Legends and Lattes Written by Travis Baldree Audiobook read by Travis Baldree
The Skinny: What if the Coffee shop A. U. was the story?
Viv is a barbarian warrior ready to get out of the mercenary’s life. But before she hangs up her greatsword for good, she needs a plan. Fortunately, she has two things going for her: A lucky, if gross charm in the Skalvert Stone, a sort of a magical bezoar she takes from the skull of a monstrous giant insect. Trophy in hand, she travels to the town of Thune, following the ley lines to the place where she’ll start her new life: Opening a coffee shop. Unfortunately, there are a few hurdles for her to overcome, including the local organized crime boss, the fact that nobody in town has even heard of coffee before, and her prime location is in fact an abandoned livery. But with the help of some new friends, and the occasional assistance of her former adventuring party, she’ll give her new life a go. Legends and Lattes is the coziest of cozy fantasy stories. Not so much a tale of adventure and blood, but of steam and baking. There is some tension as Viv attempts to break from her old life and settle into the new one, but most of this audiobook’s six-hour run time is more concerned with the day-to-day running of the shop than fighting monsters or fantasy politics. It’s clear that these things are all going on somewhere, but this story is all about the beans. As a professional narrator, Baldree does an outstanding job reading, and the text feels right as an audiobook. His voices for the characters feel distinctive without becoming forced, which is no mean feat as a male actor reading a book with two female leads. While the story was engaging and satisfying, It did feel a bit on the short side to me. We get an eclectic cast of characters, both from Viv’s old life and her new one, but they are mostly supporting Viv. It would have been nice to have spent more time with Cal, Thimble, Tandry and the rest of the supporting cast. Also, this is a romance, but a very fluffy one. It doesn’t go much farther than awkward stammering and acknowledged feelings. I would have liked it to have been more, well, steamier. Legends and Lattes is a +5 cozy little story that is sure to warm your heart like a warm cup of coffee on a cold winter’s morning. It is available as an audiobook, print or ebook from the usual locations.
Revenant: Star Trek Deep Space Nine Written by Alex White Audiobook read by Robert Petkoff Published by Simon & Schuster Audio
The Skinny: A thrilling and thought-provoking stand-alone story set in the middle of a sci-fi classic. Revenant by Alex White is an excellent reintroduction to the world of Star Trek Deep Space Nine. Set midway through the series, it follows one crewmember, Jadzia Dax, as she delves into a mystery concerning her own past. Dax is actually, technically speaking, two people in one. The humanoid Trill Jadzia and Dax, a long-lived symbiotic creature that is surgically implanted. The symbionts are implanted in the best and brightest of Trill society and can remember their hosts’ lives with such clarity that they are effectively a gestalt, granting their hosts lifetimes of experience. But when an old friend of both herself and Dax’s previous host comes to her with a problem, Dax becomes trapped in a conspiracy that stretches through lifetimes, and the highest echelons of their society. White does an excellent job of telling a fascinating science-fiction mystery that delicately balances introducing the story to new readers and giving sly nods to long-time fans. This is no mean feat for a series that has been off the air for over two decades. They pull the trick off by not merely presenting the characters who flit in and out of the story but establishing the characters from Dax’s point of view. As in their excellent Salvagers series, White balances character development and world-building to fill out their universes with style and panache. From the gaming tables of an alien casino to the tunnels beneath a sinister hospital, these don’t feel like a TV soundstage, but a living, breathing universe. As someone who fell off of Star Trek midway through the series, I felt like I got just enough of the characters to be reminded of who they were, and managed to catch a few of the winks directed to long-time fans. I listened to this book in audio, and narrator Robert Petkoff does a good job. The performance is not over-produced and doesn’t distract from the story. It was an exciting, fast-paced read as Jadzia and her allies delve into Dax’s past and uncover an imaginative sci-fi conspiracy. If you are completely uninvested in the series, this book probably won’t be what changes your mind. But as a former fan who hasn’t seen the series in decades, Revenant lit a nostalgic fire in my heart. You can find it wherever books and audiobooks are sold.
Comfort Me With Apples Written By Catherynne M Valente Read By Karis Campbell Published by Tordotcom and Dreamscape Media LLC
The Skinny – This puzzle box of a novella about a woman living in an exclusive gated community is a suspenseful, surprising little treat.
