OYENTE

Katja Amyx

  • 28
  • opiniones
  • 8
  • votos útiles
  • 97
  • calificaciones

Excellent Characters, Excellent Narration

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-03-25

This is one of my favorite books of the IBP universe. I love the inversion where Adrian finds Kovo instead of the other way around. I love that Adrian builds a relationship with Kovo's beast first. The fact that the beast is much more 3-dimensional than what we've seen before – turns out the beast is smarter and more thoughtful than we knew! The way Adrian sort of meets him at his level is so sweet; she gives the beast the kind of attention and affirmation that he needs. I won't spoil with details, but a couple of the pet names she calls the beast caused me to laugh out loud. Perfect. Also, I nearly applauded when she said, "You guys are intense!" Tell it like it is, Adrian!

I was especially happy about the narrators for this book. Shiloh Jams as Adrian is one of my favorite female narrators for the whole IBP universe! Loved her sassy and real interpretation of Adrian. And, as always, Tor Thom knocks it out of the park as the voice of the Atlan hottie.

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Wish I could rate the voice actors separately

Total
2 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
2 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-13-24

This story is pretty good, given that it's a short story. I enjoy having IBP books that take place partly on Earth, since it adds variety to the ways that the stories can unfold. The main characters are likable, there's a cute enormous dog, and we get a fun cameo appearance from Warden Egara and a squad of Atlan warlords.

Marcio Catalano did an excellent job with Stark's POV chapters. He's got one of those voices you could listen to a lot and be happy. 4/5 stars. Unfortunately, Jade Valentine was terrible in Rebecca's POV chapters. She sounded like someone who knows how to pronounce English words but doesn't know what the words mean. I wondered if it was an AI voice, the performance was that bad. 1/5 stars. If the story had been longer, I doubt that I would have finished listening because of it.

I listened to this short story in December 2024, the last month that it's included in the Audible Plus catalog, so I didn't have to spend a credit or pay extra for it. I don't recommend paying for this audiobook. Another reviewer mentioned reading it in print format and that seems like a good idea.

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Delightful

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 06-17-24

What a lovely little story. I recommend it as a pick-me-up for anyone who enjoys costumes and free-spirited kids.

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Excellent story, not-so-good female narrator

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 02-18-24

I love the Interstellar Brides books! I'm reading them all (except Virgins and Ascension) in chronological order according to the contents of each story as given on a list from Grace Goodwin's web site, and I'm really enjoying it! Better than reading each series one after the other, because it showcases how Goodwin expertly weaves in characters from previous stories, builds the setting, and carves out a unique place for humans among the many races in the coalition. Now, in The Beasts series, some Atlans are coming to live on Earth, mingling with humans, learning English –– and slang phrases! –– it's another wonderful addition to the setting. This story is another excellent installment. Not only do we get the story of Tane and Alena, but we also meet other Atlans, and we see how the "Bachelor Beast" series is trying to cope with the fact that the Beasts keep going off script! 😂 I won't give any spoilers, but I'll say Goodwin shows us an unexpected side to a character I did not think would get that kind of treatment, and it is great.

Tor Thom has narrated a lot of the Interstellar Brides books and he is still doing great work. He's played so many Atlans now, he has developed a very natural way of expressing the difference between Tane speaking and the Beast speaking even when Tane is not in Beast form.

Unfortunately, Marlaina Garrett was disappointing as Alena. I thought she started out well, but around halfway through she just got monotonous and weirdly breathy. As the book went on, I started checking the time stamp to see how much longer I had to put up with it. Sadly, it may stop me from re-listening to this book in the future.

ETA: Just relistened to this book and I'm impressed again by how much we see the more relatable side of Tane. When he's flirty or confused or emotionally vulnerable or just taking care of the challenges that come his way, he seems more... maybe not more human, but a bit more grounded. I mean, still a 🌶️ god, but a down-to-earth one. 😁

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As others have said – not what you expect

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 08-24-23

I was absolutely intending to read the description of this book and then pass on by. Then I sort of accidentally read Ajay Smith's review and became intrigued. Since several reviews noted, "It's not what you would think from the title, it's much much better," I wound up buying the book. Those reviews were right! And now I am adding my voice to the chorus.

Here are a few thoughts about what made this book a very worthwhile listen for me.

1. The characters in this book are so interesting. Carter is not at all what I expected. He doesn't fit either the hero or anti-hero mold. He's not exactly a wise-cracking tough guy though he does have a sort of snark-adjacent way of speaking (or internal dialoging). And then there are Pykh and Siel. They are the same species and speak the same language and have been together for quite a while, but are still metaphorically from two different worlds. Seeing their two points of view adds so much depth to the story.

