Life is not the best right now and I could do with a rest.
I believe it’s just a test right now, yet I still feel so blessed.
What hurts me, and makes me cry, also makes me fight.
No, no, not flight… I might have once turned and run.
Wether it be just a test or the best, I am not done.
Where would be the fun.
—–
hugs
~ Dawn
x x
Great Sci Fi – written by Nathan Lowell narrated by the fab Jeffrey Kafer –
The best thing about audio books is that I can listen to so many! I’ve had the fab pleasure of listening to a very different story this last couple of days. 🙂 and I really enjoyed it. It’s a new series and I defo want more –
If you’re like to check it out, here’s the link – http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Quarter-Share-Audiobook/B01ETN1KCA/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1463419678&sr=1-1#publisher-summary
Review is as follows – (spoilers) ————–
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.
The author Nathan Lowell has really done something different here. This is a very character driven book with people you can soon fall in love with. The main character Ish, has just lost his mum in a tragic accident, and with no parents and no job he’s about to be forced off planet, so he takes the first thing offered to him because he’s no choice.
The kid finds himself on the Lowis, (sp) and embarks on a very different way of looking at things, something no one on the ship has seen before.
Ish soon makes friends with the people in his department, Cookie and Pip. Even though he shows Pip up, he finds time to actually help the other youngster, and they become not only friends but partners in crime too, getting up to all kinds of trading adventures.
Pip, however, isn’t having much fun, after losing everything he had in a trade gone wrong, it’s the captain and Ish that help him here, and they begin to form a co-op with the ships best interests at heart.
The narration from Jeffrey is great, he’s perfect in first person POV and the inner mind of a youngster finding his feet, not only with the fleet, but amongst other people is interesting and very well done. Jeffrey delivers a lot of emotion with hardly any effort and all the characters come alive. I was especially fond of Bev and Dianne. 🙂 even Francis and Cookie. 🙂
I do think that there should have been a little more conflict for Ish on the ship. Although he’s never been off planet before, the people he meets, all seem a little too nice. Maybe that’s because Ish himself is just so nice, he never seems to fire up over much, doesn’t really grieve for his mum, and I think I’d really like that, even if it wasn’t in the first section of the book, but defo towards the end. The closest we get to that is when he remembers packing up on the planet, and moving to his new quarters, (but I’m not sure if that was actually in the second piece, as there was a few chapters in there for free.)
I am really interested in seeing what the gang does now though with their trading empire. I wonder what can go wrong, and what other relationships are going to form. It seemed Ish was starting to become attracted to some of his female friends on a different level, he kinda doesn’t mention that from the planet. about his other friends, or any potential girlfriends.
Thanks for an awesome new series to follow, and I look forward to more! 🙂
I’ve had a busy week as per usual, and been so under the weather with a summer cold 😦 This week’s very long AudioBook was to listen to Bullheaded, an M/M novel by Catt Ford and narrated by Derrick McClain. I’ve already delved into cowboys with an older classic, but this was a very different genre that I’ve had the pleasure of listening to, and I did enjoy it a lot. 🙂
Review is as follows – and the AudioBook can be found here – (UK version)
Some Spoilers as usual 🙂
———
I am still pretty new to AudioBooks, and the different genres are defo what is giving me the most satisfaction in reviewing.
I was intrigued by the plot line to this book. Bull Fighting and a relationship breakup. 12 hours was a long time to be entertained for, so I had some trepidation on how the author would do just that.
I will admit, there was a little more sex than I’ve been used to, maybe it is because this is only the second M/M audiobook I’ve had the pleasure of listening to, and I’ve only ever read it before. The difference in the acting and hearing it is a lot. And yet, it’s still really hot sex. haha.
There were so many good things about this book, that I’ll struggle to list them, all but here are some of my favourite moments and not in any particular order.
– I’ve never been to a bull fight, nor seen a lot of it on TV, so the whole backstory around this sport, was very interesting and enlightening into something I think I might enjoy now, thanks to the great writing and narration.
– Speaking of the narration, Derrick gave both Jonny and Cody a distinctive and wonderful persona, and to be fair I even enjoyed Val, Davis, and everyone else. Great, soothing voice, and wonderful injection of passion and tension when needed.
– I have never been in a breakup, so, I don’t really know what I would go out and do, and I can’t really judge Cody and Jonny over their actions, I guess at least that Jonny kept himself from actually having physical sex with strangers, and that said a lot about him as a character as much as he still went out and enjoyed himself and met a fair wide variety of people in the summer, he still kept that for Cody.
I think the best part of his encounters has to be with March, because of the hotness and also because March is the one who talks Jonny into giving Cody a second chance and this talking really does make Jonny realise why he’s miserable now and what Cody really meant to him.
Of course, the biggest Character Arc does come from Cody in the fact that he actually really comes to terms with everything that happened, that life is not all give to you on a plate and that things worth having are worth fighting for, and I’m not just on about his Bull riding.
Cody actually starts to listen to Jonny and see him as a person, not just his person. This was a very moving part to the story and I felt for every moment he was in pain over Jonny. Miserable but in a very relatable way, these two Mc’s are so very real that you could never mistake them for fictional.
As I said, I did wonder how I was going to be entertained for the full length of this book, but the action never really let up either. There was constant, worry and strife for both these MC’s and towards the ending, where two of the moments I enjoyed the most. Where Dub, talks Cody down in the locker room. And where Cody give Jonny the pendant 🙂
The bull riding never lets up and neither does Cody’s buck off streak into the finals and off his first ride. The fact was with this story I just never knew if Cody was actually going to win the Championship, and of course I was glad he did. It was amazing to listen to and be there for the both of them. Worrying over his knee injury and how he would dismount. Fab job on both story and narration as the tension just never lets up.
