Sadly this is a DNF for me at chapter 8.

I was given this audio book via #netgalley and I have to say I really didn't like the Narrator Hollie Jackson. I found her voice was not distinct enough to differentiate between characters and so my mind began to wander and before I knew it another chapter had gone and I've know idea what the heck just happened.

I will read the book at a later date and update my review accordingly as I feel its unfair to the author to leave the review solely based on the audio.

I finished this, but honestly could have DNF’d the story at several points because I felt no attachment to the protagonist or any of the characters. I felt like this book was trying to be a savvy urban fantasy, but it fell flat or ran off into the too bizarre zone to hit the sweet spot of the genre. I received an audible version of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What I liked:
1) The stuff that probably should have been cut out by an editor but I think was left in to buffer the overfast pace of the narrative. I liked the things like the karaoke night bar scene.
2) The overpowered moody hero Levi. He’s the only character I liked.
3) I listened to the audible version of this and I enjoyed the narrator.

What I didn’t like:
1) The protagonist, Ashira. Her inner thoughts and snarky tween attitude towards everything and anyone were irritating. She’s rude to her mother, her boss, even her best friend. She really lost me with her abundance of crass. She openly talked to her mother about about preferring to have her vagina tattooed with the Star of David since that could use more of the divine. The sudden combination of offense and physical cringing, horrified by needles and tattoo ink anywhere near there, was new for me. Talk about getting jolted out of the read. One quip with her best friend about sex toys can be funny, but in this book the humor turned crude with the frequent talk and thoughts about toys and vibrators. A dildo being one of the first things Ashira manifests with her powers is just bizarre and reinforces her crude and crass persona. Speaking of her powers, how annoying that Ashira’s a chosen one troupe with super special powers no one in her world has seen in modern times. Ashira’s chosen one power is tied to her Jewish heritage, yet her Jewish belief system is barely secular. Her secular beliefs are then a contradiction when she recognizes a Gollum on sight and can read Hebrew. Then there’s Ashira and Levi’s contrived “summer camp” kid hostile history. A childish stab at an enemy to lovers’ romance. If the authors goal was for Ashira to join the ranks of lovable snarky characters like Mercy Thompson, Stephanie Plum, or Sookie Stackhouse, then Ashira needed to be nice on occasion. Meaning, nicer inner thoughts and a dose of kindness now and then for the people she loves the most, or unknown people she meets. One of the hallmarks of a lovable snarky character is how much of their humor is self-depreciating or originates with their ability to know and embrace their shortfalls. Ashira comes off as conceited, shallow, self-centered, spiteful, angry, and petty.
2) The plot. It went in several directions; the pacing was fast and at times choppy. After a while I stopped caring about where the plot was going because each investigative lead Ashira followed seemed to resolve in nothing or end in some kind of bizarre dues ex machina moment. There’s political intrigue but it’s difficult to appreciate through Ashira’s snarky and jaded point of view. In the end, the stakes were raised so high, there was only one path to a satisfying ending which made the last few chapters really boring and skim worthy.
3) The magic system. It was all over the place and the boundaries and rules of it seemed to change or alter at whim which enhanced the whole duex ex machina pattern of events. Ashira is also some kind of magic savant. After never using magic in her life, she achieves master level control of her new powers in under three days.

Wilde's UF series features a snarky heroine, a powerful and aloof male lead, and forbidden/unknown magic. It's a fairly common recipe in the UF genre and Blood & Ash has definite echoes of Ilona Andrews throughout. But despite that, it's a fun and quick read that has some laughs, some steamy bits, and enough nerd-centric nods to make me smile. It was a pleasant distraction just when I needed one.

4 Stars

I really enjoyed this audiobook! It's been a while since I enjoyed an out and out Urban Fantasy. Ashira was kick ass, funny and full of heart. The side characters were well developed and a fantasy world which made me want to explore it more. Levi was mysterious and delicious and I can't wait to find how their relationship develops over the next few books.

Audiobook ARC provided by NetGalley.


