections, and in danger of losing her job if she can't find the eight escaped trolls before they start eating the local residents.

Trolls, angry police, and misbehaving spells are the least of her problems. Statues attacking homeowners might be problematic for your average witch, but to Michelle it's another day at the office. Her real concern is the wizard suddenly interested in dating her and an old elf set on pestering her. When her happy family is rocked by a long-kept secret, her stable life falls apart faster than she can pick up the pieces.

And she still hasn't found those trolls.

Soundbooth Theater has released a boxset to rekindle interest in the Witch's Path series with listeners! Don't miss this opportunity to nab more than 20 hours of adventure with Georgia's favorite magical sleuth for the price of one credit.

Jeff Hays has built a name for himself by creating immersive experiences, blurring the line between audiobooks and audio drama with distinct, convincing character voices, pristine recording, and special effects to add depth and dimension. In 2015, Jeff took a leap of faith with these three audiobooks. Though he was hesitant at first to narrate a series with a female lead in first person, N.E. Conneely insisted that he was the man for the job. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Jeff surprised even himself by convincingly embodying Michelle's grumpy, headstrong, sarcastic, and distinctly female demeanor. Listeners forgot there was a man behind the voice, and let Michelle guide them through all manner of magical mysteries.

Remaster by Alex Tate

©2014 N. E. Conneely (P)2017 N. E. Conneely

Irritating Narration Almost Ruins Good Story

The story is told from a woman’s point of view, but the male narrator does a terrible job with her voice. He sounds like a caricature of a man doing a woman’s voice. It’s distracting from a great story.

He isn’t even all that great with the male voices. Half of them sound like they should be in a old-time gangster movie.

Interesting story overall and good characters

Witch for Hire:
A 3.5* review. I received this book via an audiobook as a promotion for doing a blog tour. That being said, an audiobook can definitely influence my perception on the book as a whole.

When I first started this book, the narrator had a very grating voice which was not a good start for me. It was this weird, awkward falsetto that really annoyed me to no end. The main character is female yet for some reason, the narrator was male who tried way too hard to sound feminine but failed miserably. It took quite a while for me to finally get somewhat used to that voice before I could really enjoy the book.

However, once I managed to put that aside, I started to get into the plot and the characters. I found myself enjoying the story immensely. I liked learning about Michelle and seeing how she goes about to solving all of these problems from the police. The other character, Elron, is also a favorite of mine. The squabbles that he and Michelle goes through are hilarious and entertaining but at this point, there aren’t too many interactions between the two. However, you can definitely tell that there is tension, the good kind, between them.

What I enjoy most about the book is all of the magical creatures involved. There are elves, demons, unicorns, gargoyles, etc. and I love books like these where there is a plethora of various creatures. And with Michelle’s work as a consultant for the police, she gets right in the middle of various issues and for this book, it mostly focused on trolls.

At this point, I have finished the first three books and I have to say that the first one is probably the least interesting just because there is a lot of buildup with the characters and plot. That’s not saying that the first book isn’t entertaining on its own but out of the three, I would consider this book as mostly meant for world-building.

Overall, I did find this book an interesting read and I can’t wait to find out what the rest of the series has in store for Michelle (and Elron, hopefully).

Witch's Path:
The best part of this book was by far the T-Rex. It came as a shock to me that this creature even existed despite the fact that it technically wasn’t alive but still. At first, I was more surprised that this T-Rex showed up and the best part came when Michelle “adopted” it and described it as the world’s largest dog but with a much greater intelligence level.

Other than that exciting tidbit, I enjoyed the book a lot. I’m glad that the relationship between Elron and Michelle are slowly developing into something more that it can actually be seen as realistic. They’re getting to know each other slowly and they’re starting to like what they see in the other. Or at least, in Michelle’s case, she’s starting to appreciate his help and interference more.

My favorite part is still Michelle’s job and how she navigates various different crazy situations and how almost all of them entails some magical creature. I really enjoy how the plot isn’t one-dimensional as in there are multiple layers. There is obviously Michelle’s job and the everyday – almost average – problems, then there are the more serious ones such as the abduction of her best friend, and finally, as the plot and book continues, there is an inkling that some far more dangerous is at play (i.e. evil sorceress wanting her dead, etc.)

I’m really excited to see how the third book develops and what happens when the power behind the sorceress is revealed and what that means for Michelle.

