Category reading

Aug 3 2016

AudioBook Review – Fringe Runner – 1

There are so many book reviews I need to post, but I can’t, so I’m going to carry on from where I’m just finishing.

This was a new narrator for me, even if I’ve seen him around the audiobook forums and we’ve chatted 🙂

I’m patiently waiting for the next… oh yeah, sorry, don’t do patient… where is it now! lol…. anyway, review is as follows.

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Fringe Runner: Fringe Series, Book 1 | [Rachel Aukes]
Fringe Runner: Fringe Series, Book 1
UNABRIDGED
Reviewed: 03/08/16

“Good first book!”

I am always picking up new books by narraters who I follow 🙂 this was a pleasant listen.

From the interesting characters of Rain, Throttle (his daughter) and his crew, while picking up a package from a dead whose circumstance are beyond questionable, things start to get interesting…. the package is taken from them by a CUF Commandant….. There are some twists and turns in this story I wasn’t expecting. Rain seemed to be a strong Captain, but then he almost blew that by doing some silly things to get himself injured. But his loyalty to the cause, and to his crew is commendable. And I really liked him for that.

I think my fav characters were Throttle and Demise, the pirate Tech. He had such humour even in the worst situations. It added a great dimension to the story. I do wish it were longer, and that it didn’t end as it had. But with traitors around and his previous history expunged so to speak this might be a very great series to look out for. 🙂

This was the first one from James Foster that I’ve listened to, and he had a great tone for Rain… even his female characters were distinct enough for me to know who they were without the tags. haah.

Thanks for letting me listen in and I’ll watch for more.

Jul 7 2016

AudioBook Review – Man of War

Great listen this week, with author M.R Forbes and narrator Jeff Hays. It has been an interesting week. But at least I had one great book on the cards. As soon as it was live, I wanted to listen. So I finished the audio I had on the cards and dived right in. I wasn’t disappointed. By the author or the narrator. Which to me says a lot.

You can pick up the audiobook here

http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Man-of-War-Audiobook/B01GQO9R4S

I am already a fan of Jeff, so now I can add the author to my list of who to follow, and have already picked up some other audiobooks he’s had done. 🙂

 

Review as follows —– with some spoilers sorry….

Man of War: Rebellion, Book 1 | [M. R. Forbes]
Man of War: Rebellion, Book 1
UNABRIDGED
Reviewed: 7/7/16

“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.

You might say that I’m biased, but no I’m not. I love a good story and these are my reasons for enjoying this audiobook and yes, it does include some spoilers.

– ——- —– apologies for the spelling of names… and in no real order, just as I remember my fav bits.

I think one of the best decisions that M.R made was to keep the POV’s to two really amazing characters.

You have Donovan, and Gabriel. Both very strong men, and totally different in their upbringing and beliefs. I liked that a lot.

And saying that… the writing entwined these both so vastly different worlds perfectly. The supporting characters.

For Donovan, there was Diaz, who was not just an amazing runner, but an awesome strong woman to boot. Even if she had fallen in love with her superior. (I can’t blame her, what a totally full on hero and stubborn man he is)

For Gabriel he had Miranda, Daphnia and her husband Soon. The of course the old gater, his father General St Martin. Who I must admit I never expected to make a come back. When he went to his room on Major Choi’s hint/order. I was so surprised but in a nice way.

I must admit that I do think the start is a little slow, but I believe the characters saved it there. I wanted to know more about them and why they thought and acted as they did. The ‘science’ in here is a little over exaggerated, and for someone like me who isn’t that much in the know over it, it might well prove to be a very entertaining story. But, I did have to knock it down a peg for some of the things that didn’t quite add up in my head. Still it was one of the better books I’ve listened to so far.

So yes, character wise, I really enjoyed the interaction between Donovan and Diaz, I knew she had a crush on him even before he mentioned it, because it was defo going that way. Though I’m still very glad that they stuck to military protocol and didn’t do anything, even if she kissed him towards the end. It was just a step over the line that I could live with despite the circumstances.

Gabriel I think went through the most in my mind being the pilot who lost everything in the woman he loved to just existing to evade the Dread, and to do his missions. The last one almost cost him his life, but was also the downside to the decisions on the colony he was settled in. If it wasn’t for Major Choi and a few others, Sturges.. I think he would have stayed in his hole and never come out to rescue the scientist, and to then go about and take the Majellen with his father. Which of course I’m glad he did.

