Audible Book Review: Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop

This is another engaging listen in this urban fantasy series.
Vision in Silver
A Novel of the Others
By: Anne Bishop
Narrated by: Alexandra Harris

Series: The Others (Bishop), Book 3
Length: 16 hrs and 4 mins
Release date: 03-03-15
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Genre: Alternate History, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 5.0.

Publisher's Summary
The New York Times best-selling author of The Black Jewels Trilogy transports readers to a world of magic and political unrest - where the only chance at peace requires a deadly price....
The Others freed the cassandra sangue to protect the blood prophets from exploitation, not realizing their actions would have dire consequences. Now the fragile seers are in greater danger than ever before - both from their own weaknesses and from those who seek to control their divinations for wicked purposes. In desperate need of answers, Simon Wolfgard, a shape-shifter leader among the Others, has no choice but to enlist blood prophet Meg Corbyn’s help, regardless of the risks she faces by aiding him.
Meg is still deep in the throes of her addiction to the euphoria she feels when she cuts and speaks prophecy. She knows each slice of her blade tempts death. But Others and humans alike need answers, and her visions may be Simon’s only hope of ending the conflict.
For the shadows of war are deepening across the Atlantik, and the prejudice of a fanatic faction is threatening to bring the battle right to Meg and Simon’s doorstep....
©2015 Anne Bishop (P)2015 Penguin

Review:
Meg’s new friends among the Others helped to free the cassandra sangue in Book 2, Murder of Crows. Unfortunately, the fragile blood prophets are struggling to survive without the controlled settings they have been raised in. The call goes out to Simon seeking help so Meg, who has managed to find a place, work, and friends in the Lakeside Courtyard, is asked to provide guidance to help the other girls. As human friends help Meg develop a guidebook, they begin to recognize that she has her own fragility, risks and triggers. Meg knows that each prophecy slice brings her death closer, but there are pressures that make cutting urgent to the shock and disapproval of her friends.

Simon’s community at Lakeside is one of the few communities that is having success combining humans living with the Others. The community is purchasing homes to accommodate human workers while humans and Others are joining on field trips. Meg’s prophecies come just in time to protect a human family and to give a warning to Simon and a group of the Others and humans out for a shopping adventure.

Meanwhile, an opposing faction is creating difficulties between humans and the Others. That faction thinks they can cut off lines of supplies to the Other communities, but they failed to think it through since the base resources are in the control of the Others. Certain leaders in the Humans First and Last Movement are also convinced that there are jewels that have been stolen and are in the hands of one of the human officers friendly to Lakeside. Once the jewel issue is faced, there is still a threat that could intensify the already high tensions between humans and the Others.

As offensive as the cutting may be, it creates an interesting element of Meg’s growth including both confusion and emerging confidence. I enjoy the conflicted relationship between Meg and Simon which has its own sweet aspect. I am still impressed by the author’s good blend of character development and plot adventure. I look forward to listening more in this series.

Audio Notes: Alexandra Harris does a wonderful job narrating this series. She provides distinct voices and the emotions that add to the energy of the story. I plan to continue to listen to the series.

Source: 12/16/2020 November Audible Credits. This qualifies for 2021TBR, 2021Audiobook, 2021Alphabet, and 2021Color goals.

Written in Red: A Novel of the Others by Anne Bishop; My Rating: 5.0.
Murder of Crows: A Novel of the Others, Book 2, by Anne Bishop; My Rating: 4.75.

Sunday Post July 11, 2021/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday July 12, 2021

I am linking with Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? now at The Book Date (at Wordpress)

What Are You Reading? is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

This week seemed a bit calmer though work was steady. We determined we have mold in our ac ducts at work so we are calling in a company to take care of the problem.
My stocks are still fine although this week was a ride. I hit a high on July 7, then dropped  .06% on 7/8. At least.04% was back up on Friday. I don't panic since I have had a 103% gain in 15 months.

Hubby and I enjoyed his July 4th Birthday Cake.
I only used four candles since he doesn't have a lot of air to blow.

We are expecting thunderstorms 4 days this week and partly cloudy days will keep temps just under 90 degrees.

I really liked my listening this past week. I am reading the ebook on the computer because I couldn't get it transferred to the Kindle or phone.   I finished three audio books. I posted three reviews and my usual memes.

I visited 18 blogs again last week.
Shout Out this week to BOOK OF SECRETS. Diana is a Gen X book blogger who has been sharing reviews since 2010 on "a little bit of everything — adult, YA, and middle grade."

Audible offerings for free children's titles looks like it is closing June 30.
Audiobooks.com is still sharing free listens for children.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post July 4, 2021/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday July 5, 2021.

