Velvet & Bone

I’ll admit, I approached Velvet & Bone with skepticism—another tragic love poem collection? But Grayson’s writing cut through my defenses with lines so vivid they felt scraped fresh from a wound. Take “The Night We Spoke in Teeth,” where every metaphor claws at you before settling into something achingly tender. Mike Ferg’s narration isn’t just competent; it’s alchemy. His voice cracks just enough on the word *forever* to make your chest tighten, and when he reads the closing poem, “Bone of My Bone,” I found myself holding my breath until the last syllable faded. The production is immaculate—no distracting breaths, no overproduced reverb—just Grayson’s words and Ferg’s voice, trading places between speaker and listener. My only critique? A few pieces flirt with melodrama, like a poet trying too hard to sound tragic rather than simply *feeling* it. And at 37 minutes, the collection punches above its weight, but I wish Grayson had dug a little deeper into the mythic weight of his themes. Still, this isn’t just an audiobook; it’s an experience. If you’ve ever lost sleep to a love that felt like a ghost, this is your soundtrack.