Narrated by Amy Landon
I loved this feel-good paranormal romance that leaves you with the warm and fuzzy feeling that good always triumphs over evil. Moreover, I’m a sucker for an underdog, and this novel features the “ugly duckling” trope, making the triumph that much more satisfying. This was my first experience with Larissa Ione, but I have no doubt that I will be seeking out more of her works in the future, as this well-written PNR reminded me of why I used to be so in love with this sub-genre: the fantasy/adventure was riveting, the suspense was mind-provoking, and the romantic tension was tantalizing! Further adding to the allure of this audiobook is the fantastic narration by Amy Landon, who does a wonderful job of bringing this romantic and dangerous paranormal world to life.
As this is Book 2 in the MoonBound Clan Vampires series, it is worth noting that although I didn’t read Book 1 in this series, I had no trouble following this story. Clearly there were elements, particularly matters pertaining to the vampires’ difficult relations with humans, that were carried over from the prior book as well as a number of previously introduced characters. But the romance between this book’s hero and heroine is completely contained in this book. Therefore Chained by Night can be easily read as a standalone.
Hunter, the leader of the MoonBound vampire clan, will do anything to save his people. If that means forging an alliance with a rival vampire clan via an arranged marriage, then so be it. Leaders, like him, must do their duty even if the result is a loveless marriage. Given the escalating dire nature between vampires and humans, sacrifices for the better good of vampirekind are even more crucial and pale in comparison with the alternative, which could lead to a war resulting in the extinction of vampires, or perhaps worse, forced imprisonment of vampires in experimentation labs.
When his intended mate, Rasha, shows up at his home, Hunter instantly dislikes her pretentious, spoiled ways. Rasha, however, did not come alone. Instead, Aylin, her identical twin sister, accompanies her. Aylin is the complete opposite of Rasha. Where Rasha is harsh and cold, Aylin is sweet and caring. Unfortunately for Aylin, however, she was born with a birth defect (a deformed leg), making her lucky to be alive as she is considered by her clan to be cursed. This also means that her father is more than happy to be rid of her by marrying her off to a different clan leader, a vampire known for his sadistic ways and his harem who he treats with equal malice. Aylin’s mating to this monster is set to occur immediately after Rasha’s and Hunter’s.
As soon as he meets Aylin, Hunter likes her. As danger rises, so does their attraction, as they are thrown together on several adventures. Soon there is no denying their mutual admiration and desire for one another, but Hunter has given his word that he will mate Rasha, and he never goes back on his word. Additionally, going back on his word, in this case, could mean the end of his clan.
Is Aylin doomed to a life of misery chained to a monster, or will Hunter save her? How far is Rasha willing to go against her own twin sister to secure her mating to Hunter and her esteemed position as the first female of his clan?
It’s rare to find a romance where you really like both the hero and heroine from the very beginning. Chained by Night is the exception to this usual rule. Both Hunter and Aylin won my heart from the very beginning – it was the rest of their sad, circumstances that I hoped would change. This novel made me feel like a spectator at a sporting event constantly rooting for Hunter and Aylin to find some way to be together.
Amy Landon did an incredible job in acting out this highly emotional, action-packed paranormal romance with a large cast. So often when there are a lot of characters, particularly of the same gender and age, it is difficult for a narrator to be able to give each its own unique sound. Ms. Landon, however, not only accomplishes this in Chained by Night, but she also manages to communicate each person’s primary characteristics via their distinguishable voice.
For example, you can easily hear Rasha’s haughty, overconfident, and self-entitled nature, not just from the words, but the way she says them. Aylin, in turn, sounds so sweet and caring, while at the same time brave, that it perfectly matches her role. In fact, Ms. Landon even showed her ability to adapt to the storyline by slowly replacing Aylin’s initially subservient tone, with a more confident one as her character matured.
While her portrayal of the males is slightly less distinctive, she still manages to make each different enough so that reliance on dialogue tags is unnecessary. For example, her voice for the demon is perfectly suited to his creepy nature, while Hunter’s bears no traces of this evil nature. Additionally, she is able to make the older males sound age appropriate, and easily communicates both warmth and malice where the scene calls for it.
All in all, if you are looking for a new vampire romance, then I highly recommend this touching story of forbidden love. I can’t wait to hear more tales from the MoonBound Clan Vampire series!
BJ
Narration: A-
Book Content: A-
Steam Factor: For your burning ears only
Violence: Fighting
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Chained by Night was provided to AudioGals by Tantor Audio for review.