• NGA2021- #NetGalley Audio Book Review: Dog Eat Dog, An Andy Carpenter Mystery (Book 23) by David Rosenfelt; Genre: Cozy Mystery, Dogs, Legal Thriller; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.

• NG2020- #NetGalley Book Review: Aftershocks: Christians Entering a New Era of Global Crisis by Jeff Kinley; Genre: Christian Prophecy, Social Issues & Christianity, Theological Eschatology; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway July 9, 2021. Open Worldwide. Ending 7/15/2021.

• NGA2021- #NetGalley Book Review: A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones; Genre: Small Town & Rural Fiction, Women Sleuth Mysteries; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.

• Sharing Beyond Books #425 Comment Giveaway July 10, 2021. Open Worldwide. Ending 7/24/2021.
  

• Sunday Words of Encouragement July 11, 2021.

Finished Reading:
1. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Vision in Silver
A Novel of the Others
By: Anne Bishop
Narrated by: Alexandra Harris
Length: 16 hrs and 4 mins
Release date: 03-03-15
Another engaging listen in this series.
Source: 12/16/2020 November Audible Credits.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Baron Steele
By: Rhett C. Bruno , Jaime Castle
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
This is a quick, fun story about a retired superhero.
Source: Audible Plus Catalog October 2020.
About This Audible Original
Paul Steele, known to the world as Baron Steele, isn’t your average masked crimefighter. As a matter of fact, he doesn’t even wear a mask. And he doesn’t even fight crime anymore. That’s for the guys with too much brawn and not enough brain.
No, Steele works in consulting. After having his license revoked by the Guild of Masked Crimefighters, he decided he would scout talent instead. Match up heroes with their villainous counterparts, help the young bucks and buckettes discover their talents and abilities. That sort of thing.
It’s all going fine and well until Steele gets a bad cup of coffee. No. Seriously. Day after day, the same little twerp gets his order wrong. From there, it’s a downhill spiral into chaos, and Steele finds himself fighting for his freedom in a court of law. Did he really kill a barista over a cup of joe?
Don't miss this hilarious spin on the superhero genre from the number one Audible best-selling duo of Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle.
©2020 Aethon Books (P)2020 Aethon Books

3. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

 The Gone World
by Tom Sweterlitsch
I had my eyes on this one for a long time.
This is a twisted time travel mystery thriller.
Source: 8/30/2020 Chirp Purchase for $4.99.
Inception meets True Detective in this science fiction thriller of spellbinding tension and staggering scope that follows a special agent into a savage murder case with grave implications for the fate of mankind…
Shannon Moss is part of a clandestine division within the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. In Western Pennsylvania, 1997, she is assigned to solve the murder of a Navy SEAL’s family—and to locate his teenage daughter, who has disappeared. Though she can’t share the information with conventional law enforcement, Moss discovers that the missing SEAL was an astronaut aboard the spaceship U.S.S. Libra—a ship assumed lost to the darkest currents of Deep Time. Moss knows first-hand the mental trauma of time-travel and believes the SEAL’s experience with the future has triggered this violence.
Determined to find the missing girl and driven by a troubling connection from her own past, Moss travels ahead in time to explore possible versions of the future, seeking evidence or insight that will crack the present-day case. To her horror, the future reveals that it’s not only the fate of a family that hinges on her work, for what she witnesses rising over time’s horizon and hurtling toward the present is the Terminus: the terrifying and cataclysmic end of humanity itself.
Luminous and unsettling, The Gone World bristles with world-shattering ideas yet remains at its heart an intensely human story.

Currently Reading:

1. ebook/Kindle App on Computer (Author2021)

The Alchemy Thief
by R.A. Denny
I am 30% in and eager to see where this time travel goes.
Source: Author review request.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

The Monster Hunter Files
By: Larry Correia, Jim Butcher, Faith Hunter, Jonathan Maberry
Narrated by: Oliver Wyman, Khristine Hvam, Bailey Carr
Length: 13 hrs and 50 mins
I'm in the mood for some snark and monsters.
Source: Audible Daily Deal 4/24/2018 $4.95.
Publisher's Summary
For well over a century, Monster Hunter International has kept the world safe from supernatural threats small and large - and, in some cases, very, very large. Now, join us as MHI opens their archives for the first time. From experienced hunters on their toughest cases to total newbies' initial encounters with the supernatural, The Monster Hunter Files reveals the secret history of the world's most elite monster fighting force.
Discover what happened when Agent Franks took on the Nazis in World War II. Uncover how the Vatican's Combat Exorcists deal with Old Ones in Mexico. And find out exactly what takes place in a turf war between trailer park elves and gnomes. From the most powerful of mystical beings to MHI's humble janitor, see the world of professional monster hunting like never before.
Featuring 17 all new tales based on Larry Correia's best-selling series, from New York Times best-selling authors Jim Butcher, John Ringo, Jessica Day George, Jonathan Maberry, Faith Hunter, and many more.
Also includes stories by Larry Correia, John C. Wright, Jody Lynn Nye, Mike Kupari, and Brad R. Torgersen.
©2017 Larry Correia. All stories 2017 by Larry Correia, except "She Bitch, Killer of Kits" 2017 by Larry Correia and Faith Hunter. (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

3. Print (2021)

The Iron Triangle: Inside the Liberal Democrat Plan to Use Race to Divide Christians and America in their Quest for Power and How We Can Defeat Them
by Vince Everett Ellison
This will be my nonfiction book for June July.
I am making slow progress.
Source: Purchased in March 2021.
Click on book title for full description.

