Stealing Light (Stealing Light Trilogy Book 1) by Julie Cassar

The title doesn't say anything about what lies between the covers. What we get is a more mature story from the author of the Ruby Blue series. Cassar deftly weaves together a tale of tragedy, guardian angels, a forbidden love, a fallen angel, and the undecided darkness. Quite the cast of characters she's bringing us.

CeeCee has had a rough go of things ever since her parents died in a car accident. Since then, her older brother has raised her. Something happens that enables CeeCee to see more of the world around her than she ever thought was possible. What she now sees has always been there - and now she knows how dangerous some of it can be.

What Cassar has brought that is new to the reader is the Light within each of us. Most of us have heard someone described as "shining bright as a beacon," or having an "inner light" that makes everything seem less dreary or drab, or maybe brightens up someone else's day. CeeCee's Light is brighter than anything the angels have ever seen. That very brightness makes her look oh so tasty to some dangerous folk.

This is her first foray into the New Adult genre and I would have to say it's every bit as compelling as her first series. I wasn't drawn in by anything but her name on the cover. Not the title, the cover art, not the blurb. Her world building is solid. The characters are believable. The ending knocks it out of the park. A truism given in the form of a riddle ultimately makes the book.

There were a few errors, not many, but they made for a little hiccup in reading. I was offered the book free for an honest review. However, knowing that Amazon has a habit of removing reviews that aren't verified purchases, I went ahead and bought the first two books in the series. I'm happy I did. Stealing Light kept me up a bit later than I should have been a couple times. Eh, who needs sleep anyway?

I'm giving this book 4 stars. It wasn't "un-put-downable," but it was close. Pick up your copy at your favorite bookseller.

Accepting the Moon: Prequell for the Moonrising Series by K.S. Haigwood, Narrated by Pyper Down

There is something of a sense of anticipation when an author gives the same attention to her choice of narrator as the printed word. This is her third audiobook I've listened to. So far, each choice she has made in narrators has only enhanced my enjoyment of her work. Pyper Down hit ever inflection, every emotion perfectly. I found her vocalization of the male characters remarkable in that each one was easily identifiable. To my mind women narrating male parts, as well as men narrating for female parts can be tricky. You either nail it or you don't. Pyper Down definitely nailed it.

As with her written works, Haigwood's audiobooks are definitely worth picking up. The only way she could have put out a better audiobook was to have hired a full cast voice ensemble. Five stars to both author and narrator.

Becoming Charlie: Part 2 by Kristie Haigwood, Audiobook narrated by Melissa Moran

Melissa Moran has nailed it again. Her vocal changes hit in every place I do in my mind when reading. It was pure joy to close my eyes and listen to one of my favorite Haigwood stories. I have to say 'one of' because each one is better than the one before. I would be hard put to choose one book as a favorite, but a series? Charlie and Sean's stories are the current choice.

So many subjects are covered in this book (PTSD, war injury, emotional manipulation, and more) that reading was both enthralling and at times, painful. I grew up during the VietNam war and clearly remember news casts showing rows of flag-draped caskets coming off the planes. I remember seeing the dark green car pulling up across the street and someone's mother collapsing. That Charlie's dad was injured and not killed was still traumatic. Sgt Mason's PTSD was voiced with a deftness that has to be heard to be appreciated.

When Charlie is accidentally injured as a direct result of her father's PTSD, Moran had me in tears. I've read the book; I know what's coming. That didn't help. My chest grew tight. I clenched my fist and rode it out.

I enjoyed this audio book so much I listened twice before finally writing the review. Moran gives you everything you could want in a narrator. It goes without saying that Kristie Haigwood does the same as an author.

Great work ladies! 5 stars.

Andromeda's Reign: Moonrising, Book 2 by Kristie Haigwood, Audiobook narrated by B.D. McMonnies

One of my favorite parts is also a section I consider the best narrated - Ace telling Andra about losing his fiancée to Justin. The pain and anger are perfectly expressed by the narrator. I believe that extremely emotional scenes are this narrator's strength. Each one is precisely conveyed leaving no doubt how the character feels.

