Free Audio Review

The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan

2012-01-16T10:25:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

They killed the king. They pinned it on two men. They chose poorly.

There's no ancient evil to defeat, no orphan destined for greatness, just two guys in the wrong place at the wrong time. Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in a plot to kill the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out…and so begins this tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.

The Crown Conspiracy is book one of the six-book saga: The Riyria Revelations. Eschewing recent trends toward the lengthy, gritty, and dark, the Riyria Revelations is a return to traditional fantasy combining great characters, humor, and drama in appropriate measures. The series is told through six novels each a separate episode in a single epic tale . Across the entire chronicle, mysteries build, characters evolve, and plots thicken, but each is a self-contained story that can be enjoyed in its own right.

My Review

The blurb above pretty much says everything you need to know about the story and actually says it better than I could. It's a fantasy romp with great likeable characters. I listened happily and enjoyed the experience. It's a light story, with the odd moment or two of gore to add spice.

It was narrated by Nathan Lowell, the author of the "Golden Age of the Solar Clipper" series of podiobooks, and frankly, I could listen to him all day long. This story just seems to match his reading style.

I don't think there's anything to add. It's a fun adventurous fantasy story :)

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

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Storm Over Warlock by Andre Norton

2012-01-07T07:05:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

The Throg task force struck the Terran survey camp a few minutes after dawn, without warning, and with a deadly precision which argued that the aliens had fully reconnoitered and prepared that attack. Eye-searing lances of energy lashed back and forth across the base with methodical accuracy. And a single cowering witness, flattened on a ledge in the heights above, knew that when the last of those yellow-red bolts fell, nothing human would be left alive down there.

And so Shann Lantee, most menial of the Terrans attached to the camp on the planet Warlock, was left alone and weaponless in the strange, hostile world, the human prey of the aliens from space and the aliens on the ground alike.

ANDRE NORTON has become one of the highest rated authors of science-fiction adventure now writing. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, a book collector, and s-f fan, Ace Books have had the pleasure of presenting her best novels in newsstand editions.

My Review

This is a classic sci fi story, telling a good pulpy sci fi story including heroes, aliens, battles and mysteries. With that description how could it be bad! As the blurb describes a powerful alien forces attack a human camp on new world, and a young lad is the only survivor.

What can he do? How will he survive? What dangers lurk on this new planet? Will the aliens come looking for him?

Lots of questions, and all the answers are explored in typical sci fi style. I really enjoyed the story. The narrator is Mark Douglas Nelson, one of my favourite Librivox readers, who has now posted this book over at Podiobooks.

My only niggle with the Audiobook, is some of the incidental music which at times seemed a little inappropriate and perhaps a little loud at times too. But this is a minor negative on what is an excellent book.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

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Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell

2012-01-03T10:07:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

Follow along with Arcot, Morey, and Wade as they discover a revolutionary form of propulsion, visit our neighboring planets, and go up against aliens from a rogue solar system that passes close to our own. These three stories (Piracy Preferred, Solarite, and The Black Star Passes) were originally published as a serial in Amazing Stories magazine.

My Review

This book is a "classic" from the Golden age of Sci Fi. Super villains using new science to feather their nests and Super Genius scientists seting out to battle them. Great stuff. Remember when you listen that these stories were written decades ago and the author didn't have the scientific knowledge we have today. Back then telephones had wires, they didn't VCR let alone DVD!

All three stories are good. In the first, someone is robbing aircraft in mid flight and there are no witnesses as all of the crew are left sleeping. In the second story, the heroes travel into space and find alien civilisations. In the third, it steps up a notch and becomes a full on WAR!

In summary, great stuff, the sort of thing I wish they'd put on the "Escape Pod" podcast occasionally.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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The Scars by William Tennant

2011-12-23T04:32:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

Peter Everett is a man stained with grief, his life becomes a struggle of decisions as he watches the lives of the people around him dissolve and burn.

Mags Donne is a damaged, bruised young girl, reaching out into the darkness, trying to take control of her life.

Their Scars are what begin to unite them, with the people that surround them.

The Scars is a novel of difficulty, hatred, love, intrigue, kidnap, wrongdoing, abuse, laughter and beauty.

My Review

This is a thriller/soap style book with high drama at its core. To be honest I was not sure I was going to enjoy it and only tried it as a punt in the dark.

I am very glad I did try it. The reader has a delicious voice that is like lovely sweet treacle and it was his voice that kept me downloading the chapters.

The story starts out like a love story, and rapidly turns to tragedy that turns a knife in your gut. Part of this is the story itself, and part the fact that the reader has a way of presenting that pain so that you can almost feel it.

The middle section of book started to feel a bit soap-like while I was listening and I thought the author had lost his way for a while but as the story neared its climax I realised just how he had set me up! Nothing was wasted, nothing was "filler".

In summary, this was a tremendous book, and I heartily recommend it, although the subject matter is not safe for work.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

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Mr Dead Eyes by Roberto Scarlato

2011-12-15T12:22:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

Strange things happen when the lights go down in the shady setting of the Roseville Hospital. Unexplained sightings of a man resembling that of a doctor is known to walk the hallways in search of patients he has yet to help. His name was Derek R. Schillar, M.D. He was a complicated man with a desire to help people, but felt that he didn't do enough. Now, his friend has betrayed him, his wife thinks he's dead, a mysterious detective is on his trail, and the medical staff is perplexed at the growing number of inexplicable miraculous phenomena occurring within the hospital walls. Is there an answer? Why is a dying boy drawing pictures of this man? And just who is Mr. Dead Eyes?

My Review

Set in a modern hospital, we have some very strange and un-medical things are going on! The official blurb above gives you a pretty good idea of how weird these things get.

When I started listening I really had no idea what to expect. If anything I thought it was going to be a horror piece, but what a I got was part thriller, part speculative fiction, part super hero, and part detective, as real mashup.

In the end this mash up worked for me. I like things a little unusual and this story has it in spades.

I loved the protagonist and his family and learnt to hate the bad guys. The author is reading his own work and did a great job, although I think the intro which seems to suggest a nasty Horror, was overplayed a little.

If you want a dark story which probes the mysterious this is for you.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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Guardians by A. S. Frye

2011-11-14T02:46:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

Guardians is set in the near future and follows the life of a young girl, Kathy, who suffers a head injury which gives her some amazing psychic abilities, and then, through various extraordinary circumstances, ends up in a small town near Roswell, New Mexico. Along the way, she joins up with Megan, another psychic who is also being drawn to that same town.

When they arrive, Kathy is abducted by a UFO and after some alien technological wizardry, she gives birth to a hybrid baby. In the meantime, the aliens are surprised at how strong the psychic force is in some humans and fear that this power could destroy them, so they use the hybrid baby in a plot to wipe out the entire human race before anyone discovers they are here. Kathy dares to resist them and fights to save her hybrid child.

But in the end, it is the child, himself—half alien / half human—who will determine which race will live, and which will die.

My Review

If I was afraid of including any spoilers in my review, I need not worry, as the offical blurb has out-spoilered anything I ever included in a review!

I found this a very interesting book. Even when you know the plot up front the characters themselves are very attractive and the twists and turns in the story itself keep everything fresh so that you are always wondering what's coming up.

The plot revolves around a group of people with strange occult powers that come together and fight an alien influence. That summary is honey to this particular Bee! I was hooked after a couple of chapters. It also took me that long to get used to the reader who has his own style of pacing. Once I settled into his pace or reading I found it very graceful.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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Anon Time by Craig Robertson

2011-11-12T12:54:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

What if you weren't who you thought you were, what others saw you to be? What if the structure of time depended on you to keep it steady. What if unseen forces, both good and evil, surrounded you, effecting your life in way's you could not begin to imagine? Well, if that were the case, you'd be Mark De Martel, unobtrusive advertising agent in Los Angeles. Or would you? Possibly you were a Mark, but possibly you would be a powerful warrior, using skills such as the manipulation of gravity itself to save existence.

The answer can be found by listening to Anon Time. It is a science fiction formatted novel with philosophical and spiritual underpinnings guaranteed to whisk you on an adventure of wondrous scope and amazing clarity. Treat yourself to this fantastic story, trust us, you deserve it.

My Review

This was a pretty good story. A man discovers that he's not who he thought he was, or even WHAT he thought he was. As soon as the discovery is made is he finds himself embroiled in a battle across time and space against the great enemy of humanity.

I've said it's a pretty good story, and it is, I really enjoyed it. Yet, I have "But" to add. After it was over I felt that the big-bad was a bit of whiner, that is he seemed more like a spoiled child rather than a terrible enemy to be feared.

Now that I've written that, I fear I may have overstated it. The book was good. It was a fun sci fi story that kept me thrilled and interested right to the end, and yes there may have even been a tear in my eye.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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Marco and the Red Granny by Mur Lafferty

2011-10-08T02:53:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

By bringing back the patronage system, a new alien species has transformed the moon into the new artistic center of the universe, and Sally Ride Lunar Base soon gains the nickname “Mollywood.” These aliens can do amazing things with art and the senses, allowing a painting, for example, to stimulate other senses than simply sight. When someone asks a starlet, “Who are you wearing?” she could as easily say “J.K. Rowling” as she could “Gucci.”

Every creative person in the world wishes for a patronage. It’s quite competitive.

Marco wanted one, once. But then his girlfriend got one and shuttled off to Mollywood for fame and fortune, and Marco stayed home, waiting for his own patron. After several years, he gave up entirely. His career faltered. His agent dumped him. And then, one morning, he gets a call. At last he has a patron, at last the aliens want him. But he’s about to find out that an artistic patronage isn’t what it was in the good old days, and that the only friend he’s made, a tiny old woman who’s the star of a blood sports reality series called The Most Dangerous Game, has secrets of her own.

My Review

I had no idea if I was going to enjoy book, it was a punt in the dark! The title kind of put me off, it sounded a bit ... dumb. When you read the blurb it is quite clearly a sci fi story but the last line of the blurb makes it sound like a kids book (remember "Super Gran"?). I just didn't know what to expect.

All that confusion wafted away once I started listening, it was a character driven play in a sci fi story. It's not a high action story, although there are battles to the death in an arena on the moon!

The story is fundamentally a 50's or 60's style one-trick story. In a way it reminded me of [SPOILER AHEAD] "Star Surgeon" where there's a massive plague that in the end is beaten by simply smoking cigarettes. This story has that kind of feel.

I enjoyed the story well enough, but I feel like it's a lost opportunity. If your reading this Mur, I think you need to rename it, and swap out the granny. It seems you were trying to write a satirical piece, but there is no humour in the story, it's a character-play-adventure. Kill the granny and insert an ex-Marine in her stead. (Or tell me to shut-up!)

The production suffers a little, the theme music levels seem at odds with the voice over narration, I had adjust volume every time the theme came up.

Reading 2/3
Production 1/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 5/9

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Cheating, Death by Teel McClanahan III

2011-09-17T02:10:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

When the walking dead fill the streets, who can cheat death? Who can survive?

Featuring a zombie outbreak that devastates Denver, an indecisive adulterer, and a series of violent, disturbing, and perhaps even heart-rending events of the sort you'd expect when the dead rise up to eat the living, Cheating, Death is a roller-coaster ride through a horror show both of death and of the heart.

My Review

I fancied a bit of horror fiction and this book jumped out at me. Can't go wrong with zombies.

The story mostly follows a family man living in Denver when a sudden outbreak of zombism goes manic. Zombies in this story are the shuffling sort that can infect you with a bite. If you get bitten you catch the virus, and will "turn" within a few hours.

The characters in this story all know about zombies from the movies, but with a twist. They are not just fictional to these characters, they all start knowing zombies exist as a fact, not just the fiction. I loved how within the story people have been misled by the movies into what they should do, just how our minds are misled by various things in the media we watch.

Although I kept listening and wanted to hear how it ended I didn't like the lead character at all. He was a bit of a whiner, and worse he was a bit of a loser. He certainly wasn't the sort of person I would aspire to be and that put me off a bit.

There was no real story arc, but rather a series of events that overwhelmed the characters.

To summarise, the horror of the story kept me listening and the reader (who sounds a little like Tracey Hickman) did a splendid job, but I warn you not to expect high adventure from the story.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3

Total Score 5/9

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Spirit Blade by Paeter Frandsen

2011-09-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

In a future where the government mandates the spiritual beliefs of its citizens, only a few rebellious "Seekers of Truth" remain to free the world from deception.

On his quest for meaning, Merikk follows a path that leads him across our world, and into another. Against his will he is thrown into action alongside members of the Underground Liberation, standing face to face against forces human, alien and demonic. Science fiction and the supernatural collide in a genre-bending adventure! Open your mind and then brace for impact as you discover the power of the Spirit Blade!

My Review

This is a high action story with a message.

As the blurb says, it's in the future, but not too far and the major aspect of the future outlined here, is that any religion claiming to the "only way" is outlawed. Bibles, Torah, Quoran are all banned and followers of the old faiths are ostracised and driven underground. The new religion is where "everyone is right".

I found this background highly interesting. As a Christian I can see a movement like that described starting to appear in today's world, and this story may well represent a possible future. The protagonists in this story are an underground movement that is nothing less than a group of Christians.

I opened this by stating that the story is high action, and the previous two paragraphs may have you questioning that, do not be misled. The action includes a lot of cinematic fight scenes, people leaping out of windows, gun fights, sword fights versus demons, and a dramatic pace that had me captivated.

There were a couple of moments that I thought were getting "preachy", but after due consideration I'm willing to admit they were really just advancing the character motivations so I'm not going to let that effect my rating.

The narration was sound, although a few of the "voices" sounded a bit samey. It's full of background music and sound effects that really make this book a stand-out example of how to do a good audio book.

Reading 2/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 8/9

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Harvey by Phil Rossi

2011-09-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Television singing sensation Calvin Hubbard has been caught with his hand in cookie jar. An illicit affair with a contest judge costs him not only the competition crown, but his musical credibility as well. Fleeing the media fallout, Calvin exiles himself to the backwoods town of Harvey, Virginia. With a little solitude and a lot of cheap beer, he plans to write the next great rock and roll album and resurrect his career. But Calvin doesn't know that a man has just been buried alive in the woods outside of town, and that this quiet murder is just the first in a string of macabre events. As the town goes silently mad around him, Calvin is unable to abandon the record of his dreams. Drunk on inspiration and blinded by an inexplicable lust, he careens headlong into the maelstrom, only to discover that he may be the town's only salvation. Something is alive in the trees—an ageless, nameless evil—and it's coming for everyone in Harvey. Now Calvin has to decide whether to run or to stay and fight… if it isn’t already too late.

My Review

This is not the first Phil Rossi story I've listened to, and I've loved all of his other books. I liked this one, didn't love it, just liked it.

The blurb tells you everything you need to know about the story itself. What it doesn't tell you is that the characters created are very real and it's easy to relate to them and that helps to draw you into the story. He's got some really nasty characters in there and some loveable ones and I felt interested in all of their individual stories, so every time the POV changed I happy to follow along.

I've said that I liked this story, and I did, but I did not love it, so let me tell you why. Some weird stuff happens in this story, weird and scary, but I never felt it was sufficiently explained. Also I felt the ending was too easy for the good guys, I felt like they didn't have to work too hard to get to where they got. That was only a minor disappointment.

Phil reads his own work, and has a voice to-die-for, perfect for this kind of dark material, I could listen to him all day.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 8/9

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Act of Will by M. Darusha Wehm

2011-09-08T11:06:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Andersson Dexter is a new man, still living his old life.

Part vigilante, part private eye, part cop, Dex is muddling his way through his day job as a faceless customer service rep for a giant firm, while solving routine cases in his off hours. But when a gruesomely mutilated corpse is found, things heat up for Dex and the underground organization he calls the Cubicle Men.

Soon, Dex finds himself racing against the clock to find a killer who seems to be determined to strike him close to home.

In a grim future where people live and work in crowded, utilitarian cities, but escape to an online virtual world, Act of Will explores the capacity we have to choose the directions our lives will take, and the consequences of those choices.

My Review

This is the third audio book by this author that I've listened to and the second starring Dex, the part time detective.

The world the book is set in is very interesting. In the not too distant future when the "everywhere-net" is ...everywhere, and everyone is on it, enjoying themselves and escaping the drudgery of real live in the virtual world. In the last book the mystery was revolving around the death of a virtual character, this one is set in the real world, and a serial killer is doing their thing.

The author does an outstanding job of reading in this case. After listening to two previous books read by the same author, I judge that she has hit her narrating sweet spot in this book.

The characters are once again as interesting as the plot and that plot is very interesting. As the plot evolves the world is expanded and the characters grow in a way that is very appealing. This is not a rip-roaring adventure full of high action, it's a slow burner that builds some excellent tension before reaching the very climatic ending.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 7/9

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3 Dooms of America by Eugene Fairfield

2011-09-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

"Prophecy is not a prediction of tomorrow. It is a description of the doom contained within today."

Three stories of the end of American society, from one Tuesday, the 11th of September into the near future.

Shock & Awe: "At the end of this story, a baby will be born, and touch off an insurrection. Before that, a woman makes breakfast."

The Greening of Blue England: "It took three-quarters of a ton of plastique to get rid of all the box stores in Taft Corners."

Spider's Dreams: "The rose is still unfolding, a thousand petals and every one scribed with tragedy, with enough grief to end the world."

My Review

Another book I did not like, nor did I finish listening. The first Dooms was written in a strange style; the writer broke the fourth wall to tell us about his story, which ruined it for me. I felt that the story was okay but the distraction was constant and got-my-goat!

Alas I was but half way through the second story when I ceased listening. I can't tell you the second story was badly written, what I heard of it was fine. Frankly I was still feeling grumpy after the first story and just gave up.

