Enchanted, Inc.

A Novel

By: Shanna Swendson

Narrated by: Eva Wilhelm

Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's Summary

Katie Chandler had always heard that New York is a weird and wonderful place, but this small-town Texas gal had no idea how weird until she moved there. Everywhere she goes, she sees something worth gawking at and Katie is afraid she's a little too normal to make a splash in the big city. Working for an ogre of a boss doesn't help. Then, seemingly out of the blue, Katie gets a job offer from Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., a company that tricks of the trade to the magic community. For MSI, Katie's ordinariness is an asset. Lacking any bit of magic, she can easily spot a fake spell, catch hidden clauses in competitor's contracts, and detect magically disguised intruders. Suddenly, average Katie is very special indeed. She quickly learns that office politics are even more complicated when your new boss is a real ogre, and you have a crush on the sexy, shy, ultra powerful head of the R&D department, who is so busy fighting an evil competitor threatening to sell black magic on the street that he seems barely to notice Katie. Now it's up to Katie to pull off the impossible: save the world and - hopefully - live happily ever after.

©2005 Shanna Swendson (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Enjoyable Story Ruined by Awful Narrator!

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I enjoyed the story, it was just ruined by the narrator.

What didn’t you like about Eva Wilhelm’s performance?

Everything. She couldn't keep her accents straight. It was hard to listen to her whiney voice.

Any additional comments?

Because I simply cannot tolerate the narrator, I won't be purchasing any more in the series. However, if you can get Amanda Ronconi to redo these books, I think you would have a bestselling series!

AWFUL narration - just read the story yourself.

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

A better narrator would have made this 5 stars across the board. The book itself is phenomenal, but the narration match is hideous. The Kindle Fire HD's Text-to-Speech narrator is better than the one chosen for this Audible series.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Connie and Pat were the only people whose voices the narrator portrayed with any consistency and believability. Note: these characters barely have a handful of lines between them.

What didn’t you like about Eva Wilhelm’s performance?

She over-enunciated every other word, even when she was "portraying" a character; she made Katie sound like a pompous schoolmarm; she made Sam sound like bad 1940's mob caricature; she made Owen sound listless; she made everyone one else sound stuffy or brainless, regardless how the author described them.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

If you have a Kindle Fire HD, and you increase the reading speed, the narrator's pace is a tiny bit less grueling.

Any additional comments?

This narrator may as well have been reading from a dictionary. She seemed to make no effort in bringing the characters to life and did not bring the essence of the story into her reading.
Dear Audible: If there is any possibility that an audio book series could be re-released with a different narrator, please, please, please do that with this series!

Fun story of magic.

Would you consider the audio edition of Enchanted, Inc. to be better than the print version?

I have not read the printed version but this audio was entertaining enough for me to download and listen to all 7 books available at this time.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sam, the guard gargoyle. and Merlin...who doesnt enjoy Merlin"s wisdom and mystery. I have to say that all the characters were well written and given interesting personalities that I enjoyed.

What about Eva Wilhelm’s performance did you like?

Her voice sounded the right age, and she did well enough in making a difference in each character that was easy to enough to follow. I have heard better but I would have no problem choosing another reading she may do.

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

Moved? Hmm, Im not sure this was that kind of book. There is humor, mystery, and challenges to met and danger to face. But I dont think I was overly emotional. A good balance.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend this to anyone who would enjoy a fun and quirky read. Im usually not a reader of the books about magic but this one did keep me going through all the books. Will it be the best book Ive read by the end of the year? Maybe not, but I did enjoy it.

Enchanted, Inc Disenchanted me

Would you be willing to try another book from Shanna Swendson? Why or why not?

With a new narrator I would give it another try, but her voice was so grating I nearly gave up half way through. She does a horrid Texas twang and her voice is just, well, ick.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

OMG how do I count the ways?!?!?

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

the storyline has promise, but I won't be giving it any more audible attempts :(

Get a new narrator!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I do not recommend this audiobook. While the story is cute and I might have enjoyed its whimsical plot if read by someone other than Wilhelm, I struggled to get through the first download and then gave up.

If you’ve listened to books by Shanna Swendson before, how does this one compare?

This was my first Shanna Swendson book so I want to be fair. I might have enjoyed it if read by another narrator or if I read it in paperback.

Would you be willing to try another one of Eva Wilhelm’s performances?

The heroine is supposed to be from Texas (hiding her accent in New York) in the present day, but Wilhelm's stage diction makes the book sound like it's being read by Kathryn Hepburn in the 1940s. Every time she said "hand" (and it was often), I cringed. The narration makes the heroine sound like she's from upscale Connecticut, except when she talked to her new boss and then she suddenly sounds like she's from a Texas backwater. It was bad enough that I gave up. I was tired of cringing from the overblown elocution. I will not buy another audiobook by this narrator.

Was Enchanted, Inc. worth the listening time?

No.

A fun, light listen!

If you're tired of trying to keep all your vampire 'universes' straight, this book will be a refreshing change. It's a reverse Mary Sue, which is also refreshing.
The reader is very likeable, although she doesn't do a lot of character voice differentiation. Fortunately, the book doesn't seem to really need it and her voice is charming and a little offbeat.
I plan to continue with this series.

fun and interesting

What made the experience of listening to Enchanted, Inc. the most enjoyable?

easy to listen to - great ideas - made me smile

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

made me laugh out loud and smiled most of the way through - kind of like a demented cat

Great start to a great series!

What did you love best about Enchanted, Inc.?

Fun, lighthearted romp through Shanna Swendson's wonderful world. Katie is an endearing heroine, and I genuinely like all of the characters surrounding her.