Haigwood seems to have a knack for selecting the best people to narrate her novels. I've been a fan of hers from the first page of the first book I read of hers.

A narrator can make or break an audiobook. McMonnies does justice to a fantastic story. There were moments when I felt the vocal distinction between characters was not as good as it could have been, but overall I thought he did a wonderful job. He has a voice that makes you want to put down everything you are doing, close your eyes, and get lost in the story. He's not someone you should listen to while doing other things. This is your 'take a break' audiobook. Grab your beverage of choice, get comfy, and fall away into Ace and Andromeda's story.

5 stars.

Becoming Charlie: Part 1 by Kristie Haigwood, Audiobook narrated by Melissa Moran

This is the second audiobook I've ever listened to and I'm so happy I did. If you've ever browsed through the "Books I've Reviewed" tab, you'll notice quite a few by Kristie Haigwood. I love her. I have all her books on Kindle and print editions signed by her. I love everything she's done.

Now, I don't know about you, but when I read, I hear the story in my head. The characters have their own individual voices and I imagine what they look like. Given that, I've been hesitant to listen to well-loved stories being narrated. Knowing the quality of Kristie's work, I decided one of her books would be a good place to listen to a book for the first time in over 50 years. The previous story was on LP - Tale Spinners for Children: Cinderella. It was magical. These days, that album would be considered an audio drama since it had a full cast rather than a single narrator.

Flash forward to today, I was again to experience the magic of an audiobook. Once I settled into the story and became familiar with the narrator, I was transported to Charlie's world. Melissa skillfully wove new life into a beloved story, creating unique voices for each character.  It wasn't long before I moved beyond knowing a woman was narrating to being fully immersed in the experience. I moved through the day carrying my phone with me, taking care of daily chores while listening to the story. I cried again at the same points at which I cried when I read the book. It didn't matter since I wasn't trying to read through my tears.

Melissa was the perfect choice for narrating Charlie's story. She gave the same emotions I did to each part when I originally read the story. I didn't just imagine Charlie's fear when she was being bullied at the beginning, Melissa made me feel her fear. She expertly vocalized Sean's disappointment that Charlie listened to the girls saying he was gay, and his desperation when she believed he repeated her secret about not remembering her brother.

The joy I found listening to Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty on LP has been reborn with this experience. If you love stories, but don't feel you have time to sit down and read one, by all means get the audiobook. And if you're already a Haigwood fan, you can't do any better than start with one of hers. You won't be disappointed.

For all of the above reasons, I'm giving this story 5 stars.

Becoming Charlie: Part 2 by Kristie Haigwood

What do you say about an author that consistently puts out amazing books? The "Becoming" series is her first foray into the Young Adult genre. I thought she'd pulled out all the stops on "Becoming Charlie: Part 1." Boy was I wrong. So very wrong.

Part 2 picks up at the end of the school year with Charlie arriving at Sean's father's house for the weekend. The tension between Sean and his father reaches from the page to ensnare the reader, willing or not. His feelings regarding his stepmother are quickly made apparent.

Haigwood's deft handling of her characters is evident from the beginning. There is more of reality in this series than in any of her other stories to date. She skillfully weaves the drama that is high school into a story that is impossible to put down. Haigwood was not my introduction to the YA genre, but she is far and away my favorite.

The story may be fiction, but what her characters experience accurately reflects what the modern teenager deals with in high school - the loner geek, the hot sports star boy, the snooty clique that puts down everyone else as beneath them, the unexpectedly loyal goth girl all feature large in Charlie's life. As the story progresses, Charlie starts having dreams that leave her confused. Are they memories, or is her subconscious just messing with her? There are revelations that erode her trust that must be worked through. The summer goes by far too quickly and everyone is back in school

Coming home from school one day with Sean, Charlie sees a black sedan in her driveway with a US Army emblem on the door. She runs screaming to the house. My father served during the Bay of Pigs. As a military daughter, I was too young to know the fear my mother felt every time my father was called to grab his go-bag from beside the door and jump in the truck to go to the airfield. As a veteran myself, I've seen first hand how absolutely terrifying it is to have that car pull up to someone's home. I gave thanks that it never pulled up to my home. It never brings good news.

