Building from Ashes

Elemental World, Book 1

By: Elizabeth Hunter

Narrated by: Dina Pearlman

Length: 14 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

The first book in the highly anticipated Elemental World series, by Elizabeth Hunter, author of the best-selling Elemental Mysteries.

In a world teetering on the edge of change, two beings struggle to find their purpose. Will their paths lead them closer together or tear their worlds apart? For a thousand years, powerful earth vampire Carwyn ap Bryn has served others. God. His family. His friends. But tragedy and loss disrupt his peaceful existence, causing him to question everything he has committed his eternity to.

Brigid Connor has known about vampires since they rescued her from a painful childhood. But not even their vast elemental power can save her from the demons that torment her. As loyalties are tested and new paths are forged, a lurking danger slowly grows in the Elemental World. Carwyn and Brigid learn that even secrets revealed can come back to haunt you when you least expect it.

©2012 Elizabeth Hunter (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

G-rated, Christian paranormal suspense

I started out really liking this book. Others have commented on storyline etc, so I'll offer you this:
If you like "christian" romance and paranormal, get this book.
If you want something Really Long, with a little suspense get this book.
Hunter does have a new take on the vampire culture/world building that I very much enjoyed.
The characters are wonderful and the unusual longitudinal story over 7 or 8 years allows a lot of time for character development. The length gives a lot of detail to the suspense. I really liked both the leads tremendously. I was, however, irritated that when they FINALLY get together, its pretty lukewarm and very 1970s harlequin (everything kind of hinted at). I think we wait 12 hours before they finally merge. Both the lead female and the author are very prudish throughout the book. Its fine when its the lead character, but instead of passion, we just get treacle. Lots of treacle. "I love you". No, I love you. I love you. I really love you. Oh how I love you. Enough already. Though her first one in this series with Giovanni and Beatrice was nice and a very low embered burn that suggest a different approach to romance in the 21st century romantic fiction, this book--Building from Ashes--has much more of decided Christian romance, with a lot of devout practicing Catholics.
The resolution was predictable. I give a 3 for the mystery villans, 4 for the worldbuilding, 2 for the romance (tho I loved the Stigmata movie related theme of the priest!) and 3.5 for the narration.
If your usual fangy fare is Lara Adrian, C. Feehan, Larissa Ione, N. Singh, or K. Cole, but you are in the grove for something more tepid in the physical heat dept, you may enjoy this. Hunter is a good storyteller and you will love her characters. If you like Dee Henderson and her genre and are feeling like something on the paranormal side, you may enjoy this. Its got a tad more sizzle than Henderson who is a fabulous writer in military themed romance but is old fashioned and completely passion-free--something that seems thematic to me in "Christian" romance.

For me, if there had been a bit more passion, a little more sizzle when they DID get together--they are such good characters and I wanted to FEEL that moment with them-- I wouldn't suggest that this is more of a Christian paranormal. There was a lot in this one about Catholic practice (hey, even the Vatican is board with vampire priests) and there doesn't seem any discordance with vampirism and the Church. That's new. But we get a lot of religious hand wringing about the priest and our female lead and getting physical till marriage. I felt like I stuck it out through the all the Irish angst, and got let down. Never was I so relieved when the epilogue was intoned. I didn't stick around for the preview for the next book.

Dina Perlman was a better narrator here than in the first one since there is little Italian and mostly Irish, Scottish and Welsh accents to contend with. In the first book, she butchered italian so bad that I was cringing every time she said "Gee-oh" as the shortened "Giovanni" (it's "Joe"--"joe-VANNI" in Italian). Another example was "Dee-meh-DEE-chee" ( de Medici or "Day MED-de-chee"). Since it was said hundreds of times in the first book, you should take that as a recommendation that I bought another one in this series with the same narrator--the story in the first book outshone the butchered narration and poor pacing). PErlman gets better in this one with her pacing and voicing. It helps that this is not centered on a mystery involving medieval Italian literature as was the first.

I won't be continuing on with this series or the author, but I would recommend this as a bargain read or listen.

Horrific Narration! Atrocious accents.

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I SO wish that Zachary Webber could have narrated these books. His sexy voice would have made it a wonderful experience. Dina Pearlman was down right painful to listen to. Such a bummer. I was spoiled by listening to the Irin Chronicles first.

How could the performance have been better?

Zachary Webber, please read these to me?!

Any additional comments?

I will stick to reading thesee books. Dina Pearlman was HORRIFIC.

Love these books

What made the experience of listening to Building from Ashes the most enjoyable?

The story line, and the cross over from the 1st series I really enjoyed Carwyn in the in the first books and loved that he now has his own series.

Have you listened to any of Dina Pearlman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

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

YES!!!!!!!!

Any additional comments?

This is a great series, but you have to start with the first books with Gio and B. There is to much overlap to really love this book if you do not. But that shouldn't be a problem because they are all so very good,

favorite

What did you love best about Building from Ashes?

Carwyn!

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

Ms. Pearlman as always does a wonderful job with this book.

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

I love Carwyn's character. Fun loving, strikingly handsome, man who has devoted his entire life to his kids (human & vampire) and flock now gets to have someone for himself. He's smart and witty. I also loved the scene where he shocked Bridget.

You will be captivated

This was so well written you can enjoy it by itself but will want to start from the beginning. You will be captivated

Slow and borning

This book is well written and had potential, but it misses the mark for me. This is a standalone series, but a few characters have relationships that were established in the Elemental Mysteries series. Giovanni Vecchio and his wife Beatrice De Novo are the son and daughter-in-law of the male main character, Carwyn.

This story gives glimpses of the life of a Carwyn who has been a vampire for centuries. Unlike the usual vampire stories these vampires and Catholicism are intertwined; vampires are even priest.

The vampires have estates and a cadre of humans, they are not food or spelled, who are under the protection or household of the vampires. These are humans who are aware of the existence of vampires and live among them. Brigid is one young woman who grew up in the home of a vampire.

There are few storylines. One is the trafficking of drugs in the area vampires rolls in the process and how it affects their business, the loves story, the troubled past of our characters and an evil that will destroy their security. You know, it is the usual plot lines. The love story is a laborious story of Carwyn and Brigid, his son ward, whom she identifies with as the family’s priest. Therefore, she addresses him as father.

There is literally aggressive no action, vampire related and juvenile declaration of love; I could not keep plodding through. I will try the Elemental Mysteries because I like the relationship with the characters. I hope that from the description and being a mystery there is more action.

Unlike all the other reviews, I cannot recommend this book. I purchased it because one of the readers that I follow gave it five stars.

Many reviewers did not like Dina Pearlman as the narrator, but I am impartial to her. She is one of my favorites.

very good

Loved it !! this story. the narrator is so fantastic it's like your really there!! good overall

performance not great

Narration was not great. I read books and narration of Carwyn is so far off. He is meant to be a funny and charismatic this performance sounds like Julie Andrews performing Lady Whistledown

Vampires

I read the 2nd book 1st, bc I mistakenly thought it was the 2nd book to another series by this writer. I am so glad I accidently started this series bc it is fantastic! I just finished the 1st book and like the 2nd it was great, you can definitely read them as stand alone but you miss nuances and certain subject matter if not read in order. I am about to purchase the 3rd book now and can't wait!! I am sure I will also continue with what is listed as another Rental series which seems more like an offshoot of this one.
This book and series are DEFINITELY worth the credit or cost, if you like the paranormal/vampire stuff and mysteries, which I do!!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

OH Carwyn

Loved it!! Great work done by narrator. Elizabeth Hunter never fails to deliver a wonderful story.