I don't usually get audio books, so this format was interesting. Its very different to hear the story instead if reading it but it was still a decent book. I like the book and Ilona is one of my favorite authors.

Roman is grumpy, back from a task assigned by his Slavic god, Chernobog, still not complete, but he has the Koliada, the Winter Festival off. All he wants is to rest, sip eggnog and eat cookies, but things change when a teenage boy and his puppy (cue heart eyes!) shows up on his property and asks for sanctuary.

You’d think Roman, a Dark Volhv serving an evil god wouldn’t be a big-hearted softy, but “evil” in this story isn’t defined in the traditional sense. Soon after taking the boy in, a band of mercenaries show up determined to take the boy and the dog, but they have another thing coming if they think Roman’s just going to give him up. It was fun to see them underestimate Roman and his rag-tag bunch of strange and lethal creatures, adorable in their own odd way!

I’m a big fan of Ilona Andrews! It was fun to have Roman fleshed out, as I’ve liked him in the Kate Daniels series. Sanctuary was a fun, fast read, action-packed and infused with Andrews’ signature humor! Things wrapped up, but there were paths left open and I’m eager for more stories! A possible romance a-brewing? I’m all in!

I listened to the audio version with Chris Brinkley, a narrator I’ve enjoyed in the past, performing. His pronunciation of what seemed to be to me, difficult words (gods, mythology, etc.) was smooth and well done! I thoroughly enjoyed his performance! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

Ilona Andrews is one of my favorite authors, I love all of their series! I was so excited to read a book about Roman. He has alway been a character that I really enjoy. It does appear this will be the first in a series because the end really set up where the story will go. I had a such a good time with this and loved Chris Brinkley's narration.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Dreamscape Select for granting my wish for the ALC!

Chris Brinkley is the narrator of this fantasy story and gets the voice of Roman just right with a smooth delivery.
Roman is a dark priest serving Chernobog God of Destruction, Darkness and Death.
Roman is enjoying his alone time just for him and his magical creatures.
Mercenaries are chasing a boy who wants Sanctuary with Roman.
This is the start of a fantastic tale drawing in ancient magic from various factions.
A really enjoyable listen even if you are new to this world.
You are kept enthralled with all the details which give you a light into the story.
I would recommend reading other fantasy books related to these characters to give you a fuller insight into this story.
Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved getting to see so much Roman. He has always been such an amazing character but getting to actually see into what makes him who he is was fantastic. I listened to the audio and it is done really well. I am so excited to see more of Roman and all of his "evil enough" creatures.

I am a huge fan of Ilona Andrews! They are auto-buy authors for me. Whatever they write, I’m gonna read. The Kate Daniels series is one of my all-time favorite series. The world building is top notch and the way they weave all the storylines together is amazing. The side characters are always fleshed out and add a lot to the books. I was excited when I heard Roman was getting his own novella. He’s everyone’s favorite Black Volhv.

I loved grumpy Roman and his animal misfits! This was such a fun listen/read and I liked the new characters that were introduced to. I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of the audiobook and it was so good! I loved the narrators voice and thought he did an amazing job of voicing Roman. The story was easy to follow and the audiobook helped a ton with figuring out how to pronounce certain names.

This is a book you will enjoy even if you’re new to the Kate Daniels world. I saw there will be a sequel so I can’t wait for more Roman! Thank you NetGalley and NYLA for the opportunity to listen to this early.

I love all the stories tangentially related to Kate Daniels.
Employing Chris Brinkley was the perfect choice.
It was a quick read with lots of interesting characters.

I don't usually listen to many audio books but I jumped at the chance to have this and it didn't disappoint. We catch up with our favourite Black Volv as he’s summoned by his God to bring a gift but oh dear Roman is not a happy bunny because he much prefers to hide away from everyone at what some consider the season of goodwill and bonhomie . It’s just too bad when he gets home that there’s a teenage boy in his yard begging for sanctuary ! What is a man to do ? When mercenaries show up though Roman doesn’t hesitate but why do they want the boy ?
I love the way this duo takes traditional myths and folklore and just do their own thing with it . The Kate Daniel’s world is a fascinating mixture of magic and technology although truly it always feels that magic has the upper hand . This shorter story featuring Roman not only gives us his back story but sets up for even more delicious storytelling and I am all for that . As stated I’m not a huge fan of audio books but I found this easy to follow and very entertaining. This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from NetGalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

5⭐️ 0🌶️ 5🎧

I will read anything Ilona Andrews writes. Their story telling is so captivating. I will take absolutely any chance to return to the Kate Daniels world and learn more about this world.

Roman was one of my favorite characters from the Kate Daniels series so I’m so glad to see that we are seeing more of him and leaning more about his god.