Haigwood inserts a "Message from the author" for readers asking how she could "do that" to characters they fell in love with. And she offers a solid answer. Life happens and it's not all roses and champagne. She also provides links at the end of the book for hotlines and charities that offer help. 

Although only her second YA book, there is no aspect of teenagers' life in high school that she fails to touch upon. She does it all with respect for the situation and the reader. This book can absolutely be read by everyone from kids as young as junior high (or middle school if you prefer) to grandparents.

To date, I've only seen one other author capable of taking me through the entire gamut of emotions in one book. I was into his third book before I felt he was worthy of the title of Bard. I have read every book Haigwood has written, including one she never published, each one a masterpiece. With this series she has placed herself in rarified company with this second installment of her "Becoming" series. I felt book one was solid gold. This one continues her gold streak.

For her deft handling of sometimes painful, sometimes sensitive topics, continuing development of believable and relatable characters, she gets 5 stars from me. She's earned every single one.

Crimson Shadow: New World Order (Volume 7) by Nathan Squiers

What do you say about the end of a series you've come to love? To know when that last page is turned there won't be another that follows it? I have read every book Squiers has written about Xander Stryker and the world in which he lives. Every book in Xander's world written by his wife, Megan J Parker-Squiers. And every book they have co-authored together.

From the very beginning these books were meticulous in detail. An entire world was developed before the first word was written. An entire back history created before the first page was published. I would come to recognize that attention to detail was Squiers' trademark.

Through each successive book I was captured anew, enthralled, sucked in, and had my mind blown. I've burst into unexpected laughter, felt lost, and cried. There is no corner to which you can retreat when reading his work. You are his for the duration of the book and he doesn't let go.

I have known for some time that Squiers had in mind only a certain number of books for Xander and company. However, it was always "someday," but not today. "Down the road," but not today. "Someday" has arrived and "down the road" has come to an end. This is it and the reader in me that is so addicted to this series hurts.

Let me just diverge here for a moment so you understand what I am saying. I am a bibliophile. I have over 700 books in print, and over 6000 Kindle and Nook books. I've read them all. I love to read. So when I make space on my shelves for a (print) series, it has to be pretty darned special. As you can imagine, with that many books, I know a well-written one when I get it.

Back to the subject at hand. In this latest, and last, venture into the world of Xander Stryker, his wife, cohorts, friends, and of course his enemies, any residual questions you may have had are answered. However, before you get those answers, Xander gets a world class beating, breaks the biggest taboo of the Mythos world... on t.v. no less, and disappears. Wait! What!?!? Yup. Squiers doing what only he can. He's not only throwing curveballs, his curveballs have curveballs.

I first named Squiers a bard when I reviewed "Crimson Shadow: Forbidden Dance" for his ability to weave a story, and his skill at making us feel what he wants, when he wants. That was April 2014. He has come so much farther since then, grown so much more with each book that, were we living in the times of the ancient bards, he would be the chiefest among them.

Although "New World Order" has come to an end, Xander and his worldscape will continue on because they are a treasured part of my library. Nathan Squiers has shared a bit with me of what he plans to do next and I anxiously await the question, "will you review it?" But I will cherish this series most because they introduced me to Nathan and Megan Squiers and the world they created for Xander Stryker.

This is a somewhat emotional review, but I truly fell in love with this series. Subtle life lessons were offered under the guise of prose. Challenges have been faced and either passed or failed. But is it a fail if you learn the lesson the challenge offered? So as a reader of these books, and this one as the last offering for the series, I'm urging you to add this one to your collection. Take one last wild ride with the Stryker gang. You won't regret it.

An unparalleled author, exceedingly good at his craft. A true Bard in these modern times. For all of the above reasons, I'm giving this 5 stars. You've earned every one Nathan.