Almost a Turkish Soap Opera

https://www.facebook.com/almostaturkishsoapopera
Audible book click here

Narrated by:  Nicole quinn

A humorous look at arranged marriages, betrayals and affairs...

Finalist New Generation Indie Book Awards 2013. Adel and Kamil, 

two young good-looking Turkish men, try to immigrate to North America. 

Adel's ruthless grand-uncle arranges him to marry Yonka 

(his spoiled obnoxious cousin) in exchange for his immigration 

status in Canada. The problem is Yonka and Adel hate each other. 

The drama heats up even more when Adel has an affair with Nora, 

his beautiful English teacher which ruins Yonka's plans. And to add 

to this, his best friend Kamil has a big secret of his own. How did his 

life turn into a Turkish soap opera? The novel paints a vivid portrayal 

of the lives and struggles of young modern Muslim adults trying to 

make a life in the West.

The story will attract audiences of popular contemporary movies such 

as the Kite Runner and the Brick Lane. Anne-Rae Vasquez's work 

includes Almost a Turkish Soap Opera (released in 2012),

Gathering Dust - a collection of poems, and Teach Yourself Great 

Web Design in a Week, published by Sams.net (a division of Macmillan Publishing). 

Almost a Turkish Soap Opera was adapted into an award winning feature 

film and web series and is also Anne-Rae's directorial debut and was 

produced by Joseph Khalil, Sababa Emporium Film Productions 

(sababaemporium.com) with AR Films. Updated information can 

be found at almostaturkishsoapopera.com

©2012 Anne-Rae Vasquez, AR Publishing (P)2014 Anne-Rae Vasquez, AR Publishing

AudioBook Review In Winter’s Shadow: Down the Long Wind #3 by Gillian Bradshaw

AudioBook Review

Carrying the story forward, the story is now told by Gwenhwyfar or Guinevere as more commonly known. Bradshaw has managed to bring us to the end of days for Camelot, with the final battles, the death of Mordred, Gwalchmai’s death and her own roles and guilt for her part.

Again managing to re-invent the story of King Arthur using Bretonized forms of the names and presenting unique perspectives on the events, with points of view that were left untold or unimagined in the originals, Bradshaw has managed to neatly pull all of the threads together and wrap this series with a conclusion that is both refreshing and satisfying. 

What stands out prominently for me is Bradshaw’s ability to present her characters in a way that both feels unique yet holds true to their own internal dialogue as they explain, tell and share their parts of the story.  From Gwalchmai’s guilt about his lost love, to the very well-reasoned and completely real sense of ‘what is right’ that Gwenhwyfar presents as she wraps up the series, this reads as if the characters are real and palpable, giving readers the ability to commiserate, empathize, learn from and enjoy each person as they appear.

Narration is again provided by Nicole Quinn who manages to present the arcane and archaic place and character names with a smoothness that never falters. That is a quality of major importance, as the names and places are often tongue twisters, and the flow of the story would be greatly impacted if the pronunciation faltered or varies.  Additionally, her narration of the many moods of Gwenhwyfar, and the addition of simple adjustments in accent, tone and pace as she presented the other characters not only were easy to distinguish, but added to the enjoyment and impact of the story.  Touches of Wales and Scotland, as well as a bit of the ‘Northern’ accent all add to the story, and her seamless transitions in this well-produced performance are a wonderful addition.

 Stars: Overall: 4 Narration: 5 Story: 4 

I received a copy of this title from AudioBook Jukebox for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Title: In Winter's Shadow
Author: Gillian Bradshaw
Narrator: Nicole Quinn
Series: Down the Long Wind #3
Published by Landmark, Sourcebooks
Format: Audiobook
Pages: 321
Length: 13 Hours: 4 minutes
Source: AudioBook Jukebox
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Purchase Now: Amazon ♦ Audible ♦ Barnes&Noble♦ BooksAMillion♦ iTunes♦ Kobo♦Amazon UK ♦ Publisher
View at: Goodreads
Rating:  

About The Book

Arthur Pendragon strives to unite a fragmented empire as his bastard son threatens to tear down the king, his queen, and their bravest champions. From the sudden death of innocence to a perilous campaign that strikes at the very heart of the empire, this third and final book of the acclaimed trilogy by Gillian Bradshaw offers the reader a front-row seat as Arthur's dream and his kingdom collapse around him.

About Gillian Bradshaw

Born in Arlington, Virgina, Gillian Bradshaw grew up in Washington, Santiago, Chile and Michigan. She is a Classics graduate from Newnham College, Cambridge, and published her first novel, Hawk of May, just before her final term. A highly acclaimed historical novelist, Gillian Bradshaw has won the Hopwood Award for Fiction, among other prizes. She lives in Cambridge with her husband and their four children.

Website • Goodreads

AudioBook Review Kingdom of Summer: Down the Long Wind #2 by Gillian Bradshaw

AudioBook Review: 
http://iam-indeed.com/audiobook-review-kingdom-summer-long-wind-2-gillian-bradshaw/

Everyone is somewhat familiar with the Arthurian legends and the story of the King and the Knights of the Round Table.  Far from a very familiar feel, although presenting many of the characters in a new and different way, Gillian Bradshaw has retold the familiar story with several new twists, all unique and refreshing, that make for a wonderful story.

In the start of this story we are told of Gwalchmai’s (Sir Gawain) is starting a quest to find a long lost love that he wronged, Elidan.  Used to set up the story Gwalchmai’s distraction and rather dry retelling of the history leave us with only his perspective, and while his regret is evident I most certainly would have appreciated seeing the events in real time, rather than in this retelling.

Gwalchmai’s travels bring him to stay with Rhys’ family, where dazzled with the knight and the possibility of more, he asks to sign on as his servant.  From here, the story starts to gain traction with Rhys gaining in confidence and knowledge as the story unfolds.  Particularly apt is Rhys’ ability in narrating the story, presenting information with his own observations, often spot on.

Unlike any other Arthurian Tale that I have read, this story manages to present a twist to the story that makes it feel very plausible and real.  The world of Arthurian Britain is described with great detail and beautiful prose – sure to please history fans.  There are two love stories here, that conceivably be stretched to three if the early infatuation and fascination that Rhys had with Arthur’s warband could be counted.  A brief love soon cleared of its shine as Rhys is quickly learning the consequences of all actions.

Narration is provided by Nicole Quinn who aptly manages the often twisted pronunciation of names and places, many carrying the feel of the often-unpronounceable Welsh.  Her own accent, and lack of great pretention in presenting the various characters, her smooth transitions and seamless transition from prose to poetic are easy to listen to and present the story with flair.

Layered with description, imagined history, danger, sorcery and the classic good versus evil conflict that fuels the story of Arthur, this is a wonderful twist on the familiar story.  Best read after Hawk of May to have the full understanding, I thoroughly enjoyed this tale.

Stars Overall: 4  Narration: 4 Story: 5

I received a copy of this title from AudioBook Jukebox for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Title: Kingdom of Summer
Author: Gillian Bradshaw
Narrator: Nicole Quinn
Series: Down the Long Wind #2
Published by Landmark, Sourcebooks
Format: Audiobook
Pages: 288
Length: 10 Hours: 50 minutes
Source: AudioBook Jukebox
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Purchase Now: Amazon ♦ Audible ♦ Barnes&Noble♦ BooksAMillion♦ iTunes♦ Kobo♦Amazon UK ♦ Publisher
View at: Goodreads
Rating:  Flames