Therefore I don't think I can fairly give it a rating.

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A Coffee Crusade by Theodore Isaac Erski

2011-09-02T01:09:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Bridget Hall is a driven & successful entrepreneur running a non-profit company named the Coffee Exchange Alliance. She’s working to establish a fair-trade business presence on the Caribbean island of Salavandra, but must overcome the corrupt Minister of Agriculture, Rafael Gallegos, who profits by marginalizing the island’s farmers and smuggling their coffee to Jamaica. Bridget tackles personal & professional challenges on Salavandra that ultimately shake her belief in the choices she’s made in life as well as in her self-appointed role as savior of the island’s coffee farmers.

My Review

Let me start by saying this is not a book I can recommend. It's well written and very well produced.

This is a thriller that thrills. It has likeable protagonists who you can easily like and you'll want to follow their exploits. It's got "driven" people, people on a mission, very good bad guys, and lots of likeable people in between. As I said it's very well put together and I really enjoyed listening to it until the end of the last chapter.

So what was wrong with it. Simply put, the ending.

It's like half a book. The plot of the story does not end or even reach a good climax. It simply stops at a point where the plot is on a downer. This left me with a real bad taste in my mouth.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3

Total Score 5/9

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Eternity by Casey S Townsend

2011-09-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

The world you know has changed. Science has been replaced by dark, supernatural forces and those that know how have harnessed them to control the world. You no longer have the right to believe what you want. You do not have the right to choose the kind of life you will live. But you have a choice: you can surrender and live in fear, or you can join the resistance. As part of Red Horizon, a quickly-growing resistance movement, Gibson Craig has devoted his life to opposing these dictators. But he is not the only one. There are numerous rebel factions hidden underground, as much at war with each other as they are with the government, but in the struggle for freedom, they must unite or be crushed. As they move closer, events spin into motion the most epic of battles the United States, and the world, has ever seen.

My Review

This story is set in the future within a couple of hundred years of today. As the blurb says, it's set in a very different United States, one that's a horrid religious oppressive nightmare. It' s not any religion you've heard of, it's been invented for the purposes of the story. The authoritarian regime is being fought by bands of rebels, rebels that have in fact taken over entire cities. This means that the government are fighting an open rebellion. The story starts with action and really doesn't let up, until it explodes through the really exciting finale. There are bad guys, gun fights, out right war and monsters, lots of monsters summoned up by magic. It's a very chaotic scene. There were a couple of points in the story that jolted me out of the story, such as references to real people you'll have heard of. I really enjoyed the story, it was fast paced, full of excitement and a real joy. I hope there is a sequel soon.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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Ida by Tim Callahan

2011-08-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb
Ida, one of the largest Asteroid in the belt between Mars and Jupiter, has finally been colonized. A group of engineers lead by John McVey, Craig Osborn, Gail Trabor, Andrew Dee and Jennifer McGee, occupy the largest space station every built to plan the future of the tiny colony. Sent there by Kennedy Lacombe, the richest man in the world, their only task is to find ways to mine the asteroid as efficiently as possible. John, however, has grandiose plans including riding a comet around the sun to obtain enough water for the colony to one day survive independent from Earth. His ambition quickly shifts when he discovers an accident with the station's birth control pills causes 20 women, including Jennifer, the woman he loves, to become pregnant. The rules on pregnancy are simple; a baby is a drain on resources and must be removed. John, his friends, and a large group of miners will do anything they can to prevent that, including declaring themselves the first independent colony outside of Earth.
My Review
This was one of Tim Callahan's first audio books. He's since gone on to create and publish the "Arwen" series of books over at Podiobooks. This book it not a part of the Arwen series, although it could conceivably belong in the same universe many many years before the Arwen.

I was given one of those "oh" moments when listening to this book. I was a few chapters in when I realised that the sci fi part of the book is almost incidental to the human story at it's core. The characters are the focus here, Tim does not waste a lot of prose telling us about the working of some "flux capacitor" but focuses on people, what they think, what they feel and what they do when driven by those emotions.

That said, the last couple of chapters do hot up with non stop action. I really enjoyed this one, the characters felt real, they made mistakes and made choices that I could relate to. The sci fi future described was interesting, worrying, and believable.

There were a few repeated lines in there, but no more than five or six spread out across the whole book and really didn't spoil my enjoyment.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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Enemy Lines by John Mierau

2011-08-20T01:22:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

In the near future, an alliance forged by powerful men will challenge the US government for control of secret technology. As their machinations gear up, the true owners of that technology will face a challenge of their own, deep in the asteroid belt. At stake? The future of the human race. ENEMY LINES is a science fiction adventure about conspiracies, spies...and aliens... in a future where the lines aren’t as clear as you think.

My Review

This is a near future science fiction book that takes place when humanity has just started mining asteroids. If you've ever wondered about the "Greys" of the popular UFO memes then this story will explain everything.

What if aliens were giving mankind a technological lift. What if someone didn't want you to know that. What if someone didn't want it happening at all. What if the only hope for mankind's survival was a criminal, or a man who's emotionally on the edge?

That's a lot of what-ifs! Well them and a lot more are included in this fantastic story. I absolutely loved it. A good dose of what I call "proper sci fi". If you like a tense story that will keep you guessing and thrilled by action all at the same time, then this is a book for you.

The reader is excellent and fits the pace and tone of the story very well. there are a couple of repeated lines and a couple of clipped sentences but that's all there is to mar this otherwise excellent audio book.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 8/9

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Self Made by M. Darusha Wehm

2011-07-23T02:09:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Ever wish things were different?

Ivy Velasquez did, so she became someone else. In the 3D virtual world Marionette City, you can be anything you want — but everyone still knows who you are. Driven by her desire for a new life, Ivy takes her future in her hands when she makes another identity for herself. A brilliant designer, Ivy works for one of the huge firms which control the online system the world relies upon for both business and pleasure. But one day, Ivy discovers that her alternate self, Reuben Cobalt, had been murdered.

Since alternate identities are forbidden by the firms which control access to the nets and to M City, Ivy has nowhere to turn — until she finds Andersson Dexter. Part private eye, part vigilante and part cop, Dex sets out to uncover Reuben’s killer. Since the firms control almost every aspect of life, including law and order, justice for average people comes only at the hands of the outlaw organization to which Dex belongs.

Self Made is a murder mystery set in a vision of a future that seems to lurk just over the horizon. But above all, it is a story of how people strive to control their own destinies, and how that desire affects them and the people around them in ways they could never imagine.

My Review

The blurb basicly tells you all you need to know about the story itself,yet...

In the near-ish future everyone still has jobs but also has a life on the "nets". This second life is played out using avatars in a virtual city and everything that can happen in real life seems to also happen in this virtual world, plus a lot more. People apparently spend so much time in the virtual worlds that real life existence is considered secondary. So secondary in fact, that most people survive on food bricks and tasteless drinks. Why spend money or time on real food, when you can have sumptuous feasts for hours in the virtual world for free.

This novel not only investigates the crime that is its plat but also gives us a peek into what the world might be like if virtual reality ( including taste/sounds/feel ) takes off and becomes ... well, a reality.

This is not the authors first novel. I've reviewed the previous novel, "Beautiful Red" a while ago. In Beautiful Red the "nets" were everywhere but poeple were not living in them, so this novel appears to be the same world, but just a little further into the future. This novel has a sequel ( a different story, some of the same characters), so if you like it, you'll be able to have more of the same.

The author is reading her own work here and does a good job, the audio quality seems to have stepped up a notch from her previous work.

In summary, I found the story, interesting and engaging, a good listen.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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Listen to the first part

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The Gearheart: Maiden Flight of the Avenger by Alex White

2011-07-21T07:05:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Agent Augustus Elsworth is a Seeker of the Arcane Unknown, mechanic, pilot and thief... or so he believes. When he is caught trying to steal a magic artifact from the ruthless mobster Charles Patrick, he is offered a choice: buy it outright, or forget about his mission. In order to win the money, the young mechanic decides to enter the Cliffside Aeroprix, the most dangerous air race in the world. Can Augustus win the race, or even survive it?

My Review

This is a novella set in the Gearheart universe, as used in the "Gearheart" podiobook which I reviewed a little while ago. I believe this novella is a prequel to that book. Just as with Gearheart, this story is action packed with action, magic and super science.

We get an insight into "the Seekers" a secret organisation that protects humanity from the dangers of magic and alchemy.

It's a thrilling adventure, involving air races, magical attacks, plenty of gunfire and organised crime. It was great to hear these characters again, and I hope there is more to come

It's a great listen, I only wish I listened to it before hearing "Gearheart"

Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 8/9

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Listen to the first part

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Cybrosis by P.C. Haring

2011-07-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

For Agent Ciris, the mission should have been simple: get in, apprehend the target, get out. But when the simple snatch and grab goes horribly awry, the worlds first cyborg finds herself backed into a corner. At odds with her superiors, she becomes embroiled in two conspiracies — one intended to destroy her with a cybernetic virus that will neutralize the technology that keeps her alive, the other intended to keep hidden the untold secrets of her origin. With the walls closing in around her, Ciris becomes a rogue agent with no one to trust and only one objective — unravel the shrouds of secrecy before time runs out

My Review

This story was a trip, a good trip. It was Sci Fi goodness through and through. There are lots of action scenes, high speed chases, computer hacking, uplinks, cyborgs, power guns, back stabs and great narration.

The official blurb gives you the details of the story and my summary above tells you what's in there, if any of that appeals to you, you should be downloading by now!

I can also report that the character development is good, the pacing excellent and the multi voice narration excellent.

Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 9/9

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Fighting the Flying Circus by Eddie Rickenbacker

2011-07-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

This is the WWI memoirs of Medal of Honor winner, Capt Eddie Rickenbacker. He fought in and eventually became commander of the 94th "Hat-in-the-Ring" Squadron, which ended the war with the highest number of air victories of any American squadron. The circus mentioned in the title refers to the German squadron commanded by the famous Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen.

My Review

As a producer of audio books relating to WWI I was really interested in listening to this free offering from Librivox. I was not disappointed. As the description says its the memoirs of Captain Rickenbacker and it starts out with him joining up and having to fly hand-me-down aircraft that are really quite pitiful. These aircraft were not only slower and less manoeuvrable that the German aircraft they had a tendency for the wing covering to peel off in flight!

It's quite a fascinating listen. Rickenbacker is not a natural pilot ace, as you follow his story you'll hear him working on his tactics trying to work out how to defeat the enemy. he has to keep learning as his squadron keeps getting new missions. They attack enemy fighters, then bombers, strafe the ground and even take on observation balloons.

Later they get better planes and the tables are turned, and they even come up against the famous ace pilots of Flying Circus mentioned in the title.

If you have interest in WWI, then this is a natural for you to download, and I reccomend that you do.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

Download it from the Librivox

Listen to the first part

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Dreams and Wings (A Searcher and Stallion story) by Scott Howard

2011-07-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

One Man, One Machine, One Destiny.

Searcher awoke, alone on a laboratory table, with an ageless body and no knowledge of his past in a post apocalyptic world. Now in his exoskel, a powered suit of armor, he roams the galaxy with his robotic companion Stallion, seeking clues about his unknown origins. Meanwhile, His existence threatens to destroy balance among the ageless ones, a group of never dying humanoids that secretly run all aspects of human society in the shadows of the surviving colony worlds. Is the Searcher the key to humanity's salvation.....or its final destruction......

My Review

I was really impressed with the production in this short story. It's an enhanced reading. The narrator has a cast of actors providing the voices and a whole lot of sound effects and music to back him up and it's very well put together.

It's a gripping story that had me hooked from the beginning.

As the blurb states a man with no memory wakes up on an abandoned lab table and the trouble just get worse and worse. It's got a good hook and a fantastic driving narrative. In short it's great!

Unfortunately it's just enough to get you interested and hooked and nothing more. It's not a complete story just the opening scenes. I was sooo disappointed! I wanted to hear the whole novel not just this little tease. Oh well. If you're a rabid sci fi fan like me you'll love it, but want MORE!

Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 1/3

Total Score 7/9

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This World Is Taboo by Murray Leinster

2011-06-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Calhoun is an Interstellar Medical Serviceman, and he's needed on Dara. Trouble is: Dara is forbidden. Taboo. And breaking quarantine will make Calhoun a presumed plague-carrier and subject to being shot on sight by anyone from Weald. But hey! If he did the smart thing, we wouldn't have a story! But why are men from Dara shooting at him?

My Review

This is a classic Sci Fi story and it's a good one. The protagonist is the typical hero, no a muscle bound hero, but one that works with his mind. The story starts with him arriving for a very late appointment at the planet Weald. But instead of being welcomed, he's immediately questioned about who what and where he's been. This is the opening of a story that presents the hero with a desperate situation where his very life is in peril, but his duty will not allow him to step away.

I really enjoyed the story and Marks reading was a real joy. He brought the characters to life and made the whole book a project he should be proud of.

If your a fan of classic sci fi stories then is one you should definitely download.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 9/9

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The Mad Planet by Murray Leinster

2011-06-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

It is 30,000 years following dramatically changed climate conditions on earth which had let massive amounts of carbon dioxide belch from the interior of the planet into the atmosphere. Over the millenia this would have quite devastating effects on life as it had once been known. Much of the human and animal population would not survive the climate change, and indeed those few humans who did survive knew nothing of all which their predecessors had learned and built. Indeed, they knew not even of their existence. On the other hand insects and fungi would flourish over time.

And so those few remaining humans were unknowingly at the very beginning of the building of a tribal society, which at the time of the story of Burl simply meant food and survival. And so it was Burl who chose to travel beyond his small tribal community in an effort to hunt for something new and different to hopefully impress Saya, the young female of his tribe to whom he felt a peculiar attraction. The Mad Planet is Burl's adventure.

My Review

The world of our protagonist is quite frankly revolting, full of insects and fungus and not a lot else. The sky is always dark, the hunt for food is constant and death near at hand in a myriad of forms.

The hero of the piece is ripped away from his home by accident and then wanders back, and that's about as much as I can say about this story. Although nominally set in the future it's a dark ages story... hang on, story is too grand a word really. There's no plot to speak of. It's really a protagonist wandering along and looking at the world around him with a couple of minor life threatening hiccups thrown in.

I can not reccommend this book. I "just" managed to get through it, and kept hoping something, anything really, would happen, alas the plot never appeared. If the reader hadn't been as good as they were, I would have given up on it.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3

Total Score 5/9

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The Dawn of a To-morrow by Frances Hodgson Burnett

2011-06-11T00:50:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

A wealthy London business man takes a room in a poor part of the city.

He is depressed and has decided to take his life by going the next day to purchase a hand gun he had seen in a pawnshop window. The morning comes with one of those 'memorable fogs' and the adventure he has in it alters his decisions and ultimately his life.

My Review

A break from my usual adventure and sci fi fair with this story. This time round it's a story of despair and hope! As the blurb says just about the whole story I'm not sure what I can add!

It's interesting to note however that the "fog" being talked about is not something I've experienced, but I remember my father telling me about the "pea soup" fogs of his youth. The smoke from coal fires used to literally make a foggy night so thick that it was like looking through pea soup. It's this kind of fog that is a turning point in the story. A man set of self destruction takes a misstep in the fog and has his life and world turned around.

Ultimately it's a moral story, no high adventure, just a step by step progression from despair to enlightenment.

All in all I enjoyed the story and the reader was pretty good too!

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3

Total Score 5/9

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Listen to the first part

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The Gearheart by Alex White

2011-05-28T03:38:00.000-07:00

The Blurb

Jonathan Andrews, Initiate in the Seekers of the Arcane Unknown, joined the society two years ago with the hopes of protecting the secrets of magic from the greedy world beyond. However, a ravening shadow appears with a hunger for Seekers and Jonathan finds himself out of his depth. When Jonathan's friend is attacked and the young initiate is assailed with apocalyptic visions of the future, he must find a way to uncover the past and stop the beast before it tears his group, and the world, asunder. It's a ripping tale of magic, adventure and gunfights!

My Review

I found this book at Podiobooks when by chance I decided to take a look at the "Steampunk" category, it was the only book listed, so I decided to give it a go. As it turns out I'm not sure it qualifies as what I'd call steampunk, but it does qualify as a darn good book!

So what's under the covers? Well it's set in the our world , modern day, but with magic under the covers, known about by only be a select few. The protagonist is a new member of this group, an "Initiate". The book opens with the initiate on a mission to retrieve a magical relic from the hands of organised crime. Bullets, swords, magical blasts and car chases follow in rapid succession, a rip roaring start.

At this point I thought we'd be following this little crew on a new important mission or something along those lines. No. Instead we find a magical villain set on destroying the world and quite capable of actually doing it. The "Seekers", pitched as the good guys, turn out to not be all they promised.

I'm afraid to give too much away as I'll spoil the plot, but let me just say, magic, guns, swords, prophecy, robots, monsters and doomsday weapons. Wet your appetite?

Reading 2/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 8/9

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Skylark Three by E.E. Smith

2011-05-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

This is a sequel to The Skylark of Space. The novel concerns Richard Seaton and his allies who have encounters with aliens while fighting DuQuesne and the Fenachrone.

My Review

This is a classic Sci Fi story from a classic author. It contains super science, space battles, aliens everything I like. Except I didn't like it.

Why? I think it went on a bit. Some chapters felt like they were inserted just to fill out space rather then advance the plot! There was quite a bit of blathering on about learning new science and going for a swim being necessary when working. What?!

Other than these down bits the action was rather good when it got going. Slicing ships up, smashing them with torpedoes, traveling faster than light into combat and even a ticking time bomb of dread - when will the bad guys arrive.

