The Official Blurb
None.
My Review
Another old time radio story this time, not from the BBC but from the "Hollywood Radio Theater"
The story is a classic so I dont think I'll be giving too much away when I say that an Alien space craft lands in America and the Alien emrges demanding world peace. Of course it doesn't go smoothly.
This radio presentation is a full cast drama and I have a feeling that the man playing the alien in this drama is the same one who played the part in the old black and white film of the same name.
This show includes some of the american style radio introductions and outros so if you object to old style radio then you might not like this.
I really enjoyed the slightly cheesey acting style and apple pie family that take the lead. It's well presented and worth sticking in your ear if classic sci fi is your bag.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Download the Show
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Chocky
The Official Blurb
None.
My Review
Once again I break from reviewing audio books and take a look at another type of audio. This time I'm reviewing a 1967 radio broadcast from the BBC, a presentation of John Wyndham's classic sci fi story "Chocky".
There is a bit of audio hiss on the old recording and a strange silence in the middle of a few seconds duration, but dont worry about that as you dont actually miss anything as the story picks up right where it left off and it's only a few seconds.
This presentation of the story is a full cast dramatisation and the voices are the typical britsh clipped accent that was habitually used by the BBC at the time of the broadcast.
The story has neccessarily been abridged in order to fit into this short presentation but we still have a fully rounded story that is very well done.
The character "Chocky" appears as a childs imaginary friend but when the child starts to ask odd questions and know things he shouldn't know the story starts to get really interesting.
It's less than an hour long and well worth your time to hear this great story well told.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
Download the Show
None.
My Review
Once again I break from reviewing audio books and take a look at another type of audio. This time I'm reviewing a 1967 radio broadcast from the BBC, a presentation of John Wyndham's classic sci fi story "Chocky".
There is a bit of audio hiss on the old recording and a strange silence in the middle of a few seconds duration, but dont worry about that as you dont actually miss anything as the story picks up right where it left off and it's only a few seconds.
This presentation of the story is a full cast dramatisation and the voices are the typical britsh clipped accent that was habitually used by the BBC at the time of the broadcast.
The story has neccessarily been abridged in order to fit into this short presentation but we still have a fully rounded story that is very well done.
The character "Chocky" appears as a childs imaginary friend but when the child starts to ask odd questions and know things he shouldn't know the story starts to get really interesting.
It's less than an hour long and well worth your time to hear this great story well told.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
Download the Show
Sunday, 28 December 2008
Nocturnal
The Official Blurb
Something lives deep beneath the streets of San Francisco. Something that has been there for centuries, something which comes out at night to feed on the dregs of society. A sub-culture with its own myths and its own legends.
Stories of a leader named The King, who will lead them out of bondage, and their own demon, a hunting shadow known only as Savior. But the legends of Savior's brutality have faded, the fear used only within fables told to the young ones about their hunter.
When The King finally appears,just as foretold, the Nocturnals know their time has come -- the time to emerge from under the streets and hunt humanity in the open.
My Review
Firstly, let me say that I am a huge Scott Sigler fan, and this is the latest of his stories to finish his podcast presentation and I've been hooked to his stream listening for the end.
The story follows a few characters but the lead is a Police Detective and his partner. They are investigating some unusual deaths and following up the strange clues to the culprits but someone is trying to cover up something.
Scott presents a grandeous story here but does it through the little stories of the individuals involved. He leads us slowly into the strange, down an avenue of bizarre riding in a bus of the strange. It starts as a simple cop drama but escalates into the usual Sigler maelstrom of unusual and creepy.
As with his previous novels he lures you in with appealing characters thrown into odd situations that rapidly become more unusual and scary, and then builds to an explosive ending that never disappoints.
If you fancy a bit of sci-fi/cop/horror then I recommend taking a listen to this story, its very good.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
Download it from Podiobooks
Listen to chapter 1
Something lives deep beneath the streets of San Francisco. Something that has been there for centuries, something which comes out at night to feed on the dregs of society. A sub-culture with its own myths and its own legends.
Stories of a leader named The King, who will lead them out of bondage, and their own demon, a hunting shadow known only as Savior. But the legends of Savior's brutality have faded, the fear used only within fables told to the young ones about their hunter.
When The King finally appears,just as foretold, the Nocturnals know their time has come -- the time to emerge from under the streets and hunt humanity in the open.
My Review
Firstly, let me say that I am a huge Scott Sigler fan, and this is the latest of his stories to finish his podcast presentation and I've been hooked to his stream listening for the end.
The story follows a few characters but the lead is a Police Detective and his partner. They are investigating some unusual deaths and following up the strange clues to the culprits but someone is trying to cover up something.
Scott presents a grandeous story here but does it through the little stories of the individuals involved. He leads us slowly into the strange, down an avenue of bizarre riding in a bus of the strange. It starts as a simple cop drama but escalates into the usual Sigler maelstrom of unusual and creepy.
As with his previous novels he lures you in with appealing characters thrown into odd situations that rapidly become more unusual and scary, and then builds to an explosive ending that never disappoints.
If you fancy a bit of sci-fi/cop/horror then I recommend taking a listen to this story, its very good.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
Download it from Podiobooks
Listen to chapter 1
Saturday, 27 December 2008
MOREVI : the Chronicles of Rafe and Askana
The Official Blurb
Morevi, a landlocked kingdom shrouded by jungles and mystery, falls under the rule of Askana Moldarin, known in her realm as "The Black Widow" following her swift and bloody ascent to the throne. In the dawn of this New Age, hidden traitors in her own regime threaten to destroy everything. Askana, independent of council, seeks help to reveal the conspiracy against her...
Enter Rafe Rafton, captain of the Defiant.
My Review
This is one of the very first books to be podcasted, ever. There were three back in the early days and I've never been able to work out which was first, but this here story is one of them.
The story itself is a swashbuckeling fantasy/historic novel. The Rafe in the title is a ships captain who carries out "official" piracy for Henry the VIII. Somehow somewhere he's managed to find a way across "the rift" to the strange land where Askana rules with a steely female fist!
The story has all the classic piratey goodness, swordplay, quipping heros, women who know how to fight and just a touch of romance to pin it all together.
The reader has done a splendid job of putting this together audio and has spliced in enough sound effects to keep it interesting.
Reading 2/3
Production 3/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Download it from Podiobooks
Listen to chapter 1
Morevi, a landlocked kingdom shrouded by jungles and mystery, falls under the rule of Askana Moldarin, known in her realm as "The Black Widow" following her swift and bloody ascent to the throne. In the dawn of this New Age, hidden traitors in her own regime threaten to destroy everything. Askana, independent of council, seeks help to reveal the conspiracy against her...
Enter Rafe Rafton, captain of the Defiant.
My Review
This is one of the very first books to be podcasted, ever. There were three back in the early days and I've never been able to work out which was first, but this here story is one of them.
The story itself is a swashbuckeling fantasy/historic novel. The Rafe in the title is a ships captain who carries out "official" piracy for Henry the VIII. Somehow somewhere he's managed to find a way across "the rift" to the strange land where Askana rules with a steely female fist!
The story has all the classic piratey goodness, swordplay, quipping heros, women who know how to fight and just a touch of romance to pin it all together.
The reader has done a splendid job of putting this together audio and has spliced in enough sound effects to keep it interesting.
Reading 2/3
Production 3/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Download it from Podiobooks
Listen to chapter 1
Friday, 26 December 2008
Over the Top
The Official Blurb
Arthur Guy Empey was an American who responded to the sinking of the Lusitania by enlisting with the British Army to fight in France. His experiences in the trenches, including his ultimate wounding and convalescence, became this book. When published in 1917, it was a major hit and helped the recruiting effort when America entered the Great War.
If you’ve heard of the horror of trench warfare in WWI and want to see it from below dirt level, Empey offers it all here.
Also included is Empey’s popular “Tommy’s Dictionary of the Trenches” which humorously demystifies the slang used by the British soldier.
My Review
Speaking as a fan of history who has recorded a handful of first person accounts myself for Librivox, I can tell you that I was overjoyed to find this recently released treasure in the vaults over at Librivox.
The story tells of an Americans experiences in the trenches fighting for freedom amongst the British soldiers that he refers to constantly as "Tommy". It's touching to here about the bonds that form between these men in such situations and how amongst the horror and deprivation the human spirit and camaraderie shines through.
The duties of the story teller vary considerably, ranging from simple infantry man to machine gunner and even to spy-catcher. Never boring and always with some new aspect of the conflict to be revealed the narrative is detailed and bold. It's told with a real sense of wry humour that coming from such a terrifying source is heartening to hear.
The reader is an established Librivox veteran who brings a good strong voice to this very personal tale and makes the presentation a joy to listen to.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 7/9
Download it from Librivox
Listen to chapter 1
Arthur Guy Empey was an American who responded to the sinking of the Lusitania by enlisting with the British Army to fight in France. His experiences in the trenches, including his ultimate wounding and convalescence, became this book. When published in 1917, it was a major hit and helped the recruiting effort when America entered the Great War.
If you’ve heard of the horror of trench warfare in WWI and want to see it from below dirt level, Empey offers it all here.
Also included is Empey’s popular “Tommy’s Dictionary of the Trenches” which humorously demystifies the slang used by the British soldier.
My Review
Speaking as a fan of history who has recorded a handful of first person accounts myself for Librivox, I can tell you that I was overjoyed to find this recently released treasure in the vaults over at Librivox.
The story tells of an Americans experiences in the trenches fighting for freedom amongst the British soldiers that he refers to constantly as "Tommy". It's touching to here about the bonds that form between these men in such situations and how amongst the horror and deprivation the human spirit and camaraderie shines through.
The duties of the story teller vary considerably, ranging from simple infantry man to machine gunner and even to spy-catcher. Never boring and always with some new aspect of the conflict to be revealed the narrative is detailed and bold. It's told with a real sense of wry humour that coming from such a terrifying source is heartening to hear.
The reader is an established Librivox veteran who brings a good strong voice to this very personal tale and makes the presentation a joy to listen to.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 7/9
Download it from Librivox
Listen to chapter 1
Sunday, 21 December 2008
Son of Tarzan
The Official Blurb
Alexis Paulvitch, a henchman of Tarzan’s now-deceased enemy, Nikolas Rokoff, survived his encounter with Tarzan in the third novel and wants to even the score.
My Review
I actually listened to this thinking it was the second Tarzan novel and didn't suffer for it, in fact anyone who knows the premise of the Tarzan character can listen to this without having read or listened to any of the other Tarzan stories.
The story is the epitome of the Pulp Genre, taking reality and giving it a little kick into the unbelievable, which makes it both exciting and fantastic.
The Son of Tarzan follows, strangely enough, the Son of Tarzan as events roll over the Greystoke estate and Tarzan's son finds himself alone in the Jungle as a young lad.
Adventure, fights, close calls, and even love come to the son of the great man as he swings from tree to tree.
There are enough characters in this story both of the animal kind and the human variety to keep it interesting throughout. Good guys and bad guys all putting the love aspect of the story into jeopardy.
This wasn't a story I couldn't put down but it was one I kept coming back to. The reader was pretty good and did some interesting voices that I found amusing.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Download it from Librivox
Listen to chapter 1
Alexis Paulvitch, a henchman of Tarzan’s now-deceased enemy, Nikolas Rokoff, survived his encounter with Tarzan in the third novel and wants to even the score.
My Review
I actually listened to this thinking it was the second Tarzan novel and didn't suffer for it, in fact anyone who knows the premise of the Tarzan character can listen to this without having read or listened to any of the other Tarzan stories.
The story is the epitome of the Pulp Genre, taking reality and giving it a little kick into the unbelievable, which makes it both exciting and fantastic.
The Son of Tarzan follows, strangely enough, the Son of Tarzan as events roll over the Greystoke estate and Tarzan's son finds himself alone in the Jungle as a young lad.
Adventure, fights, close calls, and even love come to the son of the great man as he swings from tree to tree.
There are enough characters in this story both of the animal kind and the human variety to keep it interesting throughout. Good guys and bad guys all putting the love aspect of the story into jeopardy.
This wasn't a story I couldn't put down but it was one I kept coming back to. The reader was pretty good and did some interesting voices that I found amusing.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Download it from Librivox
Listen to chapter 1
Saturday, 13 December 2008
Max Quick 2: The Two Travelers
The Official Blurb
Five quiet years have passed in Starland, California since the the time of the Pocket. But when a crazed old man shows up with a warning, Max, Casey, Ian and Sasha suddenly find themselves on the run. Max and Ian go through an Arch back to 1912, where a mysterious Machine is under construction that seems connected to Max’s unremembered secret. Meanwhile, Casey and Sasha follow the old man to the strange town of Arturo Gyp.
But there is more afoot than meets the eye: the enemies of Mr. E - the nefarious Archons - are abroad. And when Max is at last eye-to-eye with his secret, he realizes nothing will ever be the same again...
My Review
This is the sequel to the Pocket and the Pendant which I reviewed back in May. This series is a YA story that combines a story of adventure, history, mysticism, magic and action into a nice blend.
This second book in the series picks up threads laid down in the original story and expands them into a seperate yet joined stories. However if you haven't listened to the first story, I recommend that you do that first as this story leans heavily on the world built there.
The kids from the first book are now teenagers and have attitudes to match that difficult age. They are thrown once again into adventure where they feel out of their depth and must struggle to stand up to and face the opposition. The young heros split up and set out in pairs to fight the different aspects of the evil Archons, so the story follows both groups switching between them as the chapters advance.
The reader is once again the author and he has a great reading voice just perfect for the story. If you've enjoyed the first book then I recommend you jump right in with this sequel, and when your done listening, you'll be joining me waiting for the next book!
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Download it from Podiobooks
Listen to chapter 1
Five quiet years have passed in Starland, California since the the time of the Pocket. But when a crazed old man shows up with a warning, Max, Casey, Ian and Sasha suddenly find themselves on the run. Max and Ian go through an Arch back to 1912, where a mysterious Machine is under construction that seems connected to Max’s unremembered secret. Meanwhile, Casey and Sasha follow the old man to the strange town of Arturo Gyp.
But there is more afoot than meets the eye: the enemies of Mr. E - the nefarious Archons - are abroad. And when Max is at last eye-to-eye with his secret, he realizes nothing will ever be the same again...
My Review
This is the sequel to the Pocket and the Pendant which I reviewed back in May. This series is a YA story that combines a story of adventure, history, mysticism, magic and action into a nice blend.
This second book in the series picks up threads laid down in the original story and expands them into a seperate yet joined stories. However if you haven't listened to the first story, I recommend that you do that first as this story leans heavily on the world built there.
The kids from the first book are now teenagers and have attitudes to match that difficult age. They are thrown once again into adventure where they feel out of their depth and must struggle to stand up to and face the opposition. The young heros split up and set out in pairs to fight the different aspects of the evil Archons, so the story follows both groups switching between them as the chapters advance.
The reader is once again the author and he has a great reading voice just perfect for the story. If you've enjoyed the first book then I recommend you jump right in with this sequel, and when your done listening, you'll be joining me waiting for the next book!
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Download it from Podiobooks
Listen to chapter 1
Friday, 5 December 2008
The man who would be King
The Official Blurb
The Man Who Would Be King tells the story of two British adventurers in British India who become kings of Kafiristan, a remote part of Afghanistan. It was inspired by the exploits of James Brooke, an Englishman who became the “white Raja” of Sarawak in Borneo, and by the travels of American adventurer Josiah Harlan, who claimed the title Prince of Ghor.
