Audiobook Review: The Sorcery Trial by J. A. Armitage & Claire Luana

The Sorcery Trial
Author: J. A. Armitage & Claire Luana
Narrator: Ann Marie Gideon
Series: Faerie Race (Book 1)
Publication: Live Edge Publishing (July 1, 2019); Tantor Audio (November 26, 2019
Length: 252 p.; 6 hours and 2 minutes

Description: Welcome to The Faerie Race—an epic adventure through a realm as compelling as it is deadly…

Fame. Fortune. Your most extravagant wish granted. These are the prizes promised to the team that wins The Faerie Race, the first and only reality television show to venture into the dangerous realm of the fae. But that’s not why Jacqueline Cunningham wants in. She’s after any sign of her sister—who vanished without a trace into the faerie world two years ago. Jacq thought getting into the race would be the hard part. But she didn’t count on the other competitors—who will stop at nothing to finish first. Or her distractingly-handsome jerk of a partner, who seems to be hiding secrets of his own.

Plunged into a world where everything wants to kill her, what starts as a hunt for the truth turns into a desperate contest for survival. Now that Jacq’s in the race, it will take all her wits to make it to the finish line alive.

My Thoughts: This is the start of an urban fantasy trilogy. Faerie has announced itself but getting into the fae lands isn't easy. That is why Jacqueline Cunningham decides that her best chance to find out what happened when her sister disappeared into faerie lands is to join the Faerie Trial - a reality TV show that pairs a human with one of the fae and sends them into the faerie land to perform feats. The winners will get fame, fortune, and their greatest wish granted. 

Jacq has been working as a gofer in Hollywood but she really wants to be a stuntwoman. At first she's denied the opportunity to try out for the Faerie Trial but a daring rescue gives her a chance. She can do the physical stuff easily enough. But performing magic? Not so much. 

She does manage to get into the trial by squeaking in. She's in last place. That means she is left with the one fae partner she didn't want. He's dark, brooding, and doesn't want her as a partner either. However, she and her partner will have to work together if they want to survive. Because the other teams would like to see them dead.

There are lots of quests, lots of handsome boys who may or may not be working in Jacq's best interests, and there is a hidden agenda that is just barely revealed in this episode. 

I enjoyed the worldbuilding. I liked the characters especially Jacq and her partner. My only complaint is that there were lots of loose ends left at the end of this episode which makes reading the rest required to find out what happens. 

I bought this one as Kindle and Audiobook February 5, 2021. You can buy your copy here.