Yet in the end I was glad when it ended.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3

Total Score 5/9

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The Dambusters

2011-05-01T08:34:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Taylor played pilot David Shannon in this dramatization of Paul Brickhill's best-selling novel about World War II. The documentary series focused on the 617 Dambusting Squadron and is full of air force adventure. There were 26 half-hour episodes, and the cast also featured Charles "Bud" Tingwell
Operation Chastise was an attack on German dams carried out on 16/17 May 1943 by Royal Air Force No. 617 Squadron, subsequently known as the "Dambusters", using a specially developed "bouncing bomb" invented and developed by Barnes Wallis. The MÃhne and Edersee Dams were breached, causing catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley and of villages in the Eder valley, while the Sorpe dam sustained only minor damage.All 26 episodes in excellent condition.

My Review

As you may have gathered from the blurb this review is not an audio book in the usual manner. It is in fact an old radio dramatisation of a book. I'm sure you've heard of the Dam Busters and the bouncing bomb designed by Barnes Wallace, this serial is not about that! It does include the bomb and the raids but that's done and dusted by episode 7 of this 26 episode series.

This drama follows the famous 617 squadron from its creation through to the end of the war. They did much more than the Dam raids, much more. After the Dam raids 617 was designated as a specialist unit. They were trained for pin point accuracy with other special bombs designed by Barnes Wallace. These included the "Tall Boy" and 10 ton monster bomb called the Grand Slam.

The most amazing trick they pulled off was being a deliberately mistaken for an allied invasion flotilla!

This old time radio drama is not cursed with too much hiss and crackle and is a real gem for drama fans.

Reading 2/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 8/9

Download it from the Internet Archive

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Fourteen Months in American Bastiles by Francis Key Howard

2011-04-17T03:51:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Francis Key Howard recounts in this book his life as a political prisoner of the United States. He points out that he was held captive at the same location where his grandfather was inspired to write the national anthem about the "land of the free," which makes a very stunning contrast. The sufferings that were imposed on him by the Union forces had the effect of solidifying his determination to resist unjust governmental dictates.

My Review

I though this was going to be a military history when it turned on on my radar, but turned out to be something a little different. It takes place during the American Civil war and features the events surround a newspaper man who finds himself arrested as a political prisoner.

As the author states he held the opinion that a war with the south would only leads to two nations and for this he was arrested, taken from his home and imprisoned with military prisoners, without trial or any recourse whatsoever.

The book is half memoir with the other half being made up letters sent and received by the author while in prison.

It's a quite fascinating read/listen for anyone with interest in the civil war. there have been many books written about the war but very few seem to deal with the prisons so this is quite a gem.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3

Total Score 5/9

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Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. Gallun

2011-04-03T07:13:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

John Endlich needed to clean up his act. Gambling, drinking, a hot temper and wanderlust were the last things Rose and the kids needed. So he went to the Homesteaders Office and signed up to terraform Vesta, a chunk of a once thriving alien planet that had exploded from within; a flat lump of crust which was now the remains of a farm on one side and a mining operation on the other. The miners hated Endlich and sabotaged his plans at every opportunity. They were going to kill him and his family if he didn’t find a way to stop them.

Written by :

My Review

When I settled down to write this review it occurred to me that this was a western story set in space. The protagonist is a homesteader in the back of beyond and the "indians" are played by the miners.

Apart from that, the story is pure sci fi. It's set on an alien world that includes a dead ancient civilisation. People flit about in space ships and shoot "blasters" so it has all of the good sci fi stuff.

What it boils down to in the end is 80-90 minutes of classic sci fi story, a man with a history trys to settle a barren land and defend his family and his home from a bunch of bully boys that are armed to the teeth!

Add to that, the story being read by Gregg Margarite and you have a recipe for a great listen. Highly recommended.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

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The Silent Bullet by Arthur B. Reeve

2011-03-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

The many adventures of Professor Craig Kennedy were chronicled by Arthur B. Reeve (October 15, 1880 - August 9, 1936). Reeve was an American mystery writer who created 82 Craig Kennedy mystery stories. The stories have a very Sherlock Holmes type feel, In fact Kennedy has been referred to as the "American Shelock Holmes". Along with his reporter friend, Walter Jameson, Kennedy solves many crimes and unveils mysteries using science.

Each story features a facinating look at life in the early 20th century, and even includes some action along the way.

My Review

I'm really not sure what to say about this book! It's a collection of short stories about a Professor who is investigating crimes. As the blurb suggests the character is a Sherlock Holmes clone. He does perhaps rely more on forensic science rather than deductive reasoning, but the differene is only marginal.

Simply put, if you like Sherlock Holmes, I think this will be right up your alley. I'm a Sherlock fan and really did like this audio book. The stories are varied as they should be in such a collection but all revolve around the solving of a crime.

The reader is pretty good. He gives the lead character a very nasal voice. I thjought that an odd choice at first, but in the end it makes the story all the more clear for its distinctiveness. A pretty good job.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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Marker Stone by Paul J. Joseph

2011-03-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

There’s trouble on CMC-6 and it’s been brewing for a long time. The golden age of space travel and asteroid mining has ended almost before it began and the bean counters have taken over. Sally Buds’ patients are all suffering from low-gravity syndrome because the Canadian Mining Consortium won’t spring for gravity generators and the miners won’t exercise. On top of this the station might be facing hard times. An expensive mining robot disappeared while surveying a region of space known and KEL-30 or “Kelthy.” The problem was not in replacing the robot, but rather in the fact that the machine reappeared after the replacement had been ordered. How could the station personnel have been so incompetent? But Sally has another question. Where did the probe go when it was out of contact? Where did the strange rock samples come from and why did the images it saw not correspond with known star charts? Her new friend Ian Merryfield, an RAF shuttle pilot, wants to know, too. But the station commander does not. What is in the Kelthy region and why do things disappear there? Is it a hoax intended to scare away claim jumpers or is it the greatest discovery of the twenty-first century? Ian and Sally intend to find out even if it means risking their careers or even their lives. Not knowing would be worse.

My Review

This book is a prequel of sorts to Homesick which was the audiobook I last reviewed, so yes, I'd reviewing them in the wrong order!

I'm really wishing I'd discovered this book first as it takes some of the same characters from Homesick and includes discovering "the fold" which plays a major role in the second book of the trilogy. Now having said that, I'm not disapointed in the book. It does stand alone with a pretty good ending, but the ending clearly leaves an opening for "Homesick" as the sequel.

I enjoyed finding out more about the characters I'd come to know in Homesick, their origins if you will.

The plot of this book, is "thinner" than that of Homesick, but I'm pretty sure I would have still enjoyed it as much if I'd listened in the correct order.

The reader is very good ( its the author ) and has a smooth voice that really set sthe mood well. All in all, this book is worth a listen. I can't find the third or fourth books in the series at podiobooks as yet... I'll keep looking.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

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Homesick bu Paul J. Joseph

2011-03-16T03:11:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

The mission to New Ontario, is not going as planned. The first landing ends in disaster when the American astronaut, Scott Anderson, goes down alone and dissappears. Captain Sally Buds, Ian Merryfield, Vladamir Coronov must put aside their personal differences and attempt an umarmed rescue unsure of what awaits them below.

On the surface, they find only the remnants of a civilization. Buildings are rotting and the remains of human-like bodies are scattered around what may once have been streets. But the rescue trail leads them to a Nazi-style concentration camp populated with crowds of human cattle living in squalor. The camp has no walls or barbed wire, but no one is trying to escape. In fact, the workers are smiling. There among them is Scott Anderson. To rescue him, they must face an unspeakably cruel regime with no concept of mercy.

But this turns out to be only the beginning. The Masters have discovered vital information about Earth, its technology, and location. Will the same madness that consumed New Ontario ultimately engulf Earth? Sally and Ian must risk their lives to prevent it.

My Review

This is a facinating and engaging sci fi story. Having fininshed listening to it I only then discovered that it was in fact part two of a loosely linked series. I didn't realise this, and still really enjoyed the book.

The blurb above tells you all you need to know about the stories plot which I found quite enthralling. The UN spaceship is populated with interesting characters who are well put together form a superb story telling dynamic. This group is neither the perfectly fitting and friendly carboard cuit outs from Star Trek, nor some grotesque groups of misfits you'd find in a bad soap. They don't all get along, but their differences are reasonable and what you'd expect from a group of real people. Making the characters this "real" is what makes the story so good. Real people in extraordinary situations.

Throughout the story you get little tid-bits of Earths recent history and the way they are dropped during the story was really nice, it added depth to the environment withiout having to go off on an info dump.

If your a fan of sci-fi, download this book. I was glad I did. I'm now looking to download the prequel and sequel.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 8/9

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Unkillable by Patrick E. McLean

2011-03-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Unkillable is the story of a young man who is cruelly murdered then brought back from the dead to revenge himself. The kicker is: He’s not really alive. He can be hurt, he just can’t be killed.

It’s dark and funny and sad and beautiful and violent and magical -- if it could be summed up with just a few words, there would have been no point in writing a novel.

Unkillable. Life sucks. Death blows. In between is worse.

My Review

I've been listening to this fairly short book as its been released and I have to say I really looked forward to each new release. It has been a real treat to listen to.

The story is darkly humourous. Well, when the protagonist is a dead guy, you know it's not your average story.

The lead character is just your average joe, thrown into a highly unlikely occult type situation. Not only does he get quickly and inexplicably killed he then gets taken advantage of too by the undead occult powers. This guy just does not get a break even when he thinks he has. That's where the humour comes in. The author has made his lead character self aware, that is, aware that where he is, is bizarre and strange, so he's able to look wryly at himself.

After listening to this story, I've learnt that being dead isn't all it's cracked up to be!

The reading is by the author who has done a top notch job, his voice brings the characters to life in a way that only author readings can. He has a soft subtle voice that fits the work just-right.

Well worth a listen.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

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Stand by for Mars by Carey Rockwell

2011-03-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

Tom Corbett - Space Cadet was one of the first multimedia sensations. In the 1950s the character had his own radio show, TV series, comic book, breakfast cereal, and a line of young-adult novels. A cross between "Tom Brown's School Days" and Horatio Hornblower (and loosely based upon Robert A. Heinlein's novel "Space Cadet"), the books follow the adventures of Tom and his friends Roger Manning and Astro as they work their way through Space Academy to become officers of the Solar Guard. Along the way they tangle with space pirates, smugglers, and the threat of demerits for breaking the rules.

My Review

This is a pure sci fi story in the true 1950's/60's tradition. Unlike many such stories, in this book the protagonists are not all super expert and good at everything. The characters in this story have their faults and don't all get along. This makes the story much more interesting.

The story follows the exploits of a group of young cadets as they work through training and even get sent on their first mission, which, of course in such boys-own stories does not go according to plan. As the blurb says they encounter all kinds of problems that need to be overcome.

It's got all of the great story elements of classic sci fi. Hero's, space ships, high tech and bad guys, and they're put together in a fun light story that will keep any sci fi happy.

Don't expect hard hitting gritty story here, it's light pop corn literature.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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Bone Machines by John Dodds

2011-03-05T09:51:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

They suffer for his art...

When a number of women are reported missing in Glasgow, the spectre of a previous spate of unsolved disappearances in the city rears its head.

Journalist Ray Bissett is drawn into the case when his daughter joins the ranks of the missing. And ambitious police detective Tom Kendrick won't let Ray forget a terrible incident from his past which resulted in the death of a young boy.

Damaged lives and dark secrets...

The streets of Glasgow haunted by the ghosts of the missing...

And an artist driven by a deadly inspiration.

My Review

This is a mystery/crime story set in modern day Scotland. It's a dark tale that might well turn your stomach during some of its ... juicier... moments.

The story starts out following the various seperate characters in thier own lives and gently weaves them together as the mystery is presented.

From it's nasty opening to the final climax I was gripped by the stories exploration of mans inhumanity. As I listened I couldn't help but remember news stories of the past where such dispicable deeds were truely done. They are repeated here in story form, and its quite gut wrenching. That said, I have a weak stomach for this kind of thing. Pain slowly inclicted really gets to me.

The author reads his own work in this presentation and does a sterling job. I only have two critisms of the reading. The first is that he leaps from the end of a chapter straight into the podcast outro, without even a pause for breath which takes a little getting used to. The other, is one piece of editing when a missing sentence has been patched back into the flow, and it's obviously recorded with a different microphone or in another room. Neither of these problems should stop downloading this horrific story.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

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p.s. Thanks to Mosse for mentioning this book, or I would have missed it!

Operation Terror by Murray Leinster

2011-02-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

An unidentified space ship lands in a Colorado lake. Equipped with a paralyzing ray weapon, the creatures begin taking human prisoners. A loan land surveyor and a journalist are trapped inside the Army cordon, which is helpless against the mysterious enemy. Can they stop the aliens before it is too late?

My Review

This a classic Sci Fi story set on earth when aliens turn up with super weapons. As the blurb says, it actually follows the exploits of a few ordinary people caught up in the attack. The characters are pretty believable and I have to say I found the main protagonist to be my kind of guy. Driven by love yet honourably self deprecating makes for a character I'll cheer for.

The plot closely follows the protagonist as he has to look after himself and his friends while the aliens buld up their base of operations and send out patrols.

The book runs for just over five hours but it didn't seem like that long because the story was captivating and the reader Mark Nelson gave a brilliant delivery.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

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Officer 666 by Barton Wood Currie and Augustin McHugh

2011-01-31T11:09:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

Bored with his life as a wealthy businessman's only son, Travers Gladwin learns of a plot by a renowned art burglar to rob his house, so rather than thwart the planned burglary, he borrows a police uniform from a friend and decides to confront the robber by posing as an officer. When the burglar arrives at the house, he tries to pass himself off as Travers Gladwin. From there, things only get more complicated, including the arrival of the burglar's girlfriend who believes that her beau is the wealthy man's son.

My Review

This is a comedic farce in the best tradition of such things. If you like P.G. Wodehouse's farces, then this will be right up your street.

This story does rely on a certain suspension of disbelief, the characters making somewhat odd decisions that lead to outrageous situations. This is to be expected of course otherwise there would be no farce! In fact, now I think about it, it's not just farce, characters in horror stories make odd decisions too!

The lead characters are all attractive to the listener and although perhaps not as distinct as Wodehouse's characters, they are the sort of people you'll laugh along with their antics. There are no real bad-guys in the story, even the thief is a likeable rogue.

The reader lends a voice to the story that is perfectly paced for this kind of story, he doesn't race through the comedy moments nor dawdle in between. This kind of pacing helps you keep track of things, and you need to do that in a farce.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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The Immortals by Tracy Hickman

2011-01-26T12:58:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

The future story of United States Internment Camps ... of the dreams of the pre-deceased ... and of triumph beyond oblivion.

It's 2020, and an attempted cure for AIDS has mutated into a deadlier disease, V-CIDS. The U.S., under martial law, has set up "quarantine centers" in the Southwest. Searching for his gay son, Jon, media mogul Michael Barris smuggles himself into one of centers only to discover that it and the other centers are actually extermination camps. With a strange assortment of allies, including the leader of the camp's gay barracks, an army officer and a local cowboy, Barris precipitates an inmates' rebellion that promises the unraveling of the death-camp system and the overthrow of the government that established it.

My Review

This is a good audio book. It's well written and has a loverly production including a minimalist approach to sound effects and some delightful incidental music. I found the story itself compelling, it was a book I HAD to finish.

It is a story set in depair, in a world an environment where life has no value, it's dark and upsetting. If not for the few sci fi elements thrown in this could so easily be just a couple of years in our future, or even today.

I was moved by the moments of human kindness presented in the horror of the camps and the audio presentation works perfectly to reinforce this.

Do not expect to be cheered though, this is not a happy story, its a sad tale that can give you scarey chills with it's likeness to reality.

Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 8/9

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Owners Share by Nathan Lowell

2011-01-26T11:13:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

When Diurnia Salvage and Transport undergoes a change in management, Captain Ishmael Horatio Wang finds himself adrift in a sea of red ink, and intrigue. He dives in only to find that he is over his head in a universe where cut-throat competition takes on an all new meaning.

What price will he pay for his Owner’s Share?

My Review

This book is the sixth book in the series, it is also the final. The book continues the story of Ishmael Horatio Wang's rise in power and station. The author does another sterling job of reading his own work.

I remarked in reviews of the previous books in the series that despite nothing happening they were still good. This book breaks that pattern. The author has written a strong and fitting final episode to his serial.

I really do not want to give away any spoilers, (the title kind of does that) but what I can say is that I was blown away with this fantastic ending. I actually cried when it finished. Part of that was me wanting it to go on, but mostly it was down to the shock, the horror and the bitter sweet emotional elements that the author wove through his story.

If you haven't been listening along with the whole series, then this is not the place to start. The stories impact and meaning will be lost on you. Go back to the beginning of the series "Quarter Share" and start there.

If you've started this series, then I reccommend you finish it.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 8/9

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The Arwen, Season 3: Armada by Timothy P. Callahan

2011-01-22T04:08:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

The Earth Alliance prepares itself for a new war. Two old enemy's have allied themselves with Regal, the planet the Arwen saved two years earlier, to build a massive Armada assigned to destroy Earth. Vice Admiral Payton Cook must defend the planet against insurmountable odds while Captain Cook does battle to save Ulliam from a deadly surprise attack.

The Arwen: Season 3 is the final chapter of the Gyssyc trilogy which started with the Parsec award winning novella, the Arwen: Season one Regal, and continued with The Arwen Season two: Ulliam.

My Review

This a the third part of a series of books. I've reviewed the previous installments in the trilogy and liked them both. Frankly, this is just as good. There is more action in this segment than the previous two books and its all good stuff.

