Keys to the Coven

Demonic Intervention Series, Book 1

By: Vicky Loebel

Narrated by: Emily Beresford, Nick Podehl

Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

The Road to Hell is Paved with Bad Intentions. Get ready for Keys to the Coven, a witty, tightly plotted, (adult) urban-fantasy/romance set in an original universe where karma is power, sex is karma, and it's not who you know but whose soul you own that matters.*

To become a demon, you must die in complete and utter despair. Three hundred years ago, Max passed that test with flying colors and joined the afterlife resolving never again to have innocent blood on his hands. Now Max has been given the job of breaking a young witch's family curse. But what she doesn't know, what Max can't bring himself to tell her, is that completing his mission almost certainly means her death.

When Felicity Woodsen inherits her mother's coven, she learns each firstborn Woodsen daughter must become the consort of an evil-arch demon. Felicity's only hope is to ally with the mysteriously charming Max. But is saving her body from one demon worth risking her soul with another?

Roxashael became a demon when his Roman captors sent his family, one by one to be devoured by lions. The lesson was clear: power is good; lots of power is better. Two-thousand years later, Rocky has power. He's purchased hundreds of souls, and he's created the Minsk Homunculus, a magic artifact that, by binding a human witch as his consort, turns him into an arch-demon and places him above the goody-two-shoes laws of karma.

Unfortunately, Rocky made a mistake. He fell in love with Felicity's mother and in a moment of weakness promised to give up his demon-consort charm. Now Felicity's mother is dead, the Minsk Homunculus is slated for destruction, and Rocky's power as an arch-demon is about to end.

No demon can break a promise. If Rocky refuses to give up the Minsk Homunculus, he'll become the lowest, most abject slave in Hell. But then, why break promises when they're so easy to corrupt?

**Caution: This book contains violence, strong sexual themes, moderately explicit sex between consenting adults, (unfulfilled) threats against children, and one completely gratuitous reference to unicorns.

©2012, 2013 Vicky Loebel (P)2013 Vicky Loebel

Loved the book...

I loved the book. Where's the next book? Please don't leave the story here. I need more.

It's Got Karma!

Keys to the Coven was quirky, entertaining, and fun to listen too!

Vickey did a great job of developing a different spin on demons, and angels, and how they gain and use "karma." It really was unlike any paranormal/fantasy I've listened to which was refreshing. I loved how each chapter started off by giving tips from the " Girls Guide to Demons."

Kudos to Emily Beresford and Nick Podehl! They did an awesome job narrating the story, and gave each character their own voice and projected the right amount of emotion. They really made this an entertaining story to listen to.

This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast dot com.

Keys to a fantastic book!

How good is Keys to the Coven: Demonic Intervention Series, Book 1 Written by: Vicky Loebel? 5 blinking good cool fun exciting and just surprising with joy stars that is how much! Wow this 12 hrs and 49 mins just felt so short! It is almost like times just flies by with the speed of light! It is that kind of a book. Just get it and have fun!

And how good was Emily Beresford and Nick Podehl? 5 star good that is how good. Again, a pair with feeling and voice work that is more then good, it is just close to perfect! Keys to the Coven: Demonic Intervention Series, Book 1 would be a worse book without them, and it feels like they are really enjoying this to the maximum!

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com."

3.5 Stars: Witches, Demons, Hellfire, & Demi-God’s

The book description is pretty accurate so I’ll skip a summary this time.

I enjoyed this story though I am surprised to see that it is not going to be made in to a series (at least I don’t think it is) based on the amount of details that went in to creating the world that the characters live in. It can get a little complicated at times when trying to keep all the details together but if you sit back and enjoy it and not focus so much on the little details, then you shouldn’t get confused. I would read another book by the author.

Both narrators do a good job but I think the female narrator might have had a cold during recording because she sounded like she had a stuffy nose sometimes. I probably would have preferred a single narrator even though it is dual POV’s for more continuity but that is a person preference.

I voluntarily provided a review in exchange for a free copy of this audiobook.

Long story and a little confusing but OK

This was the longest audiobook I have listened to so far and i wished it was a little easier to follow. There was so much information thrown at me it was hard to understand why the characters were doing what they were doing and what they were trying to accomplish.

That being said, the writing was witty and the narrators did a commendable job portraying the many characters. I did find myself wishing that there was only one narrator for the entire book as it was a bit difficult to switch my thought process from a male to female voice or vice versa as I was trying to understand the material.

great book

"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com".

loved the book. its a great read. wish there was more. i wasnt ready for it to be over

Better than I thought it would be!

Where does Keys to the Coven rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book stands out among the others. This author has an amazing imagination.

What other book might you compare Keys to the Coven to and why?

I can't think of any that compare.

