Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Audio Rating: 4 stars
Narrator: Michael Dean
Length: 6 hours, 59 minutes
Audiobook Buy Links: Amazon/Audible | iBooks
Book Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks
With the arrival of a new mate, Sawyer and the rest are struggling to adjust. Prince Kavalan of the fae doesn’t seem to fit with them. He’s arrogant and demanding, but Sawyer knows he has to fix the relationship and set them on the right path. It’s imperative Sawyer not only finds all his mates, but that he connects with all of them.
When a surprising attack comes, Kavalan whisks everyone to the fae realm in order to escape. Now, Sawyer has to navigate not only a strange new world, but the politics of the realm. It’s certainly not easy, and Sawyer needs to put together missing pieces in order to find his way.
As the threat ramps up, the mates are thrust into even more peril. But Sawyer won’t let any harm come to his mates, and it’s only through his savvy and quick thinking that there’s a resolution. It brings them all one step closer to the end, as the danger continues to increase.
The third book in the Chosen One series takes the danger to a new level and the mystery is growing even more complex. As with the rest of the series, this book needs to be read in order as the major plot line continues to evolve and new pieces are revealed. In keeping with the theme, this book has just as much humor and sass, heart and heat as the others. Though not without its problems, I really enjoy this world Blake has created.
I like how the world is evolving, for the most part, and I like how the characters are developing and growing as well. Sawyer is learning more about his powers, though he still doesn’t remember much. He’s stepping into his place as a leader and the way his brain works, the way he puts together the pieces that don’t seem obvious to anyone else, is both fascinating and a little too easy. Without giving away spoilers, the way Sawyer figures out the big mystery at the end of this book seems a bit too deux ex machina for my taste, as there really are very few clues to point him in that direction. But he’s definitely more centric here, and there’s more of a harem feeling in this book than we started with. While all the mates have relationships with each other, Sawyer is the center and the focus.
Personally, the third book in a series is usually my favorite. And there were elements here that I really liked. But it was also had its fair share of inconsistencies that keep me from calling it a favorite. Though Kavalan and his entourage show up at the very end of book 2, my first problem starts there. It didn’t seem like a problem at first, but when the truth is ultimately revealed toward the end of this story, I had distinct issues. And to keep from spoiling anyone, I’ll put it under a tag.
This did not work well for me, and kept niggling at my brain throughout.The story progresses the major plot line well and brings in new questions to push the story along. But there wasn’t as much as I would have thought at the halfway point in the series. This book mostly focuses on the new mate and settling into a relationship, while also establishing ties with the fae. Parts of that will come back later, and I appreciated the foreshadowing here as it really expands the story.
I’m really enjoying listening to this series and Michael Dean does a good job. Dean’s narration is smooth and easy to listen to. My one issue with this narration was the inconsistency with the voices. Sawyer and Henry are still the same, and instantly recognizable. But Andvari’s voice changes some, and Draco and Saeward’s voices tend to blend on occasion. Kavalan is done well, but Loch, another fae, starts out with a rather annoying nasally tone that changes toward the end. Viv, the cook, sounds like a shaky older woman that doesn’t seem to fit the character at all for me. So while I overall enjoy the narration, the changing voices, and the sometimes indistinctness of them, really pulls on my brain.
Overall though, I’m a fan of this series, despite the problems I find. And I definitely recommend listening if you’re a fan of audiobooks.
