Category Bit of everything

May 8 2016

AudioBook Review – Into the Void

I don’t know what I’m gonna do now, not being able to listen to the next in the Pax Humana series! sigh. But I’ve really enjoyed these 3 audiobooks, so well worth it… Please check them out starting with –

http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/The-Terran-Gambit-Audiobook/B00RW0TXFO/ref=a_search_c4_1_3_srTtl?qid=1462694859&sr=1-3

My review is as follows –

“Fab 3rd book”

So I have to admit, I was kinda disappointed in the length of this, but only because there were plot lines not tied in. I am guessing with a huge world like this it’s always going to be the case, where we’re all waiting on the next one. Now I totally know what being a fan is like, haha thanks guys. I’m defo hooked and can’t wait for the next.

Story and some spoilers!

The audio, kicks off after their escape from Admiral Trajan, and lands them out of one fire into another. At least this one goes down well and it seems they backed the right side too. Always a bonus.

Greg does a wonderful job here of playing the Oberon, their accents are just awesome and it greatly enhances the sheer vastness of this series and the scope that Nick Webb has at his writing disposal.

What I really do love about a series like this is seeing the characters change and grow, and there were some fabulous moments in here. Not in any order as that is how I remember them.

The biggest moments for me in here, were – knowing something was going to happen at the opera house. Seeing those bikes, feeling Jake’s gut instinct. And of course it had to be Po this time, can’t leave her out of all the trouble and mess can ya. So my hero gal’s been kidnapped and it’s like all hell breaks loose as heading back to the ship the 51st brigade have taken over the ship! omg… what a nightmare.

Captain Brand is also really in the thick of it against the Vikeron, thank goodness he had Al on the ship to work out how to break down their defences! good on him, what a genius!

Jake, Ben, and Anya do a great job in working together with Captain Brand, and his merry band of fighters. Alongside the internal workings from Lt, Aialla (sp) they manage to get on board and meet up and talk their way into the bridge.

I am so so glad that Senator Galba was found out, and totally can see why Jake needs him alive for the next few books. 🙂

Another moment that got me was at the end. Ben going nuts was always going to happen and I am very glad that at least it wasn’t aimed at Jake totally even if his thoughts had him dead and twisted into pieces.

I did feel so sorry for the 51st brigade on the bridge, what a way to go out… but yeah it was coming.

Ben’s admittance to Jake over the PekoBots, almost had me in tears. What he went through so horrific, I’ve been screaming at him to tell the Doc and Genius Al so that they can re-program the darned things!

All in all, a very excellent job…. just hurry with the next few guys, I’m waiting with abaited breath! 🙂 heheh

I have to know if they can rescue Po and Admiral Pritchard! and how they can fight the good fight and free Earth!

May 8 2016

TSK- and Catching up!

You can still sign up for FREE for our website… http://www.thesecretking.com it won’t be free for ever, so if you want in… (we also now have a forum) you gotta be quick!

Personally though it’s been one heck of a month through April and the start of May hasn’t begun with the best of intentions for me.

I had some pretty nasty computer issues when my Mac’s trackpad just decided to go off on one and like a demon started moving things around and freaking out, clicking on anything it wanted. It took me 3 weeks to sort out the computer, go buy a Mac Desktop and get things back to a semi even keel. There was no way of me doing anything the last few weeks of April, with campnano – It just put me so far behind in my daily tasks that I’ve struggled like a crazy woman to even catch anything up what so ever, and yeah I’m still behind. I seem to get somewhere near back to normal and then something else just throws itself in the mix.

The joy of life and it revolving around writing and computers….

I can say the work side of computers has settled down and that is making things much less stressful there, thank goodness. I don’t think I could have coped at all with all of them going wrong at the same time. I would have just had a breakdown! and not a mental one, I’m talking about just throwing them out the window! lol

Seriously though, things are moving along in many different and good ways. We’re headed to retail with our first Audiobook TSK-Lethao, with the 28th May as our personal Launch date (fingers crossed everything is all good to go for then) we’re having an online party and if anyone wished to come, keep an eye on our facebook fan page –

https://www.facebook.com/TheSecretKing/

And by that time, I’m away for two weeks rest and recoup! going down to Devon again this year, and I can’t wait. My co writer has been working on a novel for TSK from our scripted 13 EP TV series – SPOILERS….. no I can’t it really is a secret, but I get to read the first draft and I’m so so excited to see what he’s written.

