Audio Book Review: Herculean

Herculean

By:  Jeremy Robinson & Sean Ellis

Publish Date:  August 25, 2015, Audiobook February 3, 2016

Format:  Audiobook - 9 hrs 35 mins
Narrated By:  Jeffrey Kafer

Genre:  Paranormal Thriller

Series:  1st in Cerberus Group series

Impression:  The creation of an exceptional group of people protecting the secrets of and from the dangers of the Underworld using the knowledge Hercules learned.

Synopsis:
THE SECRET MUST BE KEPT…

For three thousand years, the Herculean Society has preserved the legacy of the ancient hero, Hercules, protecting history’s fragile relics from humanity, and humanity from the dangerous truths behind the legends. Now, the Society’s new leader, archaeologist George Pierce, faces his first test: the Cerberus Group. The shadowy organization has two goals: the collection and distribution of black market relics, tech and secrets, and the purge of those deemed unfit for survival.

Pierce and his niece, Fiona—the last guardian of the ‘mother tongue,’ the forgotten language of creation—discover a secret entrance to the legendary Labyrinth, and at its heart, a hidden trove of relics that point the way to Hercules’s greatest discovery: a mutagen that can rewrite the very code of life. When a surprise attack leaves Pierce and Fiona trapped in the deadly maze, fighting for their lives, the race to stop the Cerberus Group begins.

To defeat this new enemy, Pierce must assemble a team of experts including Felice Carter, a geneticist with a dangerous secret, Augustina Gallo, a mythology professor, Cintia Dourado, a high tech hacker, and Lazarus, a dead soldier returned to life.

Guided by their knowledge of science, history and mythology, Pierce’s team sets out on an epic journey, following in the footsteps of Hercules, to stop Cerberus from controlling the power that rises from the Well of Monsters.

…OR THE WORLD WILL BE CLEANSED.

First Sentence:
At last, he thought. The end of my journey is in sight.

Purchase At:
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Audible


My Thoughts and Summary:
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.

Fiona Sigler is getting her first feel of breaking and entering along with finding hidden treasures as part of the Herculean Society. She and Uncle George are retrieving the Phaistos disc as they believe the strange symbols are found one other place in the world, a cave wall not far from the museum in Crete. They have sworn to help keep Hercules's scientific finds secret. Realizing at the last moment, they're being tracked at each turn by Liam Kenner who wants to expose the old, secret society and George Pierce then to profit from what he finds. Kenner also works for another who wishes to reveal the genetic code the creatures that once existed from the Well of Monsters, to create hybrid monsters of old and new. But there's more hidden. The Mother Tongue, the first and forgotten language that none other than Fiona can speak.

Jeffrey becomes the story for me as I listen, as he always does. He does different voices and accents for the characters. He accents the story vocally. Jeffrey's voice is strong and he doesn't give away the end of the story, no vocal cues to what is a solid hint to how all will end. His vocal cadence feels as it's steady through the story yet there are moments I feel as we are moving faster, but we are not. It's the stories flow that comes through strong with his sonant.

We have a list of characters we work with; George Pierce, Fiona Sigler, Augustina Gallo, Felicia Carter, Eric Lazarus, and a few others. All have long dangerous histories. They have lived through terrible things and it makes them all special as well. They are strong, brilliant people.

We get a great deal of the story from Fiona and Pierce's POV. There are others that are secondary characters who's eyes we see through as well. I love the relationship between Pierce and Fiona. George Pierce is Fiona Sigler's uncle, by nature not blood. This is a family feel to the adventures with a love and care for each other instead of desire. We always need more family affiliated characters! I get a kick out of Pierce making mental notes to himself when he finds himself in a tight spot, something he needs to carry with him at all times. If he carried everything, he'd be weighed down. lol. Fiona has her own spark of humor that she carries through the book. A few gave me a great visual and others made me smile.

This book holds my attention with a balance of action, suspense - will they get caught? will they live? - and information to grow the world and characters. Oh to have a print book in my hands...I'd go nuts with the colored sticky notes, and love every minute of it! Wow. Just over half way and the book is non-stop! The events all characters are working through are dangerous with what feels as no safety in sight. I enjoy a great book with lots happening and new details flying at me, keeps the brain pumping.

And as much as I love this about a fasted paced book, I struggled for a moment too. It's not really a problem as it's good too. There was so much happening at one time in the book that I wasn't sure what all was found, happening, and resulted. It felt convoluted. I could use listening to it again to catch more information as I know I missed details.

There is an element of paranormal mixed with the science, and there are spots that still surprised me with the sudden turn of events at mention of information. Genetic testing on humans...with mythical creature DNA in the serums. I was shocked! Did not see that coming. Though should have. But how when the genetics of the Well of Monsters wasn't found yet?

I found the story a great blend of action, suspense of if they are safe and don't let that fall into 'his' hands and what danger is around the next corner, along with a history blend of supernatural and science. Greek myths and Indian Jones set in current times with a science reasoning. I was fascinated with the creation of the Herculean Society and the history of Hercules as we go through the book. Pierce and Fiona are quick with their history. They keep us in tune with what and when in the time frame of history things were made, cultures existed, and that there are artifacts found that don't fit with the age that they are in.

I definitely want to continue with the amazing team created here!



*If you find my thoughts helpful, please click Yes at Amazon and/or Audible. Thank you!