The Undoing

Call of Crows Series, Book 2

By: Shelly Laurenston

Narrated by: Johanna Parker

Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's Summary

No one would ever accuse Jace Berisha of having an easy life, considering that her husband killed her. But that was then. Now she fights for mighty Viking gods with the spectacular and vicious Crows.

But things are turning very bad very quickly for the Crows. A vengeful, ancient goddess has come into the world with just one thing on her mind: ending it. And the only way they can hope to stop her is if the Crows join forces with their one-time enemies, the Protectors - a Viking clan created to do nothing but kill every Crow they see.

©2016 Shelly Laurenston (P)2016 Tantor

Critic Reviews

"Laurenston adeptly blends humor, romance, and action, her sizable cast fully fleshed out and always entertaining." ( Publishers Weekly)

Really good addition to the series :)

4-4.5 stars

This was a really good story. I liked Jace and Ski and enjoyed their story very much.

Jace is a Crow, one of a group of women that were brought back after death by the goddess, Skuld, in order to become one of her warriors. Jace was an unwilling part of a cult, having been married to the cult's leader when she was just 16. When Jace's husband killed Jace, she came back as a Crow and also a berserker which sometimes causes her to go into a killing frenzy in battle and she sometimes has trouble controlling it.

Ski is a member of the Protectors, a group of men that server the God Tyr. The protectors are all of Norse descent and are taken from their families at a young age to be trained to server Tyr. The protectors are focused on knowledge and their library is their most prized possession.

Jace is an introvert and hates crowds and small talk. Unfortunately, while most of the Crows realize she likes to be by herself, some think she's just shy and needs help by being pushed out of her comfort zone. Jace is very unthrilled when Chloe (the leader of the Crows) tells her she needs to get a job so she can get out of the house and socialize more. Ski and the other protectors had actually been trying to hire Jace already because she is a language wiz (speaking many languages fluently) and they have some books they need translated. The books have content that they don't want just anyone to see and since Jace is a member of another Norse clan they feel she's trustworthy. Jace had been turning them down because she's an introvert and didn't want a job that would necessitate her having to talk to people but when Chloe insists she get a job, Jace figured working with books would be easier on her than anything else she could do.

Once Jace and Ski start seeing each other more, the attraction between them becomes apparent. Jace is worried about dating though (how is she supposed to chat during a date when she's an introvert) and turns Ski down when he asks her out. Thankfully, Ski realizes that it's not that she doesn't like him, it's her introvertedness that makes her keep her distance and with this in mind, Ski works on Jace's resistance. While Jace and Ski are figuring out their relationship, there's a lot going on for the clans to deal with...namely one evil goddess that got loose from where she was imprisoned and wants to bring about the end of the world. There's a good bit of drama and danger due to that and some other issues that show up as well. Thankfully, Jace and Ski get through things well and end the story starting a HEA together.

I really enjoyed this story a lot. Jace was a good heroine and I liked her. At first Jace seemed shy and maybe a bit weak but as you get to know her, you realize she's really got a lot of strength and is someone you want good things for. Ski was a good hero...I liked him and was rooting for him to win Jace. I was very glad he wasn't easily deterred by Jace's original rejections (both for the job and the date). I had no major complaints about the story and overall, I liked it and would recommend it. :D

Shelly Laurenston has done it again!

If you could sum up The Undoing in three words, what would they be?

Awesome Viking Chaos!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ski- he is a thinker, understands that he dislikes the Ravens, not because they are stupid, but because they don't have to be, but are. He gives support or space where needed without smothering, and he loves our girl, Jace. :) He's the complete BF- ripped abs, great brain, integrity, handsome, who wouldn't want one of those?!

Which character – as performed by Johanna Parker – was your favorite?

Characters, not just one- Johanna Parker does our Crows so well. Actually, she does all the characters well. Johanna is one of my top favourite narrators- she has such a great range of voices and acting ability using just vocals. Great lady! Thanks!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Bear took a liking to Jace's puppy, Lev. It's a very cute scene- no spoilers. I'm also curious about Grandma. Hmmmm.......;)

Any additional comments?

This is no novella- it's a solid 12+hour book. And the series isn't done yet! Yippee! This is great value for your credit or your money. I have everything Laurenston/Aiken has written on both audio and digital- obviously I'm a fan, but this series is excellent if you like your writing with lots of Viking Gods, crazy heroines, big bad dudes and action. Lots of action! Never a dull moment. Highly recommend this book!

Always good stuff

Great characters a solid plot and a good plot. Love Laurenston's books.

Narrator did a great job.

Please have Johanna Parker narrate all Shelly Laurenston books

I have listened to almost all Laureston's books. Love them all. They are very funny not to much sex and I have just enjoyed the way she builds her characters and the how dramatic some of the shifters act. Makes me laugh out loud and draw weird looks but worth it to me.

Such feistiness.

There are a lot of people and a lot of Norse mythology that the story is a little confusing, especially since it has been a while since I read the first book and that book was also a bit confusing. I can usually understand what is happening but it does make this book lose a star for it. But what really makes the book is all the crazy characters. Just like in Shelly Laurenston's Pride books the characters are so quirky and fun I can't wait to see who will be getting books. I really liked the romantic interest in this book both Jace and Ski are perfect together and I had a wonderful time watching them come together. I suspect it will be Erin for the next book. The animals in this book also makes this story loveable. I did see a small reference to the Pride series is this book and it should be interesting to see how they might collide. I have enjoyed the narrator in many different series and I would be happy to have her read anything I listen too.

Great match of story and narrator

I really enjoyed both the story and the narration of this book. For once, this is not a book I read first, before listening to the audiobook but Shelly Laurenston is one of my favorite authors when I want something weird, irreverent, and a bit chaotic.

The story is a great paranormal with some romance and the romance isn't flowery or sweet - it's two people with issues, powers, obligations, and challenges. As an introvert myself, I really liked the main character, Jacinda (Jace), and the hero, Ski, was a good match for her who didn't need her constant attention and let her be her. There were fun parts of historic mythology woven into the story and it all came together really well.

My usual problem with audiobooks is a narrator who is not up to the task of the book they are attempting to narrate. This is completely not the case for this book - Johanna Parker does a great job of pacing, differing voices and personalities, and pronouncing a lot of difficult names seamlessly.

Hoping the next book in the Call of Crows series is as good and keeps the same narrator.

A Nordic Unicorn

Well, this was unusual--a second book in the series that was more enjoyable (at least for me) than the first. This really is a rare find! I almost didn't give the rest of this series a chance because I was so "on the fence" after the first book. It was all about the crows and their mean-girls attitudes. I just didn't find any great joy in their constant bickering, noise, scrapping, and picking on the new kid. I'm sure the author was going for these attributes because it made them more like their namesakes. Great. But it was just so over the top for me that it was on my last nerve by the end of the book.

Thankfully, while this book features one of the crows, Jace, it also features more of several other clans, including the Protectors, who are more introspective and definitely not prone to infighting like the crows. Jace and Ski are a great couple, and their story is a lot of fun. This novel was much more to my liking and I'm now looking forward to finishing out the series.

love the narrator

Shelly is always awesome! The narrator is perfect for these books. She brings out the story!

love the author and the narrator

I adore the author and love the narrator. I can not wait for the next book in the series.

Great Book

Excellent performance and great plot. Made me laugh out loud often when listening.... recommend purchasing....