One of the problems with reviewing audiobooks is that you see and sometimes read reviews of a book for several weeks and sometimes months before you get the audiobook. This audiobook was released after the release date of the original print/ebook release date. So for months, I saw all of these reviews of how great this book was. I was actually very scared to start this book. I was worried that the book wasn’t going to live of to the hype that I was reading. I had this book on my iPod for almost a month before I finally forced myself to start it. I found that my fears were unfounded. This is a great start to a new fantasy series.
This series is about a realm with three different kingdoms, Fisa, Tarva, & Sinta. The old Sinta ruler, the alpha, has been overthrown by a non-magical family. The warlord has his sister as the new Alpha Sinta. He is the new Beta Sinta. As a non-magical family, he knew that he would need help to hold onto the kingdom. He sets out to find someone. He stumbles upon a circus where he meets Cat. She’s working as a soothsayer. When she doesn’t go willingly with him and his Beta team, he abducts her. Now, this doesn’t sound like the way to start a relationship, but Beta Sinta is ever the gentleman. Even though he does have feelings for her, he doesn’t take advantage.
Cat has some really big secrets about her past. Some of these come out throughout the story. Some we know as readers, but those around Cat don’t know them. These secrets make things very hard on the rest of her team, but not as much as it does for her relationship with Griffin, Beta Sinta. She fights the relationship for a very long time. While she has very good reasons for not wanting to be close to anyone, it was still frustrating at times. As I was listening, I really felt for Griffin. He could see that she cared for him, even if she didn’t want to admit it, but she was holding herself back so much.
I really enjoyed the Greek Mythology in this book. There is talk of Zeus, Cerberus, Hades and Poseidon, just to name a few. They even go to a temple of Poseidon to offer their offerings. Poseidon is the god that Cat prays to the most. She also has a relationship with Cerberus. She’s one of the few who isn’t scared of him.
There is some great snark between Griffin and Cat. Also between Cat and the Beta Team, the group of warriors who travel with Griffin. They are a pretty amazing team. Not only are the loyal, they also work great together. While Cat’s relationship with Griffin’s sisters isn’t as good as the Beta Team, she does seem to make a connection with them.
Cat is an interesting character in that is both mature and immature. She is very mature in the fact that she’s seen more than most. She had to grow up quickly, because of the situation she was in as a child. But, she is also very immature in her socialization. Especially when it comes to the moves that Griffin is making on her. She talks like a second grader and he has cooties. Other times, she talks more mature (see quote below).
This is a good start to a series. This book is full of everything you would expect to see in a light fantasy. There’s a great cast of characters, but not an overwhelming number of them. There’s also a great world built around these characters. The author did a great job of mixing in the Greek Mythology while making it her own. There’s plenty of action and just the right amount of romance. I’m very eager to see what’s next for Cat and the gang.
“Now that that’s settled, you’re coming with me.”
“Never in a billion suns. Not even if Zeus showed up as a swan and tried to peck me in your direction. I wouldn’t go with you even if my other option was Hades dragging me to the Underworld for an eternal threesome with Persephone.”
Narration
I think this is the first full length novel that I’ve listened to by Mia Barron. I’ve listened to her narrate some of stories in a few anthologies by Kelley Armstrong. I have to say that she does just as good of a job with this full length story. She nails the larger cast of characters. I like both her male and female characters. I think she handled the pace and tones of the many different action and sex scenes really well. I will be staying with the audiobooks for this series going forward.