Out of the Ashes

A Metahuman Files: Classified Novella, Book 1

By: Hailey Turner

Narrated by: Greg Boudreaux

Length: 2 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

War never leaves a soldier behind.

Staff Sergeant Alexei Dvorkin is still recovering from his brief stint as a prisoner of war. While his physical wounds have healed, the emotional scars are slow to disappear. Agent Sean Delaney’s recovery from trauma is likewise slower than anticipated, and he also blames himself for what Alexei suffered through.   

The ties between Alexei and Sean were frayed by the enemy’s hand. Mending what was broken between them will require a depth of honesty neither man is ready to face just yet. But if they don’t, they risk losing a future together neither wants to let go.

©2020 Hailey Turner (P)2020 Hailey Turner

A story of compassion and love!

This was a spectacular edition to the series.
I liked getting into the minds of Sean and Alexei. I loved that we get more of them in this spinoff.
I loved listening to this action packed gem.
Greg Boudreaux did an amazing audio delivery for this one.

A much needed addition to the series

I love the Metahuman series and I always felt that between In the Blood and In the Requiem not much attention was given to the aftermath of what Sean and Alexei went through. Thankfully this novella was written to give us a feel of the mind space of Alexei and Sean. The POV is for the bigger part Sean's, since his torture was mostly psychological, except the dental work, thus having a bigger impact on his psyche and more to work through. I wish that Alexei's state of mind wasn't summed up in "he's trained to overcome things like that" and it's the reason I'm giving the story 3 stars. Alexei's POV mostly entails his desire to help Sean and be there for him no matter what. Greg's always a joy to listen to, various voices, accents and emotions! His Alexei is especially delicious!!!

I received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.

surprised how much I related

I avoided this book at first since it centers around the shared trauma after novembers events in boston. I know there is a better ending but experiencing the day to day of the tension before the healing wasn’t something I thought i’d read.

I took a chance and finally started this book. I was curious to see what the london mission was the next book mentions, and I was encouraged that at least it would end on a positive based on how it’s later looked back on as a breakthrough

the book was great. consistently excellent writing like her other works

I was surprised by how much I relate to sean’s character after a very challenging year with health scares my spouse experienced. even though the bad parts are over and in the past, everything still feels fragile and impermanent. like at a seconds notice that’ll be it and everything will break. I found myself actually resenting sean in certain moment, but more because I see myself in him.

anyways all in all a great read. definitely encourage

Out of the Ashes

Omg this audio book was absolutely positively awesome. I would highly recommend this audio book.

4.5 stars

I love Alexei and Sean! I loved seeing them grow through their trauma. The action and seeing Liam again was a bonus!

The novella we all wanted!

*Major spoilers for the series, do NOT read this if you haven’t read the Metahuman series.*

If you were wondering how Sean and Alexei recovered from their incredibly traumatic ordeal, this novella has all the answers. I’m glad we get this glimpse into their recovery because it really does add to the story, these characters, and their relationship. This is also a great audiobook if you’re looking for something short/quick. Greg Boudreaux narrates and is as awesome as usual!

Just what I needed

This was a shorter novella but after everything that happened in the last book, I am so glad to see Sean and Alexei work through all of the traumatic aftermath.

An absolute MUST read!

This novella blew me away! I am so in love with Alexei and Sean's characters. Watching them struggle and over come such horrors is honestly breathtaking and empowering. This couple gives me strength and I will always want more of them. They take each hurtle in stride and it warms my heart to see how they claw out of themselves to move on and come back together where they can go forward hand in hand. This novella is heart wrenching and emotion filled. I loved every moment. As always, masterfully read by Greg Boudreaux 👏👏👏👏 Five stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Heartbreakingly beautiful

A continuing story in the meta human world focusing on overcoming the severe physical and psychological trauma caused when one heroic couple was kidnapped and tortured. If you haven’t read the previous stories, you won’t be as personally invested in the main characters and won’t have read the actual kidnapping story. The ugly side of survival and PTSD is written with the view towards reconciliation and a hopeful outlook. Healing, not healed. Recovering, not cured. Gentle, steadfast love holding pieces together until it feels ok to let actual arms hold each other. Of course there is action and adventure, but this novella focuses mainly on the mental, physical, and emotional hurdles of our beloved heroes. I personally hate novellas because they’re usually not substantial enough for me to enjoy, but I HIGHLY recommend this one! Greg Boudreaux is fabulous as always- Russian, several British and American accents, perfect pitch, inflection, and timing create a movie in your mind as the story unfolds. This novella is heartbreakingly beautiful.

Love And Healing

This is the first book in The Metahuman Files: Classified Series. Although it is a shorter book that bridges book 4 and book 5 of the Metahuman Files Series. So, it is really Book 4.5. And you really do need to read the previous books especially book 4 In the Blood. They are totally worth reading and you will understand Out of the Ashes better for it. A sensational book the writing was amazing. The plot was entertaining and it was steady throughout the book. I found the story and characters wonderful. The characters were well developed and thought out. This book focuses on Sean and Alexei as the MC’s of this book and their healing and continuing with life from book 4. There was humor, argument, mission, London, training, psychiatrist, support, frustration and so much more in this book.

Here is a quote from the book, “Sitting up, Alexei leaned over and carefully lifted Sean’s hand to his mouth, brushing his lips over warm knuckles. “Ya tebya lyublyu,” Alexei whispered. It felt more like a confession now than at any time before when they’d said the words to each other. He still meant them with every fiber of his being.”. There is more but you will need to read the book which I can highly recommend this book and the series. The narration was wonderful not monotone and used different voices for the characters. I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book for an honest review.

