The Laughing Listener
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Caitlin Davies
Length: 9 hours & 7 minutes

Story Rating: 3.5 Stars
Performance Rating: 3 Stars
Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

*[b:Angelfall|15863832|Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1)|Susan Ee|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1464206558s/15863832.jpg|16435765] spoilers ahead*

Whoa... Well. Another random and exciting installment for the Penryn series. These books have a special way of making my head spin. Jury is still out on if that's a good or bad thing though... After the last book ended with our favorite couple separated, I reeeeeeeeeeeally dragged my feet on this one. I had no interest in watching Penryn's long and drawn out search for Raffe, but I'll be damned if my curiosity didn't get the better of me.

THE GOOD

The biggest thing driving my interest in the first book was the romance factor (#SorryNotSorry), so when Raffe and Penryn got separated at the end, I thought I'd be annoyed with this second installment for sure. I mean, a whole book of them just pining for one another?! Gag me.



But surprisingly, I thought Susan Ee did a really great job with it! Who knew I'd grow so attached to a sword like it was an individual character?! Even though Raffe and Penryn are apart, the angel sword reveals some of Raffe's memories, which helps in building up that romantic tension despite the separation. It was awesome! I loved seeing little snippets of the last book from Raffe's perspective and getting a more in-depth look at his past.

Plus, it made their reunion at the end that much more swoon-worthy! UGH. So adorable.

I'm also still loving how completely weird and random this plot line is??? One second Penryn is sitting in camp talking to a sword and the next, a herd of weird scorpion men are stinging the hell out of civilians and there's blood everywhere. What?? Sometimes I just had to laugh because I'd be listening to the audio and wondering "how the hell did we get here?" But somehow I don't hate it??? I actually love how weird and creepy these books can be because it's so different! It keeps me engaged and interested. I mean, a guy getting dismembered at a party is definitely memorable for readers.

THE UGLY

Even though this was a pretty quick listen that I finished (almost) in one work day, the middle of this book felt like it dragged on and on and on.



Part of that is probably my frustration at Raffe's absence because I was anxious for our favorite couple to reunite. But I hated all the camp stuff in the last book and that takes up a large chunk of the beginning this time around. I don't trust any of those soldiers and they all seem fairly terrible, so I just wanted Penryn to get out of there. Then there was that whole part where they get dragged to Alcatraz??? It felt completely pointless. Penryn manages to learn some stuff about Paige's transformation while she's there, but that was kind of it?? And they spend a long time planning a huge escape for the Alcatraz prisoners that Penryn isn't even a part of in the end. Wtf was the point of listening to them plan it?!?

FINAL WORD

Not as good as Angelfall, but this random, creepy romance was definitely entertaining and made me curious about how the hell this could possibly end.