Fire of Stars and Dragons

Stars and Souls, Book 1

By: Melissa Petreshock

Narrated by: Casey Holloway, Daniel Thomas May, Kevin Stillwell

Number one Contemporary Fantasy; number one Paranormal Romance; number one Paranormal and Urban

Women in 22nd-century sovereign America are expected to be seen and not heard. Caitriona Hayden did not get that memo. As she struggles to make her way in the world after her powerful uncle dies, being "seen" is the least of Cait's problems.

Someone's trying to kill her.

Theo Pendragon claims Cait as his ward and is ordained to guard her and protect her. The dragon finds more than he expects, however, as the flames of passion are ignited within him for the first time. Theo isn't the only one who feels this way about Cait, however. He must learn to fight for what he wants, even if it means risking his closest friendship.

Theo's beloved friend, Dante, a powerful demigod, has spent hundreds of years in pursuit of intellect at the expense of indulging in desire. Everything changes, though, when Cait arouses an undeniable attraction.

But Dante isn't the only one with a vested interest in Cait's future.

An ancient vampire named Corrin rules America and sees love as frivolous and unnecessary. He can't deny, though, that a proper queen would improve his approval among the people. More so, marrying Cait could hold the key to his survival.

Love, desire, and need force Cait into an impossible situation with dire consequences.

Cait's life changes drastically - going from studying for college exams to fighting for a future she never even knew she wanted and for a man she never even imagined she could love. One secret she has yet to uncover is the key to her future.

Fire of Stars and Dragons is the first book in the exciting Stars and Souls trilogy.

©2014 Melissa Petreshock (P)2015 ListenUp Production, LLC

A 1/2 baked plot with improbable elements

Any additional comments?

This story of a corporate heiress and her dragon bodyguards that can change into human form at will is a bit far-fetched. Might be interesting to girls 13 and under if it weren't for the sexual content. Events just sort of happen one after another with the female lead falling in love with each of the dragon brothers who are assigned to protect her in a future world that has regressed to the point of being too dangerous for women to roam about freely.

Don't you just love men who are dragons?

It seemed odd to have a future world populated with leaders who bound the populace with such medieval attitudes, especially regarding women. The character of the heroine was fairly well developed, and strong-minded and with an evolving personality. Some of the male characters seemed rather vague in spite of their roles in the society or the story. Somehow, it seemed to lack the kind of cohesiveness I was looking for.
The audio performers are each very good at their craft and contributed strongly to the overall enjoyability of this piece. I feel that it would have been even better if their voices had been intertwined throughout rather than in alternating fashion.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review via AudioBook Blast

Fire of stars and dragons review

Would you listen to Fire of Stars and Dragons again? Why?

Yes, this was really fantastic.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fire of Stars and Dragons?

In the beginning during the scene in the room.

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

A unique voice to the characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Neither.

Any additional comments?

Interesting.

Narration

I love the narrators, But have the men narrate do all of the men's characters and have the woman do all of the women's voice.
Please .......

.

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

Yes, I would. The 3 narrator/character perspective made this very interesting. You didn't have 1 person trying to give full emotion to all of the characters. By Ms. Holloway, Mr. May and Mr. Stillwell each taking a lead character they were able to make them their own.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've listened to a short story read by Mr. Stillwell and felt that this book was just a good. I've not listened to anything by Ms. Holloway or Mr. May but I would like to.

Any additional comments?

Fire of Stars and Dragons is the first in the Stars and Souls series. While this book takes place in the future, the United States is back under the rule of a king and woman are treated like property. Cait is left an orphan, even tho she is over 20, and has to go to court to plead for her independence. The King decides that she cannot have her independence and must marry and gives her 7 days to make a choice. In court she meets Theo, a dragon shifter who is a protector of the king, a sparks fly. Dante,' a demi god and Theo's friend, and King Corrin, a vampire, round out the 3 men who are vying for Cait's attention.

Who will Cait choose?

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the paranormal genre. There are dragon shifters, vampires and demi-gods to be found here. I would also call this book New Adult. Cait is in her early 20's so not so much a Young Adult by usual standards There is some steamy love scenes to be had also.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

EXCELLENT. GOOD WRITER AND WELL PERFORMED BY NARRATORS.

