Pride and Paranormal

Souls and Shadows, Book 1

By: Adrienne Blake

Narrated by: Charlotte Moore-Lambert

What do love potions and banshee karaoke have to do with one of the greatest enemies-to-lovers tales of all time?

Izzy may be the only responsible witch in her poor family of misfits, and as such, she has duties to uphold. Only a hot, mysterious, and infuriating warlock is determined to get in the way.

When the rich and handsome Darcy Fitz blows into town, sparks fly.

The wrong kind …

He has earned her ire as much as her eye with his constant harsh words and acts, but what will happen when a bit of magic goes awry, and Izzy needs the help of this powerful man she claims to hate?

Will Izzy’s pride get in the way of saving her family’s welfare and reputation? Find out in this witty, funny, fantasy retelling of Pride & Prejudice.

©2021 Adrienne Blake (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

the narrator kept giving me a headache

I loved the story. The story is engaging and you really get a feel for the characters. However the narrator was so exaggerative she kept giving me a headache.

Charlotte Lambert is an absolute dream narrator!!!

The story itself was delightfully engaging, but the narrator really put just the right amount of emphasis on each line to keep the tale engaging even when it began to drag here and there.

Honestly, just loved the overall experience!

A charming take on the familiar

Adapting Pride and Prejudice can be tricky- keeping the important story beats to respect the source material while still offering a unique perspective and offering the audience some surprises is a challenge. World building in particular can be an issue, as the source material dictates a strict caste system in order to motivate many of the key plot points necessary to give a “Pride and Prejudice” feel, but requires finesse to prevent the world from feeling too problematic. This adaptation succeeds on each of those lofty challenges, offering an intriguing occult theme to an old favorite.

The narrative does a great job grounding the central financial conflict of the Bennet family despite making them a family of magic practitioners; the rules of the magical world infuse the characters’ perspectives, making the stakes clear at every turn. And so, despite knowing each beat of the plot, the reader is excited to press on to see the lens this world has on the story. Whatever the audiobook equivalent is of a page turner is, this is it.

Finally, the performance offered here by Moore-Lambert is delightful, giving a voice to each character which brings them to life without feeling gimmicky. This audio performance highlights one of the best strengths of the writing: a clearly established vibe for each character, their turn of phrase reflecting both their place in the magical and financial caste of the world as well as their personalities. The tone and pace of the reading are some of the best audio work I’ve heard: expressive, emotive, and easy to listen to.

I completed this book in only two days, leaving me excited to hear more, both from Blake and Moore-Lambert.

Could it be any more perfect?

Take a fantastic take on a classic story, add an amazing and creative performer and you get this audio book. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite novels, and I have read quite a few different reimagined versions, but Pride and Paranormal is my new favorite version. And Charlotte’s narration was exactly the right reader this book needed to make the characters come to life. Just wow!