Audio Review: Fool Moon (Dresden Files #2)

Fool Moon (Dresden Files #2)

Written By Jim Butcher

Narrated by James Masters

Business has been slow. Okay, business has been dead. And not even of the undead variety. You would think Chicago would have a little more action for the only professional wizard in the phone book. But lately, Harry Dresden hasn't been able to dredge up any kind of work—magical ormundane. But just when it looks like he can't afford his next meal, a murder comes along that requires his particular brand of supernatural expertise. A brutally mutilated corpse. Strange-looking paw prints. A full moon. Take three guesses;and the first two don't count...

It’s been a while since I listened to an audible book as I haven’t been able to concentrate on listening to anything – I have a terrible habit of drifting off into my own thoughts and not actually listening to the story. So in order to try and get back into the habit, I decided to try the second Dresden Files book as I love the series and have read the book before so it wouldn’t be too difficult to focus on the story. Plus it’s read by James Masters who I have adored since his Buffy days!

James Masters manages to bring to life Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only wizard and his trials and tribulations. It’s helped by the first person narrative, but mostly I think James just manages to capture the voice of a world weary, trying his best wizard who has the weight of Chicago on his shoulders. Harry is an old fashion guy – always protective of women and trying his best to do right and protect as many people as possible including his police friend Lt Murphy, who is in a lot of political trouble for assisting Harry in the past. Added to which the supernatural world doesn’t take kindly to mortals learning too much about them.

That’s not to say that this is perfect. Actually, Fool Moon is one of the weaker stories in the series with an awful lot of info dumping near the beginning – included a long explanation of several different types of werewolves. This is interesting as it adds a lot of colour and texture to the traditional werewolf myth in Harry’s world, but seems a little unbelievable that Harry ends up coming across every type of wolf in the next twenty-four hours! Harry’s relationships with Murphy and Susan are not particularly deep, but nonetheless there is a spark with each of them that could lead to something meaningful.

There is plenty of action with Harry literally being thrown to the wolves on multiply occasions. The mix of magic and physical fighting is well balanced and if some of the motives behind the actions are a little weak then the pacing and amusingly wry observations by Harry more than make up for it. As with Storm Front, this is a Harry Dresden that is still finding his place in the world but all the basic ingredients for one of my favourite Urban Fantasy series are there. They just need a little more seasoning and more mixing.

Recommended for fans of Ben Aaronovitch and Patricia Briggs. 8 out of 10

Audio Review: Is It Just Me?

Is It Just Me?

Written & Read by Miranda Hart

Well hello to you dear browser. Now I have your attention it would be rude if I didn't tell you a little about my literary feast. So, here is the thing: is it just me or does anyone else find that adulthood offers no refuge from the unexpected horrors, peculiar lack of physical coordination and sometimes unexplained nudity, that accompanied childhood and adolescence? 
Does everybody struggle with the hazards that accompany, say, sitting elegantly on a bar stool; using chopsticks; pretending to understand the bank crisis; pedicures - surely it's plain wrong for a stranger to fondle your feet? Or is it just me? I am proud to say I have a wealth of awkward experiences - from school days to life as an office temp - and here I offer my 18-year-old self (and I hope you too dear reader) some much needed caution and guidance on how to navigate life's rocky path. Because frankly where is the manual? The much needed manual to life. Well, fret not, for this is my attempt at one and let's call it, because it's fun, a Miran-ual. I thank you.

Miranda Hart is a very popular British comedienne, for those who aren’t aware of her work. Her sitcom has won awards and she is never afraid to look silly. I’m not a big fan of biographies in general, but I like Miranda enough that I thought I would download this from Audible to try out. First I have to say this isn’t a biography or memoir in the strictest sense. It’s written in the form of a conversation between 38 year old Miranda and her 18 year old self. Her older self is telling her younger self some things she wished she’d known when she was younger – including the madness of ‘The Mother’ at Christmas who insists that they play board games because IT’S CHRISTMAS and the joys of working in an office environment especially all those conversations about what you are having for lunch.

