The Sanctuary by Ilona Andrews and narrated by Chris Brinkley is a novella featuring Roman set in the Kate Daniels world. Roman is a Volhv wizard who just wants to be left alone. However, when a wounded boy shows up in his yard with his dog, followed shortly thereafter by elite mercenaries, he has to do what he can to provide sanctuary.

This novella was a short glimpse into the world of Roman and what it means to serve Chernobog, the God of Destruction, Darkness and Death. While I love the spark of Kate Daniels and her Beast Lord, I didn't find Roman to have that same pizzazz. I think that was in part because you didn't have the time to develop the character as much and also because he didn't have someone to fight with the same way. Still, the story was awesome as are all of Ilona's books.

If you love the Kate Daniels series as much as I do, this is just another "Must Read" in the series. If you have never read a Kate Daniels book, you will still enjoy this novella and all that is Roman, however you might be missing a bit of the background that is important in a complex world like this.

I enjoyed listening to Chris Brinkley bring Roman to life in this audiobook. He has that sexy, drawl voice that I love listening to and it made this book even more entertaining. The speed and speech was perfection!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for this advance reader copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

It's a very short story. Roman is really interesting as the main character, the slavic mythology is also interesting, but the events developed very quickly. I think it will get better as the series progresses.

Loved the story - I’ve always wanted to know more about Roman, and this was perfect. Audio was great as well!

This was a fun listen, especially if you're already a fan of the Kate Daniels world. The story centers on Roman, a character who's always been a bit of a wildcard, and it's great to see him step into the spotlight. I enjoyed how the novella delves into Roman's role as a priest for the dark god, Chernobog, and explores the balance he maintains between good and evil.

The narration by Chris Brinkley was solid. He did a great job with the Russian words and really brought Roman's character to life. His deep voice suited the dark, mystical tone of the story, though occasionally, some words were a bit hard to catch.

Overall, Sanctuary is a good addition to the series, and I'm excited to see where Roman's story goes next. If you're into mythology and enjoy a mix of action and humor, this one is worth a listen!

Wonderful narrator that brings the character to life. I hope there are more of the Roman chronicles to enjoy. The animals are also a great addition to the story.

I enjoyed Santuary as it focused on a character who was considered a “baddie” of sorts in the Kate Daniels books but has grown as a character and you see his good side. Seeing him as the hero was refreshing as it is too easy to say a person is good or evil. There are nuances. These are demonstrated when Roman explains his role as Chernobog’s priest. It’s all about keeping the balance. I wish it was more than a novella as I would have like to have more info about the dynamic of his convoluted family and why he became the priest. I’m looking forward to reading more of his story.
Thank you for Netgallery for an advance audiobook in exchange of my hones review.

The Kate Daniels series is my favorite book series. I absolutely love Ilona Andrew's writing. There's always action, magic, humor, mystery, and mythology. The Kate Daniels world is where mythology comes to life through magic, and in Sanctuary, we get Slavic folklore. This novella follows Roman, a Black Volhv for the dark god, Chernabog. Roman was introduced in Magic Slays (Kate Daniels 5), and he's always been a fun and interesting side character for me.

I like that Roman is a priest of a dark god in Kate Daniels world because "someone has to do it." This novella shows a little more of Roman's responsibilities and what is involved with being a priest of any religion in the KD world. I like how kind and caring Roman is and how much he cares about the dark creatures that seem to flock to him. Another great thing about this novella is we learn a little more of Roman's backstory of how he came to be the Black Volhv for the Slavic Pagan society in Altanta.

This is definitely the first half of a larger arc, and Ilona Andrews said in their Q&A session that this is likely going to be a duology. I'm looking forward to getting more insight into such a fun character.

Chris Brinkley does a good job narrating Roman (pronounced Ro-mahn), and I think he did a great job with the more difficult-to-pronounce Russian words. He didn't take me out of the story, and it was easy to follow along with the novella as he spoke. Overall, I really liked Sanctuary when it was a serial, and I like the polish it was given as it was published. I look forward to the next Roman Chronicle and, honestly, anything that Ilona Andrews publishes.

Thanks NetGalley and Ilona Andrews for the AudioARC.