Roman was every bit as complex as I expected him to be. Despite being the death god’s priest he was kind and compassionate with a menagerie of magical creatures who have flocked to him for safety and care. That kindness and compassion extended to an injured and scared kid and their puppy on the run from trigger happy mercs.

I loved everything about this book and I can’t wait for more.

Chris Brinkley did an amazing job narrating. He was perfect for Roman.

My review is regarding the audiobook version of Sanctuary. I rounded it up to 4 stars, from 3.5. The story is on par with the wonderful writing of Ilona Andrews, but I found the narrator to be very monotonous which brought the number of stars down. There is great drama in the story which is not conveyed by the narrator. Also the inflection and pacing have little variance throughout the book.

First I want to say Chris Brinkley did a fantastic job with this audiobook. His voice fits the story wonderfully, and I felt like he made the events extremely clear and it was easy to follow. His voice is also extremely swoon worth, and it works for our dark anti-hero.

I love the Kate Daniels series and when she teams up with Roman, so I really enjoyed the idea of Roman getting his own story. I'm obsessed with his pets, his sarcasm, and his way of viewing the world. This was a fast paced novella, which had great battle/fight scenes and built new lore into the Kate Daniel's story. I imagine we're going to be leaning more into Slavic lore in future books, which is fresh and interesting. I appreciated how the compared the lore to more well known mythology.

Recommend this for fans of the Kate Daniel's series, and know that you don't have to be fully caught up on all the books to enjoy this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for allowing me a copy of this audio book in return for an honest review.

Roman the Black Volhv to Chernobog, God of Destruction, Darkness and Death, is just settling down to his annual day off when he finds a teenage boy and a puppy in his yard. The boy begs sanctuary, not something usually requested by the servants of Chernobog. Next thing he knows, mercenaries are on his doorstep wanting the boy and his dog, and they are not taking no for an answer.

Chris Brinkley, oh my, that voice, swoon! I really hope there’s more stories coming soon because he was a dream!

What I liked: I always like Roman’s team ups with Kate Daniels so it was such a treat to be able to experience a Roman-centric novella! I loved his wit and angst, his love of his pets, and the pets themselves. Great introduction to a potential love interest too, and it was especially fun to see more of the Slavic side to Kate’s world.

What didn’t work for me: Not much, it just didn’t ping the extra box I reserve for 5 star reviews.

Final thoughts: A good solid novella which further examines the world of Kate Daniels.

Who would enjoy this book: Existing fans of Ilona Andrews especially those familiar with the Kate Daniels novels, though this could be read alone as it doesn’t seem to give any spoilers away for the main books.

I was lucky enough to get approved via Wishlist on Netgalley! I love all Ilona Andrew stuff so I didn’t even see it was an audiobook but man it was narrated really well!

Storytelling still too notch.
Holiday novella.
I love the menagerie of animals
Lol I love the humor.

Definitely recommend!

I loved that we are getting Roman’s book. He was always such an interesting side character in the Kate Daniel series. I loved learning more about him. You first learn in the Kate Daniel series that he has a big heart despite serving the God of Destruction. His good heart just shines even more in Sanctuary. I loved his menagerie of animals that he begrudgingly takes care of and it only made sense that he would protect and mentor his unexpected guest seeking sanctuary. I highly recommend the audiobook because the narrator Chris Brinkley was a delight to listen too. He’s a new narrator for me and I absolutely loved his voice!

Thank you #NetGalley and #HachetteAudio for the chance to read this short story in exchange for an honest review.

While I haven’t read all of the books in serial order, I saw this one and really wanted to read it. I’m a sucker for for a dark and stormy antihero :)

I loved Roman’s explanation of how being the guardian of Death and Destruction doesn’t mean that he supports murder and morally deficient ongoings. The narrator for this story was fantastic and immediately added to the overall experience of the story. Ilona Andrew’s is also just the best at adding quick wit and humor into these books. I thoroughly enjoyed this reading experience 🙌

I'm not sure if it's because I haven't read the series this book came from, or if it was because I was just really tired and sick (thanks COVID and MRSA) while reading it.

But it was a bit hard for me to follow.

Even so, though, I enjoyed it. The author does an excellent job of getting you to feel things for the characters right away. I was instantly hooked on the MC (mostly because, like me, he's a sucker for a stray). And "the kid" grew on me quickly after he began talking.

I also loved the included lore. You don't get a lot of "god" stories outside of Greek, Roman, and Norse. So for the author to bring in gods from other cultures, such as Czernobog (Don't know how they spelled it in the book, as I listened on audio), was so cool!

I am only rating this book 3 stars for now because, as I said, I had trouble following it. But it definitely piqued my interest enough that I plan to track down the actual series and read the whole thing.

I say if you're into fantasy and forgotten gods, give it a shot. You'll enjoy it.

