The Woman Who Rides Like A Man { Song of the Lioness #3 } [Audiobook]

Title: The Woman Who Rides Like A Man {Book 3 of the Song of the Lioness Quartet}

Author: Tamora Pierce

Ideal Age Range: Ages 11 and up

Audiobook: 5 hours 33 Min (5 CDS)

Narrated by: Trini Alvarado

Synopsis: This third book in the Song of the Lioness quartet continues Alanna's saga as she strikes out alone and discovers herself anew.

A knight at last, Alanna of Trebond heads out to seek adventure in the desert of Tortall. Captured by desert tribesmen, she is forced to prove herself in a magical duel to the death. But her real challenge doesn't come until after she wins. As the first female shaman, Alanna must fight to change the ancient traditions of the stubborn desert tribes -- for their own sake and for the sake of all Tortall.

My Rating:(★★★★★)  I love The Woman Who Rides Like A Man by Tamora Pierce (as evident by all of my other reviews of her books), this quartet is definitely my favorite.  I love the characters, I love the story because there is never a dull moment when you are reading or even listening to it.  I enjoy it also because Alanna is turning into a more mature adult and evolving into the deep character that I love.

The audio book is wonderful just like the previous two in the series, and Trini Alvarado does a wonderful job keeping consistent with the voice accents that she uses for the different characters and I really appreciate that. 

I’ve already started Lioness Rampant on audio book and noticed immediately that Trini Alvarado has changed the way that she reads Faithful, which kind of bugs me. :/

It is easy to say that I’ll get over that though, and just as easily to say that I enjoyed The Woman Who Rides Like A Man on audio book.

Happy listening/Reading!

The Summoning {Darkest Powers Book 1}

Title:  The Summoning

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Ideal Age Range: Young Adult

Mass Market Paperback: 390 pages

Copyright Date:  2009

Blurb: She sees dead people-and they see her.  Chloe Saunders used to have a pretty normal life. But that changed on the day she met her first ghost. Locked up in Lyle House, a group home for troubled teens, she finds out that there’s more to the home’s teen residents than meets the eye. Will Chloe be able to uncover the dangerous secrets of Lyle house…or will its skeletons come back to haunt her?

This thrilling first volume in the supernaturally charged Darkest Powers series by international bestselling author Kelley Armstrong will keep readers awake well into the darkest time of night.

☆«·´`·.¸★☆★¸.·´`·»☆

My Rating: (★★★)  That last sentence of the blurb is right, I’m not much of a reader of Thrillers or Suspense novels, so I probably wouldn’t have picked this up had I known that I was going to get freaked out by it.  That’s how much of a sissy I am that a YA paranormal ghost book freaks me out.  But, as I read it, and Chloe conquered her fears, I because less freaked out as I was reading and enjoyed it a lot more.

It certainly helped that the last half of the book isn’t as scary and I read it in the light of day on the loveseat in our living room in a ray of sunshine.  No dark hallways or whatnot to freak me out.

I’ve loved almost all of Kelley Armstrong’s other books, especially Bitten and Stolen.  This is definitely written in an easier style that is pretty much the norm for YA fiction, in my experience. 

I had thought, in the dark when I was reading it before bed that I might not read the rest of the series because I really don’t like being freaked out, especially when I do happen to do most of my reading before bed, but as I finished the book, and enjoyed it even more, I changed my mind and decided that I would probably try to pick up The Awakening at my next volunteering session at the Library. 

If you are a fan of Kelley Armstrong, or just of YA Paranormal, I definitely think you might enjoy The Summoning.  I was won over.

Happy Reading!

Yours Until Dawn

Title:  Yours Until Dawn

Author: Teresa Medeiros

Ideal Age Range: Adult

Mass Market Paperback: 373 pages

Copyright Date: 2004

Blurb: Gabriel Fairchild's valor during battle earns him the reputation of hero, but costs him both his sight and his hope for the future.  Abandoned by the fiancee he adored, the man who once walked like a prince among London's elite secludes himself in his family's mansion, cursing his way through dark days and darker nights.

Prim nurse Samantha Wickersham arrives at Fairchild Park to find her new charge behaving more like a beast than a man.  Determined to do her duty, she engages the arrogant earl in a battle of both wits and wills.  Although he claims she doesn't possess an once of womanly softness, she can feel his heart racing at her slightest touch.  As Samantha begins to let the light back into Gabriel's life and his heart, they both discover that some secrets-and some pleasures-are best explored in the dark...

☆«·´`·.¸★☆★¸.·´`·»☆

My Rating: (★★★)  I went into Yours Until Dawn not even having read the back blurb.  I just knew that when I first started reading the romance genre that Teresa was one of my first favorites.  She was joined in the ranks by others, like, Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Christina Dodd.  I love Regency romances.  The balls, the dresses, the clandestine walks in the garden under the moonlight where gentlemen steal kisses from young ladies.

Well, there's only one ball in Yours Until Dawn, and it's not a glamourous event, it's really not much to speak of since it occurs in the last few chapters.  But, I didn't find the novel lacking because of the hole made by the absence of fetes. I didn't really find the book lacking in anything but I wasn't completely enamored with it, sadly, hence the three stars.  I did enjoy it though, just didn't love it.

I guessed the twist in the story about half way through, I enjoyed the characters and the story was believable and rich in detail.  I can't even find anything that I didn't like about it.  Overall, I'd suggest it to other romance fans, especially Regency Romance fans.  <3

Happy Reading!

In the Hand of the Goddess { Song of the Lioness #2 } [ AudioBook ]

Title: In the Hand of the Goddess {Book 2 of the Song of the Lioness Quartet}

Author: Tamora Pierce

Ideal Age Range: Ages 11 and up

Audiobook: 5 hours (4 CDS)

Narrated by: Trini Alvarado

Synopsis:Disguised as a boy, Alanna of Trebond becomes a squire, to none other than the prince of the realm. But Prince Jonathan is much more to Alanna; he is her ally, her best friend, and one of the few who knows that she's really a girl. Now it will take all of Alanna's awesome skill, strength, and growing magical powers to protect him from the mysterious evil sorcerer who is bent on his destruction, and hers!

Here continues the story of Alanna, a young woman bound for glory who is willing to fight against enormous odds for what she believes in.

My Rating:(★★★★★)  I listening to In the Hand of the Goddess in a much shorter time period than when I listened to Alanna: the First Adventure, I brought it inside and listened to it while I made lunch, or while my son was taking his afternoon nap, instead of just listening to it in fits and starts whenever I was in the car.  It made it a little bit more enjoyable, I suppose, being able to pay closer attention to it.

I have all of the same opinions of this audio CD as I did for the first in the series.  I thought Trini Alvarado did a wonderful job lending voice to all the great characters and making the fights exciting.  The story is probably my third favorite of the series, interestingly enough, my favorites fall in descending order, Lioness Rampant (book 4), The Woman Who Rides Like A Man (book 3), In the Hand of the Goddess (book 2), and Alanna: the First Adventure (book 1).

As much as I love Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness books, I should be paid to suggest them to people, I've read each store more than a dozen times and they never get old to me, and that is proof to me that they are good stories.  They stand the test of time, and I still love them.  I can't wait to go to the library and get the next book on Audio CD.  :)  Only two more days!

Happy Reading!