Sophia’s life is a paradise. She keeps her husband’s house in the Arcadia Gardens, the ultimate gated community, and even though he is away with work much of the time, he’s the perfect husband, who has given her the perfect life. She was made for him, and everything is perfect. But she begins notices cracks in the veneer of her supposedly perfect life. She finds a hairbrush that isn’t her’s and her neighbors seem just a bit too eager when they ask her if she’s happy. And then there’s the basement, which she is forbidden to enter. When Sophia’s perfect life begin to unravel, and the temptation to destroy the illusion becomes overpowering. Giving much more of a description to this fast-paced and engaging novella would give away the game, but Valente’s luscious prose unfolds like a puzzle box, with Sophia’s narrative interposed with her contract from the unseen but all-powerful Arcadia Gardens Home Owners’ Association. It’s a clever trick that works beautifully. The story is a perfect novella length, giving just enough clues to resolve the mystery while keeping a sharp and suspenseful pace. Karis Campbell’s narration is spot on, making this quick but engaging audiobook well worth the full credit, even if it only clocks in at a couple of hours of listening time. Each character is unique and distinct, and her read of their narration is subtle. She doesn’t give the game away, but still highlights all the incongruous and unsettling bits of Valente’s story. Comfort Me With Apples was an unexpected and gripping little story that is well wroth your time, and works best if you go in not knowing the twist. It’s available in print, ebook and audiobook from all the usual retailers.
It Devours!: A Welcome to Night Vale novel
Written by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Crainor
Audiobook read by Cecil Baldwin
WELCOMETONIGHTVALE.COM
The Skinny-The creators of “Welcome to Night Vale” return with another delightfully creepy and silly novel set in their quiet desert town.
Following up their best-selling eponymous Welcome to Night Vale novel, It Devours! continues the formula of giving a spotlight to some of the supporting characters from the podcast. The story falls a bit outside the purview of the half-hour pseudo-radio show, but is still great fun for fans.
The story follows Nilanjana, a scientist investigating a series of mysterious and unofficial earthquakes, and Darryl, a member of the friendly cult The Joyous Congregation of the Smiling God, which may be involved in a series of disappearances. The pair will have to contend contend with pushy spokespeople, lonely surveillance helicopter pilots, and most importantly, their very different world-views to solve these mysteries.
While readers don’t need to have read the previous novel or be up to date on the podcast, the story is full of references to both. The most important thing to know going in is that Night Vale is weird. And that weirdness comes with neither explanation nor apology. Bits like the town’s monstrous City Council, the fad for invisible food, and the barista district all swing by fast enough to upset a new reader’s train of thought if unprepared. But the story is well-told and engaging. If you are new to Night Vale and find the vast backlog of podcast episodes intimidating, It Devours! might be a great place to give it a try.
The audio book is read by Cecil Baldwin, the host of the podcast. He does an excellent job bringing the huge cast to life. Fans of weird fiction will find a lot to like in this heartwarming end-of-the-world adventure.
It Devours is available from Amazon in print and Audible in audio book. You can also find it at your Local Independent Bookstore!
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Fantastic news, Friends!
After a lot of work these past few months, I’m ecstatic to announce that The Dark Wife is now available on Audible and other Amazon-related audiobook services!
This version of the audiobook is read by Veronica Giguere and is music and sound-effect free! So if you are the type of listener who prefers to hear the narration without any extra embellishments, this one’s for you.
The podcast version of The Dark Wife remain up at The Way of the Buffalo podcast site, and will always be available for those who can’t afford or do not have access to the Audible version. A central part of this project has always been to make this novel available for anyone who might need it regardless of their circumstances, and that hasn’t changed.
So if you haven’t listened to The Dark Wife yet, go ahead an give it a listen. And if you have, please review and spread the word so we can share this amazing story with as many people as possible!
Heartless: The Parasol Protectorate, Book Four
Written by Gail Carriger
Narrated by Emily Gray Audible.com
Although I am not big on Romance, I’ve had a soft spot for Gail Carriger’s “Parasol Protectorate” series for a long time. It might have to do with her delightful sense of humor, or the richly detailed world of her supernatural Victorian London. Whatever the case, I’ve been savoring the series, and I recently devoured the fourth entry, for the first time in audio.
Alexia Maccon, Soulless, Lady of Woolsey, and Mujah to Queen Victoria, is never one to let little details interfere when she sets on a course of action. So when a ghost gives her a cryptic warning of a plot against the Queen, she isn’t going to let a little thing like being eight months pregnant stand in her way. Scheming scientists, maladjusted werewolves, and zombie porcupines aren’t going to have much of a chance, either.
Carriger does it again with her fast paced comic misadventures in Victorian supernatural society. Her grasp of character and timing is once again on display as she navigates Alexia through mystery, society expectations and steampunk hi-jinx.
