At the Table of Wolves

Dark Talents, Book 1

By: Kay Kenyon

Narrated by: Nicola Barber

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy meets X-Men in a classic British espionage story. A young woman must go undercover and use her superpowers to discover a secret Nazi plot and stop an invasion of England.

In 1936, there are paranormal abilities that have slowly seeped into the world, brought to the surface by the suffering of the Great War. The research to weaponize these abilities in England has lagged behind Germany, but now it's underway at an ultra-secret site called Monkton Hall.

Kim Tavistock, a woman with the talent of the spill - drawing out truths that people most wish to hide - is among the test subjects at the facility. When she wins the confidence of caseworker Owen Cherwell, she is recruited to a mission to expose the head of Monkton Hall - who is believed to be a German spy.

As she infiltrates the upper-crust circles of some of England's fascist sympathizers, she encounters dangerous opponents, including the charismatic Nazi officer Erich von Ritter, and discovers a plan to invade England. No one believes an invasion of the island nation is possible, not Whitehall, not even England's Secret Intelligence Service. Unfortunately, they are wrong, and only one woman, without connections or training, wielding her talent of the spill and her gift for espionage, can stop it.

©2017 Kay Kenyon (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

A solid historical novel... with magic...

This story takes place in England right before WWII, and it's filled with spies and Nazi sympathisers... and Magic! The story really highlighted Hitler's obsession with the Occult, and here, he found just what he was looking for, and tried to use it to the benefit of His Germany! At the same time, there were many English who didn't want to believe that another war was a very real possibility...
Kay Kenyon's prose is great and I would've enjoyed the book more, but I found that the story was slow to get going... I also felt that our protagonist, Kim Tavistoc, (generally a pretty smart woman) was a bit too slow in figuring out a couple of key things... but once she cottoned on to the facts, the story got much better!
 
I loved Nicola Barber's narration! She gave a great performance!

Best audio book performance to date

I have been an audible subscriber for some time and have listened to over 20 books. This is by far and away the best narrated story to date. I absolutely loved everything about it and could not recommend giving it a listen more. 5 stars!

Main Character's Father More Interesting

Narration is quite good, which proves to be a huge plus for a story that is super slow foundationally. Perhaps the review references to Agent Carter and the X-Men is a bit much for this first book. Having seen and been especially touched by a young Magneto coming into his power in front of a Nazi "work" camp as his mother is separated from him in the X-Men movie...I guess I was hoping for something much more dramatic!

Set in 1936 in England, as Hitler is beginning to extend his power grabs on a world weary from WW1, Kim Tavistock has experienced the "bloom", gaining the power to cause people to "spill" their secrets. Her father Julian is a trained spy in much the same vain as "Zorro's" alter ego Don Diego Vega. Julian, in fact, becomes my favorite character, far out pacing his 33 year old investigative journalist daughter, whose extreme conscience often delays her understanding of the actions of those around her. At 33, having already experienced betrayal, she shouldn't be so readily excusing people according to what she herself would do. A saving grace is her bravery and determination to protect the country she loves.

The villains in this story, Von Ritter, and a host of English collaborators, is believable, especially in light of Hitler's well known fascination with the occult and science. Many people at that time were fatalistic, materialistic or unwilling to believe in the evil being perpetrated in their midst. I think, had I not been looking for more action, I would have enjoyed the story more because I love historical fiction. Found interesting enough to try the next book.

Not usually my genre, but..

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, because the story line was really interesting and the narrator is my favorite.

What other book might you compare At the Table of Wolves to and why?

I had not read one like it so that was a good thing, it was a new flavor for me.

What does Nicola Barber bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I would listen Nicola Barber read the label off a soup can, that is how much I like her voice.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

This is the real cold war!

Any additional comments?

First time for author, can't wait to listen to the next book when it comes out at audible. Nicola Barber, 'nuff said!

Interesting Alt History series

Great story and overall performance. The characters and storytelling really pulls you into the time period. Looking forward to listening to the next book. #audicting #alternatehistory #icetalents #tagsgiving #sweepstakes