Writing this review was very difficult. NoX is an amazing book and my review will not do it justice. That being said, NoX was a great read and a wonderful audiobook. While the book was available through Kindle Unlimited, I did purchase it after my first read-through. Then I bought the Audible. I have relistened to it several times and each time picked up something I had missed. Wilder has created a book that has elements of horror, suspense, thriller, romance, fantasy, and science fiction.
“It resembled a wolf, only it was twice as big as a man, and the paws were more like fingers. Black fur covered its body, the color so flawless it became devoid of light. High shoulders and a lower rear allowed it to spread its stance. And the very space around it held weight.” The main characters are NoX and Luca are excellent. Luca is a young man who has never lived because he has been dying since he was eight years old. NoX burst into his life and everything changes. NoX is the most original character I have ever encountered. The side characters are written very well (looking at you Vic). The story was original. The epilogue caught me before I had solved anything. The author mentions wanting to write more in this universe. Please and thank you. But even if NoX is a standalone forever, it is complete in itself and well worth the time. Kirk Graves does a wonderful job of narrating. His distinct voices for NoX, Luca, Dr. Reese Dante, Colonel Harrington, and Mrs. Laura Phillips. He makes the story very easy to follow. The moods of the characters are reflected in how Graves brings them to life. Dante’s voice varies between soul-crushing exhaustion and profound sadness. It really is a masterful narration. I chose NoX as the best book and the best audiobook of 2020. In a year where I read or listened to 511 books in total, NoX easily outshone the others.
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Four of the titles on my list are from two series. These are also series that any additions or related books are an automatic buy for me. In no particular order, here are the two series.
Haven Hart Universe by Davidson King Snow Falling (Haven Hart Universe, #1) Snow Falling was the first book of the year (April) that I listen to or read again immediately. There is so much to love in this book starting with a morally ambiguous main character, Christopher. Christopher describes himself as a big motherf***er and at 6’5” he is intimidating. He is also a very powerful mob boss. The other main character, Snow, is much shorter and slender. He goes head to head with Christopher with little fear. Christopher is a “clean” criminal. He has never been arrested or investigated for any crimes. His employees who are loyal to him find him very loyal. His nephew, Simon, who he has raised since he was an infant, is the center of his world. Snow is a young man who has been through hell. He is living on the streets to avoid being returned to hell. His street name, Snow, describes his pale complexion and almost white hair. Because of what he has experienced and his unique talent, Snow has no problem trying to protect his few friends on the streets. When he sees a boy being kidnapped, he steps in and risks his life to save the kid. As Snow moves into Christopher’s world, they are both faced with hard decisions. The audiobook enriches the story and is well worth the money. From These Ashes (Haven Hart Universe #4) The fourth in the Haven Hart series, From These Ashes, has one of my favorite characters. Black is the head of the world’s best assassination group. He only accepts cases that restore justice to those the justice system has failed. He is large (6’5”) and intimidating. His public persona of the head of a security agency brings his respect and standing in the community. He is a man that even those who do not know who he really is, fear him. Quill is the perfect man to destroy Black’s walls. He is much younger and his own walls are reinforced by continuing danger in his life. He has no security in his life. His greatest wish is to be able to stay and not have to run again. I love Quill’s ability to see possibilities for himself even as he is being beaten. He does not let anyone destroy him. I like how the distinction of bi versus gay is handled. The phoenixes in this book are real; their beauty, their destruction in fire, and their rebirth from the ashes of those fires. As with Snow Falling, the audiobook is a wonderful companion and worth spending the money or credit. Nothing Special series by A E Via Nothing Special Books 1 - 5 (Nothing Special #1-5) I read A. E. Via's Nothing special series through Kindle Unlimited. I enjoyed the series. I rated the books between 3 and 5 stars. Tantor Audio released Nothing Special Books 1-5 narrated by Aiden Snow. I listened to all 5 audiobooks and rated the set 5 stars. The Nothing Special series involves narcotics officers in the Atlanta Police Department. Each book focuses on a different couple in what becomes the Narcotics Task Force. Although the books are listed as M/M romance they are rich with mystery and suspense. Book 1, Nothing Special, focuses on Detective Cashel 'Cash' Godfrey (God) and Detective Leonidis 'Leo' Day (Day). God and Day are total opposites other than using unorthodox (but legal) methods to get the major drug dealers off the Atlanta streets. It also deals with the aftermath of trauma. Book 2, Embracing His Syn, deals with same-sex domestic violence. Sergeant Corbin 'Syn' Sydney, the newest member of the task force, and Furious Barkley. The explanation of how Furious was named is one of the best name origin stories I have ever read. Book 3, Here Comes Trouble, involves Detectives Mark Ruxsberg and Chris Green. The story explores the cost of addiction, especially to addicts' families. Book 4, Don't Judge, Sniper Detective Austin Michaels feels responsible for a botched arrest. He joins with Judge Josephson, a bounty hunter, to recapture the drug dealer. The book shows the hours of preparation and research that go into capturing a criminal on the run. Book 5, Nothing Special V, has a great tagline: "A hothead that's uncontrollable and terrible with authority… but wasn’t that their team motto?" Medal holder Marine Edwin Steele is brought to the task force by his councilman uncle. God and Joy are less than thrilled to have a politician's relative on their task force. Steele's introduction to the task force and the force's IT specialist, Tech, set off a great story. The best example of why the audiobooks rate 5 stars is found in Book 1 Nothing Special, Chapter 19: "Day turned the corner and ran smack into a large, hulking, chest, startling the hell out of both him and his date. Mick grabbed his chest, 'Jesus!' 