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3564343886

Thank you Netgalley and The Publisher for the allowing me to review this

DNF

I liked the diversity of this book, but the Plot wasn't grabbing me, and the romance.missed the mark.

Also, I was listing to this on audio, and I was not enjoying this narrator. They weren't giving off any emotion at all. It was an extremely flat performance.

I was interested at first about the aspect of magic and detective work but I felt that the narrator didn’t do the book justice. She seemed to drag it on and I became bored within minutes.

#BloodAshTheJezebelFiles
#NetGalley

** spoiler alert ** A new take on a detective/PI novel, filled with handsome men, a witty sidekick and a kickass female lead, not to mention there's magic involved.

Ash has been a mundane her entire life, but when she gets injured her whole world changes. Suddenly she is thrust into the centre of a major conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. She will have to work with her nemesis, Levi, to discover the truth and save all the children that have gone missing. Can Ash figure out a way to work with Levi without killing him, or worse kissing him? Oh, and let's not forget she has blood magic and no idea how to use it.


A fun and quick read with the right amount of action, romance and motherly conflict. Recommended for fans who enjoy no-nonsense female leads and Sherlock Holmes.

I was desperately in need of something upbeat and light after several emotionally heavy and draining books. I came across Blood & Ash and decided to give it a shot. I’d previously read Deborah’s Nava Katz series and enjoyed it, so I figured I’d try this one out! I did listen to the audiobook, narrarated by Hollie Jackson.

Overall, 4/5 stars for me! It was a really nice uncomplicated paranormal/magic detective story and I really enjoyed it. It was cool to see the Jewish religious aspects tied into the world building and mythology behind the magic system. It was really interesting and I can’t wait to see how it develops in the next book.

Ashira was fantastic and super funny, although I did find her snark somewhat overly forced at times, especially in her interactions with Levi. I get that her snark with him turned into a kind of defense mechanism, but it occasionally just felt like it was too much for me. I really enjoyed Levi too. He played the strong, stoic male with a hidden tragic backstory very well and I liked reading about him.

Side character wise, Priya is an awesome best friend and is super cool. I love a woman in STEM who knows what she’s talking about (and who loves peanut m&m’s). Arkady was also interesting. I wasn’t sure about him at first, but like Ash, I grew to like him. I hope to see more of him in the next book.

While we did see a few interactions with Talia and some descriptions of Adam, I hope to see more of both of them in the next books. Adam just has so much mystery I need answers! I wanted to like Talia, but I just couldn’t get past her and Ash’s relationship to care for her. Hopefully she’ll redeem herself in the next book.

The narrator was really strong with her voice, and I mostly enjoyed it. However, there were several times she was just a little too much for me.

All in all, I enjoyed this book a lot! It was very easy to read and I ended up reading it in one sitting, because it just felt so light and enjoyable to be reading. Definitely recommend and I will definitely be picking up the next book!

I liked it enough to finish but there was a weird combination of stuff just happening and too much stuff happening. I don’t know how that’s possible. There were hidden doors, puzzles, escape rooms...too much investigating and figuring out to play on the whole Sherlock Holmes thing. A couple surprise investigations were good even awesome, but there were so many I was done with them. And how many times can someone say Holmes, Watson, and Moriarty?? Too many, far too many. Now even though there was all this investigations going on nothing happened!! No questions were answered. Is Ash’s mom responsible? Where is her dad? Which parent is the evil one? Are they both evil? Who are the Jezebel’s (not a spoiler it’s in the title)? Like what is going on!! And people just have magic and we’re guessing the whole time because there is not enough information. I understood by the name of the Van Gogh’s what their power was but jeez, explain it a little more.

It was full of action and fun magical beings. With a little more world building and character information it would be so great. I’m peaked enough to want to know more about Ashira and Levi. Enough to want to pick up book two. This book just needed more structure.

