Tag: audiobook reviews

Book Review: The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea (2022)

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The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

“Every being has a soul.”

What a romantic, dreamlike fairy tale!

Move over Little Mermaid, I have a new favourite under the sea fairy tale. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is based upon the Korean tale, The Tale of Shim Cheong. Now, I’m not familiar with the original tale, so I don’t know how much this aligns or diverts, but I must say this story is simply delightful. Listening to the audiobook (I recommend the audiobook completely!) is like watching a cosy animated film in your mind. A lot of reviews have mentioned Studio Ghibli vibes, and I totally get the vibes from that, too. Or perhaps like a Disney Princess tale. It’s a book that feels colourful, if you get me. It’s a little bit Little Mermaid and a little bit Howl’s Moving Castle and maybe a little bit of Ever After and The Chronicles of Narnia and Atlantis. It’s wholly it’s own, it’s wholly beautiful and enchanting, but it feels familiar. A tale that’s bright and romantic and kind. I definitely think I will be revisiting this one. Like all good fairy tales, it deserves multiple reads.

“I am like the other brides. I know what it is to love someone you would do anything to protect. Who are you to say what my fate is—if I am to fail, or if I am to succeed? My fate is not yours to decide. My fate belongs to me.”

Mina and Shin are adorable and precious, and I really liked Kirin and Namgi, too! Honestly, the whole cast of characters are great! But Mina cares so much and I just loved her \o/ What a good person. Truly. Her indignation at the treatment of those she encounters was so raw and I appreciated her characterisation so much. It’s hard to get all the great quotes down when you’re listening to the audiobook, but there were some just jaw-droppingly good lines about Mina’s morals and I just totally became her cheerleader.

Don’t chase fate, Mina. Let fate chase you.

THIS WHOLE BOOK IS JUST WHOLESOME AND LUSH AND LOVELY 🖤🖤🖤 If you haven’t added it to your reading list, absolutely do!

Book Review: The Stars Will Guide Us Back (2021)

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The Stars Will Guide Us Back by Rue Sparks

This is a collection of thirteen short, fantastical stories. I opted for the audiobook and I must say, I thoroughly recommend it! I’m supremely picky with audiobooks, and I’m delighted to say that Rue Sparks’ The Stars Will Guide Us Back was just wonderful! Lovely narrations by the two readers and exquisite prose by Sparks. I’m definitely going to be checking out Sparks’ next books.

Buddy read this book with The Book Trove. We’re hoping to shine some attention on independent books and authors. These books are picked totally at random and selected by vote amongst the group.

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Book Review: Caught Inside (2016)

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Caught Inside by Jamie Deacon

❧ audiobook review

Another Joe Jameson narration and an absolute find. [Other great Jameson narrations I’ve reviewed are: An Honest Man, The Prince of Thorns, The Last Romeo and The Magnificent Sons.]

THIS BOOK IS SUCH CUTE ROMANCE, UGH. ❤❤❤ Luke and Theo are fantastic together and so adorable. They have such good chemistry, it’s insane.

This is a perfect summer romance read! Beaches and new love. And the constant surfing descriptions just made me think of Shelter.

Totally a compliment, FYI. I adored this book so much. Jamie Deacon’s writing is so evocative and lush and lovely.

*SPOILERS BELOW*

This book totally stole my heart. That said, despite how shippable Luke and Theo are, I do feel bad for Zara. She really deserved much better than everyone keeping secrets from her. Giles was such a prick at pretty much every point, although he was a good friend to Theo.

Really hard not to picture Rupert Giles:

But this Giles was decidedly less Watcherly. I got so annoyed at him throughout the book. He’s a good character, though, so there’s that.

One of the things I loved, but found myself shaking my head and laughing at, was how Luke is so DRAMATIC. He ought to get an award for epic overreactions, yet he’s written so well and so sympathetic, that even when he is a DISASTER, you end up rooting for him. I really adored Theo, too, although a lot of his decisions left me so frustrated.

Meredith is definitely a queen ❤

Book Review: Prince of Thorns (2011)

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Prince of Thornes by Mark Lawrence, narrated by Joe Jameson

❧ audiobook review
I swallowed the night, and the night swallowed me.

This sentence is so good for one-lining the theme of the book. Darkness, and what happens when you allow it to devour you.

This is my first of the classic grimdarks, really. I’ve heard so much about the genre and have so many of the books on my list, but other than GRRM’s books (which I think are considered grimdark?), I haven’t delved much into the genre. And now I’m sure I’m going to fall face first. Can’t wait. 😉

This is a book of brittle and bleeding characters. Especially young, furious Jorg, our MC. After the horrific deaths of his family, he’s grown into a boy with no forgiveness and no desire for anything but vengeance and bloodshed.

‘I don’t require your forgiveness.’

My heart absolutely breaks for bitter, brutal, broken Jorg. What a life he’s endured already in so short a time. No wonder he’s as unforgiving and terrifying as he is. That’s all he’s ever known. Mark Lawrence really knows how to make a character study, goodness.

I cut from myself all the weakness of care. The love for my dead, I put aside, secure in a casket, an object of study, a dry exhibit, no longer bleeding, cut loose, set free. The capacity for new love, I burned out. I watered it with acid until the ground lay barren and nothing there would sprout, no flower take root.

Everything about this book left me stunned. It’s dark. Way dark. So very, highly, muchly dark.

But it’s done so, so well.

They say fear lends a man wings.

Mark Lawrence has such a way with characters and words despite this darkness that draws you in and makes you want to keep reading even when you don’t love what the characters are doing. You feel for the same characters you don’t agree with, and that’s a really special talent for a writer to achieve.

It’s the silence that scares me. It’s the blank page on which I can write my own fears. The spirits of the dead have nothing on it. The dead one tried to show me hell, but it was a pale imitation of the horror I can paint on the darkness in a quiet moment.

It must be noted that the narration for this is sublime. Joe Jameson is officially one of my favourite narrators. He narrated The Magnificent Sons, one of my favourite books from last year, as well.