Tag Archives: narrated by jennifer van dyck

Audio Book Review: Alpha by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

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Book: Alpha by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

Published October 2010 by Harlequin Books S.A.|Length: 12 hours, 37 minutes

Where I Got It: I own the audio book

Series: Shifters #6

Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

The unscrupulous new Council chair has charged Jace, Marc and me with trespassing, kidnapping, murder and treason. Yeah, we’ve been busy. But now it’s time to take justice into our own hands. We must avenge my brother’s death and carve out the rot at the heart of the Council.

It’s not going to be easy, and loss seems unavoidable, but I have promised to protect my Pride, no matter what. With a target on my back and Marc at my side, I’m heading for a final showdown that can, that will change everything forever. A showdown I’m not sure I’m ready for.

But life never waits until you’re ready.

I really liked this one!  I’m sad to see this series end, but I’m also glad that I got to see how everything ended.

Faith has been through a lot in this series!  She’s lost some people, and unfortunately, this book had a loss I wasn’t expecting or was remotely prepared for.

She had a lot to deal with after everything that happened with her dad, and she really had to fight for her pride.  She did it, of course, though there were a lot of obstacles along the way.  I wasn’t surprised, and I hope things get at least a little better for her.  She needs things to go her way, in addition to having support from her friends and family.  She needs things to be normal.  Well, as normal as they’re going to get, which isn’t very normal, considering we’re talking about Faith.  But it seems like things will (hopefully) settle down enough for her.

The war wasn’t what I thought it would be.  There was action, of course, and I’m not completely sure what I was expecting, but I think it was something different than what we got.  At least things with certain council members got taken care of, and I think things are headed in a good direction.  A lot of changes are in store, but I think it’ll be good changes.  At least, I hope they’re good.  Things can’t keep going the way they are.

We finally got the Mark-Jace-Faith love triangle resolved, and I wasn’t surprised by who she ended up with.  I’m not enthused with it, though I’m not sure who I’d want for Faith.  It took her a while to figure out what she wanted, and it wasn’t an easy decision to make.  That, with everything else…I don’t know how she managed to take care of everything but she did.

Honestly, I would have been disappointed if the love triangle hadn’t been resolved.  Even though I didn’t love Faith and Mark, or Faith and Jace, I’m still glad we know where that stands.  Honestly, they both deserve better, but it’s not like we’re going to get a third, random choice thrown in.  It was always going to be one of them.

I’ve really liked Jennifer Van Dyck’s narration.  She did a great job giving Faith a voice, and she was a really good choice for this series.  I’m really glad I went with the audio, and it’s because of her!

4 stars.  This was a pretty good end to the series, and it was a great book (and series) to listen to!

Audio Book Review: Shift by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

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Book: Shift by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

Published March 2010 by Harlequin Books|Run Time: 11 hours, 3 minutes

Where I Got It: I own the audio book

Series: Shifters #5

Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

Being the first female werecat enforcer isn’t easy. Scars accumulate, but I’m stronger in so many ways.

As for my personal life? It’s complicated. Choices worth making always are. Ever since my brother’s death and my father’s impeachment, it’s all I can do to prevent more blood from spilling. Now our Pride is under attack by a flight of vicious thunderbirds. And making peace with our new enemies may be the only way to get the best of our old foe.

With the body count rising and treachery everywhere, my instincts tell me to look before I leap. But sometimes a leap of faith is the only real option…

It’s about time I continued this series!  I really enjoyed Shift, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book.

I was surprised by how easy it was for me to slip back in Faythe’s world.  It’s been a while since I’ve read the books before this one, so I was a little worried I’d have a hard time getting back into this series.  And that I wouldn’t remember much of anything from the events of the previous books.  But that wasn’t a problem at all!  We got the basics throughout the book, as it came up, and I was glad to see what was going on with Faythe.

There’s a new threat, in the form of thunderbirds, and I was glad to learn more about other shifters in her world.  I mean, there was no way that only werecats existed, and I knew there had to be other shapeshifters out there.  The series isn’t really about that, of course, though I’m glad we were introduced new enemies.  There’s always something that’s gone wrong in Faythe’s world, and they never seem to get a break or time to breathe.  It’s been one crisis after another, and there’s more to come.