Usually audio books take me a week or so to listen to as I’m usually pottering around at home cooking or cleaning at the same time, but I just couldn’t stop listening to Miranda, spluttering with laughter on multiple occasions. From the lies American films show us on dating in the UK to the huge expectations of holidays each year, Miranda reminds us why things rarely work out as planned and shares some of her own embarrassing experiences.

I have a new hero in Miranda! She is fun, thoughtful and honest. She steers clear of any personal revelations regarding her personal life but at the same time is honest in that it is not of major import to her at the moment – her career is. However, she is honest about the type of teenager she was and what she was like at school. The conversation between her two selves was never confusing – and a great insight to how Miranda remembers being 18. Overall there is more laughs than heartbreaks or great revelations here but everything Miranda talks about is true and relatable. This is a great fun read and one that has piqued my interest in certain celebrity books...especially with Christmas coming up! And I think I may have to give this to everyone I know as a Christmas present this year...

Recommended for fans of Michael McIntyre and Dara O’Briain. 10 out of 10  

Audiobook Review: Giant Thief

Giant Thief (Easie Damasco #1)

Written by David Tallerman

Read by James Langton

Publisher: Angry Robot

Meet Easie Damasco, rogue, thieving swine and total charmer.
Even the wicked can't rest when a vicious warlord and the force of enslaved giants he commands invade their homeland. Damasco might get away in one piece, but he's going to need help.

Big time

Caught in the midst of a war in his homeland, Easie Damasco finds himself enrolled in political situations far above his paygrade, on the run with only a giant named Saltlick for company and chased by a tyrannical warlord determined to hunt him down. This is basically one long chase through countryside, close escapes and city with various characters popping up to help and hinder Easie in his exploits. Few of the characters make much impression from their short time with Easie – apart from Saltlick the giant, but the fast pace means you never really get bored of them. The chase elements means there are lots of close calls and you get see much of the world – although the depth and detail is lost – like seeing the world outside a speeding train – a brief impression is all you get.   

Easie Damasco is a thief with a perchance for picking up his goods when any sensible person would be running as fast and as far as he could in the other direction. On at least two occasions in this story he stops in the midst of a getaway in order to steal some goods from the rich. To be honest he’s not really that smart – just happens to be on the wrong place all the time. However, he is self-deprecating and doesn’t pretend to be a hero. This makes a nice chance from various heroes where only they can save the world. Easie is fun character though and one that is easy to root for.  

James Langton’s reading is humorous and easy on the ear which frankly allows to just relax into the story and get swept along. I have some issues with the item everyone wants to get their hands on – the giant’s chief stone doesn’t have the same attraction as a magical ring or enchanted sword which does make all the action and desperation on the behalf of the characters to get their hands on it a little redundant. Overall this is a fun listen on the lighter side of fantasy, but like a cereal bar not satisfying enough for a full meal.

Recommended for fans of Michael J Sullivan and Brent Weeks. 7 out of 10.   

Audiobook Review: Good Omens

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

Written by Neil Gaimen and Terry Prachett

Read by Stephen Briggs

According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter--the world's only totally reliable guide to the future--the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just after tea...

Neil Gaimen and Terry Prachett and two of the most popular and inventive British writers and this come through in spades. Good Omens is essentially the story of the Apocalypse and the end of the world. But somehow it’s so much more fun, thrilling and imaginative than that suggests. Set in Britain we follow a demon and an angel, a witchfinder and a descendant of a witch as well as the son of the devil himself as they all orbit the end of days. With everything from Atlantis rising to aliens landing thrown in as well there is no end of unusual and unexpected elements which will have either laughing over the sheer absurd or wondering how you missed something so obvious!

