Audio Book Review: Scoring Off The Ice (Ice Kings) by Stacey Lynn Narrated by Meg Price, James Cassidy
Audio Book Review: Absolutely Everything!: A History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots and Other Things Too Numerous to Mention by Christopher Lloyd
Audio Book Review: Playing To Win (Ice Kings) by Stacey Lynn, Narrated by Liam DiCosimo, Stella Hunter
Playing To Win is the first book in the Ice Kings series written by Stacey Lynn and narrated by Liam DiCosimo and Stella Hunter. It was a three-week fling. Nothing more than a couple of college kids having some fun, but then I did the stupid thing and fell for Jude Taylor quicker than he can score a goal on the ice. And after one beautiful night together, he left for the pros before I could make my first cup of coffee. I thought I’d put him behind me. I thought I’d moved on. Then he hobbles into my physical therapy office and I realize how absolutely wrong I’ve been - there’s no getting over Jude Taylor. But now things are complicated. Jude lives half a country away and his career is in direct opposition to my need for stability. Most of all, getting involved with him could mean losing my job and everything I’ve worked so hard for. Jude doesn’t seem to mind one bit and he’s all in. He might be a patient in my office, but he’s no longer the patient guy I remember.
Audio Book Review: Angels, Demons, and Designer Shoes by Sandra Sookoo, Narrated by Anneliese Rennie, Alan Adelberg
Book Review: Dark Queen (Jane Yellowrock) by Faith Hunter
Book Review: Diary of a Mad Brownie by Bruce Coville
Book Review: Burkheart Witch Saga Box Set Books 1-3 by Christine Sutton, Julia Whelan
Book Review: Silver Bullet (Preternatural Affairs #2) by S.M. Reine
Book Review: Bossypants by Tina Fey
Book Review: The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher
The official blurb reads, "Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship, Predator. Fiercely loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy’s shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is severely damaged in combat, leaving captain and crew grounded, Grimm is offered a proposition from the Spirearch of Albion—to join a team of agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring Predator to its fighting glory. And even as Grimm undertakes this dangerous task, he will learn that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity’s ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake…"
Book Review: A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd, Cassandra Morris
Book Review: Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris
Book Review: My Haunted House by Angie Sage, Jimmy Pickering
Book Review: Prudence by Gail Carriger and Moira Quirk
Book Review: Timeless by Gail Carriger
Book Review: Heartless by Gail Carrier
Book Review: Blameless by Gail Carriger
Book Review: Grave Witch (Alex Craft) by Kalayna Price
Book Review: The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy, Bronson Pinchot
In The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle Healy takes us back to the fractured fairy-tale world he created in The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom for another tale of medieval mischief. What I really liked about this sequel, is that it was not just a rehash of the characters in another crazy situation- each of the character has their own moments, struggles, and growth that well well beyond my expectations. The adventure, fun, and excitement were all there- with mysterious plots, magical gems, fairy tale creatures, silliness, and some furiously fast fight or flight moments. All of that would have made the book an okay read. But then Healy adds Liam's crisis of character, Briar Rose's growth as a character, getting to know each character better as a whole was just a fabulous treat. And, like with the first installment, the narrated version includes some excellent voice acting by Bronson Pinchot. He does such distinct voices for each character that you know immediately who is thinking or talking, and the accents and inflections always add an extra dimension to my understanding and thoughts on the characters.
I highly recommend listening to The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle, but only after having enjoyed The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. The action is fast, there is plenty of humor, and well developed characters that offer something for everyone.
Book Review: The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom (The League of Princes #1) by Christopher Healy, Bronson Pinchot
by Christopher Healy. I listened to the audiobook, which was read by Bronson Pinchot. The story is that of four Princes Charming. Prince Liam, Prince Frederic, Prince Duncan and Prince Gustav are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively. Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, Liam, Frederic, Duncan, and Gustav stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it's up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be.
So there is the plot and the main characters, which are all very well fleshed out and grow considerably as the story progresses. they all are stereotypes that grow far beyond what we expect, and what they are prepared for. The lovely princesses are also very strong characters that defy the roles that they are thrust into. I loved that characters we all thought we knew are cast into new light and given further adventures. BUT, what really made this book for me is the narrator. I do not know if I would have enjoyed The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom to the extent I did if it were not for the voice talents of Bronson Pinchot. Oh my, he gave each of the characters such distinct voices, enhancing the images I had for each and giving them different accents to boot. The phrasing, inflections, and accents of each character just brought them to life for me. I am currently listening to the second book in the series- and he is even more impressive there.
I highly recommend The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom to readers that love twists of fairy tales, action, adventure, and humor (there is tons of humor here!). I even more highly suggest listening to the book, just be aware that you might catch yourself laughing out loud, which might inspire strange looks from those nearby.