Wednesday 20 November 2013

Audio Reviews: Cleopatra's Moon and White Cat

Cleopatra Selene is the only daughter of the brilliant Queen Cleopatra of Egypt and General Marcus Antonius of Rome. She’s grown up with jewels on her arms, servants at her feet, and all the pleasures of a palace at her command, and she wants only to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a great and powerful queen. 

Then the Roman ruler Octavianus, who has always wanted Egypt’s wealth, launches a war that destroys all Selene has ever known. Taken to live in Octavianus’ palace in Rome, she vows to defeat him and reclaim her kingdom at all costs. Yet even as she gathers support for her return, Selene finds herself torn between two young men and two different paths to power. Will love distract her from her goal - or help her achieve her true destiny? 

My thoughts: 
Look at that. I finished it!! It only took me a year, but then audio and I are very meh. I just do not have the time, but now I have found the time and it works great..well only for those times. Everything else it still no.

Right, how to review it then..I honestly do not know. I do not get the same feeling from listening that I get from reading. I do not get feelings. So I can't say much. It was interesting listening to. I have read a book about Selene before and I did not know her story before that one. But it was still interesting listening to another version of what could have happened.

The audio, the narrator was good but I got annoyed when she did Isis' voice. It felt lame. But for the most part it was a pleasant voice to listen to.

And I am wondering what I would have felt reading the book. I doubt I would have felt it was better. But would I have thought it was worse? 

For a YA book it dealt with more mature subjects. Attempted rape, seduction...but then again it was another time and it was Rome.

Audio
Published August 1st 2011 by Oasis Audio
12 hours or something
Own
YA /historical

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers—people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they’re all criminals. Many become mobsters and con artists. But not Cassel. He hasn’t got magic, so he’s an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail—he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.
            
Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts to crumble when he finds himself sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He’s noticing other disturbing things too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect he’s part of a huge con game, he must unravel his past and his memories. To find out the truth, Cassel will have to outcon the conmen.

My thoughts:
I was not sure about Jesse Eisenberg as the narrator. He sounds so insecure at times so it was like Cassel was constantly in doubt. But I got used to it as Cassel was pretty unsure about himself.

Narration, seems it worked in the end then.

Story. I think I dosed off in a vital part (don't I always ;) But otherwise it was a good and thrilling story. I liked the concept of curse working, and the plot had a good pace as I got more and more answers. The end promised more good things to come.

It worked well on audio but as times before I wonder if I would like it as much in print. I think not.

Would I listen to more?
Yeah

Cover
meh

Audio CD, 6 hours or so
Published May 11th 2010 by Listening Library (Audio) (first published May 4th 2010)
Curse Workers #1
YA /paranormal
Own


41 comments:

  1. I haven't read Cleopatra's Moon yet, but it's sitting on my shelf. I want to finish Stephanie Dray's trilogy about Selene first. I don't do audio books either because I just can't stay focused on them.

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    Replies
    1. And they take so long! I do not like that and that I can't do anything else while listening

      Delete
  2. I have issues listening to audio as well...I normally get impatient and want them to hurry up! haha

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    Replies
    1. Haha I totally know the feeling and that is when it is over 8 hours I go all COME ON

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  3. It's never taken me a year to go through an audiobook, I totally admire you for finishing it at all!
    And I loved White Cat! I listened to the audio too.

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    Replies
    1. I started it, left it and picked it up again. Seems I did not touch my mp3 player for a year ;)

      Delete
  4. I didn't like this book as much as everyone else. Maybe it was overhyped to me or something.

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  5. Your take on audios is interesting. I was listening to a lot of audios during my commute to work. But, I'm not working now so I don't think I'll be doing many audios until I get a new job.

    Some audios are better than others, but I do think it depends on the genre. It's harder for me to listen to fiction but memoirs narrated by the author themselves are fun.

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    Replies
    1. My commute is too short for that. It does work the way I listen now, I manage like 1 hour a day. But that is the only time I can concentrate.

      Some genres to work better

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  6. I can't be too sleepy when listening to audio... especially if the narrator has a soothing voice. LOL I didn't love White Cat as much as a lot of people, but it seemed to get better as the series went on.

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    Replies
    1. It was good, just not awesome. Interesting...if I ever got more audio then yes

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  7. You really have to retrain your brain for audio. I find I need headphones or earbuds and can only listen for short intervals. These both sound interesting.

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    Replies
    1. I do need earbuds too cos else no way. It's hard

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  8. I listened to the Curse Workers series on audio and loved Jesse's narration. I think it made the book better in the end. Not sure if I'd like the first audiobook you reviewed. And ooh do I hate falling asleep during the audiobook, that always happens to me too, and it's hard to go back and find where you started nodding off. :-)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I kind of liked and did not like it. I mean yes it did work at times but at other times eh, the voice is so shaky.

      I never find my way back, i just move on

      Delete
  9. I just can't listen to audio. I've really tried to like it, but just can't do it. However both of these sound like good reads. ::)

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    Replies
    1. It's hard and I do not take books I think I will love

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  10. Audiobooks are always harder for me to review and then when I move to a new one its hard to get used to a new narrator. I am curious though about both of these!

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  11. Oooh, i have been wanting to read the cleopatra one for a long time! I know what you mean about audio books, they don't really work for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. At least I try, and I like when they are short ;)

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  12. I like audios when I'm knitting or walking in my neighborhood. I can't listen when I'm driving because I'm too easily distracted. I'm impressed that you finished it a year later!

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    Replies
    1. I do not think I could do it either.

      haha I know, it took a long time

      Delete
  13. I think I'd like Cleopatra's Moon but I'll have to read it. It happens the same to me with audiobooks, I don't get the feeling.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have the same feeling sometimes with ebooks :/

      Delete
  14. It took me a long time to get used to audio books, and for me it really was about finding the right narrator, but I absolutely love them now. I only listen to them in the car on may way to/from work and sometimes I actually wish for traffic - cause the books get so good! :) I think in some cases narrators help the books and in others they don't. So, it's all about the right book, narrator, etc. :)
    Love the reviews! lol - a year? wow! ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True, I so need a good narrator too. If it does not work then no thanks. Some I got used to, some not.

      Haha, yes, I started it when I listened to it while biking. Then I stopped cos I did not hear anything really. And so I started it again a year later

      Delete
  15. Audio is really not for me, but I am glad you persevered!

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  16. I've only done one audio before - I Am Legend. It was free and I decided to give it a go. I liked it but I'm not a big audio fan. I always want to read along and isn't that pointless to listening to a book? *shrugs*

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I do it cos else I would just sit and do nothing and it would be to dark to read (I am in charge of nap time ;)

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  17. I still have yet to try audio, just not sure I would enjoy it...having to go at someone else's pace and having their voice color my imagination. The story sounds good though, I might look up other books about Selene and see what I can find.

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  18. I do enjoy them, I just do not feel as much. Well one has managed it

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  19. I love audios because I can actually get something done while listening. I used to feel the same as you and just couldn't connect with an audio but somewhere along the line that changed. Anyhow I'm glad you finally got the audio done. Lol.

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    Replies
    1. I do hope it will all change one day ;D Cos now I have many meh books

      Delete

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