Book Reviews of May’s Audible Freebies

It took me a whole month to finally finish two short audible books: “Black Crow, White Snow” and “The Mystery of Alice”. The pace of my progress had nothing to do with my interest in these books. I really enjoyed both of these for being such different genres and stories.

Black Crow, White Snow

Written by Michael Livingston

Narrated by Janina Edwards

I was first drawn to this book because I knew the characters were female warriors. For those of you who follow me, you now that my own work in progress is based on Amazons (a different setting than this specific audible), so I was naturally interested in a similar subject matter.

(Read an Excerpt from my book: A Life to Dream)

In “Black Crow, White Snow” the crew of women warriors were set out on a mission, a voyage to find a land that their people previously inhabited. Though the story starts on a ship, the majority of the narration is completed on land, in the bitterly cold snow, where there are some things even more dangerous than starvation, magic, or wild beasts – the desperation of your fellow woman.

I was impressed with the depiction of the all-women tribe and how their civilization incorporated men, seeing them as the weaker sex. Their society of women fought and relied solely on one another to save their home. And, while the story shows a different point of view for this different society, its purpose seems to clarify that any stereotype of a woman or man cannot be taken at face value. Perceptions of people or things should not be based on the masses assumptions.

I also enjoyed listening to Janina Edwards’ voice. Her African-based accent is smooth, clear, and her manner of speech resonated with a warrior’s. Her narration was the cherry on top of this icy warrior cake.

The Mystery of Alice

Written by Lee Bacon

Narrated by Bryan Kennedy, Jessica Almasy, Josh Hurley, Cassandra Morris, Libby McKnight, Emily Bauer, Michael Crouch

This audible performance may be the most enjoyable one I’ve listened to thus far. It helps that the book is YA, which I enjoy, and that there wasn’t any added music. This one was done as if we are listening to a video diary, so not too much is lost or added with the narrator’s interactions with her own camera as she recounts the events of her young life to us, the readers/listeners.

Emily Poe is our main character, narrating her induction into a fancy preparatory school with new friends that is both exciting and scary. But, ultimately it ends up being more scary as a mystery unfolds that left me guessing until the end (no spoilers from me!). I had my suspicions with the who-done-it theme going, and I was ultimately right, though I admit I didn’t know the whole story until the end was revealed.

This particular audible performance was done more to my liking. There were a few other voices on occasion, and the occasional outside noises incorporated (like bumps against a wall or pings from an arcade), but mostly we heard from the main narrator’s voice as she depicted her own details of past events, so it felt more like a book. Overall, a well-balanced book.

June’s Free Audibles

This month’s readings are very different forms of genres – fantasy and history. I chose “Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues” and “The Dead Drink First.”

I’m a big fan of fantasy and romance, so I’m excited for this book on nymphs. The war book is intriguing, since I like learning about historical events with literary fiction and memoirs, but I am (admittedly) afraid of being depressed while reading this one.

We’ll see what happens. Can’t wait to dive in and report back.

Have Your Read These?

Let me know what you think of these books and join in on my conversation. I’d love to hear other people’s opinions of these short audibles. Leave a comment below.

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