Audiobook review: Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews
Similar to my reading of On the Edge, Bayou Moon is a re-read but I didn’t remember much of what happened. The story opens two years after the conclusion of On the Edge, where we find William living a solitary life in the Edge. He is recruited by the Mirror, a spy network for the country of Adrianglia in the Weird, and finds himself off to the Mire in the Edge. Cerise Mar lives in the swamps called the Mire. The Mars are in a family feud with the Sheeriles, and her parents have been kidnapped by evil agents of the Hand. Lucky for Cerise, she crosses paths with William, and they team up to stop the Hand.
Unlike the first time I read Bayou Moon, I knew ahead of time that each book in the series is a standalone HEA romance featuring a different main couple than the previous book. This allowed me to jump into the story more quickly. Overall, the story is interesting, filled with some twists and turns. My favorite character was William, the wounded pup who just wants a loving family. I love how he connects with young Lark, who also sees herself as a monster. Cerise is smart and unintimidated by William. This allows the pair to work together and fall in love. Andrews gives readers great insight into the weight of leading her family while her parents are away.
That said, Bayou Moon is a long book, and I felt that it would have benefitted from some editing. The book has multiple plots that are pulled together into one giant story. Just when I thought something would be resolved, another hurdle is placed in front of the family. There are also way too many characters, and I had a tough time remembering who was who. And as fun as it was to see Rose and Declan and the gang, the ending dragged on way too long and annoyed me.
Narration: Bayou Moon is shared via the third person POV; primarily that of William and Cerise, but there are also sections from several side characters. Raudman attempts to give each character a unique, age-appropriate voice. She works in accents, attitude, and emotion to keep the listener engaged. Males are slightly deeper. Some characters sound similar, but not so much to be confusing. Raudman successfully adds vocal twists to the paranormal creatures, making them each unique.
My Ratings
Story: B/B-
Narration: A
Jen
About the Book:
Cerise Mar and her unruly clan are cash poor but land rich, claiming a large swathe of the Mire, the Edge swamplands between the state of Louisiana and the Weird. When her parents vanish, her clan’s long-time rivals are suspect number one.
But all is not as it seems. Two nations of the Weird are waging a cold war fought by feint and espionage, and their conflict is about to spill over into the Edge—and Cerise’s life. William, a changeling soldier who left behind the politics of the Weird, has been forced back into service to track down a rival nation’s spymaster.
When William’s and Cerise’s missions lead them to cross paths, sparks fly—but they’ll have to work together if they want to succeed…and survive.
Author: Ilona Andrews
Narrator: Renee Raudman
Series: The Edge #2
Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance
Audiobook Release Date: September 28, 2010
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Length: 15 hrs and 32 mins
Source: purchased
Audio Speed: 1.45x
Purchase info:
Audible/Amazon (affilate link)
Reviews in the Series:
The Edge series reviews
