Book Review: Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling by P.S. Bartlett

AMBER WAKE - Gabriel Falling by P.S. Bartlett, Ronovan Hester
Narrator: Jake Urry
Series: The Razor's Adventures #3
Published by Self-published on 02-19-18
Genres: Fiction, Historical
Length: 7 hrs
Format: Audiobook
Source: Narrator
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Where do I begin? That’s a difficult question in and of itself but when your life is transformed into something else, do you start when you’re born or when your life truly began? I was born in London as Gabriel Wallace. The child of high society; although I was raised to appreciateeverything that softly landed in my hand. I followed all the rules. I worked hard, studied hard and ended up a captain in the Royal Navy before my twenty fifth birthday. Unfortunately, I saw the world through my own eyes, not the eyes of my superiors and my vision was clear. I knew my duty. I knew my job. I also knew deep down, regardless of the loyalty my commission required, my stance was in opposition and it was but a matter of time before they’d force me to stand alone. Fortunately for me, my crew was loyal too and I had the full support of my closest friend and confidant as well. I didn’t know where I’d end up but I knew one thing for sure; I needed to get the hell out of England and thanks to them, I was taking my ship with me. The time had come to hunt.

Gabriel Wallace, captain of the Royal Navy, is unfairly court-martialed. But Gabriel is not alone, and his crew will make him find an escape and be there for him. Things will never be the same for captain Wallace.

The book is written in first person, from Gabriel’s point of view. It took me some time to get into this book due to the language used in it, but after finishing it I can say that I absolutely loved it, and I wanted to start it over again and again. Where to start reviewing this book? It has great characters that grew on me, fully fleshed and with complex reactions. There is a clear evolution, not only of Gabriel, or Rasmus, but also the other men in his crew. I grew terribly fond of him, Miles, and Maddox, and I already miss them so much!

This is a book about pirates, about treason, about sacrifice, and above all, about friendship. During their journey, they discover the freedom of this new life, but also the price they must pay for it, and they wonder whether there will be a way back from it.

I must clarify that this is the third book in a series, but it can be read as a standalone. I haven’t read the previous books, but I am planning to do so as soon as I can, since I loved the world building, the portraying of the characters, the detailed descriptions, and the adventure.

I was lucky enough to discover this book due to his narrator, Jake Urry, which has a distinctive style and velvety voice that I could listen to for hours on end. He really became Gabriel in this book, or rather Rasmus. Bartlett’s beautiful language found the perfect voice and style in Urry’s narration, and both text and voice complemented each other reaching perfection. This is one of those audiobooks that will stay with me for a very long time and that I absolutely recommend to everyone.

I received a copy of this book in audio format from the narrator in exchange for an honest review.

Story (Plot)
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