Having read the book in the past, I was aware of what to expect, but one of the joys of this audio is the life given to the characters and events by Stephen Briggs. He seems to throw himself fully into the story telling, and your ears become glued to the ups and downs of the anti-christ. I loved how some of the elements felt so British and yet universal – from cold calling salesman (and women) making the world a worse place to every tape in car turning into a Best of Queen album after 2 weeks. (Although these days it could equally be a best of Michael Jackson album!)

Little side stories build up to one big finale where everyone gets a chance to shine. In fact having been rewatching Supernatural season 4 & 5 recently, I have to say it reminds me a bit of these book – but with much less deliberate humour! This is a fun audio book that will distract and entertain and leave you wishing these authors would collaborate more often.

Recommended for fans of Tom Holt and Jasper Fforde. 9 out of 10.

Audiobook: The Ancient Future

The Ancient Future: The Dark Age

Written by Traci Harding

Read by Edwina Wren

Late one evening, en route to visit a relative, an accident leaves Tory - the attractive, twenty-something daughter of a prominent history professor - stranded near a ring of stones in Britain. Tory resolves to spend the night at the stone circle and seek help in the morning.... But across the vortex of time and space, she is taken back to the Dark Age. There she meets Prince Maelgwn of Gwynedd and his band of warriors. Initially her 'strange' appearance frightens them and they believe she is the notorious witch fabled to frequent the site. But she overcomes their fear and soon the tales of her adventures, brave deeds, and beauty spread across the land.

I have to confess I was very surprised to come across an Audible version of this book as I’ve had trouble getting hold of any of Traci Harding books outside Australasia. I read this book originally about five years while travelling and loved the mixture of adventure, romance, time travel and philosophy that the story covered, so I thought I would give the audible version a spin as well. The story starts out as deceptively simple and easy to follow but gets more complex and layered as it progresses and introduces more characters, more ideas and more magic. Tory is an Australian visiting her aunt in Britain when her car breaks down. She decides to spend the night in a circle of fairy stones (as you do!) and ends up transported back to the 6^th century, where magic is still common place. She ends up teaming up with Prince Maelgwn and using her knowledge of Tae Kwon Do to capture the hearts and minds of the 6th century lords.

Tory is a great heroine even if she is pretty much perfect at everything. She can speak ancient Welsh (lucky considering where she finds herself!), is an expert at Tae Kwon Do and mediation techniques, can play the saxophone and is generous person who welcomes everyone and want equality for all. However, you just can’t help liking her – hoping to be like her. Her developing relationship with Maelgwn is very sweet and will satisfy most romantics. Maelgwn himself is extremely likeable with a streak of jealousy that stops him from being completely perfect – but makes him human. There are a number of characters that stand out with Brockwell particularly being memorable as he has one of the most character developments over the course of the story. Katrin seems more than adequate foil for him.

There are a couple of elements that gets a little annoying while listening though. The strange mix of modern phrases mingles with ‘ancient welsh’ speak sounds really odd. “Thou art breaking my heart” for example, just sounds wrong when you listen to it. Although I must confess it never bothered me when I was reading it. It frustrated me as it meant I was pulled out of the story. However, overall the narration is passionate and does a good job at conveying the tone and element of the plot – once you get used to the Australian accent. J

For me this is really one of those stories that you get swept up in. I started it thinking, it’s alright, but by the end I really wanted to start on the next book in the trilogy (which sadly isn’t available in the UK on audio). It has something for everyone and even manages to get you thinking about how to think about some of the greater mysteries of life – what’s the meaning of life, etc? But most of the time, it’s just a lot of fun. Hell, I just want to be Tory!

