Book Review: The Wicked and The Damned by Rebecca Robinson

The Wicked and the Damned by Rebecca Robinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure what to expect coming into this book. Vaasa made a bargain at the end of the first book and I wasn't sure how that would come to pass. I had questions. And, honestly, I still had many questions that grew as I read this book.

I didn't know how the magic would be... given? Then I didn't know how it was working the way it was in this book. And why was the person doing what they were doing?

I grew more and more curious as the book went on. Things were going a different direct that I had thought it might at the end of the previous book. And I'm great with this. Especially after finishing the book.

Let's talk about Vaasa. She's an amazing woman. She's smart. And men seem to miss that and think she's just a pretty face. She plays these men to get what she wants. That brings us to Reid. Reid knows she's smart and so much more than the men of her country give her credit for. And he loves her for all the reasons.

Reid... I said in the first book we didn't get to see the deadly and dangerous warrior he's said to be. We get to see that side of him here. He's calculating too, even though he thinks he's not. He knows when to lay low and when to attack.

In the end I got insight into why things were set to happen as they were. And the Epilogue helped fill in gaps at the end for this. I like this direction. And I'm looking forward to the next books to see what Vaasa does with what she's learned. Because I feel there's more that's not told to her, something that could be danger for her.

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Book Review: The Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson

The Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I would recommend this to those starting to dip their toes into fantasy worlds.

This one starts fast on Vaasa's wedding night. And it doesn't go as you'd think. I enjoyed this little rouge Vaasa.

We quickly learn Vaasa's cursed. She's looking for a way to break the curse, and we learn why. But there's more to this curse than she realizes. She's on the path to learn what she can. And Reid is here to help her.

Reid makes a deal with Vaasa. He'll help her if she helps him. Yes, Reid is the man from the beginning. lol. He's not going to let that night down. But Vaasa has her reasons to fight him. Enemies in so many words and actions.

There's a slow burning tease between the two characters, an enemies to lovers undertone to the story. Reid has been a gentleman since the beginning. Kind and respectful to her, yet fun. I did have fun with their banter.

There's a few turns in what they learn and unexpected events and people. Vaasa learns through the book about her curse and grew relationships with new friends through the book. I liked the character connections here with the growth. The world was easy to follow as reading.

The ending had me. I was ready for book two when I finished but have to wait for release. I can't wait to pick this one up when it releases.

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Audio Book Review: The Others

The Others

By:  Jeremy Robinson

Publish Date:  July 15, 2018, Audiobook Release July 24, 2018

Format:  Audiobook - 10 hrs 15 mins
Narrated By:  R.C. Bray

Genre:  Science Fiction

Series:  Stand Alone

Synopsis:
UFOs and alien abductions remain one of the most hotly debated and mysterious subjects of the twenty-first century. In the decades since 1960, with reports of strange encounters on the rise, thirteen million people have gone missing worldwide and never been found. The Others takes a fast-paced, unique, and moving look at the phenomenon that has fueled Jeremy Robinson's imagination since several sightings, strange happenings, and visits with renowned UFO investigator, and family friend, Raymond Fowler.

TO SAVE A MISSING GIRL...

Dan Delgado is a private investigator. When it comes to finding cheating spouses, corporate thieves, or runaway teenagers, he's unenthusiastic, and unmatched. As a former San Francisco detective, he misses more meaningful work, but he hasn't had the heart for it since his wife's death five years prior. That is, until a phone call from a distraught mother. An illegal immigrant who can't go to the police puts him on the hunt for a missing little girl.

By the time he reaches the mother's small home, she's missing, too. The circumstances are strange, but when a team of heavily armed mercenaries arrive, Delgado is convinced there is more going on than a simple kidnapping.

Joined by his elderly assistant, a gun-toting pastor, and a UFO enthusiast Uber driver, Delgado follows the clues west, to Colorado City, a town cleaved in two by the 37th parallel, also known as the UFO Highway. In a town infamous for fundamentalist Mormon cult activity, they uncover evidence of a massive child-trafficking ring, whose ringleaders might not be human.

Delgado and crew are plunged into a dangerous world of corporate competition, UFO lore, and government cover-ups. While they hunt for answers, they're pursued across the Southwest by high-tech mercs, brainwashed cults, and beings whose true identity has been concealed since 1947.

...HE MUST RISK THE WORLD


My Thoughts and Summary:

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

R.C. Bray is a new narrator to me, but an experienced narrator by his long list of audio books. Wow. How have I not listened to him before now? R.C. has a controlled voice that gives nothing away. The emotion of the characters are portrayed through the worlds spoken and small innuendos. I stayed focused on the story at hand and drawn into the world created by the author.