2. The communication issues. First, they don't have a universal translator or babel fish or anything. Second, Carter has a very different understanding about what is going on than Pykh and Siel. Even Pykh and Siel interpret things differently sometimes. The author's excellent examination of these dynamics, the attempts at communication with both successes and (many) failures becomes almost an anthropological study between the three characters – but in a really wonderful and fascinating way. There is quite a lot of sexual content pretty much from the beginning, but it's so intertwined with the social context that it's at a different level than the usual run-of-the-mill steamy romance story.

3. I love how Carter tells the reader about his military training. Sometimes it's useful and sometimes it's not, but hearing about it is always interesting.

4. The narrator – holy smokes, what talent. Someone else commented in their review that certain scenes would probably not be so heartbreaking if the narrator were less skilled, and I agree. Not just the raw skill of speaking well and creating distinct voices for each character, but also his unique and unexpected interpretations of them put this performance right at the top of the chart.

5. This book is very intense and the author's skill is what made it work. I notice that as the trilogy progresses each book is longer than the one before. I'm hoping that's because the editor gave the author more freedom to explore the interesting characters and setting.

I could say more, but I'm making every effort not to include any spoilers. No matter how much I want to tell everyone about the excellent scenes and funny bits of dialog. (The book is not comedic by any means, but there are definitely funny moments and funny lines.)

In short, I recommend this book and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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Like Stephanie Plum but ++romance and 0 murder

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-06-23

Why I enjoyed these books so much:

1. Five stories set in a small town with a lot of love and supportive relationships. It's the town (and the family) we all wish we could be a part of.

2. Five hot dudes who love their women for who they are. And they back that up with supportive action, even when it's sometimes challenging. (I suppose "5 hot dudes" could be its own item. 😂)

3. Hilarious hijinks. Goofball animals, side characters who are quite the characters, and, er, "marital aids" when you least expect them. If you like Janet Evanovich, you'll love these books.

Full disclosure:

It seems like some people are put off by the first book, Hosed, because it has direct talk about sex toys (also, quite a bit of hilarity based on them). Obviously, I found it very funny. I also found it empowering. It's good for women to have a positive relationship with their bodies and their sexuality. 💚

The first book also has a whole virgin theme going on, which is really not my thing at all. However, the book was well written and all the other elements were so good that having the one trope I dislike did not bother me.

I hope you will enjoy these books as much as I did.

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Sweet and adorable story

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-14-23

Love at First Psych is a sweet and adorable story and the audio production is expertly done. In addition to being a love story, it is a meditation on what makes a good relationship and what characteristics make someone a good candidate for a loving partner. And I feel like the author is on the right track. The story manages to walk the fine line of being a romance novel (ie, inherently a fantasy) while also telling some truths about relationships.

This audiobook came along at a time when I was feeling really horrible, and for 4 hours and 35 minutes, I miraculously forgot my problems. I hope you will enjoy it, too.

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Story, pretty good. Narration, sub-standard.

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
2 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 08-29-22

I agree with everyone else. This story is generally OK but the narration is annoying. It sounds like somebody told the narrator she'd get a bonus check if she could bring the story in at only three hours, when it should have been 3.5 or 4 hours. I think if she had slowed down, there would have been more time for adding emotion to the characters. Also, editors, *please* give the narrator some pronunciation guidance! She doesn't know how to say "mercantile" or "chaise" and a few others that show up in the story.

Anyway, I listened all the way through. It was OK for a story that didn't cost me extra.

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Enjoyed the story, one narrator was distracting

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 08-05-22

Once again, Grace Goodwin managed to find a way to shake up the formula a bit while still keeping us comfortably inside the Interstellar Brides' setting, and I appreciate that. (I love the more usual storyline format, but I also appreciate cleverness and creativity -- which demand that things get changed up sometimes.) To avoid any spoilers, I'll just say that because the characters met up in a somewhat different way than usual, the relationships developed in a way we haven't seen before in this series.

Performance rating: Really, I wanted to give three 4-star ratings and one 2-star rating. (see note below)
Unfortunately, the voice actor for Calder played the part waaaaay over the top, and it was completely inappropriate for the story. I wish someone had given him some direction so he would have played it a bit more middle of the road. Very distracting. The other three narrators did a very good job, especially the role of Axon.

ETA: 2 years later, I just listened to this story again and I'm upgrading the Calder actor to 3/5 stars. This time around, I get how broody and melodramatic Calder is (a real handful, honestly... how do the other characters deal with him? 😂) and I see that the voice actor was playing that up. Not a total success, obvi, but a good effort.

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Lunar Vampire Bikers

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-31-22

The biker gang trope isn't really my thing, but this was an interesting story. I was even somewhat interested in the politics between the legions, also not really my thing.

Surprisingly, the Interstellar Brides Program didn't have a part in this story. Props to the author for mixing that up a bit in a way that is still consistent with the setting.

The scene where Styx flirts with Harper might be my favorite in the book.

This story gives more information about a technical detail from a previous story, so it's fun to have that piece filled in. I appreciate the ways that the author makes all these stories fit together.

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