Released

Vagabond Circus, Book 3

By: Sarah Noffke

Narrated by: Steve Barnes

When a threat so brutal it has the force to rip the magic right out of the world takes over Vagabond Circus, everyone seeks refuge away from the big top. Finley knows he has to protect the circus he's grown to love and its people. But to do that he'll have to further scar his soul. Jack is relentless to take back what was stolen from him, but in the process he becomes someone he never expected. And this acrobat, who once stole the hearts of millions, accidentally steals a heart he didn't expect. But it is Titus who is most changed by the events at Vagabond Circus. He's always been the fearful coward, but with a new threat bearing down on his best friend's circus he knows he has to invent the courage to become a new man. Zuma watches from the sidelines as the people she loves grow in an effort to save one of the most important ventures in the world. In this final installment of the Vagabond Circus series, deals will be made, futures tampered with, and everyone's hearts broken. But the question that will keep the troupe of this circus going is precisely the same one that will plague listeners. Can Dr. Dave Raydon's circus be saved? And if it can't, then is everything around it doomed?

©2017 Sarah Noffke (P)2017 Sarah Noffke

Magnificent end to the series

A magical, suspenseful, brutal and yet beautiful end to the Vagabond Circus series. This book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, it breakers your heart, puts it back together and then cracks it slightly again at the end, it is both sad and joyful at the same time. The cruel destructiveness and warped manipulation that Knight rains down on the circus is devastating in how quickly it starts to destroy the beauty that was Dave Raydon's creation. Your heart breaks for the losses and the evil the characters have to endure, but despite there being times when the tension in this story is so tight that you can barely breathe, there are also parts that make your soul soar. The narration captures the feel of the book, his eclectic voice suits the circus to a tee. I especially loved Steve Barnes' interpretation of Knight, his voice puts an image of him in your mind that fits this evil, manipulative character well. It is an expertly written story with great narration. It draws you in and keeps you captive to the end. You are consumed by the characters in this book, they make you feel hope, despair, love, frustration and hate. It is spellbinding and tension filled, an amazing story with a beauty all its own. A truly magnificent end to a spectacular series.

The Show must go on

What did you love best about Released?

How they worked together to find the truth.

Which character – as performed by Steve Barnes – was your favorite?

He did a great job with the book and all the characters.He was exactly the voice I heard in my head for Tidus

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

There were several deaths in this book and for two of them I did the "Happy Dance." A shocking part was when Finley's father was,what a crushing blow. There is more to this story and more secrets to be uncovered.

Any additional comments?

Book 3Releasrd…A tale of treachery
Charles Knight was Dr.David Raydon’s brother and his first performer 20 yrs ago. Where David brought out the good in people, Charles naturally brings out the bad and depravity in people. Charles was banned from the Vagabond Circus yrs ago. At a time when evil had destroyed Dr.Raydon’s beloved circus. Being Daivid’s brother, Charles now owned the majority share and Titus being Dr Raydon’s partner with a holding of 45% of the Circus.
Mr. Knight had driven onto the circus grounds with big black trucks, the man himself had to be 7ft tall wiry and pale. Like he had never seen the sun. Mr Knight’s eyes were cruel and cold. Sabasten the boy Dave had taken in and who had ran away after the tragedy struck was there standing beside this hateful man along with a smaller redheaded girl named Gwen they were Knight’s enforcers and eyes, both very creepy. At the meeting he marched in two rows sad looking children all wearing black t-shirts looking down at the ground , there had to be at least 40 of them. They didn’t speak or look up. Mr.Kight forbid any of the Circus folks from speaking or interacting with “his children” in any way.
Mr.Knight was going to change up the show. Where it was light and airy it was now spooky and heavy. There was drinking and fighting among the Vagabond Circus family, things were going on that Dave would never have allowed. Ian, the crew had had told the performers that they had to stay for the greater good. Ian was never wrong and he had a good reputation so very one listened to him. Knight would plague those who disobeyed him with horrible headaches. They had to play along for now even though everything in them told them to run. No one was happy except maybe Padmal, because she was able to talk Knight into letting them juggle with sharp ice sickles, something Dave had shot down when it was first mentioned. She hated Dave for taking her and her brothers out of the orphanage. She just knew her mother would come back for her some day, but her adoration for Mr.Kinght will be short lived. The performers all felt helpless and miserable. Finley was keeping his distance from Zuma and the others to protect them from the wrath of Knight. Knight would find who or what you loved and he would hurt or destroy them in order to control.
There is a small core group that were planning on getting rid of Knight, Gwen & Sebastian. They just had to keep the Legacy alive of what Dr.Raydon had created they had to take the Circus back.
Fanny had tossed a huge secret. It changed everything in the way Mr. Knightly believed to be true. It made Finley’s life even worse for a time. All hope was not lost. Even though there had been several deaths under Mr. Knights leadership.

