An entertaining slowburn dystopian fantasy with great characters, world building and fast paced storyline. The narrators really brought it to life. I’m interested to see where this series goes.

🎧4⭐⭐⭐⭐🎧

Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for allowing me to listen and review this title.

Piper is an interesting character who has no magic. She wants to become a Consul, someone who keeps the peace between humans and daemons. So, with no magic of her own, she is a human herself. Only she isn’t, not really.

Lyre is an Incubus daemon. He is wicked and charming, and he knows it. He likes to flirt and annoy Piper, it’s pretty entertaining if I am being honest.

Ash is a Draconian daemon, very powerful, very dangerous.

A big meeting was about to happen, and Piper's father gave her something to protect. The Sahar Stone is only one of the topmost magical weapons of mass destruction, and well, everyone wants it.

This is was intense first book and I was so invested I can’t freaking wait for book two the way these 3 come together to protect the stone and each other even when there are ulterior motives at play.

The narration was top notch, both narrators gave this book that added suspense and tension, and I am a huge fan.

I received this audiobook from NetGalley. It was an interesting premise and felt very much like a modern fantasy setting. However, overall the plot fell short for me- it was a bit like listening to an action movie with a lot of fight scenes, but not a lot of actual content. I have so many questions at the end. It was a fun listen, but I’m not sure that I will continue the series.

Overall, it’s a very good story. There are engaging side characters, two daemon MMCs, an awesome FMC, and a unique magic system. The chemistry between the main characters kept me wanting more. There was non-stop action, and the story was easy to follow. This was a re-recorded audio with dual narration, and the narrators did an amazing job!

Chase the Dark is the first book in the Steel & Stone series by Annette Marie. This appears to be a re-release or revised release of the book published in 2014.

This book was fast paced with adventure! The book opens with the attempted theft of an important, powerful, magical artefact. While the action remained throughout the book, there was something missing from the story (character development) that would have given it more depth.

Based on the description, I expected more of a romantasy, so I was surprised that this was more of a no burn, clean flirtation. I think this would be better placed in the young adult genre, especially since the heroine is 17 (wish that was in the description).

I did read this through but was frustrated that the ending asked more questions than it answered. I’m not sure I’ll read the next books in the series.

I really enjoyed the narration by Melissa Moran & Tim Paige! I loved how they brought the book to life.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Chase the Dark (Steel & Stone #1) by Annette Marie
Narrator: Melissa Moran & Tim Paige
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Romance, Sci Fi & Fantasy
Expected Publication Date: May 6, 2025

Chase the dark by Annette Marie is a modern urban fantasy. We have a stubborn, impulsive and sometimes naive FMC,Piper that will inspire some of the events in this book. She is very likable and her character has a certain depth .
The male leads are Lyre and Ash, that are fierce and protective. Both of them have powers however Ash seems to be very powerful and dangerous.
Despite the synopsis I would like to say this doesn’t feel like a love triangle, is very easy to fall in love with both.
This book is very easy and entertaining to read . The world building comes in steps and doesn’t feel overwhelming. This is an amazing book for someone who would like to dive in fantasy and doesn’t know where to start.
Audiobook: I would like to thank everyone for the opportunity of this ALC. The narrators Melissa Moran and Tim Page did an amazing job bringing the characters to life and enjoying the it time with their story!
Can’t wait for the second book!

My review for this one is split decision. The story line for the book get a solid 4 starts, development of the characters and descriptions in the book are captivating and I make you want to keep reading. Its obvious that the characters are going to be evolving even in this first book and I want to know how it proceeds and what will happen to each character as there are so many questions left open but I also appreciate that it wasn't left of a massive cliffhanger that just destroys you. It gave you a partial pausing conclusion with still pushing you to know that there is so much more unanswered and introducing characters that will become key players in other books. As this is the only series of Annette Marie that I have not read I was really looking forward to getting into it and I am glad I did, I'm invested now to see how it unfolds. But as I did this on audiobook I feel the need to separate that rating.

Audiobook narration I would give a 3 star to be generous because I did appreciate the male narrator in this. He did decent trying to separate the voices of the two male characters. I think I would have preferred a slightly deeper baritone for Ash but overall he did well with the reading and pacing of his portion and characters. The female voice however was not an appealing narration. The voice was very high pitched and nasally sounding more like a preteen/teenage girl instead of a young lady in her twenties. It made it worse when she would attempt a male voice statement in her chapters and was overall not very appealing to me for this character. Her pacing, pauses, and oral expressions were good but her voice was just not the right fit for this particular characters voice.

I heard the audiobook and both narrators were awesome!
I was on the edge of my seat all the time.
I could feel all the tension of the moment, which is something that doesn't happen to me so often in real life.
I would love to hear the next installments of this serie (although having a printed copy wouldn't be bad at all).

I listened to this in one sitting. I enjoyed it immensely. I LOVE Ash and I can't wait to enjoy so much more of Ash and Lyre in book 2. I appreciate that this book showed real fears of people who seem to have all of the power.

This was such a fast and fun listen. I was completely wraped up in the events of the story that flowed from one to the next. I didn't feel like the book dragged at any point. I loved the friendship between Lyre and Ash and want to know more. I am so intrigued to find out more about Piper's abilities and I hope that there is more of an adult romance in the upcoming books. I love how the male narrators voice for each character were so distinct that you can immediately tell which character is speaking. There is something about the female voice that was off-putting at first but I found it better by the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC of this audiobook.

I really liked this book, the characters all have really great chemistry and relationships. The magic and the creatures are really interesting and I’m ready to learn more about them and the world. I also really liked the narrators, they both did a really great job.

