I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook Eye of the Moon by Ivan Obolensky, generously provided as an ARC by NetGalley and The HIVE. While I was immediately drawn to the story's premise—a Victorian-style mystery set in 1977, replete with ghosts, occult intrigue, and buried family secrets—I regret to say that I was unable to finish the audiobook due to the narration.​ As a voice-over actor and director, I have a high tolerance for various narration styles, but Carter Roy's performance was particularly challenging. His delivery felt erratic, with lines delivered in a manner that disrupted the flow of the story. It was as if he threw words out like waves on a stormy ocean, making the listening experience exhausting and, frankly, annoying. This inconsistency made it difficult to stay engaged with the narrative.​

It's unfortunate because the story itself is intriguing. Set in 1977, Eye of the Moon follows two childhood friends, Percy and Johnny, who reunite at the opulent Rhinebeck estate in upstate New York. They're drawn into a web of family secrets, occult mysteries, and supernatural occurrences, including the suspicious death of Johnny's aunt, Alice, who died while reading an Egyptian Book of the Dead. The novel weaves themes of romance, deceit, and high finance, all set against a backdrop of lavish dinners and hidden motives. ​

Given the rich narrative and gothic elements, I believe the story has great potential. I plan to read the print version in the future to fully appreciate Obolensky's intricate plot and character development without the distraction of the audiobook's narration.​

In summary, while the audiobook's narration hindered my experience, the story itself is compelling, and I look forward to exploring it further in print.

I highly enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The mystery held my interest. The narrator did a good job. Looking forward to more.

Eye of the Moon is a richly detailed story with an intriguing gothic atmosphere. The audiobook narration was well-done, adding to the immersive experience. While the plot had moments of brilliance, the pacing felt uneven at times and some sections were overly descriptive. Still, a worthwhile listen for fans of classic mystery and family drama. #EyeoftheMoonAudiobook #NetGalley

This captivating read features compelling characters and an intriguing story set primarily in a grand mansion, where secrets unfold and tensions rise. The vivid descriptions and dynamic interactions bring the setting to life, making it easy to get lost in its pages. While it's an excellent book, I believe its rich dialogue and dramatic moments would translate beautifully to the stage, making for an even more immersive and engaging theatrical experience!

Unfortunately could not finish this audiobook as the narrator’s voice was too mono toned and annoying for me! Would definitely like to pick this book up and read it myself as it does sound really interesting!

This book was much lighter and cozier than I imagined from the cover, but the puzzle/mystery was solid. It has a timeless quality to it, and I had to keep reminding myself it is set in modern times. I enjoyed this story and appreciate the unusual family and found family aspects. "The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb," certainly applied here. Percy and Johnny were a compelling team, and even when they were up to trouble, I was still unwaveringly on their side. There are many tricky people and the author does a good job of making everyone seem suspicious. Alice's storyline was fascinating and I would've loved an entire book on her. There were many facets of this book that I really enjoyed, but I don't want to spoil anything. It does take a bit to get into it, but once I got to the Alice parts I never wanted to stop. I'll definitely read more in this series.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Narrators were excellent which i find is half the problem usually. The story kept going at a good pace with some interesting twist in the plot. Can't wait for the second book.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration was good. This was an enjoyable read! Steeped in Egyptian folklore, this mystery/thriller kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the story. The writing style was good and made it easy to get immersed. I did find the pace to be a little slow at times, but all in all I still really enjoyed it. Can definitely recommend! It was a little long and I hope that students would stick with it. I think my fantasy readers would really enjoy it.
Thanks to NetGalley for the audioARC to preview.

The story got me almost immediately! Suspenseful, mysterious and with interesting twists.
What I didn't like from the audiobook was the male narrator. I had a hard time getting accustomed to his voice and how he read. If the story hadn't caught me that quickly, I would've stopped listening.
I'm still excited about the second book, though!

Wasn’t a fan of the book. It seemed to go on forever. It was also hard to follow. Not sure if it was due to the length (I listen to all audiobooks at 2x speed or if it was the narrator). I was not a fan of the narration.

DNF @ Chapter 35

This is an interesting American country house murder-mystery that harkens back to classic adventure stories like The Thirty-Nine Steps and The Lost World, with a touch of the occult. Percy and Johnny were childhood friends, estranged by a business deal gone sour. Newly reconciled, they reconsider, with adult eyes, the death of Aunt Alice. Rumours have long swirled that it was murder. With the help of Johnny's family's long serving butler, they access Alice's private papers, and discover just how deep her explorations into Egyptian spirituality had gone...

As a fan of classic adventure stories, I was enjoying this. It is a slow, meandering story, very much fitting the vibe of the time period. But there is a sexual angle to this story that I found deeply off-putting and ultimately led to me DNF-ing.

I alternated between the audiobook and the ebook, and overall, I preferred the ebook. The male and female narrators in the audiobook appear to be spliced together at different volumes and it was quite jarring to listen to. The male narrator has a very distinct cadence too that after a while got on my nerves.

I found this audio book hard to get into. The narrator’s voice was please and there were parts that made me chuckle. However, it seemed to take forever for anything to happen. I don’t think this book was really for me. Maybe I have had better luck with the physical copy but I opted to DNF that and try the audio book. I wouldn’t be opposed to trying it again in the future. The plot did sound interesting.

I struggled to get into this story. The narration made it difficult to focus, it was quite whimsical or it wavered in its intonation of each word. Thanks for the advanced readers copy.

Really enjoyed the writing and the characters and the mystery. Didn't enjoy all the unnecessarily explicit sex. Way too much for a procedural novel. Otherwise, this was an excellent book!

I received an audio copy of the book for review.

At no point did I want to continue with this book. The premise of the book sounded amazing, but the storyline just wasn't it. I also didn't like the narration. It was supposed to mimic a play according to the publishers notes. I hated it.

I'm sure others may love this book but this actually put me in a reading slump.

Sorry I stopped listening about 10 minutes in. The narrator’s voice was horrible. Too slow and annoying.

Eye of The Moon
I was not the biggest fan of this book. The story was hard to get into and follow. The plot was a bit hard to follow, but I I’d finish.
I was not a fan of this narrator.

Thank you Netgalley and Smith-Obolensky Media for the free audio book in exchange for my honest opinion.

First off I have to say that I love the cover of this book, I know you aren't supposed to judge a book by it's covers and all, but that's what drew me in. "EYE of the Moon" is such a long book, but I can honestly say that it did not feel like 17 + hours . The story telling is so beautiful, it just draws you in. The narrator was a great choice, I think he read the book perfectly. All of the characters were developed really well, it felt like you were in the middle of the story getting to know everyone and their secrets.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing style in this book which made it hard for me to truly get into the story. Overall, I think the plot made up for this though and once I got over the initial struggle, I enjoyed the overall story. I initially wasn’t a fan of the narration of the audiobook but definitely found I warmed up to it as I progressed.

Eye of the Moon by Ivan Obolensky, is a compelling, atmospheric, gothic mystery story.

This intriguing story is largely exploring the mysterious happenings at the opulent Rhinebeck Estate, with some paranormal themes and a story filled with family secrets.

I enjoyed the audio performances by Vanessa Richardson and Carter Roy. It was particularly enjoyable as it was produced like a play or audio production, rather than the usual narration style.

The series continues in book 2 – Shadow of the Son and book 3 – Dark of the Earth.

Many thanks to Smith-Obolensky Media and NetGalley for this audio review copy, in exchange for an honest review.

Listen time: 17hours 46 minutes