Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE:  Next to Nothing

SERIES:  The Chosen One, Book Three

AUTHOR:  Macy Blake

NARRATOR: Michael Dean

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  6 hours and 59 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  December 1, 2021

BLURB:

What do you get when you mix a dragon, a vampire, a griffin, a mage, and a human? Sawyer Smith’s life sounds like a punchline, but the mates he’s come to love are no joke. They’re fierce and wonderful, protecting him from the outside forces trying to destroy him. Add in a reluctant hippocamp and an egotistical fae prince, and Sawyer has his hands full in more ways than one. 

Sawyer is closer than ever to fulfilling the ancient prophecy of the Chosen One, but the bonds between him and his newest guardians are giving him doubts. The rules are changing, and Sawyer has to adapt quickly if he’s going to keep up, especially after he’s whisked away to the land of the fae, a place with cryptic customs. One misstep could very well lead to his death. 

Navigating the waters of his newest relationship is tricky enough without the encroaching dangers. Something terrifying is heading Sawyer’s way, threatening not only his life, but everything he’s built with the mates he loves. Despite their concerns, Sawyer is ready to make sacrifices, because there’s next to nothing he wouldn’t do to keep them safe.

REVIEW:

Next to Nothing, the third book in Macy Blake’s The Chosen One series, is something else.  Buckle up buttercup.  You’re in for a bumpy ride.

If you are reading this review and haven’t read the prior books, stop reading. Now. The series contains a fairly complex, continuing storyline, so you need to read the books in order.  To that point, I’m going to digress for a minute.  

Ms. Blake’s Chosen One universe is comprised of multiple sets of books.  There are three prequel stories: Sweet Nothings, and two other free downloadable prequel stories that are fun, but not crucial.  Then there’s The Chosen One series, and running on a parallel track, the Hellhound Champions series which focuses on Meshaq’s world.  (There are also two later spinoff series (Chosen Champions and Magical Mates) and a couple of other freebies interspersed throughout.) 

Because The Chosen One and Hellhound Champions series run contemporaneously, there are definite, noticeable interconnections between them.  I recommend reading the first book in the Hellhounds Champions series, Hell on Earth, before reading Next to Nothing. (The Hellhounds Champions series is not yet available in audiobook.) It’s not strictly necessary, but it is the reading order Ms. Blake recommends and I concur that it provides helpful context.  I initially listened to Next to Nothing before reading Hell on Earth and I had that nagging “I missed something” feeling towards the end of the story.  Reading Hell on Earth gave me the “now I get it” feeling I was craving.

At the end of Chosen One book two, Nothing Ventured, Prince Kavalan of the fae realm arrives proclaiming himself as one of Sawyer’s guardians. He’s got the guardian’s mark to prove it.  But, inexplicably, Sawyer feels zero pull towards him.  In fact, neither Sawyer nor his five guardians/mates – Draco, Eduard, Andvari, Henry, and Seaward – feel much toward the Prince at all except annoyance and irritation. 

Meanwhile, new elements, people, and dangers keep presenting themselves.  Sawyer’s brother Mikey unexpectedly arrives at the estate along with his two mates, one of whom is Draco’s cousin.  The Prince comes and goes but always leaves his most trusted Captain of his guard, Loch, behind to protect Sawyer in his absence.  Loch is taciturn, grumpy, and reluctant to engage with Sawyer beyond his duty to protect.  He’s also super-hot with some Matrix-level action moves that have Sawyer and his mates all drooling.  Sawyer feels attraction for Loch and it distresses him.  He’s supposed to want Prince Kavalan, but doesn’t.  He’s not supposed to want someone who’s not his guardian or mate. 

Things amp up further when another attack is leveled against Sawyer and others are caught in the crossfire.  Even Pearl, Sawyer’s adorable, loyal dog is pulled into the fray.  They escape by jumping through a portal to the Fae realm where a whole different set of perils awaits.  Out of the frying pan and into the fire as they say …

Next to Nothing has more twists and turns than a coiled-up snake.  Riding out the craziness with Sawyer and his mates is integral to the experience of the book.  Some things stay constant though.  There are lots of hot and sexy times between Sawyer and his mates in all permutations of couples and throuples.  There’s tons of sweet, swoony lovey-doveyness between them.  And of course, there’s the ever-present threat against Sawyer’s life.

Next to Nothing has more momentum than the prior books while still maintaining Ms. Blake’s excellent character development and her humorous dialogue.  The Chosen One plot moves along here too, and we get some very important, albeit confusing, reveals towards the end.  Ms. Blake creates a soft cliffhanger in that we’re left saying WTF just happened here?  Well, we’re going to have to read on to the next book to find out.

Michael Dean is back again with another well-executed vocal performance on the Next to Nothing audiobook.  He throws himself into his portrayal of these characters and really brings them to life.  There are a LOT of characters at this point from varying clans and realms, so he’s got a multitude of voices to keep track of.  Yet he manages to consistently distinguish between them and his vocal choices in pitch, tone, pacing and intonations are thoughtful and apropos.  I always enjoy Mr. Dean’s narration but his performances on this series are a step above. 

If you haven’t embarked on The Chosen One universe yet, I highly encourage you to do so ASAP.   Next to Nothing is a super-fun, absorbing listen that I recommend.  As Ms. Blake and Mr. Dean take us further and further into the series, everything just gets better and better.  I can’t wait to see what’s in store in the next book.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Audible 

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