The series follows the trials and tribulations of the starship "Arwen" and its crew. They don't have an easy life, as the Arwen is constantly bound up in galactic scale politics and battles.

This book is pure sci fi, aliens, battleships in space, future weapons and real people running the whole show. Just what this sci fi fan really enjoys.

This book would stand fairly well as a stand alone book, but does make reference to the people and events of the previous stories, so I recommend you dont start with this part, but you could if push came to shove.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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The Letters of Lord Nelson to Lady Hamilton, volume I

2011-01-21T12:40:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was an English flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He won several victories, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, during which he was killed. These are the letters that he wrote to Lady Hamilton, with whom he was having a notorious affair until his death in 1805.

My Review

I have to admit to being a bit of fan of history. I've also read pretty much every "action under sail" type of novel I have ever got my hands on. Also I might add, blowing my own trumpet, the first audio book I ever recorded was "The Death of Lord Nelson".

So with those caveats in place let me tell you what I thought about this book... I loved it!

As the title suggests it is a series of letters from a man to his lover. Each of them is facinating on a couple of levels. I really enjoyed the little details to be found here. From the delightful way he would sign off dedicating himself to his lady, to the details of the admiralty politics.

Little historical facts pop out of these letters that give you facinating insights into how life was for these people. For instance that letters sent via the admiralty had weight limits, that they often had to be redirected, that workers for the postal service took fiscal advantage of people who didn't know better.

The letters also show just how human "Nelson" was, how worried about offending people, how money troubles pursued him, how he hated black guards!

I can't really tell you more without ruining the delight you might discover for yourselves.

The only down side is that this book is not voiced by just one person and the change of voice can be distracting when the letters come from the same person.

Reading 2/3
Production 1/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 5/9

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Peace Lord of the Red Planet by Steven H. Wilson

2011-01-21T11:21:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

Shepherd Autrey is a Quaker, a physician, and a man deeply disturbed by the madness around him as the War Between the states bears down on his America in 1863. Dared by a friend to take an active role, Shep volunteers to provide humanitarian aid to the victims of Sherman’s scorched earth campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. There he runs foul of a Confederate recruiting drive and fi nds himself hanged by the neck from a tree. Awakening in a strange land which can’t possibly be earth, Shep is plunged into battle and saves the life of an alien warrior prince. Hailed by bloodthirsty killers as the bravest man alive, Shep combats his conscience, his flagging faith, and an ever-growing number of people who want him dead.

My Review

The title and the blurb suggest that this might be set in Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom world. Even the civil war link to the red planet suggests it may be a Barsoom story. Sadly I have to report it is nothing of the sort.

The world that the protagonist is pulled through to is Red, but its not aliens with six arms on the planet but men. Yes they do have flying boats and fight with swords over a mostly desert world but its not Barsoom. I was severely disapointed.

The story started so well , Shep the protagonist is an appealing character and the opening chapters put him in some really interesting situations. Sadly it does not stay that way. The story gets exceptionally preachy. At one point two consecutive chapters focus almost entirely on various characters trying to convince the protagonist that his Christian based anti-homesexual sentiments are wrong. Two chapters!

The end of the story was also a dispointment. Instead of building to a big battle or highly adventurous final climax it resolved with lots of explaining what happened in the past rather than showing us the action.

In the end, I was very disapointed, I kept listening hoping it would get better, be more what I had been hoping for.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3

Total Score 5/9

Dont bother downloading it from Podiobooks

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The Hand of Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer

2011-01-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

Further adventures of Nayland Smith and Doctor Petrie as they continue their battles against the evil genius, Dr Fu-Manchu.

My Review

This is the third Fu-Manchu book available via Librivox and I think the actual third in the original series of books. In case you don't know Dr Fu-Manchu is an evil genious working for mysterious eastern powers, the goal of whom is to subjugate the west to the power of china. The Yellow-Peril as it is known in these books.

Set against the evil doctor is Nayland Smith, an intrepidagent of the British Government and his faithful companion Petrie, who narrates these tales. In the previous two books Nayland Smith is constantly on the back foot trying to catch up and overtake the plots of the evil genious. This third book is no different. If you liked the earlier books, you're getting more of the same here.

The evil doctor is trying to kill people, kidnap others and generally cause mischief bit things do take an interesting twist in this book. Not only does Petrie's love Karamina (thats not how you spell it) get kidnapped but we also discover that Fu has other loverly slaves to do his bidding. We also, and this the twist, discover that Dr Fu-Manchu is not the head honcho, he has to report for his failures to a higher power!

So it's an adventure story, episodic in nature, full of daring do and slimey bad guys.

The reader is excellent and employs a nice variety of voices.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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In the Shadows by Basil Sands

2011-01-14T10:51:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

A collection of Short Stories by action author Basil Sands.

These stories will get your heart racing in thirty minutes or less as you plummet to the depths of human emotion and the desire to protect what is dearest when all hell breaks loose and there is no one there to do anything about it but an Average Joe...or an almost Average Joe. Think of each episode as something like the Twilight Zone, with guns, knives, and whatever the hero can find to defend themselves and their families from the bad guys. These are Basil's original action novels taken down to single episode bite size chunks that'll get your blood pressure up on the commute to the office, or while on the treadmill at the gym.

From a former Navy Seal, to a dad trying to make things right for his son, to a bunch of twenty something adventurers high on an Alaskan mountain you'll get the hardcore action you crave. Twice a month, delivered right to your MP3 player.

You want action? You want pulse pounding excitement? You want to see the bad guys get their due?

Here it is in a way that only a guy named Basil can do.

So make sure to put your tray table in the upright and locked position, and fasten your seat belt... it's going to be a wild ride.

My Review

As the blurb says the author has presented us with high action in ten different stories. Each is an action based story with the emphasis on action rather than story. this is because they are just too short to contain any real story.

Think of stringing the action scenes from your fave' movies into sequence and you'll have a feel for how listening to these stories present themselves. All of them share a second common trait, apart from the action, in that someone is not what they seem.

There are ten stories, I rated nine of them as good, and one as OK. The author is reading his own work here and does good job of it. Well worth listening to

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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Shadow Falls: Badlands by Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff

2011-01-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

After a condemned ex-soldier cheats the gallows and wakes to find everyone in a small Texas town dead and his jail cell door wide open, he begins a cross-country journey to follow his nightmarish visions of mankind's end. But as he searches for a way to stop the coming apocalypse from happening, he soon discovers that what lays behind destiny's door is a darkness beyond his control.

My Review

The first thing I shoudl point out is that this is the second in a series and I haven't listened to the first part. I Only realised it was part two as I listened to the last section. I didn't realise that I was in part two because it you didn't need to know what came before!

This story is part horror, part mystery, part adventure. The author has created a story that jumps back wards and forwards through time to tell a mysterious story of horrific people and dark powers. It's very cleverly done. Sometimes as the author takes us forwards opr backwards in time it can take you a breath or two to catch up and this blends the differn't parts into a mystery that hooks you.

This story primarily set in the old west when people still used muskets and pistols that used black powder, but does go further back into the earliest days of the settlement.

Pretty much everyone in this story is a nasty piece of work, and they are often making sure you know it, with bullet, knife AND teeth!

This book is not for those with a weak constitution, but does have a pacing and mystery that will keep you glued to the ear buds.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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Dead Hunt by Kenn Crawford

2011-01-04T13:57:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

Off the coast of Nova Scotia on a remote island, a lonely scientist, a powerful computer, a simple mistake. Unleashes a new threat, somewhere in the hills of Margaree.

"Dead Hunt" is Kenn Crawford’s chilling tale of a desperate father’s undying love, a daughter frozen in time, and the small group of teens trapped in the aftermath.

"Everyone makes mistakes. Some are small, some are bigger. My father’s mistake, born of an innocent heart and fueled by sadness, was the greatest mistake. Some thought the death of his little girl drove him to the point of insanity; some thought he was trying to be God. But, this is not how it happened. The truth is, he wanted to save me. To give me life. And, in doing so, everyone was doomed." ~Robin

My Review

Imagine a slasher movie, imagine a bunch of teens starring in a saturday night zombie flick and thats where this book sits. It's blood and guts and teens surrounded by zombies. A simple theme but the author has put more than a little thought into it.

The first third of the novel deals with the cause and effect of the zombie outbreak, and does it with stylish, intellectual way. This is no plague caused by a passing asteroid, instead the author builds up the science behind it with some great characterisation in the process. It all makes sense to my semi logical mind, sure the science is probably guff, but I didn't spot it.

The teens that star in the story are nice, are individual, and best of all intelligent! So often in these stories teens act stupid, they go down into unlit basements, out into the eveil woods etc, but not in this story. That makes this a step up from the usual zombie dross.

There is blood, there is gore, there are sexual situations ( not explicit ) so it's you basic horror collection of tropes, but as I said nicely done.

It's a full cast drama with music and sound effects and a delightful narrator. If you like horror, give it a try.

Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 8/9

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The Blockade Runners by Jules Verne

2011-01-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

Writing at the end of the American Civil War, Verne weaves this story of a Scottish merchant who, in desperation at the interruption of the flow of Southern cotton due to the Union blockade, determines to build his own fast ship and run guns to the Confederates in exchange for the cotton piling up unsold on their wharves. His simple plan becomes complicated by two passengers who board his new ship under false pretenses in order to carry out a rescue mission, one which Capt. Playfair adopts as his own cause. This is going make the Rebels in Charleston rather unhappy with him.

Sure, his new ship is fast - but can it escape the cannonballs of both North and South?

My Review

This is a short two hour audio book by one of my favourite writers ( Jules Verne ) and one of my favourite readers ( Mark Smith ), so whats not to like! As the blurb says it's set during the war between the states and predominently on board a steam ship that is about to run the yankie blockade.

It's not a swashbuckling adventure, we dont have any heros leaping about sword in one hand pistol in another, no, it's much more sedate than that. In fact the high action takes place off stage, yet in the end that is not a disapointment.

The story is much more a character piece, that's set in exciting times. As with many of the stories written in these times, you get a feeling that all will end well at the end but that's not why you're listening, you want to hear how they get to that point. So sit down , stick this light adventure in your ears and you wont be disapointed by what is a delightful and well made audio book.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

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Personal Effects: Sword of Blood by J.C. Hutchins

2011-01-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

Brinkvale Psychiatric Hospital art therapist Zach Taylor is endlessly curious, perhaps to a fault. When his cheerful elderly patient Gertrude “Spindle” Spindler completes her latest quilt and informs Zach that a 30-year-old "grand design of nine" has just concluded, Zach’s curiosity is piqued ... and he soon embarks on a quest to unwind the meaning of the woman's cryptic phrase.

He isn't expecting a descent into a world filled with mystery and ruthless subcultures -- and he isn't expecting to be haunted by Spindle's coy clues. What is The Great Blade of Blood? What are The Charred? What is the grand design of nine? And who is the dark-skinned stranger stalking Zach at every turn, threatening his life?

The answers may lie in Spindle's granddaughter, a willowy self-proclaimed psychic named Hen. But Zach soon discovers that Hen may be crazier than the patients he treats ... and the treasure he's pursuing may be more dangerous -- and deadly -- than he ever imagined.

My Review

This audio book is a prequel, it's also of novella length, and when it finishes you'll be saying "what!? You can't end it there!" At least that's what I said. It's an investigative mystery with the protagonist not being a detective but rather an art therapist of all things!

It's been written by the author of the 7th Son trilogy and he's brought his own very distinctive and very good style of writing and narration to this audio book.

This book is a short thriller with just a hint of the super natural to add flavour. The protagonist is a likeable guy with some problems and an "interesting" life. As the story proceeds you learn more and more about him and his world, which when combined with a racing plot keeps you glued to your MP3 player.

I really enjoyed it, but it does suffer from being a prequel, so you're left wanting more, and it's so short you'll just have to buy the book "Personal Effects:Dark Arts". These are not bad things, but if you dont have access to the sequel do yourself a favour and don't start listening to this!

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 8/9

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Dead Mech by Jake Bible

2010-12-31T11:30:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

After the zombie apocalypse decimates the world, human civilization tries to put itself back together again. Their secret weapon: the Mechs. But what happens when a mech pilot dies in his mech and becomes a zombie? Hell on earth is unleashed...

My Review

This book was not what I expected. It's been hanging around at podiobooks for a while and I've been avoiding it. Why? Because it looked like (and the blurb made it sound like) literary trash. I don't mean literary from some high-falootin intellectual position but rather it looked like a kids book, that is, written by kids.

BOY! WAS I WRONG! What you have here is a rather good military sci fi story with an after-the-bomb-type background, and the horror that is zombies entwined to make a great story.

The author has created a rich and interesting future for the human race and populated it with some great characters that he's put through a great story. In the future of "Dead Mech", humanity has fallen back to small pockets of humanity. Humans survive in the few city states or scrape a living out in the blasted wastelands. Protecting humanity are the few and the special, highly trained Mech pilots. These men and women pilot massive metal robots, and use them to protect people from hordes of zombies.

In this future a virus has caused everyone who dies to rise again and become flesh hungry zombies, so there is never a shortage of new zombies.

The story follows these few heros as they're world is rocked by events that threaten the survival of humanity itself. It's a story of high tech and horror (and the zombies aren't the worst of the horror).

So as you can tell, I really enjoyed this book, but there are a couple of things that might put you off. The book was written as a series of "drabbles" meaning that it was written in one hundred word segments. Although this hasn't effected the writing in any way that I noticed, it has effected the audio presentation. As you listen you'll notice a second or so silence between each "drabble". I admit this did bug me during the first couple of chapters, but after that I was so additcted to the story that I didn't notice it.

The second thing to be aware of, is that this is a horror novel aimed at adults with all that means. Not for those with a weak tummy, or those easily offended by sexual/horror/language issues.

The author is reading his own work and does a pretty good job. However there is music behind a couple of the chapters and this was off putting.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 7/9

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Listen to the first part.

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The Planet Strappers by Raymond Z. Gallun

2010-12-25T08:33:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

The Planet Strappers started out as The Bunch, a group of student-astronauts in the back room of a store in Jarviston, Minnesota. They wanted off Earth, and they begged, borrowed and built what they needed to make it. They got what they wanted--a start on the road to the stars--but no one brought up on Earth could have imagined what was waiting for them Out There!

My Review

As the blurb suggests this is a story of settlers struggling to get off planet and then continuing the struggle out in space. There are a bunch of problems, ranging from trying to get money at the start through to xenomorphs trying to eat people.

It's not a single story throughout, the story arc as such is the disparate group of people all trying to make their way out into space and getting by. As such its made up of a series of mini adventures linked together. I particularly liked the beasties on mars.

It's not a great story, but by no means is it a slouch either. If your looking for an amusing story to keep you interested then this meets that goal but no more.

The reader has done a reasonable job and slips smoothly down the ear canal :)

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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Ravenwood by Nathan Lowell

2010-12-18T05:24:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

A Tanyth Fairport Adventure.

After twenty winters on the road, Tanyth makes one last pilgrimage in her quest to learn all she can about the herbs and medicinal plants of Korlay before settling down to write her magnum opus. Her journey is interrupted when she stops to help a small village and learns that much of what she knows of the world may not be quite as it seems.

In this work, Nathan Lowell blends wiccan tradition and shamanistic lore into a fantasy quest and creates a world for a new - if unlikely - heroine to explore. She learns that the familiar sometimes hides the fantastical and that, even when you think you’ve made your decisions, life doesn’t always agree.

My Review

This book was written by the same author who wrote "Quarter Share", "Half Share", "Full Share", "Double Share" and "Captains Share", Nathan Lowell.

I can confirm that he has brought the same easy writing style to this book but with a twist. This tale also makes a change for him with regards to genre, rather than Sci fi, this tale is pure fantasy.

The protagonist is an older woman wandering the world leaning herb lore and finds herself in a tiny new village where she is needed, and for a time at least stops her wandering. Unlike the "Share" series that were great despite nothing seeming to happen(!), this book is full of adventure. It's not a classic trek across the world as so many fantasy books do, but rather a challenge to make the vilage succeed against adversity. Problems arise, including enemies that challenge the village and Tanith.

I love the way Mr Lowell builds the tension in this book. You know something bad is coming and it's just over the horizon but Nathan draws this out so that when it arrives it really delivers.

Do not expect a clash of armies or evil super villains, expect a good story with well made characters, and an excellent reader and you wont be disapointed.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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The Return of Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer

2010-12-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

Burmese Commisioner Nayland Smith and his faithful friend Dr Petrie continue their fight against the evil genius of Dr Fu-Manchu when they seek to save the good doctor’s lost love and protect the British Empire from disaster when their malignant enemy returns to England.

My Review

I'be looking forwards to hearing this one for a while. I actually recorded the first Fu-Manchu story for Librivox a while ago, and have only just got round to this sequel.

In case you dont know. Fu-Manchu is an evil genious who is working to bring down the British Empire by murdering scientists and leaders. The book puts the chinese forwards as "the yellow peril" to be battled at every level but open warfare.

This book, like the original that preceeds it, is very episodic. I believe they were written to appear in magazines hence the cliff hangers at the end of every chapter. These stories are not to be taken too seriously, the hero's are overly heroic the villains extreme and the characters single minded in everything they do. You should have the mindset of - I'm going to listen to a light hearted adventure serial.

This book has all of the characters from the first book return to do much the same in new ways in new locales. The heros chase, get trapped, escape, defeat thugs, discover clues and all the usual tropes, and all great fun to listen to. I don't mean to say it's a comedy, but rather just fun adventuring.

