Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Aleron
SERIES: Chosen Champions Book 3
AUTHOR: Macy Blake
NARRATOR: Michael Dean
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 8 hours and 55 minutes
RELEASE DATE: April 13, 2021
BLURB:
Aleron Eastaughffe is a billionaire griffin who knows what he wants…. Namely, a gorgeous city penthouse, a life of luxury, and the respect and admiration of his peers–all the things he’s come to expect as one of the Eastaughffes. But when Aleron finds himself connected to a rag-tag group of shifters and forced to work alongside the most awkward yet utterly captivating human witch in all the realms…he realizes he might want something very different after all.
Spencer Walsh is a witch who knows where he belongs…. And that is alone, in his remote cabin, where there are no annoying people around to give him strange looks when he spends his days reading or to complain when he gets hyper-focused on research and forgets they exist. But when an old friend needs help researching a mysterious set of runes, Spencer joins forces with a group of shifters–and one gorgeous, provoking griffin–and learns that the world might just be more accepting than he thought…and more dangerous than he ever dreamed.
If Aleron and Spencer want a chance at a future together, they’ll have to let go of what they think they know and face some hard truths together…. The truth about the runes and the magic they hold.
The truth about what love and belonging really mean.
And the truth about how much they’ll compromise to make each other happy…and how hard they’ll fight to keep each other safe.
REVIEW:
Aleron is the third book in Macy Blake’s Chosen Champions series, the fourth series in the Chosen One universe. Ideally, you’ll have read all of the books up to this point, but what’s essential is that you’ve read the previous two books in this series, Logan and Gideon. There is an overarching story arc, so you need to read them in order, not as standalones.
In Aleron, Blake depicts an authentic opposites-attract romance between Aleron Eastaughffe and Spencer Walsh. Aleron is a griffin shifter related to Eduard (from The Chosen One series) and Victor (from the Chosen One spin-off series, Magical Mates). He first meets Spencer in book two, Gideon, when Aleron’s vampire packmate and BFF Gideon seeks Spencer out for help. Spencer is an eccentric witch and old friend of Gideon, and when Aleron opens, Spencer’s deeply engrossed in research about some unusual runes. Aleron has developed an inexplicable fascination and attraction to Spencer, and not just because Spencer is lumberjack gorgeous, Aleron’s kryptonite. There’s more there – emotions and feelings … it puts Aleron out of sorts.
Blake aptly portrays Spencer as a sweet, endearing, idiosyncratic, absent-minded professor type who absolutely should not work as a partner for Aleron. They are as different as night and day. Spencer lives in his isolated cottage, deep in the woods, where he connects with his land, figuratively and literally. Digging in the dirt and splitting firewood may be enjoyable for Aleron to watch Spencer do, but they are not activities the snobby, elite, uber-wealthy griffin clans engage in. Ever. Blake creates a captivating romantic journey for these men, though, which has each pushing past their comfort zones to meet each other in the middle. She creates both men in a multi-dimensional way, and they are endearing and compelling in equal measure. I enjoyed their interplay, and I adored how their love builds and expands in a natural, plausible way.
As usual with the books in this universe, the romance is rooted in a larger action/adventure plot involving many supernatural elements and creatures. Blake does an excellent job balancing the two so that one doesn’t overshadow the other. Like the previous series books, the plot is rooted in the pack led by Logan and his mother-hen fretting human mate Bailey. Blake does found family very well, and Logan’s pack of mismatched pack members from various clans epitomizes the unity of diverse characters who come together as chosen family.
Michael Dean continues his narration of the stories in Ms. Blake’s Chosen One universe. His deep connection to this fictional world and its inhabitants is evident in the Aleron audiobook. Dean consistently delivers the myriad voices of this diverse cast and excels, in particular, with his griffin and vampire voices, as I noted in my previous reviews of Gideon, All Kidding Aside (featuring Victor Eastaughffe), and the Chosen One series (featuring vampire Andvari and griffin Eduard Eastaughffe). Dean infuses Aleron’s voice with the erudite snobbiness inherent in the billionaire griffin clan. He sounds like Victor and Eduard (from The Chosen One series), yet his voice is different; it has a playful, irreverence that perfectly reflects Aleron’s spicy personality. At the same time, we hear a more serious, emotionally connected vulnerability through Dean’s intonations and delivery. He does the same with Spencer, who is brought to life distinctly with a voice that matches our image of his character. Dean becomes these characters and sweeps us into the thrall of Blake’s story through his vocal acting.
I’ve enjoyed everything about this paranormal universe of stories, and Aleron is no exception. If you haven’t jumped into this world yet, I highly encourage you to do so. For the best experience, follow Ms. Blake’s recommended reading order (found on her website) and start from Sweet Nothings, the prequel story.
RATING: 
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