I like the plot. Quite fantastic actually. I like the dragons and Mr Daniel Thomas May make wonderful voices for the dragons indeed. His sexy and well modulated voice for Theo was superb! Just love it. I would have preferred the whole story to be performed by one narrator. Mr May would be perfect. He can do both male and female voices beautifully. The other narrators are good too but the voices of the individual characters when read by a different narrator, the voices come out different which sort of spoils the flow of the story. All in all the plot was good with political intrigues, dragons, vampires and even a demi god in it. Interesting. I hope the next book will be published soon.

Exciting, interesting, great narrators

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

I loved all of the narrators. Theo's accent was perfect - sexy but not really easy to place. Casey Holloway was absolutely wonderful as Cait. And King Corrin was so menacing at times, but still relatable!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I found myself sitting in the car a little longer to finish a chapter.

Any additional comments?

I think this book is best described as New Adult Fantasy Romance - so know that going into it. It's new adult style of writing, and definitely fantasy. The romance is engrossing and it is hot. As a listener, you kind of get thrown into a future fantasy world abruptly in the beginning of the story. It took me a chapter or so to adjust, but once I did, I was hooked.

Theo!!

Whoever voices Theo ...sir, your are a gift. Loved the performance. Story was quite good, sucked me in to the vortex of dragons and possibilities. Will listen to again.

A Dragon, A Demi-God, & A Vampire...Oh My!

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

Ehhhhh I was bored at times....so maybe not...but maybe....

What did you like best about this story?

Idk....I kinda like the world there in....but for as advanced as its supposed to be...its old fashioned too....

Which scene was your favorite?

I don't think I have a favorite....maybe the end....lol

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

** I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review **

I wanted to love this book, but I got bored! I found myself making fun of it at times...and making jokes about a dragon, a demi-god and a vampire walking into a bar...lol Plus it reminded me of like a supernatural mini version of the bachelorette..We have Cait...a supposed normal rich girl...Theo her ward and a dragon....Dante...a Demi-God....and Corrin a King Vampire...lol Well Cait's uncle and care-taker dies..(he was also a vampire), and according to the society rules there is formal business that has to be conducted because she can not be allowed to just live her life....so she is given 7 days to pick a husband....and the 3 above all toss that hat in the ring....well its very drawn out...and In the End we learn Cait is destined to be the kind of leader of the dragons..There *North Star* not a bad story...but predictable...and long and semi repetitive and I don't think I will continue this series...But on a positive note...the narration is incredible...the concept is cool...and some people will really like this...just not me....But I do not regret the listen, I just wish it was edited down to a shorter version....

Thank You Audiobookblast(dot)com

Lost interest

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The switching of the narrators was a little distracting. I have listened to other audio books where the narrators changed with the perspective, but it didn't work on this one, but I think that is a fault of the story, not the narrators.

Would you ever listen to anything by Melissa Petreshock again?

No, definitely not. It seemed like it was written for a young adult. I don't mean that in respect to romance, but its approach. You can find a lot of YA books that have sex; it often isn't as graphic, but then a lot of adult books can have younger characters with no sex. The difference is often in the vernacular and overall tone. To be honest, it had a Twilight tone, and I can't say that without a negative connotation. Characters are limited, and the dialogue is just...rough. There are several similar characters, so names got confusing very quickly

What didn’t you like about the narrators’s performance?

They are good narrators, but the overall performance is just not good, and it is very distracting.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No, not really. If this were fan fiction or free online, I might be more lenient, but for its reviews and cost, it was not of a good enough quality

Any additional comments?

I liked the idea of the juxtaposition of an advanced society with supernaturals to archaic beliefs, but it was such a method of getting the author to a desired outcome, rather than a plot device. That sounds silly, but there is a difference. A plot device will have an ease to it, but if the author is forcing an idea, it feels...amateur. Rules exist not for creating a setting, but for forcing an ending. Personalities are irrelevant, intricacies of conflict or climax are boring. In the end, characters are forgettable, the book is boring, and the audio book is fast to be deleted.