11.25.2024
What A Saftian Start …
Chapters 1 thru 9
I have said before that I choose books primarily based on who is reading them. This is because I’m not a big reader and I don’t care what other people are reading either.
The recommendations of strangers are of zero interest to me because they are strangers and I don’t base decisions on whatever draws strangers to a book. I don’t know them and don’t care about what they enjoy … it has absolutely nothing to do with who I am, what I gravitate towards, and what appeals to me. No one is like me and no one likes the things I like for the same reasons.
What I am looking for an an audiobook experience is based on the voice, style of narrating, and the performance of whomever is reading it. Saskia always delivers the experience I am looking for and through the process of seeking out her work, I tend to stumble across some really enjoyable books that I may not have chosen otherwise.
Allison Saft is not an author I had heard of until A Dark and Drowning Tide, a book I chose only because I saw Saskia was reading it. It just happened to be a really great, sapphic, tropey novel that was surprisingly enjoyable. I decided to try another book of Saft’s that Saskia was reading hoping for a similar experience.
My latency (time it takes to fall asleep) was 2 hours last night. I absolutely could not fall asleep because I was just ADDICTED to the beginning of this book. I instantly loved the characters, despite their relationship feeling very familiar (partly of course due to Saskia’s voicework). The relationship type is something that drew me into Dark and Drowning as well, but the world Saft created kept me focused and interested. Same here.
This is only my second Allison Saft book but I am seeing the kind of stories she creates. Her characters may be tropey and cliche and predictable but her worldbuilding is absolutely exquisite and unique and that is what sets her books apart for me and elevates them. I love this world she’s created and I can’t wait to keep listening.
Story this session: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars
Narration: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars