Power of Five: Reverse Harem Fantasy

By: Alex Lidell

Narrated by: Victoria Mei

Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's Summary

Four elite fae warriors. One mortal female. A magical bond they can't allow - or resist.  

Orphaned and sold to a harsh master, Lera's life is about mucking stalls, avoiding her master's advances, and steering clear of the mystical forest separating the mortal and fae worlds. Only fools venture into the immortal realms, and only dark rumors come out... Until four powerful fae warriors appear at Lera's barn. 

River, Coal, Tye, and Shade have waited a decade for their new fifth to be chosen, the wounds from their quint brother's loss still raw. But the magic has played a cruel trick, bonding the four immortal warriors to... a female. A mortal female. 

Distractingly beautiful and dangerously frail, Lera can only be one thing - a mistake. Yet as the males bring Lera back to the fae lands to sever the bond, they discover that she holds more power over their souls than is safe for anyone... especially for Lera herself.  

Power of Five is a full-length reverse-harem fantasy novel.

©2018 Alex Lidell (P)2018 Alex Lidell

No! It can’t end!

Wow did I love this story! This was my first Alex Lidell book, I will definitely be reading more. I love her writing style and the depth of the characters. Lera is one lucky human to find her self magically bound to four handsome Elite Fae warriors. I won’t bother with a recap, Alex Lidell has done a great job with that in the book blurb. I will say that this is a fast paced well written story. I could barely concentrate on anything else I was so engrossed in the story even when I wasn’t listening. I loved Shade’s endearment calling Lera pup! The narrator did a great job moving through the character and I loved her Scottish accent. Definitely recommend this book

More PNR fantasy than sexy-times fantasy

Although this book is subtitled "Reverse Harem Fantasy" I found the sensual content significantly less than expected. This is primarily a paranormal romance with four heroes instead of one.

Great world building and characters. Each of the fae warriors (River, Cole, Tye and Shade) are appealing in their own way, but the real protagonist is Lera. She goes from indentured servant for a sleazy master to a fae chosen one, the fifth of a bonded group of fae warriors even though she is a mortal. The five journey to the magical realm to resolve what seems to be a mistake - a mortal cannot be joined with fae.

This book is very enjoyable in that the author does not rush the characters' story. She immerses the reader in her make-believe world so that the reader, like Lera, falls in love with River, Cole, Tye and Shade. I liked the strong detailing and mythology of this world. The sensual content was tasteful but not strongly provocative.

The narration was polished in its delivery, but I found some of the "styles" for different male character distracting. This story includes a huge cast of characters which is a challenge for the narrator and Victoria Mei strove to create distinct voices for each character in the story. The pacing was good and the clarity/enunciation was excellent.

Highly recommended for fans of PNR romance.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

I Wish There Was More Time Spent On The Main Plot

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

Content Warning: This is a New Adult book and does contain explicit sexual scenes, listen at your own discretion.

Review:

Protagonist: Lera, a mortal girl living as an indentured servant to a harsh and forward master, finds herself somehow linked in a Fae Quint, an elite team of fae warriors, and travels into the Fae lands to sever the obviously mistaken bond. On the whole, I didn't hate Lera, but there was never really anything that set her apart as a protagonist. She's stubborn, like most fantasy female protagonists, she'll do what she wants, damning the consequences, and that's all well and good, but I really wish there was something more to her. If I'm being honest there's nothing special about her, I mean, I'm sure there's something "special" about her, a reason she was bonded to this Quint, but other than the fact that she's the main character, there wasn't really anything about her that made me care for her as a character.

Romance: So, this is my first Harem story, Reverse or otherwise, and going into it I didn't quite know what to expect. Is it a love triangle, just there are more love interests? Is it going to be a polyamorous relationship? I knew if I wanted to experience a Harem story that it should come from an author who I've enjoyed in the past and who I know can write romance. Here's the thing though, I felt like there was very little actual romance in this story. Sure, there's lust, there's a hell of a lot of lust, but I never felt invested in Lera's romantic or sexual bond with any of the fae males, mainly because with either bond there's no development. From near the very start, it's clear that even if one of the guys doesn't act like they want Lera around, that isn't true, they care about her from practically the beginning of the story and of course since she's described as gorgeous they're also all horned up for her too. Any "development" on the "romance" front is more Lera getting said male to admit they want her around.