In summary, it's worth a listen if you want some classic style adventures, with a reader that does some cool voices.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

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Tripping Astral by Brian Smith

2010-12-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

When a matter transfer experiment goes wrong, a scientist find himself stranded on a alien planet.

My Review

Well, that Official Blurb doesn't say a lot does it! I'll add a little something to give you a better idea.

As the blurb says, he wakes up on an alien world with no idea of where why or how. He finds himself on a beach with friends and enemies to be discovered.

The title sounds a bit trippy and hints at drug induced hallucination. It's an apt title that fits the style of the story. At times you're not sure if the protaginist is flipping his lid or just experiencing really odd things.

The story sunk its claws into me and wouldn't let go. If nothing else I found myself wanting to reach the conclusion to see if he was nuts! All told the seven parts add up to about an hour and a half so even it turns out to not be your sort of thing you'll be through it before you know. It seemed to me to be an "Astounding Stories" type short story, something with aliensbut not straight sci fi. Very interesting if not absorbing.

The audio is a full cast audio drama presented by the "Seeing Ear Theatre" and worth a download. Let's face it, at a price of "Free", you can't complain too much.

Reading 2/3
Production 3/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from the Internet Archive

Listen to the first part

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Librivox hits 4000 books

2010-12-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

I just thought I'd mention that Librivox has just added its 4000th audio book to their catalogue. That's a fantastic acheivement bearing in mind that every minute of that has been read by volunteers. Not only read, but proof listened and uploaded and a web page created.

Well done Librivox!

The Aliens by Murray-Leinster

2010-11-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

The human race was expanding through the galaxy … and so, they knew, were the Aliens. When two expanding empires meet … war is inevitable. Or is it …?

My Review

This short sci fi book , which is only an hour and twenty minutes long, hits all my favourite buttons in sci fi. It's set in space, it has space battles, it has aliens and it has tension and mystery. Hit hit hit hit Ding!

It's a typical pulp era sci fi story in all of the best ways. mankind is spreading across the galaxy and keeps coming across evidence of another space going race but they have never met... until now, so that makes this a first-contact story.

The author has handled the situation well, and the aliens have a different tech and mind set that make the situation that the story is centered around all the more interesting.

Even in so short a time the story introduce an array of character all with different motivations which dont fit into the "star trek" mold of all being good guys, which it a nice change.

I don't really want to say too much, the story is so short that if I go on I'll end up giving the plot away. That would be a shame as the book is a treat for sci fi fans. Download it.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

Download it from the Librivox

Listen to the first part

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Leviathan Chronicles

2010-11-24T13:20:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

A hidden city called Leviathan lies deep within the dark trenches of the Pacific Ocean. The city is home to a community of immortals that sought to create a utopia over 1,000 years ago. For a millennia, they lived in peace and secrecy, gently influencing world events to aid the advancement of mankind. But a terrible secret has been kept deep within the catacombs of Leviathan that threatens the existence of the immortals, and quite possibly the entire world.

One woman named Macallan Orsel, a young genetic scientist in New York, discovers she is descended from a group of immortals that rebelled against Leviathan and are now waging a civil war around the globe. As the immortal war spills into the realm of mortal man, Macallan realizes that she holds the key to stopping the battle and bringing peace to Leviathan. But a clandestine government agency called The Blackdoor Group is trying to exterminate the immortal population and has identified Macallan as their critical target.

The Leviathan Chronicles is a revolutionary science fiction audio drama podcast featuring the voices of over 60 actors, professional sound effects and an original music soundtrack.

My Review

This is a sci fi story set on modern day earth. Is reveals all of the tropes of a sci fi novel but as a hidden world in and under the world as we know it. As the blurb says the story is presented as a full cast audio drama, and it’s done quite well. The music, sound effects and acting is pretty good. At times you can sense the actors struggling with the text which was written as for a book rather than for audio presentation, but that is something you get used to as the story draws you in.

The characters are well put together and having a separate actor for each really makes the plot easy to follow, which is a blessing when you consider the story jumps from one party to another and even occasionally through time. The voices keep it all straight.

It is exciting, it’s an audio experience, it’s fun. It’s all good stuff. I love the full-on audio movie style of presentation, especially the fight scenes you hear the crunches the cracks and the punches all with a simultaneous narration that makes it all very visceral and attention grabbing.

So having said how great this book is, what’s wrong with it? Only two things as far as I’m concerned. Firstly the narrator seems to have taken breath breaks mid paragraph and then come back. It means the audio doesn’t quite flow as well as it should but after the first half hour you won’t even notice that. The real bugbear is that this is part 1 and ends with me wanting more. I had the same feeling you got at the end of “The Empire Strikes Back.” It’s the “What? You’re stopping there?” feeling.

A quick look at the home page for the book doesn’t reveal any current activity on the next part which I found a disappointment, especially as the first part is so well done. The story does work standalone, only I wish they hadn’t stuck me with the hooks for the next part!!

Reading 2/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 8/9

Download it from Podiobooks

Listen to the first part

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Gallipoli Diary by John Graham Gillam

2010-11-15T12:53:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

Major John Graham Gillam, British Supply Officer, wrote in his World War I "Gallipoli Diary" that when he sailed from England for the Dardanelles in March, 1915, he had visions of “trekking up the Gallipoli Peninsula with the Navy bombarding a way for us up the Straits and along the coast-line of the Sea of Marmora, until after a brief campaign we entered triumphantly Constantinople, there to meet the Russian Army, which would link up with ourselves to form part of a great chain encircling and throttling the Central Empires. . . We little appreciated the difficulties of the task,” he continues, in potent understatement.

Gillam’s charge was shepherding supplies--food and munitions--from beach depots to the trenches for a brigade of 4000 men. Since it was his first experience with “real war,” he decided to keep a diary, which he did from the day he landed at Gallipoli (April 25, 1915) until he was evacuated at the end of the campaign in January 1916. He aptly states in the preface to the published version of his diary: “those who desire to survey the whole amazing Gallipoli campaign in perspective must look elsewhere than in these pages. Their sole object was to record the personal impressions, feeling, and doings from day to day of one supply officer to a Division whose gallantry in that campaign well earned for it the epithet “Immortal.”

As the campaign intensifies, Gillam’s entries mature. Early on (May 30), a sample entry: “This afternoon I ride . . . to Morto Bay, and on the way have a delightful cross-country canter. I have difficulty, though, in making my mare jump trenches. She jumped hurdles at Warwick race-course like a bird.” A month later, on June 30,“The smell of dead bodies is at times almost unbearable in the trenches, and chloride of lime is thrown over them. I know of no more sickly smell than chloride of lime with the smell of a dead body blended in.” Another month, and respect for the Turks, and also for the rugged terrain of the peninsula is evident (August 29): “Behind me, purple Turkish hills, every point of which is held by the enemy. Then in between our line and the hills the scrubby low-lying country. . . I look at it hopelessly--for I know now, as we all do, that the conquest of the Peninsula is more than we can hope for. All that is left to us is to hang on day by day. . . Death in various forms walks with us always . . .”

Today, the Turkish Government maintains a war memorial and cemeteries at the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park. Memories are very much alive there. Preserved trenches and the sad graves of many, many soldiers from both sides of the conflict are made especially poignant by the beauty of the setting-- the sea and high hills beyond.

My Review

This book caught my interest in history. I had a vague idea that the WW1 Gallipoli campaign was unsuccessful but that was about it, so I downloaded this book and gave it a listen.

The joy of this kind of history is that it's personal. It's not some high minded historian presenting his interpretation of historical facts with the benefit of hindsight. Instead you get the facts from the horses mouth as such, and even better from my point of view, its not some grand strategical overview it's through the eyes of someone who was there, first hand, literally in the trenches.

When you get personal viewpoints you really get a better idea of what it felt like to be there. You get to know what matters to the men on the ground. You get to hear about how much pleasure could be gained from managing to light even a small fire while snow lies all around, or how getting a simple drink of water can be a genuine risk to life! How reaching a treeline is a massive achievement, even though its just a few yards away.

The author in this book, is a supply officer who finds himself constantly under fire and struggling to get the food and ammunition through. You get a real feel for the difficulties suffered by the men on the ground.

As well as the difficulties the author suffers in doing his job you get a feel for his hope and high expectations during the opening of the campaign. Then you can feel that change to unbelief as he slowly comes to realise that things are not going well.

All in all I found this a terrificly interesting listen, a genuine history lesson from someone "who was there". The reader was excellent, having a pacing and tone that suited the tone of the text very well.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

Download it from Librivox

Listen to the first part

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Fractured Horizons by H.E. Roulo

2010-10-31T12:55:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Katherine Downs sets off to find her mysterious father—and awakens hundreds of years later into a world guided by visionary Royals. But Kay inadvertently blinds their power.

Hunted, she joins the rebel Adams, bioengineered warriors who rely on banned technology for a precarious foothold on the fading world. Will they destroy Kay for being only human, or will revelations about her own unnatural origins cause Kay to help them in their ongoing war?

Greeted by a high-tech horde, courted by visionary royalty, and always steps away from her goals, Kay must master her own abilities before humanity is destroyed on Earth and the colonies in space.

Envision a world ready to collapse-- and then watch it tip over the edge.

My Review

This is an exciting novel and sci fi in every sense. The story has bio engineering, time travel (sort of), battles, duels, royals, murders, grand balls and plots. In fact the plot twists and changes direction a number of times that keeps the whole thing exciting.

The story leads the listener through a number of competing and facinating societies that the protagonist has to live in and assimilate. The author has come up with some great ideas and has written them very well into a narrative that bowls you along both introducing the strange worlds and keeping you hooked to the plot at the same time.

The author has devised a plot that weaves the fate of the protagonist in with the doom and fate of the entire world, when one threat wanes the other waxes so thing sdon't get boring for a second.

The author is also the reader, and she has a terrific voice for it.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Podiobooks

Listen to the first part

Aliens in the Mind by Robert Holmes(?)

2010-10-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

None! ( well, none I could find. )

My Review

This is a radio drama, that I think was made for the BBC way back when. It stars Vincent Price. It's what you might call speculative fiction, rather than true science fiction, as its set in our world and time but with some interesting things going on.

Vincents character is called to a remote scottish island to attend the funeral of a friend, but arrives just too late. However he finds something much more upsetting.

There is another breed of near-humans moving amoungst us! Not only are they all around but they have mutant powers.

I don't really want to say much more as I'll end up giving away the plot and spoiling the whole thing. It's a bit of an mystery adventure and really enjoyable, I got through it in one day ( today! ) I recommend you download it and give it a try.

Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 9/9

Download it from the Vincent Price Audio page

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The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov

2010-10-03T03:58:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

The Foundation Trilogy concists of:
1. Foundations
2. Foundation and Empire
3. Second Foundation

The Foundation Trilogy is an epic science fiction series written over a span of forty-four years by Isaac Asimov. It consists of seven volumes that are closely linked to each other, although they can be read separately. The series is highly acclaimed, winning the one-time Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Series" in 1966.

The premise of the series is that mathematician Hari Seldon spent his life developing a branch of mathematics known as psychohistory, a concept devised by Asimov and his editor John W. Campbell. Using the law of mass action, it can predict the future, but only on a large scale; it is error-prone for anything smaller than a planet or an empire. It works on the principle that the behavior of a mass of people is predictable if the quantity of this mass is very large (equal to the population of the galaxy). The larger the mass, the more predictable is the future. Using these techniques, Seldon foresees the fall of the Galactic Empire, which encompasses the entire Milky Way, and a dark age lasting thirty thousand years before a second great empire arises. To shorten the period of barbarism, he creates two Foundations, small, secluded havens of art, science, and other advanced knowledge, on opposite ends of the galaxy.

The focus of the trilogy is on the Foundation of the planet Terminus. The people living there are working on an all-encompassing Encyclopedia, and are unaware of Seldon's real intentions (for if they were, the variables would become too uncontrolled). The Encyclopedia serves to preserve knowledge of the physical sciences after the collapse. The Foundation's location is chosen so that it acts as the focal point for the next empire in another thousand years (rather than the projected thirty thousand).

My Review

First up, this is not a traditional audio book, it is an audio dramatisation of three books rolled up into an 8 hour serial. This series was produced by the BBC back in 1966 and sounds like it! The sounds effects at times sound like the BBC engineers had a new toy and were going to use it!. The high pitched beeps an whines can occasionally be painful. The recordings are pretty good although I did detect a slight muddiness in the last episode

As to the story, the blurb pretty much gives away the "plot". The story spans hundreds of years, dropping in on particular events and following people caught up in those events, and developing an overarching plot.

I read the Foundation trilogy many years ago and remembered it with affection, so downloaded this as soon as I found it. Personally I really enjoyed this serial but I'm aware that the series does have its pitfalls. I fear that anyone who is not an Asimov fan may find a little disconnect from the story when it leaps from one era to another. Also the sound effects I've already mentioned may put off some listeners.

Reading 3/3
Production 1/3 (The sound effects might surprise the unwary!)
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

Download it from the Internet Archive

Listen to the first part

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One Fall by Spencer Baum

2010-09-21T02:33:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

With one kick, Joey Hamilton has sent the world of professional wrestling into chaos. In his first World Title match, on national television, Joey botched a simple maneuver, turning a scripted wrestling match into a nightmarish reality.

Now the World Champion is injured and the locker room is in tatters. With the top spot open, veteran wrestlers are jockeying for position, hoping to become the next megastar, and Joey is their target.

With a unique look behind the scenes at America's most violent dramatic art, One Fall shows the world of professional wrestling in its rawest form.

My Review

A couple of days ago I decided that I'd heard enough sci fi and fantasy and wanted to try something else, and so a search for "thrillers" turned up "One Fall" over at Podiobooks.

So what did I find? I found an excellent novel that went way beyond my expectations and cought me up in an unexpected manner. the blurb doesn't tell the whole story. You don't have to be a Wrestling fan to enjoy this book. It's as much about the Business aspects and machinations as about the wrestling.

The wrestling is treated well, this book does not pretend the on screen wrestling stories are real and shows how the business really works, how fights are planned how the on screen wrestling stories are created and shows the business world to be the real back biting place it is.

The characters are also really well portrayed. Not just the wrestlers themselves but also the fans the organisers and owners. All of them come across as real people with real feelings and problems. I had expected some cardboard cut out characters but this was not the case. I couple of times the lead character was faced with situation where I just knew he was going to turn out to be a heel, but the writer surprised me!

To summarise, I was exceptionaly pleased to find this novel, it was a great story, with great characters and terrific reading. Worth a listen!

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 8/9

Download it from Podiobooks

Listen to the first chapter

Eastern Standard Tribe by Cory Doctorow

2010-09-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Art is an up-and-coming interface designer, working on the management of data flow along the Massachusetts Turnpike. He's doing the best work of his career and can guarantee that the system will be, without question, the most counterintuitive, user-hostile piece of software ever pushed forth into the world.

Why? Because Art is an industrial saboteur. He may live in London and work for an EU telecommunications megacorp, but Art's real home is the Eastern Standard Tribe.

The comm -- instant wireless communication -- puts everyone in touch with everyone else, twenty-four hours a day. But one thing hasn't changed: the need for sleep. The world is slowly splintering into Tribes held together by common time zones, less than families and more than nations. And Art is working to humiliate the Greenwich Mean Tribe to the benefit of his own people.

The world of next week is overflowing with ubiquitous computing, where an idea scribbled onto one's comm can revolutionize an industry. But in a world without boundaries, nothing can be taken for granted -- not happiness, not money, and, most certainly, not love.

Which might explain why Art finds himself stranded on the roof of an insane asylum outside Boston, debating whether to push a pencil into his brain. Happiness or smarts? What's it going to be, Art?

My Review

This book is by Cory Doctorow and was first released as part of his ongoing podcast which incidentally is where I first heard it a year or two ago. I remembered the title but not much else so when I spotted it on podiobooks I downloaded it straight away to get a fresh listen.

The story is set in the not too distant future where technology is powerful and common place, but people are still the same old people with hope, desires... and machinations. That's what the plot revolves around, with characters who belong to modern "tribes".

The book uses the clever mix of alternating chapters one in the present one in the past, and slowly as the book progress' the stories come together to what I thought was a great conclusion.

Cory is reading his own work here and has a loverly clear diction I like to listen to. He doesn't "do voices" yet I never have any difficulty telling who's talking, perhaps that comes from reading his own work.

I was thinking about who would like this book and it's a difficult question. The story is more "Speculative Fiction" than classic science fiction and includes some Instant messenger type conversations, which might well put off anyone who likes standard writing. In the end, I've settled on recommending this book for Gadget freaks who enjoy good and well written characters.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 8/9

Download it from Podiobooks

Listen to the first chapter

Legacy by James Schmitz

2010-09-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Ancient living machines that after millennia of stillness suddenly begin to move under their own power, for reasons that remain a mystery to men. Holati Tate discovered them—then disappeared. Trigger Argee was his closest associate—she means to find him. She's brilliant, beautiful, and skilled in every known martial art. She's worth plenty—dead or alive—to more than one faction in this obscure battle. And she's beginning to have a chilling notion that the long-vanished Masters of the Old Galaxy were wise when they exiled the plasmoids to the most distant and isolated world they knew....

My Review

This is a fun sci fi yarn tat will keep you on your toes, much like the lead character! The plot has lots of action and twists, and the lead character is quite literally a kick ass heroine.

The universe that's built up in this story is really classic sci fi, inter-stella travel is faster than light, people with the money can travel between planets and stars and humans are everywhere. Pretty typical sci fi backdrop. Now add in the mysterious missing acient race and the relics they left behind and you have what is now considered a cliched backdrop. Yet, I expect that was not so much the case back in '62 when this was written. Never the less, despite the familiar in this story it is never dull or predictable.