The story was first published in The Phantom Rickshaw and other Tales (Volume Five of the Indian Railway Library, published by A H Wheeler & Co of Allahabad in 1888). It also appeared in Wee Willie Winkie and Other Stories in 1895, and in numerous later editions of that collection. It is the basis for John Huston’s 1975 film of the same name, starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine as the “kings”, and Christopher Plummer as Kipling.
My Review
This short story tells of high adventure and excitement and is very well read. If you haven't seen the film (1975) then listen to this reading of the original before you do. It's an audio treasure, the reader puts such heart and soul into the reading it reduced me to tears at the end, and I'll be hard pushed to offer a better recommendation than that.
Strangely the story doesn't relate incident after incident of death defying adventure in the Indiana Jones style but rather in a more step by step advancement style. At each stage you know what the men are up to, and through use of the blind belief that an Englishman can do anything and a bit of stiff-upper-lip they climb to the dizzy heights.
It's simply a thrilling story well written and incredibly well read. Once again I feel myself having to rate this story as a MUST-LISTEN!
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
Download it from Librivox
Listen to part 1 ( of 3 )
The Man Who Would Be King tells the story of two British adventurers in British India who become kings of Kafiristan, a remote part of Afghanistan. It was inspired by the exploits of James Brooke, an Englishman who became the “white Raja” of Sarawak in Borneo, and by the travels of American adventurer Josiah Harlan, who claimed the title Prince of Ghor.
The story was first published in The Phantom Rickshaw and other Tales (Volume Five of the Indian Railway Library, published by A H Wheeler & Co of Allahabad in 1888). It also appeared in Wee Willie Winkie and Other Stories in 1895, and in numerous later editions of that collection. It is the basis for John Huston’s 1975 film of the same name, starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine as the “kings”, and Christopher Plummer as Kipling.
My Review
This short story tells of high adventure and excitement and is very well read. If you haven't seen the film (1975) then listen to this reading of the original before you do. It's an audio treasure, the reader puts such heart and soul into the reading it reduced me to tears at the end, and I'll be hard pushed to offer a better recommendation than that.
Strangely the story doesn't relate incident after incident of death defying adventure in the Indiana Jones style but rather in a more step by step advancement style. At each stage you know what the men are up to, and through use of the blind belief that an Englishman can do anything and a bit of stiff-upper-lip they climb to the dizzy heights.
It's simply a thrilling story well written and incredibly well read. Once again I feel myself having to rate this story as a MUST-LISTEN!
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
Download it from Librivox
Listen to part 1 ( of 3 )
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
The Arwen
The Official Blurb
When a comet the size of a small moon threatens the remote world of Regal the Earth Alliance assigns the most decorated ship in the fleet, the Arwen, to destroy it. Its Captain, Marjorie Cook, sees this as an opportunity to redeem herself after a tragic mistake in her past causes the death of over 400 of her crew. It seems like an easy mission but, when the Arwen arrives, it finds things are not what they seem.
My Review
A classic style of space faring story told in a modern way. The story has a nice plot interwoven with suprises and a rising level of tension that build to a terffic ending.
The crew have to deal with a bunch of alien races who all have their own motivations and all seem to be getting in the way of the Arwen's mission to save a planet.
If you like space based stories with aliens, fighters, tough soldiers, a mystery and a great show stopper ending then this is the audio book for you. I was absolutely delighted to discover that this book is only part one and that I have a number of sequels lined up ready to be listened to.
Good story, well read.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 7/9
Get it from Podiobooks
Listen to the first part.
When a comet the size of a small moon threatens the remote world of Regal the Earth Alliance assigns the most decorated ship in the fleet, the Arwen, to destroy it. Its Captain, Marjorie Cook, sees this as an opportunity to redeem herself after a tragic mistake in her past causes the death of over 400 of her crew. It seems like an easy mission but, when the Arwen arrives, it finds things are not what they seem.
My Review
A classic style of space faring story told in a modern way. The story has a nice plot interwoven with suprises and a rising level of tension that build to a terffic ending.
The crew have to deal with a bunch of alien races who all have their own motivations and all seem to be getting in the way of the Arwen's mission to save a planet.
If you like space based stories with aliens, fighters, tough soldiers, a mystery and a great show stopper ending then this is the audio book for you. I was absolutely delighted to discover that this book is only part one and that I have a number of sequels lined up ready to be listened to.
Good story, well read.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 7/9
Get it from Podiobooks
Listen to the first part.
Monday, 1 December 2008
"Bomber" by the BBC
My Review
A couple of years ago the BBC produced an audio drama that followed a WWII Lancaster Bomber crew through a day and night. The drama was presented throughout a BBC broadcast day in half hour segments that followed the timeline of the story. The story also interwove comments and interview responses from veterens of the air war.
The story tells not only the parts of the bomber crew but the stories of the people on the other side. German, civilians and night fighter crews are treated equally in the drama and the veteren comments.
It is totally absorbing and horrorfying. As you listen to Tom Bakers narration that carries the story forward, you will feel the pain and utter pathos of those involved in such a horrible war. The acting is top notch and I would describe this audio as MUST-LISTEN.
Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 9/9
Download it
Listen to the first part
A couple of years ago the BBC produced an audio drama that followed a WWII Lancaster Bomber crew through a day and night. The drama was presented throughout a BBC broadcast day in half hour segments that followed the timeline of the story. The story also interwove comments and interview responses from veterens of the air war.
The story tells not only the parts of the bomber crew but the stories of the people on the other side. German, civilians and night fighter crews are treated equally in the drama and the veteren comments.
It is totally absorbing and horrorfying. As you listen to Tom Bakers narration that carries the story forward, you will feel the pain and utter pathos of those involved in such a horrible war. The acting is top notch and I would describe this audio as MUST-LISTEN.
Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 9/9
Download it
Listen to the first part
Saturday, 29 November 2008
Voodoo Planet
The Official Blurb
The sequel to Plague Ship, Voodoo Planet finds the Solar Queen banned from trade and starting her supposed quiet two-year stint as an interstellar mail carrier. But instead her crew accepts a visit to the safari planet of Khatka, where they find themselves caught in a battle between the forces of reason and the powers of Khatka’s mind-controlling wizard.
My Review
For start you cant go wrong listening to this story if you like classic Sci Fi. Nortons's stories are always fun and action driven, and of course once again we have the fabulous Mark Nelson doing the reading. Mark favours us with a lot of Sci Fi readings and they are always excellent.
There's not a lot more I can add to the official blurb storywise except to say it was fun and enjoyable story with science vs magic. Excellent stuff.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Download it Librivox
List to the first chapter
The sequel to Plague Ship, Voodoo Planet finds the Solar Queen banned from trade and starting her supposed quiet two-year stint as an interstellar mail carrier. But instead her crew accepts a visit to the safari planet of Khatka, where they find themselves caught in a battle between the forces of reason and the powers of Khatka’s mind-controlling wizard.
My Review
For start you cant go wrong listening to this story if you like classic Sci Fi. Nortons's stories are always fun and action driven, and of course once again we have the fabulous Mark Nelson doing the reading. Mark favours us with a lot of Sci Fi readings and they are always excellent.
There's not a lot more I can add to the official blurb storywise except to say it was fun and enjoyable story with science vs magic. Excellent stuff.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Download it Librivox
List to the first chapter
Thursday, 27 November 2008
The Loss of the S.S. Titanic
The Official Blurb
This is a 1st hand account written by a survivor of the Titanic about that fateful night and the events leading up to it as well as the events that followed its sinking.
My Review
What have here is the carefully written account of a survivor who approaches his subject with clarity and without the expected amount of passion. He relates stories of his aquaintances onboard before the accident and often remarks on how sad it is that the person just described did not survive.
After relating his own escape he details the events that took place on the Carpathia and on reaching land. Quite dispassionately almost as if he was simply observing rather than being a participant.
Then he goes on to relate the state of safety in ship building and what could and should be done to make ships safer for the passengers and even offers some suggestions on general maritime safety at sea.
I found the story engaging but the suggestions for ship safety and maritime operating procedures a little dull. I was deeply interested to hear the story of an actual survivor and once the immediate survival story was over I found my interest wavering.
I would reccommend that any "fan" of the Titanic (fan?) take a listen to this book. It is extremely well read and my lack of personal interest at the end is no reflection on the reader. It's free, so you have nothing to lose by my taking a listen!
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 5/9
Download it Librivox
List to the first chapter
This is a 1st hand account written by a survivor of the Titanic about that fateful night and the events leading up to it as well as the events that followed its sinking.
My Review
What have here is the carefully written account of a survivor who approaches his subject with clarity and without the expected amount of passion. He relates stories of his aquaintances onboard before the accident and often remarks on how sad it is that the person just described did not survive.
After relating his own escape he details the events that took place on the Carpathia and on reaching land. Quite dispassionately almost as if he was simply observing rather than being a participant.
Then he goes on to relate the state of safety in ship building and what could and should be done to make ships safer for the passengers and even offers some suggestions on general maritime safety at sea.
I found the story engaging but the suggestions for ship safety and maritime operating procedures a little dull. I was deeply interested to hear the story of an actual survivor and once the immediate survival story was over I found my interest wavering.
I would reccommend that any "fan" of the Titanic (fan?) take a listen to this book. It is extremely well read and my lack of personal interest at the end is no reflection on the reader. It's free, so you have nothing to lose by my taking a listen!
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 5/9
Download it Librivox
List to the first chapter
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Reminiscences of Captain Gronow
The Official Blurb
A collection of memoirs about the Peninsular War, the Battle of Waterloo, and society and personalities of Regency London and 19th century Paris, by a sometime Grenadier Guards officer, unsuccessful parliamentarian, and dandy. Gronow displays social attitudes of the day which would now be regarded as unacceptable, but is a clever raconteur who brings to life both the horrors of war and the gaiety of high society.
My Review
My ongoing interest in wargaming has for many years spurred my interest in all things of the Napoleonic period, and so this audio book came to my attention because it included the eye-attracting words "Waterloo" and "Penninsular".
There is not a single story running through this narrative, it is rather an series of anecdotes, genuine reminiscences of the life and times. These are not limited to war time memories but also capture events and people before and after the war. We hear of the socialites, the gambling houses, young men ruined, brave mean dueling, and the ridiculous lengths a man in love will put himself through!
We also have the war memories interleaved with other the other stories.
I was gluded to this audio book. The insight into another time totally absorbed me and the stories were thought provoking, humerous and interesting by turns.
Add to this the fact that the reader is of outstanding quality. I kept thinking that I was listening to a BBC history broadcast!
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
A collection of memoirs about the Peninsular War, the Battle of Waterloo, and society and personalities of Regency London and 19th century Paris, by a sometime Grenadier Guards officer, unsuccessful parliamentarian, and dandy. Gronow displays social attitudes of the day which would now be regarded as unacceptable, but is a clever raconteur who brings to life both the horrors of war and the gaiety of high society.
My Review
My ongoing interest in wargaming has for many years spurred my interest in all things of the Napoleonic period, and so this audio book came to my attention because it included the eye-attracting words "Waterloo" and "Penninsular".
There is not a single story running through this narrative, it is rather an series of anecdotes, genuine reminiscences of the life and times. These are not limited to war time memories but also capture events and people before and after the war. We hear of the socialites, the gambling houses, young men ruined, brave mean dueling, and the ridiculous lengths a man in love will put himself through!
We also have the war memories interleaved with other the other stories.
I was gluded to this audio book. The insight into another time totally absorbed me and the stories were thought provoking, humerous and interesting by turns.
Add to this the fact that the reader is of outstanding quality. I kept thinking that I was listening to a BBC history broadcast!
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Fast in the Ice
The Official Blurb
At the age of 16 Ballantyne went to Canada and was six years in the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company. His rule in writing, being in every case, was to write as far as possible from personal knowledge of the scenes he described.
In this book he details the lives of the crew as they must overwinter in the frozen north including their meetings with Eskimos and bears and their struggles with disease. This is a realistic account of what life was like for the explorers of the Arctic.
My Review
A while back I was blown away by Shackletons account of his exploits at the pole, and that lingering awe is what drew me to this story. We have the recorded account of a captain and his crew as they become locked in by the ice. It's a very interesting read/listen you get to hear about the practicalities of the physical environment the men build and the social and mental stresses they go through just trying to survive.
We also hear about their escapades with Bears and the occasional interaction with the indiginous people. The story as told is mildly engaging and kept me hooked right to the end.
As a bonus the reader is excellent and delivers the reading in a delightful bouncy tone that brings the text alive.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
At the age of 16 Ballantyne went to Canada and was six years in the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company. His rule in writing, being in every case, was to write as far as possible from personal knowledge of the scenes he described.
In this book he details the lives of the crew as they must overwinter in the frozen north including their meetings with Eskimos and bears and their struggles with disease. This is a realistic account of what life was like for the explorers of the Arctic.
My Review
A while back I was blown away by Shackletons account of his exploits at the pole, and that lingering awe is what drew me to this story. We have the recorded account of a captain and his crew as they become locked in by the ice. It's a very interesting read/listen you get to hear about the practicalities of the physical environment the men build and the social and mental stresses they go through just trying to survive.
We also hear about their escapades with Bears and the occasional interaction with the indiginous people. The story as told is mildly engaging and kept me hooked right to the end.
As a bonus the reader is excellent and delivers the reading in a delightful bouncy tone that brings the text alive.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
Friday, 7 November 2008
Around the World in 72 Days
The Official Blurb
This is a true account by American woman journalist who, in 1889, set out to see whether she could beat the fictional journey in Jules Verne’s 1873 novel, Around the World in Eighty Days. Wearing one dress and carrying one handbag, Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman (pen name “Nellie Bly”), reported her travels back to avid readers in America.
My Review
This is the second Nellie Bly story/journalistic novel I've listened to and I must admit to be being just as delighted with this one as the last.
The story itself is very journalistic and of its day, that is, rather than hearing about all of the trials and tribulations we rather get to hear about Nellie's impressions of the exotic things she sees and finds and the feminine focus thereon. In a modern equivalent we would hear about the stuggle at immigration, the danger from rebels and what have you.
So the tone of this narrative is very bouyant and upbeat but does lack a little in "grit". It also has a bit of a mystery! Who was the other woman doing the round the world trip?
All in all a good listen, as the narrator/reader pitches just the right reading for this upbeat work.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
This is a true account by American woman journalist who, in 1889, set out to see whether she could beat the fictional journey in Jules Verne’s 1873 novel, Around the World in Eighty Days. Wearing one dress and carrying one handbag, Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman (pen name “Nellie Bly”), reported her travels back to avid readers in America.
My Review
This is the second Nellie Bly story/journalistic novel I've listened to and I must admit to be being just as delighted with this one as the last.
The story itself is very journalistic and of its day, that is, rather than hearing about all of the trials and tribulations we rather get to hear about Nellie's impressions of the exotic things she sees and finds and the feminine focus thereon. In a modern equivalent we would hear about the stuggle at immigration, the danger from rebels and what have you.
So the tone of this narrative is very bouyant and upbeat but does lack a little in "grit". It also has a bit of a mystery! Who was the other woman doing the round the world trip?
