Audio Book Review: Wolf's Bane by Aimee Easterling

I enjoyed this shifter, action story.

Wolf's Bane
Written by Aimee Easterling
Narrated by Piper Goodeve
Release Date: July 2, 2019
Run time: 5 hours and 43 minutes
Release Date: July 2, 2019
Publisher: Wetknee Books
Genre: Fantasy, Folklore, Shifters
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.25.

Publisher Description
Secrets are my specialty.
I’m Mai Fairchild — fox shifter, sister’s keeper, and bane of the local werewolf pack. In a world where different is dangerous, my sister and I must pretend to be human at all costs. Too bad I just lost the job that lets me live under the radar while putting food on my sister’s plate.
Enter an enticing werewolf who offers enough cash to upgrade our diets from ramen noodles to salami if I join him on a magical hunt. But can I afford to accept the opportunity when the risk of working closely with every fox shifter’s sworn enemy is so great?
This first book in USA Today bestselling author Aimee Easterling’s newest series dives into a world of magic, danger, and romance.

Review:
Mai and her younger sister, Kira, are fox shifters, also known as kitsune. They have to keep this secret since it is a fact that would condemn them to execution by werewolves who don’t tolerate the kitsune magic. Mai lost her mundane day job so has to rely on her fighting success in the fight cage.

Unfortunately, her run of wins is hurting the betting. Her boss decides to set her up against a new team – werewolves. Gunner, an alpha werewolf, offers Mai a lucrative job if she will help the werewolves find a rogue, brutal killer. Mai needs the work but is reluctant to work so closely with her enemies of her very nature. While she is still contemplated the job another murder occurs and she is drawn in to inspect the scene. It is quickly apparent that the killer is using magical power. Not only that, but the killer has somehow gotten a hold of Mai’s family artifacts that can be used to trigger magic.

Mai is receiving cryptic mind messages from her dead mother while she is trying to discover who has obtained her mother’s magic and is now stalking her. Meanwhile, Mai needs to keep her ‘boyfriend’, a local werewolf, from putting her in the middle of a territorial war with Gunner and his pack. All of her efforts get tangled up, especially when Kira keeps taking actions that endanger the sisters.

I enjoyed the overall plot line and the intrigue of Gunner’s interest in Mai. I was a little frustrated that Kai had not shown more regard for her mother’s heirlooms and also failed to communicate better with her sister regarding their nature. Then there was the bad choices that Mai kept making to sneak away from the werewolves who were trying to trust her. These several elements seemed like major missteps for the primary character although it plays into the action.

The writing is at a level suitable for YAs and adults. I do enjoy shifter characters and I liked the developing relationship between Mai and Gunner. The story ends with danger and a bit of a cliff hanger. I am interested in reading the next book. I recommend this to readers who like shifter stories.

Audio Notes: Piper Goodeve does a good job with the narration. She gives appropriate life to Mai and manages to give the characters distinct voices. I enjoyed the audio listen.

Source: 4/01/2020 Chirp for $.99. This qualifies for 2021TBR, 2021Audiobook and 2021Alphabet (audio) goals.

Audible Book Review: The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn

This is full of interesting history tidbits about Santa and other Christmas traditions.

The Autobiography of Santa Claus
By: Jeff Guinn
Narrated by: John H. Mayer

Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 12-10-04
Language: English
Publisher: Listen & Live Audio, Inc.
Genre: Biographical, Folklore, Memoir
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall, Story and Narration

Publisher's Summary
Jump on Santa's sleigh for a journey through 17 centuries of Christmas magic!
This enchanting holiday treasure combines historical fact with glorious legend as Saint Nicholas himself reveals the definitive story of Santa Claus. From his birth in Lycia to meeting Mrs. Claus and all of his helpers, Santa relates the tale of how he spread his message of generosity and the goodness of giving across the world.
Families will delight in every entertaining chapter of this holiday classic, one for each cold December night leading up to Christmas!
©2004 Jeff Guinn (P)2004 Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Review:
This interesting work begins with Santa choosing to share his own biography to a journalist who doesn’t quite have all the facts. He tells of his birth in Lycia in 280 A.D. and shares how his Christian faith and the baby Jesus influenced him to share his wealth with others. After years the legend of Saint Nicholas was developed around his gift giving to others in his home town.

He shares how magic became part of his story as he picked up friends along his travels and how he was given different names around the world. He also shares how many of the Christmas traditions, such as stockings, trees, yule logs and much more, began.

I was fascinated and delighted by his helpful friends who include Felix, Layla, Attila the Hun, Arthur of Britain and even Leonardo Da Vinci! I was even more interested in the history, for example, learning that Christmas celebrations were banned by American pilgrims, but fortunately celebrated in the Dutch communities.

I didn’t realize until I looked at the Table of Contents on the Kindle ‘look inside’ feature that the chapters are set out so they can be read one a night for the first 24 days of December. That is a good idea and I think would make the reading or listening more enjoyable than forging through it as I did. I recommend this to families to read and share with their children during December. The story is filled with the philosophy that "it is better to give than receive."  It would be a great way to encourage finding ways to share with others instead of focusing only on the anticipation of receiving gifts.

Audio Notes: John H. Mayer’s deep voice fits the work and Santa’s personality. He captures other voices appropriately too. The listening is engaging and fun.

Source: Audible 12/24/17 Daily Deal Purchase $2.95. This qualifies for 2018TBR and Audiobook Challenge.