Blackbird in the Reeds

Rowan Harbor Cycle Series, Book 1

By: Sam Burns

Narrated by: Chris Chambers

Devon Murphy has never believed that there were fairies at the bottom of the garden, but when he's in an accident on his way to his grandmother's house and comes face to face with the biggest, baddest wolf he's ever seen, he's forced to reconsider. When his grandmother asks him to look into a string of suspicious accidents, he finds a much bigger mystery to unravel. From his childhood best friend to the too-attractive deputy Wade Hunter, everyone in Rowan Harbor seems to have something to hide. Devon has to get to the bottom of it all before the accidents turn deadly. Contains mature themes.

©2017 Sam Burns (P)2018 Tantor

3.5 Stars

I'm a sucker for a good fantasy story and Blackbird in the Reeds delivers the world and character building that I crave.

Told from Devon Murphy's single, third-person point of view, Blackbird in the Reeds is a nice blend of contemporary fantasy and paranormal romance, and it sets up nicely for what's to come next without being cliffhanger-ish.

Chris Chambers enunciates every word very clearly and he uses a distinct character voice for each of the large cast. His pacing is very structured and he infuses some emotion into the text bringing the characters to life. Overall I enjoyed listening to the audio and would listen again. However, Chambers' enunciation resulted in a less than relaxed delivery and, though his performance is proper and clear, I would love to hear Chris loosen up and really enjoy performing the characters in the next book.

Note: The Rowan Harbor Cycle is a series of 9 books - a trilogy of trilogies. The main characters (Devon and Wade, Jesse and Sean, Fletcher and Conner) will have their own book in each trilogy with a happy for now ending and later their (hopefully) happily ever afters.

Good Weird Small-town Trope

Sam is good with her prose as ever. This is more novella than novel, but good. A nice intro to a series and a rather good narrator. Chris the voice actor is excellent with his characters but a little boring on some of his exposition. However he has a ridiculously sexy voice and I personally would love to hear him tell me bedtime stories while snuggling. #swoon

Good Story & I Enjoyed Chris Chambers

Creative, clever, fun. I enjoyed all the little surprises along the way, and since I didn't really read the blurb that worked out well for me this time 😜.

I listened to the audio version of Blackbird in the Reeds and thoroughly enjoyed the narrator, Chris Chambers. He did a good job and I'm scrolling through Audible right now looking for more of his MM performances.

Good story. Good narration.

The world building was interesting. I enjoyed getting to know Rowan Harbor. The core of the story focused on Devon getting to know the town his family came from. There is a romance in the story, but it isn't the primary focus.

I enjoyed getting to know Devon and many of the side characters. The plot wasn't quite as grim or focused as I usually prefer. I am a fan of the dark and gritty. This story was definitely a lighter approach to the supernatural world.

If you are looking for charming story about a young man learning more about himself and his home town, this will be a good read. The narration by Chris Chambers is nicely performed,

ehh

I like the concept and the initial presentation, but it doesn’t pan out. There’s no chemistry between the leads, they’re just suddenly kissing for no apparent reason from the reader’s perspective. the subsequent parts of the relationship feel unearned and out of step. maybe the author could find a collaborator to help her deliver on her ideas because i like those.