It's interesting, at first, I really liked this book. The narrator was doing a great job, imbuing great personalities into the characters. However, the further I got into the book, the less I liked it. I felt the story line at some point, started to go all over the place. The snark is fun, but not when it's there, all the time. The world building needed to be beefed up a little more. The characters needed a little more development. Then the narrator seemed to get waaaay too excited about the book, and became hard to listen to. I think this book had potential, but it definitely fell short.

*Audio provided by Netgalley for honest review

Ok, I think I've found a new series to binge on. I loved Blood & Ash! Hollie Jackson brought the characters to life. The book is based in Vancouver and we get to learn how magic spread out from the 12 tribes in Israel to across the world. Throw in a 'queen of hearts' and once I hit 'play' I couldn't stop. The main character, Ashira Cohen, is fiesty and snarky. I was afraid it might turn out to be too YA for me but it's not. If you're looking for a little mystery, humor, paranormal activity, a touch of Alice in wonderland and romance then this is for you.

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

This was my first Deborah Wilde book, and it had a lot of great elements. I LOVE a book with a sassy, edgy, kickass female protagonist, and this book was no exception. The publisher added "A Snarky Urban Fantasy Detective Series" is really the perfect description for this book. It feels like a smart fantasy detective novel with added explicit romance goings-on. I cared about Ash and was very curious about the world of Mundanes (no magic) vs. those with magical gifts who have to register with a kind of tracking system, or "House," to be sure things stay under control. I got interesting Middle Eastern vibes from the secret market and the Queen of Hearts, and many of the naming systems. I really liked it!

The narrator for the audiobook, Hollie Jackson, was perfect for the level of snark required to fully embody Ash. I laughed out loud several times over.

I was peer pressured into going back to NetGalley by my arch nemesis. Everything is new and scary since it has been a few years, but I was excited to discover that there were audiobooks. Not only that, but one of the audiobooks happened to be by Deborah Wilde. I just read though her Nava Katz series earlier this year and loved it. So I needed to try this one out and this was the perfect excuse to do it.

First of all, I absolutely love how strong this author makes the lead female characters. It makes it really easy to love them... even when they're dumb about their relationships and they make me want to shake them. Even the side characters are freaking awesome.

I noticed multiple similarities between Ash and Nava, the main character in the other series I read. I can't say them all, because spoilers and whatnot. Good news is I love both characters. But I do recommend other people have more of a break between reading the two and maybe it'll be less obvious.

The setting for this book is pretty spiffy as well. You've got this world in which there are magical users and there is all sorts of drama with just that alone. Then when you throw in a guy she's disliked since childhood, but he's also sexy times and also incredibly frustrating.

Ultimately, this book was really hard to put down. The narration is fantastic and the story is captivating. I cannot wait to continue this series. Another gem from the brain of Deborah Wilde!

I loved the narrator of this audiobook; she managed to bring an enthusiastic energy that matched the fastpaced storyline and really brought out the snarky personality of Ash to its best advantage.
There are blood and guts, magic and mayhem, several 'big bad' enemies, and the most delicious sexual tension between Ash and Levi that culminates in some mindblowing fireworks.
It's a great start to a series. I loved the way that the crime is resolved, but that there remains the overarching mystery of Ash's tattoo, her new magical powers and the fact that there is a mysterious omnipotent group that may hold the answers that she seeks somewhere out there.

My thanks go to the publishers and NetGalley for a copy of the audiobook in return for an honest review.

3.5 hearts

Blood and Ash is the first book in The Jezebel Files and as such it sets the tone and direction for the entire series. This seems to be off to a good start though using some lore from Judaism that doesn’t seem to get a lot of attention or representation in literature. So far the series has a few things going for it.

Interesting Heroine - check

Ashira thought she was just a human until the hidden tattoo on the back of her head was discovered and destroyed, releasing her supernatural powers that is. Her snarky attitude and ability to cause no end of chaos made her fun. I also liked that she has a limp from an injury in her past, it made her more human.

Family Dynamics Drama -check

With a father who went mysteriously MIA and a mother who seems to manipulate and control most of the human world around her, Ashira has some interesting mommy and daddy issues to deal with.

