The audiobook, Enthralled, features three novellas from three different authors. Each is part of a series, but can be enjoyed on their own. In fact, Enthralled is a great way to get a taste of each of these series in a sort of three-for-one deal.
Curse of the Black Swan is Alyssa Day's introduction to The League of the Black Swan. It takes place in Bordertown, the convergence of the fae, demon and human worlds. Because of the combination of human and supernatural beings, one should expect just about anything. So when a when a fire demon meets a singing swan, it is just another day in Bordertown. A centuries old curse keeps pet groomer Brynn from getting close to any man, but firefighter Sean will do his best to change her mind. An unbreakable curse along with an magic-powered arsonist are the complications provide a lot of drama in a short story. This has me considering starting on the Black Swan series.
Meljean's Iron Seas steampunk world is the setting for Salvage. This was my favorite of the three stories. Estranged couple Thomas and Georgie are reunited only to make the decision to end their marriage. On the way to make this happened, they are kidnapped and taken away by an airship pirate. The pirate needs the diving talents of Thomas to recover a sunken treasure. A treasure that Thomas originally salvaged, but was pirated away. As Georgie and Thomas try to get free, they get reacquainted. I really liked how they slowly figure out they why of their actions in the past. Can they salvage their marriage even as they try to salvage the treasure? What I liked most about this story is the Iron Seas world – the horde, the zombies, the megladon. Ms. Brook's world has a truly inspired, amazing atmosphere. I need to read more of this series!
Ecstasy Under the Moon is a part of the Children of the Moon series by Lucy Monroe. This novella tells a story of a wolf shifter Bryant and an eagle shifter Una. It takes place in a time when their people's did not trust each other. Tribal leaders know that all shifters will be stronger together, so they are attempting to join the tribes. Can an eagle put aside her deep fear and distrust long enough to get to know the wolf who would be her lifemate? I like the story, but I'm not sure it translated as well to an audiobook. There was a lot of narrative background that had to be squeezed into the novella length. Audiobooks showcase dialog very well, but long narrations – not so much.
Justine Eyre is the very talented narrator of Enthralled. I've enjoyed her work on many novels, but this particular reading really showcased her talents. She uses several accents, dialects and voices to bring the stories to life. Generally speaking, Ms. Eyre's name sells audiobooks to me!
It should be noted that there is a difference between the print and audiobook formats. The print (and e-book) versions have an extra story by Lora Leigh that is not on the audiobook. So, if decide to read, rather than listen, to Enthralled, you get a bonus!