The story did pick up in the latter half, but I do believe that the story had to be done this way, we wouldn’t understand the characters as much nor would we want ton get to know or understand them without seeing what they went through before the big battle etc. Could it have started a lot sooner too, yeah maybe. General St Martin and his wife’s story are also very compelling… even that of Rodriguas as the 17 year old back when the first evac happened. All just depends on what the writer wants us to witness…

I do think that Donovan and Diaz in the Dread mothership seems a little weird at first. Too good to be true… thought they were both gonners. but I was so glad they got out okay with the help of another.. a clone, and a clone no doubt of Gabriel’s mother… It’s like you can see all the pieces the author wants you to put together, and you come up with 10 instead of 12, but the fact is you’re kept guessing and wanting and needing more.

I do think that the ending leaves us with a lot of questions and a lot of them might never be answered for a while, but I think they’re really good ones. This is the kind of book I would listen to, wait for the second and then listen to this again before I dived back in for more. This is to me because there were hidden depths to all the characters and some i might have guessed wrong and others I know I guessed right. Because they did things as I expected.

I had hoped that Aria wasn’t a spy, and that the trip into the Dread’s mother ship was as unexpected as it seemed, but the more things she did and the more she seemed to give them in their escape the more I doubted her. Again though a great turn around for her, when she admits to the ProDom hunters that her plan worked and yet she still turned around and helped the rebels. 🙂 fab…

Gabriel meeting her… well that’s something I really do want to listen in on as he tells his father. We only learn after his departure what his mother meant to the Dread and to Aria… even if she didn’t meet her. And I think that is the saddest part. General St Martin, hopes his wife is still alive, or is it just that kind of blind hope…

Overall this is an epic start to something much bigger, and of course there will be parts some don’t like and others love. All in, this was a great book, well written, voiced and delivered by Jeff… I couldn’t ask for more in the genre. And I totally look forward to more..

I even went to check out other titles by this author… and low and behold Jeffery Kafer is the narrator on the others. I have tagged these for the future, but all in, please M. R Forbes, you have to write more on this, and soon… I can’t wait too long. 🙂

Jun 29 2016

AudioBook Review – Half Share

 

Excellent to be back with this very different Space Opera : ) written by Nathan Lowell and narrated by Jeffery Kafer.

You can pick the book up here –

 

http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Half-Share-Audiobook/B01GEWKMH8?

 

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“Great book 2! ”

It was nice to be back with Ismail and the crew of the Lowis and I really did enjoy everything that happened here.

Jeffrey Kafer, does an outstanding job with the character voices and emotion he puts in. He’s a joy to listen to, (so much so I have the complete Exodus trilogy on at the moment now too haha)

I must admit though, I wanted this book/listen to be a bit longer, or in this one something to go wrong, even if it were an environmental problem, but it didn’t and I honestly think that was the only thing letting it down here. Just not quite enough conflict. Of course, that being said, this series really isn’t like anything I’ve ever read/listened to before. It’s not the gun toting action packed Sci Fi SO where aliens invade and everything goes wrong, so it was kind of nice for there to be all internal character developments here.

Contains Spoilers ——

One of the many great things about listening to Ismail is the facts that we’re watching and learning more about him with every episode, shocked to hear he wasn’t a virgin, as I thought he would have been for sure, but I was okay with it.

This book focussed on his new job, the people around him which we really get to know a lot better here and in his own developments. There’s a new crew member on board, and Ismail’s caring nature brings the very hurt Sarah into her own. I’m glad of this, but again I think there was just a little bit to much of a ‘good thing’ here, most people who are battered, used and abused carry a fair few more demons than the author lets rip here, and either she’s going to blow up in the next book or she really should have had an episode to counteract all the good that goes on.

The trip to the tailor was very interesting, they went in as friends but came out as more. I can see that. 3 young eligible women cooing over an 18 years old in his underwear… lol must have been a sight to see either way, but there’s lots of growth here, and it fits for their relationship.

I do wonder though if Ish, is actually really sorry that he and Big B can’t get together, or one of the others, or is he just not sure at all what he wants… there’s still so much room for him to grow and do things, I wonder.

The fact he’s questioning his own life here, is also very good and I’m glad he’s also the people around him who care about him to make him question himself. I think he is destined for more, and having not read the books, I’m only guessing. But the mention of the academy and becoming an officer… ooooo squee. I can totally see Ismail Wong a Captain of a great ship! go Ishmail!

Anyway, just those two little cravats. But can’t wait for more 🙂

Jun 26 2016

AudioBook Review – The Damaged

Written by Simon Law and narrated by Rob Goll.