Towards the end, I was a little concerned that the story didn’t end with the bull ride. But pleasantly surprised that it continued into the bittersweet resignation of Cody and revelation of the pendant, and his sheer love for Jonny in the fact that they would get married (if it were legal) so heartbreaking. I really did want both these characters to realise that there would still be love for them after their careers are over, and they kinda said this, more so Jonny when he ays he’d love to still have a ranch together. I just think it was swept under the carpet a little too much at the end, and it should have been more realise.
But, overalI really enjoyed this, and I will be looking out for more novels by Catt Ford and narration by Derrick.
Thanks to both of you, for a wonderful glimpse into Bull Riding and Bull Fighting and for whisking me into the world of these fab characters this week.
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
I’m not an active horror pursuer, but I do like zombie films, so this was a good change. I loved the sense of humour of the main character, Dan.
It has to be Dan, as the world ends around him he’s just so bent on getting wasted still that you just can’t help but feel for him. A normal day starts out and ends pretty badly for him. The end of the world and he’s goosed, but his outlook is still awesome.
This was the first one I’ve listened to from Cliff, and I enjoyed the fun he brought to Dan’s character, in the darkest moments, Dan’s thoughts are delivered with just the right amount of sarcastic and edge that you really do believe he’s telling you his life story. Great job.
There were some pretty gruesome moments, and at the time I started to listen to this, 6am in the UK, there was a nice blanket of Fog, which I was driving though! the atmosphere created with the narration and my actual life was just so freaky, it scared me silly. haha.
I’ve listened to all three so far, so I’m going to post a longer review on story and content there.
Thanks!
Episode 2
I haven’t personally read the book, but the narration always adds another dimension to a story. Because they put so much into the acting. There is a lot of work gone into this and it’s obvious. 🙂
I’m not a huge zombie reader, so can’t really compare, I do however like the Dawn of the Dead movies, and Shaun of the Dead, which is the more comedic version. I defo love the comedy side of this, and the eery side. It’s not quite zombies, but mutations as well, so it adds that extra layer, which is horrid and gruesome, but fascinating as well.
The humour, Dan’s inner dialogue can be so brilliant. Like you’re thinking it, but Clifford delivers perfectly.
I’m not so sure ‘moved’ is the right term, but there are plenty of ‘egggh’ and ‘yuk’ moments, described very well and given just the right tone in delivery that you really do feel utter sick by the gruesome monsters in this story.
Nope, reserving it for the third 🙂
Ep 3
These characters are just so ‘real’ that the story is fab and this episode is by far the best as things come to a real head for the group…
There have been a few good memorable moments throughout the series so far. I have to say that Dan’s own internal transformation is starting to rock. He started out such a loser, that bumbled along with his life and he really made you feel sorry for his stupid life, but here he is fighting for survival with friends, and friends he now cares about. What a change in his whole attitude.
Again, just the whole tone and characterisation of all the characters, he does a great job with them. Personality and flare.
Yes, I listened to all three in three days. I drive for a living, and can listen to 4 hours or more a day, this was a great way to spend my time. 🙂
Okay, so some major thoughts here…. I can’t not say that the recording quality difference was apparent from ep 1 and 2 to this one. But, it certainly doesn’t detract from the effort by the narrator or the written story. In all honesty I actually think it added to the ambience of the world Edward created.
I also have to admit here, that because I listened to them all at once, 3 days in a row, I can’t remember which Ep certain key moments are in, but I’ll mention the ones that stick in my mind the most.
The fact that Dan is a loser and a drunken one at that, is kinda hard to get into at first, he really doesn’t help himself at all be being as he is. His life seems so meaningless and his outlook is pretty bleak. But he’s funny, and that carries him, I like his attitude even though it is pretty selfish. Drink or pills, and I’m kinda glad he changed his mind and went for the pills. I actually don’t read the blurbs or other reviews, so when it started off, I had no real clue it was a proper horror/zombie story.
The sickness is awful and described very well, makes you feel yuk yourself. What I liked about this one more than anything is that Dan’s now got a friend and I don’t mean the cat… although that was one horrible and scary darned cat, you know 😦 I felt sorry for it, can understand why Dan did too.
EP 2 This is a more interesting Ep because of Drew, and the bulletin board, meeting Jake is very cool, the dog also, although I was worried it would end up like the cat. There are some amazing creepy things going on with the whole world. The cat, the fact the horse is bitten and we know it’s going to turn, (just when) and then the psycho serial killer whose house they burn down. Gee what a neighbourhood this guy lives in, I kinda think no wonder he was a drunk.
The third guy they team up with while out getting supplies is sad, he loses his brother here and that does suck. They’re really up against a lot of crap here and now and it really hits the fan towards the ending when the rogue military groups turn up and start to blast his house apart. However we think that he’s going to be captured, and he’s not, it’s this psycho killer who nabs him, the one whose diary he’s been reading and finding out about, the shocking truth is that he’s alive and changing! into what we’ve no idea, but it’s not looking good for Dan if he’s ended up in this guys clutches….
So, overall I really enjoyed these so far, I was given them so I’d provide honest feedback, and I have, however, I’m now off to buy the next installment! haha.
Thank you very much Clifford and Edward for a very entertaining few days. 🙂
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