A review by books_over_everything
Stolen Enchantress: Beauty and the Beast meets The Pied Piper by Amber Argyle
5.0
Initial Thoughts
This series has been on my TBR for a while but when I saw Audiobookworm Promotions had a tour for the audiobook, I jumped at the chance to join. The description gave me all kinds of fairytale and whimsical vibes and I couldn’t wait to see that come alive through narration.
Some Things I Liked
Retelling. I absolutely loved the way the author wove the tale of The Pied Piper and Beauty and the Beast together to form this world and story. I have never read a Pied Piper retelling but I’ve read plenty of Beauty and the Beast. While there were familiar elements, the story felt wholly unique.
The romance. I loved the romance plot. Denan and Larkin are officially on my list of favorite OTPs and I love their enemies to lovers banter.
ACOTAR vibes. Seriously, I loved this. So much of this world reminded me of one of my favorite series but in the best way. I loved all of the dynamics between the characters.
Dark themes. I’ll note this as a positive, but, please be advised, some of these themes are not suitable for all audiences. This story has descriptions of abusive relationships that all readers might not find appropriate. Disclaimer aside, I really enjoyed how the darker themes were included in this story. Many of the hardships that the characters faced propelled them forward and drove the plot. I found myself increasingly engaged and interested in their actions because of these realistic qualities.
Series Value
Full disclosure, I already started the second book. While it is terribly disappointing to have to read, instead of listening to Lynn Bradfords enchanting narration, I must know what’s next in this story.
I would most certainly revisit this series once the audiobooks of the next books become available.
Audiobook Value
I listened to this one a bit slower than I usually listen at 2.3x speed. I’m a 2.5x kind of gal normally. But, I slowed this one down to really capture the names, accents, and voice distinctions. I loved that each character had a unique voice.
Similarly, the mark of a great narrator is my ability to actually understand the names of the places and characters. After cross checking against the print book, I can confirm that I knew every character’s name and was even able to spell them (within 1 letter). I spelled Venna, Vena, but close enough. The narration was crisp even at an accelerated speed and I was able to understand every word.
Lastly, I loved the narrator’s voice. I will definitely be looking up the body of her work so I can download more of the books she has narrated. Her voice was the perfect blend of engaging and soothing and made for an incredible listen.
Final Thoughts
I adored this book. I am officially obsessed with this series. Just a few weeks ago, I was in a huge slump because I finally caught up on Sarah J. Maas’s ACOTAR series. But, finding this series was an amazing happenstance. For me to praise this as highly as I praise SJM is SERIOUS PRAISE.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendations for Further Reading
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas – if you enjoyed the Beauty and the Beast elements of this story as well as the romance, magic, and world building, try this super popular series.
A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova – again, if you liked the Beauty and the Beast and arranged marriage elements, try this book by Elise Kova. It will be part of a series but each book can be read as a standalone.
This series has been on my TBR for a while but when I saw Audiobookworm Promotions had a tour for the audiobook, I jumped at the chance to join. The description gave me all kinds of fairytale and whimsical vibes and I couldn’t wait to see that come alive through narration.
Some Things I Liked
Retelling. I absolutely loved the way the author wove the tale of The Pied Piper and Beauty and the Beast together to form this world and story. I have never read a Pied Piper retelling but I’ve read plenty of Beauty and the Beast. While there were familiar elements, the story felt wholly unique.
The romance. I loved the romance plot. Denan and Larkin are officially on my list of favorite OTPs and I love their enemies to lovers banter.
ACOTAR vibes. Seriously, I loved this. So much of this world reminded me of one of my favorite series but in the best way. I loved all of the dynamics between the characters.
Dark themes. I’ll note this as a positive, but, please be advised, some of these themes are not suitable for all audiences. This story has descriptions of abusive relationships that all readers might not find appropriate. Disclaimer aside, I really enjoyed how the darker themes were included in this story. Many of the hardships that the characters faced propelled them forward and drove the plot. I found myself increasingly engaged and interested in their actions because of these realistic qualities.
Series Value
Full disclosure, I already started the second book. While it is terribly disappointing to have to read, instead of listening to Lynn Bradfords enchanting narration, I must know what’s next in this story.
I would most certainly revisit this series once the audiobooks of the next books become available.
Audiobook Value
I listened to this one a bit slower than I usually listen at 2.3x speed. I’m a 2.5x kind of gal normally. But, I slowed this one down to really capture the names, accents, and voice distinctions. I loved that each character had a unique voice.
Similarly, the mark of a great narrator is my ability to actually understand the names of the places and characters. After cross checking against the print book, I can confirm that I knew every character’s name and was even able to spell them (within 1 letter). I spelled Venna, Vena, but close enough. The narration was crisp even at an accelerated speed and I was able to understand every word.
Lastly, I loved the narrator’s voice. I will definitely be looking up the body of her work so I can download more of the books she has narrated. Her voice was the perfect blend of engaging and soothing and made for an incredible listen.
Final Thoughts
I adored this book. I am officially obsessed with this series. Just a few weeks ago, I was in a huge slump because I finally caught up on Sarah J. Maas’s ACOTAR series. But, finding this series was an amazing happenstance. For me to praise this as highly as I praise SJM is SERIOUS PRAISE.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendations for Further Reading
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas – if you enjoyed the Beauty and the Beast elements of this story as well as the romance, magic, and world building, try this super popular series.
A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova – again, if you liked the Beauty and the Beast and arranged marriage elements, try this book by Elise Kova. It will be part of a series but each book can be read as a standalone.