The Hour of the Dragon by Robert E. HOWARD

Official Blurb

The Hour of the Dragon, also known as Conan the Conqueror, is a fantasy novel by American writer Robert E. Howard featuring his sword and sorcery hero Conan the Cimmerian. It was one of the last Conan stories published before Howard's suicide although not the last to be written. The novel was first published in serial form in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1935 through 1936.

My Review

A classic of pulp era fantasy story telling. Conan starts in this story as a king but is soon thrown down to the level of a wandering vagabond. But if you know Conan, like I know Conan, then you know that he won't take that lying down!

This is one of the best Conan stories from the master, it features a great story arc and the unrelenting tenacity of Conan's character comes right through. Yet at the same time, you find that Conan is no machine, he feels fear, and yes even runs from a foe now and then!

If your only experience with Conan is the first film, then you might recognise some the names and places mentioned in this story as the first film seems to have lifted many of the names it used from this story, although not the plot. This story is straight up heroic adventure from beginning to end, a good pace that never lets up.

As to the reading, well. Awesome. Another Mark Nelson classic.

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

Total Score 8/9

Listen to the first chapter.
Download it from Librivox

Jetta of the Lowlands by Ray Cummings

Official Blurb

Fantastic and Sinister Are the Lowlands into Which Philip Grant Descends on His Dangerous Assignment.

My Review

That has to be the shortest Official Blurb! I even searched the internet looking for a better one. It doesn't exist! I'm not sure any of the people that are selling this book have even bothered to read it.

Anyway.

This is classic sci fi. Adventure and excitement, a hero who falls in love and nothing, repeat, nothing will stop him from saving his love when she's kidnapped. Classic style, her love for him is as instant and all encompassing as his. This really is the stuff that makes these older tales so good.  I may be a bit of a softy at heart but I love this stuff.

The bad guy knows that Jetta's worth a pretty penny and intends to take that for himself. So we have the good guy sweeping in to burn down the bad guys and rescue the princess but nothing is ever easy and things start to go wrong.

The reader for this librivox story is Richard Kilmer and I love his voice. Sadly in this story his pacing seems off, or maybe it's the original writing (it appeared in a pulp magazine). That aside his voice is easy on the ears and like it, its the audio equivalent of pop corn. :)

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

Total Score 5/9

Listen to the first chapter.
Download it from Librivox

Blake's 7: Rebel, Traitor, Liberator

Official Blurb

In the third century of the second calendar, the galactic Federation, once a beacon of democracy and peace, has become a corrupt tyranny.

Freedom and Justice are things of the past.

Roj Blake stood up for the ordinary people. When the establishment tried intimidation he laughed in their faces. When they tried to crush him he fought back. When they tried to brainwash him into obedience, he broke their conditioning. Finally they framed him and sentenced him to permanent exile on the notorious prison planet Cygnus Alpha.

The Federation thinks it has seen the last of Roj Blake.

The Federation will wish it had...

My Review

I remember watching Blaske's 7 when it was first run on television. As a kid I was glued to this amazing series. As an adult I saw some re-runs and realised just how low the production values were!

I've been listening to Spotify of late and was rather pleased to discover that it includes some audio books. Mostly these are the classics, some from Librivox and the other free locations, but I was supremely delighted to discover some "new" material too., including this particular presentation.

This full cast audio drama was produced in 2010 by a professional audio company and includes everything that entails. Good acting and great sound effects!

This three part (3 CD's I guess) story starts with Blake breaking free of the Federation and building his team, just like the TV series did. I can't say if this follows the same story path as the TV version as I don't recollect but if was a fun ride. It's a straight up adventure of world building, narrow escapes and brave stand offs. Throw in some space battles and the mysterious ship "Liberator" that has a life of its own and you have everything for a great story.

There are 3 significant episodes in this story. That is, the story is episodic, just like a TV or radio series, it does not follow a single story arc.  And that was where this superb production let me down. I like my audiobooks to have a beginning middle and end, but this is just the first three episodes of an ongoing story. If I'd known that going in, I wouldn't have had the disappointment factor when I reached the end. It was just an expectation thing, and does not reflect on the book itself which is great!

In fact, there are other stories in the series on Spotify, and knowing their episodic nature I'm still interested in them. Watch this space.

In summary, Good.

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

Total Score 8/9

Listen for free on Spotify

Deadly Games by Lindsay Buroker

Official Blurb

When you’ve been accused of kidnapping an emperor, and every enforcer in the city wants your head, it’s hard to prove yourself an honorable person and even harder to earn an imperial pardon.

That doesn’t keep Amaranthe Lokdon and her team of outlaws from trying. When athletes start disappearing from the Imperial Games, they may finally have an opportunity to show the emperor that they’re on his side. If she and her comrades can get to the bottom of such a public mystery, they’re sure to get the credit.

