May 10 2017

Audiobook Review – The Tower of Zhaal

Straight onto the second! Excellent work, this one was so much better in my eyes because I loved where these characters went!

“Better and Better!”

I was glad that I had this one to listen to after the first ended. Of course, it’s a stand alone book and felt very organic. But I wanted more from this world. Glad CT Phipps delivered with this, I also believe there’s a third coming sometime soon. 🙂

I am not very up with Cthulhu and their myths and legends, of course, this just made me want to dig into this very weird and terrifying world.

The Tower of Zhaal kicks off with just as much action as the first. Where Booth and Mercury are kidnapped and taken to save the world. A Very weird way of asking, but I can also see why the society might need to do it this way.

What I really enjoyed about this, was that even though we thought Booth and Mercury couldn’t get more involved, the character development around these two was still exemplary. So deep and emotional that I felt for their relationship as odd as it was, and as loving as it seemed.

I still think every woman Booth comes across is one he’s been in love with at some point, and the re-introduction of his wife made this much more interesting. So many things to go wrong, so much to lose.

This book will defo have you on the edge of your seat, high action, high horror. Booth changes a lot, not just physically as he embraces the person he really is, or the alien that he is, but also on a mental level. And I really liked this about him. There was a great strength in him and it showed in his decision and of course, some non-decision as life just seemed to roll on around him.

I admit getting to know these characters made a better impact on me storywise, it flowed on from the first, kept me hanging and engage, and emotionally invested. The monsters were terrifying, the world so detailed I thought I was there…

When’s the next one out! I’m having a book hangover… Although I am starting on the super villainy books, it won’t be the same. : (

Great, great job. Thank you for the entertainment guys!

May 9 2017

AudioBook Review – Cthulhu Armageddon

Had the terrifying experience of CT Phipps this last week. 🙂 awesome book and great narrator!

“Western/Horror/Humour”

I have to admit, that following Jeffery Kafer around brought me to this book. I kept looking at it, reading the synopsis and then not picking it up, but I did still keep on coming back to it. A friend kept pushing me to give it a go, and I’m glad that I did. I’m not very familiar with Cthulhu as a story, but because it seemed to be myth/law, I did a little digging and found many references to it. Nice job on creating this amazing world around something so diverse in its creation.

C.T. Phipps has an extraordinary imagination, both for the setting and the characters. It starts off really quick and the action just doesn’t let up. The humour, both dark, and gripping kept me listening even with the horrible creatures and destruction of our world.

Booth’s mission with his team turns bad and he loses them all or so he thinks, he’s not only any clue how he eventually escapes but he’s left with a strange handprint on his shoulder. As things unfold Booth’s adventure grows in intensity, he’s to take the blame for his team’s death, resulting in a public execution, that the ‘torturer’ Mercury fakes because she wants him as a guide in the wastelands. It seems her life is on a short leash as well. So booth agrees to help her reluctantly.

The friendships that develop and the journey that Booth sets out on is fraught with monsters, danger, and death.

The monsters are horrible. I didn’t think that anything he could continue to see and witness would scare him more than the previous encounter, and in one sense, I think that being terrified all the time did get a little repetitive. I believe that more you’re exposed to these kinds of things the more that you get accustomed to them, or at least a little immune, the horrors of war and life in the wastelands would be more and more like normal life, but the fact was that Booth seemed to just keep on finding things so horrible and sickening that it kind of detracted it for me.

The narration was, of course, pretty spot on, there were great characterisations from Jeffery especially with Booth, I enjoyed the performance and the ladies, even if they all did seem to fawn over the MC. The only one who gave as much as she was dealt with, without an emotional attachment was Jackie, and she was a kid, everyone else seemed to ‘want’ to be with or had been with Booth, and that got a little old, more so thinking that he actually might want to be with the woman who tortured people…. Booth seemed to just do the opposite of what I thought he might when there was a pretty body near him.

