Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Nothing Ventured
SERIES: The Chosen One, Book Two
AUTHOR: Macy Blake
NARRATOR: Michael Dean
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 6 hours and 52 minutes
RELEASE DATE: November 19, 2021
BLURB:
A Gay Paranormal Harem Romance
Sawyer Smith is woefully unprepared for the dangers that come with being part of the supernatural world. As a magical null, he is human and vulnerable, even with the powerful, sexy guardians who have claimed him as their own. When a simple visit turns deadly, Sawyer’s mates take action and whisk him away to the clan of rich and powerful griffins.
As a griffin, Eduard Eastaughffe is considered supernatural royalty, but even with all his wealth and power, his duty as a guardian must come before all else. If he can convince his clan to support his newfound mates and not judge the fact they include a dragon, a vampire, a mage, and – Goddess forbid–a human, the rest of the clans may fall in line without much of a fight.
Danger lurks in close quarters and a new guardian is revealed. If Sawyer hopes to discover the ancient enemy hunting the Chosen One, he must survive the newest tests facing him. Because at the end of the day, when you’re a human among magical creatures, it’s nothing ventured…nothing gained.
REVIEW:
Nothing Ventured, the second book in Macy Blake’s The Chosen One series, builds upon the character development and background established in book one, All or Nothing. (Note, this is a continuing storyline, so you must read it in order.) When this book opens, Sawyer has discovered he is The Chosen One and that he has been preordained to have eight guardians protect him while he fulfills his prophecy of fixing the broken magic in the world. We met the first four guardians/mates in book one – Henry, a human seer with air elemental powers; Draco, Sawyer’s best friend (former) neighbor who also happens to be a fierce dragon shifter; Eduard, one of the most revered and influential of the griffin clans; and Andvari, a lethal, preternaturally powerful vampire. We meet a new guardian in this story and he is delectable. I’m not going to tell you who so you can encounter him organically, just like Sawyer did. But I will tell you that he is a glorious specimen that you will fall in love with.
Sawyer’s life is in grave danger as many people seem intent on harming him, the most threatening of which is a mystical, powerful, dark magical force trying to kill him before he can complete his mission. His guardians have constructed their elaborate estate with everything they’d need and warded themselves inside. Yet danger still finds them, so they flee to Eduard’s home.
The griffins are a proud, elitist clan who expect a magical, powerful Chosen One – certainly not a human. Negotiating the politics of Sawyer’s introduction to Eduard’s society, and in particular, his father, is a tricky endeavor. On top of that, Sawyer never seems to be able to outrun the danger, even on the Griffin island that should be a sanctuary. Then things take an unexpected turn and Sawyer finds himself on his own with only his wits and skills to save him.
This book continues with the slow(ish) pacing and character (and sex) focus in the early parts of the book. But things pick up as the story moves on, and once they arrive at Eduard’s home, the story gains momentum and dynamics that were previously missing. We get a good mixture of some action/suspense and the continued sweet, sexy interactions between the mates and Sawyer. Ms. Blake adeptly writes this story, sprinkling it with humor while she continues to build out new characters and expand those of the ancillary characters like Cecil the butler.
The plot has some frustrating holes, but notwithstanding, it works. It’s frisky and fun with a side of danger and it’s easy to go along for the ride. I think Ms. Blake is still finding her way through the series story arc, though, because some of the events here seemed to come out of left field. However, I didn’t mind because the story kept me invested and the characters kept me attached. The Chosen One plot doesn’t move forward to any significant extent, but I suspect we’ll need to collect another guardian or two before that happens.
So far, The Chosen One series is firmly rooted in the characters and their interconnected relationships. As such, Michael Dean, who narrates the entire series, is the perfect narrator choice for the Nothing Ventured audiobook. Here, just like in book one, we see his skill at characterization shine. He is extremely consistent with his distinction and delivery of myriad voices. That’s a feat in and of itself given the sheer number and variety of characters. But he also inherently understands who these characters are. His vocal choices in pitch, tone, timbre, pacing and intonations perfectly capture the essence of each of them. For example, the griffins take center stage in this story, and Mr. Dean nails the erudite, snootiness of this elitist species. Yet he’s simultaneously able to impart softness in the voices and vulnerability when the scene calls for it.
The Nothing Ventured audiobook improves upon the enjoyable All or Nothing. I expect things will just get better and better as the story unfolds in later books, so I recommend you jump into this series now if you haven’t already. Mr. Dean’s immense talent behind the mic creates an absorbing, immersive experience that will have seven hours of listening time fly by in the blink of an eye.
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