Have you listened to any of Emily Beresford and Nick Podehl ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to Nick Podehl narrate the book "Worthy". He does an excellent job in anything he does. Both books are completely different genres.

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

Yes, but it's rather long. Although it kept my interest.

Any additional comments?

This is an amazing author. She has an excellent imagination and I felt as if I was right there in the story. Everything you thought you knew about demons, angels, etc, forget about it. Vicky Loebel puts a whole new perspective on it. I look forward to listening/reading more of her books in the near future.

"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com"

Good book

STORY REVIEW.......

Good story. Interesting concept for a story. The story is exciting, original,fast-paced, compelling, gripping, addictive, unique and totally unexpected. The dialog is smart, well written and flows smoothly. The characters are fascinating, captivating, quirky, engaging and well developed. I couldn't stop listening to it.

AUDIO REVIEW......

I found the narrator to be very good at reading the book as well as giving the characters life and voice. A well as attitude and humor. This makes for a great read but I highly recommend getting the audio version for the full effect and enjoyment. Great job.

*****Received this via audiobookblast in exchange for an unbiased review. ****
L. .

Very Unique and Engaging Story!

The story flew by! I felt like it was only a few hours of listening instead of almost 13 hours. The characters were well developed and interesting.

The narration was great and it brought the story to life. I really enjoy having both a male and a female narrator. It really works out better having both.

The last couple of hours are pretty intense so make sure you have time to listen without being interrupted.

Each chapter starts off with a quote from "Girl's Guide to Demons". The story is very entertaining. I did find myself enjoying the humor! This book deals with Demons and Witches but the take on them are quite unique.

Felicity doesn't know much about her mother and her dealings with demons. Max comes to retrieve a special object that turns out to be very important to Felicity's future and the future of her family.

The conclusion is totally unexpected and I really love it!!! I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

**This audiobook was provided free of charge in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion**

An urban fantasy with wickedly good humor!

Set in Arizona, this adult urban fantasy is full of surprises! Felicity, a dog trainer, recently lost her mother and is going through a messy divorce. She’s the oldest of three children, having mostly raised her baby-sister Hannah, who is now in college. Her brother, Alton, isn’t so grateful of her efforts to ‘mother’ her younger siblings. Then in steps Max, a demon on assignment to recover a magical relic, the Minsk Homunculus. It’s been in Felicity’s family for generations, but she isn’t aware of it’s magical abilities nor what it means in regards to the powerful demon Roxashael (Rocky).

This was a very, very fun book. The mix of serious adult situations, witty banter, demonic entities in moral crises, and an unknowing witch who just inherited a bowling team makes a great read! Max has used his powers of seduction in the past to rev up his karma, which in turn he uses as a power base to get other things done. His demi Kate, a minor demon tied to his phone, is, by turns, a useful or irritating side kick. For this assignment, she is constantly reminding him to keep his eyes on the goal – the Minsk Homunculus. Yet he can’t help but be drawn into Felicity’s initial drama and later her life as she figures out her family history and the past deals her mom Rose made with the demon Rocky.

Felicity herself started off caught up in her own little drama, a little too much for me. I wasn’t sure I was going to like her character at first. Then as things get explained – the ugly divorce, her mom dying, her inheriting this odd coven with it’s bowling team, and then Max coming in saying he has to recover the artifact (Minsk Homunculus) or the equivalent dollar amount (think 6 digits), I could see why she was on the verge of having a melt down. It’s apparent from the beginning that she has tried her best to do what she thought was best for her younger siblings, but they don’t fully appreciate it. So that gets tossed in her face as well later in the story. She has a lot of stresses and Max provides a handsome distraction and also gives her something to focus on (the hunt for the artifact).

This book also contains a fair smidge of romance, which I normally don’t go in for but it’s done so well with the plot and doesn’t weigh down the pacing, that I found myself rooting for Max and Felicity. They each find the other indebted to them and their ties continue to grow as the story marches on. The make-out sessions, and later the sex, are steamy and sweet. Sometimes there’s a bit of humor mixed in, sometimes it’s intense. As a side note, this book also references some sexual abuse situations, but I felt they were in keeping with the plot and the characters and weren’t there for shock value.

The humor really brought the whole book together for me. Sometimes the humor was a little dark (which suits me fine) and sometimes it was a little slapstick, like Felicity falling off park benches or such. There was plenty of witty banter, but also certain situations the characters ended up in were funny, especially since I didn’t have to live them. All around, it was a very entertaining book with enough wit and a sharp edge to keep me engaged for the entire length.

I received a copy of this book at no cost from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Narration: Emily Beresford and Nick Podehl did a great job teaming up on this book. Beresford made a great Felicity and a jaded Kate. Podehl was a wonderful Max and quite the evil Rocky. There were plenty of secondary and minor characters and this team made them all distinct.