It's a true yomp round the future with the hero being a girl and the enemies plentiful. Cahses, fights, monsters, space ships, what more could you want?

This book is read by "peac", a voice new to me. I really hope he keeps recording because he's done an outstanding job on this reading!

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Librivox

Listen to the first chapter

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Collapse at Hidden Verse Three Three Two by Brian Holtz

2010-09-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

The Multiverse Generator is failing. Dimensions threaten to collapse and entire populations will cease to exist unless it is reset. One being from each of more than five thousand verses has been acquired, and their DNA verified. Only one remains. His name is Timothy Rayburn and he is a resident of Earth. The Consolidation of Organized Systems has sent a ship to retrieve him.

Timothy is a teenager failing speech class due to a paralyzing fear of public speaking. He soon learns that his problems are quite small compared to the impending collapse of all existence. He must overcome his fear if he is to survive not only the dangers of space travel and multiversal war, but himself.

My Review

This is an excellent Sci Fi story, it doesn't take itself too seriously but at the same time has moments of high tension and excitement.

The official blurb really doesn't give you a clue as to what this story is about, so at the risk of a minor spoiler or two...

The Timothy mentioned is a normal kid, dragged across time and dimensions into a place where his DNA is needed to save the multiverse. Unfortunately the place they have to go to is at war with an alien race who want nothing more than the destruction and subugation of everyone! They are going to have to fight to save the multiverse.

This simple plot outline is only half the story. It leads us through dramatic and heroic actions, huge space battles, the great unknown and alien creatures that are really strange.

The lead character is believable but the author has had some fun with the aliens and they are a bit... star trekkie... but not in a bad way.

If you like sci fi, this is a rec' download.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 7/9

Find it at Podiobooks

Listen to the first chapter.

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The Thing in the Attic by James Blish

2010-09-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Honath the Pursemaker is a heretic. He doesn’t believe the stories in the Book of Laws which claims giants created his tree-dwelling race. He makes his opinion known and is banished with his infidel friends to the floor of the jungle where dangers abound. Perhaps he’ll find some truth down there. – The Thing in the Attic is one of Blish’s Pantropy tales and was first published in the July, 1954 edition of If, Worlds of Science Fiction magazine.

My Review

This is a fun Sci Fi story. It features members of an alien race who live in the tree tops of the jungle. They are not technologically advanced, and I had the impression they were fairly monkey like.

It gets off to a good start that leads you into revealing parts of their culture through the viewpoint of a few rebels. Rebels are always good for the story!

So there we are, the tree dwelling race have a religion, as mentioned in the blurb, and those who don't believe are punished by being lowered to the jungle floor. This is where the real story begins. Adapted to the tree top the "monkey people" as I thought of them, have to struggle to survive in a strange environment.

The story has a neat twist to round it off, which is a real treat that surprised me.

The reader Gregg Margarite who has avery good voice for this type of work.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 7/9

Find it at Librivox

Listen to the first chapter.

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The Intrusion of Jimmy by PG Wodehouse

2010-09-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

The action begins with playboy bachelor Jimmy Pitt in New York; having fallen in love on a transatlantic liner, he befriends a small-time burglar and breaks into a police captain's house as a result of a bet. The cast of characters head to England, and from there on it is a typically Wodehousian romantic farce, set at the stately Dreever Castle, overflowing with imposters, detectives, crooks, scheming lovers and conniving aunts.

My Review

As the blurb says this story is typically Wodehousian. It's a light comedic farce, where everything can and will go wrong, people will make bad decisions and everyone is a stereotype!

I'm a fan of P.G. Wodehouse's work, its just so typically silly upper class twittery that it always makes me smirk and makes them a delight to listen to. This one is no different. As the blurb says an upper crust twit takes part in a crime to win a bet. Of course he's going to get caught and have to use some fast talking to stay out of trouble, oh and of course he'll find a girl and fall in love and not know how to talk to her.

That's it really, I cant say much more about the story, its simple light silly faire and fun to listen to.

It's read by the excellent Mark Nelson who proves here that he's not limited to just Sci Fi readings!

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 7/9

Find it at Librivox

Listen to the first chapter.

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The Highest Treason by Randal Garrett

2010-09-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Set in a future in which humanity’s dream of total equality is fully realized and poverty in terms of material wealth has been eliminated, humanity has straight-jacketed itself into the only social system which could make this possible. Class differentiation is entirely horizontal rather than vertical and no matter what one’s chosen field, all advancement is based solely on seniority rather than ability. What is an intelligent and ambitious man to do when enslaved by a culture that forbids him from utilizing his God-given talents? If he’s a military officer in time of war, he might just decide to switch sides. If said officer is a true believer in the principles that enslave him and every bit as loyal as he is ambitious, that’s tantamount to breaking a universal law of physics, but Colonel Sebastian MacMaine has what it takes to meet the challenge.

My Review

This sci fi story is set far in the future during a time when the human empire is at war with an alien race, fighting to avoid enslavement, and losing.

Enter our hero, a talented military officer who is talented enough to see the problem, but trapped in a society that doesn't want to hear.

Like all good sci fi, we have space battles, alien races interstella travel and a talented protagonist. So its got elements of what I really like. Also like good sci fi it has a couple of twists to keep things interesting.

It's also got a message. I didn't really like that too much. In one place the author rattles on about the nightmare of a universal society based on equality. This small section actually brought me out of the listening experience. But it's not too long and soon behind you.

The reading is good Lee Elliot does a sterling job with what I think is her first foray into a Sci Fi reading.

To sum up, not the best story, but better than some.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

Find it at Librivox

Listen to the first chapter.

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Not an audio review

2010-08-28T03:58:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Scott Sigler's "Ancestor" novel. I originally listened to this a few years back when Scott first published it for free as a podcast novel.

I really enjoyed it in that format. I really enjoyed it in this new book format too!

The blurb from the back of the book says...

"On a remote island in the Great Lakes, an Unusual group of scientists are using extinct DNA to create the perfect organ donor. it could save millions of lives and win dr Claus Rhumkorrf the Nobel Prize he craves.

The Donor animal is genetically the ancestor of all species on the planet - but Nature wiped it out two hundred million years ago.

Rhumkorrf and his team are about to find out why."

Thats a pretty good blurb, Scott writes great monster/horror stories and this is one of his best.

This book is different from the originally broadcast audio novel. It's been edited and tweaked. It's also picked up a couple of "Easter eggs" for long time fans, little hints that refer to others of his novels. That just adds to the enjoyment for his fans without taking anything from those who don't even realise they're there.

Scott has also re-recorded this new version of the novel and is podcasting it for free, and I'm listening again even though I've just read the book!

In summary, its a great book worth your investment in money and time. I managed to pick this up from my local superstore (ASDA) so you should be able to find it pretty much anywhere.

http://www.scottsigler.com

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The Colorado Sequence by Stacey Cochran

2010-08-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Physicist Dr. Amy Levine has discovered a mathematical sequence--the Colorado Sequence--that describes an underlying pattern and a guiding force within the very fabric of reality. Now she's on the verge of an astonishing breakthrough, and the U.S. government wants to know how she has done it. How has Dr. Levine learned to accurately predict the future? And they're willing to kill her to find out. Levine and a group of friends escape to Colorado to unravel the mystery of the sequence, but there they become snowbound. They must locate a secret treasure room, find a hidden key, and answer an ancient riddle before a devastating eruption destroys them all ... and the power of the Colorado Sequence is lost forever.

My Review

This sci-fantasy novel is amkind of sequel to "Amber Page and the Coral Stone". The story doesn't star Amber Page, but Amber does appear in this novel and it is set after that other novel.

There is a new reader for this novel who does an outstanding job. However I did notice a couple of second takes that havn't been edited out.

The story is full of the bizarre, the strange, the sci fi, the fantasy and all of it revealed amongst our own modern world. The story has a rip roaring start and it doesn't really settle down after that, action followed by more action with a side order of action.

Let's see if any of the following appeal to your taste. Cliff hanging, actually hanging off a cliff. Beatutiful and mysterious glowing girls. Martial Arts. Alternate realities. Huge fantasy battle. Riddle. Machines of Super Science. Man versus Nature.

Any of that appeal? This a great audio novel that will make the time fly by. I wish it would be made into a hard hitting mini series!

This is a great story.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 7/9

Find it at Podiobooks.

Listen to the first chapter.

Out of Times Abyss by Edgar Rice Burroughs

2010-08-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Out of Time’s Abyss is a science fiction novel, the third of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Caspak” trilogy. In this conclusion, the mysteries of the lost world’s unique biological systems are revealed.

My Review

I've reviewed the previous two books in this series, which I thoughly enjoyed. This one is no different. Its a pulp style adventure set in Caspak a lost island in the middle of the ocean, that is populated with dinosaurs giant bears and men of all kinds, from cave men right through modern man and up the evolutionary scale to the winged men.

The previous two books followed the adventures of people as they travelled across this land or became marooned there, each being a travalogue of sorts. This one is similar but a lot of time is spent in the city of the winged men. It's full of action and our hero is just that, a hero. Strong, clever and morally sound, this man has hero running through him like a stick of rock.

So our hero to kidnapped by the flying men and it looks like he's going to be bird food... but you know... he's the hero! So he's going to be heroic :)

If you liked the others in the series then you will not be disapointed by this final episode. Adventure fans, start downloading now.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Librivox

Listen to the first chapter

A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

2010-08-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

John Carter, an American Civil War veteran, goes prospecting in Arizona and, when set upon by Indians, is mysteriously transported to Mars, called “Barsoom” by its inhabitants. Carter finds that he has great strength on this planet, due to its lesser gravity. Carter soon falls in among the Tharks, a nomadic tribe of the planet’s warlike, four-armed, green inhabitants. Thanks to his strength and combat abilities he rises in position in the tribe and earns the respect eventually the friendship of Tars Tarkas one of the Thark chiefs.

The Tharks subsequently capture Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, a member of the humanoid red Martian race. The red Martians inhabit a loose network of city states and control the desert planet’s canals, along which its agriculture is concentrated. Carter rescues her from the green men to return her to her people.

My Review

When I saw the new version of this audio book popup at librivox I was astounded to see I hadn't reviewed the original version.

I promptly downloaded this recording from Mark Nelson and set to!

This is the first book in a series by Edgar Rice Burroughs starring John Carter, of Mars. As the blurb suggests the story is a real pulp style story with swords and science intimately mixed. The story is riddled with constant action, mostly combat, that keeps everything interesting. The story may be a bit far-fetched to modern ears but lets face it, were talking about a man on mars battling aliens with a sword so we have to accept that sometimes things might sound a bit that way.

The book is clearly written, constantly exciting and boldly heroic. So if you like science fiction and don't object to hig action and daring do, then this is a great audio book to download.

It's read by the marvelous Mark Nelson so there is of course a perfect reading to be heard.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 8/9

Download it from Librivox

Listen to the first chapter

Murder at Avedon Hill by P.G. Holyfield

2010-08-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Lord Avedon has a problem. Generations of Avedons have watched over Avedon Hill and controlled the only pass through the Lantis Mountains. Traditions are important to the Avedon family, but one tradition has tragically come to an end. Gretta Platt, Housemistress of Avedon Manor, has been murdered. A member of the Platt family has always served the Avedons as Housemistress. until now. Only a handful of people live at Avedon Hill, and most are suspects. Arames Kragen, retired Aarronic Advisor and scholar of prophecy, arrives at the gates of Avedon Hill, hoping to gain access to the mountain pass. Lord Avedon is not in a giving mood, however.

This is the story of Arames Kragen and his attempt not only to discover who killed Gretta Platt, but also to uncover the truth about a town that apparently has more secrets than inhabitants.

The Land of Caern: It is a world where the gods, the Children of Az, can choose to be born as mortals to directly affect events in the world, and often do. It is a world where the Priests of Caern frantically search for the mortal incarnations of any of the Children, in order prevent the Prophecies of Iberian from coming to pass.

Welcome to The Land of Caern. Welcome. to Murder at Avedon Hill, the podcast novel by P.G. Holyfield

My Review

I first heard about this (nearly) full cast dramatisation back when it was originally being released. Many of the podcasters I was listening to kept mentioning that they were appearing on it.

Well I rolled over to the site and even subscribed but when there were big long gaps between the episodes coming out I decided to to give it a miss.

A year later I re-discovered the book and checked it out, it still wasn't finished! So once again I decided to give it a miss.

Well here it is a couple more years later and on checking it out I find that its been completed in my absence!

Was it worth the wait? Yes. I don't mean to say it was worth putting you life on hold or anything, just that it's okay, and not a disapointment.

As the blurb hints, a couple of traveling chaps from a religious order find themselves in Avedon Hill a walled town in a high fantasy land. They want to simply pass through the town and use the mountain pass beyond, but the way is closed. The Master of Avedon Hill has closed the pass because he's a bit miffed by the murder that just took place. Our hero offers to solve the murder if he'll be let through to the pass.

And on that premise the story rolls. The majority of the story is set in the town of Avedon Hill and follows the investigation through every step. I realise that I've made it sound like a rehash of "The Name of the Rose" but it's not. That book didn't have monsters and gods walking amongst the living, that book didn't have spell casters and half breed monsters working in the smithy!

As the investigator moves through this wild and crazy town we get to meet all of the characters in the town as they are interviewed and they are a real weird bunch! The fact that most of the cast are voiced by a different people really helps you to follow the plot.

I really enjoyed this story, the characters were original and developed through the plot in unexpected ways and the magic was both unexpected and exciting, we learnt how things worked as the story progressed which means there are a lot of surprises along the way.

Who should listen to this? Fantasy fans obviously, but keep in mind this is not a straight reading, most characters are played by different voices and with a narrator in between. If you don't mind that sort of thing, dig in!

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

Download it from Podiobooks

Listen to the first chapter

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On War by Carl von Clausewitz

2010-08-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

A classic work on military strategy by a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars. The author's style is dialectical: he makes two strong but opposing statements and then draws them together to describe many facets of war. Free of technical jargon, and suitable for modern readers. This audiobook is based on a 1909 English translation.

My Review

I've known about this classic book ever since I became interested in wargaming. It's a military history classic that every officer in a modern army will have read ( OR I'LL WANT TO KNOW WHY NOT SOLDIER! )

It's similar to Sun Tzu's Art of War in that it is an anilitical study of the War and how to carry it out. It was written in the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars so the examples of battlefield situations have that slant on them. That said, everything here is still applicable to modern wars. From the study on the military cults of personality, onto how to carry out a follow up after the enemy routs this book covers all of the important aspects of war.

It's not a light book, I would also reccomend that you don't listen to it on one sitting, it's a book that needs to be studied and digested. If you're a military historian or wargamer who has always meant to read this book, but haven't found the time, well, the time is now. The reader gives us an excellent presentation thats easy on the ear and clear in diction, both of which this text absolutely requires.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3 ( Not really applicable!)

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Librivox

Listen to the first chapter

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King Arthur and His knights and Maude L Radford

2010-08-03T05:19:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

A collection of King Arthur’s adventures, from his ascent to King of Britain to his death. This book includes some of the crucial Arthurian legends about Sir Lancelot, the Knights of the Round Table, Queen Guinevere, and the search for the Holy Grail.

My Review

This book has been written in an old style of english> For instance instead of saying "Knight of the round table", it's phrased, "knight of the table round". It's a quaint way of putting the text together and I feel it invokes the mood of the work very well. I'm not sure when this was written so it may be real old-english or a modern fake, but either way, it works very well.

So, as the blurb says, it covers all of the usual Arthur legends and even a few I've never heard of, and makes a fun listen if the legends of Arthur are your thing.

It's not a light-listen, as I sometimes found I had to re-listen to an episode having missed something that explains when knights were fighting. This however is probably just down to me not being attentive enough.

I really enjoyed the reading and it simply made-the-book.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Librivox

Listen to the first chapter

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Captains Share by Nathan Lowell

2010-07-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

A shuffling of cabins puts Ishmael Horatio Wang in command of the worst ship in the fleet. He learns that being Captain doesn't make you infallible and that life in the Captain's Cabin is filled with new kinds of challenge as he tries to keep the ship moving, the crew out of trouble, and turn a profit to earn his Captain's Share. In a ship where the officers outnumber the crew, how can he manage to keep everybody happy? Welcome to the SC Agamemnon.

My Review

This is the fifth book in the series, and follows on from where Double Share left off. The protagonist becomes a Captain, but as the blurb says he unfortunately finds himself Captain of the worst ship in the fleet. It's quite a cast of characters on his new ship it's a small crew where nearly all of them are officers of their division with only a few crew hands to fill up the numbers.

Captain Wang take his usual approach to these things dealing out respect and understanding in equal doses as he wrestles the crew into shape.

Like the previous book, this one does have things happening which makes it even more appealing.

I have a strange relationship with this series. As I've mentioned in my previous reviews of these audio books, the author/reader is so good that he doesn't actually need events in his stories! So I go into the stories not expecting anything to happen, so when they do I'm somewhat amazed and pleased.

As well as wrestling with his crew problems, Wang has to turn the ship around from a profit point of view, and on top of that there are double jumps which we've not been introduced to before, and rescues, muggings and relationship problems. This book is a delight!

The reader has such a smooth voice that listening to this book is a real pleasure. If you've listened to the others in the series, you will not be disapointed with this one, in fact you'll love it.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 8/9

Download it from Podiobooks

Listen to the first chapter

Planet Savers by Marion Zimmer Bradley

2010-07-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

The Terran colony on the planet Darkover faces imminent destruction by a plague of the deadly Trailmen's Fever. The only hope is to develop a serum in time, but this requires the cooperation of the elusive native Trailmen, the brilliant parasitologist Dr. Jay Allison, and his split personality.