All in all a good listen, as the narrator/reader pitches just the right reading for this upbeat work.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
Thursday, 30 October 2008
Half Share
The Official Blurb
A Trader's Tale from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper : Book 2
After Ishmael Wang is promoted to the environmental section, he's caught in a swirl of mystery, doubt, belief, lust and a really nice fitting pair of jeans. He has to come to grips with what it means to be a spacer while he's still trying to figure out what it means to be a man. Join Ishmael, Brillo, Pip, and the rest of the crew of the Lois McKendrick as they help the newest member of the crew adjust to life in the Deep Dark.Half Share is the sequel to Quarter Share. Note: Some scenes in Half Share involve adult themes, nudity, sex and references to religions not based on Judeo-Christian traditions. Read at your own risk.
My Review
I was really digging the prequel to this book "Quarter Share". When I reviewed it I said that I really enjoyed it and I was going straight on to listen to this sequel.
I do not feel the same way about this audio book. It started really well in the same vein but then it just got smutty. I ended up skipping past three chapters because the author just brought in something totally out of step with the rest what the first book set us up for.
Although it's true that some trading took place in this book and that we had new charaters to expand our interest it devolved into smut.
I'm now undecided about listening to the next in the series. I dont like skipping chapters, I dont want to do that again.
As with the first book in the series the producton and reading are excellent a real nice listen ( when I dont have to skip chapters).
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 6/9
Get it from Podiobooks
Get the first chapter.
A Trader's Tale from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper : Book 2
After Ishmael Wang is promoted to the environmental section, he's caught in a swirl of mystery, doubt, belief, lust and a really nice fitting pair of jeans. He has to come to grips with what it means to be a spacer while he's still trying to figure out what it means to be a man. Join Ishmael, Brillo, Pip, and the rest of the crew of the Lois McKendrick as they help the newest member of the crew adjust to life in the Deep Dark.Half Share is the sequel to Quarter Share. Note: Some scenes in Half Share involve adult themes, nudity, sex and references to religions not based on Judeo-Christian traditions. Read at your own risk.
My Review
I was really digging the prequel to this book "Quarter Share". When I reviewed it I said that I really enjoyed it and I was going straight on to listen to this sequel.
I do not feel the same way about this audio book. It started really well in the same vein but then it just got smutty. I ended up skipping past three chapters because the author just brought in something totally out of step with the rest what the first book set us up for.
Although it's true that some trading took place in this book and that we had new charaters to expand our interest it devolved into smut.
I'm now undecided about listening to the next in the series. I dont like skipping chapters, I dont want to do that again.
As with the first book in the series the producton and reading are excellent a real nice listen ( when I dont have to skip chapters).
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 6/9
Get it from Podiobooks
Get the first chapter.
Friday, 24 October 2008
The Sleeper Awakes
The Official Blurb
The Sleeper Awakes is a dystopian novel about a man who sleeps for two hundred years, waking up in a completely transformed London, where, because of compound interest, he has become the richest man in the world. He has been the famous Sleeper for centuries. A fanatic socialist, the main character awakes to see his nightmares realized, and the future revealed to him in all its horrors and malformities. The people adore him, and their masters - the supervisors of his legacy who rule in his name - do not want him breathing.
My Review
H.G. Wells has written an outstanding story here. Of course it is of its own time and the idea that compound interest could lead to ruling the world is clearly daft. But, perhaps when he was writing this story, governments were more honourable and wouldn't just freeze peoples accounts at the drop of a hat ( sorry Iceland ).
The sleeper wakes in world so changed that he barely understands what is happening and finds himself being manipulated and used. Through the lies and deceit he struggles against the things that surround him, and he finds himself. With battles on and under the ground and even fights taking place in the air we do have a good deal of action.
This is classic period sci fi, written by the master and well read to boot. There tended to be hum on this recording but this is easily overlooked and put from your mind.
Reading 2/3
Production 1/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 5/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
The Sleeper Awakes is a dystopian novel about a man who sleeps for two hundred years, waking up in a completely transformed London, where, because of compound interest, he has become the richest man in the world. He has been the famous Sleeper for centuries. A fanatic socialist, the main character awakes to see his nightmares realized, and the future revealed to him in all its horrors and malformities. The people adore him, and their masters - the supervisors of his legacy who rule in his name - do not want him breathing.
My Review
H.G. Wells has written an outstanding story here. Of course it is of its own time and the idea that compound interest could lead to ruling the world is clearly daft. But, perhaps when he was writing this story, governments were more honourable and wouldn't just freeze peoples accounts at the drop of a hat ( sorry Iceland ).
The sleeper wakes in world so changed that he barely understands what is happening and finds himself being manipulated and used. Through the lies and deceit he struggles against the things that surround him, and he finds himself. With battles on and under the ground and even fights taking place in the air we do have a good deal of action.
This is classic period sci fi, written by the master and well read to boot. There tended to be hum on this recording but this is easily overlooked and put from your mind.
Reading 2/3
Production 1/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 5/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
Sunday, 19 October 2008
Tom Swift and His War Tank
The Official Blurb
Tom Swift, that prolific youthful inventor, is engaged in trying to help the Allies win WWI. After reading newspaper accounts of the British tanks, Tom takes a sheet of paper and sets out to design a better one from scratch. And fortunately, he can throw the whole family business behind his venture.
He has two problems: First, his friends and acquaintances are questioning his patriotism because he hasn’t enlisted as a rifleman for the front lines. Even his girl is worried his blood isn’t true-blue. But that’s because he is developing his tank in secret, and they don’t know he’s concentrating on winning the war the American way, with machines.
The second problem is that the German spies have penetrated the secret of what is being built in the high-security shop on the Swift property. And they will stop at nothing to steal its design - not kidnapping Tom, and not kidnapping the tank itself, complete with crew.
Tom and his buddies had better work fast, or the American riflemen are going to find the Kaiser’s soldiers using American-designed tanks against them!
My Review
This is a "ripping yarn" type story. The lead character is an inventer with outlandish design and production skills. In this case the story revolves around the building of a Tank for use against the Germans during WWII.
The bad guys are German spys the hero's are all clean cut american boys. There is never any doubt about who is who and you always know that the heros are going to be okay in the end.
The adventure rolls on in the "ripping yarn" style and you dont have a chance to get bored.
The reader is excellent "Mark F Smith" is a Librivox regular and does voices that are always delighful and full of character. Sadly the recording is a little marred by a quiet whine throughout. This whine does not change so it is easily "tuned out" when listening.
All in all a good listen
Reading 3/3
Production 1/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
Here is the first chapter.
Tom Swift, that prolific youthful inventor, is engaged in trying to help the Allies win WWI. After reading newspaper accounts of the British tanks, Tom takes a sheet of paper and sets out to design a better one from scratch. And fortunately, he can throw the whole family business behind his venture.
He has two problems: First, his friends and acquaintances are questioning his patriotism because he hasn’t enlisted as a rifleman for the front lines. Even his girl is worried his blood isn’t true-blue. But that’s because he is developing his tank in secret, and they don’t know he’s concentrating on winning the war the American way, with machines.
The second problem is that the German spies have penetrated the secret of what is being built in the high-security shop on the Swift property. And they will stop at nothing to steal its design - not kidnapping Tom, and not kidnapping the tank itself, complete with crew.
Tom and his buddies had better work fast, or the American riflemen are going to find the Kaiser’s soldiers using American-designed tanks against them!
My Review
This is a "ripping yarn" type story. The lead character is an inventer with outlandish design and production skills. In this case the story revolves around the building of a Tank for use against the Germans during WWII.
The bad guys are German spys the hero's are all clean cut american boys. There is never any doubt about who is who and you always know that the heros are going to be okay in the end.
The adventure rolls on in the "ripping yarn" style and you dont have a chance to get bored.
The reader is excellent "Mark F Smith" is a Librivox regular and does voices that are always delighful and full of character. Sadly the recording is a little marred by a quiet whine throughout. This whine does not change so it is easily "tuned out" when listening.
All in all a good listen
Reading 3/3
Production 1/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
Here is the first chapter.
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
Detailed Minutiae of Soldier Life in the Army of Northern Virginia, 1861-1865
The Official Blurb
The author, who fought as a private in the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War, describes the Confederate soldier’s daily struggles with hunger, illness, fear, and the perils of combat; as well as his pride of service, love of comrades, and courage in the face of overwhelming odds.
My Review
This is not a work of fiction, it is the memoirs of an artilleryman turned infantry of the time he spent in the forces during the American Civil War. He relates how the soldiers gallantly joined up, how being a soldier as opposed to be an officer was seen as having more merit and honur! He then tells us how the southern volunteers learned through hard experience in the required footware and what really needed to be carried by a foot soldier.
We hear a lot of the little details of day to day life of the soldier and how this particular soldier fared while outpacing the supplies. You'll learn something when you listen.
I'm a wargamer in some of my spare hours ( that means I play with toy soldiers ) and I've read a lot of ACW books, but even my well read mind picked up on some interesting facts and thoughts from this memoir.
The reader of this book is very good and I had some chuckles when some of the swear words were bleeped!
Basicly, it's good historical content, well read and an easy listen.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3 ( Low story rating, because it's a memoir! )
Total Score 5/9
Get it from Librivox
Here is the first chapter.
The author, who fought as a private in the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War, describes the Confederate soldier’s daily struggles with hunger, illness, fear, and the perils of combat; as well as his pride of service, love of comrades, and courage in the face of overwhelming odds.
My Review
This is not a work of fiction, it is the memoirs of an artilleryman turned infantry of the time he spent in the forces during the American Civil War. He relates how the soldiers gallantly joined up, how being a soldier as opposed to be an officer was seen as having more merit and honur! He then tells us how the southern volunteers learned through hard experience in the required footware and what really needed to be carried by a foot soldier.
We hear a lot of the little details of day to day life of the soldier and how this particular soldier fared while outpacing the supplies. You'll learn something when you listen.
I'm a wargamer in some of my spare hours ( that means I play with toy soldiers ) and I've read a lot of ACW books, but even my well read mind picked up on some interesting facts and thoughts from this memoir.
The reader of this book is very good and I had some chuckles when some of the swear words were bleeped!
Basicly, it's good historical content, well read and an easy listen.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3 ( Low story rating, because it's a memoir! )
Total Score 5/9
Get it from Librivox
Here is the first chapter.
Friday, 3 October 2008
Red Badge of Courage
The official Blurb
This is a short novel published in 1895 and based vaguely on the battle of Chancellorsville of the American Civil War. Unlike other works on the subject, Crane’s novel does not concentrate on the big picture or the glory of war but on the psychology of one of its soldiers.
My Review
This is a classic story set during the American Civil War. It follows a young man as he joins up and moves up towards the battle. It really does justice to the pre-war nerves that young men have always felt before combat.
As the story moves forward we follow the man as he moves through fear and running away up to the point where he finds his own courage and learns to live with it.
The recording is from librivox and is read by a number of differn't people. This can sometimes be problematic when there are multiple people reading the lines of different characters. In this case it actually works very well as the story is predominently a narration and so the different voices work well to actually keep the interest up for the ear.
So we have a good story set in interesting times. Well written and well read. Although it's a war story it's not really about the war or the fighting, it's about the people and their feelings.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Get it from Librivox
Here is the first chapter.
This is a short novel published in 1895 and based vaguely on the battle of Chancellorsville of the American Civil War. Unlike other works on the subject, Crane’s novel does not concentrate on the big picture or the glory of war but on the psychology of one of its soldiers.
My Review
This is a classic story set during the American Civil War. It follows a young man as he joins up and moves up towards the battle. It really does justice to the pre-war nerves that young men have always felt before combat.
As the story moves forward we follow the man as he moves through fear and running away up to the point where he finds his own courage and learns to live with it.
The recording is from librivox and is read by a number of differn't people. This can sometimes be problematic when there are multiple people reading the lines of different characters. In this case it actually works very well as the story is predominently a narration and so the different voices work well to actually keep the interest up for the ear.
So we have a good story set in interesting times. Well written and well read. Although it's a war story it's not really about the war or the fighting, it's about the people and their feelings.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Get it from Librivox
Here is the first chapter.
Sunday, 28 September 2008
How I found Livingstone
The Official Blurb
Sir Henry Morton Stanley is famously quoted for saying “Dr Livingstone, i Presume?”. Born in Wales, he migrated over to the United States at the age of 18, he eventually became an overseas correspondent for the New York Herald. In 1869 Stanley was told by James Gordon Bennett Jr to find Livingstone, a scottish missionary and explorer. When Stanley commented on the cost Bennett’s reply was: “Well, I will tell you what you will do. Draw a thousand pounds now; and when you have gone through that, draw another thousand, and when that is spent, draw another thousand, and when you have finished that, draw another thousand, and so on; but, FIND LIVINGSTONE.” How I Found Livingstone is Stanley’s personnel account of his trip from Zanzibar to Lake Tanganyika on this quest, including time spent exploring the area with Livingstone.
My Review
Here we have not a work of fiction but the actual account by Stanley of his journey to find Livingstone, and yes it does include THE famous line. We get to hear about the trials and tribulations of the journey across africa. The swamps, the jungles, the river crossing and even the wars Stanley had to get himself involved in just to reach Livingstone.
After the adventerous journey the book also relates the happenings of the time they spent together and finally the trip back to the coast.
This is not a novel and does not contain action at every turn, it is a serious retelling of the actual events as they took place.
I'm a sucker for this old world expedition stuff, such as Roosevelts trek down the River of Doubt and the various Pole journeys so I loved every minute. I found myself facinated in the details of such journeys such as how much bully beef they needed to carry, how many men they needed to carry it and what gun works best under various conditions.
My wife on the other hand hates this kind of stuff, so you'll have to take my review with the understanding that I love that kind of thing.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Get it from Librivox
Here is the first chapter.
Sir Henry Morton Stanley is famously quoted for saying “Dr Livingstone, i Presume?”. Born in Wales, he migrated over to the United States at the age of 18, he eventually became an overseas correspondent for the New York Herald. In 1869 Stanley was told by James Gordon Bennett Jr to find Livingstone, a scottish missionary and explorer. When Stanley commented on the cost Bennett’s reply was: “Well, I will tell you what you will do. Draw a thousand pounds now; and when you have gone through that, draw another thousand, and when that is spent, draw another thousand, and when you have finished that, draw another thousand, and so on; but, FIND LIVINGSTONE.” How I Found Livingstone is Stanley’s personnel account of his trip from Zanzibar to Lake Tanganyika on this quest, including time spent exploring the area with Livingstone.
My Review
Here we have not a work of fiction but the actual account by Stanley of his journey to find Livingstone, and yes it does include THE famous line. We get to hear about the trials and tribulations of the journey across africa. The swamps, the jungles, the river crossing and even the wars Stanley had to get himself involved in just to reach Livingstone.
After the adventerous journey the book also relates the happenings of the time they spent together and finally the trip back to the coast.
This is not a novel and does not contain action at every turn, it is a serious retelling of the actual events as they took place.
I'm a sucker for this old world expedition stuff, such as Roosevelts trek down the River of Doubt and the various Pole journeys so I loved every minute. I found myself facinated in the details of such journeys such as how much bully beef they needed to carry, how many men they needed to carry it and what gun works best under various conditions.
My wife on the other hand hates this kind of stuff, so you'll have to take my review with the understanding that I love that kind of thing.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Get it from Librivox
Here is the first chapter.
