Audio: She Wakes in Water by M.K. Gibson @GibsonMK1 @XeSands @AmberCovePub #LoveAudiobooks

Posted December 16, 2020 by Melanie in Book Review / 12 Comments

Audio: She Wakes in Water by M.K. Gibson @GibsonMK1 @XeSands @AmberCovePub #LoveAudiobooksShe Wakes in Water by M.K. Gibson
Narrator: Xe Sands
Series: Hammer of Witches #2
Published by Amber Cove Publishing on October 28, 2020
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Length: 12 hours and 25 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
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one-flame
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

What happens when the heroes go too far?

In the near year and a half following her tragic ordeal in She Dreams of Fire, Agatha “Aggy” Grae and her allies have been hunting the remnants of the Umbra coven. By fighting back against the corrupt witches who imprisoned and killed the Fae for their blood, Aggy and her friends have become beacons of hope. But inner turmoil plagues the team, as the price for freedom is a weight upon their souls.

When an ancient curse begins to target the Fae community, Aggy, Marcus, Cally, and the rest of the team search for those responsible. But they quickly learn that not all enemies are creatures from the hidden world. Some are simply human. And when humans allow their fear to turn to hate, they become capable of the most wicked and heartbreaking acts.

She Wakes in Water is a story of sacrifice, where the heroes must blur the line between right and wrong. When they are forced to team up with an old enemy, the group’s bonds of friendship are tested, and they question whether they are the heroes or the villains of their own story. Through their successes and their losses, they will have to hold on to hope. But is that enough? Or will it cost them their humanity?

She Wakes in Water starts off not long after the end of She Dreams of Fire (don’t start here, you must read book one before tackling this book, trust me). Aggy and the gang are still killing off the evil witches of the Umbra coven, but it is taking a toll. How far can you toe the line of violence without becoming that which you fight? That is something some of the gang are dealing with better than others, which is no surprise considering the personalities involved here.

I really enjoyed watching how the different characters struggled with what they were doing and keeping their humanity. Each character had their own ways of dealing with the death and violence, and together, it made the team even stronger and more of a family.

If you know me, you know how much I love character driven stories. I love worlds where the characters and their lives are front and center. Sure, I love a great plot with action and mystery, but it is the characters that will drive me to pick up the next book in the series. That is no different here. I love Aggy to death. She’s such an interesting character with her background of being an orphan that was then raised by two aunts (who are way more than they seem on the surface). There isn’t a single character of Aggy’s gang I don’t love to pieces; they are just all so perfect for each other.

Anyway, in this book, they end up having to pause their attacks on the Umbra coven to fight another enemy, the Knights of Seth. They have a hatred of anyone who isn’t human (like them) and if you’re a human who sides with the “other”, you might as well be on of the “others”. Aggy ends up with some unlikely allies in this fight, but will that be enough? And will killing humans be different than killing witches, even if they come for you first?

This Hammer of Witches series has all the things I love in an urban fantasy series; complex characters, unique and well-developed world, lots of action, a good story and more than its fair share of snark (I can’t help but love smart assed characters, I don’t know what that says about me LOL). This series has all of that in spades. Gibson kept me on the edge of my seat, as there were some plot twists I didn’t see coming. He made me laugh and cry. There is nothing better I can say about a story. If you haven’t tried this series, you’re really missing out. I highly recommend it.

Narration:

Xe Sands does a wonderful job with the narration of this series. She has done a great job picking voices for this wide array of characters. Not only does she have to voice male and female voices, but there’s also several different types of fae that aren’t exactly humanoid, so their voices are a bit different. And then there is Ji, Aggy’s very flamboyant gay best friend. Ms. Sands did a wonderful job picking a voice that fits him perfectly. Lastly, there’s Miraj, a magical bunny rabbit who can grow a horn, who has picked Aggy as his human. Anyway, the voices really match the personalities of each character. On top of that, she really brings out the emotion of each scene. I really think she’s a big part of the reason there were tears in my eyes in places in the story. She really made me feel what was going on in the scene. I don’t think you could’ve picked a better person to voice this series.

Listen to a clip: HERE

About Xe Sands

Award-winning narrator known for credible characterizations and an intimate delivery with more than a decade of experience bringing stories to life through narration, performance, and visual art. I believe an authentic performance demands authentic connection to the text and subtext.

About M.K. Gibson

Author: M. K. Gibson

Hi, I’m Mike Gibson (Gib or Gibby to my friends). I’m a father, husband, writer and a retired US Air Force MSgt with 20 years of service. Back in 1980, when I was 5, I saw the animated version of The Hobbit and was a geek from then on. All I have ever wanted to do was to write and tell stories.

And yes, those are some of my framed rejection letters from agents, agencies and publishing houses on the home screen. I keep them, take them out from time to time and remind myself that some people are idiots.

I live with my wife, son, 2 dogs and cat in Mt Airy, Maryland.

I love to read, play video games, exercise and watch movies. I’m a lover of all things geek and I’m a highly opinionated, socially/politically neutral person. I feel those who live and die by a brand, or party, are doomed to fail as human beings. I also mock those who refuse to let go of the Oxford comma.

In short, I’m an asshole. Yet, a lovable asshole. I hope.

Rating Breakdown
Plot
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star
Writing
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star
Characters
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Dialogue
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Narration (Audio)
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Overall: One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Melanie
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Posted December 16, 2020 by Melanie in Book Review / 12 Comments


12 responses to “Audio: She Wakes in Water by M.K. Gibson

  1. Sounds like an interesting audiobook. And that narrator sounds great. I’m not sure this one is for me though. But I totally agree about the character driven stories. If I like the characters, I’m more likely to pick up the next book too.

  2. Character driven stories are always the best and I adore this narrator as well. I haven’t read or listened to this series, but if I ever do I will keep in mind to get it in audio format.

    Great review.

  3. Jen

    OMG. I love this series and book so much. It’s everything you described and more. The characters are everything – even Vanessa this time around. I hate that we have to wait for the next book. And now I have to go check my reviews because I just wrote G for Ji. *headsmack* this is what happens with audiobook.

    • I had to search for him in the preview of the ebook on Amazon to find the spelling. That is the biggest challenge to reviewing audiobooks, is finding spelling of names. Especially in the sci-fi/fantasy world. I’m like you, I need the next book now, but I’ll be patient, even if it isn’t my strong suit when it comes to books.

      Melanie recently posted: Top 10 Books I Want in 2021