Rhapsodic

The Bargainer Series, Book 1

By: Laura Thalassa

Narrated by: Chelsea Stephens

Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Callypso Lillis is a siren with a very big problem, one that stretches up her arm and far into her past. For the last seven years she’s been collecting a bracelet of black beads up her wrist, magical IOUs for favors she’s received. Only death or repayment will fulfill the obligations. Only then will the beads disappear. Everyone knows that if you need a favor, you go to the Bargainer to make it happen. He’s a man who can get you anything you want … at a price. And everyone knows that sooner or later he always collects. But for one of his clients, he’s never asked for repayment.

Not until now. When Callie finds the fae king of the night in her room, a grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye, she knows things are about to change. At first it’s just a chaste kiss—a single bead’s worth—and a promise for more. For the Bargainer, it’s more than just a matter of rekindling an old romance. Something is happening in the Otherworld. Fae warriors are going missing one by one. Only the women are returned, each in a glass casket, a child clutched to their breast. And then there are the whispers among the slaves, whispers of an evil that’s been awoken. If the Bargainer has any hope to save his people, he’ll need the help of the siren he spurned long ago. Only, his foe has a taste for exotic creatures, and Callie just happens to be one.

©2016, 2021, 2022 Laura Thalassa (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

I miss the original

I had this series before Thalassa had it redone and it’s been a favorite, one I go back to relisten to often. I love the story. It’s my favorite of Thalassa’s work and Des is just everything .

The performance isn’t bad. I prefer the original narrator, but this one is good nonetheless, although I do wish they’d skipped the British accent. But that’s my personal preference and doesn’t at all mean the narrator performed badly. My real problem with it is the production is so bad. The sound is grating. It sounds like it was recorded through a paper tube. It wasn’t equalized properly. I listened to other thing by this narrator and the production is good, so this isn’t normal. Whoever did the editing/mastering on this did a poor job and it’s distracting. I’m super bummed but it’s likely I won’t go back this as a favorite to relisten to. It’s so distracting when the original was so well done and the sound on this is so poor, especially for Blackstone production.

Nice intro to Romantasy

Firstly, I don’t see too many reviews mentioning that this is an “age-gap” fantasy romance book. Age-gap used lightly since she was 16 and he was falling for her, although he said he wouldn’t touch her until she was of age.. alarming and very.. child groomy.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoy the past/present jumps but it also made it gross just listening in detail for how much they cared for one another romantically while she was a TEEN.

As far as the writing, it’s a STEP UP from those terrible wattpad-esque, This is a great intro to romantasy since It’s easily digestible.

I wish we got more of a POV from Des or learned more about him, we know surface level details, hoping the 2nd book will dig deeper, if it is, then it was a semi-great intro to Callie, although towards the end - she was set out to be a damsel in distress which is contradictory when callie was initially written to be a strong person.

Rhapsodic - 3.5/5

Epic

This audio book was amazing, content and performance. All Laura Thalassa books are amazing, but even though I have read this series I wanted to own the audiobooks

Bomb af

Really gets spicy and lives up to the hype and the characters are fun and develop naturally making you fall in love with the siren which I suspect was the point all along. Already downloading book two 🖤

Very good read!!!!

I’m new to reading and I couldn’t put this down. A tease around every corner just lovely. I’m starting the next.

Different take on the fae realm

The narrator was great. The story fast paced enough to keep my attention. I liked the character development. I came to enjoy the give and take between Dez and Calli.
I have a feeling I’ll be binging this series this weekend.

Hot!

Great story of tortured love. A beautiful fae male and a siren fall in love. A mysterious illness affecting fae warrior women. Great story! Witty banter, sexual tension (lots).

Needs a trigger warning

interesting story but the sexual violence is intense, and not really in a good way.

Great Story!!

Loved the entire series, very well paced and thought out! The author does an amazing job with the plot and the characters are so intriguing.

Loved this!

I honestly had no clue what to suspect when I started this book but I was pleasantly surprised. I love the two main characters and the plot was interesting and kept me intrigued and invested. I’d definitely read again.