But plans go awry when Amaranthe’s own men start plotting against each other, the new ally she’d hoped to acquire tries to turn her in, and her best fighter—and closest friend—disappears.

Maybe getting involved wasn’t such a good idea after all…

My Review

This is the third book in the "Emperors Edge" series and continues the steampunky adventure through a historical-Japanese inspired world. I've reviewed the previous books in the series.

I must be liking this series to have progressed as far as the third book, and indeed this book continues it's romp in a like manner. Sword flash, muskets crash, and magicians cause trouble for the heroes in all kinds of interesting ways.

As mentioned in the official blurb, Amaranthe leads her troop of mismatched outlaws into investigating another strange event, in this case missing athletes. This leads them to discover and be attacked by monsters along with practitioners of the magical arts. As with the other books in the series, the heroes are out matched, out gunned and out manned and have to use guile and a well placed sword point in order to save the day.

As with the previous books, the dangerous moments are never taken too seriously and the peril never gets overpowering, as the characters are always ready with a quip or sarcastic remark to lighten the mood. This gives the book a pulpy feel where the dangers are "real" but you never really feel the main characters are likely to leave this mortal coil. It's really more a case of wondering how they might get themselves out of the jams they're in.

Another great reading by Starla Huchton who puts the perfect voice on this book. I have to say that it's especially nice to have a female narrator when the protagonist is female, it makes the moments we spend in her head all the more enjoyable.

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

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Podiobooks

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Official Blurb

Le Comte de Monte-Cristo is an adventure novel and one of the author's most popular works. He completed the work in 1844. The story takes place in France, Italy, islands in the Mediterranean and in the Levant during the historical events of 1815-1838 (from just before the Hundred Days to the reign of Louis-Philippe of France). It deals with themes of hope, justice, vengeance, mercy and forgiveness. The book is considered a literary classic today.

My Review

If I start by saying that I'd been holding off listening to this book until a single-reader version came along, you'll realise it is a book I wanted to hear, and that I wanted to hear done properly. This is actually the third version of the book put out by Librivox, but the first solo version.

It is 56 hours long. Fifty Six! The reader, David Clarke is excellent and pitches a great French accent that brings the text to life.

I stopped listening after 18 hours. Even David's wonderful reading could not induce me to continue listening to this so-called classic. With reference to this book, the word "classic" means long. It does not mean good.

It started so well, with the protagonist being imprisoned for a crime he did not commit and a great prison escape. Then...then...Well then lots of boring stuff happened to characters that I didn't feel for nor care about. Was the author paid by the word, it sure felt like it Rambling, disjointed, lack of plot, lack of emotion and in the end, after an investment of 18 hours I realised life's too short for this book.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 0/3

Total Score 5/9 (Only count this score, if you think it fair when I didn't finish it!)

Listen to the first chapter 

Download it from the Librivox

Dark Currents by Lindsay Buroker

Official Blurb

It’s been three months since former enforcer Amaranthe Lokdon and the notorious assassin Sicarius thwarted kidnappers and saved the emperor’s life. The problem? Nobody knows they were responsible for this good deed. Worse, they’re being blamed for the entire scheme. With enforcers and bounty hunters stalking them, and the emperor nursing a personal hatred for Sicarius, it’s going to be hard to earn exoneration.

My Review

This book is a sequel to "Emperors Edge", which I've previously reviewed. This book continues the story. It's the same great narrator presenting the continuing adventures of the same heroes.

The story develops with an opening investigation that leads to the discovery of a nefarious plot bound up with a magician creating magical artifacts that threaten the whole city.

Like the first book, it's a sword and musket romp through a pseudo Japanese realm that has a lot of western mores and tendencies, and all with a steam punky feel.

I do feel that the plot suffered for having no character development. There were no new characters  to be introduced and no growth or change in those that remained, it was really more of the same.

During one underground scene, that should have been full of dread and fear, the characters were laughing jauntily and poking fun at each other, which kind of destroyed the scene. It removed any sense of real danger.

I mention these two points because I didn't notice anything like them during the first book. the author seems to have dropped the ball, or if not dropped it, perhaps fumbled a little.

That may sound like I didn't like it. That's not the case. I did like it, and I've already queued up the third book in the series ready to start listening. So that recommends it, even if it did have some minor disappointments.

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

Total Score 7/9

Download it from the Podiobooks

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The Emperors Edge by Lindsay Buroker

Official Blurb

Imperial law enforcer Amaranthe Lokdon is good at her job: she can deter thieves and pacify thugs, if not with a blade, then by toppling an eight-foot pile of coffee canisters onto their heads.

But when ravaged bodies show up on the waterfront, an arson covers up human sacrifices, and a powerful business coalition plots to kill the emperor, she feels a tad overwhelmed.