Recommended for fans of PC Cast and Rachel Aaron.  8 out of 10

Audiobook Review: Real Murders

Real Murders (Aurora Teagarden #1)

Written by Charlaine Harris

Read by Therese Plummer

Librarian Aurora Teagarden reckons she knows everything about her fellow townsfolk, including which ones share her interest in the darker side of human nature, as she and her friends have formed a club to discuss real life killings. But fiction soon becomes fact as more and more bodies are discovered, and the similarities between prior murders and those of Aurora's fellow townsfolk become frighteningly common

I’ve read most of the Sookie Stackhouse books and enjoyed the down to earth take on the supernatural so I thought I’d try some of Charlaine Harris’s ‘regular’ mysteries. Real Murders takes place in a small town where everyone seems to know each other and have ‘their place’. Aurora or Roe is one of the librarians with little social life, always over shadowed by either her glamorous and successful mother or her beautiful best friend. Her one solace is the monthly meeting of Real Murders, a true crime club where they discuss old murders and the investigations. When one of the members is found murder at one of their meetings, Row find herself caught up in the investigation and possibly one of the next victims...

This is very much in the cosy mystery area with a regular person somehow able to make the pieces of the crime fit together better than the police, ask the questions that they don’t – all while continuing to live a normal life. As such it is an easy listen, not overly taxing but nothing really pulls me back to want to know what happens next. I found Roe a little bit of a caricature of a small town librarian and while a perfectly pleasant character not anyone that will ever back the lists of strongest women ever. In comparison I found her mother a much more compelling character with some real backbone. Roe also has a couple of love interests – for the first time in her life it seems and she is rather unsure about which one she likes.  

The murders themselves are the most compelling element with someone determined to recreated scenes and circumstances of famous real murders. I was not quite sure who it was and was surprised by the solution. That raised the story for me. The narration was perfect competent but not inspiring. The writing was very easy and unchallenging. Overall, this was a perfect nice audiobook but one I’m unlikely to remember much about in a few months.

Recommended for fans of Nora Roberts and M.C. Beaton  6.5 out of 10

Audiobook Review: Stardust

Stardust

Written & Read by Neil Gaiman

One fateful night, Tristran promises his beloved that he will retrieve a fallen star for her from beyond the Wall that stands between their rural English town (called, appropriately, Wall) and the Faerie realm. No one ever ventures beyond the Wall except to attend an enchanted flea market that is held every nine years (and during which, unbeknownst to him, Tristran was conceived). But Tristran bravely sets out to fetch the fallen star and thus win the hand of his love.

There is something nice about listening to an audio book read by the author. It brings you a step closer to the story with all the emphasis and inflections base don on how the author originally envisioned the characters and plot. In addition Neil Gaiman does do a good job with the narration weaving a magical world and wonderful characters in a fairy tale way. And this book is very much a fairy tale involving magical curses, wicked witches, unicorns and many other elements which seem half familiar and yet unique. It all has the feeling of a dream or a story you’ve heard before but can’t quite narrow down in your head where.

Tristen is a determined, slightly naïve but utterly charming hero who promises to bring back a fallen star for his love in exchange for whatever he desires. His journey to find the fallen star and adventures to bring it home again are a compelling story which will keep you enthralled. Indeed I couldn’t stop listening to this story and stayed in for the whole day to hear of his adventures! I loved the way the different plot elements wove together – not always touching but building a tapestry of the land beyond the little village of Wall in the middle of England. This is mostly a road trip with some unusual characters which add various degrees of colour to the story and will put a little smile on your face.

This is the second Neil Gaimen book which has utterly astounded and amused me (the other being American Gods) – and made me determined to try some of his other books. Oh, and I’d highly recommend the film as well – it is a beautiful story with much of the same feel as the book despite some large departures in terms of story and action. I great audio story and one I will listen to again – soon!

Recommended for fans of William Goldman and Gregory Maguire. 8.5 out of 10

Audiobook Review: Storm Front

Storm Front (Dresden Files 1)

Written by Jim Butcher

Read by James Masters

My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Conjure by it at your own risk. I'm a wizard. I work out of an office in midtown Chicago. As far as I know, I'm the only openly practicing professional wizard in the country. You can find me in the yellow pages, under Wizards. Believe it or not, I'm the only one there.
With rent past due and a decent meal becoming an issue of some importance, Harry needs work, and soon. A call from a distraught wife, and another from Lt Murphy of the Chicago PD Special Investigation Unit makes Harry believe things are looking up, but they are about to get worse, much worse. Someone is harnessing immense supernatural forces to commit a series of grisly murders. Someone has violated the first law of magic: Thou Shalt Not Kill. Tracking that someone takes Harry into the dangerous underbelly of Chicago, from mobsters to vampires, while he himself is under suspicion of the crimes. One thing is certain, if he can't stop whoever is on this killing spree, Harry will be the next victim.