I've come to know that I truly enjoy Jeremy's books. Not only do we get an entertaining and twisting story, I get my action and boldness with the characters I love. There comes a point when they have to stand or fall, and his characters chose what I want to see. The characters have a fully developed growth that flows with the story and events. It feels natural and believable for the characters to make the choices they make, even if the story is a science fiction fantasy read.

This book has created a well rounded person in Dan Delgado as I see the events unfold through his eyes. There is more to him and we learn the things that make Dan tick as we move through the story, looking for Isabelle and her mother.

The thing that Dan finds himself in, along with his dearest friend and co-worker Wini, is mind blowing. Dan never expected to find his way into learning the truth about UFOs and aliens.

The people that Dan finds himself spiraling down the rabbit hole with are perfect. There's a Sheriff, a Pastor, and a Uber driver along with Dan's assistant, Wini, who's a senior citizen. lol. It sounds like a joke when you think about it. An unlikely crew, but they all have pasts that lend to why they are here. They really do fit together and make a great crew.

Audio Book Review: Flux

Flux

By:  Jeremy Robinson

Publish Date:  May 14, 2019, Audiobook Release May 31, 2019

Format:  Audiobook - 10 hrs 55 mins
Narrated By:  Jeffrey Kafer

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  Stand alone

Impression:  An adventure through time with action and growth.

Synopsis:
For Owen McCoy, a typical day on the job as head of security for Synergy, a research company conducting mysterious experiments, is boring at best. And that's the way he likes it. Patrolling the Appalachian mountainside, where his now deceased father taught him how to hunt, is relaxing and connects him to the past.

But today is not a typical day on the job. It begins with asking a thief to join him for breakfast. Seeking to set the young man on a better path, Owen invites him to walk the perimeter with him and consider a more honest living. Before their patrol can begin, they discover evidence that the facility has been breached. When Owen's truck explodes, he's confused, but ready for whatever might come his way.

At least, he thinks he is.

A wave of light-bending energy--the Flux--rolls down the mountainside, transporting Owen, and everyone in the nearby town of Black Creek, to October 14, 1985, the day before his father died. Two hours later, the second Flux hits, and then a third, and a fourth, each time collecting Black Creek residents from various times. They're carried through eras filled with wild animals, monsters of myth, and ancient beasts...and then beyond.

Joined by a ragtag group of temporal stowaways, including family members, Owen fights to restore order, stop the Flux, and return home, facing off against futuristic tech, primal killers, and the fear of losing his father...again.

First Sentence:
"Ain't gonna ask again." The gun in his hand - a rusted piece of junk from a time before his birth - is more likely to explode in his face than put a bullet through mine.

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Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

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


By now I'm sure you know Jeffrey is one of my favorite narrators. Jeffrey doesn't let me down. Jeffrey narrates with perfection. He fits the voices of all the characters well as they live through their events. Jeffrey adds different tones, accents, and personality to each character as they speak.

Owen's day is far from routine. From speaking to, and helping, his would be robber to his day at the job. Nothing is close to normal. Working as head of security at Synergy, Owen doesn't know what the company is working on. Owen seems to take a long stroll through the past on this day.

It doesn't take Jeremy long before things go sideways in the normal day for his main character, Owen. I enjoyed meeting Levi and how Owen befriends him. I am thrilled Jeremy dives in and throws the world into chaos for Owen immediately. It made me curious and kept my attention on the story.

I love going on adventures in Jeremy's books. He always has an interesting spin in his stories. Every chapter drives the story forward and brings more action and details to play into the story to come. I enjoy the tidbits hinted at and seeing them come to fruit as the story goes.

Our main character, Owen, gets to see how he has changed over the years with what he's lived through. It opens Owen's eyes as to what he's missed out on too. As Owen travels and his group grows in number, he realizes much about himself and starts to open up to the idea of how he lives his life. Owen grows as a character through the book. Owen is also given new chances in this story that help with the growth he makes. Owen's a great character, he just starts out a little closed off due to the losses he's felt and lived through.

For the secondary characters, I was drawn to Levi right away. The young adult had some cool sayings and a bit nervous when we meet him, but he was quick to pick up on things too. I really liked the bond created with Levi and Owen. We come across other characters as well that are mysterious or important to Owen that made an impact on me as well; Minute Man, Cassie, little Owen, Dad, Inola, are a few that stick out for me mind.

In the end we come to a small tie that connects this book to another of Jeremy's, The Others. You do not have to read The Others in order to pick anything up, but it may spark you to want to get The Others as I'm now wanting to listen to it.

As always, Jeremy has lived up to my expectations and beyond. Well done.



