Surprisingly Good

I hesitated using a credit for this book because, to be honest, vampire fantasies are not my favorite. Also, being slightly deaf, accented narrators (Mr. Austin) sometimes causes me trouble. But both the story and the narration was very good, well worth the credit. I loved our heroine’s quirky attitude and the hero’s gruff behavior. The two just clicked.

8 people found this helpful

One of the Best!

This series is FUN -- honestly, one of KM Shea's best. It has it all: memorable characters, fast pacing, original storyline, outstanding banter, and KM Shea's trademark humor. What could be better? Oh, I don't know ... how about throwing in a PERFECT narration as well? Both Natalie Duke and Alister Austin are a pleasure to listen to, and they made a wonderful story even better. Most of the first book, Magic Forged, comes from Hazel's point of view, so Natalie carries almost all of the narration this time around (if you're familiar with the story, you'll remember the character headers at the top of each chapter. The narrations follow that guide, with Alister reading the chapters that are in Killian's point of view, and Natalie gets the rest.). Both differentiate the voices nicely, and I had no trouble keeping track of the fairly large cast of characters. I particularly liked Natalie's voice for Hazel -- it's just how I envisioned the character. Snappy, sassy, bold, and the tiniest bit shrill when shifting from Virtuous Idiot to Yapping Puppy mode. ❤ Super fitting!

Cannot wait for the release of Magic Redeemed and Magic Unleashed.

Series Content:
Violence: Present, but non-descriptive and not gratuitous
Language: A handful of extremely mild swears
Relationships: Squeaky clean
Rating: Would likely fall somewhere in the upper PG range to very low PG-13

5 people found this helpful

K.M. Shea is the BEST!!

I love K.M. Shea's books, and I am so excited that we are FINALLY getting some of them on Audible. Please tell me that Court of Midnight and Deception is next (Please, please, please)!!!!

Hall of Blood and Mercy is a fun, quick, clean* series about the magical community in the real world (between Chicago and Michigan, to be exact). I enjoy Hazel as the main character – she's a hilarious, spunky little wizard. Killian – the dark, brooding vampire, is probably my least favorite of Shea's main heroes. I've never really been a fan of vampires, and Killian is cutthroat and manipulative. Still, his character does get better throughout the series. The unlikely duo are hilarious and entertaining to follow.

Thank you, Audible, for finally giving us K.M. Shea audiobooks. Please give us more. :)

*Depending on your level of cleanliness, here is a parental guide:
-There are a few steamy kisses in books 2 and 3
-A few minor swear words (d--n, and h-ll ... if I'm remembering correctly) I just remember being surprised because Shea doesn't usually do that.
-Killian makes quite a few suggestive comments to rile Hazel up.
(Shea books are usually squeaky clean, which is why I'm adding the disclaimer above.) :)

2 people found this helpful

(4.5 stars) - engaging intriguing & amusing YA pnr

Hazel's life as a wizard with almost no magic hasn't exactly been a walk in the park; it's been more of a frantic run, with bullies on her tail. But that's nothing compared to the attempted coup by her very distantly related cousin.

She's forced to seek help from a source that's almost as bad - vampire Killian Drake - by swearing fealty to him.

Killian is amused by the idea of having a wizard at his bidding & thinks she might even prove useful. What follows is a pretty radical change to Hazel's life & a rather entertaining adjustment to everyone's thinking.

Killian is a cynical & powerful politician who finds Hazel's sense of right & wrong "cute". He treats her like a pet.

They are trying to solve a series of murders in what appears to be the work of a serial killer. During this time, Hazel learns a lot about the Drake family of vampires, but even more about herself, her abilities, & a secret that her parents were hiding from her.

It's an engaging, intriguing & amusing paranormal romp that, despite the murders, doesn't take itself too seriously & encourages the reader to do the same.

While the plot is a little weak in spots, I didn't take much off for it because it still managed to totally draw me in to the point that I didn't want to put it down, & even after finishing the trilogy, came back to reread it all over again - that's the best quality to find in a book!

*Clean romance level: sweet & clean, nothing graphic
*Language: one use of bad-ss, one use of h-ll

[On the audio version, the narrator was a little different than what I was "hearing" as I read, but she was still very good & managed to distinguish the different characters' voices without overdoing it, so I could immerse in the story without being distracted by the narration. It was as fun to listen to as to read]

2 people found this helpful

Hilarious urban fantasy drama!

Shea's clean storylines & snappy characters create an excellent tale of mystery & friendship.

When Hazel Medeis faces an unexpected enemy in her Wizarding house, she turns to allies and others who are supposed to help. When all abandon her and her people, she finds help from the unlikeliest source--Killian Drake, Eminence of the vampires and the most terrifying magical being in the Midwest.

Shea's creation is quite factual about magical elements--no sparkly vampire or glorified violence. Instead, the balance between justice and mercy is explored, as well as discovering that true friends might come in the most unusual of packages.

Book 1 of a Trilogy (Hall of Blood & Mercy), the first series in the Magiford Magical Universe

2 people found this helpful

Needs a new female narrator

I love this book and was so excited when I found out it was being made into an audiobook. However, the female narrator is unpleasant to listen to. You can hear each breath she takes and her voice is obnoxious. Please get a new female narrator for the next book!

2 people found this helpful

Great book and good performance

Love the book and series. I hope the next book is available soon. Also looking forward to the last in the series. The performance is good but the British accent isn't quite right. It's like he takes a few words or sentences to get started. Once he gets it started it's a good accent. I also like that there's little to no profanity. Writing is great without it so it's not used to pad the storyline.

2 people found this helpful

must buy!

Kitty has the best taste in book readers! I love all of her books and I have been waiting for her to get into audiobooks so I can listen to them while I drive. Amazing book and awesome narration a definite must buy!

1 person found this helpful

UM WOW

***THIS IS A MUST READ***
I enjoyed this book so so much, I cannot recommend it enough. Beautifully written, it was absolutely excellent start to finish.

-The narration was immaculate, Natalie Duke really made the story come alive.
-The story is easy to follow, but was not predictable.
-With a well crafted world, it was not overwhelming nor was it cluttered with irrelevant details.
-the characters were very like-able and endlessly entertaining.

I am wasting no time and purchasing the next book in the series!!!
***if you enjoyed this book I would like to recommend the readers also read Pawn by Karen Lynch.***

Excellent

So much fun! KM Shea is always a treat, and this audio recording is no exception. I'd already read the books, but I wanted them on audio to listen to while traveling. The narrator is one of the best I've heard. Her voice acting is superb!