The Voyage

Clan MacInnes Series, Book 1

By: Aila Skye

Narrated by: John McNee

In the middle of war for control of a nation, romance blossoms….

Scotland, 404 CE. Elise MacInnes prizes duty above all else. The only child of her clan’s lord, the passionate young woman understands the importance of being promised to another clan’s heir to forge a strong alliance. But the fiery beauty never expected to lose her heart to a simple farmhand.

Calum Barran knows his life is meaningless. Taken in at a young age after his parents were killed in a savage war, the bereft farrier knows his love for the flame-haired heiress of the MacInnes Clan can never be. For if they were to act on their feelings, they would condemn themselves and ignite a terrible conflict.

Enraged by a law that forbids her from being true to her desires, Elise risks everything and spurns her betrothal. And while Calum rejoices at having the gorgeous noble in his arms, he fears their happiness will only hasten their demise.

Can this star-crossed couple escape the tyranny of custom and forge a loving future?

Awarded Best Audible Book Series 2020 by Audible Book Reviewer

©2020 Philip Angus (P)2022 Philip Angus

Pluses and Minuses

Though this audiobook is just over an hour long, a lot happens within it. I listened to another book in this series, the prequel where the heroine of this story is just a little girl learning about the history of her clan. Because this audiobook is so short, everything is painted in rather broad strokes, and we don't learn a lot of detail, which I would like to have heard. On her 19th birthday, our heroine learns her father has promised her to another laird's son to cement the relationship between their clans, a young man she hasn't even met. Elise thought marriage was still some ways off and that she might have some say in her groom. She admires a young man of her clan, even though he is certainly below her station, a farmhand, but one who treats her with great respect. They share a mutual attraction. One thing I wasn't wild about in this novella was that the author gave the heroine very modern sensibilities. This book takes place when the Picts still fought the Romans in the south of what we call Scotland, so somewhere in the very early medieval times. Elise's beliefs about what women could do and their place in society are far too modern for what was actually happening in those times. Heck, they would have been far too progressive for Regency times, let alone over 1000 years before that! While I thought the narrator did a great job voicing all the characters and making each distinct, he seemed an odd choice for an audiobook told from the perspective of a young woman. Surely, there must be a young Scottish female narrator who could have voiced this young Scottish heroine! Why would an author choose a man to voice a book strictly told from the heroine’s perspective? He did a fine job, but it still didn't sound quite right. While a man can mimic a woman's voice, it has an air of inauthenticity and is not quite the same as how a woman would sound! While I liked aspects of this book, others were disappointing.

Great Series Starter

This was a great start to a new series. The characters grabbed my attention from the beginning. The narrator did a great job of making this a fun listen.

I received a copy of the audiobook and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

Honor/Duty vs Heart!

This is the first installment in the "Clan Macinnes" series. It is not a stand alone story. They must be read in order and do have cliffhanger endings. This is the start of the series where Elise MacInnes, the Laird's only child, is promised to another Laird's son. She is torn between duty and Calum. This is a steamy, short and quick read. The narrator does a good job bringing the story to life and laying the ground work. We must read the next story "flight of the Sea Eagle" to see what happens next.

Elisa

The tales of the Macinnes Clan in 5th century Scotland. The brothers each take a different place to settle and build armies (leading to more in the series). Elisa is born to Lord Aiden and raised in an unconventional manner being an only child. Upon her 19th birthday she is told she is to marry; except they do not suit. She falls for a local farm hand, Calum. The village is attacked, and you learn of her fighting abilities.
I enjoyed the story, and I wish it lasted longer.It is well written, characters well developed. The narrator did a good job with the voices, story flowed naturally. I am looking forward to book two.
I received a free copy of this audiobook, and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Short introduction to the Series!

This is the first installment in the Clan Macinnes Series. This is a short introduction to the series. The storyline is fast paced, and intriguing. John McNee did a great job with the narration. Looking forward for more in the series. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.