In the interest of full disclosure I have read all the Dresden files books previously and think these books are one of the strongest Urban Fantasy series available. However, I have always thought Storm Front wasn’t one of the strongest books in the series – just a good starting point. So when I decided to trial Audible Storm Front is the first book I wanted to listen to, mostly because it is read by James Masters who I have loved ever since he rocked into Sunnydale early in season two of Buffy.

Harry Dresden is an openly practising wizard in Chicago (you can find him in the book) who occasionally consults of the police for those cases of a ‘different’ nature. When he is called to a murder scene, he discovers a couple who have been murdered by a black wizard and has now set their sight on Harry. Harry is a lonely figure with few friends in this book and a lack of social life and the sword of Damocles handing over his head. As a result it is a little difficult to warm to him, but as the story is told in first person we can see the heart behind the quick quips.

Personally I think this particular story works much better in audio than it does in written word, James Masters captures Dresden’s world weariness and cynical perfectly – and this does give more depth to the story. A large proportion of the story is Dresden running around being beaten up or going up against various supernatural threats. Butcher’s take on vampires is scary and different with Madam Bianca coming across as a frightening vamp – in more than one way! The action is swift and exciting, while the magic system is interesting – with plenty more left to explore.

Overall this is a decent start to a great series – brilliantly read by a great narrator. The story is probably only a worth a 7 but I had to add an extra point for the narration!

Recommended for fans of Kevin Hearne and Kate Griffin. 8 out of 10.

Audiobook: Eric Review

Eric (Discworld 9)

Written by Terry Pratchett

Read by Tony Robinson

An inept demonologist wants three wishes granted--to be immortal, to rule the world, and to have a beautiful woman fall in love with him. But instead of a demon, he calls up Rincewind, the most incompetent wizard in the universe. Because Eric gives him no other choice, Rincewind tries to grant him his wishes...

Eric is quite a short book for Terry Pratchett and this works well in audio form as there is less to cut for the abridgement. And this means that there are no strange plot jumps or unusual occurrences when listening. Tony Robinson is brilliant once again as the narrator and voices each character separately. He makes each character unique and recognisable which adds a lot of humour through his inflections to an already amusing story. This is one of the funniest Discworld stories partly because it follows a fairly standard plot  device– be careful what you wish for. But this is a Terry Pratchett book so the story is a clever rift on many expectations...from what the most beautiful woman in the world truly looks like and what would people do if they ever met the ruler of the world. And I won’t mention what it truly means to live forever...

Rincewind is possibly one of the bravest cowards you will ever meet – able to run away from pretty much anything and think on his feet, while the title character, Eric is a little annoying at first, he soon settles down. This story takes Rincewind and Eric across the Discworld, back in time and eventually to Hell, following in the footsteps of someone named Faust... While Terry Pratchett does add plenty of humour there is a biting satire to the story as well as we get treated to some great insights into a variety of subject from war to religion to office politics. I can’t say too much without spoiling a great experience but whether you listen to the book or read it, this is fun read.

I have to confess that I’ve never read any of the Rincewind books in the Discworld series – but I have listened to them all on audiobook. This is one of my favourites as Eric is an amusing and entertaining story with some fantastic images and a great twist on a familiar premise.

Recommended for fans of Douglas Adams and Jasper Fforde. 8.5 out of 10

Audiobook: Cards On The Table

Cards On The Table

Written by Agatha Christie

Performed by a full BBC Cast

It was the match-up of the century: four sleuths--Superintendent Battle of Scotland Yard; Mrs. Ariadne Oliver, famed writer of detective stories; Col. Race of His Majesty's Secret Service; and the incomparable Hercule Poirot - invited to play bridge with four specially invited guests, each of whom had gotten away with murder! But before the first rubber was completed, the host was dead.

