Dissension

Chronicles of the Uprising, Book 1

By: K.A. Salidas

Narrated by: Meghan Kelly

The great cataclysm wiped almost all life from the face of planet Earth, but tiny pockets of survivors crawled from the ashes, with only one thought: survival, at any cost. But not all survivors were human. In the dark, militant society that has risen in the aftermath, vampires, once thought to be mythical, have been assimilated and enslaved. Used for blood sport their lives are allowed to continue only for the entertainment of the masses. Reviled as savages, they are destined to serve out their immortal lives in the arena, as gladiators. And there is no greater gladiator than Mira: undefeated, uncompromising... and seemingly unbreakable. When an escape attempt leads Mira into the path of Lucian Stavros, the city's Regent, her destiny is changed forever. Lucian, raised in a culture which both reviles and celebrates the savagery and inhumanity of vampires, finds Mira as intriguing as she is brash. An impulsive decision - to become Mira's patron changes more than just Lucian's perception about vampire kind. The course of his life is altered in ways he could never have predicted - a life that is suddenly as expendable as hers. Can Mira prove to Lucian that all is not as it seems? Can Lucian escape centuries of lies, bloodshed, and propaganda to see the truth? Or will the supreme power of the human overlords destroy them both?

©2014 Katie Salidas (P)2014 Katie Salidas

Mira has had enough

What did you love best about Dissension?

Mira and her never give up Attitude!

What other book might you compare Dissension to and why?

None this book was very different.

What does Meghan Kelly bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She bring Mira smart comments to life!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes it is a fast paced book that you get hooked on easily!

Any additional comments?

I loved Dissension because it was very different from other vampire books I've listen to or read.
This world was about to come to an end but the vampire's came out of hiding to help the humans save our world. That was 30 years ago. Since than in the story line. The humans were terrified of the vampires and caged them all out of fear. The vampires have to fight to the death to survive. The are only feed a minimum amount of blood but only if they are good and fight as their masters command. They have been turned into slaves. Fight slaves and sex slaves, slaves that never know if they will survive one more day.
Mira is the main prized fighter who hasn't given up on earning her freedom. After 30 years in a cage she starts to fight back for her freedom. She is a real fighter in mind, body and sprite. Her smart mouth will make you laugh. It will also upset you. It is easy to see they need to be freed from having to kill each other for sport. When she was beating or put in the light box. I was unhappy with the masters. I could only think, how dare you.
I could easily listen to this book twice. It has you on an emotionally roller coaster from start to finish.The author just grasps you with the unjust treatment of the vampires.

The narrator Meghan Kelly has a perfect voice for Mira that helps you really get the Main character. The smarty comments the Mira says are more emotional for the listener.

I recieved this audio book for a fair review!

what a concept!

I loved the twists in this book. it is so rare for vampires to be shown suffering not only physically but emotionally. I was hooked on every word. I recommend this for anyone who likes there vampires to have humanity still left in them and action to go with it.

Very interesting start...

What made the experience of listening to Dissension the most enjoyable?

Meghan Kelly of course, she makes one good book just excellent!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I like Mira, and I very much like Lucian Stavros, but it is too soon to tell. It's just starting!

Have you listened to any of Meghan Kelly’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to most of Meghan Kelly's other books and I believe this one is her best as far as I am concerned. All characters male and female were just perfect!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, and I did!

Any additional comments?

Thank you very much Meghan Kelly and K.A. Salidas for this book. I am looking forward to hearing the next one in the series as soon as possible :D

Surprisingly Different

Where does Dissension rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

#1 fiction
#2 overall

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dissension?

No spoiler alert: The turning point.

What about Meghan Kelly’s performance did you like?

She does several voices well but I wasn't a fan of a couple of voices. They were louder than the rest and tinny in my speakers.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Curtis.

Any additional comments?

The story was refreshingly new. It's not something I've read about before. I have to admit that when the book ended I immediately wanted to start the next one in the series.

I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

surprisingly good

“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”

I've gotta say I really enjoyed this book. For one that I did not have to pay for, I find this is one book that I would definitely have used a credit to buy even in spite its short length.

