SAVAGE PRINCE Savage Trilogy, Book 1

Narrator Grace Grant effectively projects Temperance Ransom's youthful anxiety but otherwise struggles to create a seamless listening experience. Fighting the stigma of childhood poverty, Temperance values her job at Seven Sinners Whisky while pondering a career in sculpture. An unexpected encounter at an elite New Orleans sex club introduces a mysterious lover. Grant, who narrates nearly the entire story, seems too well modulated and conventional to depict Temperance's secret desires as they unfold. Likewise, her voice for Temperance's lover sounds so artificial that his dialogue consistently draws the listener out of the story. Also, Grant's version of Temperance isn't flexible enough to express March's sardonic humor. On the other hand, Joe Arden, who delivers the audiobook's last chapter, opens a tempting window onto Temperance's sexy partner. C.A. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2018]