Overall I was impressed both with the story and the narration, so I picked up book 2 and am almost finished with it 🙂 Thank you for the entertainment, really enjoyed the journey and the ending was really exciting! solid 4.5 stars from me all round.

Feb 11 2017

Our books are not free!

The biggest event on facebook, I’ve seen in a while! and it starts soon!

https://www.facebook.com/events/206705409792190/

Sorry facebook for the double tap. Well worth it I think. 🙂

I’ve had the best time since we launched TSK’s second book in December, with a really well laid out plan of attack and some well-placed blogs and adds, we’re doing okay, sales and KU reads are really steady! and I’m proud of that.

But in the launch I did what most authors do, I had giveaway prizes. I love and will always love doing things for others if they REALLY want them, but I gave away between 2 events over 16 audiobooks, out of those prize winners only 6 actually have claimed their books.

These books cost a tonne of money to produce, and each gift costs around $20 or £20 (we’re almost even in cash value)

So I gave away £200 worth of goods, that no one really wanted.

So when a facebook friend decided enough was enough and she shared her idea on this event, I fully supported her, and I’m very proud of the gathering that is involved with this event.

Writing is not easy, it’s fun… sure.

It can be highly stressful too.

It is expensive.

To compete in the real world we have to pay out for many things.

Editing,

Cover art…

Proofing.

Marketing.

Our time is worth something.

Yet, all the time, artists and not just in the writing world are berated and asked for stuff for free.

My other qualm was before my book launch in December I took part in a big event for a $100 amazon gift card. We gathered email addresses for our mailing lists, which was fab.

However in January and up to date, because I gave my email address in, I’ve had over 350 emails, with authors GIVING books away for free 😦

I am very saddened by this, and it has to stop.

We are worth it!

Our time is worth it. You as a reader want hour after hour of entertainment, right?

But you won’t pay more than 2.99 ?

What’s that coffee cost you there, that you’re drinking? how much is that barista on per hour?

Yeah, you get my point, right?

I love my readers, and I love my fans, the comments and notes I get all over social media make my day, but I have to eat, I have to put a roof over my head.

Hugs to you all, and I really, really hope you guys will support this fab event.

I’ve got spending money tonight! So I’m going to buy some amazing books from some of these fabulous authors!

Jan 2 2017

#favreads2016 for Kanundra

So this post has taken me all morning to start to put together, but I think it’s been worth it.

I’ve had the great pleasure of being involved in 2016 with my own audiobooks. That alone immersed me into the world of many authors who I didn’t know or had known but had no real time for reading anymore.

For that, and to listen2abook I am very grateful. 🙂

Everyone remembers their first time right? Well let me know what your first audiobook was and what you loved about it….

For me, I’d personally had my audio account for over 8 mths, and never used it. I got books each month because I had credits to burn but they like my ebook collection was just growing.

When searching for my own narrator, I actually was passed what I now class as my first time, and I think this as an audiobook will still always be one of my very favourite.

I am going to try and keep this list short…. honest.

2016 All time fav Sci Fi in 2016!

I can’t stress enough about the amazing writers and books I’ve listened to this year, this is my fav category. And knocking this down to One Book was the hardest thing I’ve had to do. 169 amazing books from all genres!

But after being asked to listen to a duel narration and being introduced to Jeffery Kafer, I saw this advertised and picked the first book up.

“Different, but amazing.”

When I like someone, I kinda follow them, so when I saw that Jeffrey Kafer posted about a new sci fi. I was like, Oh, yes please!

I did learn that it wasn’t the usual kinda sci fi I read or have started to listen to, but that didn’t mean I did not enjoy this.

Best Female Narrator and Writer Combo –

“Very cool!”

For the most part this story kept me on edge and I wanted to know what happened. I can’t believe the Author hasn’t had the narrator back to do the second book, I’m just gutted, so much so I had to buy the book, and I don’t often do that. I don’t have the time to read a real book. So I do hope that the author will have this on the cards next.

Top book read of the year is her second book in the series. (not available as audio shame)

Best Male Narrator and Writer Combo –

“Excellent listen!”

