AudioBook Review – Heart of Gold

Nice to be back with Joe after the AI series. More fantasy than I’m used to, but this was a great listen. I did wish it were longer, but overall, very entertaining.
Heart of Gold: Clans of Shadow, Book 1 | [J. A. Cipriano, J. B. Garner]

“Loved this story.”

This was defo a little more fantasy than I’m used to, with wizards and magic, and all that jazz. But, with Joe narrating, from horror to fantasy I know it’s pretty much got to be a good listen, it didn’t disappoint.

Right from the get go Frank Butchers’ personality and snarky way of life pulls you in, he’s a young hip lad with life the way he likes it, and then everything is literally blown up around him and in trying to do the right thing he’s thrown into a world that he knows nothing about. I did think that the Doctor, was a little easy a story plot point for him, he’s pretty set in his ways, but at the mention of a kid then he goes all out for someone he doesn’t know. If there’s been a little more rapport with the Doc, I might have fallen for it a little more. But that’s my only real caveat. After all Franks first thoughts are to his mum and that does show some integrity to his family values, I just can’t attach that to the woman doctor who he only knows as a client for delivery parcels.

This story is pretty action packed, and what I do like about it is that although Frank does come off as a bit of a young jerk, we get to know all his reasons, his why’s and we then also get to see his character arc develop into that much more. The guy we kinda like turns into someone who we are routeing for and want to win. No matter the odd he’s facing.

Some great story telling, couple it with Joe’s fantastic narration and acting, and this one’s a winner. I’m very interested in seeing where else this series goes. πŸ™‚

AudioBook Review – Owners Share

Got behind already with my reviews, sigh.

Finished this about two weeks ago! eeek. But life got in the way, so I’m scheduling these over the holidays.

 

Review – Owners Share ——-

  • “no way… last one!”

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    It’s taken me a while to get to writing up some reviews, my bad.

    I was excited for this, because I knew it was the last in this series. But also a little worried about the length of it. Most of the other books were a lot shorter.

    However, I didn’t think at all that it was overly long at all. Each day I listened (about 4 hours a day) there was enough entertainment and interest for me to keep on wanting more and more.

    The death of anyone can upset the apple cart, but to lose the main man who he reports to is tough, and the echo from that, and the proposal that comes his way is very intriguing. There are so many hidden depths to the story and you’re guessing what is going on, and making wrong calls, because we don’t expect things. Ishmael takes on a new ship and crew and amazingly enough seems to do okay.

    And this audiobook took us through, okay, anger, heartache, love, heartbreak, and had me totally on the edge of my driving seat. I admit, there were a couple of things I saw coming, but they also had me crying. With one deft twist there too. So be prepared to be emotionally involved a lot with this book, it’s gripping to the point you won’t want to stop listening. (and in fact after getting home one day from work, I couldn’t I had to get to the end) Kudos to Nick for that.

    There’s a couple of things that grated on me a little more than it did in the other stories, some repetitive word choices that I really think he needs to watch out for in his other works, as well. haha.

    but other than those, I was extremely glad to have been on this journey with Ishmael, handled expertly well by the great voice of Jeffery Kafer. Is there going to be more? I hope so, because it’s interesting to actually see and witness, the cooking and cleaning and the basic rituals of life on board a ship. Yes it seems to be just that, and stocking and supplying everything on a ship you’d think to be totally boring, some might, but it doesn’t come across like that in the novel. It seems just right, and seems to work. πŸ™‚

    I am going to take a look around and see if there’s anything else by this fab team. I’m going to miss Ishmael and his life.

    Thank you very much for the journey. It’s been a pleasure.

Birthday FREEBIE :)

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myBook.to/TSK

WHOOO, so we’re about to release TSK’s second book, which I’m stocked about! of course.

Woke up this morning to check my email and we’ve 3 5stars on it from Readers Favourite. πŸ™‚ SQUEE!

I know it’s an awesome book, I worked really, really hard on getting it to where it is.

So for my birthday, 4 days the first book is out for free. That means if you pick it up you can also add on the Whispersync audiobook by the amazing Greg Tremblay! for a tiny price of (the e-book)

So go grab yourself a copy now!

AudioBook Review – Silicon World

I had the great opportunity to finish this trio off. And I was very happy with the twists, and characters, although not tied together unless you count just AI’s and super twisting plots.

ReviewΒ as follows, if you’ve something to spare, and want a good few hours worth of story telling, this is a bargain!

I was excited to get the last in the series on this, and it didn’t disappoint. It was great to re-listen to these amazing stories.

Silicon Dawn

The whole story didn’t linger, it started off fast paced and didn’t let up. I am not a ‘drawn’ out person and it held my attention from start to finish and it held my attention throughout. It wasn’t something I wanted to put down, although, during my day, I have to. I get to listen in 30 min sections.
What I enjoyed the most, was the fact that even though there are many AI stories, and some are very similar in nature. This didn’t follow the ‘plan’ I first envisioned. I’m an avid reader, of both scripts and stories, and listening to this was great.
There were quite a few to be fair. And Adam’s realisation’s came with great consequences, the fact that he could and would have jumped into the crusher to save his partner, and the fact that Tera basically had been lied to and abused all her life. There were huge decisions going on as Adam processed all these.
I think everyone will be glad when Adam isn’t dead. We all think Tera’s killed him off. It was both written well and narrated well. Just enough emotion, sadness and then joy when we switch chapters and into Adam’s POV inside the police computer.
Considering I’m not a ‘cop’ kinda girl and thriller stories really aren’t my thing either, this was well executed. I would defo listen to more from both the writer and narrator.
I did buy this the other day and hadn’t expected to get through it so quick. I kinda wished it had been longer, because I’d only just started to get into it, and then it was over.
Although the story itself didn’t warrant being any longer, perhaps I just hoped there was more for the pair, then I went to look and I guess there is, as this is book 1. So now I’m happy.
Thanks for the ride, I’ll be back! lol

Silicon Man –

Thoughts as follows and some SPOILERS

I was interested to follow this series and see what happens next. Or with whom I’m kinda glad that we got new characters to enjoy. Though it was a little predictive, (hence the mark down) I still enjoyed the performance from Joe and got involved with all the characters.