Friday, 26 September 2008
Karl's Last Flight
The Official Blurb
Karl Alexander had been an adrenaline junky for twenty five years. Whether flying Harriers in the Marines, piloting the shuttle for NASA, or as the chief astronaut for StrataCorp Space Flight his happiness was only found when he hit five Gs. But when a series of minor mishaps sends his ship crashing into the desert of an unknown country, Karl finds a new kind of adrenaline rush as he is swept into a raging torrent of the world at the edge of war. Spies, insurgents, secret police, and an infamous Saudi millionaire terrorist all threaten to make his next flight, his last.
My Review
This is an exciting thrilling modern ( or very close future ) adventure. The author has cleverly run two stories into one. One story follows the lead character as a young man while the other story follows the same man many years later. So we have two slightly (very slightly) linked stories running at the same time with the switch between them taking place every chapter.
It's very well written, and very well read. High action, high adventure with never a break in the steamroller of a plot. We have space ships, fighter planes, terrorists, jungles and spys, what more could anyone really want.
Simply put this is well worth a listen.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
Get it from Podiobooks.
Here is the first chapter.
Karl Alexander had been an adrenaline junky for twenty five years. Whether flying Harriers in the Marines, piloting the shuttle for NASA, or as the chief astronaut for StrataCorp Space Flight his happiness was only found when he hit five Gs. But when a series of minor mishaps sends his ship crashing into the desert of an unknown country, Karl finds a new kind of adrenaline rush as he is swept into a raging torrent of the world at the edge of war. Spies, insurgents, secret police, and an infamous Saudi millionaire terrorist all threaten to make his next flight, his last.
My Review
This is an exciting thrilling modern ( or very close future ) adventure. The author has cleverly run two stories into one. One story follows the lead character as a young man while the other story follows the same man many years later. So we have two slightly (very slightly) linked stories running at the same time with the switch between them taking place every chapter.
It's very well written, and very well read. High action, high adventure with never a break in the steamroller of a plot. We have space ships, fighter planes, terrorists, jungles and spys, what more could anyone really want.
Simply put this is well worth a listen.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
Get it from Podiobooks.
Here is the first chapter.
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Quarter Share
The Official Blurb
A Trader's Tale from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper : Book 1
When Ishmael Wang is orphaned by a flitter crash, he must make some hard decisions about how to survive in a Company-owned universe. With limited time and fewer options, he lands a job as the newest hand on the Solar Clipper Lois McKendrick and learns there's more to life than making coffee. Join Ish, Pip, Big Bad Bev, and the rest of the Lois McKendrick's crew as they sail the galaxy in search of profitable trade.For more information on the book and the Golden Age, see http://www.durandus.com/golden
My Review
I've got odd feelings about this one.
There really wasn't a story. No really, I mean it. Yet...
Erm... Its a traders tale, and it follows the main character as he... trades.
He's on a space ship flying from planet to planet but there aren't any aliens, there are no battles, there's a bit of a fight, or rather a mugging, but we only see the aftermath.
I liked it. I really liked it. It's part of a series and I'm going to immediately subscribe to the sequel. It had no story...
The reader was magnificent. A delightful cultured voice that was silky smooth.
No story...
What made this so appealing? It was the characters, they really came to life for me, they feel like real people and yes, I even care about them so I'm definitely going to get straight into the sequel.
It's a good "story" that I guess is going to develop into the second book and third books. I can think of a few threads that weren't followed up and I want to know how they go, I'm looking forward to it.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3 ( What story? Yet this is still great!!!!!!!)
Total Score 6/9 (Strangely the score does not reflect what I feel, its great!)
Here is Chapter 1
A Trader's Tale from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper : Book 1
When Ishmael Wang is orphaned by a flitter crash, he must make some hard decisions about how to survive in a Company-owned universe. With limited time and fewer options, he lands a job as the newest hand on the Solar Clipper Lois McKendrick and learns there's more to life than making coffee. Join Ish, Pip, Big Bad Bev, and the rest of the Lois McKendrick's crew as they sail the galaxy in search of profitable trade.For more information on the book and the Golden Age, see http://www.durandus.com/golden
My Review
I've got odd feelings about this one.
There really wasn't a story. No really, I mean it. Yet...
Erm... Its a traders tale, and it follows the main character as he... trades.
He's on a space ship flying from planet to planet but there aren't any aliens, there are no battles, there's a bit of a fight, or rather a mugging, but we only see the aftermath.
I liked it. I really liked it. It's part of a series and I'm going to immediately subscribe to the sequel. It had no story...
The reader was magnificent. A delightful cultured voice that was silky smooth.
No story...
What made this so appealing? It was the characters, they really came to life for me, they feel like real people and yes, I even care about them so I'm definitely going to get straight into the sequel.
It's a good "story" that I guess is going to develop into the second book and third books. I can think of a few threads that weren't followed up and I want to know how they go, I'm looking forward to it.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3 ( What story? Yet this is still great!!!!!!!)
Total Score 6/9 (Strangely the score does not reflect what I feel, its great!)
Here is Chapter 1
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Ancestor
The Official Blurb
Scientists struggle to solve the problem of xenotransplantation -- using animal tissue to replace failing human organs. Funded by the biotech firm Genada, Dr. Claus Rhumkorrf seeks to recreate the ancestor of all mammals. By getting back to the root of our creation, Rhumkorrf hopes to create an animal with human internal organs. Rhumkorrf discovers the ancestor, but it is not the small, harmless creature he envisions. His genius gives birth to a fast-growing evil that nature eradicated 250 million years ago -- an evil now on the loose, and very, very hungry.
My Review
WOW! Scott Sigler has created a masterpiece of audio storydom ( is that a word? ). It's a science/horror story in the best traditions of the genre, like Crighton, Mr Sigler has done his research, and cleverly built on it to produce an outrageously horrible story thats based on just enough real science to make you see just how real it could be.
The characters in the story are cleverly voiced by Mr Sigler and this brings them all alive. He has managed to fit his voice to this large cast ( though the cast does start shrinking quite quickly as they get killed off ) and given them all a audio personality. This really helps you to get to know the characters and care about them before he rips them apart!
The official blurb gives the main story away, but even knowing that the story is so action packed that you will not be disapointed by any episodes. The story is tense, fast moving and will keep you hooked from beginning to end.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
Here is Chapter 1
Scientists struggle to solve the problem of xenotransplantation -- using animal tissue to replace failing human organs. Funded by the biotech firm Genada, Dr. Claus Rhumkorrf seeks to recreate the ancestor of all mammals. By getting back to the root of our creation, Rhumkorrf hopes to create an animal with human internal organs. Rhumkorrf discovers the ancestor, but it is not the small, harmless creature he envisions. His genius gives birth to a fast-growing evil that nature eradicated 250 million years ago -- an evil now on the loose, and very, very hungry.
My Review
WOW! Scott Sigler has created a masterpiece of audio storydom ( is that a word? ). It's a science/horror story in the best traditions of the genre, like Crighton, Mr Sigler has done his research, and cleverly built on it to produce an outrageously horrible story thats based on just enough real science to make you see just how real it could be.
The characters in the story are cleverly voiced by Mr Sigler and this brings them all alive. He has managed to fit his voice to this large cast ( though the cast does start shrinking quite quickly as they get killed off ) and given them all a audio personality. This really helps you to get to know the characters and care about them before he rips them apart!
The official blurb gives the main story away, but even knowing that the story is so action packed that you will not be disapointed by any episodes. The story is tense, fast moving and will keep you hooked from beginning to end.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
Here is Chapter 1
Thursday, 11 September 2008
Rebels of the Red Planet
The Official Blurb
Dark Kensington had been dead for twenty-five years. It was a fact; everyone knew it. Then suddenly he reappeared, youthful, brilliant, ready to take over the Phoenix, the rebel group that worked to overthrow the tyranny that gripped the settlers on Mars.
The Phoenix had been destroyed not once, not twice, but three times! But this time the resurrected Dark had new plans, plans which involved dangerous experiments in mutation and psionics.
And now the rebels realized they were in double jeopardy. Not only from the government's desperate hatred of their movement, but also from the growing possibility that the new breed of mutated monsters would get out of hand and bring terrors never before known to man.
My Review
What we have here is a classic style pulp sci fi story of the good rebels trying to throw off the shackles of the eveil overlords on earth. Not a bad trope and very well executed in this story.
So we have evil overlords, rebels, other worlds, aliens, psionics, genetic experiments and ray guns, so how could it fail? It didn't, this is a good listen. No it's not serious sci fi, with solid plot that could take a tank round without a wobble, but it is good light fun, perfect for listening while on the move.
So we have a good story, but we also have a voice to die for. The readers silky smooth Scottish accent is just a pleasure to listen to. If the story was dross that voice could make it endurable! I highly rec' listing to this.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Available from Podiobooks
Dark Kensington had been dead for twenty-five years. It was a fact; everyone knew it. Then suddenly he reappeared, youthful, brilliant, ready to take over the Phoenix, the rebel group that worked to overthrow the tyranny that gripped the settlers on Mars.
The Phoenix had been destroyed not once, not twice, but three times! But this time the resurrected Dark had new plans, plans which involved dangerous experiments in mutation and psionics.
And now the rebels realized they were in double jeopardy. Not only from the government's desperate hatred of their movement, but also from the growing possibility that the new breed of mutated monsters would get out of hand and bring terrors never before known to man.
My Review
What we have here is a classic style pulp sci fi story of the good rebels trying to throw off the shackles of the eveil overlords on earth. Not a bad trope and very well executed in this story.
So we have evil overlords, rebels, other worlds, aliens, psionics, genetic experiments and ray guns, so how could it fail? It didn't, this is a good listen. No it's not serious sci fi, with solid plot that could take a tank round without a wobble, but it is good light fun, perfect for listening while on the move.
So we have a good story, but we also have a voice to die for. The readers silky smooth Scottish accent is just a pleasure to listen to. If the story was dross that voice could make it endurable! I highly rec' listing to this.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Available from Podiobooks
Thursday, 4 September 2008
A Journey to the Interior of the Earth
The Official Blurb
Journey to the Interior of the Earth is an 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne (published in the original French as Voyage au centre de la Terre). The story involves a professor who leads his nephew and hired guide down a volcano in Iceland to the “center of the Earth”. They encounter many adventures, including prehistoric animals and natural hazards, eventually coming to the surface again in southern Italy.
My Review
I'd read this book waaaay back in the past back when I was at school and so came to this reading with that warm feeling of childhood memory.
I was not disapointed! The characters are wonderful, each with their own motivations and behaviours, I believe "fully rounded" fits the description in this story.
The story itself is very well written and you can almost feel the events taking place around you. This is because the author takes time to develop the characters and happily fills out the details from inside their heads so you know and feel everything.
The story is not high action, but is very filled with events and problems that have to be solved, so you always feel engaged with the story.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Available from Librivox
Listen to the first chapter.
Journey to the Interior of the Earth is an 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne (published in the original French as Voyage au centre de la Terre). The story involves a professor who leads his nephew and hired guide down a volcano in Iceland to the “center of the Earth”. They encounter many adventures, including prehistoric animals and natural hazards, eventually coming to the surface again in southern Italy.
My Review
I'd read this book waaaay back in the past back when I was at school and so came to this reading with that warm feeling of childhood memory.
I was not disapointed! The characters are wonderful, each with their own motivations and behaviours, I believe "fully rounded" fits the description in this story.
The story itself is very well written and you can almost feel the events taking place around you. This is because the author takes time to develop the characters and happily fills out the details from inside their heads so you know and feel everything.
The story is not high action, but is very filled with events and problems that have to be solved, so you always feel engaged with the story.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Available from Librivox
Listen to the first chapter.
Friday, 29 August 2008
Hornblower
My Review
Once again this is not a book review, but rather a review of an entire old radio series available for download for free from the internet archive.
This series is as the name suggests the retelling of the Horatio Hornblower stories, presented here as a series of half hour shows.
It is old time radio so there are some issues with the noise on the recording, but this is in the form of hiss and crackle and not the killer loss the higher frequencies we sometimes get.
The story is of course excellent, presented here as a series of memories of the aged Hornblower told as he thinks back. After the aged Hornblowers intro the action switches into full audio drama format. It is very well done and a delight for any fans of the sea.
This set of recordings is a little mixed up. There are even a couple that come from a differn't series but still telling the Hornblower story, I believe these came from the BBC.
This series is well worth a listen, high action, high fun.
Reading 2/3 ( would be 3 but for the hiss )
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 7/9
Available from the Internet Archive
Listen to the first show on the list.
Once again this is not a book review, but rather a review of an entire old radio series available for download for free from the internet archive.
This series is as the name suggests the retelling of the Horatio Hornblower stories, presented here as a series of half hour shows.
It is old time radio so there are some issues with the noise on the recording, but this is in the form of hiss and crackle and not the killer loss the higher frequencies we sometimes get.
The story is of course excellent, presented here as a series of memories of the aged Hornblower told as he thinks back. After the aged Hornblowers intro the action switches into full audio drama format. It is very well done and a delight for any fans of the sea.
This set of recordings is a little mixed up. There are even a couple that come from a differn't series but still telling the Hornblower story, I believe these came from the BBC.
This series is well worth a listen, high action, high fun.
Reading 2/3 ( would be 3 but for the hiss )
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 7/9
Available from the Internet Archive
Listen to the first show on the list.
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Playing for Keeps
The Official Blurb
Playing for Keeps tells the story of Keepsie Branson, a bar owner in the shining metropolis of Seventh City: birthplace of super powers. Keepsie and her friends live among egotistical heroes and manipulative villains, and manage to fall directly in the middle as people with powers, but who just aren't strong enough to make a difference. Or that's what they've been told. As the city begins to melt down, it's hard to tell who are the good guys and who are the bad.
My Review
This is a super hero story. Not your usual superhero story. The story follows a bunch of superhero failures, people who have been turned away from the superhero accademy because their super powers arn't super enough. They resent being turned away and have been hanging out in the bar belonging to one of them.
The "Heros" in this world are pretty nasty, and the villians seem like good guys and the protagonists somewhere in the middle.
The story follows the events of these wannabees as the city erupts into adventure and disaster, they try to help, they try to fight, they try to survive.
It's an exciting novel that'll be twisting your face into a laugh one minute and into concern for the characters next. Ups, downs and never a let up in the interest.
Just a little warning, not for kids, contains profanity...lots of it.
I rate this...
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
This book is available from podiobooks
An audio promo for the book
Playing for Keeps tells the story of Keepsie Branson, a bar owner in the shining metropolis of Seventh City: birthplace of super powers. Keepsie and her friends live among egotistical heroes and manipulative villains, and manage to fall directly in the middle as people with powers, but who just aren't strong enough to make a difference. Or that's what they've been told. As the city begins to melt down, it's hard to tell who are the good guys and who are the bad.
My Review
This is a super hero story. Not your usual superhero story. The story follows a bunch of superhero failures, people who have been turned away from the superhero accademy because their super powers arn't super enough. They resent being turned away and have been hanging out in the bar belonging to one of them.
The "Heros" in this world are pretty nasty, and the villians seem like good guys and the protagonists somewhere in the middle.
The story follows the events of these wannabees as the city erupts into adventure and disaster, they try to help, they try to fight, they try to survive.