I think when you start to listen to AudioBooks in the way I have, you do become fans of people. Jeff’s books were some of the first I had the pleasure of listening to, even within a genre I wasn’t a lover of, and I am a fan of his.

Add in the sci fi element and well I’m sold before I even know the premise. 🙂 Some things you know are just going to be a good listen. The fact that a story can be written so many ways just excites me.

Best Fantasy –

“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.

Best Horror – Sorry, but again this one goes to Joe Hemple (Fantastic all round Narrator)

“Horrific! but so good.”

This was a fantastically horrific and just gross out collection of horror stories. But they were so so good, and in bite sized chunks that were great for listening at work. There was a couple of them I really wished were much longer and this was the only reason I marked it down a bit. We only just got a good feel for the characters and what was going on around them that when it ended it was too soon.

Weirdest (yet strangely satisfying)

“Dark, mysterious and action packed!”

Would you listen to The Atomic Sea: Omnibus of Volumes One and Two again? Why?

I would listen to both of these books again, because there was so much to the world and story, I felt it was a lot to take in and digest as an audiobook.

Longest Series I listened to –

“Great Intro listen to at anytime.”

As I said above, this is a great addition, and you can really listen to it at anytime. I got through all the 12 books and then had the worst hangover, so this was a nice addition to the series. The two Seals with the guys in here, are fab characters, both fought till their last breath, as said in the main series, but going through it with them is hard on the emotions.

And Finally some Honourable mentions.

Sci Fi Fun and the most Unique world building –

“Exciting new sci fi!”

Full disclosure. I had the wonderful opportunity to read some of this in one of my author crit groups, but I was super excited to then learn of it as an audiobook! Especially read by Ray Porter, who I enjoyed for some of his other works. So I had to go and buy this. 🙂

Dennis’s Bobiverse was a little strange at first. But, you’re soon taken in by the wonderful humour of Bob and the weird circumstances he’s got himself into and has to keep himself sane from…. I admit there’s a lot going on, and there are some ‘Bob’s I like more than others. But that’s to be expected. They are all so different…. and of course as a trecky fan I love Ryker. And Homer 🙂

Most Emotional and Raw.

“no words….”

This literally was one of the hardest books I’ve listened to, but not in a bad way at all. I mean it’s just so raw, so emotional and just makes you shiver with what happens. It’s one that really will tear your heart out, make you think and then again still shatter your beliefs in the world.

—————————-

So there you have it, these are 2016’s best books in my eyes. 🙂 Roll on this year. I’ve got an amazing line-up already and I can’t wait.

~ Dawn

Aug 18 2016

AudioBook Review – Years best Hardcore Horror

I’m really behind on posting my audiobook reviews, so I kinda just jumped a few. Sorry.

There are a few really good ones, I’ll get to linking in here, but for now, this has been one of my fav this last couple of weeks.

You can check out the review or buy it from –

http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Years-Best-Hardcore-Horror-Volume-1-Audiobook/B01IIHMUEK

Review is as follows 🙂

“Horrific! but so good.”

I did write this review the other day, can’t remember exactly what I wrote though, but for some reason I either didn’t push send or something went wrong.

So here goes.

I also felt there wasn’t quite enough time in-between the stories, because if I put it down at the wrong time, and it moved to the next I sometimes found myself confused.

The two stories that stuck in my mind more than the others were the opening one, Worth the Having. Which I found to be so sick, but crazy awesome at the same time, and Eleanor, because it really made me think.

For a collection to contain everything you can think of. Babies born from the worst possible thing, to suicide pacts, to going ghost hunting only to be murdered. This was a great collection.

What also set it aside were the amazing difference in characterisation from Joe, as a narrator I follow and (buy a lot from) I loved each one, there were distinct differences, some funny voices and tones and even laughter in each tale.

For anyone who loves horror, gore, and a good surprise, this is a good audiobook to buy, you won’t be disappointed.

Looking forward to more 🙂

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Kanundra's Blog

Writing and life. Life and writing.

Category horror