So as you guys can see there is much is on going, so much is coming together, I know it will be worth it, I’m hanging in there for it! And I know you are too!

Thanks for sticking with and me, you guys are awesome 🙂

 

~ Dawn

May 4 2016

AudioBook Review – Chains of Destiny

 

Chains of Destiny – Episode 2 – The Pax Humana Saga written by Nick Webb and narrated by Greg Tremblay.

This AudioBook had a little break in-between because of the UK bank holiday and I have to admit it killed me to leave it alone for the 3 days, but it’s the way it goes.

I was very glad to get back to it, and 100% loved this one. It’s by far one of the most interesting and character driven books I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. Because of this I actually will put it on my ‘listen to again’ list…. although I really enjoyed the other series of Nick’s this one has exceeded that.. and I think I’m going to have to really think about which one I like the most, or which characters, haha.

Anyway, you can of course find the AudioBook here – UK of course…

http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Chains-of-Destiny-Audiobook/B00UXIP2MK

and my review will be posted soon. (depends on if Audible are being nice to me) haha

 

 

“I loved it! 100% “

Okay, thoughts as follows.

After the first Audio, I still admit I wasn’t totally sold on this series. But, this second Ep, totally blew me away. (I listened to the first 6 hours last week, and because of the break at work. UK may bank holiday I had some time away from it) and I was very eager to finish off as soon as I was back behind the wheel.

I was totally blown away by the depth of character to this episode. The MC’s Megan Po, Ben Hemez, (sp) and Jake Mercer were almost alive in my head!… I felt everything they were going through, and the story just kept on and on surprising me and making my head hurt all at the same time. Great job to both writer and narrator here 🙂

Some of the best moments for me – SPOILERS

Jake – We all know he’s making the biggest ‘daft decision’ of this book in going down to the planets surface with the pirates. The little altercation with the November family is very interesting though… a hint for book 3 there and that of course, Pritchard is alive. Hope on a different level.

But even though Jake has now been captured along side Alexandro and Ben, (plus two guards) he still never gives up in thinking and plotting to escape. This kinda of punishment and place would break so many and I do kinda wish that there were a few more destitute thoughts from him, but still with Ben elsewhere they have a plan, and a good plan. Not many of the decisions down in the mines are Jakes, some are just circumstantial and to me for this episode he does play a more downsized role.

LOVED LOVED LOVED – Megan leading the fight against Admiral Trajan. What a woman! what an absolute star and fighter she is. They all kinda question what Jake did for them in the previous book, but here she is and she’s doing death defying moves under the ocean to prolong their time to prepare to kick the Admirals’ behind.

I really enjoyed her story, as a character she’s such compassion, and yet such depth to her decisions. Maybe just as much reckless as Jake, but fab job and good on her!

The scenes with Ben, were just awful. I cringed, I hated it, but it was brilliant writing and just as brilliant in the narration department. Greg really delved in deep I think to become this crazy psychopathic doctor, as he scared me so much, I kinda wanted to skip those parts, but couldn’t because I wanted to know what would happen to Ben. I felt everything that they did in that room, and ugggh so so glad that Six eventually helped him to get out.

So on the whole this Ep really came alive for me. I am being honest though as I did have a couple of moments where I was jarred out of the story by a couple of repetitive words and phrasings. I do think that comes part and parcel of listening to something as opposed to reading it, reading it takes much longer, so anything that can be perceived as a crutch word/phrase is easier spotted and makes me want to avoid them myself. It’s just an observation, that’s all.

This book written by Nick and read by Greg is one of my fav so far, it has all the elements of an epic space opera and characters that you just can’t help but feel for and love.

PS I already started on the next… 🙂 Thank you both for an amazing ride.

