- Title:
- The Fair Queen
- Author:
- Lyndsey Hall
- Release:
- December 1, 2021
- Format:
- Audiobook
- Narrator:
- Olivia Barnes-Brett
- Series:
- The Fair Chronicles #1
I can’t recommend this book for a few reasons. The first is how unoriginal it is. I’ve read or listened to this exact plot probably a dozen times over the last year and I’m sick of it. While I’m the type of person who will re-read the same series dozens of times, it’s for books with far more compelling characters and settings than this one has. That’s not to say the writing is bad, it’s just eh.
The issue with recycling the same plot as countless other stories is I predicted every single twist and plot point it threw at me. None of the revelations had any weight and even had I not previously consumed similar stories, I still would have figured it out.
I will say the ending took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting any sort of wrap-up, as so many authors choose to do. I’m grateful to the author for at least giving people a stopping point in the series. It’s not as if every plot point is wrapped up and done with, it’s more that the writer doesn’t leave you handing in the middle of a scene, expecting you to read the sequel to see the other half, which is something I despise.
As for the narration, I found it extremely grating and wanted to DNF this book because of it. The narrator opted to read the story in a bland tone of voice with few inflections. Which was also the same voice she used for the protagonist. The only time she sounded even slightly different was when she was narrating conversations or other characters, which made those scenes a breath of fresh air.
Maybe if you don’t listen to many audiobooks, this would be tolerable. As somebody who listens to audiobooks every single day, this is a very sub-par and amateur performance. Credit where it’s due at least, she did speak in a clean and clear tone of voice without any flubs, errors, static, or other common Audible issues. It’s not the narration as a whole, but her performance that’s lackluster.
NOTE: This copy was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.