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Audio Book Review: Alter

Alter

By:  Jeremy Robinson

Publish Date:  December 1, 2018, Audiobook Release February 2, 2019

Format:  Audiobook - 9 hrs 43 mins
Narrated By:  Luke Daniels

Genre:  Thriller, Adventure

Series:  Stand-alone

Impression:  Lost in the jungle can give a new perspective on life.

Synopsis:
Stranded in the Amazon rainforest, a lost man fights for survival and discovers that the root of evil doesn't just reside in the world's darkest corners, but inside the hearts of all mankind.

Dr. Gregory Zekser is on a mission to visit the furthest reaches of the Amazon, providing medical aid to recently contacted tribes. As a general practitioner and food pantry director, his life in Massachusetts can be chaotic, but serving people is what he does best, and he doesn't mind sacrificing his personal life to help others, at home or half way around the world.

But any hope of returning home to his wife, daughter, and comfortable life are eradicated when the small plane carrying him back to civilization plummets into the unknown depths of the jungle. Swallowed by endless green, with both pilots dead, Greg struggles to stay alive in a world that wants to infect his body, suck him dry, and eat him whole. Ravaged by illness and dehydration, and stalked by a ruthless predator, Greg's life teeters on the edge of oblivion until a scream lets him know that he is not alone.

His first encounter with an uncontacted tribe ends in death--the first of many. Driven to the brink of madness, and then beyond, Greg finds himself caught up in a feud that existed before his arrival, but will only end with his death--or his enemies'.

First Sentence:
A tree branch is the first thing I see upon waking.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles 

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

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

Luke Daniels is a new narrator for me. I wasn't sure how I'd like his narration. When the story started he felt vocally stiff for me. I know Greg is a stiff character with his speaking and word choices, but I still wasn't sure. As the story went, Luke grew on me and Greg seemed to relax into the jungle he's lost in which was reflected in Luke's voice. When it came to voicing other characters, I didn't have the strained feel that comes with Greg, so I know Luke is in character for Greg.

The word choices and thinking process of Greg fits his profession and character. These are specific in the beginning as Greg is a product of society. Greg still has mannerisms of modern society but he is more and becomes more as his story goes on in the jungle with what he lives through. It's interesting how Greg's thinking changes as he faces a new world where current beliefs and modern items don't exist. Greg, who's a doctor who saves people and never harmed anyone is faced with things that happen in nature and has to make a choice in what he will do to survive.

There are a few gross moments. I would not want to see those! We start the book with a moment I really would not want to see or live through, when the plane crashes. Jeremy's writing brings a dreadful image to mind as I listened to the story.

The story... It's a calmer story for me. And that's not saying that it's a slow story. Jeremy has many things happening to Greg as the story goes, there's so much in a jungle that can be dangerous along with simply trying to figure out how to survive. The story is focused on the events Greg comes across and how he reacts to survive in the Amazon jungle. There are dangers, but the story isn't what I usually listen/read. That doesn't change that the story is well written.

Then there was a twist added to the characters. This picked up the plot for me, drawing me in to see what happens. The hunted become the hunters, determined to survive at all costs. I found I was gripped by the book at this point and wanted to know what happened. I was pulling for the characters to do what they must.

I have faith in Jeremy to give me something different in his books, and he did. Jeremy always adds something in that's a twist, either to the characters or the world that the characters have to react to. I love getting this in his books as it adds a new level to the story.

By the end of the book, I was beyond invested into the story and characters. The end even brought tears to my eyes as things settle into place.

This was one heck of a journey for the characters. Greg is a product of his surroundings, and he adapts to those surroundings to survive. But aren't we all?

The story really hit the heart for me. It felt to bring to heart that there is more to life than work and money. There is love and others around you. There is the planet that needs to survive as well.



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Audio Book Review: Insomnia and Seven More Short Stories

Insomnia and Seven More Short Stories

By:  Jeremy Robinson

Publish Date:  May 1, 2011, Audiobook Release April 8, 2019

Format:  Audiobook - 3 hrs 39 mins
Narrated By:  Dan Delgado

Genre:  Science Fiction

Series:  Stand-alone, Anthology of short stories

Impression:  Great short story collection!

Synopsis:
Insomnia is a collection of eight exciting short stories (plus one bonus story) that tackle several different genres including action, science-fiction, horror, noir, and thriller.

Written by best-selling author, Jeremy Robinson, these stories include all of the action, imagination, and twists that fans have come to expect, but they also contain experiments into subjects and voices not normally touched on in his novels.

Insomnia - In a world of super efficiency and equality, sleep is illegal and Feene keeps the masses going.

The Eater - Three children discover a writhing black puddle in the woods of New Hampshire.

Harden’s Tree - A group of teens visit a tree planted atop the ashes of a mass murderer from late 1800’s.

Star Crossed Killers - Two lovers, both deadly killers, compete for the same target.

