In the Wake of the Wicked

The Veridian Empire, Book 1

By: V.B. Lacey

Narrated by: Sarah Welborn, Tristan Warden

Wicked meets The Hunger Games in this dark fantasy romance standalone with magical trials, a secret rebellion, and swoon-worthy reluctant allies to lovers romance.

Wherever she goes, darkness follows.

An orphan with a tragic past and a penchant for wicked deeds, Rose Wolff has never been accepted by her people. She's learned to live in the darkness, content with her Alchemy magic and her quiet apothecary.

When a terrible curse sweeping the land forces her to enter the Decemvirate, a magical tournament among the strongest of the empire, Rose is pulled from the shadows and thrown into a world of power games, deadly trials, and entanglements with a handsome, mysterious rebel.

With divisions in the empire worsening, there may be more at stake than becoming the champion. Secrets about her magic and encounters with the all-powerful emperor make Rose question everything, leading her down a path she may never come back from.

All magic has a price, and Rose must choose: truth, love, or power?

Contains mature themes.

©2024 V.B. Lacey (P)2024 Tantor Media

Disjointed and grating narration

In the Wake of the Wicked was just okay for me. While the prologue had me sucked in and interested, at about 25% in it lost me. The story often felt disjointed, and I struggled to stay immersed. Several love scenes were placed right in the middle of intense action, which felt unrealistic and pulled me out of the story rather than adding emotional weight.

The narration was a major drawback and was the primary reason for the low rating. Both narrators felt flat, but the female narrator in particular had strange pronunciations and a grating delivery. Emotional moments didn’t land because the performances lacked variation or depth.

I also had trouble figuring out the intended audience. The characters are adults, yet the language, vernacular, and overall tone felt very juvenile, almost YA, which created a distracting mismatch.

That said, I did end up genuinely loving some of the characters, while others felt underdeveloped and rushed. I especially experienced a lot of whiplash trying to follow the FMC’s thoughts and feelings about the emperor, her internal reactions shifted so abruptly that it was hard to track her emotional arc or motivations.

Some action scenes were engaging and well done, while others felt rushed. The use of modern language and references in a fantasy setting also made it difficult to fully get lost in the world.

Overall, there were moments of promise, but uneven pacing, tonal confusion, character inconsistency, and weak narration kept this from being more than an average listen.

Amazing characters!

Great story with lots of twists and turns. There was a great balance of romance, family drama, and action. My jaw dropped multiple times. The story is fast paced, yet detailed and intricate. It’s beautifully written and performed. I will definitely listen to more from this author and narrators.

DNF at 50% - Fell Flat

Story aside, I would have given this a 1 ⭐️ on the audio performance alone. My goodness. I had to listen in 1.7 speed just to endure. Both incredibly flat, robotic, lackluster performances. I’m sorry, but that is my opinion. To each their own impression, but everything about this story felt forced. Around 50% (where I’m ending) Leo and Rose for some weird reason decide to like each other. There is no incident or dramatic moment where they suddenly trust each other, the author just TELLS you they go from irritated to attracted. There is no showing you with this story, only telling you. It had promise. The magic was interesting. The trials were unique and interesting. The political intrigue is interesting. But the character development interactions lacked. Felt juvenile and flat.