19 Aug Amulet’s Rapture Audiobook Review and Interview
Amulet’s Rapture Audiobook Review and Interview
It is my pleasure to share my interview with Literary Titan about the audiobook of Amulet’s Rapture. The narrator is Kristin James (KJ The Voice Actor) who also narrated the first two audiobooks in this series: Book 1 Apollo’s Raven and Book 2 Dagger’s Destiny.
I’m also pleased to share Literary Titan’s review of the audiobook of Amulet’s Rapture for which they awarded a Gold Award. The award is based on the criteria that the audiobook is perfect in its delivery of original content, meticulous development of unique characters in an organic and striking setting, innovative plot that supports a fresh theme, and elegant prose that transforms words into a beautifully written book. The Gold Award is a tribute to Kristin’s skill as a voice actor covering a wide range of voices and accents.
Interview Literary Titan
Epic Historical Fantasy
JUL 19 Posted by Literary Titan
I loved the narration in this audiobook. What was the collaboration like with narrator Kristin James to bring your book to life?
I’ve always had a great collaboration with Kristin James, the narrator of all of my audiobooks in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series. Whenever we’re ready to do an audiobook, I send her a list of the most important characters along with their traits and background. For the new characters introduced in Amulet’s Rapture, Kristin provided me an audio example of the voice she would use for each of them. For the most part, her voice inflections of characters are spot on and I give her free rein on the dramatic interpretation of the book. She enjoys narrating some of the villainous or quirky characters such as Decimus (Catrin’s Roman master), Myrddin (Merlin-like Druid), Rhan (Sorceress), and Marrock (Catrin’s half-brother).
Were there any challenges or unique opportunities that were presented when creating your audiobook?
There are devoted fans of audiobooks that I might not reach with an e-book or printed book. It is always a thrill to hear Kristin’s narrative interpretation of my books. She brings the characters to life on the page. One of the biggest challenges of producing an audiobook for an epic historical fantasy is finding a narrator with a wide range of voices for the myriad of characters from different regions in the ancient world. Kristin has done a fantastic job creating distinctive voices, both male and female. For characters from Britannia who only speak Celtic, Kristin narrates their dialogue with a Gaelic accent. The Roman characters have various British accents while the other Celtic characters who can speak Latin have a US accent. One of the new characters in Amulet’s Rapture is Negasi, an Ethiopian gladiator who befriends Catrin and speaks with an African accent.
What is one scene from the audiobook that stands out to you as different from the way it’s presented in the book?
This is a hard question to answer. There were several scenes that Kristin brings to life with her narration. One of the scenes that gives hints on how the series will unfold is provided in Chapter 8 entitled, “Rhan’s Baby.” This is a surrealistic scene in which Rhan—a sorceress who cast a curse that Catrin’s father would be slain and overthrown by his son, Marrock— levitates between life and death after giving birth to her daughter. Rhan envisions her curse, which has been etched on a dagger blade, melting and transforming into another curse, foretelling Marrock will meet the safe fate as his father at the hands of Catrin. Kristin captures the dreamlike scene as though it is actually happening to Rhan. There are other similar scenes in which fantasy and reality weave together to drive the story
For the original post, click on Epic Historical Fantasy
Literary Titan Review
Amulet’s Rapture
JUN 28Posted by Literary Titan
Catrin is living a nightmare. She has become a slave, is used and abused as a woman disguised as a soldier, and the love of her life doesn’t remember the passion that once existed between them. Catrin is as feared as much as she is taken for granted. Considered to have powers that far outshine the abilities and skills of any soldier, she is allowed to live and protected even though she isn’t respected. Marcellus, her love, now under the spell of another, can’t quite shake the feeling that something is not right–something he can’t explain but leaves him feeling empty and broken. Catrin knows, but will she be able to tell him in time?
Amulet’s Rapture, by Linnea Turner, continues the journey of young Catrin. Her life, very different from that of previous installments, is a daily struggle for survival. She is only allowed to live because she is deemed valuable and believed to have the ability to speak directly with the sun god. Catrin is put through ghastly tasks and treated with little respect even though she is offered the opportunity to train as a warrior priestess. Playing along with the idea that she is all-powerful is the only thing that seems to keep her from being killed.
Catrin’s visions are an important part of the plot–the thread woven discreetly throughout the story that ties all of the elements neatly together. The images she conjures are vivid and touching. The author uses them expertly to pull in elements from previous installments. These little trips into Catrin’s past are especially helpful if listening to this as a stand alone.
The audio version of Amulet’s Rapture is a fascinating listen. The narrator absolutely nails tone, character changes, and emphasis. In addition, the particularly intense scenes in which Catrin is being threatened are completely captivating when read by the narrator, Kristin James. What would be moving moments if read in paperback or Kindle become quite terrifying and extremely uncomfortable when listening to the narrator’s interpretation of the text–the story is truly brought to life.
I believe this installment is completely readable as a stand-alone text. The author provides quite a bit of background, and Catrin’s visions give readers a nice glance back at previous plots. One cannot read Tanner’s work without calling it romance. Though it is primarily a fantasy, readers who seek a strong romantic feel to their fantasies will appreciate Tanner’s writing. She peppers her plot with just enough of these steamy scenes to keep romance fans invested.
Audio Length: 11 hours and 11 minutes | ASIN: B0887Y9WLY
For the original post, click on Amulet’s Rapture
The audiobook of Amulet’s Rapture can be downloaded from at the following sites:
Order from Amazon
Order from iTunes
Order from Google Play
Hope everyone keeps safe and healthy during these difficult times. Thank you for your continued support.
Best wishes,
Linnea Tanner
Jan Sikes
Posted at 16:04h, 20 AugustFantastic, Linnea! Congrats on getting “Amulets Rapture” into audiobook format!
Linnea Tanner
Posted at 17:10h, 21 AugustThank you, Jan, for the congrats! It’s fun to hear how a narrator can bring life to a story. Hope you have fantastic weekend!