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A review by mellhay
Crane by Stacey Rourke
3.0
I was drawn into the story because I love the Headless Horseman stories. This is a twist on that tale with a lead to more to come. We follow the murder's of the Headless Horseman in both times. There is more to the story than simply a headless man cutting off heads.
****FULL REVIEW****
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.
The Van Tassel's helped build this town. Now, Tarrytown has just had Vic Van Tassel murdered in a hotel parking lot. Decapitated. Ireland Crane has only been in Sleepy Hollow for one week, and now has the cops at her doorstep. Vic Van Tassel's body was found with her last name carved into his chest. The police think it's a copy cat of the old legends. But tell Ireland to keep an eye out, with her last name she just might become a target...wanting to act out the legend with an actual Crane. Ireland finds an old man claiming to have woken from a sleeping spell because the Headless Horseman has returned. He's to teach her how to control the horseman, but he finds she's branded with the Headless Horseman's mark. What does it mean?
I had the pleasure of listening to this story. Karen has vocalized this story in voices slightly different for each character in sound and persona. I got a kick out of her drunken slurring in the first chapter. We do get a story from past and present, in which Karen has different sounds in speech for different time frames. The dialog for the characters in the past is something I didn't ever grow accustom to, though did feel to get better toward the end of the book. Each word spoken felt stiff and as if it was a sentence of it's own. I know it's of a time that is speech is proper and people watched what they said, but there didn't feel as if there was a flow to the words spoken. The story and narration of the rest of the story (past and current) along with dialog in present time were read with flow.
We get two stories in one. Boy oh boy do they parallel each other! We get Ichabod's story as he falls for Katrina and his friends, Washington Irving and Rip Van Winkle. The story of Ichabod's life isn't as it's told in Irving's books, and there's a very good reason for that. We get Ireland Crane's story in the present as she's new to Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow. And how Ireland's life gets flipped upside down with Rip van Winkle waking in a secret room in her basement. Ireland's life is extremely similar to Ichabod's life, yet the two stories are unique in their own telling. Reading Ichabod's story gives us answers as things escalate in the present time, and fall into similar events as Ichabod's time. There is a reason for all of this.
We follow the murder's of the Headless Horseman in both times. There is more to the story than simply a headless man cutting off heads. There is also a question I'm curious to see explained in relation to the Headless Horseman. How to control him. There is indication of a talisman, which is in two forms. But also, there seems to be control in way of 'payment' (per say) which is used. It seems to me others could use this 'payment' method to make a deal and control the Headless Horseman at any time. I'm curious to see how this plays out in the series.
I was drawn into the story because I love the Headless Horseman stories. This is a twist on that tale with a lead to more to come. I felt for Ichabod and those around him. I was irritated by Rip's actions in the new town they arrive in, he's different in present though. I guess he's slept that desire away? lol. Ireland feels as she's a hard shelled character in the beginning. She's moved to Sleepy Hollow to start anew and leave things in the past, an ex-fiance that's turned her from her desires. The things she's unknowingly done here in Tarrytown are going to be an obstacle for her. But she's got a chance at a relationship, maybe. Ireland starts to grow toward the end of the story. She starts to let people in again in her life. She starts to accept what she learns of herself now too.
As the story here is finished, there is more to come. A mystery of who knows about the control of the Horseman. Ireland needs to find out. I'm curious as to what Ireland comes across with Rip as they search to find out who knows the secret that was buried in tales about the Headless Horseman.
****FULL REVIEW****
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.
The Van Tassel's helped build this town. Now, Tarrytown has just had Vic Van Tassel murdered in a hotel parking lot. Decapitated. Ireland Crane has only been in Sleepy Hollow for one week, and now has the cops at her doorstep. Vic Van Tassel's body was found with her last name carved into his chest. The police think it's a copy cat of the old legends. But tell Ireland to keep an eye out, with her last name she just might become a target...wanting to act out the legend with an actual Crane. Ireland finds an old man claiming to have woken from a sleeping spell because the Headless Horseman has returned. He's to teach her how to control the horseman, but he finds she's branded with the Headless Horseman's mark. What does it mean?
I had the pleasure of listening to this story. Karen has vocalized this story in voices slightly different for each character in sound and persona. I got a kick out of her drunken slurring in the first chapter. We do get a story from past and present, in which Karen has different sounds in speech for different time frames. The dialog for the characters in the past is something I didn't ever grow accustom to, though did feel to get better toward the end of the book. Each word spoken felt stiff and as if it was a sentence of it's own. I know it's of a time that is speech is proper and people watched what they said, but there didn't feel as if there was a flow to the words spoken. The story and narration of the rest of the story (past and current) along with dialog in present time were read with flow.
We get two stories in one. Boy oh boy do they parallel each other! We get Ichabod's story as he falls for Katrina and his friends, Washington Irving and Rip Van Winkle. The story of Ichabod's life isn't as it's told in Irving's books, and there's a very good reason for that. We get Ireland Crane's story in the present as she's new to Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow. And how Ireland's life gets flipped upside down with Rip van Winkle waking in a secret room in her basement. Ireland's life is extremely similar to Ichabod's life, yet the two stories are unique in their own telling. Reading Ichabod's story gives us answers as things escalate in the present time, and fall into similar events as Ichabod's time. There is a reason for all of this.
We follow the murder's of the Headless Horseman in both times. There is more to the story than simply a headless man cutting off heads. There is also a question I'm curious to see explained in relation to the Headless Horseman. How to control him. There is indication of a talisman, which is in two forms. But also, there seems to be control in way of 'payment' (per say) which is used. It seems to me others could use this 'payment' method to make a deal and control the Headless Horseman at any time. I'm curious to see how this plays out in the series.
I was drawn into the story because I love the Headless Horseman stories. This is a twist on that tale with a lead to more to come. I felt for Ichabod and those around him. I was irritated by Rip's actions in the new town they arrive in, he's different in present though. I guess he's slept that desire away? lol. Ireland feels as she's a hard shelled character in the beginning. She's moved to Sleepy Hollow to start anew and leave things in the past, an ex-fiance that's turned her from her desires. The things she's unknowingly done here in Tarrytown are going to be an obstacle for her. But she's got a chance at a relationship, maybe. Ireland starts to grow toward the end of the story. She starts to let people in again in her life. She starts to accept what she learns of herself now too.
As the story here is finished, there is more to come. A mystery of who knows about the control of the Horseman. Ireland needs to find out. I'm curious as to what Ireland comes across with Rip as they search to find out who knows the secret that was buried in tales about the Headless Horseman.