This audiobook starts off Roman's adventures, or as he would put it, "just another day in Nav," or the Slavic pagan underworld. His daily life becomes entangled with his patron dark god's marital strife. As the story progresses, we learn about how Roman deals with disruptions to his routine when a boy who has more connections to Roman's religion than appears at first glance asks for sanctuary, or protection, from pursuit by a rival religious faction Roman has never met before. We are introduced to several new characters, mysterious foes, and a menagerie of both mythical and mundane creatures! These glimpses into mythology personified and applied to daily live give the world a down-to-earth feel, even when the action picks up. Themes in this book include how humans personify, interact, and humanize their religious traditions and deities, as well as redemption and responsibility. As such, this novella is a good tie-in to the Kate Daniels world without overwhelming new readers with the layered lore and larger cast of characters from the main series.

The pacing of both the story and narration is well-done, balancing fight scenes with treks through tranquil winter scenery and some angsty internal battles that take place there. The fight scenes are the most vivid to imagine and easier to remember several days after finishing the novella, as the more dialogue-heavy Nav scenes were more difficult for me to visualize. I would still recommend this title in audiobook form. The narrator is adept at a range of voices that sound believable and bring each character's personalities to life. However, the low pitch of his voice sometimes muddled some words, requiring a rewind. Included in this audiobook include a short story (or vignette) continuing a new character's tale and a highly enjoyable, well-narrated reading of an essay from the authors about stock characters in Slavic mythology and folklore (also freely available on their blog).

I was so happy to be back in this world - I loved learning more about Roman, and hope Ilona Andrews continues this series (and maybe we can get a Kate and/or Curran cameo at some point?!). If you like Ilona Andrews, and especially like their Kate Daniels series, you should definitely check this out.

This book was so beautifully complex I needed a much longer book.

The storytelling was **CHEFS KISS** delicious and the prose were perfect. I haven't read the series Roman hails from but I have hunted down the box set and will be fully emerged in it soon.

This is book 1 into a new series and I need it all.

4.5 stars

As a member of the BDH(Book Devouring Horde) I tend to be biased about anything by Ilona Andrews. That being said. Sanctuary is a wintery breath of evil air. It gave us a deeper look at Roman and why he is who he is. We get a chance to see his companions, and see his compassion for those that stumble into his orbit. The book has the amazing writing we expect from Ilona Andrews and the lovely world building that makes us swoon. I want to Roll around in Chris Brinkleys' voice like I would with a fuzzy blanket. He is the perfect narrator for Roman. He just brings the world to life. .

Thanks to net galley for granting my wish for the audiobook version of this book. My opinion of the book and the content of this review are my own.
I had missed the serial, so was eagerly waiting to read this. It did not disappoint.
Sanctuary is a different perspective on the KA world - it’s focus is on Slavic folklore, which was interesting and entertaining. It keeps Roman’s snark and, if anything, increases his appeal. A hero with Eeyore slippers battling mercenaries, magi, and weird priests.. - what’s not to love!?!
Only my 2nd audiobook, so I’m not an expert critic, but Chris Brinkley’s narration was compelling and easy to listen to.
Another 5 stars from House Andrews.

An absolute delight of a book. I wasn't sure if we would ever get a book/books about Roman, and here it is, and it is just as wonderful as every other Ilona Andrews title. Despite it's length, it packs on hell of a story, introducing a host of new characters I just want to know even more about, while also reintroducing Roman's family (who always make me laugh). I can't wait to get more books in this series, because it was an excellent start.

The audio narration/production was fantastic, and having listened to it a few times now, a great audio experience.

I was so excited to get a audio copy of Sanctuary from Netgalley (in exchange for my honest review). I really enjoy novellas that flesh out the side characters of my favorite series. This added nothing to the character of Roman for me and the storyline itself was so boring.

The narrator was fine, but this definitely wasn't the lively voice I expected for Roman. Very alpha masculine, more Curran.

Sanctuary is an exiting stroll through folklore and legends within the Kate Daniels world. I absolutely love learning more about what it means to be the black volhv and to serve Chernobog. In this short encounter we learn a lot about Roman and his moral compass as he protects a young boy requesting sanctuary.

It’s not a good day to stop by his house actually. He only gets a few days off a year and he is angry with his God because he has been set to task to bring a gift to his Gods wife to end an argument. So when a bunch of mercenaries show up to reign terror in his home. Well let’s just say they don’t know what real terror means but they are about to find out. No one messes with dark priest who serves the God of destruction, darkness and death… Looks like they picked the wrong house in this neck of the woods tonight.