I’m looking forward to hopefully a rescue in the underworld.🤞After the ending of book one I’m really excited to see what happens next.

I didn’t know until after I read this book that it’s best to read The Spell Weaver trilogy first but I jumped right into this book and didn’t have a problem. Very interesting series so far!

Plot - 3

The beginning and end of the story were intriguing, but the middle was different versions of Piper getting stuck in small spaces with handsome dudes.

Writing and Editing - 3

The situational repetition took away from the prose, but there was apparent skill present. I think the overall tone is ideal of the YA genre.

Character Development - 3

Following a character that has to rely on gumption when everyone else has magic is always a good time. I do feel like there could have been more complexity overall.

Narration - 4

I struggled a little bit with the tone of one of the narrators, but I think that comes down to personal preference.

Personal Bias - 2

I didn’t hate this by any means, but it also didn’t really do anything for me personally. I didn’t feel particularly entertained.

Final Score - 3

This book is great!
I instantly loved Piper from the moment she came into the story. She has such a fierce and strong spirit, which Annette manages to grow even fiercer and stronger throughout the book.
Ash and Lyre have such great chemistry with Piper, and I absolutely love how well the characters mesh together.
Annette has some awesome world building and a great magic system in the story that is easy to follow.
The only thing I found a bit funny is how predictable some scenes were.
Piper's mother being a big bad was definitely a very predictable turn of events, however it did not take away from the story.
I also loved the little dragonette and I adore how much personality she has!
I am very excited to read the next book!

In regard to the audiobook, I definitely enjoyed listening to the story. The characters were voiced really well.

Overall, I am giving this book a 4 but rounding it up to 4.5. The only thing I would rather have seen is a twist that was not as obvious.

The narrators were very good for their interpretation of the book! The book flowed wonderfully and it was so action packed there’s no time to ever be bored!

⭐️4/5 Stars – Snark, spells, and slow-burn swoons!⭐️

Chase the Dark is like being thrown into a demon brawl with nothing but sarcasm and a shiny sword. Piper’s got attitude for days, and her sizzling, slow-burn tension with a broody demon boy had me grinning like an unhinged imp. The narrators crush the delivery—equal parts sass and suspense. A few plot bits zoomed by, but who cares when there’s banter, blades, and a maybe-boyfriend from the underworld?

This book is incredibly fascinating and a breeze to read! A huge thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing the ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment!

2.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
I am going to start with reviewing the narrators since this is an audio book and then move onto the book!

I would give the narrators 4 stars. I thought they did a great job. I’ve listened to a few books with Tim Paige and I really enjoy listening to his voice. I find that he’s really good an expressions and keeping you engaged.
This was my first time listening to Melissa Moran but she did a fabulous job too! I would absolutely listen to another book narrated by her. I think she would be really good in a rom/com or something less fantasy but all in all was very happy with their narration.

The book it’s self just wasn’t really for me. I did find it engaging at first but once things started happening I found it very juvenile and the plot just wasn’t really plotting for me. I think this book is just too YA for me.

Review 4.5 stars

While Piper dreamed about joining the Consul, the absence of magic made this very difficult. Then found herself on an adventure that showed whats she's capable of.

I really enjoyed her character, she had her struggles but she was no quitter. Lyre and Ash were well written too, and I loved how the point of view swapped between the three.

The ending was enjoyable and also left me wanting to read the next book, I definitely recommend giving this one a go.

As a longtime fan of Annette Marie, she’s become my go-to when I need my urban fantasy fix. So color me surprised when I realized I hadn’t read this series yet. Luckily, I got the first book through NetGalley—and I’m so glad I did.

In Chase the Dark, we meet Piper, who’s fiery, determined, and stubborn as all get out. She wants to be part of the Consul—despite the fact that she’s completely magicless. But sometimes, it’s in our most dangerous moments that we figure out what we’re really capable of. That’s exactly what happens with Piper.

She’s given something to protect—what she thinks is just a trinket—only to realize it’s way more important (and dangerous) than she thought. Now she’s on the run, trying to stay alive, keep the object hidden, and avoid letting the two daemons who are following (well, sort of helping?) her find out the truth.

Because one of them—Ash—isn’t just your average run-of-the-mill daemon. He’s the kind that makes other daemons nervous. And the other—Lyre—is a smug, too-pretty-for-his-own-good incubus who definitely knows more than he’s letting on.

It’s a full-blown mess. Everyone’s after her because they think she knows where her missing father is—and the object she’s carrying is far from harmless. The stakes are high, the pacing is fast, and yeah... she might be feeling something toward Ash, but she’s too busy surviving to figure that out right now.

The audiobook narration was clear, engaging, and made the experience even more fun.

All in all, this was a solid first book with action, attitude, and just enough intrigue to keep me hooked. I’m definitely picking up book two.

Given a copy of the Audiobook by Netgalley*

Absolutely loved this story. If anyone has been following me for a while you'll know I'm normally not a fan of 3rd person BUT Annette wrote these characters so well that when Melissa Moran and Tim Paige narrated the character I was able to follow with ease and was fully immersed into the story. I CAN NOT WAIT for the next books to be released on Audiobook so I can enjoy this story as told through Melissa and Tim.

I love lyre, Ash, and piper. Piper is actually pretty refreshing as a FMC in this story because she isn't like one of those that damsel in distress who are whiny and magically and randomly know how to fight.. no she's was raised to fight to protect not necessarily to kill but she kicks ass. She holds her own against those with magic. Now I'm sitting here in suspense waiting for the next books because by the end I'm left with questions...what happened to Ash? plus I need more Lyre... though I really hope this doesn't become a love triangle ever lol because Ash and Piper forever!