Inside Straight: An Amber Farrell Novel

Bite Back, Book 6

By: Mark Henwick

Narrated by: Emily Rankin

The witch who doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Amber is under orders to spend a relaxing Christmas with her house and family in Denver. No chance. A fleeing Athanate House with rebel Adepts and a dying human kin throw themselves at Amber's mercy and her decisions unleash a terrifying journey into the world of the most secretive of paranormal races - the Adepts. Amber has to unmask her enemies, persuade uncertain allies to support her, and risk her own soul in a battle to protect the power of the dragon and the outcome of emergence.

©2019 Mark Henwick (P)2020 Mark Henwick

New Narrator

Julia Motyka has narrated most of this series but for whatever reason she doesn't seem to be doing voice work anymore. Emily Rankin has taken over the duties and honestly it feels a little strange. She is good but a little different. Better in some ways, not as good in others.

She will definitely make this series her own and I'm excited to listen to the next book as Amber heads down to New Orleans.

The book is great but if you haven't read the rest of the series you should start with Sleight of Hand, you won't regret it.

Incredible!

Awesome book, another great one in the Amber Farrell novels. Once again you can't stop listening to it once it is started!

Binged the whole series in a week!!

It's been a while sense i have found a book series that i liked well enough to binge it all at once with out taking breaks for other books. The first and second book are a bit clunky, mostly because you don't have the full scope of what is actually happening. Not to mention the usual "Oh god i might be a monster" stuff that all these types of books seem to go through. But i found myself still liking the characters and the plots were pretty interesting and the slow world building might have been frustrating at times but it always kept me wanting more and more. Plus i think the over all plot is interesting. Most urban fantasy novels come in two types, 1. humans have no idea paranormals exist or 2 they found out that paranormals exist awhile ago. This is the first book that i have read where the main theme of things is preparing to tell the world that they exist and all the pit falls and problems that might cause for both sides. It's really interesting.
Speaking of things i liked, i love how relationships are portrayed in this book. When it comes to romantic relationships the characters do seem to actually love and support each other. Even though this is a series with multi partner relationships you feel that there is actual care given to the romance rather than just "oooh hot let's have sex." Lol you could make an argument that Alex and Amber were a bit like that, but as usual with this author there is more to it than meets the eye and you learn why that is farther along in the books. I also love that the relationships are't a bunch of dudes standing around jealously waiting their turn for some reason. ALL of the characters within the relationship care and support one another. Harem this is not. Not to mention female love interests are given just as much importance as male ones. No annoying sexual tension eluded to but never acted upon here. I hate when authors pander but are too scared to actually give the characters non main stream sexuality. (cough cough The Hollow Series cough cough) As for the platonic relationships it is always great when characters can be actual friends, not just jealous rivals or obstacles.
Lol i kind of feel bad for Emily Rankin this is the second book i listened to her narrate and both times it was a replacement for a narrator i had already really liked. She is a good narrator. However she speaks more slowly and softly for a book about ex military vampires than i think is realistic. Also there are a few names and accents she does differently than i was used to, so it took me a bit to get into the flow. but after i did i enjoyed her performance quite a bit

P.S. Mr. Henvick please kindly hurry up and get me the next book in the series , also pretty please get Bian's tales on audible. Awesome story.

well great

Well great like in the book and in life questions are answered but twice as many come up. Now I'm stuck like with the other series i listen to, waiting for the next book. I hate waiting. Like I said before addictive and need a fix need answers. Oh how this is going to suck. Incase you can't tell I'm a very patient person. 🤣😂

frustrating

I really get very annoyed when a series changes narrators in the middle. the new narrator can't even do basic research into the books and voices. I think very low of narrators that do this. if she had done the whole series it would be one thing. the fact that she can't even get close to main characters i.e. beyon and nick tells me she didn't even try.

Inside

I've loved the previous 5 books. This one however fell flat. It dragged on and on. A bit confusing at times.
I'm not sure if my not so good review is strictly due to the story dragging on. The new narrator made my ears hurt... she was flat and her voice whispered during fight scenes.

Narrator

I have really enjoyed this book series, but changing the narrator has just about, ruined it for me! Her atrocious, southern accent for Jennifer Kingsland, and other characters is almost a breaking point. I have only been listening for about two hours and I am cringing through it. Also, it would make sense that if there was a narrator change that the new narrator would listen to the pronunciations that the previous narrator used. I wish you would redo the narration.