The Hot Guy the Heroine is Playing Hard to Get With - check

They might have gone to Jewish kid camp together over the summers for a long time but that doesn’t mean that Levi and Ashira run in the same circles. She wants nothing to do with the leader of the magical community; he doesn’t think she is a picnic either. But could most of their time fighting and arguing just be a front for the sexual chemistry…?

Girl Power Friendship - checkity-check-check

I love it when girls have a female best friend and they stick together through think and thin. Priya is the absolute best friend a girl could have and the banter between her and Ash is hilarious. It is quick-witted and made me laugh out loud more than once.

Interesting World-building - check

I really liked reading about something where I didn’t already have a lot of knowledge. The main characters are Jewish and the mythology used for much of the plot was from Judaism. Since I don’t have much experience with this, it was new and interesting.

There are a few downsides though.

I wanted more world-building and explanations of the various magical houses and conflicts between the magical and human community. Much of the story is Ash running headlong from one situation into another without much time between. That does make the story fly by but I like a little more depth. The romance is supposed to be enemies to lovers, sort of. It needs a little more fleshing out since Levi and Ash were so tight as kids that I didn’t really believe they ever fell out to the extent they did. Still the banter between them was always a lot of fun.

Overall:

Solid first story to a series. There is a lot of room to grow and build on everything that has been shown so far. I really liked Ash and all her snarky ways, she reminded me a little of Charlie Davidson’s level of snark. I’ll continue with the series to see where all the craziness goes.

Narration:

Holllie Jackson is a seasoned narrator and it shows. She did a phenomenal job of bringing all the characters to life.

This is the first book in The Jezebel Files series and was narrated by Hollie Jackson.
This book is the Story of Ashira Cohen who is a female private investigator in Vancouver. She thought she was non-magical or mundane, but it turned out that someone marked her with a tattoo that suppressed her powers. She was asked to investigate the disappearances of people with supernatural powers and as she is investigating this she also needs to learn how to control her powers. She is a smart and sassy heroine that will appeal to readers.
There is a lot happening in this book that keeps the sequence flowing. She is forced to work with her longtime nemesis Levi and there is some romantic stuff that happens, but what they are actually doing is always up in the air. There is a wide cast of characters and excellent dialogue which make this a very enjoyable read or listen. I love how the characters in this book interact.
Hollie Jackson does a wonderful job narrating the story. Her voice flows well and at no point did she make the characters sound odd or goofy. I found this book very well done and hated when I had to stop listening to accomplish other things. I would highly recommend it!
I was provided a copy of this audiobook by Netgalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

I liked the story and the world building.
Had to get used to Ash, but she grew on me.
3.5 stars

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

A fun and entertaining audiobook!

I liked Ashira as heroine very much. Compared to Nava from The Unlikeable Demon Hunter, Ashira felt more mature. Even without supernatural powers, she is sure of her skills and how good she is at her job as a detective. So, when she comes into her powers, it's a bonus for her that she starts to use as a tool to continue her detective work and to pick up magical cases. The story is fast-paced with the promised snark and witty banter.

As always, I loved the narration by Hollie Jackson who really brings this story to life. She has a very engaging way of narrating with a fantastic range of different voices (her man-voices are hot!).

Absolute worth a listen! It reminds me of The Night huntress series by Jeaniene Frost. It has fun characters, a compelling and snarky lead lady, blossoming romance and a mystery plot mixed in with magic and wonders in the otherwise familiar city setting of Vancouver. I really liked it and appreciated the narrator. It was easy and delightful but not without deeper conflict and subject matter. Might not be for everyone but it was the perfect shorter fantasy in between longer epics for me. It also had some fun sexy time, but not too much ;)

What a fun book! Snarky, humorous, fast paced with a lot of characters to enjoy.


I loved the narrator, her voice is so great with this and lots of infliction, that keeps you entertained and engrossed!

I admittedly went right out and picked up book 2 to start immediately.