Hound's Bite

Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective, Volume 5

By: E.J. Stevens

Narrated by: Melanie A. Mason, Anthony A. Bowlin

Length: 7 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

PRG Reviewer's Choice Award finalist for Best Urban Fantasy series.

Ivy Granger thought she left the worst of Mab's creations behind when she escaped Faerie. She thought wrong.

In a cruel twist of fate, Ivy has unleashed a powerful horde of Unseelie beasts upon her city, turning her homecoming into a potential slaughter of innocents. Now Ivy must gather her allies to fight a reputedly unstoppable force - The Wild Hunt.

Will the training Ivy received in her father's court be enough to save her city, or will Harborsmouth be forced to kneel before the Lord of the Hunt? She is willing to risk her own life, but some sacrifices come at a cost worse than death. When an ally is bitten by one of The Wild Hunt's hounds, Ivy must face the possibility that winning this battle may mean killing the one person she has come to love most.

Hound's Bite is the fifth full-length novel in the award-winning, best-selling Ivy Granger urban fantasy series by E.J. Stevens. The world of Ivy Granger, including the Ivy Granger Psychic Detective series and Hunters' Guild series, is filled with action, mystery, magic, dark humor, quirky characters, bloodsucking vampires, flirtatious demons, sarcastic gargoyles, sexy shifters, temperamental witches, psychotic faeries, and snarky, kick-butt heroines.

The Ivy Granger series has won numerous awards, including the BTS Red Carpet Award for Best Novel, the PRG Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Paranormal Fantasy Novel, Best Urban Fantasy Novel, and finalist for Best Urban Fantasy Series.

©2016 E.J. Stevens (P)2017 E.J. Stevens

Stevens crafts an action-packed tale

As if Ivy Granger doesn't have enough problems with her mom being Queen Mab, her father is Will of the Wisp, her fiancé is The king of Kelpies, her adopted son is full on demon and she's a full blown fey; but now one of her trusted friends has gone evil rogue and The Wild Hunt is on the prowl. Can she save her friends and the town she loves? Who amongst her friends will suffer if she loses?

EJ Stevens crafts an action-packed tale which challenges each character to do what is right instead of what is expected. I loved how the various forms of fey/supernaturals were involved demonstrating that differences can be put aside for the good of all.

Character development was solid as was the plot. There were a couple of times where things seemed to take a leap and she had more aces up her sleeve than a casino has chips. That phrase was overused however the story itself was solid and engaging.

This was a bit of a theatrical presentation with sounds and music; often getting in the way of the story. Narrators Melanie Mason and Anthony Bowlin did an amazing job of owning the book with their talented and crafted voices. They never stumbled over one another and their voices fit each character.

There were no issues with the production or quality of this audiobook. Although I felt the sound effects are more of a hindrance than a help.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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Fast paced action brings friends to Ivy's side!

Ivy escaped from the land of Faerie with her fiancé, Ceffyl, and a testy friend, king of the Cat Sidhe, Sir Torn. But as they return, they discover that an evil force followed them into Ivy’s home town, Harborsmouth. The Huntsman and his powerful Barguest are bringing the Wild Hunt to Ivy and her community. The Huntsman will blow his horn at sundown to loose the dark hounds on the city. Any bite from the hounds turns the victim into a new black hound.

Ivy would normally call on her witch friend, Kaye, to help prepare a defense but Kaye has gone off the deep end on a power trip and may be as dangerous as the Huntsman. Ivy has to deal with Kaye before she can gather allies to face the Wild Hunt.

I enjoyed the action and the usual characters, plus extra creatures, brought in to help in each of the crisis that Ivy faces. I was a little distracted by some repetition of Ivy sort of whining. Still, she is growing and those around her recognize her special ability to bring adversaries together to face a common foe. She’s done it before and hopes to do it again to protect the city from the Wild Hunt. She tries to protect those she loves but can she save all her friends, including Ceff when he gets caught by the hounds? There are threads from prior books, and a few surprises, that get tied in nicely here. I liked how the friends come together in this good adventure.