Witch's Trial:
I love how fun and entertaining these books are – it’s perfect for the days when you just want to zone out and not have to think too hard in terms of what’s going to happen next for thrillers or lots of heart anxieties with those romances.

Michelle is such an interesting person – she’s well-rounded which I really like. I also like how she’s managing to gather a groupie without even realizing which includes creatures such as mermaids, gargoyles, werewolves, brownies, elves, dinosaurs, etc. She’s also incredibly powerful and I like the plot arcs that discusses her background and her family. The side plot with the other witch clans vying for her attention is pretty hilarious yet frustrating for Michelle.

I also like Elron’s character a bit more in this book. There are still a few times when I find him awkward but that’s to be expected since he is 1500 years old and is a bit ignorant of modern ways such as using the plants to spy on Michelle as a way to protect her. Michelle is a witch and is really powerful so she is more than capable of protecting herself but I guess for Elron, he just wants some reassurance.

When the whole demon situation is revealed, I can’t say I was too surprised. However, I was definitely surprised as to who the demon was using as its host body but I did have a slight inkling at the end of book two. I am glad though that despite everything, I think that Elron and Michelle will come out of it fine in the next book. The good thing about being so old is that you become wiser and Elron is definitely that.

Overall, I really enjoyed myself with this book. I think I will try to finish the rest of the series but not in audiobook format since at the end of the day, I’m just not a huge fan of a man speaking in falsetto and listening to it for 22 hours.

Review includes an entry for each book in the set.

WITCH FOR HIRE BK 1

I love reading/ listening to urban fantasy stories. Witch for Hire is my intro to N.E. Conneely. I am thrilled with the concept of the story since it combines witches. suspense, and mystery. However, I felt like the characters were underdeveloped and there were a lot of them to keep up with. Thius is the main drawback I have with this story. Some of the secondary characters seemed unnecessary. For example, there were new dinner guests at the lodge each night which contributed nothing to the storyline. It just came off as filler. (Updated - After finishing all 3 books, some of these house guests play a significant role and do become more defined as the story progresses but not many.)

Now aside from that, I did enjoy the MC. Michelle Oaks is,developed and becoming complex as the story progresses. I am intrigued by her padt and the secrets it holds. I like that Michelle works with the cops to solve crimes involving magic and supernatural creatures. This aspect puts a unique twist on the story.

The narrator did a great job with the story and the characters. i enjoyed the adaption of Michelle.

WITCH'S PATH BK 2

I enjoyed book 2 so much more than book 1. Book 1 was a bit slow as it laid the groundwork for the series, but book 2 just took right off. An action packed emotional roller coaster, Michelle is dealing with her work case load, trying to have a social life, and find her missing bestie, Amber. There is no short of drama. I even found myself warning up to Elron right along with Michelle. I cannot wait to see where this relationship goes. I am also looking firward to getting all the details of Michelle's past. Conneely is doing a great job of stringing that aspect of the story along.

The narrator, Jeff Hays, is doing a great job bringing tgis series to life. He has quite the list of characters to voice and does a good job with all of them.

A WITCH'S TRIAL BK 3

Holy smokes! This series just keeps raising the bar. Michelle has quite the lineage and now covens are lining up for her to join them. Her relationship with Elron is budding but the return of his dead wife does throw a kink in it. While the major storyline from book 1 is concluded in book 3, questions about Michelle's lineage still plague her. (The series continues)

There is an explosive ending that rocketed this installment to my favorite's list. And the narrator... How did he keep it all straight. So many voices. He did a phenomenal job.

Everything a Fantasy Should Have

I was charmed by this suspenseful paranormal with a plethora of fantasy species — witches, elves, fae, werewolves, vampires, shape-shifters, giants, trolls, unicorns, demons, brownies, and wizards.

The crafting of the storyline, with its pacing and character development kept me intrigue and ready to listen any moment I could get.

Since the story picks up right where book 2, A Witch’s Path, leaves off, this series really should be listened to from its beginning. Elron, an elf in his prime, 1500 years old, continues his interest in Michelle, only 25, with a lifespan of 300 since she’s a witch. His approach to dating, or as he says courting, is unsure and tentative. He’s not sure of his feelings, only knows he wants to spend time with Michelle and wants to protect her. He asks the forest to help her, which it willingly does because they like her. Just when he is ready to commit a closer relationship to her, the writer spins a twist in the story, that just makes me say damn!

Michelle’s parents become more important in this story — Michelle’s relationship with her father is stronger and she begins relying upon their advice, but only after she very nearly dies. As her powers grow, so too, does her protective streak toward her family and friends.

