Ron Does Stuff

So, I’ve been to a number of live readings thanks to Romance Class but I haven’t actually listened to an audiobook because I get easily distracted. A book has physical words on it that I need to focus on so it manages to hold my attention better. But when I found out that Jamie Campbell Bower was narrating audio erotica for the Quinn app? Well. In case you haven’t noticed, he’s the person in my WordPress profile. There is no way I would not check this out.

The Trials is a three-episode audio erotica that tells the story of Theo Deschamps, someone who can best be described as a magical nepo baby. He’s been itching to become part of the Black Ravens, the in-universe version of a Skull & Bones society, but invitations to become part of the society don’t happen often and when it does, those invited need to pass the three trials, which is where this audio erotica gets its title.

When Theo gets an invitation to take on the trials, it seems like his desire to become a part of the Black Ravens is about to come true. However, there is one person standing in the way of his dream – Jane Warfield, the one person who beat him to become valedictorian and one of the rare non-legacy magic wielders to make a name for herself.

But Theo has a plan — get Jane to ally with him so that they can solve the trials together and then betray her at the very end since there is only one spot open at the end. However, things start to go awry when Theo and Jane set off on their first mission, and they find themselves in a secluded library. What will two attractive people in a secluded space do, I wonder?

Like I said at the start of this review, I haven’t actually listened to an audiobook since I can’t focus on the story, so I don’t know what a high quality audiobook sounds like. So I say this as someone who has limited experience with other works — the production on this one is great. From the title music, to the sound effects, and the thing where they make it like the sound travels from one headphone through your head to the other headphone, I was immediately impressed. Of course, I’m comparing it to the independent audios found on the Quinn app. Maybe professional audiobooks are done the same way? Tell me about it in the comments!

As for the story in this first chapter, I couldn’t help but think of it as Dramione fanfiction with the serial numbers filed off. An arrogant rich kid from a legacy family that wants to join a shadowy elitists group that his ancestors founded? An intelligent and hardworking non-legacy woman who intrigues the snob once he spends more time with her? I know what this is about. And these things aren’t necessarily a bad thing, of course. But I can understand if some people might find these story beats a little too cliché, but then again, I feel like those types of people won’t be listening to this work anytime soon.

What really elevates this whole experience is arguably the most important part of it — the narrator. And boy does Jamie Campbell Bower put in the work, and I haven’t even gotten to the spicy parts yet because this is just the first part. I know he never played Draco, but he did play Jace Wayland and we know Jace Wayland is just Draco Malfoy re-skinned.

There’s not a lot that happens in terms of spiciness in this first episode, but it does lay the foundation for angst and conflict down the line, as well as give us a solid start to an enemies to lovers story. Now let’s just wait and see if the succeeding episodes build on the good foundation that this first episode gives us.