- Overall 5 out of 5 stars
- Performance 5 out of 5 stars
- Story 5 out of 5 stars
- N. N. Light
- 07-20-23
Add to Goodreads – currently 103 ratings, 88 reviews.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58417468-bloodstone
Buy Link:
Multiple Platform Buy Link – in kindle, paperback, hardback: https://books2read.com/u/bOyrgW
Audiobook UK: https://www.audible.co.uk/author/M-J-Mallon/B074CGNK4L
US: https://www.audible.com/author/M-J-Mallon/B074CGNK4L
One of the best YA fantasies I’ve heard!
Story Impressions –
Amelina interacts with magical people, beings, and objects while learning the truth of her family. What happens next will astound you, the reader. Are you ready for an adventure? Bloodstone is an imaginative coming of age fantasy adventure I enjoyed from start to finish. Taking bits from fantasy authors of the past, M.J. Mallon adds her own blend of magical realism and emotional coming of age to make Bloodstone a gem. The plot moves at a good pace with each chapter starting with a puzzle. What a creative way to keep the reader invested.
Narrator’s overall voice –
Kerri Hiebert’s voice has an individuality all her own but when she employs the various character voices, it takes on each character with ease. I thoroughly adored her voice.
Does the narrator fit the characters?
Yes, Kerri Hiebert fits the characters with a youthful tone. I’m astonished at how well she evokes Amelina. It’s not an easy thing to do. Great job.
Narrator’s reading style –
Kerri Hiebert has an informal reading style but with enough twists and turns to keep the listener mesmerized.
Narrator’s impact on reading experience –
Kerri Hiebert has an inherent ability to draw a listener/reader in without any effort. She takes what is one of the most riveting fantasy stories I’ve ever read and creates a masterpiece. The scenes are so well narrated, I had to stop what I was doing to concentrate on the story.
Narrator’s pacing –
Kerri Hiebert’s pacing is impeccable, blending fantasy, mythology, coming of age themes, and more with no difficulty.
Audiobook flow –
Kerri Hiebert lets the audiobook unfold naturally with plenty of dialogue, action, and intrigue.
What makes this audiobook unique –
Kerri Hiebert and M.J. Mallon partner up to bring readers/listeners one of the best YA fantasy audiobooks I’ve heard in a long time. The plot is full of intrigue which adds to the enjoyment while listening. Kerri’s narration brings Bloodstone to life, like a streaming show. Brilliant from start to finish.
Would I recommend this audiobook –
YES! Don’t delay. One-click this audiobook right now.
N.N. Light’s Rating: 5+ stars
Publisher’s Summary
Fifteen-year-old Amelina Scott lives in Cambridge with her dysfunctional family, a mysterious black cat, and an unusual girl who is imprisoned within the mirrors located in her house.When an unexpected message arrives inviting her to visit the Crystal Cottage, she sets off on a forbidden path where she encounters Ryder, a charismatic, perplexing stranger.With the help of a magical paint set and some crystal wizard stones, can Amelina discover the truth about her family?A unique, imaginative mystery full of magic-wielding and dark elements, Bloodstone is a riveting adventure for anyone interested in fantasy, mythology, or the world of the paranormal.©2021 M.J. Mallon (P)2022 M.J. Mallon
- Series: The Curse of Time, Book 1
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Teen & Young Adult
Read the review on N. N. Light’s blog:
https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/post/bloodstone-abr
Message from N. N. Light:
Since you got five stars or better in our review, you receive our N. N. Light’s Book Heaven Five Star Award Seal. I’ve attached it below. Feel free to use it in all your marketing or even on your cover, if you wish.
This also applied to book 2 Golden Healer which also received the award too.
https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/post/golden-healer-abr
Terrific! This is great Marje.
Thank you so much Annette. Thrilled. 😀
Hi Marje, a wonderful review of your YA novel which I also thought was excellent.
Thank you Robbie. 😊 The narrator was brilliant. She did such a fantastic job. 👏
Congratulations!
Many thanks Andrew. 😊
HI Marje. Congrats on the wonderful reviews! I’m wondering, in audio books, if readers don’t like the narrator and give it a low review, does it affect the stars shown on the book on Amazon? I’m wondering if a poorly chosen narrator, despite a great review for the story, would bring down the inclusive rating? ❤
No I don’t think so Debby. The reviews on Amazon are for the physical copies and kindle. The audiobook reviews are added to audible or to the site where your book is available on audiobook. I need to work on getting audiobook reviews! This is the 1st step in that process. I think my publisher did a great job finding this narrator.one thing I cannot fault them for. But yes a poor narrator can be a problem. I listened to each recording chapter by chapter. It was hard work but worth doing to pick out problems with characters voices, text etc. I can’t fault the narrator. She was brilliant.
Thanks for sharing the info Marje. I wanted to clarify about reviews because usually books on Amazon that have audio versions are advertised on same page, so I was wondering if audio reviews went there too. ❤
Congratulations again, Marje – lovely to have the audiobook reviewed.
It’s been on my to do list, Toni. Must find some more reviewers. Seems more tricky to find audiobook reviewers.