Counting Sheep - A future terrorist gives an insomniac three minutes to fall asleep.

Hearing Aid - In the future, a deaf man is healed, but does he like what he hears?

Dark Seed of the Moon - Vampires live, and kill, in the eternal shadow of the moon’s polar crater.

From Above - In the future, a detective goes after terrorists who vaporized his city - and his arm - from space.

Bonus story:

Bought and Paid For - A brutal character sketch for Scott Sigler’s The Crypt.


Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles 

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

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

This is a first for me listening to Dan Delgado as a narrator. I enjoyed his narration and got a chuckle out of him voicing the youngest of the boys in the second story. The nice thing about anthologies and a collection of short stories is, it's a way for Dan to voice different feelings. Dan gets to give a suspenseful feel, a youthful feel, and much more. I enjoyed and was impressed with his variety of performances here.

Jeremy has a collection of short stories here that are a variety of genre. I enjoyed all the stories, a few more than others, but the whole collection is a great addition to the shelf. I was not let down in a few cases as Jeremy has a way of giving a spin on the story I didn't expect. Very enjoyable collection! I got a feel for each story as I listened, something deeper than what is being told. I enjoyed hearing Jeremy's brief afterward with each story. He shared where he was or what he was thinking about when writing them. This description goes with the theme that was interlaced in the stories.

Insomnia
This was a nice short about a character that works and doesn't sleep, a whole society actually. Yet he still dreams, with his eyes open. And maybe that will get him somewhere...

Hearing Jeremy's afterward based on his story is very interesting. I enjoyed the story, but it also sheds an interesting light on the story as well.

The Eater
Quick short story that involves three brothers. Something terrifying happens, but might be a good thing it happened.

I had to chuckle when I heard Dan voice the young child here.

This felt true to how siblings interact. But I really like how things happen in this story. It's magical, in a way.

Harden's Tree
This is a creepy short story. It's super short, but it works wonderfully! There is history here along with a current event. It does leave me a little curious about the tree afterward though.

Star Crossed Killers
Assassins that seem to be attracted to each other yet are true to their jobs. A little like Mr. and Mrs. Smith, without the marriage part and with relics.

It's a romantic thriller. I love Shawn's view on their relationship. This one made me smile in the end.

Counting Sheep
This one seems rather far fetched. I know it's a science fiction story, but... it's out there with the demand to go to sleep in three minutes or an old woman and a young kid will die. Then I realize, with the characters realization, what is really meant by "go to sleep in three minutes." I smiled at his normal ritual for going to bed, we all have one.

Hearing Aid
This was a great story with a deeper meaning behind it. I really like how he projected the world being loud with advertisements and more. There are times that the world feels too full of sound for me as well.

Dark Seed of the Moon
This takes place on the moon, in a place that feels very fitting for vampires. Neat arrangement here. Jeremy has his own take on vampire-ism. It feels to fit as a history here. There is a turn of events, which I've come to expect from Jeremy in his stories, long and short.

From Above
It's a science fiction noir! I really like this story. It feels rich of history and story. He's a detective on the lookout for what removed his arm, and make them pay for it along with his suit. This has tough characters that are brilliant and go to the extreme. I love it!

Bought and Paid For
He'd lost all he loved, and he's determined to kill the man who took it from him. At any cost.

Very interesting short that creates a character and motive for all he's doing and about to do. This story will lead me to listening to The Crypt podcast of stories at Scott Sigler's site.


This collection adds to my growing shelf of Jeremy's works. I know he doesn't do short stories often, but he's done a great job at it.



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Audio Book Review: Space Force

Space Force

By:  Jeremy Robinson

Publish Date:  October 27, 2018, Audiobook Release February 21, 2019

Format:  Audiobook - 9 hrs 33 mins
Narrated By:  Jeffrey Kafer, Emily Woo Zeller, Machelle Williams

Genre:  Science Fiction

Series:  Stand alone

Impression:  Fun twist to battle royale against aliens

Synopsis:
Five years ago, the United States Space Force became a reality. And while those writing the checks took things very seriously, the other military branches did not. As a result, Space Force was populated by undesirables: men and women who made too many mistakes, didn't follow the rules, or...slept with the wrong general's daughter. Three times. On camera. It was a mistake, okay?

My name is Captain Ethan Stone, a decorated member of SEAL Team 6 turned Space Force 'recruit.' While the powers-that-be attempted to make Space Force an embarrassment, they also sent some of the very best minds, fighters, and pilots to the program, because sometimes the best of us decide to take a stand against those same powers. Yeah, yeah. Not me. Though I seem to recall I was standing when...

Sorry. It's a distracting memory.

