From the author of the best-selling Jane Yellowrock and Soulwood series comes a tough new heroine who is far more than she seems.
Junkyard Cats
After the Final War, after the appearance of the Bug aliens and their enforced peace, Shining Smith is still alive, still doing business from the old scrapyard bequeathed to her by her father. But Shining is now something more than human. And the scrapyard is no longer just a scrapyard, but a place full of secrets that she has guarded for years.
This life she has built, while empty, is predictable and safe. Until the only friend left from her previous life shows up, dead, in the back of a scrapped Tesla warplane. Clutched in her cold fingers is a note to Shining – warning her of a coming attack.
With dread, Shining realizes: Someone knows who she is. Someone knows what she is guarding. Will she be able to protect the scrapyard? Will she even survive? Or will Shining have to destroy everything she loves to keep her secrets out of the wrong hands?
Junkyard Bargain
Sometimes before you can face your enemies, you need to confront yourself.
Time is running out for Shining Smith and her crew to gather the weapons they need to rescue one of their own. But will they even make it to the ultimate battle? First, they’ll need to hit the road to Charleston – a hell ride full of bandits, sex slavers, corrupt lawmen, and criminal bike gangs looking to move in on Shining’s territory.
Shining’s human allies will do anything to protect her – because they must. But will victory be worth it if she must compel more and more people to do her bidding? And will her feline warriors, the junkyard cats, remain loyal and risk their lives? Or are they just in it for the kibble?
Junkyard War
It’s find retribution or die trying in Shining Smith’s ultimate challenge, from the author of the Jane Yellowrock and Soulwood series.
Shining Smith and her crew have obtained the weapons they need to rescue one of their own from the grips of their mortal enemy, Clarisse Warhammer. But to mount an assault on her fortified bunker, they have to cobble together an army of fighters.
That could be the biggest battle of them all.
Shining will need to step back into the biker world she left behind to broker an uneasy peace, then lead rival factions into a certain death trap. Can Shining take Warhammer down without having to compel more and more people to do her bidding? And will her feline warriors, the junkyard cats, remain loyal and fight alongside her? Or will Shining have to become something and someone she hates, so that vengeance can finally be hers?
My thoughts
I don’t know who designed the covers for these audibles, but I love them. It caught my eye before I even realized who the author was and I was ready to read them. The designer captured the stories completely. Love them.
Cats as superheroes? Sign me up. To be honest, I didn’t even read the blurb before I clicked “yes” to listen. I saw the cover, then the author, and it was an automatic “yes” for me. The story does not disappoint. I am glad though that I discovered the series after all of it had been published. I cannot imagine having to wait a year for the next book in the series, that must have been so frustrating for listeners.
There are some things I would have done differently as an editor. Junkyard Cats is bogged down with information. Faith Hunter puts us in a whole new world where technology is key. There is a lot of information…like huge amounts of information. It can be distracting in the middle of a gun battle. I would have made data entries at the beginning of each chapter or even made a separate entry for Jolene, Kate, or even Tufts to explain what happened and what equipment does. It got boring in parts and eye glazing in others which shouldn’t happen during a battle.
As for the narrator…hmmm. I got used to her, but I’m not a fan. I was sad to see when I clicked on a Jane Yellowrock book that Hunter uses her for that series too. I’d rather read the books, but there are some that are only audibles so there you go. When you would rather read the book than hear the narrator that tells you everything.
There is lots of action, chemistry, and actual fun in Junkyard Cats. I wish Junkyard Bargain had been free. Since it wasn’t, I didn’t listen to it.
This is where there is a slight issue with Junkyard War. There is no recap. I find that kind of surprising as a year has passed since Bargain. The story jumps right into the action so you are kind of lost at first. There is not a lot of information given on equipment, though there is some, probably because most of the equipment is identified in Cats.
I like the battle scenes. There are some unanswered questions at the end of the story so I’m not sure if that means more books are coming or this is it for Shining Smith. There was a happy ending to the story, but so many loose threads hanging out of it. I will also say there was so much build up between Jager and Shining that the actual event took place in one sentence. That was a bit confusing as in Cats just looking at him took up a couple of paragraphs (smh).
Overall, I like Shining and the crew. I would love to read more of them. I hope Hunter puts the gang into written form with some editing done to make it easier to read with all of the information imparted. The listening went quick as I enjoyed the story while walking Miss Isabella. This is actually how I recommend listening to the story. Do an activity while listening to it because at times, the general information of the story can be overwhelming.
This is available on Amazon Free. Thank you to Amazon and the author for making this available otherwise I could not have afford to read it. Thanks again!
Want to Listen on Amazon Audible? Click here for membership.
“As a Bookshop and Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.” at no additional cost to you.
Further Details Junkyard Cats:
Published by: Amazon Audible Original, 2 January 2020
Narrated by: Khristine Hvam
Series: Shining Smith #1; Settings: West Virginia, U.S.
Pages/Length: 5h2m
Secondary Characters include: Non-White
Further Details Junkyard Bargain:
Published by: Amazon Audible Original, 25 February 2021
Narrated by: Khristine Hvam
Series: Shining Smith #2
Pages/Length: 5h40m
Further Details Junkyard War:
Published by: Amazon Audible Original, 8 December 2022
Narrated by: Khristine Hvam
Series: Shining Smith #3
Pages/Length: 6h35m
Credits:
Promo Photo by Pixabay on <a href=”https://www.pexels.com/photo/scenic-view-of-desert-landscape-against-dramatic-sky-326149/” rel=”nofollow”>Pexels.com</a>
Mx Phoebes Viewpoint 