• Forged in Steele

  • A KGI Novel, Book 7
  • By: Maya Banks
  • Narrated by: Adam Paul
  • Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (842 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Forged in Steele  By  cover art

Forged in Steele

By: Maya Banks
Narrated by: Adam Paul
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.75

Buy for $15.75

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

The next heart pounding novel in the KGI series from Maya Banks, the New York Times best-selling author of Rush, Fever, and Burn, the Breathless trilogy.

The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super-elite, top secret, family-run business.

Qualifications: High intelligence, rock-hard body, military background.

Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering. Handling jobs the US government can’t...

Steele, a KGI team leader, is an enigma not even his teammates understand. His emotions are tightly locked down and nothing can break that icy exterior. Nothing except Maren Scofield, a doctor on a mission, a woman who has gotten under Steele’s skin and threatens to crack that unflappable cool he’s legendary for. Steele is determined not to allow Maren past his carefully guarded defenses. But when she’s in danger, there’s no way he’ll allow anyone else to protect her. Maren’s hiding something. He’s sure of it. But he isn’t prepared for the shocking discovery her secrets reveal. Or how they will forever alter the course of his destiny. He has a decision to make. Hold tight and shut her out. Or take a chance on something more powerful than he’s ever faced: Love.

©2013 Maya Banks (P)2013 Penguin Audio
  • Series: KGI, Book 7
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: Romance

Critic reviews

“Incredibly awesome...I love Maya Banks and I love her books.” (Jaci Burton, New York Times best-selling author)

“[A] one-two punch of entertainment that will leave readers eager for the next book.” (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Forged in Steele

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    570
  • 4 Stars
    200
  • 3 Stars
    55
  • 2 Stars
    14
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    489
  • 4 Stars
    151
  • 3 Stars
    72
  • 2 Stars
    36
  • 1 Stars
    23
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    560
  • 4 Stars
    160
  • 3 Stars
    40
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

If it's not broke .....

What made the experience of listening to Forged in Steele the most enjoyable?

You get familiar with characters though out the series, and start to look forward to their book.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

As I said If it's not broke don't fix it. Changing the narrator detracted from the flow of the series. The same characters with different voices ruins the experience.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Omg ..his voice for Steele..awful

Oh my. His voices were OK until he decided to pull out a cross between Christian Bales Batman and some creepy raspy voice. I literally laughed out loud everytime he switched to the god awful voice. It is Soooo distracting to listen to a romantic scene with a voice that made it sound like a twisted scene in a horror movie. I can only imagine his poor ravaged voice after reading this novel. The story great. Everything else great....the voice distracting. Nuf said!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Where is Harry he is missed It hurts the storyline

I don't understand why they changed narrators. He changed Steels voice from Shades of Gray and it makes the book hard to listen too. Harry needs to do the next one or the voices will change again. Harry made the book a great listen. I never review but I am disappointed that they changed from Harry to Adam he just didn't make the characters come to live as did Harry he made the ICEmen of the KGI books believable. He sounded better in Shades of Gray. This was brought to the attention in the reviews of Shades of Gray but I guess the listeners don't count. It actually hurts I hope with the new one coming out they will bring back Harry. His voice made it hard for me to enjoy the story line and I am a KGI lover. Adam should not of changed the voice for Steele it hurt.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

disappointing--plot & narration

Did you fall for Steele like I did thru the series? Quiet-silent really-still waters run deep kind of guy? I have read/listened to all the books in the series simply because there are few in this subgenre (military/warrior/suspense romance) but have actually not finished several.

Eager anticipation for Steele's story met with flat disappointment. I think there was some laziness and formulaic writing here on Ms Banks part. I could have stomached the wimpy, whiny delicate doctor if we'd have seen more depth to Steele. But Ms Banks does deliver on sex. In this case, it has to create the bond between the couple cause chemistry and plot are lacking here. The plot devices are overused--accidental pregnancy, crazy mystery admirer who kidnaps heroine providing necessary opportunity for K&R expert creating artificial intimacy thru adrenaline sex. Banks likes these plot devices as seen in other books.
But there was almost no buildup/background to crazy kidnapper--it was like a chapter or two were cut at the last minute. I suspect ms banks was under contract to get this out while she was focused elsewhere. It shows.

On another note, the narrator, who we suffered thru in the previous book of this series has improved in this book. He does pretty well with Steele's raspy voice and it adds in a positive way. His performance was markedly better; the male lead actually has a lower voice than the female here, compared to PJ & Cole. His former monotone that made prolongued listening difficult has opened up a bit here and was not a detriment.
But it didn't save the book. I lost interest about 3/5ths of the way in. I listen to about 6-7 books a month at least, and 10% do not get finished. That said, I'd still give the book 2.8 (rounding up to 3).

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very good addition to the series :D

4-4.5 stars

This was a very good story. I loved seeing Steele actually turn away from being the "Ice Man" and showing feelings, he ends up being a very good hero. Maren makes a great match for him and I loved seeing them get together.

Steele is a team leader for KGI. KGI (Kelly Group International) is a private company that performs Ops like hostage/kidnap victim recovery & intelligence gathering among other things. Steele has always been known as the "Ice Man". He's a great leader and his team loves him (and he feels the same about them) but to see him crack a smile or show any kind of emotion is unheard of. He's disturbed to find that Maren (a doctor that helps them out occasionally) keeps going through his mind and he can't forget her.