Flash forward five years and between tenses. President West is in office. Power has shifted. And Space Force is defunded. With just a handful of us still living on base, we find ourselves being evicted. But before all of us can leave, aliens invade. Really ugly ones, too. Super nasty. I don't think I could describe them here without getting the book banned.

Anywho, using their advanced technology, they seal off Space Force Command behind a shrinking force field and kick off a battle royale to the death. Human vs. alien. To the victors goes the Earth. While my boy Frank Taylor and I throw down inside the force field, my main squeeze, First Lieutenant Jennifer Hale, leads an international strike team into freekin' space. It's nuts. Crazy action. Super funny, too, in like a Deadpool way, if that's your thing.

The only way to really know what went down is to snag a copy of this book and read it for yourself...before it's too late. Or wait for the movie. There is going to be a movie, right?

Hale and I agreed to let 'bestselling'* author, Jeremy Robinson, tell our tales. He's not my favorite person in the world, but I think he captured our voices, and the reality of what happened, printing every word we spoke, no matter how offensive, blunt, disgusting, or violent it was. If you're upset by what you read in this book, first, lighten up, but then, blame me. Jeremy Robinson is a fragile flower. He's only to blame for hackneyed writing.

First Sentence:
"If you're going to ruin someone's life, do it on a Wednesday.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles 

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

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

I love when someone starts strong and solid with what they are saying, then drift off as they aren't sure how to finish that saying, people do it and it's hard to convey when characters in a story do it. Jeffrey does this at the beginning with Captain Ethan Stone and it's perfect. I have to give Jeffrey great praise for this audiobook. No where in it does it sound like Jeffrey breaks character and laughs. I'm sure he had a great time with this one, but he is professional the whole way through and holds to the characters personalities. Totally awesome work.

What creative and colorful analogies, metaphors, descriptions and more are used here. From the first words, Jeremy had my attention to see where he was going with what he would write. I loved it as it made me smile.

Right out of the gun the space comedy reminded me of the movie Space Balls with descriptions used by the characters along with character banter. Just fun in words and actions along with comments you snicker at that others don't respond to. The book has a gaming twist to the battle with the aliens.

The day Space Force is disbanded, as they are exciting the facility, aliens attack. That's karma. So many awesome references to movies, games, and so much more! Totally my kind of fun!

I found I started to get punchy with the common words used while listening to this book. Words like helmet (worn with space suits) and blue balls (energy blasts from guns), along with others, all took on a different meaning in my head. lol. I had a blast listening to this one.

The story has a direction, and we get to the end goal but it's just plain fun getting there - save the earth by winning the fight against the aliens. Sure there is fighting and friendship bonds that are highlighted, but the jokes and humor twisted throughout the book is the best.

I would suggest just turning on your audiobook and kicking back, taking in the story for the fun that it is and letting the words and double meanings roll over you. You'll have a blast!



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

Audio Book Review: The Distance

The Distance

By:  Jeremy Robinson & Hilaree Robinson

Publish Date:  May 3, 2016, Audiobook Release August 27, 2018

Format:  Audiobook - 13 hrs 9 mins
Narrated By:  Jeffrey Kafer & Heather Costa

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  Standalone

Impression:  Non-stop story that gripped my heart.

Synopsis:
When August Finn rises from the depths of the dark matter research facility where he works, he discovers that the human race has been turned to dust. For August, life becomes one grueling test after another as this man of science, unaccustomed to the natural world, must fight to survive, against the elements and against despair. That is, until he makes contact. While much of the world’s technology is no longer functional, simple electronics still work, including Ham radios. After a day of trying, his call is finally answered.

Hanna Dearborn is alone. She’s the last person living on Earth, hidden away in her parent’s sophisticated bunker. She’s been alone for weeks and can no longer stand the solitude. Gun in hand, she intends to end her life. Then, he calls.

Connected to the only other living person in the world, August sets out on a quest to cross the country from Arizona to New Hampshire. As he follows a map from one Ham station to another, he learns how to survive from Hanna. They keep each other alive with each call, forming a deep relationship as he treks through harsh terrain, weather, and hunting predators, all the while trying to figure out exactly what happened to the human race.

As the journey progresses, hints emerge. Lights in the sky. Strange sounds. Otherworldly phenomenon. The human race was eradicated by a higher, far more sophisticated power. And they’re moving in. With danger all around, August rushes to find Hanna, while she struggles to claim a small portion of the planet for the two last surviving members of the human race.

First Sentence:
I scream in pain, gripped by his loving-turned-violent hands.

Purchase At:
Amazon   

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

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

Jeffrey Kafer is a favorite voice of mine. Heather is a new voice for me. I very much enjoyed listening to both narrators. Jeffrey voices the sections that are in August's POV and Heather for sections with Poe's POV. Heather feels to fit Poe to the T in how she's feeling as events unfold. A great contrast listening to the two voices as we get the feel for the characters from August or Poe's minds.