Her popularity with the police force has brought her to the forefront of the community. Her powers and strength are unknown in a witch so young. Being clanless, she has trouble avoiding the bombardment of ‘invitations’ from clans who would want such a strong witch to join them. Some ‘invitations’ are down right violent.

I was thrilled to see how Michelle is able to cleverly defeat evil within the community time after time, how Elron’s past is woven into the problems the community is having, and the blossoming sweet love of two individuals very much attracted.

Soundbooth Theater brings the story into living color. It is a pleasure hearing the various voices of the different species, working together to defeat the evil which seems to be focused on Michelle! I enjoyed the emotional moments. They are well done. I know if I listen to anything else from Soundbooth Theater, I’m in for some good entertainment.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Jeff Hays. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

A Witch's Path Box Set

Know any witches who would be willing to join the police force to keep back the evil and vile supernatural creatures from the light of day? What about any vampires, werewolves, unicorns, or trolls? This supernaturally charged first installment is highly entertaining, mysterious, and quite criminal! Conneely has written a series, filled with humans and magical creatures who can both live simultaneously in the same place and still know who each other really is. That is very original and unlike the typical “keep it a secret from humankind”. In this three book series, this witch is all about no secrets and first on duty when the spooky comes through.

Michelle is a witch…as if you couldn’t guess. She practices her magic very openly, but her spells and rituals are done to help her fellow friends, neighbors and the occasional police case… This case should be a simple cut and dry one, “find the escaped trolls…that are not very bright…and confine them with magic until something more permanent can be found”. Well, never take anything for simple…especially when it comes to the magical. These trolls that have escaped are somehow brighter than they appear or someone is cloaking them and causing the minutest cases of death throughout the city. Michelle gets a good whiff of what’s going on after she brings in the shapeshifters to help with tracking the trolls from last known locations. There is a very prominent floral smell masking the smell of death and after hearing that description, Michelle fears that they might be over her head…plus almost out of magic.

Michelle is back at it in this second installment with the spooky and definitely paranormal. First, there are trolls, strange sorcery, then gremlins… as if that wasn’t enough, let’s add cryptic elves and strange suicides plagued with evil. Oh and don’t forget…there are gargoyles. Gargoyles in legend are protectors of magical realms, so that is one nice part about some of the supernatural endeavors that Michelle has to face in this installment. With one case solved, but leaving a lot of questions still floating around, Michelle knows that the other foot is bound to fall soon. Death threats made in bloody letters on her window and huge spiders leaving cryptic death messages as well…it can’t be good. With her budding relationship with Elron, the neighborly elf, she doesn’t quite understand the friendships and family who have her back when she is in trouble. Michelle gets called in by the police department for a magically enhanced T-Rex that is leaving destruction in its wake. She has also been called in to test the bodies of a large mass of suicides among teenagers that just don’t seem natural. Once again, as if that wasn’t enough…one of her best friends is kidnapped and the suspected kidnapper is a rogue werewolf. How is she supposed to be limiting herself from danger when everyone seems to need her help more than ever?

Michelle is having trouble deciphering the book that Sylvia dropped as the demon fled the werewolf’s lair. She knows that she can’t battle a demon, an evil that has been passed down as legend for centuries, without the help from this book and Elron. Since the book a direct account of his mate’s life after her presumed passing, Elron struggles to come to terms with the fact that he has failed her allowing a demon to possess her body for several years. Once he can surpass those feelings, will he be able to figure out what his mate wanted to relay to them? Can he help Michelle unlock the secrets of how to kill a demon? With so many things pulling Michelle in different directions, including her new popularity among the clans…she could use all the help that she can get.

Conneely has a superb story-line and wonderful character development in this third installment. The continuation flows perfectly from the previous installments. The characters are snarky, mysterious, humorous, and most importantly magically-inclined. The pace is very fast and provides a sense of thrill and urgency to the story, but not in a bad or harsh way. Since this was an audiobook that was provided, the flow of the story was terrific and the story seems to be well-written in order to flow as well as it does. Hays is virtually impeccable with his audio relay talent. This narrator makes this story come to life, more so than imagery that the readers can come up with through description alone.


A copy of this boo was provided to Turning Another Page by the Audiobookworm Promotions, but this in no way affects our honest opinion of the book or the review that has been written. We provide a five-star rating for A Witch’s Path by N.E. Conneely