Emily Gray’s performance is spot on, and deftly juggles the wide-ranging accents and character foibles of the large cast. Her narration is a perfect balance of high society wit and action-comedy timing.
While this isn’t the best place to jump on to the Parasol Protectorate series, Heartless is a worthy entry. I heartily recommend readers pick up this one, or work their way up to it. You can find it on Audible, in a variety of formats on Amazon, or of course at your local bookstore.
Ancillary Justice
Written by Ann Leckie
Read by Celest Ciulla
audible.com
Ancillary Justice is a return to old school science fiction filled with modern twists. It is the story of 1-ESK, an ‘ancillary,’ or human imprinted with a spaceship AI. Twenty years ago, she was permanently severed from her ship. When she finds a former officer, whom she thought dead a thousand years, lying drugged in the snow, she makes a decision that will change the course of intergalactic civilization.
This Hugo-winning novel has been on my radar for a long time, and it was a delight to finally listen to. Leckie’s universe is an intricate, well built puzzle supported by a story that is about people, even if the people at the center don’t see themselves that way. The speculative bits are intriguing and explored well. Her style is engaging and propellant.
The characters center around a society that does not recognize gender. Leckie uses exclusively the female pronoun throughout the story, even for characters which are male. This is both a custom of 1-ESK’s culture, which does not differentiate between genders as a cultural norm and a character trait. She legitimately has difficulty differentiating between them. It was a unique spin on the trope of a robot trying to act human, and while I don’t know if it was realistic, I did find this aspect of the novel fascinating.
The audio book was read by Celest Ciulla, and I feel she did a great job balancing the oddness of the novel’s culture and protagonist with a listenable cadence. The story implies a whole slew of completely imaginary accents and speaking patterns, and she rises to the occasion.
Anciliary Justice is a novel that truly deserved its awards, and I can’t wait to dive into 1-ESK’s next adventure. You can find it at your local bookstore, or on Audible and Amazon.
Three thousand years ago, a god told a lie. Now only a goddess can tell the truth…
Persephone has everything a daughter of Zeus could want, except for freedom. She lives on the green earth with her mother, Demeter, growing up beneath the ever-watchful gaze of the gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus. But when Persephone meets the enigmatic Hades, she experiences something new: CHOICE.
Zeus calls Hades ‘Lord’ of the dead as a joke. In truth, Hades is the GODDESS of the underworld, and no friend of Zeus. She offers Persephone sanctuary in her land of the dead, so the young goddess may escape her Olympian DESTINY.
But Persephone finds more than freedom in the underworld. She finds LOVE, and herself.
The Dark Wife is a YA novel, a lesbian retelling of the Persephone and Hades myth. It is available in print and ebook format from Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble. You can also download a free PDF copy of the novel HERE.
Three thousand years ago, a god told a lie. Now only a goddess can tell the truth…
Persephone has everything a daughter of Zeus could want, except for freedom. She lives on the green earth with her mother, Demeter, growing up beneath the ever-watchful gaze of the gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus. But when Persephone meets the enigmatic Hades, she experiences something new: CHOICE.
Zeus calls Hades ‘Lord’ of the dead as a joke. In truth, Hades is the GODDESS of the underworld, and no friend of Zeus. She offers Persephone sanctuary in her land of the dead, so the young goddess may escape her Olympian DESTINY.
But Persephone finds more than freedom in the underworld. She finds LOVE, and herself.
The Dark Wife is a YA novel, a lesbian retelling of the Persephone and Hades myth. It is available in print and ebook format from Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble. You can also download a free PDF copy of the novel HERE.
Three thousand years ago, a god told a lie. Now only a goddess can tell the truth…
Persephone has everything a daughter of Zeus could want, except for freedom. She lives on the green earth with her mother, Demeter, growing up beneath the ever-watchful gaze of the gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus. But when Persephone meets the enigmatic Hades, she experiences something new: CHOICE.
Zeus calls Hades ‘Lord’ of the dead as a joke. In truth, Hades is the GODDESS of the underworld, and no friend of Zeus. She offers Persephone sanctuary in her land of the dead, so the young goddess may escape her Olympian DESTINY.
But Persephone finds more than freedom in the underworld. She finds LOVE, and herself.
The Dark Wife is a YA novel, a lesbian retelling of the Persephone and Hades myth. It is available in print and ebook format from Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble. You can also download a free PDF copy of the novel HERE.
Hugh J. O'Donnell 