I was drawn into the lives as Poe and August survive the lonely world that has an element of worry as to when the creatures will show up. Or worse, what will they run into with other survivors. Are there others? Okay, there are other survivors. The cool thing with survivors is what we learn. We come across a limited few, and what they have to share is interesting. It tells there is a bigger picture here than just human's being exterminated. Someone (or thing) could be influencing and manipulating the few remaining people to do as they want.

Poe and August feel very personable. Like I can relate. They think of things that I would think if left in the situation they are in. August starts as a man who's not physical but loves using his brain in the lab. He grows in character and physical fitness with having to adapt to the world without cars. He has to make his way to Poe, and will do it. It may take months, but he'll get to her. Poe, the poor girl, is solitary at her home. And she's pregnant. She's waiting for August to come and help her, but she grows in a strength of drive and mentally along with physically. She's not sure about living in this world, but will do so for her baby. Poe becomes a protective bear by the end of the book.

The aliens... They are interesting as they have their own social structure, which is expected. We don't learn all about them, but we learn what is needed to complete the story and plot. There is a bit of Predator feel to the story with the aliens. It's kinda cool.

I listen to audiobooks while at work. And it never failed that the day was done at a spot I couldn't wait to story tomorrow. Although, I don't know if there's really any good spots to stop in this one, I was always wanting more.

I've listened to a few books by Jeremy, and I know there's going to be something big that happens. He's great at creating the suspense of knowing that something's going come and happen to crush the world that's already destroyed as you know it. He does that here, but also adds a spark of hope. These are the endings I love and hate as they are sometimes bittersweet.

Oh, you know you're attached to characters and their journey when you tear up. I did just that in the end of the story. Wow. I knew I was attached but didn't realize how much until it hit me. And the ending lingered with me for days afterward. It really had an impact on me.



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AudioBook Review: Helios

Helios

By:  Jeremy Robinson & Sean Ellis

Publish Date:  August 29, 2017, Audiobook Release May 3, 2018

Format:  Audiobook - 9 hrs 48 mins
Narrated By:  Jeffrey Kafer

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  2 in Cerebrus Group series; 1st Book ~ Herculean

Impression:  Adventure to save the world from a weapon unknown to man.

Synopsis:
A deadly swarm of earthquakes shakes the planet. In the sky above, the sun appears to stand still. While the world reels from the vast destruction, George Pierce and the Cerberus Group, a team of scientific and historical experts, uncover an imminent threat straight out of history that must be stopped. But not everyone wants them to succeed.

An apocalyptic death cult, made up of suicidal martyrs and true believers who will do whatever it takes to ensure the destruction of all life on Earth, goes head-to-head with a billionaire tech-genius commanding an army of robots, on a quest to own the sun itself.

Caught in the middle, the Cerberus Group must fend off both sides while traveling to every corner of the map, and into the depths of myth and history, to find the holiest treasure on Earth—an artifact that can harness the power of creation. The prophecies are true.

THE END IS NIGH.

Jeremy Robinson and Sean Ellis, the international bestselling team behind the Jack Sigler thrillers, including Cannibal and Empire, continue the new series that rewrites the way we see history. Rivaling the best of Matthew Reilly and James Rollins, Helios combines a blistering pace with fringe science and myths reborn.

First Sentence:
"First the Sea God curses us.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository 

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

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

Jeffrey is one of my favorite narrators, especially for the adventures into dangerous places for the unknown. He's voiced these characters in the first book and continues with the same personalities in this one. Jeffrey never gives away what's to come in his voice. He's always in the moment with the characters, experiencing the event s as they would while bringing their reactions to life in voice. Always a pleasure to listen to Jeffrey.

Something I notice about the story is it feels as though we are getting to the end of what is causing the problems, just to learn it's the start of all troubles we are experiencing. Yes, the story starts off with a bang and doesn't slow, things become greater in stakes and action. This is a talent that comes through in the writing. They really thought out this story and all the connections to grow the dangers and connect everything together.

I love how things come together. These stories bring things together I wouldn't expect to relate, yet they fit. Religion, gods, aliens, and so much more tie in threads to each other along with adventure. I get caught up and find I stop and listen, pausing to take it all in. It opens my mind to the possibilities the authors are creating with the characters and events. I can see the connections! Myths and the way things were related in stories for what could have been something people lived through.

There is a possibility these myths could relate to the current problems, with earthquakes all at once then a ticking clock at happening again. The ticking clock that could bring about the end of the world as we know it.

