Audio: Circle of Shadows - Evelyn Skye

Narrated by: Eileen Stevens

Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 01-22-19

Language: English

Publisher: HarperAudio

YA Fantasy

My Thoughts

I am thinking magical ninja warriors at the moment, just that will suffice. In this world those with magic (ok this country, which is rather unfair to be honest, why just this country!?) are sent to become Taiga warriors. Trained to be the best warriors and to hone their skills, to protect country and Empress.

It is very YA. It was a fun ride, yes there are things that bothered me, but sometimes the read can still be enjoyable for the moment.

Like how the Evil Person was way too powerful. Why even have armies? That person could have the world at his/hers feet without an army. Then you are too powerful.

And how a love triangle came in at the last 30 minutes. That was very weird and I guess that will play out a role in the next book. But at the same time, why call it love triangle. These kids do not love, they are playing with lust. So eh, it works.

And how no one listened to one another. I mean if I was in charge I would put the obvious two and two together. But eh, it works, even old people can act like teens I guess.

I liked the concept of the world.

I liked the magic even if I wanted to know more how it worked, oh and the evil magic was waaaaay cooler (but yes too powerful.)

I liked the evil quest, in a adult fantasy that would have been very epic and bloody. Yes what, I missed the bloody parts. But now someone says, there was blood, ha,  no I mean gore. Byt ahem, yes this is still YA so it is obvi better like this. I would say the evil quest is the one that intrigues me the most, I kind of want evil baddie to win so I can see how it plays out. Omg I think I am rooting for evil baddie *shocked* Yup I am rooting for the evil person! How on earth did this happen?

Ok so I guess it takes writing a review 2 days later to realise that you want the bad person to win. Who would have guessed. But the quest is just so interesting! 

I am rambling. Right, Sora who should focus on her studies and stop being a fool, and Daemon her partner in magic and fighting. They are the ones that are gonna end up rescuing the world. Again, when I learned Daemon's history, well he became the more interesting story for sure.

There are more to come, but I happy to leave them like this cos then the evil person has the upper hand at the moment. Mowuahahaha, I will end it here then. No need to read more.

Conclusion

A fun little fantasy that you can enjoy for a moment. Just do not look to deep

Narration

I think this might have been my first by Eileen Stevens. But I enjoyed her narration and she made the book, as often is the case for me when it comes to YA. Her voice worked great for these younglings and she did male and female voices well.

Blurb

Sora can move as silently as a ghost and hurl throwing stars with lethal accuracy. Her gemina, Daemon, can win any physical fight blindfolded and with an arm tied around his back. They are apprentice warriors of the Society of Taigas--marked by the gods to be trained in magic and the fighting arts to protect the kingdom of Kichona.

As their graduation approaches, Sora and Daemon look forward to proving themselves worthy of belonging in the elite group--but in a kingdom free of violence since the Blood Rift Rebellion many years ago, it's been difficult to make their mark.

So when Sora and Daemon encounter a strange camp of mysterious soldiers while on a standard scouting mission, they decide the only thing to do to help their kingdom is to infiltrate the group. Taking this risk will change Sora's life forever--and lead her on a mission of deception that may fool everyone she's ever loved.

Love, spies, and adventure abound as Sora and Daemon unravel a complex web of magic and secrets that might tear them--and the entire kingdom--apart forever. 

Audio: The Trouble with true love - Laura Lee Guhrke

By: Laura Lee Guhrke

Narrated by: Justine Eyre

Series: Dear Lady Truelove, Book 2

Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 01-29-19

Language: English

Publisher: HarperAudio 

My Thoughts:

Clara's sister owns a newspaper and now when Irene is on her honeymoon it is Clara that has to care for the paper. And write a advice column! Not the easiest thing for shy wallflower. Poor Clara, Irene was meant to be back and writing the column by now.

Yes Clara. A bit of a wallflower who may start stammering when a handsome men approaches. But sweet, smart and utterly useless at giving other advice.

Rex, a rogue that is not really a rogue. Against marriage cos of his parents. Cut of by his dad and living on his aunt's allowance. But it all hasa  reason and I felt that yes maybe he was actually too kind. Sometimes people needs to learn a lesson. Handsome as the devil too.

A bloody nose brings them together. He hates newsrags. She thinks he can shove his advice up his *beeP* And oh you two! Working close together and pretending things always lead to love! Will these rakes never learn! ;)

Conclusion:

Stolen kisses. Banter and falling in love. There is never any real drama. The drama is more how these two are so different and must learn that love will always win.

Fun times!

Narrator

Well, yes, Justine Eyre again. I do enjoy her voice when it comes to historical romance. She does the men and women so well in them. She brings me to that era.

Story

Dear Lady Truelove,

I am a girl of noble family, but I am painfully shy, especially in my encounters with those of the opposite sex . . . 