Alexei, le sigh

oh Alexei, will always own a piece of my heart. every book i think is my favorite hero but Alexei might just win. He and Sean are the perfect combo of wounded heros, love and perseverance healing them both. This one is a little more emotional however still has all the fast paced action we know and love from this series

Incredible

This story is heart-breaking and hauntingly beautiful. I loved it. Alexei and Shaun have been through so much and here we get to see the impact of all of it.

Questions answered

This novella answers the questions about how Sean and Alexei will recover and rebuild their relationship after the horrors of In the Blood. As expected, their sense of themselves and their ability to trust have been nearly destroyed and while it is painful to watch them struggle it is so worth it in the end. Greg Boudreaux's performance here will break your heart with the pain he conveys with these characters and then will put it back together as the men find a resilience they didn't know they had.

A Wonderful extra to the series!

I love when an author created extras that helped to round up an already amazing world making everything more authentic giving the plot some interesting dibits. This story helped us to learn more about Alexei and Sean' s dynamic and allowed us to witness their reaction to the traumatic events happening in the book "In the Blood (book 4)" and how they healed together. A wonderful book 1 on these files, masterfully narrated by Mr Boudreaux.

Great addition

Hailey Turner did an amazing job with the short stories following the Metahuman series. Although each book in the Classified series can stand on its own, its best enjoy after the original series. Greg Boudreaux was super with the narration.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Touching and Emotional

This story had everything from heartbreakingly tender moments, emotional upheaval to action and adventure. I adored these two characters, the chemistry and love between them was thick and beautiful. Turner did an impeccable job with this short story, keeping readers/listeners interested and drooling. The story didn’t leave me wanting for more but satisfied and happy with the way it ended as a whole.

Greg is an amazing narrator, as always connecting with the characters on another level. His accents are perfect, going from voice to voice smoothly. Greg is phenomenal at communicating passion and emotion in his voice, always giving the characters life and the plot enthusiasm.

Looking forward to more!

An emotional healing journey

Even though Alexei and Sean were rescued in the main series, I'm so glad Hailey Turner dedicated an entire novella to exploring how they recovered from their trauma. The things these men had to live through were truly horrific, and being able to witness their healing journey soothed the tension that never quite left me when I was reading the previous story. In a series where Metahumans have so many advantages, it was both refreshing and heartwrenching to see Sean and Alexei struggle with the same emotions all humans experience. It really brought home the message that even Metahumans aren't invincible, that they deal with the same emotional tumoil as everyone else and need the same support systems to heal from difficult situations. I love that even at their most strained moments, Alexei and Sean never gave up on each other. The depth of their love never felt quite as strong as it did in this story, and it left me feeling hopeful even when I wasn't sure things would ever go back to normal for these men. While I can't deny that the emotions Sean and Alexei had to process were heavy, this novella stayed upbeat and action-packed when they went on their mission in London. In true Metahumans fashion, things went a bit sideways, but Sean and Alexei made it through with their quick thinking and excellent teamwork. After listening to this adventurous novella, I can say with certainty that Alexei and Sean have overcome the worst of their trauma and are ready to get back in the swing of things again.

**I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.   

The in-between story

I love this series and had seen these novellas but hadn’t picked them up. Needless to say, I was thrilled when they came to audio. Greg Boudreaux narrates the series and he did these shorts including Alexei’s Russian accent. He always does a great job.

This story takes place after Alexei and Sean’s horrific kidnapping. That story line – that violent incident – is seared in my memory. It nearly broke me with what they went through. I knew it wouldn’t be all roses and chocolates after that – how could it be? But I wanted the men to find their way forward both in their careers and in their personal lives.

And there is work to be done. Sean still freezes up when Alexei touches him, yet turns green with jealousy when anyone shows an interest in Alexei. There is love there, but barriers need to be breached. And when Alexei and Sean go on their first covert mission, there is another kind of healing. These men’s self-worth is derived from their work, so getting back in the saddle, so to speak, triggers more healing. That and blowing up London is just fun. A cameo by my favorite British metahuman rounded out the great story. This novella was well done, and I look forward to more shorts.

I love Alexei and Sean so much!

Sean and Alexei are dealing with the aftermath of the events that happened in book 4 in the Metahuman Files, In the Blood.

I know that Jaime and Kyle are the series' fan favorites, but for me, Alexei and Sean have been my favorites since they got together in In The Blood and this novella just confirmed it for me. Alexei is so steadfast and supportive and perfect *dreamy sigh* and Sean, well, he broke my heart with how much guilt he felt over what happened to Alexei and that's all I'll say because I don't want to spoil the book for anyone. *hugs Sean*

It's kind of amazing how easily Greg Boudreaux can convey such a wealth of emotion with his voice. He's an outstanding narrator and definitely one of my Top 3.

I've listened to almost all the books in the series, and having the chance to listen to the novellas as well is such a treat, even if I know Hailey Turner will tug at my heartstrings when she makes my beloved boys suffer. Even so, I wouldn't dare miss out on this fantastic series, and you shouldn't either.

A Time To Heal

Sean and Alexei went through so much in book 4, In The Blood, so it was great to have this novella, a book 4.5 if you like, to see the beginning of healing and a resolution to the torture they both endured.
Thank you Hailey, I can never get enough of these guys.