My Review

This is a great short book. Mark Nelson provides another great reading of a classic sci fi story. The story is pretty straight forward, as the blurb says the Trailmen carry a deadly fever that does not effect them but causes death in humans. But the trailmen are not human, they have different beliefs they behave "strangely", and many humans think them nothing more than animals. Yet the only chance for a cure means that a racist doctor needs to win the help of these elusive violent trailmen.

The story starts out setting the plot and then becomes a journey as the heros of the peice have to win their way to the trailmen, and then win their help and friendship, in order to save the humans on the planet. Along the way will be many trials and tribulations, all of them fun and exciting.

It's good, it's sci fi, download it NOW fool!

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 8/9

Download it from Librivox

Listen to the first chapter

Double Share by Nathan Lowell

2010-07-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

When he graduates from the Academy at Port Newmar, Ishmael Horatio Wang reports for duty in his first assignment as an officer. When he gets to his new ship, he finds things are not exactly the way he'd learned in school. The coffee tastes like used engine oil, the ship has no heart, and the nearest decent tailor is two quadrants away. What's a new Third Mate to do? Will he be able to trust Billy?

My Review

This is the fourth book in the series, I really loved the first one, was terribly disapointed in the second, thought the third was ok and have been once again terrifically pleased with this the fourth.

I noted in my review of the first book that, well, nothing happened, and that despite that, it was a terrific audio book. This book diverges from that and has a real plot!

I know what I've written sounds like a downer for the series, and though it's true that I've been unimpressed with one of the books, and I've said nothing happens, never the less the books are a fantastic listen. The author is reading his own work here and has such a haunting delightful voice that it brings the characters to life and makes the whole experience sparkle.

Anyway, onto the story. In this book, the hero becomes Third Mate on a trade ship that has trouble. The ship is nothing like his previous ship where everyone looked out for each other and formed one big happy family. Here, everything is dark and brooding, menace is in the air, and danger is stalking the decks. Officers aren't all you might expect and crew really are not your friends. It's almost a coming of age story, except the hero is not becoming an adult, he's an Officer instead.

It's a bit of a turn from the earlier books, and I was drawn in but the crouching danger element. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

One question that's been bothering me about this, is the idea of the hero being a "Third Mate", I would have expected "Third Lieutenant", which is more in keeping with naval tradition. Ho Hum.

Seriously, if you haven't tried this series, give it a go.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Podiobooks

Listen to the first chapter

Notes on Nursing by Florence Nightingale

2010-07-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Notes on Nursing was published in 1859 and is a fascinating view into the theories underpinning the early development of modern nursing and public health reform by "the Lady with the Lamp", Florence Nightingale. Emphasising common sense and thought for the patient's care in many more ways than just administering physician-prescribed medicines, this is still a very relevant book for those interested in health or caring for the sick and infirm today.

My Review

This was a facinating book to listen to. As you listen to the excellent reading the forthrightness and character of the author comes through. After listening to this no nonsence guide to basic nursing you really get the idea of how insistant and demanding this woman must have been. I was left wondering if she was always like that, or her war time experience made her that way.

Florence tells us through this book, how to care for the sick, how a nurse must pay attention to the patients condition, what they eat, how they eat, how rooms should be aired. She repeats lessons that are both basic and neccesary, but apparently so often overlooked by nurses of the time. I particularly liked her attitude to taking direction from Doctors.

The lessons are presented in an easy to listen to style, full of anecdotes and plain speaking that never bores the listener.

If you have any interest in the authors position in history, or simply in nursing, then I think you'll find this as facinating as I.

The reader was perfect for the book, you can easily believe that Florence is speaking to you!

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Librivox

Listen to the first chapter

The Lost Continent by Edgar Rice Burroughs

2010-06-20T03:19:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Originally published under the title Beyond Thirty.

The novel, set in the year 2137, was heavily influenced by the events of World War I. In the future world depicted in the novel, Europe has descended into barbarism while an isolationist Western Hemisphere remains sheltered from the destruction. The title Beyond Thirty refers to the degree of longitude that inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere are forbidden to pass.

My Review

This is a Edgar Burroughs story but is a little different from his usual fair. How is it different, well, I'm not sure I can tell you, I can't put my finger on it.

It does follow the usual heroic focus, such as found in the Carter or Tarzan books but I guess this is it, the Hero starts off quite heroic but does not seem to live up to that title. Yep, thats it.

When the hero starts investigating the world "beyond thirty" he seems to become more passive, more of a passenger than a driver.

The world beyond the 30 is a land of barbarians, who seems to have lost the technology they used to have. It's not quite a fall back to the world of dinosaurs but wild animals have bred!

Overall it's an interesting story, but not quite up to the action and adventure of his other works. Certainly worth a listen if you like this kind of adventure, but I fear you might be disapointed if you've listened to his other books.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

Download it from Librivox

Listen to the first chapter

Undertakers Moon ( Excerpt)

2010-06-16T02:45:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Croatoan Publishing has released the limited edition hardcover of Ron Kelly's Irish-Werewolf novel, "Undertaker's Moon". Here's a free download of the Audio excerpt produced and narrated by Wayne June.

My Review

I was pointed to this short little story by a podcasting friend who had interviewed the reader. It's a self contained excerpt from the book that forms a little short story all of it own. Its presented here as a promo for the book. The story is split into four, five minute sections. Really(!) the reader has a voice made for horror and fits this bloody "tail" perfectly.

So, this is a dark horror tale with a ton of blood that you can listen to in under half an hour. I'm not going to rate it, only because it's an excerpt, and I don't want anyone to mix up my rating of this excerpt with a rating for an audio book. I can tell you that I love the readers voice and the story was good too.

If your not adverse to a bit of horror, dig in!

Download from here.

Listen to the first five minute segment

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Conquest Over Time by Michael Shaara

2010-06-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Pat Travis, a spacer renowned for his luck, is suddenly quite out of it. His job is to beat his competitors to sign newly-Contacted human races to commercial contracts...

But what can he do when he finds he's on a planet that consults astrology for literally every major decision - and he has arrived on one of the worst-aspected days in history?

My Review

Here's a short novel in the classic sci fi tradition. Set in a future where new "human" races are discovered almost daily as the terran empire spreads, where everyone speaks english and most worlds are even earth like in their development.

It's not serious sci fi, as you may have gathered, but a light hearted short story that uses sci fi as an excuse to explore the plot.

The characters are charming and the problems presented to the protagonists are far from lethal and dramatic, but yet the story still caught my attention and I was intrigued to see where it would lead.

The whole things runs for about an hour and a half, so if your looking for some "pop-corn" in sci fi form this is the story for you, and when its read by the excellent Mark F. Smith how can you go wrong?

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Librivox

Listen to the first chapter

South Coast by Nathan Lowell

2010-06-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

A Shaman's Tale from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper : Volume 1

Otto is Richard Krugg's only son and heir to the Shaman's gift. The only problem is Otto doesn't want it. He wants to be a fisherman. When company policies force unwelcome changes onto his life and threaten even the security of the village, Otto discovers that being a shaman isn't optional.Jimmy Pirano is caught between the devil and the deep green sea when new production quotas are handed down from corporate headquarters. Locked into a century of existing practice, Jimmy is forced to find new ways to fish and new places to do it in or face the very real possibility that Pirano Fisheries will lose the St. Cloud franchise.Join Otto, Richard, and Rachel Krugg as they struggle with what it means to be the son of a shaman. Cast off with Jimmy, Tony, and Casey as they navigate the shoals and shallows of corporate fishery along the South Coast.

My Review

Another good story from Nathan Lowell. I reviewed another book of his a while back called Quarter Share. In that review I mentioned how good a reader Nathan is and how real he makes the characters. Well he's done it again here in South Coast. This novel is set in the same universe as Quarter Share but does not share any characters. that novel was set on a solar clipper travelling the stars, but this one is planet bound and mostly set in a single village.

This novel tells the story of simple fisher folk living on another world in the far future. There are not any "alien fiends" to be disposed of, no battles, none of the usual tropes of sci fi in fact. Yet, it is still a sci fi novel, but grounded in common place things that help make this a story that is easy to relate to.

As with Nathans other books he's created characters that are appealing and easy to like, and placed them in situations that even though they are not perilous are compelling.

I got through this audio book in a couple of days. It would have been one day, but I literally did not have enough hours in the day! Its a long novel, and I loved every minute. If you liked any of his other books, then this is a natural download.

After finishing this novel I looked to see if there is a sequel available, alas, alas, not yet. Nathans published schedule has the sequel, "Cape Grace" planned for November this year.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Podiobooks

Listen to the first chapter

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Spacehounds of IPC by E E Smith

2010-05-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

When the Inter-Planetary Corporation's (IPC) crack liner “IPV Arcturus” took off on a routine flight to Mars, it turned out to be the beginning of a unexpected and long voyage. There had been too many reports of errors in ship's flight positions from the Check Stations and brilliant physicist Dr. Percival (“Steve”) Stevens is aboard the Arcturus on a fact-finding mission to find out what's really happening, and hopefully save the honor of the brave pilots of the space-liner Arcturus from the desk-jockeys' in the Check Stations implications of imprecision - the nastiest insult you could cast at a ships pilot. He and the pilots are right, it was the Check Stations that were out of position, not the ships. But that's cold consolation because before the Arcturus reaches Mars it's attacked by a small, mysterious, globe shaped spaceship.

My Review

Pulpy Sci Fi at its best! This is an excellent classic sci fi story written when men were men and women were beautiful ( and darn good with a bow and arrow ).

The story introduces our heros and almost immediately throws them into challenging scenarios and conflict. Of course being heros they are not easily killed and able to rise to pretty much any challenge.

The bad guys in this story are totally bad, in fact single minded and unthinking in regards to anything but "attack". It makes them rather two dimensional. Although the story presents them as highly technical and advanced, they are not fleshed out. This left them as a rather card board cut-out enemy, who although "bad" didn't really evoke a feeling of menace. I might also mention that in a couple of places the author has indulged in a paragraph techno-bable. These faults are however very small problems.

This is a fun adventure in space with aliens, spaceships, space-battles and heros. It's read by the impecable Mark Nelson who gives us an outstanding performance.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Librivox

Listen to the first chapter

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The God Conspiracy by Derek Gilbert

2010-05-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

One e-mail. Five lines. 4,000 dead.

And it is only just beginning…

When a small boy in Iowa forwards a mysterious email from ‘God’ to a small group of friends, he unwittingly releases a trigger that sends blood pouring throughout his farming community.

Thousands more are dead across the country in dozens of simultaneous terror attacks and the government blames fundamentalists who want to trigger the Apocalypse.

FBI Agent Joe Unes reluctantly teams with reclusive Internet radio host Barney Ison (from Sharon K. Gilbert’s The Armageddon Strain) to expose the plot -- and discovers that he's not contending against flesh and blood.

My Review

I came across this book by accident. It was referenced in a blog or news report somewhere and that led me to go searching for it on Podiobooks. I've reviewed another book by the same author, a fantasy book called Iron Dragons, that I really enjoyed.. After listening to Iron Dragons I discovered the author runs a couple of podcasts over at PID Radio which I instantly became a fan of. Oddly, despite listening to those shows I hadn't picked up on the existance this book!

Anyway, onto the book itself. The official blurb gives you a good overview that doesn't spoil too much. The story follows the view points of various characters until they merge into a single narrative. This works really well as it gives you the chance to get to know all of the players in this game, both the good guys AND the bad guys.

The story investigates a number of political angles as the terror spreads. This terror is rather close to home. Ordinary people, people from happy families suddenly turn into raving killers for no apparent reason. The political side of it is likewise close to home. The author has woven current real world political moves and activities through his story. This tends to make the events of the novel feel more real.

So with common everyday locations, events all too close to reality and the threads of real-world policies, and of course a fine fine cast of believable characters we have the makings of a very good novel.

I found I was drawn in to keep listening, and the excitement level was very high meaning that I found this book ending far too soon!

The reader has done a splendid job. As I said with Iron Dragons, the pace of the reading is very fast, but that adds to the excitment generated by the story.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Podiobooks

Listen to the prologue

BONUS :

I asked the author of "The God Conspiracy", Derek Gilbert, to answer a few questions which he has kindly done.

Q : What was you inspiration for this book, at first listen you seem to have drawn on the themes covered in your podcasts?

A : Exactly right. Sharon and I have always been conspiracy theorists at heart. It struck us that The X-Files was a lot closer to reality than most people realized, except that it didn't present an accurate--by which I mean Christian--worldview.

Q : How long did it take to write?

A : The novel took me about six months to write and another four months to rewrite. And then another couple of months to editing.

Q : How long did it take to record?

A : The recording took about an hour a week over a period of about six months.

Q : What's your recording set up?

A : The recording setup I used was a consumer-grade Plantronics USB headset mic and a G5 iMac. We've since upgraded to a quad-core Windows 7 machine with a Behringer mixer and mics. I'm looking forward to recording our next audio novel, which will be Sharon's Signs and Wonders.

Q : Why release it as a free audio book?

A : Marketing on a budget. People who've never heard of Derek P. Gilbert aren't very likely to spend $15 on the novel.

Q : Have you considered selling the audio book?

A : Not seriously. Same reason as above--nobody knows who I am, so why would they spend $10 or $20 to listen to something they might hate?

Q : What other audio projects have you done or got in mind?

A : My first novel, Iron Dragons, is also available as a free audio novel at PodioBooks.com. As I mentioned, I look forward to recording my wife's novels, which are far better than mine. Of course, Sharon and I produce the weekly podcasts P.I.D. Radio and A View From the Bunker, which I may turn into a live show soon.

Q : Do you have any other projects you'd like to mention?

A : I write weekly for the website HearkenTheWatchmen.com, and I'm toying with a non-fiction writing project to add to several unfinished novels languishing on my laptop.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

It's been my honor!

The Moon Pool by Abraham Merritt

2010-05-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Dr. David Throckmartin’s scientific expedition to the South Sea Islands discovers among ancient ruins a portal into Muria, an unknown underground world. After the disappearance of Throckmartin, his wife and two companions, his old friend Dr. Walter Goodwin enters Muria with a rescue party, only to confront an fantastic world filled with incredible beings, astounding scientific advances, and the worship of the most evil of all creatures, The Dweller.

My Review

What we have here is a classical pulp style adventure. Look at the elements involved, an entire underground world containing multiple cultures, civilisations, evil religions and cults, mad dwarves and monsters!

You want it, then this story has it.

Personally I found it a little slow in the beginning but it soon moved up to a better pace. There are the usual investigating-the-strange-worlds chapters. The chase-across-the-landscape chapters. The love chapters! Of course we can't do without the huge final confrontation.

The reader is Mark Nelson who does a loverly job in creating voices for most of the characters and bringing the story to life in his well paced cadence. He's brought the skill with which he reads Sci Fi into this fantasy story with aplomb.

If you enjoyed Vernes "Journey" story I think you'll find this one very much to your taste.

Reading 3
Production 2
Story 2

Total 7/9

Download the book from Librivox

Listen to the first chapter

The Variable Man by Philip K Dick

2010-05-18T04:33:00.000-07:00

Offical Blurb

Predictability has come a long way. The computers of the future can tell you if you’re going to win a war before you fire a shot. Unfortunately they’re predicting perpetual standoff between the Terran and Centaurian Empires. What they need is something unpredictable, what they get is Thomas Cole, a man from the past accidently dragged forward in time. Will he fit their calculations, or is he the random variable that can break the stalemate?

My Review

An odd book, in its structure at least. About two and a half hours long in only three parts with the first and last parts being an hour each. I guess that comes down to how the author chapterized his work.

The story however is pretty good. As the blurb says, we find our future driven by computers calculating the odds of every action before we take it. This authoritarian culture is at war, or at least, wants to be at war with an alien race. They are constantly striving to change the odds in Earths favour so that a real winnable war can take place.

I was confused a little by the characters interpretation of odds. At one point the odds become 7-6 in Earths favour and they declare its time for war. Those odds look a little slim to me! I'd want 100-1 or better before I'd risk all.

Anyway, odds aside, this is a good little book, with some twists in it to keep you interested and listening. The variable man of the title is our hero, a man out of his time and totally unpredictable.

Of course and as usual Gregg Margarite's reading is outstanding and sugar for your ears.

If your a sci fi fan, download it!

Reading 3
Production 2
Story 3

Total 8/9

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Listen to the first chapter

Beneath by Jeremy Robinson

2010-05-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Three thousand years after a chunk of iron the size of Khufu’s pyramid collides with Europa, Jupiter’s sixth moon, an asteroid borne of the collision crashes into Earth’s Arctic ice shelf carrying extraterrestrial microbial life. The first man to come into contact with the microbes hears voices—and then dies.

After determining the meteorite originated from Europa, the Global Exploratory Corporation sends oceanographer and biologist, Kathy Connelly, and her crew to the moon aboard the Surveyor, an experimental spacecraft. They are charged with the task of melting through miles of ice to the hidden ocean beneath, where the search for alien microorganisms begins. But a startling discovery awaits them on the surface of Europa.

Life.

Vast fields of red, plant-like organisms fill the cracks crisscrossing the moon’s surface, surviving on nutrients welling up from the waters below. Intoxicated by thoughts of what might lie beneath, Connelly and her crew activate the Thermal Exploratory System and melt through the ice—toward a world that does not want to be found, toward a force that will do anything to make sure they never leave.

They search for life. They find death.

My Review

This is a very fine sci fi audio book. It's by the same author who wrote "Kronos" which I've previously reviewed, and by the same reader. They make a good pairing.