Roman is a reclusive dark priest whose life takes a chaotic turn when a wounded boy arrives at his doorstep seeking sanctuary. The holiday setting adds a touch of dark humor to the narrative, like when a mystical creature eats your last cookie. The story pits Roman against formidable adversaries who grossly underestimate him. They quickly learn that Roman, the Black Volhv, is a powerful servant of Chernobog, the God of Destruction and Death. The author combines action, magic, and humor into an amusing story. The unexpected holiday twist adds an extra layer of charm. The contrast between the holiday and the battles of magic and survival makes this story a standout in the dark fantasy genre. It’s a fun and engaging.

I received an ARC audiobook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Select, NYLA.

Perfect vibes to read this in the winter or around Christmas would be a vibe too! This is the first book I've read in the Kate Daniel's side of things. I have read everything up to current in the Innkeeper series though! Ilona Andrew's does such a good job in giving me cute characters to root for in the Innkeeper series and that trend continues here. The vibes of the beginning give a cozy fantasy feel while still keeping the stakes high enough and mysterious enough to keep me interested. I feel as the story went on I was missing more and more because this was my entry into the Kate Daniels world but I felt like it was still fine to read this first. I just was also sure that I was missing things I would have appreciated had I read those books first. The narrator did a great job and I would listen to pretty much anything they narrate! As the story went on I got more curious but also more lost in what seems to be a bigger plot in the book with the gods. May need a reread or may come back to this book after I read some Kate Daniels which I definitely plan on doing!

Genre: Slavic inspired fantasy

Give me all the Slavic-inspired fantasy! (But really, this is a trend I'm absolutely thrilled about in my ARC reading this summer as I get ready to head to Poland and Hungary.)

Roman serves Chernobog, God of Destruction, Darkness, and Death. Surrounded by a number of freeloading creatures in his post-Shift Atlanta house, Roman is extra cranky this year at the holidays until a teenager shows up begging for Sanctuary. As one who serves a Slavic God, Roman has certain responsibilities, and they extend to protecting and perhaps training this lost teen.

This novella is set in the Kate Daniels world, but you don't really need to have read the series in order to enjoy this. The concept of magic-up vs tech-up is referenced, and those who have read Kate Daniels will find the tone familiar...but none of the major characters from the main series arc are referenced, and this feels like it's setting up another thread.

Sanctuary leans heavily on Slavic themes, and functions as a way to explain a new branch of the worldbuilding. The plot and character arcs are short, as fits a novella. Where it lacks is what's missing from my own personal taste in the Kate Daniels world- I love the deep dive mythology and hefty plot that goes along - so this felt a little flat.

The audiobook narration is very good, and includes an essay on interpretation of Slavic myths as well, which obviously I loved.

I have wanted a Roman story since Andrea's novella. The dark Volhv who sometimes shows up in a variety of silly pajamas from time to time finally gets a story of his own. The Slavic gods are really interesting and getting to see Roman at his home protecting a boy and his dog that showed up asking for sanctuary makes me think he can't be all that evil.

It is time to see what Roman and Chernobog can do when a group of mercenaries come looking for the boy and the only thing separating them is a stretch of land Roman has carefully cultivated. Remember, Roman is beloved by evil things, which means he has some nasties living there along with a plethora of unusual creatures that are only slightly evil sometimes. Roman only seems rivaled by House Harrison in the pet department.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip through Ilona Andrews ideas for Slavic lore. Going through Nav and learning how a few of the gods interact along with Roman's origin story was just everything I was hoping for. Roman really is soft hearted to belong to a death god but probably brings great balance to that god as well. It is hard being devoted to a god and can definitely mess up your dating life, but maybe Roman has a shot with the character introduced within this story, since she also serves the gods.

***“Those trees in the distance are the Twilight Forest, where wolves of Doubt and Uncertainty prowl. The open ground you see is the Grueling Field, where spirits of the punished plant and plow, but never reap or harvest. It is a place of thankless work, nourished by worries that plagued humankind since farming began. A place where seedlings die from crippling frost and plants are felled by cruel wind. The pines around us are the Evening Forest, where the birds of Regret and Missed Chances shriek and wail. When we pass through it, we will enter the Glades of Remembrance. They will make you relive your most painful memories.”***

As always Ilona Andrews brings creativity and ingenuity into lore that isn't commonly known and creates something magical. My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough...but that is always my complaint when I have to step out of one of the worlds they have created. From the ending, I'm thinking we could possibly get another story with Roman as the MC, we can only cross our fingers and pray to Chernobog or whoever else has blessed Ilona Andrews that happens.

Narration:

They got Chris Brinkley! He is the voice of all the Winston Brother's books by Penny Reid and I have loved his voice since I first heard it in that series and all the spin offs. He is a fantastic pick for our Dark Volhv, his voice is so rich and can do the slight accent I always assumed Roman to have with his Russian heritage. I read this when it was posted on IAs blog but he helped to really bring out the best in the story and made it all the more enjoyable.