Maren is a doctor that has a clinic in Central America. She lives in the jungle and treats villagers and at times, KGI members that have been injured on a mission that come in for treatment when they're not in the US. She has a past association with KGI from when they rescued her and some others from a hostage situation so she's always is willing to help them out. She's attracted to Steele but he's always avoided her and wouldn't speak to her. She's shocked when he shows up at her cottage, propositioning her for one night of sex because he needs to get her out of his system.

Maren is attracted to Steele and isn't thrilled to be propositioned for just one night with no option for more. Despite this, Maren really wants Steele so she agrees and they have one hot and steamy night before he has to leave the next morning. After this, Steele is annoyed to find that now he thinks about Maren more than ever. He feels drawn to see her again and decides to take some R&R from work so her can go see her again. When Steele comes back, Maren is very surprised but happy to see him again. They spend a couple days together and they start to form a connection. Steele finds himself relaxing and having fun with Maren and he wants to spend more time together. Maren is enjoying Steele being there is hoping that she's not the only one feeling the deepening connection between them. Unfortunately, before they have too much time, Steele is called away on an emergency mission (but he's shocked to realize that he doesn't want to go). He does promise Maren that he'll come back after his mission.

After Steele leaves on his mission, Maren gets some surprising news she's pregnant with Steele's baby from their first night together. and immediately after, is kidnapped by a psycho that's obsessed with her. Unfortunately, The psycho is a very rich and evil man and he's not easy to track down. Maren is held by him, threatening her and using leverage over her to force her to do what he wants. To hide his identity, he's undergoing surgery on his face to completely change his looks. He forces Maren to care for him while recovering but he also tries to woo her and starts to grow impatient at not to be getting anywhere with her. Just when it seems that Maren's danger level is spiking in her captivity, an unexpected ally helps Maren get out and back to KGI. Steele has been frantically searching for Maren the whole time she was gone and once she's back he's determined to help her recover and do whatever he can to convince her that they should be together, permanently. Maren goes back to Steele's place with him to recover and they talk things out. Although Maren's worried about how Steele will take all of her news she tells him she's pregnant with his baby. She was worried he wouldn't want anything to do with her or the baby but Steele quickly disabuses her of that notion and convinces her that he's happy about the baby and he wants her but he shows her he can be very supportive and unexpectedly sweet.

Steels and Maren spend some time together and start to figure out how they fit together now. Steele (for being such an Ice Man in the past) is so sweet and there are some wonderful moments when he tells Maren how he feels for her and his hopes of them together that just made me melt. They get a few days of peace when the psycho strikes again, kidnapping Maren's parents in order to trade her for them. Maren goes to the meeting with KGI backing her up, attempting to trace where her parents are and saving them and her before she's in too much danger. While ultimately successful, some issues do arise on the mission and both Steele and Maren are injured. They have some tense moments but in the end they all come out of it alright. Steele is determined to keep Maren safe and happy for the rest of their lives and we have some sweet moments at the end, as Steele and Maren start their HEA.

This was a really good story. I loved both Steele and Maren and was gratified to see them get together and be so sweet together. The action/suspense plot was interesting but didn't overshadow the romance, which had some very sweet and poignant moments. This is a great series and I can't wait for Donovan's book to come out. I'd recommend this book. 2 thumbs up. :)

* note - This narrator is the same one from the last book but I think he did much better with Steele's voice in this one, making it kind of deep and growly (which is perfect for him).

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Action, romance and angst

Any additional comments?

Maya Banks has done it again. I love this series. I love that the women in this series were all strong and independent. They knew what they wanted and fight for it. It has action, romance and angst. Like the rest of this series, the action was hot, the romance was steamy, and angst wasn't too bad. Steele and Maren were perfect for each other. I like the reappearance of characters from the previous books in the series. I recommend this series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Steele is Christian Bale as Batman!

Where does Forged in Steele rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I love the story, haven't quite finished it yet, but its a good book. As to the title of my review... Anyone who has seen the recent Batman movies should be familiar with the growly voice Christian Bale uses when he's in Batman mode. Well, the narrator does this with Steele. I keep wanting to tell him to get a drink or give the guy some cough drops. Its rather jarring and I keep picturing Batman.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I like Hancock so far. I haven't finished the book yet, so assuming he doesn't die in this, I hope to see him in a future book.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Adam Paul?

Yes, but please stop doing the Batman Voice for Steele. Please.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I guess, but work and sleep intervened.

Any additional comments?

I miss the old narrator for this series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love Love Love me some KGI.....

Boy this is one family/group that I can't get enough of!! Books are too far apart

Narrator is fabulous and I love the bantering between the team..............

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another action packed story

I couldn't put it down. I. stayed awake all night to finish it. Can't wait to start the next book in this serirs!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Forged in Steele

This is an ongoing series of KGI men and women. This time Steele is on the hot seat. He is the quiet but deadly leader of one of the KGI teams. And he has his sights on Maren the doctor that they use for emergencies while on missions that leave someone hurt. She has been saved by the team in the past so she knows what they are all about. The chemistry is lava hot between them. But when someone else has set his eyes on her things go south fast. This is their story. I loved listening to it and love all of Maya Banks books.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!