I went through a stage in my early teens when I read through all the Hercule Poirot books I could get my hands on. I never liked Miss Marple for some reason, but I couldn’t get enough of ‘ze little grey cells’. So when I came across a BBC audio drama based on one Poirot’s cases I thought I would give it a spin.

This is only a short play – only 1 hour 45 minutes in total, but the mystery is intriguing. The host of a dinner party is murdered in the same room as four people he claimed had gotten away with murder. This is one of the original who-dunnits with no mystery really over how it was done. There is no crime scene investigation – all the investigation was done through talking and thinking – with Poirot making the connections between what people said and what that means. However, what is surprising is how little Poirot actually does in this story. It might be the way the story has been adapted for radio but here he has one of suspects visit him and count stockings (really!) but apart from that he all he does is talk about bridge. I don’t play bridge – and have no idea what the rules or method is – and it isn’t explained. Perhaps Christie thought that everyone knew how to play and it doesn’t need explaining – but times changes and all the discussion around the match is lost on me. Unfortunately there is a lot of discussion – and I found my attention drifting at times.

The voice acting is top notch – with each character brought to life and given some very different characters by some of the best of British voice artists. Overall, though I think the set up and idea is better than the execution here.

Recommended for fans of Agatha Christie and Jules Verne. 6 out of 10.

Audiobook: The Spirit Thief Review

The Spirit Thief (The Legend of Eli Monpress 1)
-   Rachel Aaron

Publisher: UK - Orbit

Performed by Luke Daniels

Eli Monpress is talented. He's charming. And he's a thief. But not just any thief. He's the greatest thief of the age - and he's also a wizard. And with the help of his partners - a swordsman with the most powerful magic sword in the world but no magical ability of his own, and a demonseed who can step through shadows and punch through walls - he's going to put his plan into effect. The first step is to increase the size of the bounty on his head, so he'll need to steal some big things. But he'll start small for now. He'll just steal something that no one will miss - at least for a while. Like a king.

I first read The Spirit Thief a few months ago so for Eli Monpress week rather then re-read it I thought I would listen to the audio book. So I was able to spend 8 hours and 19 minutes of unabridged re-introduction to this fascinating world...

The Spirit Thief is a fun romp of a fantasy novel. It’s an action orientated adventure with a charming but mysterious leading man and his equally mysterious companions. Most of the story is told through the point of view of Miranda, a ‘good’ wizard who is trying to catch Eli for ruining the reputation of the Spirit Court with his thieving ways. Eli’s character, past and motivations remain shrouded in mystery but tantalisingly teasing the listener (reader). The only thing he seems focused on is increasing the bounty on his head. In comparison Miranda is driven by her honour and morals – she comes over as a strong moral character, capable and intelligent. Her interactions with her ghosthound are a joy to read and I hope that she continues to follow in Eli’s footprints for some time to come in order to keep him on his toes!

One of my favourite things about listening to this first story in the series again was Luke Daniels performance of the characters. To me, he nailed Eli’s voice – his charm and confidence as well as his focus on what he wants. And I won’t be able to read about Gin the ghosthound any more without hearing that gruff voice! Luke’s performance was great – each character was individual and I really felt he added to the basic story by giving depth and layers to the plot.