'No, God', the rough voice responded." Aiden Snow does such an extraordinary job bringing Lt. Cashel Godfrey (and the rest of the characters) to life that he truly does make the written word better. Copy of the audiobook provided by Tantor Audio in exchange for an honest review. His Hart's Command (Nothing Special, #6) His Hart's Command is the sixth book in the Nothing Special series. As with the other books, this one focuses on two main characters. Ivan Hart is the SWAT commander and Lt. Cash Godfrey's best friend. He is a large bear of a man who is strong and capable when dealing with his job. Lennox Freeman is the tech genius who helps God's team and is Tech's best friend. While Cash and Tech do not have huge roles in the book, they are very important to how Ivan and Lennox evolve. Ivan is my favorite main character of the series. He is loyal, protective, and most of all kind. Physically he is a large man and described as a bear. He is described in such a way that you just know he would be warm and comforting to cuddle with. He is also a victim of abuse. Lennox is sweet and patient. As a couple, they balance each other. Aiden Snow is an incredible narrator. He brings the character fully formed to the listener's ear. I adored the uncertainty he gave Ivan's voice. He also did a great job with the complexity of Lennox's accent. A copy of the audiobook provided by Tantor Audio in exchange for an honest review. Married to the Mobster (Morelli Family, #1)
Leighton Greene Oh my gosh! I love this book. I picked up Married to the Monster through Kindle Unlimited. I was looking for an entertaining read. It was that and more. The book kept me turning pages. It made me care about the characters and kept the mystery under wraps until the end. I finished it and preordered the next one even though it is on Kindle Unlimited. This series is now an automatic order for me. Finch and Luca are two of the best characters I have read. The book was a mafia story with suspense and mystery. It was also a romance with men from different worlds who were more alike than even they knew. The second book and the just release novella also have the same high quality of storytelling. I am hoping this series moves to audio soon. Beowulf: A New Translation Maria Dahvana Headley Can I just say how much I enjoyed Maria Dahvana Headley's Beowulf: A New Translation? If I was teaching Beowulf to my kids now, I would use both this book (including the introduction) and a classic translation like Tolkien or Seamus Heaney. Approximately one thousand years after it’s creation, Headley makes Beowulf accessible. Beowulf was meant to be heard, as it was by it’s original audience. Do yourself a favor and get the audiobook of this fantastic translation. Imagine a smoky bar and the older man at the end as he begins to tell this story of magic and bravery. Shelter Mountain (Virgin River, #2) Robyn Carr Shelter Mountain is my favorite book in the Virgin River series. The main character, Preacher, is the shy, quiet, giant of a man we met in Virgin River. He is loyal, well respected in the community, and lonely. Paige, pregnant and taking her four year old son, is running from her ex-husband whose next beating will undoubtedly kill her. Bad weather and poor navigation bring her to Jack’s Bar with no one there but Preacher. That night begins the journey Preacher and Paige’s journey with no happy ending guaranteed. Preacher’s evolution from the beginning of the book till the end is wonderful. More importantly it is believable. I have read the first twenty books in the series but Shelter Mountain is the only one I have returned to again. Tallowwood (Tallowwood, #1) N. R. Walker Tallowwood was a great audiobook and I delayed finishing the last several chapters. The solution to the mystery, the suspense that had built to nail-biting levels, and my fears for my favorite characters caused me to hold off listening to the end. Tallowwood has it all. The mystery, which kept me guessing until almost the end, the suspense was intense, and the romance was well done. I enjoyed the growth of August Shaw's character. Antony Ferguson's narration was well done. Against the Grain (Auckland Med #4) Jay Hogan Jay Hogan is a New Zealand author that I have enjoyed reading. Auckland Medical is a series about the men who work at the medical center. Each book has focused on a different couple. In Against the Grain, Miller is an avid wheelchair rugby player. The wheelchair version of rugby seems much more physical and dangerous they the regular kind. He is a new hire at the medical center as Clinical Governance Coordinator. He loves his job and has had very few negative reactions to his disability. He is gay but only out to his family. After a rugby accident, he runs into Sandy Williams in Emergency Room. It is not a meet-cute. It is literally running into each other. Sandy is the RN who works as the Pathology Assistant. He came out as a teen. He is very strong in his identity and does not let others bully him. The relationship between Miller and Sandy is written so well. Starting with antagonism, the pair moves slowly and cautiously to friends. As they move into more than friends, there are issues that both men must deal with, issues that can make or break them. I really enjoy how Jay Hogan's characters are not cookie cutter. No matter how far from cisgender a character is, Jay never treats them as less than. I suggest reading the entire series because every book is strong and well written. I won a free copy in a Facebook contest. Writing a review was not required to win. Books and audiobooks were so much better than anything else in 2020. Honestly, the year sucked. Reading and/or listening help me cope with anxiety and depression. Thankfully 2020 provided me a wealth of choices. I have chosen my "BEST" of the year based on when I read them, not when they were published.
I will begin posting the titles that made my Best of 2020 list. There are ten titles. Each title's qualification was based on: * Rating after my first read or listen * If rating changed after a second time * If the title stayed with me in the days after completing Reading/listening a title for a second or third time is an indication that I truly enjoyed it. I will continue to post my selections here as well as Goodreads. BEST SHORT STORY There is only one short story on my list. Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience by Rebecca Roanhorse (https://apex-magazine.com/welcome-to-your-authentic-indian-experience/) rated five out of 5 stars each time I listened to it. Nothing I can say will do justice to Rebecca Roanhorse’s short story masterpiece. You must read it for yourself or find LeVar Burton reading it on YouTube. |
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