The story is vibrant and the characters come across as real people in a strange situation, and that situation is thrilling, exciting and demanding.

From the outset with the first interaction with the asteroid which kicks everything off, the mystery hooks you, and you're caught on that line for the rest of the story!

It's a classic technique to present the reader/listener with a mystery at the outset and slowly reveal the truth behind that mystery. This is done in an outstanding manner in this book, and even as facts start to reveal the truth, it keeps revealing more mysteries and exapanding, so you are constantly left with a sence of wonder.

Add to this, dramatic use of the environment to enhance the danger and present strange situations, and then combine with a cinematic descriptive prose that is totally engrossing.

All in all an excellent audio book, and all for free and legal download.

Reading 3
Production 2
Story 3

Total 8/9

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Listen to the first chapter

Spherical Tomi by Jack Mangan

2010-05-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

A deadly power struggle between warlords.

Tomi was once lead combat programmer for the Shogun Ryogi, on the front lines of his conflict against President William the Black of Cerberus. When she failed to prevent William from killing the samurai she loved, she abandoned all sides, all loyalties, all hope. In her fury, Tomi destroyed the Greatship, Hades IV, and almost everyone onboard. Almost everyone. . .

My Review

I chopped down the official blurb because I think it gave way too much away! I am way way overdue in reviewing this audio book. I've listened through twice now and apparently never put my review in writing, a terrible oversight.

I'll put that right now. This is a hard sci fi novel with a core of crunchy technology and the excellent flavour of samurai warrior codex.

The Spherical of the title refers to the programming technology in use within the story. Combat coders float within a sphere of computer code and fight with thier coding skills. Clone bodies are used as weapons, with the combatants leaping from body to body. Over that tastey mix you also have the honour and warrior spirit of the Samurai era and the end result is delightful tech thriller.

The lead character is not all she seems. Her past is about to catch up in the most explosive dynamic way, you'll be hooked and drawn in.

If you enjoyed the beauty of "The Last Samurai" and the tenseness of "Wargames" you'll fall in love with this story too.

As you've probably guessed I loved the story.

The production on the audio book is a little scratchy, some of it being quite harsh. Yet that does not take away from this novel. The harshness of the soundscape and music help to express the feel of the story.

Reading 2
Production 2
Story 3

Total : 7/9

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Listen to the first chapter

.

The Outlaw of Torn by Edgar Rice Burroughs

2010-05-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

WARNING! THIS OFFICIAL BLURB GIVES IT ALL AWAY!

The story is set in 13th century England and concerns the fictitious outlaw Norman of Torn, who purportedly harried the country during the power struggle between King Henry III and Simon de Montfort. Norman is the supposed son of the Frenchman de Vac, once the king's fencing master, who has a grudge against his former employer and raises the boy to be a simple, brutal killing machine with a hatred of all things English. His intentions are partially subverted by a priest who befriends Norman and teaches him his letters and chivalry towards women.

Otherwise, all goes according to plan. By 17, Norman is the best swordsman in all of England; by the age of 18, he has a large bounty on his head, and by the age of 19, he leads the largest band of thieves in all of England. None can catch or best him. In his hatred for the king he even becomes involved in the civil war, which turns the tide in favor of de Montfort. In another guise, that of Roger de Conde, he becomes involved with de Montfort's daughter Bertrade, defending her against her and her father's enemies. She notes in him a curious resemblance to the king's son and heir Prince Edward.

Finally brought to bay in a confrontation with both King Henry and de Montfort, Norman is brought down by the treachery of de Vac, who appears to kill him, though at the cost of his own life. As de Vac dies, he reveals that Norman is in fact Richard, long-lost son of King Henry and Queen Eleanor and brother to Prince Edward. The fencing master had kidnapped the prince as a child to serve as the vehicle of his vengeance against the king. Luckily, Norman/Richard turns out not to be truly dead, surviving to be reconciled to his true father and attain the hand of Bertrade

My Review

Gulp! Rarely does a blurb give away the whole story but in this case... there you go.

Well, onto review details. This story is a seven hour audio book with a medievil theme including and driven by all the great classic motivations. We have anger, revenge, greed, disguise, mystery and of course love, it all adds up into a great story.

The story follow the life of the "outlaw of Torn" from a young lad right up to becoming a major player, able to take on the Barrons of olde England. Although an outlaw our hero is in every way a nobel knight. I'm a sucker for nobel knights and so this story was like an addiction, and I had to keep coming back for more.

At times it reminded me of the Cadfael audio books ( narrated by Derek Jacobi ) that I really love, this was because the language used was of "olde" style. Thee and thy appear throughout. If you've not listened to that kind of language before you might find the first couple of episodes/chapters a bit of a struggle, but stick with it, the story and beatiful prose is worth the effort.

There are two readers in this book, one for the first half and another for the second and both are jolly spiffin. All in All, a good book and well worth downloading!

Reading 3
Production 2
Story 3

Total : 8/9

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Listen to the first chapter

.

The People that Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs

2010-04-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

The People that Time Forgot is a science fiction novel, the second of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Caspak” trilogy. The first novel ended with the hero writing a manuscript of his adventures and casting it out to sea in his thermos bottle. The second novel begins with the finding of the manuscript and the organization of a rescue expedition.

My Review

This story is really more of the same, and that's not a bad thing. "The Land that Time Forgot" was a grand pulp classic and this sequel follows in the same vein.

Our hero this time ventures to the land of Caspak in search of the hero from the previous book. Once again the machines of man are laid low by the beasts of the island, as our hero flys a boat-plane over the cliffs and into adventure.

As the story of the search and survival continues we learn a little more about the strange pattern of life Caspak, the mysteries are explained a little more.

This adventure is jolly good in a classic style and the pace does not let up, it moves from danger to danger and fight to fight.

If you've listened to the prequel and enjoyed it, you should most definitely download and listen to this sequel. I did and enjoyed it, and now I'm looking forward to listening to the third part of this trilogy.

The reader Ralph Snelson gives us a great gift with his narration. He narrated the first in the series and the continuity into this sequel is a welcome happenstance.

Reading 3
Production 2
Story 2

Total : 7/9

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Listen to the first chapter

Short Science Fiction Collection 23

2010-04-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Science Fiction is speculative literature that generally explores the consequences of ideas which are roughly consistent with nature and scientific method, but are not facts of the author’s contemporary world. The stories often represent philosophical thought experiments presented in entertaining ways. Protagonists typically “think” rather than “shoot” their way out of problems, but the definition is flexible because there are no limits on an author’s imagination. The reader-selected stories presented here were written prior to 1962 and became US public domain texts when their copyrights expired.

My Review

Simply put this is a very good collection of short sci fi stories. Theres no theme to this collection its a random mix.

I rated three of the stories as OK, and the rest as GOOD which is the best hit rate I've had with these collections.

A Filbert Is A Nut by Rick Raphael gave me a laugh, as did The Success Machine by Henry Slesar. The Hated by Frederik Pohl was a good crunchy story with a twist and The Plattner Story by H. G. Wells pricked my interest intensely with its scientific investigative vent.

I've just mentioned a few here, but this is a really good collection and very worth your attention. If that's not enough, I'll point out that three of the stories have been read by Gregg Margarite, who's voice can make anything into candy for the ears.

Reading 2
Production 2
Story 2

Total : 6/9

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Listen to the Pohl story

Heirs of the New Earth by David Lee Summers

2010-04-04T03:17:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

The Earth has gone silent. John Mark Ellis and the crew of the Sanson are sent to investigate. When they arrive, they find vast alien machines known as Clusters in orbit. Fearing the worst, they land and discover that the once overcrowded, polluted Earth has become a paradise of sorts. The problem is over half the population is dead or missing and the planet's leaders don't seem to care. As Ellis works to unravel the mystery, sudden gravitational shifts from the galaxy's center indicate something even worse is in the offing. Can Ellis save the galaxy from the heirs of the new Earth?

My Review

This is a sequel. Its the third in a series. I actually joined the series with the second book ( I reviewed it here ) which I was able to do without any problem. I think this book is different. I believe that this book does not stand alone as well as the other. All of the characters were introduced in the previous book and I suspect that not knowing any of their history would prove a difficult mire to negotiate.

Anyway, onto this book! In summary, I kind of liked it. I like the world and the characters the author has created. The plot too, is also very good and kept me listening. So what didn't I like? Simply it got a bit smutty on a couple of occasions. Yeah, I'm a prude, I wish that sort of thing was left behind a closed door.

This is a driving story that develops its plot quickly and every chapter seems to drag you onwards to the goal of solving the mystery which means you might well find yourself listening to chapter after chapter all in one sitting!

Reading 2
Production 2
Story 2

Total : 6/9

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Listen to the first chapter

The Great Shadow by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

2010-04-03T02:49:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Set in an English-Scottish border village during the waning days of the Napoleonic era, this adventure story introduces us to Jock Calder, whose quiet way of life is shattered when a mysterious stranger steps ashore near his home. The stranger changes forever the lives of Jock, his cousin Edie, and his best friend Jim, sending the young men into the jaws of the final battle to defeat The Great Shadow that threatens to devour the whole of Europe. Don't look for Sherlock Holmes in this well-written tale, but do expect a wonderful glimpse of life at the end of the Napoleonic era, including an exciting rendition of The Battle of Waterloo.

My Review

As you might have gathered from the official blurb this is a Conan-Doyle tale. Doyle has given us good little story here. If like me your facinated by all things Napoleonic then you'll really like the latter half of the book as it moves from sleep England to the big battle in Europe.

The story starts with a classic love story where the people involved get burned and furious, which is always a story telling dynamo, this then follows through to the battle scenes and spices up the scenes at Waterloo.

Frankly the story is well written, it is Doyle after all, and very engaging. It's not what you'd call deep, character motivations are all very straight forward and obvious.

The reading is splendid. This is well worth a download.

Reading 2
Production 2
Story 2

Total : 6/9

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Listen to the first chapter

Greater Good

2010-03-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

In the world of tomorrow, the American Regime dominates our hemisphere, ruled by a new nobility: telepaths. While this powerful new minority rules over the normal human majority, society enjoys stability and security. However, with this new world comes new prejudices and oppression.

Now, a powerful telepathic killer from the future has come to our present to eliminate this new world - a serial killer today, a genocide for tomorrow. It is up to a law enforcement officer from the future and an unwitting FBI agent to stop him before he can act in the name of the...

Greater Good.

My Review

This was a real wiz bang of a story ( wiz bang = exciting and good ). Having the fortune to be able to spend a day working from home I was able to listen to this book in the course of a single day.

It was heck of a day. The twists and turns, the excitement and the drama of the story made the day fly by.

As the blurb says this is a sci fi novel that includes an interesting form of time travel, by extremely powerful humans. It's not the jumping forwards and backwards in time type of story but rather a one way trip. A future terrorist comes back to our time to "correct some problems" and the cops come after him.

We get to listen to spectacular chases and battles and even a little love interest on the side. All round a pretty darn good listen. I dare not say more lest I give too much away.

Reading 3
Production 2
Story 3

Total : 8/9

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The Land that Time Forgot

2010-03-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

The Land That Time Forgot is a science fiction novel, the first of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Caspak” trilogy. His working title for the story was “The Lost U-Boat.” Starting out as a harrowing wartime sea adventure, the story ultimately develops into that of a fantastical lost world.

My Review

I vaguely remember a film by this name that had dinosaurs in it. So with that in mind I was surprised to find that half the novel is set on a U-Boat! [Spoilers ahead] It's set during the war and a U-Boat is expressing itself through unrestricted warfare and is busy sinking boats all over the place. Onto this boat comes the protagonist, then they find themselves off course and finally they find the land mentioned in the title.

At this point we're into the good stuff, man vs monster in a real professor Challenger style. As the story moved into this area I really started enjoying myself. It only took me a couple of nights to get through this story as I was enjoying it so much.

Let's some it up. U-Boats, Exploration, Dinosaurs. That's ticking all of the "fun" boxes for a good adventure.

It's read by Ralph Snelson, who proves hiimself to be a darn good reader.

There are two more books in this series, and you'll be seeing reviews for them here soon. I'm really looking forward to downloading them.

Reading 3
Production 2
Story 3

Total : 8/9

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This Crowded Earth

2010-03-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Robert Bloch (1917 – 1994) was a prolific writer in many genres. As a young man he was encouraged by his mentor H. P. Lovecraft, and was a close friend of Stanley G. Weinbaum. Besides hundreds of short stories and novels he wrote a number of television and film scripts including several for the original Star Trek. In 1959 Bloch wrote the novel Psycho which Alfred Hitchcock adapted to film a year later. He received the Hugo Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and he is a past president of the Mystery Writers of America. Published in Amazing Stories in 1958, This Crowded Earth is a thriller set on an overpopulated Earth of the future.

My Review

Well, having read the official blurb I'm sure you know what the story is about. No? Its in the last line, read it again. Done? Set in the very near future where human breeding has lead the world into a crisis of tremendous over population. Everyone feels the pressure and the protagonist seems to feel it more than most... or does he? the givernment are forced into passing draconian laws to handle the lack of space and resource and out hero finds himself a bit of an outsider.

This is not a straight through story with a beginning middle and end, as it follows nearly the entire life of one man as he lives through the tremendous changes wrought upon mankind and society. Whole chapters are occasional dropped in that break from the story to let you know whats happening in the rest of the world.

I wasn't overly enamoured of by this book. I was interested enough to keep listening, I was basically intrigued, wondering where and what the author was going to do next. Sadly the lack of a consistent narrative left me a little cold.

So it's of interest to the sci fi fan, but not a really engaging story. The reader Gregg, does an outstanding job ( he's one of my fave' readers).

Reading 3
Production 2
Story 1

Total : 6/9

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Listen to the first chapter

Space Tug

2010-03-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Joe Kenmore heard the airlock close with a sickening wheeze and then a clank. In desperation he turned toward Haney. “My God, we’ve been locked out!”

Through the transparent domes of their space helmets, Joe could see a look of horror and disbelief pass across Haney’s face. But it was true! Joe and his crew were locked out of the Space Platform.

Four thousand miles below circled the Earth. Under Joe’s feet rested the solid steel hull of his home in outer space. But without tools there was no hope of getting back inside. Joe looked at his oxygen meter. It registered thirty minutes to live.

My Review

Mark Nelson has provided us with yet another excellent sci fi audio book. The story is set in the very early days of space craft, where the good ole US of A are building a huge space platform with the intention of making is a peace platform. But of course "the enemy" don't see it that way. They see the platform as a weapons platform of untold destruction and a threat to the world.

The story is exciting throughout, not much time is left for character development, as the action doesn't stop.

I felt that the action and spontaneous ingenuity smelled a little of the Tom Switft stories but with a grittier feel, and slightly more grounded in reality.

If your a fan of classic sci fi, this is well worth loading onto your MP3 device.

Reading 3
Production 2
Story 2

Total : 7/9

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The Brand of Silence

2010-03-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

Official Blurb

Harrington Strong was a pseudonym used by author Johnston McCulley, creator of the character Zorro and many others. The Brand of Silence – A Detective Story finds Sidney Prale returning to New York after ten years during which he sought his fortune. But he finds New York a very changed place, and even more distressing, he finds that his old friends are now turning their backs on him, his old haunts no longer welcome him, and there seems to be a conspiracy against him.

Why can’t he receive service in hotels, restaurants, and theaters that he once frequented? Who is working against him? And just as importantly, why? And what is the meaning of the notes he receives which remind him of “retribution”?

My Review

I really enjoyed this one. I wasn't sure what to expect from it, wasn't really sure what it was about. Turns out its a mystery, and strangely enough, a mystery that does not start with a murder! Miss Marple wouldn't know what to do!

As the blurb says, our hero returns from the wild to find everyone turned against him, but he has no idea of why, and no one will even tell him. He's effectively sent to Coventry by everyone. then he's accused of Murder, beaten up, abused etc etc etc all with no reason.

In the story he needs to seek the cause for this behaviour and remedy it, but against such odds he will have a struggle.

The isn't you high energy Magnum P.I. type thing ( have I just dated my myself? ) but rather a slow burner but end of the occasional cliff hanger, and I kept rushing to the next chapter to find out what was going to happen.

As I said, I really enjoyed it, the reader was just right for the book.

Reading 2
Production 2
Story 2

Total : 6/9

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Listen to the first chapter

.

Short Science Fiction Collection 22

2010-03-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

Official Blurb

Science Fiction is speculative literature that generally explores the consequences of ideas which are roughly consistent with nature and scientific method, but are not facts of the author’s contemporary world. The stories often represent philosophical thought experiments presented in entertaining ways. Protagonists typically “think” rather than “shoot” their way out of problems, but the definition is flexible because there are no limits on an author’s imagination. The reader-selected stories presented here were written prior to 1962 and became US public domain texts when their copyrights expired.

My Review

Once again the Librivox blurbs gives you absolutely nothing specific about a sci fi collection. Fear not dear reader, thats why I'm here!

We've got a mixed bag of short sci fi stories, some good, some ok, and few that I didn't find interesting. This is expected with any collection from disparate authors, it's the same if the collection is in a book, or in audio.

I can say that I found 4 good stories, 3 ok and the rest did not appeal to me. All of the readers were good, so it's not their fault if the stories don't appeal.

The only author in this collection that I have heard of is Harry Harrison, and in fact his entry into this collection was my fave'. It's a story called "The Velvet Glove" and features a poor out of work robot, trying to make his way in a human world.

Among the readers are Gregg Margarite and Reynard T. Fox who are some of my favoured readers in the Librivox collective.

Reading 2
Production 2
Story 2

Total : 6/9

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Listen to the Harrison story