I enjoy these characters. They are like their own little X-men team on an Indiana Jones adventure. There are a few with their own abilities, which we get a quick explanation in this story too. I really like them, and their origin stories. Their personalities fit together to make a team that cares for each other and jokes in good humor. There are deeper ties with these characters that hold them together as a chosen family.

There are so many layers to this story. I would love to listen to it and the previous book again. There are connections to the Herculean group they are part of along with other ties. I have a feeling things mentioned here will come into play in the future too.

And I'm hooked on the series, with the characters and what we learn about the group they are part of. I'll have my eyes on the lookout for the next book!



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

Audio Book Review: Forbidden Island

Forbidden Island

By:  Jeremy Robinson

Publish Date:  December 2, 2017, Audiobook Release January 23, 2018

Format:  Audiobook - 9 hrs 4 mins
Narrated By:  Jeffrey Kafer

Genre:  Fantasy - Action & Adventure, Thriller & Suspense

Series:  Stand-alone

Impression:  Their mission and this island are more than expected.

Synopsis:
SEEKING TO CONTACT HUMANITY'S LOST TRIBE...

On the precipice of a cliff, contemplating suicide, dishonorably discharged U.S. Army Ranger, Rowan Baer, is invited to provide security to a research team visiting the most dangerous island in the world--North Sentinel Island in the Sea of Bengal. Seeking redemption, he accepts.

Living among Amazon rainforest tribes, eccentric Israeli anthropologist, Talia Mayer, is recruited to study the island's elusive inhabitants--the Sentinelese--who have resided on the tropical island since the dawn of mankind. Seeing the chance of a lifetime, she joins the team.

On the run from his past, Palestinian linguist, Mahdi Barakat, is given little choice: join the expedition and make contact with the Sentinelese, or be left to face the men tracking him down. Afraid for his life, he finds safe harbor halfway around the world.

As part of an expedition funded by the Indian government and supported by a local resort millionaire, the team struggles to make contact with the Sentinelese, a tribal people renowned for their violence, strange behavior, and mysterious ways. But when the expedition's yacht strikes a reef, and sinks, the team finds themselves stranded on an island few people have ever set foot on and survived, an island that they quickly discover is home to far more than primitive tribal people.

...THEY UNCOVER THE VERY SOURCE OF EVIL.

First Sentence:
The setting sun made Mike Pastore nervous, not because he feared the coming darkness, but because the wild men preferred it.

Purchase At:
Amazon

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

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

Jeffrey lives up to my expectations from his audio work. This book is the style I've come to know Jeffrey for. He voices the characters with their own personality and accents, breathing life into them as he speaks. I love that Jeffrey never gives away a hint of what's to come as he becomes the characters. He is them in the moment, not aware of how the adventure will go. Thank you. Another great job for Jeffrey.

In the first few chapters we meet our team as Sashi visits each, bringing them in on the mission - to go to Sentinal Islands. It seems each of our new members have a little bit of a colored past. As Rowan likes to say, they are each broken. And, in a way, they are.

The prologue gives us a view of one of the Sentinal Islands. The natives here are...interesting. So I'm curious what our crew will come across when they arrive there.

The POV is between our team: Rowan Baer the ex-U.S. Army Ranger, Talia Mayer the anthropologist, Mahdi Barakat the linguist. They are all of different cultures and backgrounds, but seem to have fun together personality wise. Cool. Before we get off on our adventure, I thought it'd be fun with these three people. And it was. Each has a different insight and knowledge they bring to the table, and it works.

The story is rather fast paced, but the actions to the natives on Sentinal Island seem to work with the story. So it doesn't feel as it's rushed. There is something that happens in each chapter, whether working toward communicating with the Sentinelese or the mystery behind other things involving the Sentinelese.

The natives are different. There are some lewd sexual gestures hinted at here. Or what some may take as lewd, but it's in reference to the natives on the island and it's how they perceive to communicate. You don't get all the details, but you get the gist of the display. It did not bother me. It held true through the book so felt to fit the nature of the natives. Then we see their reactions to the crew when we are ON the island.

The experiences with this island grow stranger and stranger. Really. What they find here are mind blowing. I never expected to come in and find what we did...how we did. I had to know what was behind these natives being as they are. Then I worried if all would make it off the island, or at least the people I'd grown fond of.

This is a quick paced adventure story that keeps you wondering what strange event will happen next. And leave you wondering if it's all true or not. Jeremy gave me what I was expecting and more in this story.



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

Audio Book Review: Apocalypse Machine

Apocalypse Machine

By:  Jeremy Robinson

Publish Date:  March 15, 2015, Audiobook Release July 12, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 10 hrs 18 mins
Narrated By:  Jeffrey Kafer

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  Stand alone

First Impression:  Wow. So much more than expected!