For Clara Deverill, standing in for the real Lady Truelove means dispensing advice on problems she herself has never managed to overcome. There’s nothing for it but to retreat to a tearoom and hope inspiration strikes between scones. It doesn’t—until Clara overhears a rake waxing eloquent on the art of “honorable” jilting. The cad may look like an Adonis, but he’s about to find himself on the wrong side of Lady Truelove.

Rex Galbraith is an heir with no plans to produce a spare. He flirts with the minimum number of eligible young ladies to humor his matchmaking aunt, but Clara is the first to ever catch his roving eye. When he realizes that Clara—as Lady Truelove—has used his advice as newspaper fodder, he’s infuriated. But when he’s forced into a secret alliance with her, he realizes he’s got a much bigger problem—because Clara is upending everything Rex thought he knew about women—and about himself. . . .

Audio: A brother's price - Wen Spencer

Narrated by: Travis Baldree

Length: 9 hrs

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 2019-01-29

Language: English

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Fantasy

My Thoughts:

This book was really good, it turned everything you knew upside down, and I did go all weird at one point, then I righted myself. No, not weird. We are just learned to think such in our male society.

If this had been reversed it would have been a 80s romance. With dubious content and everything. But it is not.

For every 20 women there is one male. SO yes they are the price in this world.

They are owned by their mothers, their sisters, their wives and can be sold and bartered. (nothing new there, that is the fate of women still.)

Since there are so few men sisters share a husband and guard him well. Even if it is outlawed there are still men taken captive by women who need a husband. Raped to get them with child or sold to a Crib so they can service woman after woman, hour after hour.

The men take care of the babies and cook. Women take care of the farm, the businesses or fight wars. Men are soft creatures. They are not thought to read or write. What could would a man have with such silly ideas in their heads.

They are the ones that needs to show of their assets and wear pretty clothes to catch a good family.

A man must be a virgin on his wedding night. Else he is ruined.

A man will marry at 16. His brides might be much elder (like that is anything new, girls have married older men for ages). But that is weird some of you say. Why? Then it should be weird for women to marry anyone older. 

Yes see, I liked how it played with all those things. The 16 marrying someone 28 was the one thing that I found strange, before I realised that the only reason I thought that was strange was cos he was a man. If this had been a historical fic book and the bride 16 then I would not have blinked.

This was a marvelous world! And a dangerous world where I would not have wanted to be male. It was a scary world for men filled with rape threats and scary women lusting after you.

I have talked on and on about the world! Ok SO Jerin meets a princess who takes liberties and he is all in love. His family guards him like hawks and they are all trained to fight. Jerin has a great home actually, he was thought to read and write and got to play outside with the girls. But he is to marry soon. And the elder sisters wants a husband so Jerin needs to fetch a price.

There is adventure, and Jerin falling in love at every turn. Dangerous plots at the capital and scary woman wanting the pretty young debutante.

I could not fall back asleep so I listened for like 4 hours one morning to find out how it worked out for poor Jerin, and you know what, like the romance it would have been if he had been female, everyone gets HEAs

Conclusion:

Interesting listen. Hard to out down

Narrator

I did feel he made Jerin a bit too old, but on the other hand it worked for the life he led. Since there is like one other male present then he sure does a lot of female voices ;) Men are like I said scarce in this world.

Cover

Nope. Where is his pretty long hair that got braided with pretty things in it and bows. And his clothes that shows what a catch he is ;)

Story

In a world where male children are rare, a man is a valuable commodity - to be sold to the highest bidder....

It isn't easy being the oldest boy in a house run by women - especially for Jerin Whistler. The grand-matriarchs of his clan are descended from soldiers, spies, and thieves. That's partly what's kept their family alive in the wilderness. But it also means Jerin's doomed to marry the girls next door - a fate he's convinced is worse than death. But Jerin gets in even worse trouble when, in the process of a daring rescue, he falls in love with a royal princess who's as high above his station as it's possible to be.    

Ren knows that Jerin is too far below her class to be an appropriate match for her and her royal sisters. But then she hears rumors of a long-held Whistler family secret - one that might provide a way for them to finally be together. Unfortunately, she still has four sisters to convince. And that's before Jerin even comes to the capital - where simmering political tensions will threaten not just their love, but all their lives....

TMST

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where Rainy discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog.

 February 5th: What are some big misconceptions you had about blogging when you started?

I am not starting the year of well. I am so bad with these lately. Again, my mind is blank. But then I went to bed with a sore throat yesterday and today it has plagued me all day. Blergh, all I want is rest but alas, I have a bouncy kid.

Honestly I had no clues about anything when I started. I lived in my own bubble. I had not ideas of what blogging about books was like 10 years when I started. And I never got any ideas that were proven wrong either. Maybe cos I jumped in so early? Who knows. I have blogged here in my own bubble for a long lone time. I never grew. I only stayed as I ever was.