Audio Book Review: Exile

Exile

By:  David Wood & Sean Ellis

Publish Date:  September 28, 2017, Audiobook Release April 11, 2018

Format:  Audiobook - 8 hrs 26 mins
Narrated By:  Jeffrey Kafer

Genre:  Adventure, Suspense, Thriller

Series:  3rd in Jade Ihara Adventures series; 1st Book ~ Oracle, 2nd Book ~ Changeling

Impression:  Another hair raising adventure for Jade and Professor into the view of slavery.

Synopsis:
Jade Ihara is caught in a centuries old power struggle between a slave cult who believes she might be the incarnation of the goddess of liberty, and a secret cabal with plans for world domination. Can she unravel the mystery of the Cult of Veritas and find their sacred relics before it’s too late? David Wood and Sean Ellis deliver another action-packed thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Fans of Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, Rogue Angel, and Dane Maddock will love Exile!

First Sentence:
....
Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Noble  /  Book Depository

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

As always, Jeffrey Kafer narrates the story with perfection. I know, it seems strange for a man to narrate a woman, but that does not defer from Jade's story in the least. I don't even hear that it's a male voice. Jeffrey has a way of carrying the suspense, adventure, and curiosity in his voice for the characters. He retains the calm the characters feel in stressful, scary moments. Although, there is some worry and nerves that creep through in this story for Jade and Professor, and Jeffrey enunciates them. We get the feel of the characters emotions, feelings, and personality through Jeffrey's tones and attitude voiced.

Wow. Jade spends most of the book on the run! She's running for her life in Rome, Italy along with on a slave boat. Jade is a handy woman on her own. Almost a female McGyver!

We start with Jade having been kidnapped, possibly being sold as a slave. We see a darker side to Haiti with Professor doing all he can to find Jade. This is where Jade gets nervous. What can she really do? Jade is determined to fight, and fight she does. She will do anything if there's a sliver of hope to survive.

This story is focused on Jade. She's grown as a character and in her skills, and it shows here. Even Professor notes it several times to himself. She may not need him around to protect her any longer. And that bothers him a bit. Jade has grown stronger. Some of the things she has to do... Ugh. *stomach drops* She's a bit more of a daredevil than I would have thought. Wow. Professor even has his extraordinary events here. But he refuses to leave Jade fend for herself.

I love Jade with Professor. They get under each other's skin, but they're a great pair with all they know and can do. They could even, someday in the future, be a great couple. They challenge each other but are great friends and work companions.

This story touches close to home for many people and brings up a heated topic. Slavery. This is not just about the past slaves but also the human trafficking that still happens in the world. There is even a brief touch on what people consider liberty and freedom. Even how some feel about America and immigrants is touched on here. All amazing topics to discuss and think on. This book opens a door to these subjects for people to think on. It's not meant to begin an argument or upset anyone, but hopefully to open eyes and ears to bring the subjects in the open so people can understand and work to stop slavery. This was the impression I got from the characters.

We get sections that are detailed in explaining. There are true history pieces used to create the fiction from. I love how the minds of David Wood and Sean Ellis use history to create their stories. It makes the story feel so much more invested for me.

Another hair raising adventure for Jade and Professor. As always, I look forward to more with them.



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

Audio Book Review: Changeling

Changeling

By:  David Wood & Sean Ellis

Publish Date:  November 12, 2015, Audiobook February 5, 2016

Format:  Audiobook - 8 hrs 3 mins
Narrated By:  Jeffrey Kafer

Genre:  Thriller

Series:  2nd in Jade Ihara series; 1st Book ~ Oracle

Impression:   It never fails, these authors and stories give us an adventure with danger at every turn of solving the mystical mystery.

Synopsis:
You can’t always recognize the face of your enemy.

Two thousand years ago, the legendary mathematical genius Archimedes was poised on the brink of the greatest discovery in human history when his life was brutally snuffed out. His murder has never been explained.

While investigating the strange Paracas skulls—believed by some to be the remains of extraterrestrial explorers—archaeologist Jade Ihara receives an unexpected visit from an old foe seeking her help against entities he calls “Changelings” and their plot to manufacture a false chapter of human history.

