Tag: audiobook

Posted in Reviews

Book 3 of 2025

Posted on by Tarryn Atkinson

Spiked by Jon McGoran 🎧

The Spliced Series – Book 3

This Young Adult series is really good. Themes of inclusivity, tolerance, acceptance, human rights abuses etc are well exposed in this dystopian series about Chimeras, humans that have had their DNA spliced with animal DNA.

The main character, Jimi, is a 17yo girl whose life gets turned upside down when her best friend decides to get spliced. Each book addresses a challenge that Chimeras face in trying to protect their rights in the face of strong opposition by a corrupt organisation.

I think this series would be thoroughly enjoyed by a younger audience and I have suggested it to my 15yo son (Note: I am VERY old and I thoroughly enjoyed it)

Thought provoking, and a really good storyline makes these books a worthwhile read.

Posted in My bookish personality, Reviews

Book 2 of 2025

Posted on by Tarryn Atkinson

Knight of Shadows by Kel Kade 🎧

The King’s Dark Tidings series – Book 6

The full series

Finished off Knight of Shadows, the sixth and latest instalment of The King’s Dark Tidings series by Kel Kade yesterday.

I have been immersed in this series, so immersed that whenever the boys get in the car or walk into the kitchen, they ask, is this another Rezkin book?? Yes, it is!

I can’t see that this will be the last book in the series, so I will absolutely be keeping an eye open for the next release.

The magic world, the diverse characters, the twists and turns are all so good. My only gripe would be with the character development of Frisha, one of the key characters in the series.

There are so many strong female characters throughout the series, that Frisha’s personality (at least in the first 3/4 books) is very annoying and whiny. She does have a number of strengths which could have been emphasised but instead she comes across a bit like a spoilt, needy woman. Not my favourite kind of character at all.

Perhaps it was simply the perception created by the audiobook version and she may come across differently in print form but that was my impression.

The books are very easy to listen to and Nick Podehl’s narration and accents are superb.

A great series to read/listen to.

Posted in Life

Change and a holiday

Posted on by Tarryn Atkinson

Yes, I am reading (listening to The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson) on the patio of a wooden house, overlooking the sea and watching the moon rise above the clouds.

Two great dives today have left me exhausted so I opted out of dinner with the crew and opted for a quiet evening with Mr Sanderson on the patio, cup of tea in hand.

Also, sharks, whales, dolphins 🤩 so much to see.

Posted in Reviews

Review: The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods 🎧

Posted on by Tarryn Atkinson

Another great book about books, with fantasy and some romance added. Again, the romance did not overwhelm the story itself and the story itself is just so magnificent.

A lost manuscript, the Brontë sisters, a magical bookshop, an eccentric old lady and so many enticing literary themes had me seriously wondering if I could give up my day job, move to Dublin and study literature full time.

The story takes place in 2 different time periods and is told from the perspectives of 2 incredible women making their own paths despite trauma and hardship.

Really really beautiful.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Posted in Reviews

Review: The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis 🎧

Posted on by Tarryn Atkinson

I love a good book about books 🥰 Add some magic and I am in! There is some romance and I am generally not a big romance reader but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The romance wasn’t the main story which suits me perfectly.

A book restorer comes into possession of 2 old but very unusual books, with no authors, no publishers, no information at all. Her investigation into the 2 books unearths a mystery that she can’t resist.

The book moves across two periods in time, and the story is told from the perspectives of the 3 main characters and the differing versions of events add to the intriguing story.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator for Hemi was how I imagined Henry Cavill would sound as a narrator 🥰 A girl can dream right?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Posted in Reviews

Review: Zero G by Dan Wells 🎧

Posted on by Tarryn Atkinson

Trilogy (Zero G, Dragon Planet, Stargazer)

My sons (14yo and 11yo) are real bookworms and they especially love audiobooks!

We listened to this trilogy over the past few weeks but finished a significant portion of it while we were travelling and on holiday at the Kruger National Park (South Africa) last week.

The story revolves around Zero, a young scientist to be, whose family is being relocated to a new planet to start a colony for Earth. Through the 3 books, Zero has many adventures, meets a fairly wild bunch of characters including space pirates and discovers some really amazing new creatures on the new planet.

These books are really funny, but also have some cool science concepts that kids can easily grasp. We had many discussions on cryogenics, gravity, gases, buoyancy etc.

My boys really enjoyed it, and it was a great break from our ongoing Rick Riordan marathon.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️