To find out more pick up this enchanting series and other books by Sarah Noffke. You will be memorized and amazed. This Dream Traveler world that Mrs. Noffke created is amazing and it stretches across several of her series. Each one is enchanting, well written and will transport you in time. You will love her well rounded, complex and amazing characters, and love to hate others.

It is amazing how pleasant Noffke’s books are

We left ‘Paralyzed‘ with the news that Knight was the new legitimate owner of the Vagabond Circus. In this last book of the series we will find a much darker circus than the one we previously found. Knight’s personality will influence the crew and their acts will invariably change to become more daring, more dangerous and a lot darker. Nobody is happy with these changes, but Knight has always Sebastian and Gwendolyn in tow, which will make an open attack impossible. The artists at Vagabond Circus will affront this hopeless situation with intelligence and many will changes and grow under the circumstances. And they will discover a new secret about Finley.

It is amazing how pleasant Noffke’s books are. Her power resides in greatly developed characters and polished plots. If the previous book felt a transition between the beginning and the end, this one really answered all the open questions and put all the pieces of the puzzle together. It is what I also like from Noffke’s books: everything forms part of a big scheme, and once everything falls into place you realize that there was not any other way in which the story would work better. The end was the one meant to be. I can also say that it almost brought tears to my eyes, and this is because Noffke’s characters matter. They breath, think and have motivations. They were almost my friends for the hours that I listened to the book, and I have to say that I already miss them. One can write very clever plots, but without great characters, a book will have no soul. And this might be why I enjoy Sarah’s books so much, because they have a soul, and they matter.

Steve Barnes did a great job, again, at narrating the book and transmitting the emotions of every character. I also have to say that he is great at making different voices and one always know who is talking, something I appreciate from a narrator. It definitely adds another dimension to the story.

I am very happy to have the opportunity of listening to these series. Whenever I start a series by Sarah Noffke I know that I am in for a good ride. She has made it! Again!

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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stunning end to a wonderful series

this last book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. as always the author's characters are four dimensional. I would not be surprised to see these people walking down the street or at a circus. they have spirit and heart as well as the ability to walk off the pages into your heart. if you enjoy love stories that are not overly sappy have a plot and intrigued with a dash of mystery than this series is for you.

not to be missed

When a threat is so overwhelming that the magic is almost gone right out of Vagabond Circus the family must bond together to either live or die together. Jack is relentless in his journey and Sunshine rains on his parade often, but it's Jack that will take the brunt of this to his soul if the plan works. Some people change others do not, and secrets are revealed in Released. However, there is still a lot of action, a ton of suspense, and a roller coaster of twists and turns to navigate, but author Sarah Noffke is a pro at this acrobatic world as she did spend time with a real circus.

Narrator Steve Barnes is a pro at bringing the circus world alive to his listeners. He really makes you feel as though you are a part of the story as well, right there working at Vagabond Circus, helping Finley and Zuma with their plan. So if you get a chance, give the audiobook a go, it won't disappoint

Sarah Noffke is a genius!

If you could sum up Released in three words, what would they be?

Exciting
Dramatic
Amazing

What about Steve Barnes’s performance did you like?

I am not a huge fan of his reading of this series but I think as the series went on he did great and i didn't mind his style so much

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

I was on the edge of my seat most of the time

Any additional comments?

A wonderful conclusion to this series