Hounded by radical extremists led by Atash Shah—a man bent on becoming the Mahdi prophesied to unite the Islamic world—and haunted by the faceless puppetmasters who secretly control the world, Jade must follow the trail of clues to uncover a deadly truth that has been erased from history.

Can she solve the mystery of Archimedes’ murder, or will she become the next victim of the conspiracy to hide the truth?

First Sentence:
The boy became a man but he never forgot what he had seen that day.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles 

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.

When Jonathan Roche, a past threat to Jade, shows up at the current dig site claiming to have hired her for this site and trusts her, things twist around for Jade and Professor. They learn about Phantom Time in the calendar conversions before Jade's intern turns on them, killing Roche then running. Speaking with Roche on his secrets lands Jade on an extremists hit list. Running for her life, Jade is also determined to figure out what it was that got Roche killed. Seeing through the haze the Changelings have put in place, Jade finds her way to Archimedes's vault that's to hold secret weapons. What it really holds is more, and could be what

Oh! Jeffrey does an Australian accent for Norris. We also get a Scottish accent quick when Jade visits Scotland. There are a few accents that Jeffrey slips into with ease as we listen to the story. I do find his voice ever so easy to listen to. And I find that even though his voice is easy to listen to, it does not distract from the story. The story has my attention and my curiosity. I love that Jeffrey doesn't give hints away as he's narrating.

Jade is on 'the' list of a few different organizations. Jade has now made it to another list calling for her death, because of what she is working on and who she's talked to. Then, when the first attempt on her life is botched it draws the leader into the fray, more determined to see her dead. She must be on to what they want kept secret and that they are after her. But there is more to the drive than both Jade and Atash Shah know. But with the mention of Archimedes vault, Jade's attention is focused and her curiosity piqued. She's determined to find it.

Jade and Professor. I do love them together. They both have strong personalities that could clash, but they work well together too. Jade and Professor know themselves, and accept who they are. They also know how the other is and work with that knowledge. They make a great team! I realized that more so in this book as they separate for a bit, same mission but different avenues to search. However, when they come back together I found I enjoy the spark they have as they work together. They have no problem telling each other the way it is and being honest; in doing so, there is a caring there too. Do I want them as a couple? Hmm. Yes and no. I love what they have now but the potential is there for more. If they keep their personalities and stubbornness, then maybe.

The theory behind it all... There is so much background and support created to endorse the theories. The story is written nice and tight with the information. We reflect on the same pieces a few times, adding to the information each time to see how it actually fits with the story. The story leads to the pieces we need, and the pieces lead the story. I did take my time in listening, noting and reflecting on each piece of information we learn. I was determined to follow their paths.

This book takes the twist on the calendar and all that people have done to make the passing of time easy for us to understand and live by and uses it to create a mystery of old. There is so much we have done to create the calendar we use now that it's a wonderful secret to time, lost time each year. There is also mention of suspension that there are a fake 300 years added to history. This is where some in the world could get upset as what happened in those years would be false and what they believe then... false. People would kill for their beliefs. Add to that a secret vault created and filled, with secret weapons, by Archimedes. It's been hidden and protected all these years by what could be the Changelings, so no one has access to it when it opens every 1,000 years.

The story had me curious as to what was really going on. The authors kept me guessing throughout the book. The Changelings and the vault. What is the ultimate end game for it all? I was no let down in how it all came together. It never fails, these authors and stories give us an adventure with danger at every turn of solving the mystical mystery.



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

Audio Book Review: Oracle

Oracle

By:  David Wood, Sean Ellis

Publish Date:  September 23, 2014, Audiobook October 6, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 9 hrs 11 mins
Narrated By:  Jeffrey Kafer

Genre:  Paranormal

Series:  1st in Jade Ihara Adventures series

Impression:  Archaeological action adventure with a supernatural twist.

Synopsis:
Sometimes, knowing the future is not enough…. For more than a millennium, the Oracle of Delphi guided kings and conquerors with stunningly accurate visions of the future. But, with the rise of a new God, the Oracle faded from memory. Now, the power of the Oracle is about change the world once more.