Audio Notes: Melanie A. Mason and Anthony A. Bowlin do a nice job with the character voices. Their back and forth combination works well to make this a fun and entertaining listen.

I received this audiobook from the author as part of release tour. My rating 4.25.

Does it again!!!!

Loved everything about it! This series leads me around like a....well like a Will-o- wisp!

. I love this combination of story and narration

AudioBook Review
Stars: Overall 5 Narration 5 Story 5

From the first, I’ve been in Ivy’s corner as one weird and otherworldly element has appeared in her world, and she’s adjusted. It’s not enough that around every corner there is something new for her to encounter, adjust to or overcome, but her own personal growth has brought her own history, affected her friends, and brought endless challenges into her life. Stevens has brought fey, witches, fairies, vampires, ghouls and more into this little town of Harborsmouth, and Ivy has always managed to find some sort of solution or accommodation to keep the town safe. But now, a hoarde of unseelie beasts are threatening the city and Ivy must find a way to remove the threat while keeping the Lord of the Hunt and his hounds at bay.

Ivy has SO much to deal with: her father is Will o’ the Wisp, her mother is Mab, the child she adopted is a demon and her significant other is the King of the Kelpies. If that wasn’t enough, one of her friends has been bitten by one of the hounds from the hunt, and is now gone rogue, in all the worst ways. While each book has me empathizing with Ivy, and hoping she’ll pull something out from her sleeve that settles a problem, this book had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Much of Ivy’s path has been an ‘oops’ moment, where one of her actions unleashes something horrible, and then she scrambles to get back in control – this is nothing different, but you have to admire her determination and lateral thinking when she is trying out solutions. Her growth through this series has been exponential, and through it all – good and bad, she manages to hold onto a sense of humor and a belief that things will work out because the good should prevail.

Narration in this story is provided by Melanie Mason and Anthony Bowling and their dual narration brings the characters to light, adding appropriate emotion, tension and weight to the moments as they appear. Clear enunciation, pauses where required, never overstepping on each other’s performance and allowing the words and action to stand forward, even as music was added to bring an atmospheric influence. I’m not against music in stories, and there were some clever compositional choices that did add auditory interest. I love this combination of story and narration, and the series is a unique and interconnected series of events in one small town – a favorite of mine and a great treat for those looking for something different this Halloween season.

I received an audiobook copy of the title via AudioBook Jukebox for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Great Story

I truly enjoyed listening to this book, E.J. Stevens, Melanie A. Mason and Anthony A. Bowlin did a great job keeping my focus throughout the entire story.

A great continuation to the series!

Note: While this is Book 5 in the series, I feel that one could enjoy it as a stand alone.

Ivy Granger has returned from the Unseelie Faerie Court after learning some earth-shattering news about her parentage. But there’s no time to rest and deal with that because the Lord of the Hunt is about to hit Harborsmouth. She must call upon her allies, her latest training, and her friends to combat the Wild Hunt or suffer the loss of her beloved city.

This was a gripping read! I really enjoyed this installment in the series. First, there’s the great characters and they’re all written so well in this book, with great lines and actions that give them depth. Then there’s more than one crisis Ivy has to deal with, so it’s not just one long meandering battle with the Wild Hunt. Lastly, there are consequences and some of them are a bit rough. I like it when my urban fantasy drags talons across some of the major characters.

Jinx is still a big part of Ivy’s life and I’m very glad these two friends were able to deal with their recent falling out. And, yes, Jinx still has her crossbow. She and Forneus (who is a demon and a lawyer) are still together. Then there’s Torn, the cat sidhe, who flirts with both Ivy and Jinx, which really irritates both Forneus and Ceff (Ivy’s kelpie lord boyfriend). Then toss in Sparky, Ivy’s adopted demon child. Father Michael gets called in to babysit while the heroes work on a game plan to deal with Hearn, Lord of the Hunt.