It looks like they’re headed for all-out war, and it’s not going to be pretty.  I really hope we don’t lose anyone else, but I feel like that’s a strong possibility.  There’s no way they make it out unscathed in that.

But back to this book.  The thunderbirds are an interesting group, and while it’s not surprising they like wide, open spaces, I was still slightly surprised that they don’t like the woods, even in human form.  Staying out of the forest is generally a good idea, because there’s a lot of really terrible stuff that can happen there.  But it makes sense that werecats and thunderbirds don’t really cross paths.

I’m glad Faythe was able to get the evidence she needed to make sure her pride stayed safe from the thunderbirds.  Their punishment was a little scary, but to each their own.  I wouldn’t want to cross them or get on their bad side, that’s for sure.

Though she’s no longer fighting the thunderbirds, she has some things she needs to deal with in her personal life.  Mainly, things got really weird with Jace and Mark, and even though I know things will work out, it’s not going to be easy.  It complicates things, not just for them, but for the pride as well, and there’s no way that Jace and Mark can work together as long as Faythe is around.  Honestly, I’m not sure they could work together even if she weren’t around, but it made things a lot more complicated, that’s for sure.

As usual, Jennifer Van Dyck did a great job at narrating, and I particularly liked how she gave voice to the thunderbirds.  They had a completely different voice than Faythe and the other characters, and it was super easy to tell the difference between the thunderbirds and everyone else.  Honestly, their voice really fit them, and there is something birdlike about their voice.

4 stars.  I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Faythe and her family.  I really hope they get the happy ending they deserve.

Audio Book Review: Prey by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

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Book: Prey by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

Published July 2009 by Harlequin S.A.|Length: 12 hours, 33 minutes

Where I Got It: I own the audiobook

Series: Shifters #4

Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

Sometimes playing cat and mouse is no game…Play? “Right.” My Pride is under fire from all sides, my father’s authority is in question and my lover is in exile. Which means I haven’t laid eyes on Marc’s gorgeous face in months. And with a new mother “and” an I-know-everything teenager under my protection, I don’t exactly have time to fantasize about ever seeing him again.

Then our long-awaited reunion is ruined by a vicious ambush by strays. Now our group is under attack, Marc is missing and I will need every bit of skill and smarts to keep my family from being torn apart. Forever.

I really liked this one!  I’ve really enjoyed this series, and this book is no exception.

In Prey, we see Faythe dealing with Marc in exile…and Marc goes missing, of course, so Faythe has to deal with that as well.  She’s not willing to give up on finding him, even though there are so many other things that are going on.  She has a lot of heartbreak in the novel, and I was really sad about it.  Faythe and her family has a lot to deal with and they didn’t need that at all.  It made me really sad for her.

Faythe is Faythe, though, and while it hurts now, she will be okay, even if it takes time.  She’s pretty tough, but we do see her as a slightly more vulnerable person in this book.

There are some mysteries in this one, like everything we see with the strays.  I’m curious to see how that works out in the next couple of books, because I feel like that story is far from over.  Also, I really hope Mark is able to leave exile and come back home, but who knows when or how that will happen, if it does?

Honestly, I’ve been feeling pretty frazzled, so I’m surprised I can remember this much about the book!  Granted, when I take a while to review a book, there are times where I don’t always remember a lot, but with school, my brain is somewhat fried.  At any rate, this was an interesting listen, and I really felt for Faythe.  She does find herself in the weird situations, and trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes.

As an audio book, I really liked it!  Jennifer Van Dyck continues to narrate the series, and she does a great job.  Once I finish this series, I want to check out some of the other audio books she narrated.  Honestly, that’s how much I like her!

4 stars.  I really enjoyed Prey, and there’s both mystery and heartbreak for Faythe and her family.  I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Audio Book Review: Pride By Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

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Book: Pride by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

Published February 2009 by Harlequin Books S.A.|Length: 13 hours, 18 minutes

Where I Got It: I own the audio book

Series: Shifters #3

Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

The werecat council has three cardinal laws; and headstrong Faythe stands accused of breaking two of them: infecting a human with her supernatural skills and killing him to cover her tracks. With the death penalty hanging over her head, Faythe has no escape route left. That is, until a shapeshifter informs the pride of a rash of rogue strays terrorising his land. Yet this threat is nothing like any they’ve seen before. Only Faythe has the knowledge to save the pride, but can she prove her worth? Or will the council’s verdict condemn them all…?