While excavating a previously uncharted passage beneath the ancient city of Teotihuacan, archaeologist Jade Ihara makes a startling discovery: enormous stone spheres, arranged to resemble a model of the solar system, slowly orbiting a golden sun. Even more fantastic, when Jade attempts to move one of the spheres, she catches a glimpse of the future…a premonition that will save her life and launch her into a desperate race to unlock the mysterious secret of the oracular orbs. Jade is accompanied by her old friend, former Navy SEAL Pete “Professor” Chapman, and pursued by a relentless secret society intent on burying the secret of the Oracle forever.

Return to the world of the Dane Maddock Adventures in the first book of a thrilling new series, as Jade crosses the globe in pursuit of the secret of the Oracle.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles

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.

Jade Ihara is back at doing what she enjoys, working in her field of expertise on an archaeological dig. None of the craziness that comes with the treasure hunting as she had with her ex, Dane Maddock. However, when the site opens to a mysterious room in a pyramid to find a working solar system, things take a turn. Jade and her friends are now on the run to find and stay alive from the Norfolk Group, a group of people working to remove the supernatural entities from the world to prevent any other disasters from occurring. Jade goes on an expedition to find the missing moon stone from the working solar system, that leads her to think through a few magically touched times of history and where those places happened. Then to the biggest mysterious site of current times. Jade is working hard to find and save the stone surrounded with dark matter, but others will make her have to make a difficult decision.

I've listened to Jeffrey before, and could listen to him speak on going. Jeffrey has something with his voice, tone, that hooks me each time I listen to him. He doesn't do drastic different voices for each character but subtle ones that you get to know as you listen to the story, more with personality expressions for each character. His voice is clear and with pacing that makes the story easy understand and follow.

This story is set in a world created in Dane Maddock Adventures series. I didn't know this when I volunteered to review the book. I saw it was the first in a new series that caught my attention and wanted to read (listen) to it. There is personal and personal business that is addressed at the beginning to tie yet separate this book from the Dane Maddock series. I had no problems picking up with this book and Jade's adventures. Actually, I'm kind of curious about her past with Maddock because we do get glimpses of missions and her live with Maddock, and went looking for those books too.

There is lots of mythical thinking with history and science here. Both are used to bring the characters to their conclusions on where to head next in their search. Things get a bit technical, and I don't understand it 100% all the time, but I get the drift and know what's going on. The characters are specialists in their field, so they do come across that way. But at times it's mind baffling.

There are different groups working in the world that searches for powerful items like what Jade is finding in this story. The Dominion is a dangerous group that Maddock's crew has tangled with. Maddock and his crew joined the Myrmidons to stop the Dominion, and Jade didn't want to join. So she went on her own. Jade and Professor come up against a new group, the Norfolk Group. They are who Jade has to work against in this book, and who are determined to eliminate any and all powerful items from the world to prevent destruction.

We get the story through Jade's eyes, but at times we get to see things through Professor's eyes along with a few other characters. Our main characters we spend much of the book with are Jade, Professor, Paul Dorion, and Hodges. Jade is who the series is focused on. She's a strong woman but has a few things she's still working through personally, and she's doing it. By the end of the book, I feel she's made a huge step in the right direction. Professor, I do enjoy Professor. He's a great companion through the story for Jade. He knows her corks and works with her where others get frustrated with her control. He complements Jade nicely, and I have hopes for the man. Paul Dorion is one that is here because of his scientific knowledge. He is important at the dig site, and important through the story. We grow found of him and start to see him as a great part of the team. Hodges, well Hodges is the eyes on the other side of things.

I found it interesting the way the story takes history and twists it with a touch of science explaining to give it a magical feel, turning the history around to make educated deductions. As I listened to this story I thought that fans of J.F. Penn might enjoy the adrenaline rush of danger as "they" run from different organizations, all wanting the powerful artifacts for different reasons. This is very similar with a bit more science mixed in with the mythical history.