Timeborne

Blade of Shadows, Book 1

By: Sara Samuels

Narrated by: Sarah Sampino, Liam Price

Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

She was born in darkness, under the shadow of a full moon during a solar eclipse with a mysterious black dagger at her side. As a child, Olivia James witnessed her mother’s gruesome murder. As an adult, her godfather has trained her to be a skilled fighter. But when Olivia’s boyfriend betrays her and threatens her life, setting off a string of events that catapults her back in time from 21st-century Seattle into third-century Rome, the secrets of her past begin to unravel.

The discovery that she is a Timeborne, one with the ability to travel across time, is just the beginning. Soon, Olivia finds herself under the protection of—and owned by—Roman Alexander, a former gladiator and bodyguard to the emperor. Torn between his duty to his emperor, a desire for vengeance, and a longing to search for his lost twin brother, Roman now has the added complication of protecting this strange woman from the depravity of ancient Rome. Worse, he finds himself falling for her, despite accusations that she is an enemy spy. But even Roman is no match for the dark shadow that has pursued Olivia into the past.

A fighter in her own right, she’s forced to work with Roman to find a way back to her own time. Do the ancient scriptures on her dagger hold the key? Can she trust Roman with her secrets? And can she fight her enemies and protect her heart at the same time?

Timeborne is the first book in the Blade of Shadows series.

©2023 Sara Samuels (P)2023 Sara Samuels

Just Wow!!! Trust. Listen to this book!!!!!!

I haven’t gotten excited over a book this much in a while and i read every single day, it’s my therapy so it’s serious business to me. the world sara has created is unlike any i’ve ever read. this is sara’s first novel and that flabbergasts me because the writing is immaculate and draws you in! this is a story you fall in love with, there’s no dull moments, you actually feel like you’re watching a movie as you listen or read while the story unfolds. this book is better than house of dragon and the shadow and bone series! now i’m addicted and cannot wait for the rest of the series. I felt like I was inside the story and knew these characters (which you will love!) top read for me this year 15/10. the narrators are outstanding and perfect for olivia and roman. liam price’s voice is sex on a stick for your ears… mmmmm yes that good!!! and sarah sampino is amazing as well. just trust me and buy this book! listen to this book! this book comes with endless amounts of serotonin and leaves you craving moreeeeeee! is it July/ August yet?! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

When the female voice actor takes away from the narrative

I really wanted to like this book! I like the idea of time travel and of the roman empire and enemies to lovers.

However, the voice actor for this book consistently sounded like she had something in her mouth while she was speaking. It was obnoxiously distracting.

When the main character does go back in time it isn't explained how much time she has spent there....or if she had IUD. So when she and the male lead share a secret and are magically in love it's really hard to buy into, especially since he wanted to help her and wasn't exactly an enemy.

The main character also commented that she hadn't cut her hair since her mother died which meant she has fourteen years of hair and that also was a little hard to buy.

Lastly, I am going to need a better description of what a stola is. There wasn't enough world building to recreate the time the main character was in. And if this is a garment, hoopskirt, head band or scarf from that time period, a little more information may have been helpful, as this was a resource that got the main out of a lot of situations.

I think I may have been too critical - but feel like some of this should have been in the book.

Lastly, I think "round house kick", "goose skin", and the word "filthy" as a stand alone description are the authors " Obscene gesture" :)

if you aren't overly critical or analytical, it was a fun book.

Absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!

Throughout the entire story, I was irrevocably enthralled and raptured by not only the plot and story, but by the voices behind the characters. Sarah Sampino and Liam Price did an excellent job conveying Sara Samuels narrative to the ears and minds of listeners and readers. Whether you listen, read, or do both, you will not be disappointed with Timeborne!!!!

Captivating!

This was my first Sara Samuels's book, and won't be my last. This is the first book in the Blade of Shadows Series, a time travel saga. This is a great start to the series! Olivia and Roman's story is entertaining, action packed, and intriguing, filled with mystery, danger, romance, and twists and turns. The world building is original, and captivating. The story ends on a big cliffhanger, and I am looking forward to listening to Darkness of Time, the next book in the series. Sarah Sampino and Liam Price did an excellent job bringing these characters, and this story to life. I enjoyed it.

enjoyed

this one was definitely not what I was expecting., but I must say it totally sucked me in. Looking forward to more of this series.

I am so glad I found this series!

Am I happy this series is unfinished? No. Buttt it is worth the wait I am sure of that? I can barely wait to jump into book 2 I can not believe I just stumbled upon this series. The writing was amazing and the narrators made it even better.

Great performance and storyline

Timeborne Audible by Sara Samuel

I was waiting to listen to Timeborne on audible, and I finally was able to listen to it and loved it so much. Book narrators are so professional Sara Sampino and Liam Price, so full of emotions and made a beautiful and unforgettable listening experience. Once you begin listening to the book, it just catches your attention and you want to keep listening. The book is captivating. I was so worried about Olivia and Roman so much because they had to go through so much, there are a lot of moments that will surprise you in the book and you will wish for more. The book has many hilarious moments that readers and listeners would love.

Downright mesmerizing

The voice actors and the story coupled together had me entranced the entire time. I'll be honest I 100% was interested in this story because of the cover and title. I was not expecting to be taken on a ride like this. Olivia is every ounce of the woman I hope to be, and I could definitely feel her when she just wanted her phone and a shower LOL. Roman is an interesting character with lots of depth, we didn't see too much of it in this book but I hope we do in book 2 which I also can not wait to listen to. do hope it's the same narrators! Sarah's voice and how I picture Olivia worked so well together that I can not imagine another voice being Olivia.

Great Debut!

Such a fun premise, it all seems to be very well built. I am really enjoying this world and characters. Ill be honest in the fact that there were a few places where 1st time publish show, but wow if this is the first i can't wait to see just where Sara Samuels goes! I'm very much looking forward to reading the rest of the series to see what happens next.

Voices

I’m halfway through the book and I just had to write a review about the male voice. He is an amazing speaker but he sounds exactly like the gentleman from the show River Monsters! Loving the book so far!