I liked Pride!  We’ll see how much I actually talk about this book, considering it’s been a few weeks between me finishing the book and me writing this review.

In this book, we see Faythe on trial for everything that happened with Andrew.  There are some interesting developments on the Mark front, and I do want to see how that works out.

I was angry at the panel deciding Faythe’s fate.  Mostly because her fate largely rested on her desire to get married and have kids.  It seems like female shifters are pretty rare, and to execute her because she’s not sure about marriage and having kids?  It made me so angry, and angry for Faythe that more importance was placed on her child-bearing abilities and desires.

And because we’re talking about Faythe, she gets wrapped up in some weird things going on.  Most of which revolve around a girl who ended up in Faythe’s care because she wouldn’t let anyone else near her.  And of course, Faythe realizes that with a new (young) shifter, the council really has no reason to keep her around.  Plus, a younger female would be more likely to listen to them, as opposed to Faythe, who is really headstrong and independent.  Still, Faythe makes it through everything.  I knew she would, but it was quite the journey.  And I’m definitely planning on listening to the next book to see what happens next.  Whatever it is will be sure to get Faythe into some sort of trouble.

Jennifer Van Dyck continues to do a great job at narrating!  She is great to listen to and she really has a way of making me feel like she is Faythe.  She’s a great choice for this series.

4 stars.  I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Audio Book Review: Stray by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

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Book: Stray by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

Published May 2007 by Harlequin Books S.A.|Run Time: 13 hours, 49 minutes

Where I Got It: I own the audio book

Series: Shifters #1

Genre: Adult

There are only eight breeding female werecats left…

And I’m one of them

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.

Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I’d been warned about Strays — werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back…for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I’m no meek kitty. I’ll take on whatever — and whoever — I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays — ’cause I got claws, and I’m not afraid to use them…

I really liked Stray!  I’ve read a few of Vincent’s series and I’m glad I picked this one up.

I liked Faith, and thought she was a great character.  She is very independent, and doing her own thing is important.  She wants more than what is expected of her, but I also felt like she started to understand the power her own mom had.  Faith is definitely smart and she’s a fighter.  While she can take care of herself, I also liked seeing how protective she was of her cousin.  I’m curious to see how much she changes over the course of the series.

Faith lives in an interesting world.  I like it, though.  I mean, there is definitely a structure there, though I think there’s a lot we don’t know about the rest of the world.  I have the feeling we’ll see a lot of Faith’s Pride, but will also see some of the other ones.  That’s what I’m hoping, because I think there’s a lot to work with.

The one thing that I was reminded of was her Menagerie series, which I still need to finish.  I have no idea why I kept thinking of that series.  Well, it is set in a carnival, and you see mermaids, minotaurs and other mythological creatures.  The two series are two very different worlds and in no way connected to each other, but it makes me wonder how the two would come together.  It makes me wonder what other creatures/cryptids exist in Faith’s world.

Anyway, Faith ends up in a spot of trouble.  Which is a vast understatement, but things work themselves out in the end.  I knew they would, but there are definitely some obstacles along the way.  It makes me want to know more about the strays that are pretty important to this story.  I feel like there’s more to them than what we’re getting, and I feel like this is not the last we’ve heard of them.

I am wondering a few things, though.  For starters, what is going on with Andrew?  I get why he came up at the beginning of the book, and then we didn’t hear from him for most of the book.  Until the end, when we find out he just randomly left school, and vanished without a trace.  I honestly can’t remember if they even broke up or if they were still together.  A lot happens, and it was either mentioned and I wasn’t paying attention, or it was never mentioned and happened off-the-page.

I am glad I went with the audio book.  I liked Jennifer Van Dyck as the narrator, and her voice sounded really familiar.  That was pretty odd because this is the first book of hers that I’ve listened to.  But her voice reminds me a little of Gabra Zackman, who is pretty awesome.  Maybe that’s why I was reminded of Menagerie- I listened to that series, which is narrated by Zackman.  I’m definitely going to continue series on audio.

4 stars.  I really liked Stray, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Faith.