The Shining City

By: Kate Forsyth

Narrated by: Elle Newlands

Rhiannon, a wild and fierce half-human girl, tamed a winged horse to escape the vicious satyricorn tribe who raised her. In the human world, the handsome apprentice-witch Lewen has convinced her to stay with him and learn to use her strong magical talents. But before her training can commence, Rhiannon must answer for a past crime in....

The Shining City

Imprisoned in Sorrowgate Tower, Rhiannon awaits trial for murder and treason. While her days are spent in anticipation of Lewen’s visits, her nights are haunted by the malevolent ghost of a dead queen, hungry to live again. But not many care to listen to the prophetic dreams of a girl who has already been convicted in most people’s minds.

Then Lewen begins to cool toward her, and Rhiannon suspects one of the princesses has worked a spell to steal his heart. In a world filled with dark spirits and forbidden magic, conspiracy and intrigue, Rhiannon vows to win back her lover and escape once more, to save the land before it’s too late....

©2006 by Kate Forsyth (P)2022 by Blackstone Publishing

Glad I stuck with it!

I became a Kate Forsyth fan when I picked up the Witches of Eileen. I was a little disappointed with the first book in this series. I felt it was way to predictable and got frustrated with some of the way to obvious choices made by the characters. That being said, this book makes it all worth it! This is the Kate Forsyth I was looking for! I CANNOT WAIT for the third book!

Also, shout out to Elle Newlands!!! I wish I could have her read me to sleep every night, lol. She is just incredible! I would listen to her read the ingredients off a shampoo bottle and be perfectly happy, lol. I wish she narrated all the books on Audible ♥️♥️♥️

Great book

Really good book can wait till I can read the next book love the flying horse

Good- but very illogical characters at times…

Great narration, but at times the characters and pieces of the plot are so illogical you want to bang your head at the thoughts and conclusions of the characters… Be prepared rating say - What?!!? Who would even think that?!!? That does not follow, and is so completely illogical…

fast moving story

a really good read, enjoyable, exciting, like the authors imagination, and I have come to realize that all I have read by Kate Forsyth keeps me wanting more

Exciting all the way!!

My pledge to not binge listen….yeah right. I’m already sad that I’ll finish the series soon. So many characters to loathe and love! I’ll have a miss in my soul again when it’s over. I want more….

Suspense

Loved it! Kept me on the edge of my seat throughout along Drive. Love the narrators voice.

Great story

Such great detail to keep me hooked. Made me want to keep listening every chance I had!

Male rape scene ruined it for me

I didn’t like how long the MC was kept behind bars which seemed to drag things out way too long but the scene where the tree guy(I’m bad with names) gets drugged spellbound and then forced to have sex while satin fly hat he didn’t want it and mentioning the girl he really loves pissed me off… and then we get “her side” where she tries to feel bad about it but actually doesn’t?! The fist book was amazing this one had that and all of the characters kind of lost their backbones and the mind control repeated violation of the tree guy ruined this one for me. Here’s to hoping that princess gets what’s coming to her in the last book of the series. If they seriously try to force the MC to save her after all that she did I’m going to lose it.

The fall of the previous heroes.

Having loved the previous series, it's so hard to see what has become of all the previous heroes in this one. The now leaders rule with undisguised racism, despite having come to power supposedly to embrace all races. They care nothing for the poor of the city, pay no heed to abuses and disappearances that happen under their watch, and generally spend all their time playing. Little intelligence at all is shown from any of the witches, who come to conclusions at the pace of an elementary school student, and question their own conclusions in the very next scene after having experienced stark evidence. And finally, we're expected to believe that after spending all her days ignoring the kingdom, shirking her duties, and flirting with all the men at court to the point that they literally kill each other over her, somehow a certain young woman can lead the empire without it falling into corruption and ruin? The plot is weak and mostly hinges on everyone being idiots until it's too late. And, that's really all that happens in this book. All of the great, wise, experienced powerful people from the previous series do nothing but wring their hands and ignore anyone not of sufficient standing. I don't know what the third book brings, but I'm concerned that it appears the author thinks she can redeem characters without a redemption arc, park characters doing nothing until they're needed, and have everyone ignore the vilest deeds until death and destruction visit each of them personally--in the name of tension? Does she think this is plot? Such a disappointment.
The narration is brilliant as ever. I blame the characters for being so difficult to listen to.

The Characters are stupid and weak

If you read the Witches of Eileanan you will wonder why they have all lost their spine in this rendering.