Blodeuedd Reviews: Jaran by Kate Elliott

Book 1 in the Novels of the Jaran series

Author Kate Elliott

Narrated by Cindy Kay

Publication date Aug 15, 2023 by Tantor Audio

Running time 20 hrs 26 min

Scifi/to review

Narration

Great narration. For a book that is a lot about travelling she keeps it interesting, and always entertaining. She was good with different voices 

Book:

This audiobook was a long one for me, I am more used to shorter ones when it comes to audio. I would say it was like anthropological sci.fi. Where to even start...

Aliens took over earth. A man named Charles tried to rebel but instead they made him a prince. His sister Tess is on her way to him, but instead spies on the aliens and is stranded. On a planet where the native population does not know about space travel, or anything. So she pretends to be from overseas and learns to know the Jaran people.

It is slow, a lot could have been left out in a way. But still it is compelling. I wanted to know if she ever reaches her brother (spoiler she does not. Travelling by horse is slow, the world is big. There are more books.) I did not want to stop listening, I wanted to know. But yes they spend a LOT of time travelling.

And yes there is that guy that she will end up fancying, but she has some fun before she even gets to know him like that. And that is way at the end. Not a romance, but she does get to explore. That was a good thing about this culture, women got to do what they wanted, but only until they got married.

Will I read more? Well I would want to, but they are so long. I will see. It took me quite some time, and yes it was only 20 hours, some fantasy books are 40+. That would take me a month.

 In the past, humans were the dominant star-traveling species in the universe—until the Chapalil came, conquered, and absorbed the Earth into their intergalactic empire. One of the only humans ever granted nobility by the Chapalil, Charles Soerenson once led a failed rebellion against the alien overlords. Now his sister, Terese, has abandoned her homeworld, impelled by a broken heart to seek a new life among the worlds her brother rules.

On Rhui, a planet off-limits to interstellar voyagers, Tess stumbles upon a dangerous Chapalil conspiracy—and only the timely arrival of the Jaran saves her from near-certain death. A tribe of nomadic humans roaming the plains of Rhui, the Jaran have long forgotten their ancient Earth history and heritage. Intrigued by their world and their ways, Tess shares an immediate emotional connection with Ilya, the Jaran's brilliant, charismatic leader.

But despite her growing loyalties to this proud chieftain and his people, Tess must take care. For Ilya's ambitions threaten to trigger violent planetary upheaval. And the Jaran have been chosen to play an unwitting role in a plot that could have powerful repercussions far beyond the nomads' volatile world.