Yet before they get too far along, Sparky goes missing. Now a powerful witch, Kaye, has a plan to save Harborsmouth from the Wild Hunt but things are going disastrously wrong there. Ivy and her friends will need the help of the mysterious Circle before they can regroup and get back to dealing with Hearn. I loved this part of the book. It was a bit of a detour from the big event but I really enjoyed how it added to several of the characters. Ariadne, a witchling who is in training to Kaye, really gets to be in the spotlight for part of it. Then there’s Ivy’s new Faerie and Wisp powers to put on display. Also the beetles! The next time I get something stuck in my throat, I will be looking for beetles.

So then we get past that and allies must be gathered for the big fight. Now the thing about the Wild Hunt is that if a hound of the Wild Hunt bites you, you turn into a hound yourself and you’re bound to serve the Lord of the Hunt. Armor! Bring me my armor! Obviously, things don’t go well for everyone involved and Ivy faces the very real danger of losing people she loves to the Wild Hunt.

I was very satisfied with the ending. Not everyone got everything they wanted but there’s still enough good stuff that people can pick up the pieces and move on with their lives. I especially like how far the Pooka came in this series, despite their choice of condom hats.

I received a free copy of this book.

The Narration: Once again, Melanie Mason narrates the bulk of this story, being the perfect voice for Ivy. I also love her Jinx voice. Anthony Bowling has all the male character lines and he does a great job with Torn (a flirtatious snot) and Father Michael (a sincere man). Most of the time, Bowling’s lines are inserted smoothly into the recording but other times it definitely felt like these two narrators weren’t in the same room during the recording. There were a few sound effects mixed in, and for the most part they worked. There were a few that I wasn’t sure what they were until the story told me what they were.

Ivy is taking charge!

Ivy Granger has returned from the journey of a lifetime only to be faced with a battle that will test her skills and her new found magical abilities. With her boyfriend Kef and best friend Jinx by her side, will Ivy win the fight over evil or will evil take its toll?

Ivy and the gang have come full circle now with fighting battles, winning in love, friendship and respect but they have also gained more to lose. When Ivy returns after discovering who she really is, she now faces the challenge of controlling that power yet still keeping her loved ones safe. When the hounds come howling, Ivy gathers the troops and prepares for an epic battle, and in the process everything goes wrong, very wrong. Ivy is a born leader, she knows just how to call the shots when the chips are down like a true leader. The story, the battle only strengthens the bonds and seals an emotional attachment for the reader. How could you not love Sparky, the demon she has adopted, or Kef, the Kelpie King boyfriend who never judges her but just loves her and Sparky. It has been my pure pleasure to read as Ivy comes into a wonderful and powerful leader as well as a strong, brave woman. The ending left me with questions, but ones that show how fascinated I am with Ivy’s life and where it will go from here.

Narrators Review

Narrated by Melanie A. Mason and Anthony A. Bowlin. Both Mason and Bowlin have done a wonderful job with their narration. The sound quality was excellent, the tone was pleasant to my ears, and the emotion/acting was most entertaining! I can honestly say that listening to this duo was a treat, and made the story come alive. Thank you for a job well done.
**Audiobook provided by the author for an honest review**

Crazy Faerie Princess Takes on the Wild Hunt

(excuse the spelling of names...I heard the audio)

Summary: Ivy Granger's a snarky faerie princess. The main plot can be summed up in a quest to save harboursmouth from Herne the Hunter and his hounds.

Additional Comments:
- Not sure where the psychic detective part comes in since this is my first experience with the series. I'm assuming the detective bit had more to do with earlier stories. This story just has her running around the city trying to forge alliances and save the human population from a few crazy plots. There's some mystery but very little detective work.
- The character voice Ivy has is awesome, but you gotta like snark.
- Content warnings: quite a few references to adult content (lots of innuendo); quite a few curses (and a few hexes thrown in too); definite references to the occult - can't really escape that with a book stuffed full of mythological creatures (kelpies, faeries, vampires, etc).
- Side characters are well-developed, but I think that's to be expected in a book 5 of a series. There are references to events that happened in previous volumes, but the work feels complete enough that you can jump in here without feeling too lost. There's an opening for more without sounding like a blatant "buy my next book" plea.
- Narrator was well-picked.

Conclusion: If you like your heroine's strong and weird, Ivy Granger's the faerie princess for you.

An amazing series!

