Rhapsodic

The Bargainer Series, Book 1

By: Laura Thalassa

Narrated by: Chelsea Stephens

Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Callypso Lillis is a siren with a very big problem, one that stretches up her arm and far into her past. For the last seven years she’s been collecting a bracelet of black beads up her wrist, magical IOUs for favors she’s received. Only death or repayment will fulfill the obligations. Only then will the beads disappear. Everyone knows that if you need a favor, you go to the Bargainer to make it happen. He’s a man who can get you anything you want … at a price. And everyone knows that sooner or later he always collects. But for one of his clients, he’s never asked for repayment.

Not until now. When Callie finds the fae king of the night in her room, a grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye, she knows things are about to change. At first it’s just a chaste kiss—a single bead’s worth—and a promise for more. For the Bargainer, it’s more than just a matter of rekindling an old romance. Something is happening in the Otherworld. Fae warriors are going missing one by one. Only the women are returned, each in a glass casket, a child clutched to their breast. And then there are the whispers among the slaves, whispers of an evil that’s been awoken. If the Bargainer has any hope to save his people, he’ll need the help of the siren he spurned long ago. Only, his foe has a taste for exotic creatures, and Callie just happens to be one.

©2016, 2021, 2022 Laura Thalassa (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

Great story

This is a great book and ai greatly enjoyed it and am happy to see it get traditionally published. While I’m glad the author took the opportunity to fix her somewhat racist portrayal of Temper, I did not like this narration as much as the original one, and I worry that’s gonna cripple this a bit. Not to say this narrator wasn’t good, but many who purchased it already read the entire series in someone else’s voice, so re-reading it in a new voice but the character voices are wrong or the inflections are off, it makes it all the more difficult to listen to. Desmond’s character suddenly having something like a British accent was also jarring. I get the narrator making it her own, but the original set the bar really high, and this version tries to make the leap like a cat jumping off the counter and losing traction, leading to an awkward tumble.

Not a fan

I had a few issues with this one. While I’m generally ok with age gaps in fantasy romance, this one just made me uncomfortable. I’ll be stating details about that so if you don’t want to be spoiled on anything, stop reading. I take issue with the fact that they met when she was 15 and he an adult, and she obviously grows to love him. He knows this and yet he stays around, “stays appropriate” in only that he isn’t sexually intimate but to me an emotional connection is made and he is just waiting. That is until the dance and he decides fuck it, 16 is good enough? Not to mention she’s a SA victim…vulnerable and he saved her, giving him a power imbalance over her in both actual power and socially…it’s just wrong for me. Not to also mention the reason he stays away is not the one I would have hoped for to save this. Aside from that, the entire story was just kind of non-existent if you took out the romance part.

Loved the Story!

This was the first book by this author and I loved it so so much!

Loved it - something different

So good. I really loved it. Something different and interesting twists that keep it interesting. Starting book 2 now!

Perfect

The only thing I don’t like is the strange voice for Des, but it’s nothing big. Overall good audiobook.

Pleasantly Surprised - I’m Hooked

I was worried this book would be as bad as some other books on Audible.

Highly impressed with story and narration.

Great Narration!

Although the story was a little slow and drawn out ; once I was able to follow it (with the help of the narrator ) I found it very enjoyable.

The details of the different worlds!!

I wasn’t sure if I would like this book or not. But I enjoyed it! I didn’t like the switching back in forth of time. It made it hard to follow sometimes but it was a good slow burn!

Holds your interest

Couldn’t stop listening. Got to start book book two immediately can’t predict what will come

Overall good book

**few spoilers** It wasn’t what I expected but that was not necessary a bad thing. Overall I loved seeing both sides of Des, especially when it came to Cally. I liked the flash backs and Laura fit them in beautifully. It was frustrating that he evaded telling her how he felt but that’s just the impatient person in me. I would have liked to see more of Temper. She seemed like an interesting character and one that would have spiced things up. I also would have liked to learn more about the other world, the rules he talked about and her getting to know some people from those lands before she gets taken. I think that’s just me being a little picky. I think their love story is heart warming.