- The Skin
- Black Hind’s Wake, Book 1
- By: J E Hannaford
- Narrated by: Emily Mount
- Series: Black Hind’s Wake, Book 1
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 01-18-22
- Language: English
- Publisher: J E Hannaford
- Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fantasy
‘You cannot fix this world alone, Selkie.’
‘I know. But, when we die, all that is left are shadows of our lives preserved in the memories of those who remain. I plan on leaving an exceptionally long shadow, filled with ripples of moonlight for those I helped, and darker than the worst of nightmares for those who wronged us.’How far would you go to save your skin?
I’m a selkie, trapped above the waves until I can recover my skin. Humans used to call us seal-wives many years ago – before they broke the planet. I thought that less humans, after the warming, would mean less danger. My kind believed our world was finally recovering.
We were wrong.
Up here, the magic is fading and Old Ones like me are being traded as trophies for rich and powerful humans to display in collections.
Without the Old Ones, the magic fades, without magic, the planet dies.
Humankind has gone too far and someone has to put a stop to it. I just wasn’t expecting it to be me.
Far to the south on his enormous pleasure ship, Barge, Lord Sal hunts for missing Old Ones – with a grand plan to leave his own mark on the world. But, Icidro and Prince Ulises are searching for them too, and this is a world where money talks louder than morals.
My Review
The narrator, Emily Mount, has a light, girlish, innocent sounding voice which is appropriate for Selkie as she finds her way in the human world in which she has been captured. Her voice for Sal was also believable and for the other crew members. The siren’s voice was interesting and exotic. Mona the innkeeper had a nasty, scratchy voice. The exciting faster paced sequences were delivered with appropriate emotion and energy. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook version of The Skin by J. E. Hannaford. Through her debut novel, the author delivers a love letter to non-human life and also a warning about what our future could be if we don’t pay more attention to marine ecology and the environment as a whole. My full review of this charming and intriguing fantasy story can be found here on booknest.eu.
“The Earth may feel as though she recovers to you, yet she continues to die. We seek to slow that decline. I fear you may have done too much as a species to stop it altogether.”
About the Author
Writer of words, builder of worlds. J E Hannaford is powered by coffee, dragons and whisky. She teaches Biology in the real world and invents fantasy beasts to populate her own.
J. E. Hannaford lives in Suffolk, UK, and pines for the coast and mountains of Wales.
Contact J. E. Hannaford on Twitter or Website – subscribe to the newsletter for a free short story
Sue's Musings 
The cover is so pretty. I like that you found the narration matches the characters.
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Thank you Wendy – yes it’s a lovely cover!
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