July 11, 2021 - I remain on track. I love seeing new things each time I read the Bible. I am glad to still be current with morning reading. I am reading/listening to the NLT Tyndale version of the Bible on You Version App so Hubby and I are reading the same passages each day.
I am through day five of a seven day study: God Hears us Pray.

I completed three books to review this week.
NetGalley shelf is still at four - 3 old and one new.
Four author titles remain in queue. I'll be working on these next soon.
(Plus a few that I received from facebook links and newsletter sign-ups, not specific review requests.)
Still many titles through InstaFreebie and many new author requests I haven't replied to.

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) and after a tour of hosts has returned to its permanent home at Mailbox Monday. Thanks to the ladies sharing hosting duties: Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, me and new to the team, Velvet at vvb32reads. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
Small 'mailbox' for me this week.
I selected a Read Now graphic ebook from NetGalley
I selected one of my June Audible credits.
No free Kindle titles this week.
(Note these are in my Amazon library, NOT on my Kindle until I download and transfer them.)
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

NetGalley Book: Every now and then I like to throw in a graphic novel and this looks like a good one.

Hematite
1. Serenade
by Script by Victoria Maderna, Federico Piatti and art by Victoria Maderna, Federico Piatti Europe Comics

Won

NONE

Purchased

7/11/2021 I chose one of my two June Audible Picks. Holding the other for next week in case Hubby asks for a book.

Pretend You're Safe
By: Alexandra Ivy
Narrated by: Jim Frangione
Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
Release date: 08-29-17
I was in the mood for a romantic suspense choice.

Free

No free Kindle titles this week.  Free titles often found at Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement July 11, 2021

We attended church online this morning. Pastor started the service reminding us that if we Love God, we love People. He continued his Undisputed series with the scripture this week in Romans 10:1-17.

Truth can’t be changed. Truth is truth.
Sometimes we get preoccupied with something else when we were headed to something else. We get distracted. There was a time (and now is a time) when Sunday morning there is a question: “Are we going to church?” This should be a given for the Christ follower!! We don’t always stay on track or do what we intended.

It is impossible to fulfill the law of the commandments. But we now are saved by Faith! Paul tells readers to believe the message in front of them. Romans 10:8-13. People are searching for ‘something’, but they look beyond Christ.

We first acknowledge our need to be made right with God. We have to believe in our heart. Romans 10:10.  Our life should then be occupied with our belief in Christ; it takes root within your heart and mind. Romans 10:9:

a) Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord; surrender to Him.
b) Believe that God raised Jesus from the dead.

Confession/profession of Jesus’ resurrection brings salvation. Would you die for that confession?
Our resurrected savior should occupy our life.
Verse 13 “ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” This is not a standalone verse. You must include verses 9-12 with it.

We have the answer to the most important question a person can ask. What must I do to be saved?

In the inner prison, others heard Paul and Silas singing. Who sings in prison? Those who have hope in Christ. The jailer was going to take his own life when he thought they escaped. Paul stopped him.

The Point: We need to shut out all that preoccupies us, and be preoccupied with giving the message of salvation to anyone who will hear.

Yes, you will be rejected. As noted in the end of Romans 10, Israel rejected the message.
If we are not preoccupied with giving out the answer to the most important question, what has us preoccupied?

Remove the preoccupations and focus on the most important activity – sharing the message of Christ. How can they know unless they hear? How can they hear unless they are told?  How can anyone ‘preach’ unless they are sent? We are sent, now we must go!

I found this song this morning and I think it fits the message. What Good Are Love Songs?

Verses for Today:
Romans 10:9-13 NIV
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Sharing Beyond Books #425 Comment Giveaway July 10, 2021

Hello again, Welcome to Sharing Beyond Books.

Thanks to everyone who commented last week.
Last post SBB#424 Ashfa asks: What's the last book you read because you loved the cover??
Three commenters don't choose by covers. One is currently choosing by author and one couldn't remember. The other five of us named a title and I had to go look at some of those covers.