The system of magic Rachel Aaron has created seems different (to me at least!) with everything having a spirit – not just living things such as trees and animals but also rope, stone, rivers, fire. The wizards have the ability to talk to spirits and ask them to help. Eli particularly seems good at gaining helps from spirits – in the first scene he charms the prison door into opening for him! The system isn’t explored in detail as it is normal to these characters - but the abuse of spirits becomes an important point – is it right for humans to inflict their own will on other spirit’s souls? Mostly though the story is a variety of heists, fights and magical battles as Eli races around the kingdom of Mellinor causing trouble – and it is a lot of fun. I got caught up in the excitement and had a huge grin on my face at many of Eli’s antics. My one niggle is that I was left wanting to know more about Eli and his companions – I didn’t feel like I knew them that much more by the end than I did at the beginning. It did leave me desperate to move straight onto the second book! J

In the end The Spirit Thief is like a Caesar salad  - a great start to the meal that whets your appetite for more but not quite enough on its own. And luckily I have the next two book reviews for you later in the week! J

Recommended for fans of David Eddings and Peter V Brett. 8.5 out of 10

Audiobook: World War Z Review

World War Z

Written by Max Brooks

Performed by a full cast
The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years. Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, “By excluding the human factor, aren’t we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn’t the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as ‘the living dead’?”

Note: Some of the numerical and factual material contained in this edition was previously published under the auspices of the United Nations Postwar Commission.

This audiobook wasn’t read by one person but actually performed by a full cast who acted out the interviews within. As the book was originally an oral history of the first zombie war, it lent itself perfectly to this format and while it is described as an abridgment there were no obvious places where you could tell parts had been left out. The performers were uniformly excellent investing emotion into their tales of survival against the walking dead. The interview format ensures that you hear stories from all over the world, not just America which really gives the story a global scope. Especially frightening are the different methods used by various governments for dealing with the threat.

Listening to this book gave me shivers up my spine at times and did truly make zombies frightening. If the numbers of zombie books, films and TV shows have left you rather blasé about the living dead, this is one book that could get you to keep biting distance away from strangers and stockpiling water and gas. The only element that stopped this from being perfect was due to the retrospective story element. As each person was telling their story of how they survived the uprising, you knew that they would survive so the jeopardy for that person was lessened. Even though, the picture built by these tales is chilling and excellent. Definitely one of the best audio books I’ve ever listened too.

Recommended for fans of The Walking Dead and Sophie Littlefield. 9 out of 10.

Audiobook: Tempest Rising Review

Tempest Rising (Jane True 1)

Written by Nicole Peeler

Read by Kate Reinders

Living in small town Rockabill, Maine, Jane True always knew she didn't quite fit in with so-called normal society. During her nightly, clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean, a grisly find leads Jane to startling revelations about her heritage: she is only half-human. Now, Jane must enter a world filled with supernatural creatures that are terrifying, beautiful and deadly - all of which perfectly describe her new 'friend' Ryu, a gorgeous and powerful vampire. It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: a dog can heal with a lick; spirits bag your groceries; and whatever you do, never - ever - rub the genie's lamp.

Tempest Rising is written in the first person and as such Kate Reinders does a fantastic job of becoming Jane and helps create a unique voice for the character. All the other characters are always seen through Jane’s eyes so Kate manages to complete inhabit Jane and portray a woman hemmed in by circumstances and discovering a world around her. Between the great writing and the performance Jane comes across as a funny, relatable and original girl – with a very healthy libido! J

Apart from being slightly surprised at first by the American accent (I’m British so when I read books no-one has an accent!), this is a great audiobook. I’d read the book previously and really enjoyed learning about Jane’s world so listening to the CD was no trouble. It was unabridged (my favourite!) so I was able to spend just under ten hours in Jane’s company and urge her on in her relationship with Ryu, laughed as she discovered what a genie really keeps in his pants and jumped when she did.  A great book, brilliantly performed that left me wanting more.

Recommended for fans of Charlaine Harris and Jaye Wells. 9 out of 10

Audiobook: Moving Pictures Review

Moving Pictures

Written by Terry Prachett

Read by Tony Robinson

The alchemists of the Discworld have discovered the magic of the silver screen. But what is the dark secret of Holy Wood hill?

It's up to Victor Tugelbend ("Can't sing. Can't dance. Can handle a sword a little.") and Theda Withel ("I come from a little town you've probably never heard of") to find out...