World Building: Where I felt the romance and Lera's character was lacking quite a bit, I actually really enjoyed the fantasy aspect of this Reverse-Harem Fantasy, and I probably would have enjoyed it more if there was more of it. Most of this book is dedicated to solidifying Lera's bond with certain characters, or at least I believe that was the point, in actuality all it did for me was let me get to know the males who've fallen for Lera, and while that's not a bad thing, there are four of them and this is a rather short book. So, while I was interested in learning more about the Quint bond, the Faerie Lands, and why Lera was drawn into this bond in the first place, there isn't a whole lot of development with any of that. The book is not boring, far from it, in fact, I LOVE all of the main plot progression that we got, even if I did feel there wasn't a whole lot.

Predictability: I was not prepared for the number of tropes this book had. Okay, I'm not totally serious, though there were a few times when something would be revealed and I would mumble to myself an exasperated "of course," but as I said, that only happened a few times. On the whole, there wasn't a whole lot I could predict about this book, mostly because as I acknowledged in the previous section, this is a pretty short book and a good chunk of it is devoted to fleshing out the love interests. That being said, while I wasn't surprised by some of the twists that happened, I didn't exactly call them either.

Ending: So... the ending to this book is a bit weird to talk about. First off there's the final climax... at least where the main story and action are concerned, which was fantastic and how the characters decide to handle the aftermath actually got a chuckle out of me. There was a lot of tension in the final climax and even though I never really grew to care for Lera as more than just the protagonist, I admit, I kind of got swept away with the scene and thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. Then there's everything that comes after that final climax, and after all of the main story bits are taken care of, well the story ends in a place I've never seen a story end before. It's not quite a cliffhanger, but it's not a plateaued ending either.

Audio Book Notes: Obligatory preface: As I've said in past Audio Book Reviews, I'm still getting used to reviewing audio books and I probably won't be able to fully articulate my feelings for this audio book, please bear with me. So, I really enjoyed the performance here, I mean, the narrator does distinct accents for each of the fae males, and a few other characters as well, and she really puts her all into this performance. She doesn't just read the words she'll act them out and those inflections in her voice, really add a whole new layer to this story.

Rating:

So, even though I did give this book a hard time, I did really enjoy it, while I wasn't so happy with the fact that Lera isn't very special, I did like the fae males, River, Coal, Tye, and Shade who do have a good deal of backstory and characterization, I also LOVED the main plot aspects dealing with the Quint Bond and the Fae world, and I'm excited to see what comes next, and even though I wasn't invested in the romance elements that much I am not so secretly hoping that as the series progresses it gets better, since I have read great romance from this author in the past.

Semi Clean read

Lera was orphaned young and sold as a slave to a ruthless master. She live's on little food, avoiding her master's advances and taking care of horse. One day 4 fae warriors appear at the barn where Lera is working.

The 4 Immortals have been waiting for the God's to give them their 5th. Their original 5th had died a decade ago. To their chagrin what they get is a Mortal female.

They take Lera to the Fae realm to sever the bond. But along the way they realize even though Lera is mortal and weak, she just may be what they all need.

All though this is a Reverse Harem book their was not near as much sex involved in the book as in most other Reverse Harem's I have read. There was no strong language. I really enjoyed this book. Alex Lidell does a great job with this story. It is full of action, adventure, feelings, and even some fun.

Victoria Mei does an excellent job with all the voices in the book. She kept my attention and did not bore me. I loved her accent in some of the voices, she sounded like a true speaker of the accent as well.

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

Decent but lacking

3.5 stars. It's a decent RH but I felt like it was missing something. I enjoyed the mix of romance and action. The world building was definitely lacking an some words seemed overly repeated.

The characters fell a bit flat and I really preferred the guys over Lera. She was a bit too weak and whiny for my taste. I am curious to see where it goes next, I have a feeling about some of it, so i'll continue the series and hope it grabs me more.

