Although for me personally, the voice did take a lot of time to get used to (I foolishly didn’t listen to the sample), I didn’t take down points for that one because that is purely personal preference considering she has done an amazing job. The voice is very soft and very calm and for me it felt too soft and I couldn’t focus on the story because of that too soft voice. But I feel it is still worth 5 stars because the narrator’s performance is really great (once gotten used to in my case) and the use of different voices always make listening to dialogues like a breeze so just check the sample and go for it, if the voice is to your liking, or if you’re willing to adjust to it over some time like I did, I definitely don’t regret pushing through. I’m really glad I didn’t think to check the sample because I would have deprived me of a great story! Think about it, this story is so captivating that I forced myself to start over again and again because I really wanted to know the story. That alone says enough about the quality of Sophie Davis their storytelling skills (it’s a pen name for two writers). And indeed, I am glad that I pushed through!!
In a world that has been frozen over for decades (or centuries?), Fae, Shifters and Vampires can survive outside in the freezing cold but the humans can’t. It is simply too cold for them, without having any magic of their own to battle that cold. So those people live in these domes where they have artifical normal weather and day and night simulations with sun, moon and stars and all, just as it appaers outside that dome. Although they have none of their own, these humans can use magic, if taken from the magical beings and so the Fae are hunted to be sold into slavery to these humans, called Casters. Fae are given a few options that practically all come down to the same thing: they need to lend/give away magic to the Casters. Since it’s imbued in every cell of their being, they replentish and can keep giving away magic. And that’s why they are enlisted as slaves in a so-called job as a house Fae to lend magic to a whole household or as a well trained sophisticating bride-to-be (after attending the special school to “prepare Fae for marriage”) so they can become a bride/wife for a rich Caster to be his constant powersource, or even some other options that are even less appealing but always with the same outcome: letting the Casters have their magic so they can keep casting whatever they want to cast.
The story begins with a prologue where Brie, a Fire Fae (Fire Fae’s apparently aren’t common) is being captured by “Cowboys”, which are these renegate bounty hunter-like vampires and then she’s sold to a kingdom far away.
The story then jumps 5 years into the future and Brie has gained a lot of fans and fame by being one of the most succesful fighters in the fighting pits.
Since she was too headstrong to consider any of the magic-lending options after arriving in this kingdom, she was given (and jumped at) the chance to fight in the fighting pits to earn her freedom that way. At least that way she wouldn’t need to give away her magic.
But with a rebellion brewing in one direction and a stubborn Caster Prince fishing for Brie’s attention and some missing Fae and Casters, this book is filled with captivating moments that keep you wondering.
There are some amazing things in this book. Some details are written down so perfectly, others leave you to you own imagination but most of all, it’s a story about friendship. It is a beauty to see how close the fighters are outside the pits. They really are a loyal bunch.
It’s also about morals and choosing the right thing within the not so righteous options. And about surviving the best way possible… about who to trust when you suddenly begin to question every believe you ever had. In short: it’s captivating!!
So, yeah, I’m hoping the second (and third) will be available on Audible soon!