Steve West – You want to read this…

Title: Muse of Nightmares

Author: Laini Taylor

Performer: Steve West

Length: 15 hr, 54 min

Series: Strange the Dreamer, Book 2

Publishing Date/Publisher: October 2, 2018 by Hachette Audio

Format: eAudiobook

Review: This is a review that is long overdue, considering I finished the book last summer. In summary, a perfect finish to a stunning duology. So imaginative, so masterful. Taylor introduces interesting new character POVs and wraps up the fascinating mystery of Weep with an utterly original conclusion. It’s hard to even describe how I feel about this book because I have never read anything quite like it, which is perhaps why I have taken so long to write any sort of review. I cannot sing it’s praises enough. If you are a lover of fantasy, complex characters, and storylines that connect in surprising ways, READ. THIS. BOOK.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 5 Stars

Title: A Sky Beyond the Storm

Author: Sabaa Tahir

Performers: Fiona Hardingham, Katharine Lee McEwan, Steve West, Maxwell Caulfield & Nikki Massoud

Length: 17 hr, 9 min

Series: An Ember in the Ashes, Book 4

Publishing Date/Publisher: December 1, 2020 by Listening Library

Format: eAudiobook

Review: This was a highly anticipated read for me. I was extra patient waiting for the audiobook format to become available at my library, because I so enjoy the casting for this series. The cast did an incredible job again, so no complaints there.

I really hyped this book up in my mind after reading A Reaper at the Gates, so I was sorely disappointed when it didn’t quite deliver for me. There were several aspects of this book that I found frustrating:

The romance between Elias and Laia just lacked that luster that it had before.

Poor fricken Helene. She remains my favorite character in the series, but I did not like the trajectory of her story at all.

The origin of Laia’s magic is revealed, but the explanation felt convoluted.

I was surprised by how little page time any of the main characters actually had together.

Despite my criticisms, I did enjoy the book and I still loved the series as a whole. Perhaps it wasn’t the conclusion I was hoping for, but I would still recommend it.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: