Heart of Iron

London Steampunk, Book 2

By: Bec McMaster

Narrated by: Alison Larkin

Lena Todd is the perfect spy. Nobody suspects the flirtatious debutante could be a rebel against London's vicious elite - not even the ruthless Will Carver, the one man she can't twist around her little finger.

Will Carver is more than man, he's a verwolfen and he wants nothing to do with the dangerous beauty who drives him to the very edge of control. But when he finds Lena in possession of a coded letter, he realizes she's in a world of trouble. To protect her, he'll have to seduce the truth from her before it's too late.

©2013 Beth McMaster (P)2013 Tantor

Liked better than first one

I like the 2nd installment of this series better than the first one. The narrator was fine - although sometimes male voices sound a little "old manish" but thats ok. if you read the first one and liked it you will like this one too.

The Beast captured my heart.

This is still a good series, I like the world building and I will be trying the next book in the series. I'm interested to know what will happen next. I'm also interested to have more on the Norse Verwulfen and the Nighthawk Guard. The only down fall was Lena, she was a bit on the immature side, just short of being too stupid to live. She does get a bit better towards the end of the story, I kept going because I liked Will and the first book was good. Like in the first book there isn't a lot of sex but what there is sexy and I enjoyed the romance of it all. Sometimes at the beginning I had a hard time deciphering who was talking maybe it is possible this is a narration problem. The narrator is the same as the last book and overall she does a good job, but I didn't like her voice for Will.

BLOOD LUST & ARISTOCRACY

How attainable is securing your lifestyle when the odds are supernatural versus humanism? Finding the right Soulmate or Mentor could help clear the path.

Disappointing addition to the London Steampunk series

I enjoyed the first book in the series, KISS of Steel and I thought the narrator did a good job but with this book, the narration was grating and the voice used for the character of Will was painful to listen to. The Scottish accent , the attempt at a low growl, and especially the way he said the heroine’s name “Lena” eventually made me crazy enough to increase the speed so I could get through the story faster. The plot was weak enough and the narration annoying enough as to make me stop the series with book. However, on the plus side, it could be a good drinking game. Each time Will rasps “Lena”, take a shot. Each time he says “Lena” passionately, angrily, playfully, exasperatedly, and you take a shot, I guarantee you’ll be under the table by chapter 7.

Loved the story, but not the narration

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Listening to this book was time well spent. While I was not thrilled about the narration, I love the story, and the audio book allowed me to "read" when I might otherwise not have been able (while driving).

What other book might you compare Heart of Iron to and why?

Heart of Iron has the same feel as the first book in the series Kiss of Steel.

Would you be willing to try another one of Alison Larkin’s performances?

Probably, but not for this same series. I think she'd be better suited for a first person performance.

Do you think Heart of Iron needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Definitely! But, I say this knowing that the third book in the series comes out this fall, and I am looking forward to it.

Any additional comments?

Regarding the narration - the narrator did capture the prissy tone of the female lead very well. However, she did not do as well with the male characters and their accents. They all came off sounding like grumpy old men. This was disappointing, but not awful.