Unique and exciting

I really enjoyed this author’s unique dystopian paranormal story. Vampires helped humans survive after an apocalyptic event devastated the earth, but centuries later humans turned on their helpers and enslaved them. This story is written from the POV of Mira, a female vampire that has spent 30 years enslaved, tortured and forced to fight her own kind to the death, just to entertain human masses. This is an exciting, fast paced story in which the humans are more monsters than the vampires. You easily become attached to Mira; her strength, perseverance, and sassy indomitable nature captures you from the start and you can’t help but root for her. I also loved Lucian’s calm, inquisitive mind and how he was willing to discover things for himself and not just follow blindly what he had been told is true. The narrator, Meghan Kelly, did a great job of bringing the characters to life and really made you visualize the brutality of Mira and the other vampires’ lives. This is a well written, exciting story that will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you dying for the next book in the series

Dissension

A unique look at the Earth after an apocalypse. Humans and vampires worked together after the apocalyptic event, but later the humans decide to make vampires their slaves.

Mira is a vampire who has been a slave for over 30 years, forced to fight as a Gladiator for the entertainment of humans. She is fierce and takes no prisoners, mouthing off to her handlers and owner at the risk of the torture and punishment that she knows will happen.

When an Elite Regent finds Mira trying to escape, she is sure that she is dead. Instead, Lucien Savaros becomes her patron, but not the normal way. Instead of sexual favors, Lucien is interested in information.

The fight scenes are graphic but well written. The descriptions of Mira's torture are cringe-worthy and her owner, Olivia, is a real piece of work that anybody would want to kill. Mira's continued snarkiness and willingness to suffer in order to say what she thinks are refreshing. We would all like to think that we could be as brave in the face of slavery and torture!

The story was very different and also very entertaining. As a lifelong reader of Vampire fiction, I am always looking for something new and ingenuous. This book definitely fits the bill. I look forward to reading more in this series in order to see how things evolve.

The narrator does a wonderful job in her performance. Anytime that a narrator can make you cringe when you hear the voice of the villain, I say that they have nailed it! Great writing and great narration and great story.....what else could you want from a book? Be warned: it does end on a cliffhanger.

I was given a copy of this audiobook by the narrator/publisher/author and chose to review it.

Glued To My Headphones

WOW! This book may be short but it packs a huge punch and definitely leaves you craving more.

The author & the narrator bring you full force into a future that has brought back the Roman Gladiators with a twist, the gladiators are imprisoned, cruelly treated vampires.

K.A. Salidas does an amazing job developing this new world and all the characters in it and Meghan Kelly brings her story to life with perfect voice, attitude, and timing.

Mira is a strong willed, kick ass, snarky vampire looking for a way out of slavery for herself and her people. Lucian Stavros is the human region administrator brought up to believe a falsehood about vampires but is willing to learn the truth. George the vampire, while a minor character, is endearing and brings real heart to the story. Olivia the human owner is a spoiled, rotten b****. And the complexity of characters goes on & on.

This audiobook was provided at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.

Pretty please, with a blood chaser bring the rest of the books in this series to Audible.

Fantastic!

Would you consider the audio edition of Dissension to be better than the print version?

I am used to reading books, and not so much of listening but I really enjoyed this alot!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dissension?

I thought it was very interesting, and the voice used kept it intriguing

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nothing I enjoyed how it went with the dialogue of the book

Wow what a book from page one it'll draw you in

What made the experience of listening to Dissension the most enjoyable?

The action and drama of it kept me on the edge of my seat and Meghan Kelly brought Mira to life

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mira because she would do anything to survive

Have you listened to any of Meghan Kelly’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No this is the first but not last

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Hunger Games meets Vampire Gladiators

Any additional comments?

I received this audio for an honest review from author. This is a new and unique series that people who love Gladiator and Vampires need to read. It was really exciting to listen to I loved my ecopy of it but the audio upped the ante and blew me away. Meghan brought all the characters to life. I can't wait to listen to book 2