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Strange New World

Dr. Greta Helsing, Book 4

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Strange New World

By: Vivian Shaw
Narrated by: Catrin Walker-Booth
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About this listen

'Vivian Shaw knocks it out of the park yet again. If you aren't reading Dr Greta Helsing, you're missing out'
T. Kingfisher, New York Times bestselling author

Strange New World finds Greta Helsing, doctor to the undead, facing the strangest challenge of her career . . . accompanying an anxious angel and a sullen demon on a road trip across America in the clever conclusion to this delightful fantasy series.

After narrowly avoiding the end of the world, the leaders of Heaven and Hell are struggling to collaborate according to the terms of their new treaty - especially because angels and demons are, quite literally, allergic to each other. Seeking a solution, the powers that be decide to see if the allergy persists on Earth by sending an angel and demon on a research trip, first stop: New York City. And what better chaperone than Dr Greta Helsing, who happens to owe Hell a few favours of her own?

But there's unrest in New York's monster underworld and Greta and her team are about to land in the middle of it. Something is off in Heaven and on Earth, and Greta will have to figure out just what that is if she hopes to protect those she loves most.

©2025 Vivian Shaw (P)2025 Hachette Audio UK Action & Adventure Dragons & Mythical Creatures Fantasy Humorous New York
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I am a big fan of the Greta Helsing series and was very excited when this came out. Alas, it’s super slow and meandering, with tons of lengthy descriptions of characters doing very mundane things; several occasions when something happens and then a character recounts that same happening to another character, and excessive descriptions of charters’ outfits. Somewhere amidst these, there’s a plot but it’s very much obscured. Also, there’s not enough of Greta and almost no Ruthven but quite a lot of angels and demons — altogether not very interesting characters mired in pedestrian politics. The narrator is not great either and there’s a pitch to
ends of sentences or words that makes it sounds as if the characters are wining.

A somewhat disappointing instalment

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This is one of my favourite series and I really hope the phrase “conclusion to the series” is some sort of typo. Ms. Shaw has created a brilliant little world in these books and I don’t want to leave it. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

I love all the characters in these books. They’re all just normal people, even though they’re vampires, vampyres, angels, demons, or even Lucifer. Greta is just a normal doctor, despite treating all kinds of supernatural patients. They’re so well written, with proper dimensions and detail, and ordinary character flaws as well as their extraordinary talents or powers, that they feel entirely real, and these four fantastic books gift you with lthe chance to be a part of their friendship group for a little while.

I pre-ordered this and was eagerly waiting for it to land in my library on release day, then listened to it all in one go (one thing I appreciate about audiobooks is not having to stop reading while I’m out or doing things like washing up, which can be… awkward with actual books). I was immediately absorbed into Greta Helsing’s world and loved it. I felt her frustrations and reliefs and joys. Now that I’ve finished the book I really miss them all. It’s like having a little holiday with good friends you don’t see often and being sad when you have to go home.

The narrator, for a change, is actually perfect for the series. She brings the characters to vivid (un-)life, without doing any dodgy voices, and manages to convey appropriate emotions without sounding overwrought (a rare skill unfortunately). She sounds like she’s actually bothered to read the book beforehand rather than just turning up on the day and starting from cold, and she keeps her weird pronunciations to a minimum… ;)

So, yeah, I hugely enjoyed this book and you should buy it. I’m off to listen to the whole series again from the beginning.

I miss them already :(

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I struggled with the narration and had to switch to a Kindle edition. Why does every second sentence need to end on a high note as if it is a question? Greta lost half of her charm. What a shame.

Good story but poor narration

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The story itself is a brilliant continuation of the series — well-written, engaging, and everything fans would hope for. But the new narrator? Absolutely dreadful. She delivers every line as if the main character is teetering on the edge of a breakdown — anxious, joyless, and soaked in doom. What was once a lively, spirited protagonist now sounds like she’s narrating her own tragedy. There’s no spark, no humour, no emotional range — just a bleak, monotonous delivery that drags the whole thing down. It’s honestly hard to listen to. Such a shame, because the story deserves better.

Another great story - shame about the narrator!

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The landscape of this series is incredible, jumping from celestial planes and more earthly geography. A gripping story with all my favourite monsters and angels.

Excellent Series for Monster Fans

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