The Prisoner

Olrona, Book 1

By: Sara Allyn

Narrated by: Andrew Tell

Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Maria is an American graduate student lured to the planet of Olrona by the naverkoo, a mysterious entity with a nearly limitless power to create and transform life. In what she believes to be a dream, she walks onto an interplanetary transport ship and is taken to the secluded mountain city of Pegasea on the planet of Olrona.

The highly evolved people of Pegasea struggle to maintain their population despite a dire shortage of Pegasean women. In order to avoid social strife as they face inevitable extinction, they live under a strict set of social rules known as the Pegasean Rules of Order and Etiquette (or "PROEs”), which quickly become the bane of Maria’s existence as she tries to adapt to life in this alien city.

Shortly after arriving in Pegasea, a Pegasean man named "Orook", the city's First Engineer, is enlisted to host Maria as she acclimates to life on this new planet. Orook is cold, rigid, and has little use for, or interest in, human women. While the Pegaseans suffer from a multitude of emotional voids, the deepest of these is the one left by the vocunine, a lupine species which abandoned them over a 1,000 years ago. When a formidable species of predator invades the valley, the First Sociologist, Pullmoo, orchestrates a plan to reconnect the mountain vocunine with the people of Pegasea. As her plan unfolds, Maria receives an unexpected summons, requesting that she accompany the First Guardsman into the Eye of Olrona. Orook is skeptical of their motives and concerned for Maria’s safety, but leaves the decision to Maria.

Ultimately, Maria agrees to go into the mountain, where she at last comes fact-to-face with the naverkoo. The naverkoo makes an unexpected request of Maria and offers Maria an unexpected gift in exchange.

©2018 Sara Allyn Liva (P)2018 Sara Allyn Liva

the world building, the culture, the rules . . .

WOW. Just Wow this was a listen filled with well-built society (alien) and a structure of rules. Humans, mainly women, have not real or even imagined value in society. They are so lowly they are assigned to a keeper, as if they were a child.

As if not on cue, Maria, a graduate student arrives on the planet and of course she does not conform well. She of course test the limits and bound. She finds that the keeper she has wants nothing to do with her.

The story was rich, well-written, good characters, great world building, and a plot-line that was intense at time, intriguing at others, and a straight mix of awe and excitement. I am read for the next installment this can't be all we here of Maria, or Orook, or Olrona, or even the navakoo. Okay let me not forget the vocunine or the Pegasean Rules of Order and Etiquette (PROEs).

My first journey with Andrew Tell as the captain. He commanded the ship very well and gave me an adventure that held my attention and then some. The voice, narration, diction, pitch were all clear, strong, and enveloping.

*****
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Audiobookworm Promotions on behalf of various authors, narrators, and publishers. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Fantasy at its best!

Captivating and beautifully written. I was transported with Maria to another world and fell in love with her Keeper as well. I am eagerly awaiting the Second book❤

Awesome!

I’ve already read the book but I loved it so much I got the audiobook and it was amazing to hear the characters come alive! The narrator met every expectation I had in my imagination. When is the second book coming out!?