Flawed by the female narration.

I received a free copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Despite the fact that I had not read the first book in the series, I was able to quickly figure out who the characters are and get into the story. The heroine was born with great power but, not being affiliated with any clan, is self-taught. Her parents are super secret about their history, which is putting her in danger now. She is working with the police as a consultant, defusing magical items and interpreting paranormal crime scenes. She is also called on by a friend to rescue a were-peahen who has been kidnapped, possibly by a werewolf.

The POV alternates between the main male and female characters. I found the heroine’s voice irritating — too high pitched and rapid — which has colored my view of her. I’ve seriously speculated that the sound technician sped up Jeff Hays’ voice to make it “more feminine.” Think “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” and you’ll have some idea of how grating I found her voice. Unfortunately, this colored my reaction to her as a character.

I think I would have enjoyed the story more in print.