And to think all Roman really wanted was eggnog and cookies but sadly his dark creatures beat him to it. So instead Roman will save a child, drag a tree, guide a new young priest towards the path of understanding what it means to serve a God or Goddess.

Thru this Roman learns a valuable lesson at last. Makes amends for a past wrong and aids a stranger with his own boon hmmm…. such a complicated dark priest who doesn’t seem to be all that evil to me. However, Roman is a fierce and terrible force to be reckoned with if you choose to be an enemy. The audiobook is flawlessly executed and truly brings the characters to life!

This review is for the audio book. A great story, very well developed world building. Roman and his god are well fleshed out and interesting. I felt that the narrator was a little flat and the story could have been enhanced with a different narrator, but overall very enjoyable.

Interested in learning more about Roman and what being a volhv is about? Want a novella where the good guy/servant of a dark god battles the bad guys while wearing Eeyore slippers? Like snark? If so, you'll enjoy this one. Make sure to read the short story that follows it, Kind Regards, which wraps up the current story neatly.

Are all the loose ends tied? No. This is book 1 in the series. However, most of them are, so you should feel comfortable reading this as a standalone while waiting for the next one to come out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ilona Andrews for the ARC!

Edited post - I was able to listen to an ARC of the audiobook as well. I am picky when it comes to audiobooks. Listen to the first 15 minutes. If you like the narrator, you'll be fine. If you don't, then stick to a hard copy or ebook. Pros - differentiated between characters, pacing generally matched the pace of the story, and the hard words were pronounced as easily as the easy ones. Cons - sometimes paused in unexpected places. Mod R's narration of her essay was fantastic, so make sure you stick around to hear that part.

NetGalley Review

Star Rating: ★★★☆☆

This was an interesting read (listen). I had no idea what I was getting into with this one. I was getting ready to leave on vacation, needed something quick, click on one of my tags, saw the cover and that was that. You see enough with Greek and Roman gods so it's neat to see a completely different pantheon. The book wasn't one of my most favorite reads seems things rushed. It had a hook right in the beginning, slowed down a bit (which I like the slow learning parts of a book), then it really started to pick up and then seemed to just end. Lot's of things left unanswered. I know it is book 1 in a series, but still for some reason the ending just doesn't sit well with me. Just seems like somethings off. Overall I liked the book and will most likely continue the series when able.

Like always read (listen to) it and decide for yourself!

When a wounded boy stumbles into his yard and requests sanctuary, Roman takes him in despite knowing he was bringing trouble to his door. As the Black Volvh to Chernobog, the God of Destruction, Darkness and Death, Roman was looking forward to his three days off drinking egg nog and cookies. Now he has mercenaries surrounding his home and combat mages dousing his house with fire.

Roman is a character in the Kate Daniel’s universe and if you’re a fan of that series, like I am, you are saying to yourself “FINALLY” Roman gets his own story! Roman is a particular favorite because despite his serving Chernobog, he is a man who acts with kindness and has always stood at Kate and Curran’s side in a crisis. In fact, they asked the Black Volvh to marry them! In this book more of Roman’s back story was revealed. How he was called to his position from a small child, how that calling affected his family, and how it shaped him into the man he is today. All while kicking mercenary butt and teaching this young man Finn how to survive his own call of duty. It was a special tale, and it is not down being told. Yay!

Chris Brinkley does a solid job as narrator on this novel. I’ll admit that I had a bit of a stumble when I first heard his voice because I’m a big fan of Penny Reid’s Winston Series and he voices all of those Winston brothers. However, this is not a rom-com and Chris Brinkley lived up to the character he was voicing. His slight southern dialect fits the location for the Kate Daniel’s universe, which is in the Atlanta area, and as far as I know (because I’m not Russian) he did a great job with the pronunciation of all of the characters from that countries mythology. Honestly, anyone could voice an Ilona Andrews novel and I’d fall in line and learn to love it, I like them that much.

In an author’s note at the end is a woman’s voice with what sounds like a Russian accent describing Ilona Andrews use of mythology in their stories. This was an interesting addendum to an already great story and provided more insight into this author duo that I love so much.

I previously read this as a serial on the Ilona Andrews blog. It was a pleasure to enjoy this ARC as an audiobook - especially to hear correct pronunciations of the creatures names! Roman might serve a dark god, but he's not a bad guy. Stereotypes, sibling/family relationships and Russian folklore make for a great story. Highly recommend this and all of the related Kate Daniels books.