I love this series more with every book; the world that E.J. Stevens has created is amazing, detailed and so vividly conveyed. I don’t want to give away what happens; there will be no spoilers here. But I’m continually amazed by the situations that Ivy Granger is put through and the emotional response it creates in me as I listen to the story unfold. Stevens is incredibly creative and there is never a dull moment.

The narration was good but I don’t like the background sounds that are added at times especially when they don’t totally match what’s happening. At one point the book says, the horn sounds three times and we hear a horn but only twice, if you’re going to add sounds, at least get it right. There are also strange sound shifts used to show things that are remembered and I really didn’t like this, I found it jarring. At times the dual narration is jarring as well and while Melanie and Anthony do a decent job, I want Traci Odom back!

This book was supplied free by the author/narrator/publisher and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.

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Fast paced urban fantasy

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book is a quick paced story with likeable characters that bring the urban fantasy to life. suitable for YA and up. No major warnings.

What did you like best about this story?

Ivy's self revelations and personal growth make the story relatable for all of us who have ever wondered why life has to be complicated and chose to just blunder on and figure it out as we take the journey.

What does Melanie A. Mason and Anthony A. Bowlin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

IMason and Bowlin were and unbeatable duo narrating the story and bringing every page to life. Listening was a great experience. IThey made the story a great listen.

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

Ivy's realization that she has become a true mom to the baby demon was a tender turning point.

Any additional comments?

Hound’s Bite: Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective Vol. 5
Written by E. J. Stevens
Narrated by Melanie A. Matson
Ivy Granger, daughter of notorious Mab has escaped Fairie, but not without an unexpected cost. The Wild Hunt’s hounds are in furious pursuit. Ivey and her groups of unlikely friends must reach deep within themselves if any are to survive. The fast paced story includes gargoyle, witches, demons and a host of para normals plus best human friend Jinx. The story quick and witty dialogs bring the reader through this urban fantasy and leave you waiting for the next story in the series.
“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”

Good

I was given this free review copy at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Good

.Hound's Bite: Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective

What did you like most about Hound's Bite?
Eeeek! I feel like I have been waiting forever for this book to come out .I have been a HUGE E.J Stevens fan since the first book Shadow sight came to Audible UK in 2013!After the revelation in the previous book,Birthright,that Ivy ,our Ivy was Queen Mab's daughter. The queen of air and darkness' daughter !Lets just say I have been eagerly waiting for this book to be released.So what did I like most?the continuation of this amazing fae filled,realm jumping Myth to reality series.It was amazing!Its hard in reviews not to let any spoilers slip so that and hold on to your seats, grab some tissues and you may need a baby monitor at some time ;) Outstanding Urban fantasy.
What other book might you compare Hound's Bite to, and why?
Hmm if i were to compare this series to anything it would be October Daye series by Seanan McGuire .
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Absolutely and I did. Infact I went back and listened to all of the books again to get the full experience.Writing like this is worth it,you see and pick up things that the writer has planted in the ground work from the beginning and throughout the books that come to a head and make a glorious , magical sense.
Any additional comments?
Melanie A. Mason , Anthony A. Bowlin were very good and held me spellbound.This book was on my “ Pounce on it as soon as it comes out list” however I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator. This review,as always , is my honest opinion.

It's not what you would expect.

Any additional comments?

I have to admit that I have not read or listened to the previous books in this series. However, as the story progressed the author explained somethings. I didn't feel that I was missing anything from not reading the others in the series.
I liked the main character Ivy, I thought she was mature and lead her team like a true leader. I have to say my favorite character has to be Torn. I found him to be really interesting. I didn't get much from Ceff, Ivy's boyfriend. I didn't see any emotional connection between him and ivy. I am surprised that they are in love because I did not feel it. I thought he would have been more involved but we don't get to see him a lot and sometimes I forget he is even there. It is a shame I would have loved to have gotten to know him as I got to know the other characters.

There are two narrators in this audio book. They worked really well together and gave the characters a more 3D effect. I also liked the sound effects, which I wasn't expecting and it gave the book something more.

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher, and/or narrator