Audio Review: Unholy Ghosts – Stacia Kane

Posted 14 August, 2014 by Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 18 Comments


Warning: This book includes mature content such as: sexual content, and/or drug and/or alcohol use, and/or violence.
Audio Review: Unholy Ghosts – Stacia KaneUnholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane
Narrator: Bahni Turpin
Series: Downside Ghosts #1
Published by Blackstone Audio on 25 May 2010
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Length: 11h 10m
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible Purchase
5 Stars

The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen, and the living are under attack.

In a future world under attack from the undead, the powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Consequently, there are many false claims of hauntings from those hoping to profit. Enter Chess Putnam, a fully-tattooed witch and freewheeling ghost hunter. She's got a real talent for nailing human liars and banishing the wicked dead. But she's keeping a dark secret from the Church: a little drug problem that's landed her in hot water.

Chess owes a lot of money to a dangerous drug lord who wants immediate payback. All Chess has to do is dispatch a very nasty species of undead from an old airport. But the job involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and crossing swords with enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls. Toss in a dangerous attraction to the drug lord's ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it. Hell, yeah.

Unholy Ghosts in audioversion is even better than the written version, if that is even possible! Bahni Turpin’s narration brought the awesomeness to a whole new level, with her changes in pitch, pace, and the way she ‘was’ each of the characters I’ve come to know and love in the Downside Ghosts series.

My Unholy Ghosts audio review:

I am still new to audiobooks, but I think Unholy Ghosts managed to really whet my appetite, and to be able to live the story because someone talented tells it to me is such a great experience. Each time Turpin narrated Lex, I could hear the kind of teasing smile in her voice, and if Chess was upset about something, it could be heard in her voice too.The way Chess actually shrieked instead of me just reading ‘Chess shrieked’ was so well done, and I was so into the story I would have done ironing all day – and that’s my least favorite chore to do!

Unholy Ghosts includes a very specific Downside dialect for some of the characters, and Bahni Turpin had that down to pat as well, I can’t even begin to explain how great she is at narrating. I have read all the Downside Ghosts books that have been released so far, and this series is among my favorite UF series, which is another reason I was so happy to be transported by Turpin’s voice and her perfect way of expressing the feelings and moods of the characters.

I know I have tagged my review with ‘strong female character’ because even with all her flaws and insecurities, I think Chess is just that. In Unholy Ghosts, the readers get to know her, and the fact that she has an important job does not deter her from using her drugs to dull all the past pains she is still feeling. Hearing Chess rationalize her addiction was another thing I really enjoyed, because listening to her brought me even farther into her head.

Some of my favorite Unholy Ghosts quotes:

If her life had taught her anything, it was that you never really knew what people had going on beneath the surface. People were shit. The only difference between them and animals was people felt the need to hide it.
 
Terrible thought she was brave. She remembered it now, heard his voice in her head as if he stood next to her. “They scared. Not you, though.” Terrible thought she was brave, and if he – a man whose name was Terrible, a man whose path people scrambled to get out of – thought so, it must be true. She could do this, she would do this.

Bump stood in the middle of the room, wrapped in a heavy fur coat, with a black silk top hatcovering his fuzzy head and unnecessary sunglasses hiding his pale face. He looked like the Abominable Snowpimp.

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Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.

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18 responses to “Audio Review: Unholy Ghosts – Stacia Kane

    • Yeah, just know in advance that Chess is a mess, using drugs and a little out of it at times, but I just totally love her anyway. And this audio is so awesome! The narrator brings the characters to life in a way I had never thought was possible.
      Thanks for stopping by, Stormi 🙂

  1. Melanie (YA Midnight Reads)

    Okay loving this strong female character and how she still has a lot of flaws and is insecure. I dunno why, but I LOVE insecure characters for some reason.

    Lovely review, Lexxie! <33

    • She is also using a lot of drugs, Melanie… If you were my daughter, I’m not sure if I’d let you read this one yet 😉
      Thanks for stopping by.

    • Yeah, I’ve gotten all of the other books on audio now as well, Melanie. And I agree, Bahni Turpin does an amazing job. I have already read all the books, but the way the characters are brought to life in audio is spectacular.
      Thanks for stopping by.

    • Even if Chess is a mess, I love her anyway! And I kind of like that she’s not suddenly stopping with all the drugs, even if I would love for her to be healthy, too.
      If you haven’t listened to this audio, you should try it, Jessica. The Downside slang is amazing!
      Thanks for stopping by.

  2. Oh Lexxie, I’m thinking THIS is going to be my next audio experience. I need to catch up on the series and I bet this would be a great way to refresh and catch up. I know we both love this series dearly, so if you loved it even more in audio, that’s good enough for me. 🙂

    I hope you’re settling in and ‘recovering’ from your vacation. 😉 I look forward to hearing all about it and catching up. **BIG HUGS**

    • Yeah, the narrator is amazing! And yes, I’m slowly ‘recovering’ from my vacation 😀 It’s just so cold at home! The temperature difference is killing us all! Jeans, sweaters and socks instead of bathing suits 🙁
      Thanks for stopping by, my dear! *BIG HUGS*

    • I have already read all the books, and I love both Chess and Terrible 🙂 The audio is something else, though! So good 🙂
      Thanks for stopping by, Braine 😀

  3. I’m so glad you tried this on audio – Bahni Turpin just nails it! I can’t imagine reading this because the dialect would be so hard for me to get right like Bahni does. If they ever changed narrators I think I would cry! Great quotes. I remember that part with Terrible melting my heart a bit and the Snowpimp still makes me laugh my ass off.

    Berls @ Fantasy is More Fun recently posted: Blood Games by Chloe Neill | Audio Review
    • Yeah, and it’s really thanks to you, Berls! Bahni Turpin is awesome, she brings Chess and everyone else to life flawlessly, and I was so engrossed in Downside it was weird to open my eyes and be at home 😀
      Thanks for stopping by.

  4. I have this on my shelf – Why haven’t I read it yet?! Unholy Ghosts sounds like it’s off to a good start, and I like my heroines imperfect yet strong. I’m still trying to get into the mindset of audio vs books, so I’m excited to know that the audioversion is even better than the written version. Thanks for the great review Lexxie and reminding me to pull that book out! Or heck, I may just try the audio 🙂

    • YAY Kim! You might just love this series as much as I do 🙂 And the audio is made of awesome 🙂
      Thanks for stopping by.

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