Darlene's Book Nook: Audiobook Review: Pretty When She Dies by Rhiannon Frater

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Audiobook Review: Pretty When She Dies by Rhiannon Frater

SERIES: Pretty When She Dies, Book #1
AUTHOR: Rhiannon Frater

NARRATOR: Kristin Allison
PUBLISHER: Rhiannon Frater
PUBLICATION DATE: August 23, 2012

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook, 10 hrs and 45 mins
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

ASIN: B0091K711G

Amaliya wakes under the forest floor, disoriented, famished and confused. She digs out of the shallow grave and realizes she is hungry... ... in a new, horrific, unimaginable way... Sating her great hunger, she discovers that she is now a vampire, the bloodthirsty creature of legend. She has no choice but to flee from her old life and travels across Texas. Her new hunger spurs her to leave a wake of death and blood behind her as she struggles with her new nature. All the while, her creator is watching. He is ancient, he is powerful, and what's worse is that he's a necromancer. He has the power to force the dead to do his bidding.

Amaliya realizes she is but a pawn in a twisted game, and her only hope for survival is to seek out one of her own kind. But if Amaliya finds another vampire, will it mean her salvation... or her death?

MY REVIEW:

I received this audiobook from the author in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own.

Frater brings the darkness back to vampires! The story is a bit gory at times, which serves to remind us that vampires are lethal beasts.

Amaliya Vezorak, a 24 year old woman, is a bit of a loner and social outcast. She dyed her blonde hair black, and she is covered in tattoos and piercings. She feels like she has never really fit in anywhere, and her appearance only adds to the problem. Her mom was stricken with cancer when Amaliya was a young girl, and her father started an affair with Amaliya’s 18 year old cousin before her mom had even passed away! Amaliya’s cousin eventually became her step-mother. All Amaliya wanted to do was to go away to college and get away from her family. However, when she received the shocking news that her younger sister, Rachel, was terminally ill, Amaliya left college to return home to take care of her.

After her sister dies, Amaliya returns to college and enrolls in a psychology class that is being taught by a prestigious professor from England. Unbeknownst to Amaliya, the Professor is not just a vampire but also a necromancer: He can control the dead. He bites Amaliya but, just before she dies, he gives her some of his own blood and then buries her in the woods. After she awakens, she is mad with the hunger. She crashes a dorm party and slaughters them all, and she realizes that she cannot stay. She sets out to try to find others of her kind and to learn to survive. She eventually meets up with Cian, who was also created by the Professor, and he agrees to help Amaliya learn some survival skills.

Underneath her tough persona, Amaliya is just like anyone else and wants to fit in. She longs for that acceptance of self and peace in her life. I liked her character, and I was amused by her cheekiness. I wanted Amaliya to find that happiness that she was seeking. My favourite character was Amaliya’s grandmother, Innocente: Who wouldn’t want a kick-ass grandmother like that?! She is tough as nails, and I love her unconditional acceptance of Amaliya. I enjoyed the ending of the book, and I can’t wait to read more about Amaliya and Cian in the next book in the series, Pretty When She Kills.

I really enjoyed Kristin Allison’s narration. I thought she did a great job of capturing the essence of Amaliya, with just the right amount of attitude. Her pace is excellent, and her subtle characterizations worked well.

MY RATING:

4 stars!! It was really good! You should put it on your "To Be Read" list. A big thanks to Rhiannon for the opportunity to review this audiobook!

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