The Witches of Echo Park written and narrated by Amber Benson- an Audiobook Review

Synopsis

Unbeknownst to most of humankind, a powerful network of witches thrives within the shadows of society, using their magic to keep the world in balance. But they are being eliminated—and we will all pay if their power falls…

When Lyse MacAllister’s great-aunt Eleanora, the woman who raised her, becomes deathly ill, Lyse puts her comfortable life in Georgia on hold to rush back to Los Angeles. And once she returns to Echo Park, Lyse discovers her great-aunt has been keeping secrets—extraordinary secrets—from her.

Not only is Lyse heir to Eleanora’s Victorian estate; she is also expected to take her great-aunt’s place in the Echo Park coven of witches. But to accept her destiny means to place herself in deadly peril—for the world of magic is under siege, and the battle the witches now fight may be their last… 

My Review

The Witches of Echo Park by Amber Benson (narrated by the author)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lyse leaves her home in Georgia upon receiving word that her great-aunt Eleanora is dying. Eleanora raised Lyse after the death of her parents, and she and Lyse have been close. Eleanora needs to see Lyse before she dies because Lyse is going to need to take her place as head of the Echo Park coven. Lyse has no idea about this part of Eleanora's life as she did not want to burden Lyse with the dangerous responsibilities she will have until it was absolutely necessary. Suddenly, in addition to dealing with the impending loss of her closest relative, she is learning about a whole lot that she never would have believed in previously. She is also realizing that there is very real danger surrounding her and many others.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I found Lyse an easy character to connect to and Eleanora was an interesting and lovable character as well. It was nice that we got to know some of the peripheral characters with a little more depth than we sometimes do in a book with many characters. This first book in the series did a good job of laying some important groundwork so that we can understand who these people are and what dangers face them. We get so see how people are connected and a glimpse of how they relate to one another. This books gives us some history, some action, some romance, and a glimpse of things to come. I think the author did a good job of giving us enough knowledge and action to effectively make me care about these characters and want to know what happens next.

I thought the narration was great.  I felt like the narrator did a wonderful job of giving the characters distinct voices in a way that felt natural and seamless.  I was not taken out of the story by the narration at any point, and for me, that is one of the things that I look for in an audiobook.  I thought that with the character of Lyse especially, the narrator gave her a voice and tone that made me feel like I understood her a little better because of it.

*A copy of this audiobook was provided in exchange for an honest review.