Audible Review The Scribe, The Singer, The Secret books 1-3 in Elizabeth Hunter's Irin Chronicles

A fellow blogger turned me on to Elizabeth Hunter's Irin Chronicles with her review of The Scribe and she did warn me there was the dreaded "cliffhanger" at the end because the first three books in her series, The Scribe, The Singer and The Secret are actually about one love story and the set up to the series. So I decided the only way to fairly review them was together.
Enjoy!

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My Review(s):

Elizabeth Hunter’s Irin Chronicles series starts off with a bang from the heavenly realm, it’s the perfect blend of urban fantasy and romance and will leave readers/listeners never looking at angels the same way again.

Critique:
When I finished book one of Hunter’s Irin Chronicles series, The Scribe and it left me more confused than enlightened I decided to binge read books two and three because they ultimately tell one story/relationship/romance and are the building blocks to her inventive Irin fantasy world. So I decided to review the three together. Luckily after these three she reverts back to one relationship per book so be patient.

Her characters are a heady list of legends, myths and nightmares. The Irin and their female counterparts Irina (singers); an ancient race bound to protect humankind they are the distant descendants of the Forgiven, angels who fell from heaven but were forgiven and welcomed back.  Fallen Angels powerful beings who have chosen to fall from heaven and stay on earth and their offspring the Gregori who are the mortal enemy of the Irin

The stars of books 1-3 are Ava a human photojournalist who has been plagued by “voices” her entire life and often wondered if she was insane and a four hundred year old Irin Scribe Malachi but readers/listeners are also introduced slowly to Irin and Irina society and Malachi’s contemporaries and his enemies the Gregori plus Ava’s history is slowly revealed as well.

The plot is an intoxicating mix of mystery, fantasy and romance and Hunter takes the audience on quite the journey of exotic settings, Istanbul, Budapest, and Cappadocia and other places in both Western and Eastern Europe.

The narrative is easy to understand even when she throws in a foreign word or two and the pace is steady for the most part speeding up nicely for the magical battles.

Fans of urban fantasy and Paranormal romance will find this series engaging and refreshing in a genre that often is filled with same old same old.

Narration:
The Narration of Zachary Weber (who I’ve enjoyed before) does a really nice job. He’s a good narrator and is proficient with both female and males voices plus the various accents.

Series set up: humans share the planet with otherworldly beings, the Irin, sworn to protect humankind - descendants of the Forgiven; angels who fell from heaven, mated with humans then returned when the creator called them home. Their society has been in tumult since the Rending two hundred years ago when their enemies The Gregori decimated their race. The Fallen; angels who fell but did not return and who with their children The Gregori enjoy causing havock and harm to both the Irin and humankind.

The Scribe:

In Hunter’s Irin Chronicles series debut, The Scribe, Ava Matheson has heard voices all her life and is in Istanbul to meet yet another doctor who says he can help her when she meets a handsome stranger. When Malachi an Irin Scribe sees a group of Gregori approaching Ava he takes it upon himself to be her protector not knowing who or what she is or what destiny has in store for them.  Behind the scenes Fallen Angels are plotting and planning but no one knows why or what the outcome will be.

The Singer:

In book two Malachi is mortally wounded by an enemy who had possession of an angelic weapon and Ava, in mourning and under the protection of his Irin brothers is on her way to a haven where other Irinas (singers) have been in hiding since the Rending to learn how to use her magic. But unbeknown to Ava the creator has answered her prayer when she begged Malachi to return to her and he awakens without memories with only her voice in his head and he knows whatever else he must do he must find her. As Malachi finds his way to his beloved the machinations of the Fallen are beginning to become clearer and the battle lines are taking shape but there are still many secrets to be revealed.

The Secret:

In book three Malachi and Ava are still recovering after Malachi’s miraculous rebirth. They and their new and old allies are en-route to Vienna the Irin stronghold where they are about to shake up Irin society when the Irinas return to reclaim their seats on the Irin council they abandoned after the Rending left them reeling. There are new allies and their angelic enemies are also preparing for an epic battle.

About the author:

ELIZABETH HUNTER is a USA Today and international best-selling author of romance, contemporary fantasy, and paranormal mystery. Based in Central California, she travels extensively to write fantasy fiction exploring world mythologies, history, and the universal bonds of love, friendship, and family. She has published over thirty works of fiction and sold over a million books worldwide. She is the author of Love Stories on 7th and Main, the Elemental Legacy series, the Irin Chronicles, the Cambio Springs Mysteries, and other works of fiction.