Narration was clear and easy to distinguish between characters. The drawback for me was I wasn't fond of some of the character's voices but it's still worth a listen if you like audiobooks.
#AudiobookObsession

Narrator almost made it unbearable

First the narrator almost completely killed it for me. while her characters were distinct the accents were over the top. Lera's voice was almost whiny. I almost turned this off simply because I didn't think I could listen to the voices much longer.

I stuck it out because I am ocd about not finishing a book. The story is good but I wasn't a fan of Leras. She came across as very juvenile and giving that she was a slave girl who had stood up to her owner I expected her to be less timid.

I might read the second since it's free on KU but I definitely won't be listening to it. Hopefully the main character develops and grows more.

Grew on me...

So my initial impression of his book was not good, but it changed later. The narrator was making me cringe with her male voices. The author starts the story at an odd angle, then immediately changes the POV (POINT OF VIEW) a few times. My first attempt ended with this title on the DNF list, but a few weeks later in my desperate hour of need for a book, I gave it another try.

Once I pushed past the first 5 chapters, there is an introduction of the character traits and slightly interesting plot. The time frame isn't present day, however they use present day banter and have some random present day items that don't match up. So you'll have to ignore that too...

What I did come to like about the book were the 4 Fae males. The lead female character is cookie cutter as nothing about her is really original. The males are pretty standard but one has been in wolf form for over a decade (Shade). He is the best part of the book and single handedly brought this up from a DNF to a 2 Star book with potential.

There is a sex scene (duh 😊 it is a reverse harem) and it's done rather well. Not too much and not too boring. However, once again the female is a virgin and the males all have experience and have to teach her everything. 😐 Why does every girl have to be a virgin and sexual idiot in the harem genre?

The narrator began to grow on me by the end of the book. I think she had the random accents in order to distinguish between who was talking.

One question I had was why Lette didn't tell the fae males about the human prophecy that a mortal would be chosen by the Far. This would have given some legitimacy to the magic selection of her.

2 Stars 🌟🌟- Decent. Has Potential. Possibly a good idea for a story but something could have been better. Sometimes it's because the author put too little or too much into the wrong parts of the story. New authors sometimes fall in this ranking and move up as their series progresses. Doesn't mean I hated it. Just means it was missing something to push it over the hump.

Hard to follow Story at first

I love any book with a good story line but this story seems rushed. There’s got to be some buildup and charcter development but idk..not alot of backstory...I was about to quit listening halfway through. It does get better towards the end but..its your choice if u want to listen. Not a fan of the story but i love the accents of the narrorator which is why i gave this 4 stars instead of 3

Interesting and entertaining.

This is a well crafted story with many interesting characters.It is a Romance without a great
deal of unnecessary sex scenes.

A great performance by the Narrator captures the many characters in this Audio Book.




This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Good but not great

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

If you're into books describing tall buff men and non-fluff romance with a fantasy plot, this is definitely the book series for you.The problem lies with the female MC. She is by far too much of a damsel. she has a fiery strength but her skills are non-existent and I really prefer my heroine to be strong and competent.Semi cliffhanger at the end but you will want to read the next book anyway if you liked the story.

Great book to listen too

This audio is still captivating even though you are listening to someone else telling the story. The book is outstanding and awesome characters, I would recommend this audio

Jumping right into the next

This was a great start to a series. I'm already hooked and hopeful that the next is just as good. If you are into fantasy and reverse harem you will not be disappointed. Victoria Mei is outstanding. She brings her A game as usual. Worth the credit
🎧audio obsession 🎧

Cute, has some tease to it, lacks world building

This is a fun, light romantic fantasy. Leralynn is at the center of everything but the guys each bring something to the table too. Tye is a constant flirt but could also be a best friend. Coal is that assassin we all wished we had on our side. Shade has more personality in his wolf shape but I can see him developing with the series. River strikes me as a good leader of the team sometimes, but sometimes he reads more like a dominant alpha.