The Winner from SBB#424 comments is #6 MYSTICA who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the Updated (**Finally!) ARC/Review titles or (recently updated) Love and Christmas titles - all linked near the end of the post. -- [11/16/19 I plan to add some review books this week and maybe some new Christmas and Love titles as soon as I locate the box I put them in. 11/28/20 I have added a box of new books for SBB and will list them in the next week or so. I have to try to cross off books that have already been awarded.]

Please let me know your choice by completing the WINNER FORM.

WEEK #425

(One Question.)

Elizabeth asks: For summer picnics and parties, what's your favorite dish / meal to share??

Keep in mind that I don't cook so I bring something I can buy. One of my favorite things for summer picnic is a cheese and meat tray.

Image found at Walmart Marketplace.

Thanks to those who are sending in Questions. DON'T BE SHY! Surely everyone has a Q or two you'd like to ask. Input suggestions in this Suggested Question Form. At the end of each month, I draw from the suggestions I used during the month and that person will get a 1/2 book choice or $2.50 towards GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions. Thanks for sending in questions! The supply of questions is dwindling so share some if you think of any -- even if they are duplicates I'll weed through or try to modify them.

Your turn to share. Elizabeth asks: For summer picnics and parties, what's your favorite dish / meal to share??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the Updated ARC and Other books, including the "Love" and Christmas titles all in one post.

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on the question above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.
I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made through Saturday, July 24, 2021, at 5 PM central.

#NetGalley Book Review: A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones

Ms. Jones writes fun stories.
A Good Day for Chardonnay
by Darynda Jones
Narrated by Lorelei King

Series: Sunshine Vicram, Book 2
Pub Date 27 Jul 2021
Release date: 07-27-21
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Small Town & Rural Fiction, Women Sleuth Mysteries
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Running a small-town police force in the mountains of New Mexico should be a smooth, carefree kind of job. Sadly, full-time Sheriff--and even fuller-time coffee guzzler--Sunshine Vicram, didn't get that memo.
All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind that starts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven). Turns out, that's about as easy as switching to decaf. (What kind of people do that? And who hurt them?)
Before she can say iced mocha latte, Sunny's got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior. All evidence points to a local distiller, a dangerous bad boy named Levi Ravinder, but Sun knows he's not the villain of her story. Still, perhaps beneath it all, he possesses the keys to her disappearance. At the very least, beneath it all, he possesses a serious set of abs. She's seen it. Once. Accidentally.
Between policing a town her hunky chief deputy calls four cents short of a nickel, that pesky crush she has on Levi which seems to grow exponentially every day, and an irascible raccoon that just doesn't know when to quit, Sunny's life is about to rocket to a whole new level of crazy.
Yep, definitely a good day for chardonnay.

Review:
Sunshine is still trying to settle into her new job as sheriff, but events are giving her no time to relax and settle. As usual, she is juggling death, child-rearing, and a lingering childhood crush. And don’t forget the unresolved abduction and resulting murder from her own teenaged experience.

Sunshine’s teen crush, Levi, steps in to help a friend who is attacked at a local bar. Levi may have killed one of the assailants who take off after repeatedly stabbing his friend. Before the bad guys get away, they almost kill Levi. Sun has to arrest Levi to get him to the hospital rather than taking off after the villains, but they may not be enough to stop him.

While scrutinizing the crime scene and taped footage Sun finds a shocking surprise that will add to her list of cases. And in the background is a raucous raccoon terrorizing Sun’s deputy and best friend, Quincy. Add to all of this, Sun is beginning to get more flashbacks from her abduction which has been blocked by amnesia for years.

Meanwhile Sun’s daughter, Auri is convinced that their neighbor, a woman in her 80’s is a serial killer from years past. She recruits her friends, bestie, Sybil, and Auri’s teen crush, Cruz, to help her investigate by breaking into the woman’s house. Step by step this leads Auri to more trouble and danger behind her mother’s back.

This second book in the series has lots of threads, some of which have interesting ties. There is fun banter and interaction among the characters that I have grown to appreciate from the author. I felt frustrated knowing that Auri was heading into trouble, but it is a full thread that adds to the story. I enjoyed the community coming together to pull Sun into their secrets. I also appreciated the clear chemistry and romance between Sun and Levi although the culminating sex scene is a bit more vivid than I need.

I enjoy the full package which includes mystery, danger, humor and romance. There is some introduction, but I recommend reading the first book to get a better feel for the characters and history, then continue to enjoy the mystery and fun in this book.

Audio Notes: Lorelei King is just a wonderful narrator. As soon as she begins to read I get pulled into the characters. She provides clear voices and fitting emotion that enhances the story for me. If I get a choice, I will listen to this series rather than just read it.

Source: 2021 NetGalley Audio Book. This qualifies for 2021NetGalley and 2021Audiobook goals.