It's an exciting novel that'll be twisting your face into a laugh one minute and into concern for the characters next. Ups, downs and never a let up in the interest.
Just a little warning, not for kids, contains profanity...lots of it.
I rate this...
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
This book is available from podiobooks
An audio promo for the book
Thursday, 14 August 2008
The Napoleon of Notting Hill
The Official Blurb
While the novel is humorous (one instance has the King sitting on top of an omnibus and speaking to it as to a horse: “Forward, my beauty, my Arab,” he said, patting the omnibus encouragingly, “fleetest of all thy bounding tribe”), it is also an adventure story: Chesterton is not afraid to let blood be drawn in his battles, fought with sword and halberd in the London streets, and Wayne thinks up a few ingenious strategies; and, finally, the novel is philosophical, considering the value of one man’s actions and the virtue of respect for one’s enemies.
My Review
If your looking for a slowish paced story that will bring a wry smile to your face and keep it there, then this is the story for you.
As the blurb states is has its bizarre moments, but they all fit into theme of the story. I was quite interested to find London broken up into seperate countries waring with each other ... with halbards!
I think of this story as a relaxing Sunday afternoon listen. Worth queueing up on you Ipod or computer when in a relaxed mood, perhaps a glass of wine ready at your side?
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
This book is available from Librivox.
An audio promo for this book.
While the novel is humorous (one instance has the King sitting on top of an omnibus and speaking to it as to a horse: “Forward, my beauty, my Arab,” he said, patting the omnibus encouragingly, “fleetest of all thy bounding tribe”), it is also an adventure story: Chesterton is not afraid to let blood be drawn in his battles, fought with sword and halberd in the London streets, and Wayne thinks up a few ingenious strategies; and, finally, the novel is philosophical, considering the value of one man’s actions and the virtue of respect for one’s enemies.
My Review
If your looking for a slowish paced story that will bring a wry smile to your face and keep it there, then this is the story for you.
As the blurb states is has its bizarre moments, but they all fit into theme of the story. I was quite interested to find London broken up into seperate countries waring with each other ... with halbards!
I think of this story as a relaxing Sunday afternoon listen. Worth queueing up on you Ipod or computer when in a relaxed mood, perhaps a glass of wine ready at your side?
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
This book is available from Librivox.
An audio promo for this book.
Thursday, 31 July 2008
2000 Plus
The Official Blurb
[None]
My Review
Once again, this is not an audio book but rather an old time radio series available for free download.
This is quite a short series and is made up of individual stories that do not interconnect, the only thing they share is that they are all science fiction.
Some of these stories are really quite good, some are what you might call boring. A couple are VERY GOOD. I found a couple of them far too muffled, meaning that I couldn't make out the words for much of the episode. If you find yourself listening to these episodes, I reccommend just skipping to the next. All of them suffer from noise but most of it is acceptable.
Reading 2/3
Production 1/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 5/9
This series if available from Archive.org
[None]
My Review
Once again, this is not an audio book but rather an old time radio series available for free download.
This is quite a short series and is made up of individual stories that do not interconnect, the only thing they share is that they are all science fiction.
Some of these stories are really quite good, some are what you might call boring. A couple are VERY GOOD. I found a couple of them far too muffled, meaning that I couldn't make out the words for much of the episode. If you find yourself listening to these episodes, I reccommend just skipping to the next. All of them suffer from noise but most of it is acceptable.
Reading 2/3
Production 1/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 5/9
This series if available from Archive.org
Monday, 28 July 2008
Children of the Old Stars
The Official Blurb
The Cluster is a vast alien machine that destroys starships indiscriminately in its quest for something or someone. Commander John Mark Ellis, disgraced and booted out of the service when he fails to save a merchant ship, believes the key to stopping the Cluster is communication. His mother, Suki Firebrandt Ellis is a historian who believes the very leaders of the galaxy are withholding information about the Cluster. Clyde McClintlock believes the Cluster is God incarnate, seeking retribution. G'Liat is an alien warrior whose own starship was destroyed by the Cluster. All together, they set out to solve the mystery of the Cluster before it finds the object of its quest.
The events of Children of the Old Stars follow those of The Pirates of Sufiro
My Review
I have not read or listened to the prequel of this book so came at it knowing nothing of the background or history. I do not believe I suffered at all because of that in my listening. I certainly did not notice any holes in plot or character.
It's a space opera in the full sence of the term. A bit star trek-like in its investigation of the unknown.
We have alien races, unknown entities and men driven by a desire to understand. All of the parts need for a great story. Unfortunately I found that it didn;t quite come together. The story just didn't have a big-bang it was missing the climax it deserved. This may be a factor of being the middle of a trilogy.
The reading was perfectly good and the story had enough twists and character to keep me listening, it was only after it was all over that I felt a little let down.
That sounds pretty negative, dont mistake me, it is a good enough story and you wont be bored and it's entirely possible you'll enjoy it a lot more than me.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
This book is available from Podiobooks.
The Cluster is a vast alien machine that destroys starships indiscriminately in its quest for something or someone. Commander John Mark Ellis, disgraced and booted out of the service when he fails to save a merchant ship, believes the key to stopping the Cluster is communication. His mother, Suki Firebrandt Ellis is a historian who believes the very leaders of the galaxy are withholding information about the Cluster. Clyde McClintlock believes the Cluster is God incarnate, seeking retribution. G'Liat is an alien warrior whose own starship was destroyed by the Cluster. All together, they set out to solve the mystery of the Cluster before it finds the object of its quest.
The events of Children of the Old Stars follow those of The Pirates of Sufiro
My Review
I have not read or listened to the prequel of this book so came at it knowing nothing of the background or history. I do not believe I suffered at all because of that in my listening. I certainly did not notice any holes in plot or character.
It's a space opera in the full sence of the term. A bit star trek-like in its investigation of the unknown.
We have alien races, unknown entities and men driven by a desire to understand. All of the parts need for a great story. Unfortunately I found that it didn;t quite come together. The story just didn't have a big-bang it was missing the climax it deserved. This may be a factor of being the middle of a trilogy.
The reading was perfectly good and the story had enough twists and character to keep me listening, it was only after it was all over that I felt a little let down.
That sounds pretty negative, dont mistake me, it is a good enough story and you wont be bored and it's entirely possible you'll enjoy it a lot more than me.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
This book is available from Podiobooks.
Thursday, 24 July 2008
The 39 Steps
The Official Blurb
Richard Hannay’s boredom is soon relieved when the resourceful engineer is caught up in a web of secret codes, spies, and murder on the eve of WWI. This exciting action-adventure story was the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1939 classic film of the same name. John Buchan (1875-1940) was Governor General of Canada and a popular novelist. Although condemned by some for anti-Semitic dialog in The Thirty-Nine Steps, his character’s sentiments do not represent the view of the author who was identified in Hitler’s Sonderfahndungsliste (special search list) as a “Jewish sympathiser.”
My Review
I love "The 39 Steps", if you've read my review of it's sequel ( also available from Librivox ) you know this already. This version has just this month been released by Librivox and the moment I saw it I was hitting the download button.
I find the story exciting, thrilling and a real joy. The hero is a man of action, not a trained spy, not a dyed in the wool hero, just Johnny on the Spot who's prepared to do his bit.
There are chases, disguises and secret codes to top it off with all of the standard spy story requirements. It's an excellently put together story and I have to say the reader in this case was just as excellent as the story itself.
The story opens with the protagonist bored out of his skull, and the reader portrays this perfectly. Later when things start to liven up, the reader lives up to that as well with excitement and threat(!) in his voice. As a huge bonus his voice characterisations are a delight.
This is a MUST LISTEN title from Librivox.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
This book is available from Librivox.
There is an Audio Promo for the book.
Richard Hannay’s boredom is soon relieved when the resourceful engineer is caught up in a web of secret codes, spies, and murder on the eve of WWI. This exciting action-adventure story was the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1939 classic film of the same name. John Buchan (1875-1940) was Governor General of Canada and a popular novelist. Although condemned by some for anti-Semitic dialog in The Thirty-Nine Steps, his character’s sentiments do not represent the view of the author who was identified in Hitler’s Sonderfahndungsliste (special search list) as a “Jewish sympathiser.”
My Review
I love "The 39 Steps", if you've read my review of it's sequel ( also available from Librivox ) you know this already. This version has just this month been released by Librivox and the moment I saw it I was hitting the download button.
I find the story exciting, thrilling and a real joy. The hero is a man of action, not a trained spy, not a dyed in the wool hero, just Johnny on the Spot who's prepared to do his bit.
There are chases, disguises and secret codes to top it off with all of the standard spy story requirements. It's an excellently put together story and I have to say the reader in this case was just as excellent as the story itself.
The story opens with the protagonist bored out of his skull, and the reader portrays this perfectly. Later when things start to liven up, the reader lives up to that as well with excitement and threat(!) in his voice. As a huge bonus his voice characterisations are a delight.
This is a MUST LISTEN title from Librivox.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
This book is available from Librivox.
There is an Audio Promo for the book.
Saturday, 19 July 2008
Planet of the Damned
The Official Blurb
Once in a generation, a man is born with a heightened sense of empathy. Brion Brandd used this gift to win the Twenties, an annual physical and mental competition among the best and smartest people on Anvhar. But scarcely able to enjoy his victory, Brandd is swept off to the hellish planet Dis where he must use his heightened sense of empathy to help avert a global nuclear holocaust by negotiating with the blockading fleet, traversing the Disan underworld, and cracking the mystery of the savagely ruthless magter.
My Review
This was a fun story. High SciFi in the best traditions. As the blurb says a hero is whisked away from his home world to help interfere in the impending doom of an entire planet.
The main character picks up a few friends along the way and gets involved in the rebellion on the planet. From the moment the hero lands on the planet the action starts and as a reader/listener you're not left wanting. His mission has equal parts of must-keep-going, running-out-of-time, enemies-surround-me, alien-investigations. It's a kind of Star-Trek meets Indiana Jones adventure and very enjoyable.
The readings are excellent and pretty well put together.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
This book is available from Librivox.
There is an Audio Promo for the book.
Once in a generation, a man is born with a heightened sense of empathy. Brion Brandd used this gift to win the Twenties, an annual physical and mental competition among the best and smartest people on Anvhar. But scarcely able to enjoy his victory, Brandd is swept off to the hellish planet Dis where he must use his heightened sense of empathy to help avert a global nuclear holocaust by negotiating with the blockading fleet, traversing the Disan underworld, and cracking the mystery of the savagely ruthless magter.
My Review
This was a fun story. High SciFi in the best traditions. As the blurb says a hero is whisked away from his home world to help interfere in the impending doom of an entire planet.
The main character picks up a few friends along the way and gets involved in the rebellion on the planet. From the moment the hero lands on the planet the action starts and as a reader/listener you're not left wanting. His mission has equal parts of must-keep-going, running-out-of-time, enemies-surround-me, alien-investigations. It's a kind of Star-Trek meets Indiana Jones adventure and very enjoyable.
The readings are excellent and pretty well put together.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
This book is available from Librivox.
There is an Audio Promo for the book.
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
7th Son Book Three : Destruction
The Official Blurb
As day four in the 7th Son adventure begins, John Alpha's quest for anarchy and genocide enters its final stage.
At every turn, the global terrorist has been triumphant. The world is reeling from a nuclear attack. An unprecedented energy crisis is upon us. Alpha himself has exclusive access to the White House, and secret weapons primed to propel his conspiracy into the endgame. The goal: planetary chaos.
Amidst this turmoil, the 7th Son's four surviving Beta Clones -- John, Father Thomas, Kilroy2.0 and Jack -- must defy their creators and hunt Alpha on their terms. Their mission: to stop the greatest assassination plot in history. The secrets John and his brothers discover will press them toward a final battle with their progenitor ... a battle in which the clones are outgunned, outnumbered and out of time.
Alliances will be made. Heroes will die. The end is nigh.
My Review
Wow! What can I say, it was totally beautiful. An excellent end to the trilogy. Its hard to think that a story that includes a few Nukes popping off half way through can raise the game for a tremendous endgame. 7th Son somehow manages it.
The previous two books that I have reviewed on this blog were outstanding and the author has carried on when drawing the trilogy to a conclusion. The characters that you come to love and loathe are fully formed when the book starts and this makes the events of this final part all the more momentous.
When the characters are hurt you feel thier pain, when they struggle to win through, you strain with them. You know the odds, you know how much of an underdog the good guys are and you really really want them to win through, but can't see anyway to achieve it.
Simply put this whole series is excellent and a must-read-listen.
Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 9/9
This book is available from Podiobooks.
There is an Audio Promo for the book.
As day four in the 7th Son adventure begins, John Alpha's quest for anarchy and genocide enters its final stage.
At every turn, the global terrorist has been triumphant. The world is reeling from a nuclear attack. An unprecedented energy crisis is upon us. Alpha himself has exclusive access to the White House, and secret weapons primed to propel his conspiracy into the endgame. The goal: planetary chaos.
Amidst this turmoil, the 7th Son's four surviving Beta Clones -- John, Father Thomas, Kilroy2.0 and Jack -- must defy their creators and hunt Alpha on their terms. Their mission: to stop the greatest assassination plot in history. The secrets John and his brothers discover will press them toward a final battle with their progenitor ... a battle in which the clones are outgunned, outnumbered and out of time.
Alliances will be made. Heroes will die. The end is nigh.
My Review
Wow! What can I say, it was totally beautiful. An excellent end to the trilogy. Its hard to think that a story that includes a few Nukes popping off half way through can raise the game for a tremendous endgame. 7th Son somehow manages it.
The previous two books that I have reviewed on this blog were outstanding and the author has carried on when drawing the trilogy to a conclusion. The characters that you come to love and loathe are fully formed when the book starts and this makes the events of this final part all the more momentous.
When the characters are hurt you feel thier pain, when they struggle to win through, you strain with them. You know the odds, you know how much of an underdog the good guys are and you really really want them to win through, but can't see anyway to achieve it.
Simply put this whole series is excellent and a must-read-listen.
Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 9/9
This book is available from Podiobooks.
There is an Audio Promo for the book.
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
The Seventh Mountain
The Official Blurb
A dream, surreal and frightening, begins the path of 12 year old Mark Young's future; a path set long before he was even born. Fortunately, it's not a path he's doomed to walk alone. His course leads to true friends, fortune, and a place where he learns to wield great power.
This place is The Seventh Mountain, the place where Magi train. The Seventh Mountain conceals the direst legend known to man. Mark's fate lies within.
My Review
I have never seen or read any Harry Potter, but even I can see that this story is like Harry Potter, but with a slight Christian twist.
It's an episodic story that follows the exploits of a young lad as he discoveres his heritage and the Magic that is at its core. The young lad ends up at a Magic College where he is taught the arcane arts.
We have sporting adventure and a couple of small doses of actual danger, and the mysterious unknown is threaded throughout. We discover a bunch of small teasers which are never followed up and are obviously there to be furfilled in the remainder of the series. As yet, there has been no sign of the rest of the series.
I feel that this is a YA novel or perhaps even younger. I listened all of the way through but never really felt drawn into the story. The Christian elements were what hooked me, I kept thinking to myself, "how is the author going to pull this one off".
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 5/9
This book is available from Podiobooks.
A dream, surreal and frightening, begins the path of 12 year old Mark Young's future; a path set long before he was even born. Fortunately, it's not a path he's doomed to walk alone. His course leads to true friends, fortune, and a place where he learns to wield great power.