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

I wasn't sure about Eva Wilhelm's voice at first... When I read the books, I basically skipped over Katie's Texas accent in my head, so it was strange to hear it when Katie speaks, since she doesn't use it when she's narrating as Katie. But she keeps it pretty mild, and after a few minutes of listening, I stopped noticing it.

Any additional comments?

Check out this series. It has a lot of heart, a lot of humor, and is just an entertaining read (or listen)!

Delightfully funny book

What did you love best about Enchanted, Inc.?

It's just a fun light read! A unique story line, with fabulous characters.

What about Eva Wilhelm’s performance did you like?

She did a fabulous job with the narration! All the characters were done so well.

Great fun!

Wasn't sure when I first started this book if I would like it. Seemed so serious, what with the rude boss and all. Then it got into the fun. Gargoyles. I like gargoyles. Especially talking ones. And frogs into princes. Like it so much I just bought book 2 in the series. Highly entertaining.

Easy but captivating story - worth a credit!

What made the experience of listening to Enchanted, Inc. the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed the characters, a new twist - with the mundane made exceptional.

What did you like best about this story?

Ditto.

Which character – as performed by Eva Wilhelm – was your favourite?

Owen, the shy and bashful hero with a hint of danger - delicious. I liked Rodney, his projected hunk hides a sensitive side!

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

It is a rainy afternoon feel good listen, it relieved the boredom of long drives and I found myself listening whilst cooking because I wanted to know what happened next!

Any additional comments?

The narrator has the most irritating voice and I seriously contemplated returning it after listening to her for five minutes. I am pleased that I persevered, there is a creaky pitch but I stopped noticing as the story itself unfolded.

Enchanted,

What made the experience of listening to Enchanted, Inc. the most enjoyable?

The characters and how you found out about them and how the story progressed

What other book might you compare Enchanted, Inc. to, and why?

I don't know not can't compare it yet

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The fight scene

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

Wen see found out she wasn't weird

Any additional comments?

I will be buying the rest of the Series

A Fast Favourite

I thoroughly enjoyed Shanna Swendson's Enchanted, Inc. It was fresh, clever and fun- easily the best book I've read/listened to in a long time. I couldn't turn it off and had to buy the other books in the series in quick succession. Eva Wilhelm read the story perfectly and her voice really enhanced the story. Highly recommend.

Spellbinding from start to finish.

If you could sum up Enchanted, Inc. in three words, what would they be?

Funny, enchanting, engaging.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Enchanted, Inc.?

The begining. I have been in situations when the boss is being an ogre and wishing that an unmissable job offer would appear in my inbox. Totally understood that Katie would think it was a scam and from that point on I felt that this character could be me and so loved all her future adventures.

Which character – as performed by Eva Wilhelm – was your favourite?

I loved them all but I have to say may favourite character is Rod. Although not the hero, he is such a great character that I loved it whenever he came into the story.

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

I laughed out loud on many an occasion and easily got swept up in the excitement of the story as it picked up pace.

Any additional comments?

I picked this title on a whim but was so pleased I did. I devoured the other titles in the series just as fast and often listened to them till the early hours of the morning. This book is perfect for everyone who believes that their lives could use a little more magic.

Entertaining idea, but could be better developed

Would you try another book written by Shanna Swendson or narrated by Eva Wilhelm?

Not on the strength of this one

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Could have been delivered better.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

A bit monotone and lacking involvement. She didn't sound like a Texan trying to hide her accent - it needs more that the odd "y'all".

Do you think Enchanted, Inc. needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

I don't think so, but that was clearly the intention of the author.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this enough to keep on listening, but couldn’t help thinking it could have been a fair bit better. The climax could have been made a lot more dramatic than it was.

It’s an imaginative idea which has a lot of scope, and the characters we meet in this story are interesting enough.

The telegraphing of a romance to develop in later books is almost painfully telegraphed and I thought some of the background plot details were a bit implausible.

I found the writing just a bit stilted and there were quite a lot of repetitions, something an audiobook makes slightly more obvious.

nice easy lisening

Where does Enchanted, Inc. rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is a middle of the road story and is an amusing listen on a duvet day. Nothing too aggressive or ugly.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Enchanted, Inc.?

most memorable moment was when Katie kissed a frog

Have you listened to any of Eva Wilhelm’s other performances? How does this one compare?

this is my first listen to Eva and she sounds great :) Good definition of the different character's .

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

Made me laugh :)

Any additional comments?

I will be purchasing the next book soon .

Truly Enchanting

What did you like most about Enchanted, Inc.?

It was light and funny

Who was your favorite character and why?

Katie Chandler. She was seeing all these strange things, but did she freak out? No, she just thought that the people in New York were weird

What about Eva Wilhelm’s performance did you like?

Eva's performance was really good, she made it sound as if she were Katie, with the different reactions to each new situation.

Harry Potter's Work Experience

I wanted to like this as it was my time for a fluffy rom com listen; but this just took itself too seriously for a comic book.

A human secretary moves jobs to a magic spell company and learns to live with wizards, fairies and elves.

Easy, funny urban fantasy

Would you listen to Enchanted, Inc. again? Why?

A enjoyable story. A young women discovers that magic, wizards an magical creature's exist in the Big Apple.

What did you like best about this story?

Yes. It's funny and easy going story.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

When she first discovers magic.

Magic and loves slow burner

I wanted to read something magical, trying to find witchy reads that aren't samey is hard by just titles.
So I am recommending this... Not witchy but magical and a twist on the non magical person being the spectacular.
Entwined with a slow burning crush... Guess what she doesn't get the guy at the end of this one... But keep reading the series.
I thoroughly enjoy this series.
I find the narrator's voice fine and it fits the southern bells that the story surrounds.