The Choosing

The Pruxnae Book 1

By: Lucy Varna

Narrated by: Angel Clark, Matthew Josdal

Ziri Mokuru has lived her entire life in the rural village of Arden Hollow on the planet Tersi. While her parents are off having adventures and being Very Important People, she's struggled simply to find a place where she belongs. One night, she investigates a disturbance in her home and discovers an armor-clad man sorting through her belongings. Her first thought is for her parents' safety, not to question why this man is in her home late at night without even the courtesy of knocking. After all, no one among the trusting Tersii breaks into someone else's home without a good reason.

Ryn abid Alna has an excellent reason for sneaking into Ziri's home. After years spent scraping together enough vud for the bride price, he's finally ready to steal a wife. One look at Ziri's sweet smile and Ryn decides no other woman will do. She can fix anything she touches, so why not the loneliness he's lived with since he was enslaved as a young boy?

Though Ziri longs for love, she's not so sure she's ready to settle down with the man who kidnapped her, especially after he jumps her into a nest of Sweepers, a sinister alien race bent on mayhem and destruction. As the day draws near when she faces Ryn's family on the Choosing field, Ziri ponders the hardest decision of her life: Fight for Ryn and the place he's made for her in his heart or choose another man as a life mate and risk never knowing love.

©2015 C.D. Watson (P)2015 C.D. Watson

surprisingly good!

Very well written book. Had my full attention throughout the journey. my only dislike had to be the lack of confidence and ensuing misunderstandings

Good Story

good story. I like the donations between male and female voices. Had a good story line also. I would have preferred a little more action and a little more twist in the plot but all in all still very enjoyable.

good story

Good book but the end was anticlimactic. It would be great if the series is expanded

Excellent and Entertaining

What did you love best about The Choosing?

The narration was engaging and allowed me to visualize the story. I am hard of hearing and the consice, clear voice allowed me to miss little of the story.

What did you like best about this story?

I definitely enjoyed the setting and the cultural nuances best.

What about Angel Clark and Matthew Josdal ’s performance did you like?

Their voices where clear and even, they evoked emotion when necessary, and kind of transported me there. Had the same effect as those old radio shows, before movies. I would definitely listen to them again!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I don't know . . !

Good start to a promising series

This story was some wonderful world building with a great concept for sci-fi romance -men from one planet kidnaps women from another planet and forces the women to choose them in a fight against that man's family for their hand in marriage. (I know, right!) Ziri was the kidnapped; Ryn was the kidnappee. It took them a minute to warm to each other and that was the beauty of this story. They were both strong and capable in their own rights, and in their own cultures, so bending to accommodate was a bit of a struggle.

The only issue I had with this story was the actual choosing. The lead up to it and the immediate aftermath was a bit too angsty. There was no need for the handwringing, the self-doubt, and the self-deprecation. They both should have gone into it strong and ready to face the world. Still, this was a great listen with some seriously icky alien bad guys!

I loved both the narrators. They delivered a very complete and believable performance. The story was told from both Ziri's and Ryn's POV, which was a perfect choice.