Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: The Soldati Prince
SERIES: Soldati Hearts, Book 1
AUTHOR: Charlie Cochet
NARRATOR: Gary Furlong
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 3 hours and 20 minutes
RELEASE DATE: November 17, 2023
BLURB:
One moment, Riley Murrough is living a normal life working in a coffee shop, and the next, he’s running for his life from demons, learns he bears the mark of a shape-shifter king from a magical realm, and—worst of all—he’s destined to become the mated prince to the arrogant tiger-shifter he would rather strangle.
Khalon, the shifter king, is equally distraught at the idea of being bound to a human prince, and along with his Soldati warriors, he sets out to return Riley to his own world, where he belongs. On their journey, they might discover why the goddess brought them together—if they can escape the demons and make it to her alive.
REVIEW:
The Soldati Prince is an absorbing fantasy, action/adventure MM romance. In typical Charlie Cochet fashion, Riley Murrough is a slight human with a sassy attitude, nerves of steel, and a huge heart. He has some self-esteem issues and a pervasive feeling of loneliness in his human life, but it doesn’t dampen his humor, smiles, or snarky attitude. He displays a surprising open-mindedness about the unreal and previously unknown, readily accepting a magical world of shifters and the concept of fated mates. He also shows a great deal of mettle, standing up for himself and for those around him, protecting those he cares for and loves even if he’s scared and even at the risk of personal peril.
If you’ve read Cochet’s THIRDS series, I think you’ll find similarities between Riley and Dex, and the action/adventure in a supernatural environment. However, The Soldati Prince’s novella-length, clocking in at only 150 pages and a mere 3 hours and 20 minutes of listening time, plays a part in keeping it from reaching full potential. The plot is simplistic and the worldbuilding is shaky. Much more detail in all aspects of the story is needed to make this feel whole, and to give the characters, particularly Riley, the room to develop.
That being said, I nevertheless was fully invested in the storyline and Gary Furlong’s stellar narration receives the credit for that. Furlong is excellent at conveying dynamics of a scene and he can channel emotions better than almost any narrator I’ve heard. His vocal performances are consistently skilled, thoughtful, invested, and expertly executed and his vocal performance of The Soldati Prince is no exception. What sets him apart from other narrators and makes his audio titles must-buys, is his inherent gift at storytelling. He is so natural and effortless, he pulls you in without you even realizing it’s happening.
Furlong is a boon to any story and does a terrific job of elevating The Soldati Prince. While the story may have some flaws, Furlong’s telling of the story does not, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of listening.
RATING:
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