Hound's Bite

Note: While this is Book 5 in the series, I feel that one could enjoy it as a stand alone.

Ivy Granger has returned from the Unseelie Faerie Court after learning some earth-shattering news about her parentage. But there’s no time to rest and deal with that because the Lord of the Hunt is about to hit Harborsmouth. She must call upon her allies, her latest training, and her friends to combat the Wild Hunt or suffer the loss of her beloved city.

This was a gripping read! I really enjoyed this installment in the series. First, there’s the great characters and they’re all written so well in this book, with great lines and actions that give them depth. Then there’s more than one crisis Ivy has to deal with, so it’s not just one long show more meandering battle with the Wild Hunt. Lastly, there are consequences and some of them are a bit rough. I like it when my urban fantasy drags talons across some of the major characters.

Jinx is still a big part of Ivy’s life and I’m very glad these two friends were able to deal with their recent falling out. And, yes, Jinx still has her crossbow. She and Forneus (who is a demon and a lawyer) are still together. Then there’s Torn, the cat sidhe, who flirts with both Ivy and Jinx, which really irritates both Forneus and Ceff (Ivy’s kelpie lord boyfriend). Then toss in Sparky, Ivy’s adopted demon child. Father Michael gets called in to babysit while the heroes work on a game plan to deal with Hearn, Lord of the Hunt.

Yet before they get too far along, Sparky goes missing. Now a powerful witch, Kaye, has a plan to save Harborsmouth from the Wild Hunt but things are going disastrously wrong there. Ivy and her friends will need the help of the mysterious Circle before they can regroup and get back to dealing with Hearn. I loved this part of the book. It was a bit of a detour from the big event but I really enjoyed how it added to several of the characters. Ariadne, a witchling who is in training to Kaye, really gets to be in the spotlight for part of it. Then there’s Ivy’s new Faerie and Wisp powers to put on display. Also the beetles! The next time I get something stuck in my throat, I will be looking for beetles.

So then we get past that and allies must be gathered for the big fight. Now the thing about the Wild Hunt is that if a hound of the Wild Hunt bites you, you turn into a hound yourself and you’re bound to serve the Lord of the Hunt. Armor! Bring me my armor! Obviously, things don’t go well for everyone involved and Ivy faces the very real danger of losing people she loves to the Wild Hunt.

I was very satisfied with the ending. Not everyone got everything they wanted but there’s still enough good stuff that people can pick up the pieces and move on with their lives. I especially like how far the Pooka came in this series, despite their choice of condom hats.

I received a free copy of this book.

The Narration: Once again, Melanie Mason narrates the bulk of this story, being the perfect voice for Ivy. I also love her Jinx voice. Anthony Bowling has all the male character lines and he does a great job with Torn (a flirtatious snot) and Father Michael (a sincere man). Most of the time, Bowling’s lines are inserted smoothly into the recording but other times it definitely felt like these two narrators weren’t in the same room during the recording. There were a few sound effects mixed in, and for the most part they worked. There were a few that I wasn’t sure what they were until the story told me what they were. show less

My original Hound's Bite audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

As if Ivy Granger doesn't have enough problems with her mom being Queen Mab, her father is Will of the Wisp, her fiancé is The king of Kelpies, her adopted son is full on demon and she's a full blown fey; but now one of her trusted friends has gone evil rogue and The Wild Hunt is on the prowl. Can she save her friends and the town she loves? Who amongst her friends will suffer if she loses?

EJ Stevens crafts an action-packed tale which challenges each character to do what is right instead of what is expected. I loved how the various forms of fey/supernaturals were involved demonstrating that differences can be put aside for the good of show more all.

Character development was solid as was the plot. There were a couple of times where things seemed to take a leap and she had more aces up her sleeve than a casino has chips. That phrase was overused however the story itself was solid and engaging.

This was a bit of a theatrical presentation with sounds and music; often getting in the way of the story. Narrators Melanie Mason and Anthony Bowling did an amazing job of owning the book with their talented and crafted voices. They never stumbled over one another and their voices fit each character.

There were no issues with the production or quality of this audiobook. Although I felt the sound effects are more of a hindrance than a help.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author. show less

*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Ivy, Ceff, and Torn have returned from Faerie, with the Wild Hunt on their heels. Opening the door and going to Faerie has it's consequences, and the Wild Hunt is one for Ivy.

By now you know I'm a sucker for the extras in audio. The first thing we hear are the howls that Ivy hears as she speaks, questioning what the howls are. This has me liking the audio from the first moment. We get a female and male voice team for this book. All feminine voices are performed by Melanie and all male by Anthony. It adds a nice flavor and contrast to the characters as we listen. I like the sound that they give to Herne's voice.

The refresher was shorter in show more this book, thankfully. Though when we meet someone we get their back story as of now. I'm one for working this into the story not just giving it to me at seeing the person in the beginning of the book. But that's my preference, not everyone's.

At times I found sentences that were more poetic than others. There are also sentences that made the story feel as though it was for a young adult crowd (which it's really not) because it told what was implied the sentence before, instead of letting the impression for the reader be all that was needed. I like how the writing has improved as well. Ivy doesn't just point something out about herself, the events and others guide to that moment of a bigger feeling.

Ivy has grown into a strong woman. She has to do the things that are hard, and stop someone that's dangerous. She's written more in what she's doing than just telling us how she is. Ivy also has to face consequences of what's been done in the past.

This book feels to be deeper in the plot. There is more reason to the Wild Hunt being here than originally thought. And I like the connections to the reasons. They feel on the larger scale than the previous books. There is more to come and more going on outside of Ivy's little world than we knew.

Jinx has her own drive in this book. She's working to free the streets of the dangerous drug Ice. It was something that was used on her and killed another, but that story can be found in Club Nexus. This is a wonderful tie in and building of the character that we've seen through the stories.

I very much enjoyed this story. It felt to tie a bunch of strings from the previous books together here. Everything leads up to something. What the characters have lived through and why the events have happened. I like this connection as the story feels to have a great depth to it. show less

Hound's Bite (Ivy Granger, #5), my twelfth read from author E.J. Stevens and my tenth Ivy Granger read. Well-written with intriguing characters. 7-hours 1-minute/264-pages of enjoyment. Over the last two books, the story has evolved in directions I never saw coming when I began the series, wait no spoilers here, buy the book, read & review the book. E.J. Stevens has rapidly become a go-to author for me! I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reading & reviewing it. Melanie A. Mason & Anthony Bowlin’s narration adds to the book's enjoyment. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

*Ivy Granger is all grown-up and saving Harborsmouth.

*The narrative does tend to be repetitive. I get that we dive into Ivy's mind but... repetition of what was stated in a paragraph or chapter before.

action-adventure, fae, faerie, superstitions, support-system, friendship, urban-fantasy -----
I really love the Ivyverse for itself and for the way it ties other ones into and around it--exceptionally well populated with other supernatural beings both good and bad. Ivy Granger is simply the best kind of supernatural role model and is supportive of any who have goodness and death to any who promote wickedness. She is as loyal to her friends as they are to her. The first four paragraphs of the publisher's blurb gives hints and is useful, and there are no spoilers here. If you already know Ivy Granger you'll want to get this one in your collection, and if you don't, what are you waiting for!
I get the audios, and the team of Mason and show more Bowlin are perfect! show less