The Devouring

By: Richard Taylor

Narrated by: Jen Thorpe

Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

Advertising exec Freddi Stasiek thought she'd rid herself of a man who'd physically hurt her, but after six months he reappears in her life revealing a nature even darker than she'd believed. Thrown into the shadows of the world, Freddi rushes to stay one step ahead of her homicidal ex-boyfriend and the world he represents, a place where human flesh and blood are butcher's fare, a place where she would be made queen and broodmare.

©2016 Richard Keith Taylor (P)2016 Richard Keith Taylor

masterful storyteller with cunning and crafty mind

Fredrica (Freddi) Stasiek is a self-assured, drop-dead gorgeous advertising executive who has a couple of ex’s and in the process of placing another on her “ex” list after his vicious side shows through.  Freddi discovers she must stay a few steps ahead of her newest ex as he has proven in multiple ways of being deadly and uniquely scary when he moves through the shadows.

This is an exciting action packed horror thriller that puts a fresh spin on vampirism.  One would be hard pressed to like the main character, Freddi.  She’s the type of person who knows more than anyone else, comes across as a user and insincere.  Not someone that has a herd of friends … not really, at least not human ones!

I found this book exceptionally different from other vampire books.  Furthermore, Richard Keith Taylor spins this yarn with more twists and turns than a hundred foot slinky!  Taylor keeps everything cohesive and flowing, nothing is random or confused.  It is clear that Freddi is not meant to be liked but rather someone who is too full of herself and by the end, the listeners are hoping that she gets what she deserves.  Taylor’s story leaves one stunned at the end when you realize just how clever Taylor has been.

I have to admit, I took two days to write this review because I wanted to say how manipulative Taylor has been throughout the book and then smacks you between the eyes with a whopper!  I had to take a day or two to come to grips with what was done so that I wouldn’t spill forth any spoilers.  Freddi is a strong woman – but one who is obnoxiously strong.  She’s the “it’s my way or the highway” type.  I found myself connecting to other characters but not to her – she was my “Love to Hate” type person.

Taylor has built a strong story line that flows well, his character development is intense leaving each character fully developed.  Taylor is a masterful storyteller with a cunning and crafty mind.  He calculates each plot move and character involvement to extract the fullest reaction.  Excellent job!

Narrator, Jen Thorpe does a good job of portraying Jen and the other characters.  She is extremely talented with a soothing voice.  While I did not hear a lot of excitement or emotion in her narration, it dawned on me that she was telling it from Freddi’s viewpoint – she was a pretty emotional less woman so Thorpe did an accurate owning of the story.

This is not a story you will hear and forget about – it takes a day or two for everything to hit home.  Well worth hearing and taking the time to think about the outcome.

There were no issues with the audio quality of this production.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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This book is really scary.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Devouring to be better than the print version?

I love the audio version more than the print version. It allows me to do other things while listening to the story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Devouring?

I did enjoy the devourers internal politics, particularly the women and how they were treated.

What does Jen Thorpe bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Jen Thorpe, has a soothing voice. Overall I enjoyed her performance.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It scarred the devil out of me,

Any additional comments?

Someone said this book is scary as sh*t and I have to agree, it is. I put it down before bed and couldn’t sleep for at least an hour. I had to tell myself this kind of thing can’t happen. It can’t, it really can’t, although the author does a pretty good job making you believe it can. I had questions about what was left after “the devouring” took place, not in an apartment or a house but in the park or on a dark street. Do they have a clean-up crew? I did enjoy the devourers internal politics, particularly the women and how they were treated. There’s a revolution brewing, honey! Sleep tight tonight!

The narrator, Jen Thorpe, has a soothing voice. Overall I enjoyed her performance. Her weakness is portraying the male voice. She’s not convincing, or at least not as convincing as she needs to be. Still, it doesn’t get in the way of the story and after awhile you just accept her characterizations and continue to listen.

I found Freddi to be an unsympathetic character at first, but as things went on she learned her privilege was over, she was just there to serve the greater good. She became more sympathetic and I wanted her to win, to get away from them. She’s really out of her element, though, and when she finally stops depending on the kindness of strangers it’s almost too late.

I recommend this book. It’s fun to be scared. I’m going to suggest it to my husband because I want to mess with his head. Yes, it’s that kind of book.