This place is The Seventh Mountain, the place where Magi train. The Seventh Mountain conceals the direst legend known to man. Mark's fate lies within.
My Review
I have never seen or read any Harry Potter, but even I can see that this story is like Harry Potter, but with a slight Christian twist.
It's an episodic story that follows the exploits of a young lad as he discoveres his heritage and the Magic that is at its core. The young lad ends up at a Magic College where he is taught the arcane arts.
We have sporting adventure and a couple of small doses of actual danger, and the mysterious unknown is threaded throughout. We discover a bunch of small teasers which are never followed up and are obviously there to be furfilled in the remainder of the series. As yet, there has been no sign of the rest of the series.
I feel that this is a YA novel or perhaps even younger. I listened all of the way through but never really felt drawn into the story. The Christian elements were what hooked me, I kept thinking to myself, "how is the author going to pull this one off".
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 5/9
This book is available from Podiobooks.
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
65 Below
The Official Blurb
After twenty years hunting terrorists under orders to "render harmless", USMC Master Sergeant Marcus Orlando Johnson, Mojo to his friends, settles into a quiet rural retirement on his childhood home in the Alaskan backwoods. But the idyllic retirement is shattered when Marcus comes across soldiers of America's staunchest enemy who are about to unleash a nightmarish biological weapon on the world from the most unexpected of places.
With the help of his ex-fiancee, the beautiful Korean born State Trooper Lonnie Wyatt, and the chance reunion of his old special operations buddy Harley Wasner, they race to stop a potentially devastating terrorist attack with worldwide implications but even nature is against them as the temperatures plummet to 65 below.
My Review
The author has written a very good thriller and produced a very good podcast version!
The story follows two timelines in parrellell following the same characters but about 10 years apart. It's very well done, the two stories weave to explain the reactions and motivations of them in the modern part of the story. Both threads are exciting, the "old" thread serves to action-up the beginning of the modern story.
The characters are well written, the action is tense and dramatic and the way the story has been constructed keeps you hooked because you want explanations for the mysteries set up at the beginning.
A very good story.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
This book is available from Podiobooks.
There is an Audio promo for this book.
After twenty years hunting terrorists under orders to "render harmless", USMC Master Sergeant Marcus Orlando Johnson, Mojo to his friends, settles into a quiet rural retirement on his childhood home in the Alaskan backwoods. But the idyllic retirement is shattered when Marcus comes across soldiers of America's staunchest enemy who are about to unleash a nightmarish biological weapon on the world from the most unexpected of places.
With the help of his ex-fiancee, the beautiful Korean born State Trooper Lonnie Wyatt, and the chance reunion of his old special operations buddy Harley Wasner, they race to stop a potentially devastating terrorist attack with worldwide implications but even nature is against them as the temperatures plummet to 65 below.
My Review
The author has written a very good thriller and produced a very good podcast version!
The story follows two timelines in parrellell following the same characters but about 10 years apart. It's very well done, the two stories weave to explain the reactions and motivations of them in the modern part of the story. Both threads are exciting, the "old" thread serves to action-up the beginning of the modern story.
The characters are well written, the action is tense and dramatic and the way the story has been constructed keeps you hooked because you want explanations for the mysteries set up at the beginning.
A very good story.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
This book is available from Podiobooks.
There is an Audio promo for this book.
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
Edison's Conquest of Mars
The Official Blurb
Edison’s Conquest of Mars, by Garrett P. Serviss, is one of the many science fiction novels published in the nineteenth century. Although science fiction was not at the time thought of as a distinct literary genre, it was a very popular literary form, with almost every fiction magazine regularly publishing science fiction stories and novels. “Edison’s Conquest of Mars” was published in 1898 as an unauthorized sequel to H. G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds, but did not achieve the fame of its predecessor. The book was endorsed by Thomas Edison, the hero of the book — though not by Wells.
My Review
I was drawn to this book because I'm a big fan of the "War of the Worlds". This story couldn't really fail to be a good story, spaceships, aliens and warfare litter the book in a loverly pile of SciFi crunchiness.
The book starts off with a very short ride through the recovery of mankind from the Martian attack up to the mounting of an Attack on Mars. Then it slows down to a more normal narative pace as the human forces are mustered and set force to cross the gulf of space.
At that point we have a space opera type adventure as they discover the unknowns of space suffering setbacks and discovering the amazing.
Once the human fleet reaches Mars the pace picks up and the action is non stop. Of course being such an old book, many of the assumptions made by the author are complete nonsence but this really adds to the "Classic" feel of the tale.
All in all I really enjoyed this book. And considering that it's free, the price was a bonus!
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
This book is available from Librivox.
There is an Audio promo for this book.
Edison’s Conquest of Mars, by Garrett P. Serviss, is one of the many science fiction novels published in the nineteenth century. Although science fiction was not at the time thought of as a distinct literary genre, it was a very popular literary form, with almost every fiction magazine regularly publishing science fiction stories and novels. “Edison’s Conquest of Mars” was published in 1898 as an unauthorized sequel to H. G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds, but did not achieve the fame of its predecessor. The book was endorsed by Thomas Edison, the hero of the book — though not by Wells.
My Review
I was drawn to this book because I'm a big fan of the "War of the Worlds". This story couldn't really fail to be a good story, spaceships, aliens and warfare litter the book in a loverly pile of SciFi crunchiness.
The book starts off with a very short ride through the recovery of mankind from the Martian attack up to the mounting of an Attack on Mars. Then it slows down to a more normal narative pace as the human forces are mustered and set force to cross the gulf of space.
At that point we have a space opera type adventure as they discover the unknowns of space suffering setbacks and discovering the amazing.
Once the human fleet reaches Mars the pace picks up and the action is non stop. Of course being such an old book, many of the assumptions made by the author are complete nonsence but this really adds to the "Classic" feel of the tale.
All in all I really enjoyed this book. And considering that it's free, the price was a bonus!
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
This book is available from Librivox.
There is an Audio promo for this book.
Monday, 30 June 2008
The Sea Hawk
The Official Blurb
The Sea Hawk is a novel by Rafael Sabatini, originally published in 1915. The story is set in the late 16th century, and concerns a Cornish sea-faring gentleman, Sir Oliver Tressilian, who is villainously betrayed by a jealous brother. After being forced to serve as a slave on a Spanish galley, Sir Oliver is liberated by Barbary pirates. He joins the pirates under the name “Sakr-el-Bahr”, the hawk of the sea, and swears vengeance against his brother.
My Review
Simply put, I enjoyed this. I downloaded it without reading the official blurb, expecting it to be a history of the British sailor known as "the Sea Hawk". Nope, I got that wrong.
What we have here is a story of the sea, betrayal and love. In the tradition of these older books we have the set up, the recovery, the chance for revenge, and the endgame. The story is not your hyper paced modern adventure but rather a steady series of events that explore the characters and their motivations.
I was enthralled by the story slipping an episode of this story between every other podcast I've been listening to, and was happily satisfied by the ending.
Well worth listening to. A little word of warning, there is a bit of noise on this recording, not hiss, more of a hum. It's not on all of the episodes and is easily ignored.
Reading 2/3
Production 1/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 5/9
This book is available from Librivox.
There is an Audio Promo for this book.
The Sea Hawk is a novel by Rafael Sabatini, originally published in 1915. The story is set in the late 16th century, and concerns a Cornish sea-faring gentleman, Sir Oliver Tressilian, who is villainously betrayed by a jealous brother. After being forced to serve as a slave on a Spanish galley, Sir Oliver is liberated by Barbary pirates. He joins the pirates under the name “Sakr-el-Bahr”, the hawk of the sea, and swears vengeance against his brother.
My Review
Simply put, I enjoyed this. I downloaded it without reading the official blurb, expecting it to be a history of the British sailor known as "the Sea Hawk". Nope, I got that wrong.
What we have here is a story of the sea, betrayal and love. In the tradition of these older books we have the set up, the recovery, the chance for revenge, and the endgame. The story is not your hyper paced modern adventure but rather a steady series of events that explore the characters and their motivations.
I was enthralled by the story slipping an episode of this story between every other podcast I've been listening to, and was happily satisfied by the ending.
Well worth listening to. A little word of warning, there is a bit of noise on this recording, not hiss, more of a hum. It's not on all of the episodes and is easily ignored.
Reading 2/3
Production 1/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 5/9
This book is available from Librivox.
There is an Audio Promo for this book.
Saturday, 21 June 2008
The First Battle of Bull Run
The Official Blurb
General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was one of the senior commanders of Southern forces during the Civil War. It was he who initiated the hostilities by opening fire on Ft. Sumter in Charleston harbor, in April, 1861.
In July of that year, having taken command of the Confederate Army of the Potomac, he triumphed in the first serious clash of the war, at Manassas, Virginia. His army, aided by reinforcements from Johnston’s army in the Shenandoah Valley, routed a Federal army under General McDowell. Had it been his army instead that routed, it is possible the Civil War might have ended that same year, as the path to Richmond would have been wide open.
This is his account of the battle, including the strategic situation leading up to it. As an afterward, he added a very revealing appraisal of the relations between him and Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and the reasons why, in his opinion, the South failed to win its war of secession.
My Review
I have an interest in the American Civil War going back many years and so when I noticed this non fiction book on Librivox I rushed home to download it. To my delight I found that it was read by one of my favourite Librivox readers, Mark Smith.
The book was well paced, with the General leading us though the run up to the battle and into the events of the battle itself. I found it very interesting and satisfying to hear the details and concerns of a General who was actually there in the middle of the action.
My only disapointment with the book was that it was so short. These military memoirs often are.
If you have any interest in the American Civil War, then this book is a must read(listen) and due to it being a short one, you no excuse not to!
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
This book is available from Librivox
There is an Audio Promo for this book.
General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was one of the senior commanders of Southern forces during the Civil War. It was he who initiated the hostilities by opening fire on Ft. Sumter in Charleston harbor, in April, 1861.
In July of that year, having taken command of the Confederate Army of the Potomac, he triumphed in the first serious clash of the war, at Manassas, Virginia. His army, aided by reinforcements from Johnston’s army in the Shenandoah Valley, routed a Federal army under General McDowell. Had it been his army instead that routed, it is possible the Civil War might have ended that same year, as the path to Richmond would have been wide open.
This is his account of the battle, including the strategic situation leading up to it. As an afterward, he added a very revealing appraisal of the relations between him and Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and the reasons why, in his opinion, the South failed to win its war of secession.
My Review
I have an interest in the American Civil War going back many years and so when I noticed this non fiction book on Librivox I rushed home to download it. To my delight I found that it was read by one of my favourite Librivox readers, Mark Smith.
The book was well paced, with the General leading us though the run up to the battle and into the events of the battle itself. I found it very interesting and satisfying to hear the details and concerns of a General who was actually there in the middle of the action.
My only disapointment with the book was that it was so short. These military memoirs often are.
If you have any interest in the American Civil War, then this book is a must read(listen) and due to it being a short one, you no excuse not to!
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
This book is available from Librivox
There is an Audio Promo for this book.
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
7th Son Book 2 : Deceit
The Official Blurb
As 7th Son: Book Two - Deceit begins, the Beta clones are demoralized, reeling from their loss ... and about to learn that John Alpha's plans are far from over.
To prevent the next phase of Alpha's plan, John, Kilroy2.0, and the others must unearth more dark secrets about the government project from which they were spawned. They will experience the horrors of betrayal, and race cross-country to track John Alpha.
And they will finally realize the scope of Alpha's wrath -- the bloodshed the clones have witnessed is merely a prelude to the world-rending destruction to come. Unless they can stop it first.
Deceit is the second novel in J.C. Hutchins' 7th Son thriller trilogy.
My Review
I was wowed by the first book in the trilogy. I was blown away by the second! In this sequel the action gets ramped up, the tension increases. We learnt about the clones in the first book, in this one we learn to like them. The depth of thier characters really come to the fore and makes every tense minute more real.
The audio production in this version has notched up a step as well. The author has overdubbed his voice so you can hear thoughts as conversations continue. Excellently done. He had used editors brush to create literally breath taking moments and he has even learnt to use silence which is a tough trick.
Each chapter is delivered and most end with a cliff hanger that leave you drooling.
Yep, I liked it... a lot.
Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 9/9
This book is available from Podiobooks
As 7th Son: Book Two - Deceit begins, the Beta clones are demoralized, reeling from their loss ... and about to learn that John Alpha's plans are far from over.
To prevent the next phase of Alpha's plan, John, Kilroy2.0, and the others must unearth more dark secrets about the government project from which they were spawned. They will experience the horrors of betrayal, and race cross-country to track John Alpha.
And they will finally realize the scope of Alpha's wrath -- the bloodshed the clones have witnessed is merely a prelude to the world-rending destruction to come. Unless they can stop it first.
Deceit is the second novel in J.C. Hutchins' 7th Son thriller trilogy.
My Review
I was wowed by the first book in the trilogy. I was blown away by the second! In this sequel the action gets ramped up, the tension increases. We learnt about the clones in the first book, in this one we learn to like them. The depth of thier characters really come to the fore and makes every tense minute more real.
The audio production in this version has notched up a step as well. The author has overdubbed his voice so you can hear thoughts as conversations continue. Excellently done. He had used editors brush to create literally breath taking moments and he has even learnt to use silence which is a tough trick.
Each chapter is delivered and most end with a cliff hanger that leave you drooling.
Yep, I liked it... a lot.
Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 9/9
This book is available from Podiobooks
Friday, 13 June 2008
The Rookie
The Official Blurb
"The Rookie" is set amongst a lethal pro football league 700 years in the future. Aliens play positions based on physiology, creating receivers that jump 25 feet into the air, linemen that bench-press 1,200 pounds, and linebackers that -- literally -- want to eat you. Organized crime runs every franchise, games are fixed and rival players are assasinated.
Follow the story of Quentin Barnes, a 19-year-old quarterback prodigy that has been raised all his life to hate, and kill, those aliens. Quentin must deal with his racism and learn to lead, or hell wind up just another stat in the column marked "killed on the field."
My Review
What we have here is a high SciFi story blended with equal parts of "The Godfather" and the best sports movie you ever watched. It's a high action story and I dont just mean sports action. From early on the listener is drawn into the worlds of the future by the characters who leap to life with their personal stories that let us know how harsh their version of the future is.
The lead character starts as a talented racist ( towards alien races ) thrown into a sports team made up predominently of aliens. This gives us an amusing situation which the author never fails to bring into sharp focus.
The story as you might expect from a sports story builds through the entire story towards a climatic bloodthirsty sports ending.
The story includes lots of violence and blood and not all of it the aliens so be warned this isn't one you want to share with the kids.
Scott Sigler the author has excelled himself in producing this his 3rd audio book. As well as using the voices he has so succesfully used before, he has expanded into excellently applied sound effects. He's managed to bring the worlds of his invention to life with a sound so rich that other audio books literally pale by comparison, even his other audio books.
In Summary, I loved this book.
Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 9/9
Available from Podiobooks.
"The Rookie" is set amongst a lethal pro football league 700 years in the future. Aliens play positions based on physiology, creating receivers that jump 25 feet into the air, linemen that bench-press 1,200 pounds, and linebackers that -- literally -- want to eat you. Organized crime runs every franchise, games are fixed and rival players are assasinated.