Synopsis:
THE HUMAN RACE STARTED THE SIXTH MASS EXTINCTION ON EARTH.

A chain of subglacial volcanoes erupt in Iceland. The melting ice floods the countryside. Poisonous gas descends on Scotland. A tsunami devastates the Norwegian coastline. An ash cloud rises into the atmosphere, blotting out the sun across Europe, ushering in a new Ice Age. Dozens of nuclear power plants, flooded by ocean water, experience meltdowns. Millions perish. Many more are displaced. All on the first day.

On the second day, a series of earthquakes moving in a straight line, reveal the presence of something massive, walking across the landscape. Concealed by a thick, radioactive ash cloud, the ‘aberration’ heads west, toward Russia.

Abraham Wright, a science writer for Modern Scientist, who wants nothing more than to be reunited with his family, finds himself at the center of the United States’ response to the crisis. Under his new title as Assistant Science Advisor to the President, Wright is sent to Europe with a team of Army Rangers, where he uncovers the truth about the ancient behemoth laying waste to the world: there have been five mass extinctions on planet Earth, and the aberration has been present at each.

On the third day, the world fights back.

And loses.

Separated from his family by continents and oceans ravaged by countless disasters and populated by strange new life, Wright struggles to survive in an evolving world. Hoping to uncover the key to mankind’s redemption, he fights for answers, and to reach his loved ones—before the human race’s extinction.

THE APOCALYPSE MACHINE WILL FINISH IT.

Jeremy Robinson returns to the Kaiju Thriller genre he popularized with the largest Kaiju to ever appear in fiction: the Apocalypse Machine. Bursting with all the epic action, desperate struggle and complex characters that readers have come to expect, Robinson takes the world to the brink once more, pitting humanity against the greatest threat he has yet to conjure, and asking the question: Does humanity deserve to inherit the Earth, or is our time up?

First Sentence:
T.S. Eliot got it wrong.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

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.

I'll leave the synopsis of the book stand for the description. I'm afraid if I give a description I'll give away the book because it's one of those that builds and builds on itself and full of suspense and racing for lives.

Jeffrey is an amazing narrator for suspense. His pace keeps the urgency at a pacing that's easy to understand and think on as it's happening. He vocalizes the event with rise and fall of his voice that keeps me on edge, waiting and wanting to hear what's next.

Interesting beginning. We start in Iceland, on a volcano that's to be studied when they find a spire sticking out of the ground. Abe grabs it and has one heck of a vision. A vision predicting the world to burn and rebirth of a nation from the ashes. When the volcano erupts, I found I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see if the characters will make it away!

We get a few different views to see the horrors that wreck across Europe from the eruption of the strip of volcanoes, though the whole world is affected. The lives of the people and how they are touched with the fall outs - deadly gas, earthquakes, and tsunami. This gives us the first hand view of all that's affected, the many terrible tragedies that happen when the world falls apart. People have created many things that could easily kill us when the world goes wrong, and we see those along with naturally caused dangers and deaths. All these terrible events and suggestions Abraham makes come to be obstacles in his path.

I really enjoyed listening to this story as it didn't stop. I would have sat and listened to this all day if I could. The first two hours flew by as it leads up to what really happened at the volcano. It was excellent. Even the events of trying to stop the machine, then we jump to 15 years later, when the world is completely changed. Wow. All of it was gripping for me.

Abraham is the main character throughout the book. He's a journalist, and being in this field he's experienced and worked with many different people and circumstances. In doing this, and being a studied person as well, comes in handy with all he faces. Abraham faces more dangers than I would ever want to see, or hear about, in this book as he is put in places to learn what he can of the Apocalypse Machine, which he names. I like how his life's experiences bring him to know details while he's on the move. This puts a light on the events that gives us something to relate to in what could be seen as fantasy moments and moments we would not have experienced (like nuclear plants failing).

Abraham also faces a few things about himself too, things he doesn't want to think on but is brought to his attention - like why he's always taking jobs away from his family that he's always wanting to get back to. Is there something he doesn't want to face there? He does have a special and unique relationship in his home life.

Then the story takes a turn I did not expect to see. Wow. The way of the world in the future, those that have survived the devastating events that changed the world as it was known to something completely new. We see the now and the changed future.

This story was one of the greatest finds I've come across in a long time. It's much more than an apocalyptic moment changing the world or a monster story. I am highly impressed with Jeremy's take on the events and twist to telling his story.

I found I was emotionally invested in the book and characters too. I teared up at moments, mostly the happy ones but a few sad ones too. I even smiled when I found my way back to my regular characters in the story.

I am totally amazed with this book! I didn't expect what I got here, and I'm thrilled with it. I was constantly held at attention. Even the last sentence hit me with a whoosh, it made sense.



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

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:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository 

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!