Cole Marcellus, is a cop with a terrible past, he’s dedicated to his cause and wants to stop all AI from hurting others, or running away.

There are some very interesting facts given very early on in this story. The Alsatian. The procedure for the upload… (which I have to say had me cringe over anyway, I mean uploading to a mechanical body… if this were possible… and it got out, how many ‘people’ would want to do just that. Doesn’t bare thinking on. However it does seed doubt in your mind from the get go.

So when AI cole is out and on his mission he gets to see some really awful ways that humans abuse the AI’s, and it’s kinda sad. The AI that rescues the cat is great, cause I am sure Cole was going to do it otherwise. But I do agree with him Cole should have let the enforcer zap him, he got in a whole lot of trouble. haha but saying that he wouldn’t have got to the underground as quick otherwise.

In regards to the whole underground and getting Solace. I honestly thought this whole section of the story was way to quick. Really stupid, no QT period or checks, or well it was just that, too quick and stupid on their part. And for me listening to it, I was shaking my head all the way through.

I did love Kira, and her background with Ron, that was well interspersed. When the Tak Team came in and they broke the underground up again another thing that was a little too predictive was the fact that Cole was still human and AI cole was never going to get back to his body.

The realisation for him though was well played. Even down to Zora putting in a safety memory wipe.

Solace was also one that was never going to get out of AI tak’s grips. I think for me what let me down here wasn’t the fact that I knew it was coming, but if there had been that little bit more build up with Cole and him (not just that one conversation) then it might have felt harsher in my ears, I might have gotten to know him and care for him. When they find him as a blank, I’m pretty indifferent to his story. Even if he’s been this huge hero for everyone, he kinda wasn’t for me.

The ending was pretty awesome, Joe added a depth to the excitement with the tone and pitch of his voice. Human against machine, brilliant and so so glad that Human Cole went back to see to Janson.

So much scope for this world, and the series. I’m still a fan, but sometimes slower is better with the story πŸ™‚

Waiting on the next instalment!

Crossing the Darkness.

This was a shorter piece, and not really interactive with the others, but it held the same ideas and style of characters. This I enjoyed, along with William Massa’s usual traits, it was well written and very thought provoking. I could imagine the characters, and I was really routeing for Faith, she wanted everything to be so much better. She never imagined what she would wake up to. As a wide read and listened reviewer I found all of these stories very refreshing, thought engaging, and real. They make you think on so many different levels, that sometimes it really hurt.

Joe’s narration sets all these stories off to an amazing start, from the get fo there’s feeling, inflection, and character traits that you learn to love through each story. What Joe puts into each person is something second to none. And I have him very high on my narrators to follow list. I don’t think anyone would be disappointed in these tales.

I think really my only quibble was the length of the last story, of course, it sets of the set, but I thought and felt there could have been more from the writer on this. That it just didn’t quite satisfy me in as much as I got to know the characters, the story unfolded with a few twists, and it left me satisfied, but still like I needed more.

Overall this is a set I’d highly recommend, because of the content throughout and the narrator. I look forward to more from these two, I know they are a great pair.

πŸ™‚

 

AudioBook Review – SpaceMan

 

I am really behind on posting these, so I’m out of order, and so sorry…

Really, highly recommended! for all Post Apocalyptic lovers.

SpaceMan | [Tom Abrahams]

“Excellent new spin on this genre!”

Overall
Performance
Story

I remember reading the synopsis in Audiobook Boom and having listened to a few of Kevin’s narrations already I thought I’d request the book.

I admit, I wasn’t too sure about the ‘space part’ but this book was a very unique tale that I soon got behind.

The fact is no one expects bad news, or something to happen so quick that you don’t get to think, feel or react without severe consequences. What happens here for Clayton, his family and those who are close is very hard to swallow.

The fact is it could happen, at anytime. And the more I listen to these kinds of stories from the authors that Kevin has narrated, the more I’m concerned. The realistic 3d characters that these writers portray, especially Tom are a joy to the ears. Everything happens for a reason, every character twist and turn is there because I can clearly see them as real human traits.

The story is not without it’s horrid situations, no one can see a plane crash and listen to people dying and not be turned off, but also feel… it’s the feeling and the emotion that this story evokes in you, that really makes this one stand out in the crowd.

I am not that upset that it ended when it did, but it’s defo part of a larger story, that I hope won’t be too long in production for the next one. Highly satisfied that I listened to this, and I thank both author and narrator for the experience. It was so different from most other Post Apocalyptic books, that it would stand out amongst the best. Very, very well done guys. And I really want the next one! like now! haha

But, patiently will wait. πŸ™‚

This audiobook was provided through AudioBook Boom free of charge, and without obligation.