Follow the story of Quentin Barnes, a 19-year-old quarterback prodigy that has been raised all his life to hate, and kill, those aliens. Quentin must deal with his racism and learn to lead, or hell wind up just another stat in the column marked "killed on the field."
My Review
What we have here is a high SciFi story blended with equal parts of "The Godfather" and the best sports movie you ever watched. It's a high action story and I dont just mean sports action. From early on the listener is drawn into the worlds of the future by the characters who leap to life with their personal stories that let us know how harsh their version of the future is.
The lead character starts as a talented racist ( towards alien races ) thrown into a sports team made up predominently of aliens. This gives us an amusing situation which the author never fails to bring into sharp focus.
The story as you might expect from a sports story builds through the entire story towards a climatic bloodthirsty sports ending.
The story includes lots of violence and blood and not all of it the aliens so be warned this isn't one you want to share with the kids.
Scott Sigler the author has excelled himself in producing this his 3rd audio book. As well as using the voices he has so succesfully used before, he has expanded into excellently applied sound effects. He's managed to bring the worlds of his invention to life with a sound so rich that other audio books literally pale by comparison, even his other audio books.
In Summary, I loved this book.
Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 9/9
Available from Podiobooks.
Thursday, 12 June 2008
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
The Official Blurb
The Murders in the Rue Morgue” is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1841. Poe referred to it as a “tale of ratiocination” featuring the brilliant deductions of C. Auguste Dupin; it is today regarded as one of the first detective stories and is almost certainly the first locked room mystery.
My Review
Hmmmmm... Despite this short story being read by one of my favourite Librivox readers I was still disapointed.
The first half of the first chapter/section is a rather long and slow lead up to introducting the investigative character. Frankly I was about to give up on the story as being too boring, when the story started.
I'm a Sherlock Holmes fan so the idea of listening to the first "Locked Room Mystery" appealed to me. However towards the end of the story as the clues started to fit together and the who and the how became clear I was disapointed.
I am glad I listened to it, because of its vintage and standing, and the reader is an absolute delight on the ears. Shame about the story!
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 6/9
Available from Librivox.
There is also an Audio Promo for this book.
The Murders in the Rue Morgue” is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1841. Poe referred to it as a “tale of ratiocination” featuring the brilliant deductions of C. Auguste Dupin; it is today regarded as one of the first detective stories and is almost certainly the first locked room mystery.
My Review
Hmmmmm... Despite this short story being read by one of my favourite Librivox readers I was still disapointed.
The first half of the first chapter/section is a rather long and slow lead up to introducting the investigative character. Frankly I was about to give up on the story as being too boring, when the story started.
I'm a Sherlock Holmes fan so the idea of listening to the first "Locked Room Mystery" appealed to me. However towards the end of the story as the clues started to fit together and the who and the how became clear I was disapointed.
I am glad I listened to it, because of its vintage and standing, and the reader is an absolute delight on the ears. Shame about the story!
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 6/9
Available from Librivox.
There is also an Audio Promo for this book.
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
The Master of the World
The Official Blurb
Chief Inspector Strock gets the tough cases. When a volcano suddenly appears to threaten mountain towns of North Carolina amid the non-volcanic Blue Ridge Mountains, Strock is posted to determine the danger. When an automobile race in Wisconsin is interrupted by the unexpected appearance of a vehicle traveling at multiples of the top speed of the entrants, Strock is consulted. When an odd-shaped boat is sighted moving at impossible speeds off the New England coast, Stock and his boss begin to wonder if the incidents are related. And when Strock gets a hand-lettered note warning him to abandon his investigation, on pain of death, he is intrigued rather than deterred.
Set in a period when gasoline engines were in their infancy and automobiles were rare, and when even Chief Inspectors had to engage a carriage and horses to move about, the appearance of a vehicle that can move at astounding speeds on land, on water - and as later revealed, underwater and through the air - marks a technological advance far beyond the reach of nations. It is technology invented by and for the sole benefit of a man who styles himself (with some justification) “The Master of the World.”
My Review
This book is apparently a sequel, I only found that out after having listened to it and I can assure you that it is entirely self contained and you do not have to read/listened to the prequel.
As the blurb suggests we have an investigation within the story, the lead character is trying to find the cause of various strange events. We follow the lead characters through his failures and successes.
This story by Jules Verne is not so much an adventure as a slow paced investigation into the unusual by a ploding investigator. There are one or two very brief moments of a speedier pace but thats all.
All in all, it was a pleasant enough story but the plot was extremly thin.
The reading is by Mark Smith, one of the excellent readers and Librivox.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 6/9
Available from Librivox
There is also an Audio Promo for this book.
Chief Inspector Strock gets the tough cases. When a volcano suddenly appears to threaten mountain towns of North Carolina amid the non-volcanic Blue Ridge Mountains, Strock is posted to determine the danger. When an automobile race in Wisconsin is interrupted by the unexpected appearance of a vehicle traveling at multiples of the top speed of the entrants, Strock is consulted. When an odd-shaped boat is sighted moving at impossible speeds off the New England coast, Stock and his boss begin to wonder if the incidents are related. And when Strock gets a hand-lettered note warning him to abandon his investigation, on pain of death, he is intrigued rather than deterred.
Set in a period when gasoline engines were in their infancy and automobiles were rare, and when even Chief Inspectors had to engage a carriage and horses to move about, the appearance of a vehicle that can move at astounding speeds on land, on water - and as later revealed, underwater and through the air - marks a technological advance far beyond the reach of nations. It is technology invented by and for the sole benefit of a man who styles himself (with some justification) “The Master of the World.”
My Review
This book is apparently a sequel, I only found that out after having listened to it and I can assure you that it is entirely self contained and you do not have to read/listened to the prequel.
As the blurb suggests we have an investigation within the story, the lead character is trying to find the cause of various strange events. We follow the lead characters through his failures and successes.
This story by Jules Verne is not so much an adventure as a slow paced investigation into the unusual by a ploding investigator. There are one or two very brief moments of a speedier pace but thats all.
All in all, it was a pleasant enough story but the plot was extremly thin.
The reading is by Mark Smith, one of the excellent readers and Librivox.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 6/9
Available from Librivox
There is also an Audio Promo for this book.
Saturday, 7 June 2008
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
The Official Blurb
Come and hear the strange tail of The Boss Hank Morgan, a modern day (at the time of publication) Connecticut Yankee who inexplicably finds himself transported to the court of the legendary King Arthur (as the title of the book implies). Hank, or simply, The Boss, as he comes to be most frequently known, quickly uses his modern day knowledge and education to pass himself off as a great magician, to get himself out of all sorts of surprising, (and frequently amusing) situations, as well as to advance the technological and cultural status of the nation in which he finds himself.
My Review
I like many others I'm familiar with the story through the Bing Crosby film of the same name. It was the happy memories of that film and the "Busy doing nothing" song that drew me towards this title.
What we have is a rather too long for its content story. The reading runs for 13+ hours and the animated and spirited reading just couldn't save the story for me. The reader gives his all and is very good, yet as stated the rather pointless rambling of the author who makes verbose points through the prose , only to contradict it later rapidly loses sympathy for the main character "the boss".
When the story is moving it is interesting and amusing. It doesnt cause belly laughs but rather causes a small grin to slide over your face.
Overall I found it a bit of a drag as I was constantly fearing another long expostalation of opinions and expressions that the character didn't believe in. There was a little noise on the recording but nothing that would upset the avid listener.
The film was better.
Reading 3/3
Production 1/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 5/9
Available from Librivox
Come and hear the strange tail of The Boss Hank Morgan, a modern day (at the time of publication) Connecticut Yankee who inexplicably finds himself transported to the court of the legendary King Arthur (as the title of the book implies). Hank, or simply, The Boss, as he comes to be most frequently known, quickly uses his modern day knowledge and education to pass himself off as a great magician, to get himself out of all sorts of surprising, (and frequently amusing) situations, as well as to advance the technological and cultural status of the nation in which he finds himself.
My Review
I like many others I'm familiar with the story through the Bing Crosby film of the same name. It was the happy memories of that film and the "Busy doing nothing" song that drew me towards this title.
What we have is a rather too long for its content story. The reading runs for 13+ hours and the animated and spirited reading just couldn't save the story for me. The reader gives his all and is very good, yet as stated the rather pointless rambling of the author who makes verbose points through the prose , only to contradict it later rapidly loses sympathy for the main character "the boss".
When the story is moving it is interesting and amusing. It doesnt cause belly laughs but rather causes a small grin to slide over your face.
Overall I found it a bit of a drag as I was constantly fearing another long expostalation of opinions and expressions that the character didn't believe in. There was a little noise on the recording but nothing that would upset the avid listener.
The film was better.
Reading 3/3
Production 1/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 5/9
Available from Librivox
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Oomphel in the Sky
The Official Blurb
Natives of the distant planet of Kwannon believe that their world is about to end, and in preparing for the apocalypse, may be unnecessarily bringing about their own demise. The planetary government can’t overcome its own bureaucracy to help them, and the military is overwhelmed. Can a single newsman change the course of a whole people, and save their world?
My Review
What we have here is an absolutly classical bit of SciFi. Our heros are interacting with the native primatives of the planet and trying to help them out, yet the total lack of shared culture gets in the way.
This is not an exciting space adventure type story, but rather a more thoughtful and slower paced investigation of the issues. A few exciting things do happen and you might even find your self a little anxious about the outcome.
In short if your a SciFi fan, you'll find this an amusing pasttime, but not a rip roaring yarn. If your a fan of Mark Nelson's readings, then your'll enjoy this quality reading.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Available from Librivox
Natives of the distant planet of Kwannon believe that their world is about to end, and in preparing for the apocalypse, may be unnecessarily bringing about their own demise. The planetary government can’t overcome its own bureaucracy to help them, and the military is overwhelmed. Can a single newsman change the course of a whole people, and save their world?
My Review
What we have here is an absolutly classical bit of SciFi. Our heros are interacting with the native primatives of the planet and trying to help them out, yet the total lack of shared culture gets in the way.
This is not an exciting space adventure type story, but rather a more thoughtful and slower paced investigation of the issues. A few exciting things do happen and you might even find your self a little anxious about the outcome.
In short if your a SciFi fan, you'll find this an amusing pasttime, but not a rip roaring yarn. If your a fan of Mark Nelson's readings, then your'll enjoy this quality reading.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Available from Librivox
Saturday, 31 May 2008
His Last Bow
The Official Blurb
In this collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, the great detective continues doing what he does best: averting political scandals, tracking down murderers, dragging Dr. Watson into unpleasant situations. As always, it’s adventurous fun for the rest of us. This book was published in 1917, after The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
My Review
What we have here is the standard fare for a collection of short Sherlock Holmes stories from Conan Doyle. I love Sherlock Holmes and so was really looking forward to this audio book. I was not disapointed by the story content. Holmes as always shows a facinating insight into the ordinary and deducts his way to success in a varied and interesting set of cases.
The final story brings Sherlock into wartime or very nearly wartime, and because of this I can now finally forgive Basil Rathbone for starring in those old wartime Holmes stories.
This recording was made by various volunteers at Librivox and all of the readers were pretty good. Unfortunately the "Production" on this book has suffered. In particular the first story covered in the first two files had an awful levels issue. The reader herself sounded fine but the fact that the sound levels were washing up and down like a manic tide meant that I could not listen to the first story.
This book is still worth downloading, even if you miss the first story due to the sound levels.
Reading 2/3
Production 1/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 6/9
Available from Librivox
In this collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, the great detective continues doing what he does best: averting political scandals, tracking down murderers, dragging Dr. Watson into unpleasant situations. As always, it’s adventurous fun for the rest of us. This book was published in 1917, after The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
My Review
What we have here is the standard fare for a collection of short Sherlock Holmes stories from Conan Doyle. I love Sherlock Holmes and so was really looking forward to this audio book. I was not disapointed by the story content. Holmes as always shows a facinating insight into the ordinary and deducts his way to success in a varied and interesting set of cases.
The final story brings Sherlock into wartime or very nearly wartime, and because of this I can now finally forgive Basil Rathbone for starring in those old wartime Holmes stories.
This recording was made by various volunteers at Librivox and all of the readers were pretty good. Unfortunately the "Production" on this book has suffered. In particular the first story covered in the first two files had an awful levels issue. The reader herself sounded fine but the fact that the sound levels were washing up and down like a manic tide meant that I could not listen to the first story.
This book is still worth downloading, even if you miss the first story due to the sound levels.
Reading 2/3
Production 1/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 6/9
Available from Librivox
Saturday, 24 May 2008
The Masha Chronicles
The Official Blurb
A noir page-turner detailing the roller-coaster adventures of Masha, a reluctant young assassin. When Masha meets American businessman, Charlie Hammerschmidt, she thinks she’s found the ticket out of Kiev’s underworld. When Charlie is murdered in her apartment, she discovers the ride is just beginning. The Masha Chronicles is a full cast PodioDrama .
My Review
I was attracted to this story because of the Full-Cast nature of it. I actually like full cast audio dramas very much. As the blurb suggests this story starts in Kiev and moves over to the States in what is an exciting underworld adventure.
There are no "good" characters in this story of murder and theft and I found that rather dispointing. I like my stories to have good guys as well as bad guys. The lead character "Masha" is unfortunately such a selfish unplesant person that her predicaments do not engender any sympathy.
The story moves quickly, there is rarely time for breath in fact, so if you enjoy modern thrillers with the gritty darkness of being focused on the underworld this might be the story for you.
The production is fine, and the full cast does keep the ears awake.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 6/9
Available from Podiobooks
A noir page-turner detailing the roller-coaster adventures of Masha, a reluctant young assassin. When Masha meets American businessman, Charlie Hammerschmidt, she thinks she’s found the ticket out of Kiev’s underworld. When Charlie is murdered in her apartment, she discovers the ride is just beginning. The Masha Chronicles is a full cast PodioDrama .
My Review
I was attracted to this story because of the Full-Cast nature of it. I actually like full cast audio dramas very much. As the blurb suggests this story starts in Kiev and moves over to the States in what is an exciting underworld adventure.
There are no "good" characters in this story of murder and theft and I found that rather dispointing. I like my stories to have good guys as well as bad guys. The lead character "Masha" is unfortunately such a selfish unplesant person that her predicaments do not engender any sympathy.
The story moves quickly, there is rarely time for breath in fact, so if you enjoy modern thrillers with the gritty darkness of being focused on the underworld this might be the story for you.
The production is fine, and the full cast does keep the ears awake.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 6/9
Available from Podiobooks
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
Release - Army Life in a Black Regiment
Not a review, but a piece of self publicity! My latest audio book is now available for free download from librivox!
It's called "Army Life in a Black Regiment" and was written by Thomas Wentworth Higginson who commanded the first black regiment raised during the American Civil War.
For fans of the film "Glory" you'll hear familar passages, as the film script seems to have lifted entire chunks of text from this book.
It's been a facinating read.
Listen, share and spread the word.
It's called "Army Life in a Black Regiment" and was written by Thomas Wentworth Higginson who commanded the first black regiment raised during the American Civil War.
For fans of the film "Glory" you'll hear familar passages, as the film script seems to have lifted entire chunks of text from this book.
It's been a facinating read.
Listen, share and spread the word.
