Rhapsodic

The Bargainer Series, Book 1

By: Laura Thalassa

Narrated by: Chelsea Stephens

Callypso Lillis is a siren with a very big problem, one that stretches up her arm and far into her past. For the last seven years she’s been collecting a bracelet of black beads up her wrist, magical IOUs for favors she’s received. Only death or repayment will fulfill the obligations. Only then will the beads disappear. Everyone knows that if you need a favor, you go to the Bargainer to make it happen. He’s a man who can get you anything you want … at a price. And everyone knows that sooner or later he always collects. But for one of his clients, he’s never asked for repayment.

Not until now. When Callie finds the fae king of the night in her room, a grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye, she knows things are about to change. At first it’s just a chaste kiss—a single bead’s worth—and a promise for more. For the Bargainer, it’s more than just a matter of rekindling an old romance. Something is happening in the Otherworld. Fae warriors are going missing one by one. Only the women are returned, each in a glass casket, a child clutched to their breast. And then there are the whispers among the slaves, whispers of an evil that’s been awoken. If the Bargainer has any hope to save his people, he’ll need the help of the siren he spurned long ago. Only, his foe has a taste for exotic creatures, and Callie just happens to be one.

©2016, 2021, 2022 Laura Thalassa (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

Could not stop listening!

The story was absolutely amazing. I started listening and I didn’t think I would be into it. I honestly don’t even know when I got hooked, but I couldn’t stop listening once I started. it was a very slow burn, but the spice level was pretty good. It could’ve had more, but it is what it is. Other than that, everything in here was amazing. The affects that trauma could have on people. And taking your power back or never losing it to begin with. The world view was very unique, and I love how the two in intertwined and the explanations of how things went was very on point. I’ve recommended to my book club.

Steam, mystery, passion, and danger

I loved, loved Callie and Des’ epic dark fantasy romantic suspense story. It grabbed me from the first line and kept me enthralled until the last word. The unfurling of the parallel storylines of Des and Callie’s relationship in the present and their relationship 8 years ago was a masterful way of getting me truly invested in the story of what happened then, what is happening now, and the mystery of the sleeping women. Callie is a siren who runs a PI firm with her best friend. Des is a Fae King of the Night who also grants bargains, for a price, in the human world. They met 8 years ago when Callie was almost 16 and needed a bargain. After an absence of seven years, Des comes back into Callie’s life to collect payment for her bargains and to get her assistance with the problem of the sleeping warriors, a dark mystery from his realm. As the story unfolds and their relationship is repaired, a dark force begins to stalk Callie. The book has a little bit of everything you would expect from this genre - sweet moments, strong friendships, steamy times, real life issues, imperfect characters, dangerous moments, mystery, uber protective men, secrets, plot twists, painful pasts, evil actors, supernatural beings, and love. I am excited to read more of the story in the next book in the series.

This is a single POV. Chelsea Stevens did a phenomenal job narrating the story and characters into life with enough change of inflection, tone and cadence to voice multiple characters quite convincingly. I really love the added dimension listening brings to a story.

Really good

I really enjoyed this book! Sometimes the jumping back and forth from past to present confused me but I would just rewind or flip back a few pages and start again. All in all a very good book and can’t wait to read book two.
I read and listened to this which made experience even more enjoyable.

Pretty Decent Soft 3 Stars

New to this author. Interesting story. Not going to immediately purchase next book, but not totally dismissing it.

Good listen

I like the story and the characters. It just took a little while to get to the goodies