I saw this on AudioBook Boom and asked to review this. I was glad I did because I found it to be one of the most well written and chilling books I’ve had the pleasure of reading/listening to in a long time.

You can pick it up here – http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Crime-Thrillers/The-Damaged-Audiobook/B01FHOX3ZM

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“Wow! Fantastically thrilling.”

There is so much I really enjoyed about this book. So, so much. From the storm itself, being reminded of all the things I love back in 87 I was 10 years of age then and Thundercats, and plugging in and shooting aliens was totally my life! I love this kid.

But, it soon turns really nasty and his parents are murdered. The storm itself is horriffic. The descriptions and emotions evoked through this are very real, and disturbing. This then does throw Matthew into the next years of his life as the damaged soul he is.

The writing and research that the author has done to get so deep into the psychological problems of such trauma is sheer amazing. From experience and my own pain, there was nothing here that struck out to me as being ‘wrong’ I could clearly identify with both Matthew and Tammy.

Tammy is as much as Matthew a very disturbed woman with a past almost as worrying. Almost killing her daughter, and drinking far too much for her own health. She’s supposed to be Matthews carer, but she’s hurt and suffers with illness as well. Not too sure that’s a combination that would be allowed. With my mental illness I was refused to go into the caring community job wise. A blessing in disguise I’m sure, for what they actually see.

So, yes, this book/narration is very real, very deep and hauntingly disturbing. And actually quite triggering, but don’t worry. It was good and good to see someone put so much effort both into the narration and the story.

This is the first British narrator I’ve actually listened to, and I did find that although Rob had a lovely tone for his characters, his actual narration could bring me out of the story just a few times. But, enough that I needed to mention. I do think that together both the author and narrator make a great team, the husky voice of Rob and the smooth flow… to the upward climb of tension towards the novel’s climax. Excellent working AudioBook.

If you regularly love horror, thriller and disturbing stories, then this is right up your street.

Jun 6 2016

Audiobook Review – Modern Sorcery – 1

Modern Sorcery – The first Jonathan Shade novel – by Gary Jones, narrated by Joe Hempel I’ve been listening to some shorter pieces this last week, so I’ve not reviewed them here, ( a couple of erotic books as well, shock horror) but this one was a very pleasant listen, so it gets to come here.

As usual, some spoilers, but enjoyed this one, I’ll be listening to more in this series.

You can find the audio book here – http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Crime-Thrillers/Modern-Sorcery-Audiobook/B0193XZ55E

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“Head Turner”

Of course when you start following a narrator, you begin to see all the books they’ve done. this came on my newsfeed, and I thought okay why not. So I started to listen to it… I didn’t take much notice of the title, just more the ‘jonathan shade-novel’ and knew it was part of a series, I mean come on guys, the more series I listen to the more complicated my listening life is.

However, in all seriousness, I had no idea it was paranormal and no idea what this book entailed. So from the very first ‘Ester poked her head through the wall’ I was laughing at her, Jonathan and my own stupidity for not even realising this was paranormal. I presumed it was a normal PI kinda book. And I was very pleasantly surprised.

Joe does a great narration, and that’s one of the reasons why I picked this up. His characters stand out a mile, but I’ve gotta say that fact is marred by the ‘I said, she said’ you know when each character is speaking, and it got in the way a few times through this book. Of course not Joe’s fault, more down to the author. I could after listening to some of Joe’s other books tell this was an earlier version of him as a narrator, so I’ve still rated it according to all my thoughts.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the characters of course, Jonathan is a great guy, he’s his personal issues, and his life is plodding along, all until an old flame walks in and wants him to investigate the murder of her mother by her father. The murder itself is brutal and horrid to listen to, but it adds in some great tension. Naomi isn’t however letting Jonathan and his team in on all the facts and she’s quite the secret keeper. Of course only his team keep warning him that there’s something off with her and because he’s still got love blinkers on, he doesn’t listen till it’s too late.

I admit here, one of my fav characters, is Kelly, she’s the total kick ass woman we all love in these books, strong, not afraid to give an opinion and really not afraid to get stuck in and use what she’s got to get the information they need.

Ester comes pretty close as a great lovable character too. 🙂

I admit, Joe you’ve got me wanting the rest in this series, it’s action packed the characters are awesome, so much alive that you’d think they were real people. Goes all fangirl at the great storytelling and narrator acting. Haha now I gotta go pick up the others.