Necropolis by @jordanlhawk #audiobook #LGBT #Review

MtSnow reviews Necropolis: Whyborne & Griffin book 4 by Jordan L. Hawk. Narrated by Julian G. Simmons. Audiobook Edition released June 19, 2014 by Jordan L. Hawk.

Also check out my audiobook reviews for Widdershins (Book One), Threshold (Book Two), Stormhaven (Book Three).

For a second opinion, check out Marc’s audiobook reviews of Widdershins (Book One), Threshold (Book Two), Stormhaven (Book Three) and his eBook review of Necropolis (Book Four). If you already read Necropolis, you might be interested in the in-depth Interview/ Discussion Marc had with Jordan about her forth book and what her answers reveal about Bloodline (Book Five) (Publication Date October 7th, 2014).

Why I listened to this book: We were offered the opportunity to review this newly released audiobook ‘Necropolis‘ in exchange for an honest review, and I already owned all the previous in the series, so I took the opportunity to listen to them all back to back. This, to me, was the best of the lot, but they all are excellent.

Introverted scholar Percival Endicott Whyborne has spent the last few months watching his lover, Griffin Flaherty, come to terms with the rejection of his adoptive family. So when an urgent telegram from Christine summons them to Egypt, Whyborne is reluctant to risk the fragile peace they’ve established. Until, that is, a man who seems as much animal as human tries to murder Whyborne in the museum.

Amidst the ancient ruins of the pharaohs, they must join Christine and face betrayal, murder, and a legendary sorceress risen from the dead. In the forge of the desert heat, the trio will either face their fears and stand together–or shatter the bonds between them forever.

*****

The story: We do start out with Christmas, but this does not make itself out to be a holiday story. Instead, *yes!* Whyborne and Griffin finally get to travel to Egypt to accompany Christine to assist in some recent catastrophes that are happening at her archeological dig site. This story was the strongest and most fascinating adventure yet, in my opinion. The arid climate, Whyborne and Griffin aiming to creatively figure out sleeping *or not* arrangements in a tent, new fascinating characters with a possible love interest for Christine.. Well, this one has loads of fascinating stuff going on! Just throw in the grotesque and creepy ghouls, a long-lost relative, and suspicions everywhere, this story keeps the reader on their toes all the way through. The deserts of Egypt, a beautiful woman, a horrid ghoulish creature from the past, and a hat-eating, spitting camel give this one an exotic feel that wins in keeping you guessing. I really enjoyed this one!

Narration: Since the author chose to stay with the same narrator, Whyborne’s voice is very familiar by now. He is slowly showing us a more impassioned, confident side to himself, and the narrator does an excellent job of carrying it through in the character’s voice. Julian does an excellent job of representing this personal growth with his voice patterns and nuances. His narration style has seemed to be growing with the character. I can no longer imagine any other voice but his for the series. Excellent!

Of course, my favorite character is still Whyborne’s best friend and coworker, . Feisty, strong-minded, and independent woman extraordinaire Christine is still my favorite, and represents just what I’d like to imagine if an intellectual woman was in that time period in the scientific community setting. She is very well portrayed by the narrator with not a simpering female quality in site! Bravo!

As for the narration as a whole, I feel that the narrator has gotten more and more comfortable with the cast of characters and improved in timing and pacing. He is showing more inflection and sounding more like he is enjoying the story, and with this partcular novel, that is not hard to do. Now I can’t imagine anyone else narrating this series. The narration has gotten better and better, and I am glad the same narrator was kept for the complete series.

Very good adventures and hardily recommended for anyone that enjoys well-researched historical mysteries with a gory paranormal twist. As with the previous books in the series, we get a touch of blood, guts, and even what some might consider horror-elements. This would be a cool series to see on the big screen!! Fun!

Enjoy audiobooks? Buy Necropolis in audio here:

 

Jordan L. Hawk grew up in North Carolina and forgot to ever leave. Childhood tales of mountain ghosts and mysterious creatures gave her a life-long love of things that go bump in the night. When she isn’t writing, she brews her own beer and tries to keep her cats from destroying the house. Her best-selling Whyborne & Griffin series (beginning with Widdershins) can be found in print, ebook, and audiobook at Amazon and other online retailers.

Website: http://jordanlhawk.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jordanlhawk
Twitter: @jordanlhawk