Monday, 19 May 2008
Dyke Darrel the Railroad Detective
The Official Blurb
Dyke Darrel investigates an audacious train robbery that included the murder of a friend, and embarks on a man-hunt. High Victorian serial melodrama at its best!
My Review
This is a story that follows the detective as he progresses through his investigation. It also spends few segments following the bad guys. The story moves swiftly and your not left idle waiting for action.
The characters are a little over the top, the bad guys are presented as evil and the good guys as very upright. A couple of times the main character gets into scrapes where he will die, only to be rescued in the nick of time by someone not heard of before or again latter. These stick out when you listen as the characters are not foreshadowed or followed up, making them obvious "plot-point" characters.
The main character was not really developed, I didn't feel much sympathy for him. In summary the story was ok and kept me entertained but I wouldn't say I was excited by it at all.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 5/9
Available from Librivox
Dyke Darrel investigates an audacious train robbery that included the murder of a friend, and embarks on a man-hunt. High Victorian serial melodrama at its best!
My Review
This is a story that follows the detective as he progresses through his investigation. It also spends few segments following the bad guys. The story moves swiftly and your not left idle waiting for action.
The characters are a little over the top, the bad guys are presented as evil and the good guys as very upright. A couple of times the main character gets into scrapes where he will die, only to be rescued in the nick of time by someone not heard of before or again latter. These stick out when you listen as the characters are not foreshadowed or followed up, making them obvious "plot-point" characters.
The main character was not really developed, I didn't feel much sympathy for him. In summary the story was ok and kept me entertained but I wouldn't say I was excited by it at all.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 5/9
Available from Librivox
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Dark Fantasy
The Official Blurb
Every since Lights Out went out several years ago, fans of the fiendish have been clamoring for more good old goose-pimple horror drama on the air. Now they have it. One of the programs that currently freezes the airwaves with its chilling stories is Dark Fantasy comparatively new to the networks. In the late hours of Friday nights these shivery, shocking stories go out over NBC - right straight from Oklahoma City, which you might not have thought of as headquarters for haunts. Station WKY is the home of the Dark Fantasy plays, and the writer is Scott Bishop, who lives in the midst of mystery and the supernatural, represented by the innurnerable volumes of thriller fiction, fantasy lore and all kinds of horror literature that fill his home andhis office. Bishop has long contributed to network broadcasting and to magazines. He says, "Give the listener enough material to let his imagination go to work, and he'll supply his own goose-pimples." Dark Fantasy has been furnishing plenty of such material since last November. And judging from enthusiastic comment, the horror fans are responding with goose-pimples galore! Tune in every Friday on Station WKY Oklahoma City.
My Review
This review is not of a book! Instead I'm reviewing an entire radio series from the early 1940's. Each episode of Dark Fantasy is a seperate story and they all have different subjects. The writer has a nice talent for leaving the story just at a point where you want more, but the meat of the story has been told. It's an odd situation I guess, but still satisfying.
As with any series some episodes are better than others and I can especially rec' "The Demon Tree" and "W is for Werewolf".
With this being an Old Time Radio show, it suffers in the sound quality, with many episodes having lost the higher quarter of the audio spectrum, making some difficult to follow. I've found that these episodes are easier to listen to when using headphones. To reflect this I've lowered the "Reading" score.
Reading 1/3
Production 3/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Available from Archive.org
Every since Lights Out went out several years ago, fans of the fiendish have been clamoring for more good old goose-pimple horror drama on the air. Now they have it. One of the programs that currently freezes the airwaves with its chilling stories is Dark Fantasy comparatively new to the networks. In the late hours of Friday nights these shivery, shocking stories go out over NBC - right straight from Oklahoma City, which you might not have thought of as headquarters for haunts. Station WKY is the home of the Dark Fantasy plays, and the writer is Scott Bishop, who lives in the midst of mystery and the supernatural, represented by the innurnerable volumes of thriller fiction, fantasy lore and all kinds of horror literature that fill his home andhis office. Bishop has long contributed to network broadcasting and to magazines. He says, "Give the listener enough material to let his imagination go to work, and he'll supply his own goose-pimples." Dark Fantasy has been furnishing plenty of such material since last November. And judging from enthusiastic comment, the horror fans are responding with goose-pimples galore! Tune in every Friday on Station WKY Oklahoma City.
My Review
This review is not of a book! Instead I'm reviewing an entire radio series from the early 1940's. Each episode of Dark Fantasy is a seperate story and they all have different subjects. The writer has a nice talent for leaving the story just at a point where you want more, but the meat of the story has been told. It's an odd situation I guess, but still satisfying.
As with any series some episodes are better than others and I can especially rec' "The Demon Tree" and "W is for Werewolf".
With this being an Old Time Radio show, it suffers in the sound quality, with many episodes having lost the higher quarter of the audio spectrum, making some difficult to follow. I've found that these episodes are easier to listen to when using headphones. To reflect this I've lowered the "Reading" score.
Reading 1/3
Production 3/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Available from Archive.org
Sunday, 11 May 2008
Tarzan Lord of the Apes
The Official Blurb
Tarzan of the Apes is Burroughs’ exciting, if improbable, story of an English lord, left by the death of his stranded parents in the hands of a motherly African ape who raises him as her own. Although he is aware that he is different from the apes of his tribe, who are neither white nor hairless, he nevertheless regards them as his “people.” When older, larger, stronger apes decide that he an undesirable to be killed or expelled from the tribe, it is fortunate that Tarzan has learned the use of primitive weapons.
Although small and weak by ape standards, Tarzan is a human of god-like strength and agility to men who discover him. By studying these people, he gradually decides he is not an ape at all, but human.
And when he meets Jane, a beautiful American girl marooned with her father and friends on the hostile coast of Africa, Tarzan conceives love for her. When they are unexpectedly rescued before Tarzan can find a way to reveal his feelings to Jane, he determines to become civilized and follow her into the world of people – to find her and wed her, though he must cross continents and oceans, and compete with two other suitors for her hand.
My Review
Everyone knows who Tarzan is. Or at least we think we do! When I finally got round to listening to the actual book I found out things that had never been hinted at by the saturday morning Tarzan films.
Tarzan is raised by the Apes, and the book reveals what that means. It means Tarzan doesn't have a lot of the human feelings and sensibilities. Humans at first scare him, then he becomes a murderer and a canibal. He doesn't know any better of course and so doesn't even consider it as doing anything wrong.
The story evolved a little slowly, and started with Tarzan's parents going on a trip. However once the parents pop-their-clogs the story becomes a lot more interesting. The auther develops the Apes as real characters and we as listeners are not bored by their interactions.
The story jumps another notch once humans move into the apes part of the jungle. So we have a story that speeds up and gets better as it goes and therefore draws you in and keeps you interested.
The reader is this case is fast becoming one of my favourite Librivox readers, Mark Smith. He also read Mysterious Island which I reviewd a while ago.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
You can find the book at Librivox.
Tarzan of the Apes is Burroughs’ exciting, if improbable, story of an English lord, left by the death of his stranded parents in the hands of a motherly African ape who raises him as her own. Although he is aware that he is different from the apes of his tribe, who are neither white nor hairless, he nevertheless regards them as his “people.” When older, larger, stronger apes decide that he an undesirable to be killed or expelled from the tribe, it is fortunate that Tarzan has learned the use of primitive weapons.
Although small and weak by ape standards, Tarzan is a human of god-like strength and agility to men who discover him. By studying these people, he gradually decides he is not an ape at all, but human.
And when he meets Jane, a beautiful American girl marooned with her father and friends on the hostile coast of Africa, Tarzan conceives love for her. When they are unexpectedly rescued before Tarzan can find a way to reveal his feelings to Jane, he determines to become civilized and follow her into the world of people – to find her and wed her, though he must cross continents and oceans, and compete with two other suitors for her hand.
My Review
Everyone knows who Tarzan is. Or at least we think we do! When I finally got round to listening to the actual book I found out things that had never been hinted at by the saturday morning Tarzan films.
Tarzan is raised by the Apes, and the book reveals what that means. It means Tarzan doesn't have a lot of the human feelings and sensibilities. Humans at first scare him, then he becomes a murderer and a canibal. He doesn't know any better of course and so doesn't even consider it as doing anything wrong.
The story evolved a little slowly, and started with Tarzan's parents going on a trip. However once the parents pop-their-clogs the story becomes a lot more interesting. The auther develops the Apes as real characters and we as listeners are not bored by their interactions.
The story jumps another notch once humans move into the apes part of the jungle. So we have a story that speeds up and gets better as it goes and therefore draws you in and keeps you interested.
The reader is this case is fast becoming one of my favourite Librivox readers, Mark Smith. He also read Mysterious Island which I reviewd a while ago.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
You can find the book at Librivox.
Friday, 9 May 2008
7th Son: Book One - Descent
The Official Blurb
Three weeks ago, the U.S. president was murdered by a four-year-old boy.
Today, seven men stare at each other in a locked conference room. Kidnapped and brought to this underground facility, the strangers are sitting in silence, thunderstruck. Despite minor physical differences, they all appear to be the same man, with the same name ... and the same childhood memories.
Unwitting participants in a secret human cloning experiment, these seven "John Michael Smiths" have been gathered by their creators for one reason -- to capture the mastermind behind the president's assassination.
Their target? The man they were cloned from; the original John Michael Smith, code-named John Alpha.
Soon our heroes -- John, Jack, Michael, Kilroy2.0 and the others -- realize the president's murder was merely a prologue to Alpha's plans. As the mystery deepens and the implications of Alpha's scheme are slowly revealed, the clones decide to stand against John Alpha. The outcome will unearth a conspiracy larger than they could have ever imagined.
Descent is the first novel in J.C. Hutchins' 7th Son thriller trilogy.
My Review
There has been a lot of hype about this story and this author. So much so in fact that I had been wary of this novel in case it was a let down. Well I finally got round to listening to the story, and I have not been dispointed.
The author is reading his own work here and does an outstanding job. He modulates his voice for the various characters just enough to bring them to life, and considering that the main characters are clones, this is a requirement to help the listener tell them apart.
Even though the characters are clones they are all fully developed seperate people that are easy to believe in and care about. I love the way the author has drops hints about each characters background as the story progresses and thus avoids wasting ages on giving us a background for each character.
The story itself appeals to the geek in me, the high-tech topic is played out to the full and the action follows quickly behind.
So where does this audio book fall down? The story just seems to end rather abruptly. As this is part one of three, I can forgive that. In fact I think the author originally wrote this as a single novel which would explain its sudden ending.
The three novels in this series have been recorded and are available so I'm going to move straight on to the next.
In summary. A good engaging listen, excitement, mystery and adventure. Yummy
Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 9/9
Available from Podiobooks
Audio Promo MP3
Three weeks ago, the U.S. president was murdered by a four-year-old boy.
Today, seven men stare at each other in a locked conference room. Kidnapped and brought to this underground facility, the strangers are sitting in silence, thunderstruck. Despite minor physical differences, they all appear to be the same man, with the same name ... and the same childhood memories.
Unwitting participants in a secret human cloning experiment, these seven "John Michael Smiths" have been gathered by their creators for one reason -- to capture the mastermind behind the president's assassination.
Their target? The man they were cloned from; the original John Michael Smith, code-named John Alpha.
Soon our heroes -- John, Jack, Michael, Kilroy2.0 and the others -- realize the president's murder was merely a prologue to Alpha's plans. As the mystery deepens and the implications of Alpha's scheme are slowly revealed, the clones decide to stand against John Alpha. The outcome will unearth a conspiracy larger than they could have ever imagined.
Descent is the first novel in J.C. Hutchins' 7th Son thriller trilogy.
My Review
There has been a lot of hype about this story and this author. So much so in fact that I had been wary of this novel in case it was a let down. Well I finally got round to listening to the story, and I have not been dispointed.
The author is reading his own work here and does an outstanding job. He modulates his voice for the various characters just enough to bring them to life, and considering that the main characters are clones, this is a requirement to help the listener tell them apart.
Even though the characters are clones they are all fully developed seperate people that are easy to believe in and care about. I love the way the author has drops hints about each characters background as the story progresses and thus avoids wasting ages on giving us a background for each character.
The story itself appeals to the geek in me, the high-tech topic is played out to the full and the action follows quickly behind.
So where does this audio book fall down? The story just seems to end rather abruptly. As this is part one of three, I can forgive that. In fact I think the author originally wrote this as a single novel which would explain its sudden ending.
The three novels in this series have been recorded and are available so I'm going to move straight on to the next.
In summary. A good engaging listen, excitement, mystery and adventure. Yummy
Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 9/9
Available from Podiobooks
Audio Promo MP3
Thursday, 8 May 2008
Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone
The Official Blurb
On the island of Maui, a sixteen-year-old international spy named Rio Kayenta discovers a two-thousand-year-old coral stone. Legend has it that the stone is meant for a girl named Amber and that with it, she can stop the evil S.H.R.O.U.D. organization. Amber Page lives in the Arizona desert and wants one thing more than anything else in the world: to see her mom and dad back together again. Amber's mom is a school bus driver who has split with her dad, but Amber believes the two still love one another. When a strange old man stops at nothing to tell Amber that the legendary stone is meant for her, it frightens her and her family deeply. It is a race against the clock to get the stone to Amber and to see if she will realize its legendary powers. For with the stone strengthening her, Amber may be able to save her family and the world.
My Review
I couldn't decide if this was a YA book or not. The book/MP3 cover makes it look like something for young girls, but inside... Well... Mystical powers, a little girl hero, a man dragging himself around a ship leaving a bloody trail behind, broken bones.
The reader has his own style. Its a stabbing staccato reading that I found rather exciting and it appealed to me. It also suited the story. This story is mysterious, scary and hard hitting all at once.
I started listening to this story on podiobooks before the recordings were finished, but the production stalled and it actually disapeared from the site for a while. When it came back I resubscribed immediately and downloaded an episode every day desperate to know how it ended. This entailed re-listening to the first half, but I didn't mind, the story was good enough to keep me interested second time through.
This is a great story.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
Find it at Podiobooks.
On the island of Maui, a sixteen-year-old international spy named Rio Kayenta discovers a two-thousand-year-old coral stone. Legend has it that the stone is meant for a girl named Amber and that with it, she can stop the evil S.H.R.O.U.D. organization. Amber Page lives in the Arizona desert and wants one thing more than anything else in the world: to see her mom and dad back together again. Amber's mom is a school bus driver who has split with her dad, but Amber believes the two still love one another. When a strange old man stops at nothing to tell Amber that the legendary stone is meant for her, it frightens her and her family deeply. It is a race against the clock to get the stone to Amber and to see if she will realize its legendary powers. For with the stone strengthening her, Amber may be able to save her family and the world.
My Review
I couldn't decide if this was a YA book or not. The book/MP3 cover makes it look like something for young girls, but inside... Well... Mystical powers, a little girl hero, a man dragging himself around a ship leaving a bloody trail behind, broken bones.
The reader has his own style. Its a stabbing staccato reading that I found rather exciting and it appealed to me. It also suited the story. This story is mysterious, scary and hard hitting all at once.
I started listening to this story on podiobooks before the recordings were finished, but the production stalled and it actually disapeared from the site for a while. When it came back I resubscribed immediately and downloaded an episode every day desperate to know how it ended. This entailed re-listening to the first half, but I didn't mind, the story was good enough to keep me interested second time through.
This is a great story.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
Find it at Podiobooks.
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