Apr 28 2016

AudioBook Review – The Terran Gambit

I had been scouring around for something else to tickle my fancy and I went for another nosey over at Nick Webb and Greg Tremblay (cant help it if I like already proven writers and narrators haha… 🙂 so I took another look at this series. Below are my thoughts as per usual. Took me a while to get into this one, but started to enjoy it a lot.
You can pick up the Audio from here –
http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/The-Terran-Gambit-Audiobook/B00RW0TXFO
: )

“Great SF!”

I first listened to a sample of this series, (before buying the other one) and wasn’t 100% sold on the beginning I have to admit. It started off a little slow for me, and I didn’t think I liked Jake at all. (and it’s my fav character name ever)

But I do love Nick’s other series, and thought it deserved a chance. So, I dived in. After getting over the beginning and the backstory behind the Pax Humana and the world he’d created, I did start to like the story and Jake, even though he’s a bit of an idiot.

Nick weaves a pretty solid world here, but it does take some focus to understand all the different worlds, and how they’ve come to be where they are, with the resistance. Perhaps it was the depth of the world that just didn’t quite flow as well for me as the previous audiobook’s I’ve delved into, or it could just be, that this was his first, and he was finding his feet a bit more 🙂 either way, it’s still a very enjoyable story and one that I will listen to again and pass on the ‘amazon kindle’ versions to my mum, I know she’ll love them, haha.

There were a great number of characters in here, and Greg always delivers a fab performance, his voices and acting is a pleasure to listen to and suits this genre very well. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Military SO and Sci Fi.

Some of the more distinct ones, have to be Po and Ben, considering what they all go through, they form a great team and as characters they really do grow, I can’t help but feel for them, in their situation and in their pain. It’s a really harsh world they’re in. And lots of people die, for all the wrong and right reasons. Some really hard decisions for Jake, and though they’re the better ones, it’s a tough call to do it still, he’s got some huge kahonas doing it.

So, on to the next, I’ve already gotten about an hour into it, 🙂 and I also bought the third. thanks both to Nick and Greg for the entertainment, it makes my life so much more interesting.

Apr 26 2016

AudioBook Review – Riders of the Purple Saga

Written by Zane Grey, narrated by Ann M. Richardson.

A western… oh my goodness I actually listened to nearly 12 hours of a western. Where were the space ships and aliens…. haha.

Seriously if you love westerns this is a total classic, and a joy to listen to. 🙂

 

Review is ————-

 

“Different….”

The beautiful thing with Audio Books is that you can listen to them and do a hundred other things. For me it’s driving.

I used to watch and read westerns when I was much younger, but I admit I’ve never picked this one up.

It is a classic, and beautifully written, with long descriptive prose and imagery. This is the first book of Ann M Richardson’s I have listened to, and despite the genre not being something I would avidly seek out, I was totally swept away in her narration of Jane. Ann, has a fantastic ability to perform both side, male and female and to draw you in with the characters wonderful accents. It really was a joy to listen to, and I would defo look out for more books by her.

As for the genre and story, I think what surprised me more than anything because of the era and generation of the characters in the book, I really wasn’t expecting there to be as much sex, romance and violence, haha, but they were all very pleasant surprises, and I can totally see why this was a book that marked the era from which it came from, it’s so distinctive and well thought out. jane’s got so much going on, she turns to one person and things go from bad to worse, for her personal character I could only wish that many of my friends were as strong and had as much courage as Jane. With her religious beliefs and her upbringing she really stands out. I couldn’t help myself but like her.

The author tied in so many smaller plots, and wove the whole world together so very well that even though this was a long piece for me to listen too, it was still very much an enjoyable audio.It also left me thinking about picking up another western, I guess I’m not totally against any genre now. I’ve listened to so much more than i’d ever thought I would by becoming an Audible member : )

I would highly recommend this for someone who has already read and loved the book, or for those who would like a taste of life back in this era it is just so full of life, it’s hardships and it’s loves. A fab tale to become totally engrossed with.

I was given a copy of this audio in exchange for an honest opinion by the narrator.