The characters were the strongest part of this book even with their flaws. The men were all perfectly formed, which can be both breath taking (initially) and a little boring (with time). We have a damaged hero in waiting, another could be an alpha ass if things swing too far that way, another a silly goof, and the last takes us into Furry territory. Lera was OK. I wanted a bit more from her. I can see how she can develop into a solid character later in the series, but right now she can be any woman and therefore, is a kind of Mary Sue for any reader who wants to be the center of attention for these 4 guys.

The world building and magic system both lacked in details. There is a little chipping into the magic system as the story unfolds, especially once we meet the second female character in the story (Autumn’s trying to figure out the details of what binds quints). Then there’s Clarissa who adds a bit of danger to the situation. The world is painted with a broad brush, so if you’re worried you’d get lost in lots of made up Fantasy names and don’t want to consult a map, then you’d probably like this aspect. Me, I like unique place names and maps. The magic still leaves me feeling like it’s a plot device and not a fully integrated part of the story.

I wanted a quest. Yep. I know. Quests are for grim dark shady characters or teenage D&D players. Yet, I really wanted one here. I think it’s because the world building and magic system were so weak. The initial idea of getting somewhere vague to have this quint bond release Lera lacked urgency and definitely had a back seat to the lusts floating around our merry little band. Basically, I needed something just as strong as the budding romance (insta-lust) to balance things out.

I really liked Lidell’s Air and Ash but this is a different creature. It’s cute. 3.5/5 stars.

The Narration: Victoria Mei did a pretty good job. She had distinct character voices for everyone and her male voices were usually believable. Her pacing was good too. She did sometimes put this odd significance to a word here or there that didn’t make sense. I felt like each character in turn was giving out attitude in a valley girl kind of way at some random moment. I did love her accent for Tye. There were no technical issues with this recording. 4.5/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Alex Lidell. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Great story

I really loved this story. It was an incredibly strong start to a series. You get into the characters immediately and the story line has plenty of action and intrigue to keep if moving at a fast pace.
I cant wait for the rest of the series as i love these characters!! The book is interesting, action packed and sexy!!
Loved it.
The narration was really good but i wasnt keen on Tyes accent.

Good listen

I enjoyed the story line, be warned this is a fast burn R.H., which I like. I liked the difference in all the male characters, and I thought the narrator done a great job with all the different voices and accents. I also liked the way she read the story it flowed really well. overall I enjoyed the book and I am looking forward to listening to the rest of the series. Audiobook obsessions reviewer.

Interesting

Took me a bit to get into the story. From the beginning it was something new and it was a very refreshing plot. Next thing I new the story was over and I was shocked! I was completely absorbed with the Quintet. A great start to this RH series. #audiobookobession 🎧

Fantastic start to series!

Amazing world building, fantastic story, and great characters make up this great RH listen. Loved listening to this and can’t wait for the next part! Amazing narrator as well, she really brought the characters and story to life. I received a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review. 🎧AudiobookObsessionReviewer

Excellent audiobook

Loved this story had great storyline that keeps you gripped and the narrator has done an amazing job with all the voices. Love the boys! Looking forward to listening to more.

My Thoughts on Power of Five

This book is the kind that shows the perfect example of what I love in Fantasy/Paranormal and Reverse Harem books.

The five main characters each had such distinct individual personalities that also blended so well together that they all felt crucial to the whole.
Each character had their own struggle to work through but it also contributed to what was going on in the primary storyline.

I enjoyed the evolution of the relationships. And I even kind of enjoyed the slow burn aspect. The ending was actually really sweet even if slightly frustrating at the same time.

It all worked together and combined to have me enjoying every minute of this audio and excited to hear more.

I really enjoyed the narrator for this one. She pulled off the multiple male accents fantastically. She might have slipped a little here and there but I appreciated the effort and felt she did a great job overall.

I thoroughly enjoyed Power of Five

Fast paced start to the series, I couldn’t stop listening to it. I liked the main character, Leralynn a mortal human, I also liked the 4 Fae warriors. The five of them are now a group thrown together by magic and being a RH book you know what that will mean. The story works really well, world and character building was great as I felt I got to know them all. I thoroughly enjoyed Power of Five and am looking forward to the rest of the series. The narrator did a fine job, her accents were brilliant. #AudiobookObsessionReviewer