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Juliet Immortal (Audiobook) - Stacey Jay
by InchyInchy
"These violent delights have violent ends and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which as they kiss consume."
--Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
---Book Synopsis---
The most tragic love story in history . . .
Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered ... by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.
---Review---
Juliet Immortal has been the first audio book that I've listened too and loved since my very younger years when I used to fall asleep tucked up in bed to my favourite bedtime stories. I don't know why I was put off audio books but I always thought that I would prefer to just read. After the persistence of a friend and spending more time travelling back and forth commuting each day I decided it was time to try one again.
When I first started listening to Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay I didn't know all that much about it. For me the one key thing to mention is that this isn't a typical re-telling of Romeo and Juliet. In fact it is nothing like that particular love story, although it is a love story. I know confusing! I don't want to give too much away, if you don't like Shakespeare or just don't think this might be for you I'd still suggest giving it a try because it really is a quite a unique and interesting twist on a classic story. It certainly is a memorable concept just using characters that we recognise or at least think we do.
This was one book that the cover really had my interested in it right from the beginning. I had also read some positive reviews on Goodreads but it was the beautiful art work that clinched it for me. However, as much as I do love the cover in my opinion it doesn't really suit the story. It just doesn't have much of any connection to it, which did to a small part leave me a tad confused and disappointed.
Something that I'm sure is important to making a good audio book great is the voice of the person reading it. Juliet Immortal was read by Justine Eyre and I thought she was just fabulous. She was clear, well spoken and you could really tell the difference between the characters she was reading but not in an annoying way. I think probably one of the most important aspects of any narrator in an audio book was that she didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story. At times I completely forgot that it was an audio book that I was listening to rather than a book I was just reading.
I'm almost positive that there is going to be a sequel to Juliet Immortal as the ending set up a next book nicely. The ending of Juliet Immortal really had me itching to find out more, although to Stacey Jay's credit she did wrap up the story well. She just managed to sneak in a great hook at the end. I am sure I won't be alone in eagerly awaiting any sequel.
To sum, this book has a great start a slightly dwindling middle and a completely gripping end, but I did enjoy it all.
Highly recommended.
Overall - I enjoyed the story and I would look out for this narrator again.
Audio book -9 hours and 20 minutes (Unabridged)
Released in August 2011
Purchased from Audible - £20.59 (or 1 member credit)
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The Killing Kind - John Conolly (Audio CD)
by Neo420
The Killing Kind by John Connolly
== Plot synopsis ==
This is the third book in the Charlie Parker series. He is a former NYPD cop turned private detective.
Parker is hired to investigate the death of Grace Peltier, a young college student who supposedly committed suicide. Prior to her death, she was writing a ... thesis about a small religious group of fanatics known as The Aroostook Baptists and why they all suddenly disappeared back in the 1960's. She discovered a religious organisation known as the Fellowship that may have had a link with them.
When Parker starts looking into the case, a mass grave containing the bodies of The Aroostook Baptists is discovered accidentally at the same time near to a riverbank.
All clues point to an illusive religious organisation calling itself the Fellowship. When Parker starts looking into this organisation, he comes into contact with Elmer Pudd, who likes to breed all kinds of deadly spiders which he likes to use to kill people with and his mute assistant.
Will Parker be able to solve the mystery behind the Fellowship and survive Mr Pudd? . . .
== My thoughts ==
I picked this up at a book club and it is the first book I read in the Charlie Parker series even though it is the third book in the series. This may have been one of the reasons I didn't like it. The novel is a mixture of a detective novel mixed in with supernatural / horror elements. In the first two books in this series, you are gently introduced to the supernatural elements and the imagery the author uses but as I hadn't read those at the time, I found it distracted me somewhat.
I was also not familiar with Parkers' character / back story and that of some of the other people that make an appearance.
I am also not a big fan of spiders and they feature quite prominently in the story, which made my skin crawl. The author has an ability to evoke vivid images with the way he uses language. I wouldn't recommend you read this if you don't like creepy crawlies especially spiders.
I do have to say though that the author does manage to tell a good story that he is able to manage to spin out right till the end. It sort of has a religious element to it that isn't really my thing though.
== Audio narration and availability ==
This was read by Jeff Harding. As stated in some of my earlier reviews, I feel he reads in an emotionless voice that I don't like. The audio CD is available for £30.49 from the Isis Publishing website (www.isis-publishing.co.uk). I would recommend you check at your local library though.
== Summary and recommendation ==
I would have to give this 2 stars. This is mainly due to the fact I wasn't too keen on the spiders used in the story. Also because when I read this, I hadn't read the first two novels in the series, so I wasn't familiar with the back-story to all the characters and the writing style of the author.
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Dark Hollow - John Connolly (Audio CD)
by Neo420
02 Dark Hollow by John Connolly
== Plot synopsis ==
This is the second novel in the Charlie Parker series.
Charlie Parker is a former NYPD cop turned private detective. In the first novel we learnt that his wife and daughter were murdered by a serial killer.
In this novel, a client of his is accused of ... murder and then his young wife and child are brutally murdered. With the client on the run, Parker has no answers. Did the client kill his own wife and child and the other people?
Parker investigates and sets out to track down his prime suspect and find out what is going on. However, someone else is tracking both of them. As the bodies pile up, crimes from the distant past and present intermingle as he comes face to face with evil incarnate.
The case turns out to be more personal than he could ever have imagined . . .
== My thoughts ==
This novel isn't really that easy to summarise but I did like it. It drew me in from the start and kept me reading. You are never sure who the killer(s) are right till the end.
I like the way the author is able to use language in a very poetic way in certain sections especially when Parker thinks he is seeing the ghosts of his dead wife and child. The author is also able to describe scenes in great detail and in such a way that you are able to easily picture them in your mind. I found certain images quite disturbing though, for example there's one part in the novel where he describes someone discovering some decomposing bodies coated with flies. I wouldn't recommend you read this while you are eating or if you have a weak stomach.
You also get to learn a bit more about Parker in this novel and his past including about his grandfather which helps to develop his character. I would recommend you start by reading the first novel in this series (Every Dead Thing) so you are familiar with his back-story and so you can understand why he acts in the way he does.
== Audio narration and availability ==
This was narrated by Jeff Harding. I didn't like his voice which I found a bit too emotionless but I kept listening due to the gripping plot.
This is available from the Isis Publishing web site (www.isis-publishing.co.uk). It is currently selling for £32.49 which is for the audio CD version. I would recommend you pick this up from your local library if possible.
== Summary and recommendation ==
I give this 4 stars. I liked the themes it explores like redemption and the nature of evil. It is also an intricate and well crafted mystery novel, that keeps you guessing - The pieces of the puzzle don't come together right till the end.
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