True Dead, Audio Book

True Dead, Audio Book (2021) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock #14)

I fell off reading the Jane Yellowrock series after Dark Queen. It was too dark and too full of cliffhangers for my brain at the time.

I eventually read Shattered Bonds, but it was also depressing so I didn’t read any further.

Since I started my reread of the Jane Yellowrock series, I’d been debating how I wanted to deal with the final two books. I generally don’t listen to fiction books I haven’t read, but reading makes things a little too close, so I decided I’d see how listening went.

Listening was definitely emotionally easier. Since I only listen to audio books while I’m exercising or doing chores, it gives me some emotional distances–I don’t fall into the story quite as deeply.

Which is good because this is another book where characters got killed off.

One of those deaths especially bothered me, not because of the death itself but because Jane and the characters made up their books’ long antagonism right before the character died. Which honestly felt shoe-horned in, as if the author didn’t want Jane and Derek to go out without having patched things up, but the reconciliation didn’t actually feel true to the characters.

I did enjoy the interactions between Beast and Alex.

Beast chuffed. Padded to Alex. Put paw on table.

“You swat my hardware and tablets to the floor,” Alex said, much patience in voice, “I’ll swat your nose.” Alex held up rolled papers. Still did not look at Beast. Was like cat action.

Beast liked Alex. Beast chuffed. Sat. Paw still on desk.

Alex said, “Okay. Am I talking to Jane?”

We also got Wrassler and Jodi’s wedding, which was nice to see finally. But the final fight again put an important character in danger and after losing the other two important characters it felt overdone but also the death seemed unlikely.

Plus, someone comes back from the dead, and I can’t decide how I feel about that either.

So, not quite sure how I feel about this book.

Characters: Jane Yellowrock, Beast, Eli Younger, Alex Younger, Bruiser/George Dumas, Brute, Sabina, Koun, Tex, Thema, Kojo, Monique Giovanni, Lincoln Shaddock, Aurelia Flamma Scintilla/the Firestarter, Ayatas FireWind, Hayalasti Sixmankiller/Grandmother, Shiloh Everhart Stone, Rachel, Jodi Richoux, Sloan Rosen, Christy, Tia, Ipsita, Rachel, Indigo, Najla, Bliss/Ailis Rogan, Gee DiMercy, Longfellow, Bettina, Innara, Jenna, Brandon and Brian Robere, Ming Zhane, Ernestine/Raisin, Long-Knife, Larry, Homer Perkins/Wrassler, Dr. Pierre Paquet, Florence, Quint, Rick LaFleur, Deon, Father Juan, Opal, Pearl, Storm, Ka N’vsita, Quint, Adan Bouvier, Derek Lee, Sarah Spieth

Cover by Cliff Nielsen

Published by Audible

Rating: 7.5/10

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