Worse, Sicarius, the empire's most notorious assassin, is in town. He's tied in with the chaos somehow, but Amaranthe would be a fool to cross his path. Unfortunately, her superiors order her to hunt him down.
Either they have an unprecedented belief in her skills... or someone wants her dead.

My Review

I hadn't read the blurb when I first started listening to this so I went through all of the "that's odd" moments you might expect when the story starts off feeling as a feudal Japan/samurai story, evolves into a buddy cop story, then a political intrigue and then in wafts the early steam age.

Sound odd?  It is. But it is good. It's a fun adventure based in a Japan-like steam-punk world. Oh and just a enough magic to keep things interesting.

The narrator is not the author on this book, which is quite unusual for books on Podiobooks, but the reader does a wonderful professional job.

As a bonus this is the first part of a series, but stands very well on its own.

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

Total Score 7/9

Download it from the Podiobooks

Listen to the first chapter.

Beyond the Black River by Robert E. Howard

Official Blurb

Conan the Barbarian in this exciting story is selling his sword to one of the civilized countries to help in it's push to claim lands from the primitive Picts. The Picts are not excited about the idea however. Old gods and mythical creatures are called up by the Pict witches to contest the invading army and Conan finds himself battling for his life amid the blood thirsty hordes that include saber-toothed tigers, 40 foot long venomous snakes and a demon from another dimension who is intent on crushing him. The huge dog Slasher makes an appearance here and distinguishes himself so well in a desperate battle to delay the onrushing Picts that Conan openly praises his courage and pledges 7 Pict heads in his honor. 

My Review

I believe that this is the first Conan audiobook I have listened to. It was a real pleasure to hear one of the original stories that started this character on his journey to myth-dom...is that a word?

I read a lot of Conan books in my youth and I remember him to be a fairly uncaring kick-ass good good-guy-ish. This story backs that up. Conan is doing good, but in the end it's only because he's a sword for hire not because he's a super hero.

As the official blurb says, Conan and friends are pitched against all kind of enemies that require liberal application of hard steel and the spilled blood of foes. It's high action adventure almost from the get-go and throughly thrilling. Yeah, I loved it. 

I enjoyed the reading by Phil Chenevert. He has a sing-song voice that lilts its way through the story and I found it really very easy on the ears.


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

Total Score 8/9

Download it from Librivox

Listen to the first chapter.

Black Canoes

Official Blurb

None.

My Review

This is another full cast audio drama from the Seeing Eye Theater that runs for about a hour.

A potter dissatisfied with his art and being unable to replicate an ancient glazing technique flips and  ends up destroying the work of months of a rampage of pot smashing. A visiting trainee potter takes his hand and leads him on an adventure.

This one is a bit "out there". The story is cohesive but it is definitely one that tries to stretch your brain. Think of it as modern urban fantasy. The woman who takes the potter on the adventure inhabits a world different from his (and ours) and she leads him on a path of discovery, mystery, adventure and sacrifice.

It's very well done, the acting believeable, the sound effects and music perfectly blended to create the atmosphere. Not really my sort of thing, but in the end I did enjoy it.

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

Total Score 8/9

Download it from the Internet Archive

The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan

Official Blurb

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

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

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

My Review

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

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

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

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

Total Score 7/9

Download it from the Podiobooks
Listen to the first part

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Storm Over Warlock by Andre Norton

Official Blurb

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

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

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

My Review

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

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

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

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

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

Total Score 7/9

Download it from the Podiobooks
Listen to the first part
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The Gearheart by Alex White

The Blurb

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

My Review

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

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

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

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

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

Total Score 8/9

Download it from the Podiobooks

Listen to the first part

Stand by for Mars by Carey Rockwell

Official Blurb

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

My Review

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

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

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

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

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

Total Score 6/9

Download it from the Librivox

Listen to the first part

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The Hand of Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer

Official Blurb

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

My Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

Total Score 6/9

Download it from the Librivox

Listen to the first part

The Blockade Runners by Jules Verne

Official Blurb

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

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

My Review

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

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

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

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

Total Score 7/9

Download it from the Librivox

Listen to the first part

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The Return of Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer

Official Blurb

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

My Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

Total Score 6/9

Download it from the Librivox

Listen to the first part

Leviathan Chronicles

Official Blurb

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

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

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

My Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

Total Score 8/9

Download it from Podiobooks

Listen to the first part

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Fractured Horizons by H.E. Roulo

Official Blurb

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

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

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

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

My Review

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

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

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

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

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

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Podiobooks

Listen to the first part

Aliens in the Mind by Robert Holmes(?)

Official Blurb

None! ( well, none I could find. )

My Review

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

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

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

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

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

Total Score 9/9

Download it from the Vincent Price Audio page

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Out of Times Abyss by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Official Blurb

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

My Review

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

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

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

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

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

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Librivox

Listen to the first chapter