I’ve struggled for ages to write this review as there are parts of this audio book I really enjoyed and parts that jarred. The story is a parody of Hollywood and there are some great comic situations that riff on expected stereotypes (My favourite is the image of a giant woman climbing the tower with an ape in her hands!).  The best part of the audio book is Tony Robinson’s reading though – he is comic in the right places, straight where it’s needed and the all voices he creates are fantastic. I could listen to him all day.

However there is so much going on, so many characters and subplots that it becomes obvious that this is an abridgement. The situation changes rapidly and often doesn’t flow. There are some sharp transitions which jerk you out of the story as you wonder what happened there. Luckily I’ve read the book so I was able to fill in the gaps most of time.  Overall, if this hadn’t been an abridge version of the book I would rated it highly as the story and the reading was excellent. As it is, it feels a little like a cheese salad sandwich without the salad – the basic ingredients are all there but just missing something to make it stand out.

Recommended for fans of Ian Ranklin and Douglas Adams. 6 out of 10

Audiobook: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency Review

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (Unabridged)

Written by Douglas Adams

Read by Douglas Adams

What do a dead cat, a computer whiz-kid, an Electric Monk who believes the world is pink, quantum mechanics, a Chronologist over 200 years old, Samuel Taylor Coleridge (poet), and pizza have in common? Apparently not much; until Dirk Gently, self-styled private investigator, sets out to prove the fundamental interconnectedness of all things by solving a mysterious murder, assisting a mysterious professor, unravelling a mysterious mystery, and eating a lot of pizza – not to mention saving the entire human race from extinction along the way (at no extra charge).

I have this book on cassette tape – that’s how long I’ve had a copy! It was one of the first audio books I bough and I still listen to the story regularly as I love the story so much. Douglas Adams is one of the best known British comic writers, best known for The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, but to my mind his Dirk Gently books are superior. The main reason I prefer them? There’s a more coherent plot to them. Dirk Gently is a fantastic comic creation, a lazy genius who thinks outside the box, has more curiosity than a cat (and more lives!) and somehow manages to solve the most bizarre cases on very little fact.

What I love about this audio reading is that it’s by Douglas Adams himself, so as author and reader he stresses the words he meant to be important. He may not do voices particularly well but he conveys the spirit of the character through their speech and ponderings. This feels like a very intimate book on tape as a result – being read to by the author himself.  Added to the fact that this story has some great insights into life, the universe and everything and has some particularly funny lines (the horse’s thoughts are hilarious). As a book this is a great little read to while away an afternoon. As an audio book it gives over 6 hours of amusing lines and a murder mystery to solve.

Recommended for fans of Terry Prachett and Monty Python. 9 out of 10.

Audio Book Reviews

I’ve been thinking of various ways of adding to my blog – either discussion posts or different ways of reviewing to trial out this year and Melissa from My World in words and pages... inspired me recently to expand my reviews to audio books as well as written word. After all I read both ebooks and paper books and as I already listen to a number of audio books why don’t I review them as well?

Before I started, I wanted to expand on my audio book collection to give you some back ground. Firstly, it’s not nearly as big as my paper copy, or after four months kindle ownership, as my ebook collection. I have perhaps 15 audio books split between CD and old cassette tape, but perhaps the key point is that I listen to them over and over again. I have heard some of my audio books more often than I’ve read any of paper books (with the possible exception of Watership Down!). I listen to them in the bath and in bed mostly. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve fallen asleep listen to a book on tape. Sometimes it takes me days to listen to a book all the way through but I love listening to these stories come to life through the fantastic reading skills of others. Some of the readers are just fantastic at building suspense, others do great voices for each characters. In most cases as well as the audio book I’ve read the paper copy but the audio version usually adds something to the story that as a reader I missed. So starting next week I’m going to trial reviewing some of the audio books I already own (and have listened to numerous times!).  

Let me know what you think of the idea. Have you ever listened to any audio books? What did you like/dislike about the experience?