Smada's Book Smack : Audiobook Blog Tour & Giveaway: Between the Sea and Stars (Lena #1) by Chantal Gadoury

Author: Chantal Gadoury

Narrator: Dollcie Webb

Length: 6 hours 53 minutes

Series: The Lena Series, Book 1

Publisher: The Parliament House

Released: Dec. 20, 2018

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

A legend
A magical shell
A girl who dreamed of something more...
Lena, a Merrow girl, lives in the Skagerrak sea with her father, Carrick and her brother, Javelin, who tells her of the legend of the Merrow Queen murdered by her human lover when greed takes over. But what’s worth spilling the queen’s blood? Gifted from Poseidon, himself, a magic shell gives any human the ability to control both land and sea.
When Javelin is called to join a clan of Merrow soldiers bent on protecting their waters from human invasion, Lena resists Merrow law and ventures to the shore with no choice but to swim to land.
With newfound legs, Lena is whisked away on a new adventure with new friends and new trouble. Everyone seems to want something from her as intrigue lurks around every corner.
Trying her best to hide who she is and remain safe from the dangers of the human world, will Lena finally find where she belongs, or will she be swept into a strong and stormy current by lust, greed, and jealousy?

My Review:

3.5 Out of 5 Stars

Genre: Another-World, Fairytale, Heart-Wrenching, Mystery, Reteeling, Romance, Supernatural, Witches--

I had previously read a Nutcracker retelling by Chantal a few months ago and really loved her lyrical writing style and her new take on a classic story so I was very interested to see what else she wanted to bring to life. I thought this was like a dark version of the Little Mermaid- and when I say dark, I mean Grimm dark where the mermaid’s bodies dissolve into sea foam and eating their disintegrating pieces can give power. See? Dark. It was an interesting world that Chantal created, where the sea people are battling with warriors and destroying anything human but most humans do not even believe that the sea people are real, more a crazy myth.

I found it interesting that under the water, Lena was such a headstrong, independent person who listened to no one, but on land she was quiet and almost meek. I am not sure if it was the events that led to her being on land that caused the change in her personality, but I kinda wanted the independent Lena back when it came to some of the interpersonal relationship dynamics.

The narrator did a great job of emoting Lena's character, her emotions came through perfectly in her tone. You could almost feel the sorrow and curiosity in the character from the picture that the narration and words created. The pacing was a little slow for my taste, but once I upped my speed to 1.75x it was just right (for me at least).

Beneath the Sea and Stars is the first in a series and has a pretty big cliff hanger ending. It felt like the book just stopped right in the middle of a huge conflict where basically nothing is resolved. I personally am not a fan of cliff hangers but it is a sure fire way to hook a reader and make them come back for more.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Chantal Gadoury. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Amazon Bestselling Author, Chantal Gadoury, is a 2011 graduate from Susquehanna University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing. Since graduation, she has published The Songs in Our Hearts, and The Songs We Remember, with 48Fourteen Publishing. Allerleirauh, Between the Sea and Stars, Blinding Night and WinterDream with the Parliament House Press. Chantal first started writing stories at the age of seven and continues with that love of writing today. For Chantal, writing novels has become a lifelong dream come true! When she’s not typing away at her next project, she enjoys painting, drinking lots of Iced Coffee, and watching Disney Classics. Chantal lives in Muncy, Pennsylvania with her Mom, sister and furry-‘brother’ Taran.

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"Daydreams and whimsy with with a touch of pixie charm." A long-time daydreamer, Dollcie Webb has always carried a special fondness for Young Adult Fantasy literature. The poetic imagery and enticing otherworldliness call to her sense of curiosity, satisfying a deep desire to explore the world around her. A graduate of Michigan Technological University with a Bachelor's in Theatre and Electronic Media Performance, she's taken her experience in audio and theatrical performance and has melded the two into a career as an audiobook producer and narrator.