Paranormal Urban Fantasy without the explicit sex

Would you listen to Storm in a Teacup again? Why?

I'd definitely consider listening again. Because I love the character dynamic between Ayala and Mason. I love romance and fantasy. But what I love about this book is that it doesn't submerge the plot in erotic love scenes. Unlike some novels wherein the character would go into detail about their partner's....parts, I like how the relationship isn't subsumed in physical attraction.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the fact that the romance part only gets introduced halfway into the story. Where the character doesn't gush and gush on every other page on how hot hot hot the guy is. For the first half, the author really took time to build the world and the situation that Ayala is in. We really get to know what type of person she really is and how despite her shortcomings, she's still a decent person. In my opinion, this just made the romantic parts more endearing and sweet.

What about Amber Benson’s performance did you like?

I've listened to another of Amber Benson's performance "Zeroes." Thus, I think she's done a great job yet again. I love how versatile her performance is depending on the character.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yup

Any additional comments?

This is a book for fans of the paranormal fantasy genre who like romance but aren't too keen on reading or hearing about explicit sex scenes.
I like how (in my opinion) Ayala and Mason's first meeting is definitely not the instant attraction type. And I think I like the progression of their relationship from hostility (mostly on Ayala's part) to friendship to lovers.

12 people found this helpful

Ayala yes, Amber no!!

I really liked this story, it was a great urban fantasy read! The world is rich and well thought out and Ayala is a strong character with a highly ingrained moral code. The plot is fun and fast-paced with interesting supporting characters and many twists.

Unfortunately, I thought Amber Benson's narration was inconsistent at best. She does a fine job with Ayala, but many supporting characters are given horrible cartoonish voices that are distracting and make them sound flat and one-dimensional. Her rendition of Hazel, Ben and Grifflet in particular are grating and annoying. I can't imagine an actual person ever sounding like that! Maybe it was poor direction.

Amber is a respected actress and I've enjoyed her other work, but when you compare this narration to others in her weight class I feel that Amber comes up short. Lorelei King, Anna Fields, Scott Brick and most particularly Amber's Buffy co-star James Marsters all are able to do more with characters and nuance than she shows in this book.

I'll be getting the rest of the series in print.

5 people found this helpful

Unique Story with Rough Narration

This story was unique and, after a slow start for the first half, finally picked up and got more interesting and complex. My biggest issue was with the narration. All but the main character sounded like cartoon voices; it was distracting and detracted from the story a lot. :(

4 people found this helpful

Why didn't I read the reviews and save the credit?

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would not recommend because the story seemed to be about word count. I need 200,000 words dang it! I go back and talk about the balance between demons and mediators, over and over and over

Has Storm in a Teacup turned you off from other books in this genre?

Thankfully no.

Would you be willing to try another one of Amber Benson’s performances?

Never, maybe this book was early in her career. I would say the narration ruined the book but that is only partially true.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Maybe if it was on cable and only football was on, nah, I read a book.

3 people found this helpful

Narration made characters unlikeable

I do not recommend this book in audible form. Amber Benson did a very poor job with the narration. The main character came off as sarcastic and unlikeable due to the narration. supporting character voices were whiny and grating. At times Ms Benson just seemed bored. It is a shame because the story seemed interesting but I could not finish due to the unpleasant narration. I will not listen again to any book narrated by Amber Benson.

2 people found this helpful

Too Slow and Repetitive

I only made it half way through the first half before getting tired of hearing about Ms. Storm's Ivory silk robe (mentioned at least three times) her violet eyes( I lost count ), her deceased or not mother ( also lost count). Move on with the story and don't beat the reader/listener over the head with details. Most of us are really pretty bright. We only need to hear a piece of the story once and we get it.

2 people found this helpful

Good story line, mediocre performance

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I enjoyed the story overall. Not a fan of the entire book being written/read in the first person present tense. It just feels uncomfortable..

What was one of the most memorable moments of Storm in a Teacup?

The scene in the clearing when the demons gathered for the birth ritual was pretty memorable.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Her voices for anyone but the main character were grating and cartoonish.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Maybe, probably..

2 people found this helpful

Suprisingly good

Any additional comments?

I had fairly low expectations coming into this book, a combination of the exotic name, the purple eyes and the special warrior status reminded me very strongly of a certain kind of fan-fiction (where the main character would turn out to be Snape's daughter and Harry's one true love).

I'm so glad I decided to read this anyway based on another of the reviews because I could not have been further from the truth. Ayala is part of a collective of people who have exactly her attributes and her only real distinguishing feature is being slightly more obsessive than them. She is flawed, she makes snap judgements and mistakes which ultimately makes her much more interesting.

The world building here reminded me a lot of the Hollows series by Kim Harrison and Ayala as a character shares some of the traits of a lot of urban fantasy heroes but despite all this I found some nicely original ideas and a lot of moments of humour and genuine humanity.

This series is really worth a read if you're into urban fantasy leveled with a certain amount of humour.

2 people found this helpful

Rough start, but I ended up a fan

Having seen Storm in a Teacup on Amazon and Goodreads several times, and being familiar with Amber Benson (narrator) from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I decided to review the series for Audible Studios. While I had something of a rough start with the series, I’m glad I stuck with it.

Two things contributed to the rough start. First, the world-building didn’t go fast enough for me. I struggled to understand what Mediators were, what the Summit was, whether or not Ayala’s boss knew she had a second “job,” that nighttime hours were normal for Mediators, etc. World-building is important to me so I wanted to know more up front. I know plenty of people who would argue against me on this point, so I know it’s a subjective thing.

Second, the voice Benson chose to use for Ayala didn’t work for me at first. I’m not sure if the voice was an attempt at a Southern drawl or an attempt to portray a hard-ass attitude — both of which would be very true to the character, don’t get me wrong on that point; the voice was appropriate. But it was fatiguing to me as a listener.

These two things kept me from really getting into the story at first. But then the character Mason was introduced, and my interest level picked up. Mason brought the conflict to a personal level and let us see through Ayala’s “armor” a little.

By the time I was done listening to Book 1, I was used to Ayala’s “voice” and I was looking forward to Book 2, so I would call that a success. I’m eager to see where this series goes next.

**NOTE: At the time of publishing I have now listened to Books 2 and 3 and am hooked on this series!

Copy provided by Audible Studios in exchange for an honest review. Review courtesy of onebooktwo | one book, two reviews.

1 person found this helpful

Strong female lead and good story

The story had some holes but was over all a great read. The performance could have been better. She was not able to do more than a couple different voices so the dialog could have been stronger. The main character is a strong female lead that is easy to root for with witty one liners.

1 person found this helpful