Drake Roberts

An Intelligent and Entertaining Listen

Revisado: 10-27-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Ultimately, a very satisfying listen.

The reader, Miles Meili was quite good. If I were to offer criticism, it would be that the range of distinct voices was a bit lacking, and there were some times that some of the characters sounded a bit too mechanical or matter-of-fact. That said, the narration was very clearly spoken and intonated, with none of the monotone that plagues some readers. By the end of Book 1, any narrative issues were well-forgotten and forgiven, and the listen became pure enjoyable ease.

My biggest criticism for this Omnibus is that Book 1 felt very rushed. I really wish that more time had been taken for the main character, for example, to figure things out rather than the surprisingly quick adaptation we instead get. I understand that in many ways Book 1 was merely setup for the rest of the series, but the setting, plot, and character development were all worthy of spending more time on. The only other negatives were a bit of a repetitive use of phrasing that accentuated the fact that these were in fact four separate books rather than a single whole.

That said, the pacing of the rest of the series felt on-point. In fact, I thought the entire thing was great beyond my above criticism. Oftentimes in my experience, I find with these futuristic/dystopian type books, that I keep running into logical inconsistencies, issues with the motivations of characters, or things that just frankly aren't clear. Not only did these books not suffer from this common problem, but it went above and beyond. I quite literally lost count of how many times upon listening to something I started to think "But what about...?" or "But he doesn't know that..." or "How exactly does that work?" when the very next line addresses the concern, oftentimes by having a character posing the exact question I had. It was kind of eerie how every 'gotcha!' moment was immediately dealt with. And the characters aren't dumb. Too often the antagonist will lay obvious traps that the protagonists just foolishly and blindly walk into. Not here! Both antagonist and protagonists are clever, giving us a great game of Cat-and-Mouse from start to finish that is logically cohesive throughout. I have honestly never experienced any book that gave me such an intelligent and well-thought-out tension and struggle that this book gave me, and I LOVED it. Furthermore, right from the beginning, the setting is brought to life and validated just by how intelligently Mr. Monroe addresses the consequences of the changes he has made to the world we know. These extrapolative insights brought the entire thing to life and left me in awe with just how much had gone into thinking of the ramifications of his choices.

All in all, I will definitely recommend these books to those that I know, and will keep an eye out for the authors' other books. Hopefully he didn't just spoil me for other authors that are not nearly as plot-hole aware.

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Keeps you on the edge of your seat

Revisado: 10-04-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I received this audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review.

I apparently missed reviewing this book, an oversight I wish to now correct. I enjoyed this book so much that I instantly got dragged along right into Book 4, apparently overlooking the review of this audiobook.

The narration is great. Cole Eubanks voices characters distinctly (for the most part), and with genuine emotion and inflection that draw in the listener.

The story itself is gripping. There are twists and turns, action and surprises. This book requires reading the prior two, and leads wonderfully into the fourth. There are definitely nail-biting moments, as well. I found this book to go particularly quickly, as it was hard to not listen to it every moment I could. Highly recommend!

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A Step Up, Even From Book One

Revisado: 10-04-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I received a copy of this audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! Certainly not to be read without reading Ordinary first, Unique continues Ugene's journey in standing up to Paragon Diagnostics. The narration of this book was great. I believe that the reader had more expression and passion in this book than in the prior one, which was a pleasant surprise. The storyline itself has a number of twists that keeps things interesting even though the main story arc itself was a bit predictable overall, in that it resembled that of some other books in the YA Dystopian genre. That said, the details, characters, and setting really make Unique... well, Unique. I had previously read this book, and listening to it in audiobook format, I actually found new insights into the characters, which was a pleasant surprise. Being able to reread books and take away something new each time is, in my opinion, one sign of a great book. Most importantly, this book brings a satisfying conclusion to the adventure that started in Ordinary.

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A Fantastic and Engaging New Setting!

Revisado: 09-24-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I was given a copy of this audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review.

This was not my first time reading through this book. I've actually gone through the entire series, and then came back to review the narration and experience the book in a new way than I had before. Honestly, that probably says a lot about the book right there. The setting is fascinating and unique, anything but Ordinary. The overall plotline is perhaps a bit familiar amongst YA Dystopian books, but more in a home-comfort than a redundant-slog sort of way.

I knocked a star off the book rating simply due to the fact that there are some concepts (dealing with how Powers work) that I don't think come across as well as would be useful in this book, particularly as an intro to the series (actually, there are now two series!). As such, I find myself having to just accept a couple of things and letting myself be swept away by the story.

Those minor flaws aside, the book as a whole is pretty great. Characters are diverse and feel unique, each working under their own motivations and from their own backgrounds. This book has lead to many interesting discussions amongst myself, my wife, and my father (we all read the series) which I think is a great sign for a book.

I did question the narration, however. While the author had different voices for the characters, and was anything but monotone (which, those two things alone, make the reader better than many out there), I found myself questioning a couple of the voice choices. There was also not as much emotion behind some of the reading as I've heard with other readers, that I think let the book down a bit. Having read the book previously, I found that the voice choices made me think a bit differently of a couple of the characters, and not favorably so.

That all said, I believe that criticism came out a bit harsher than I meant or felt. I suppose one of the problems with listening to a book after reading it is that a reader will never read a book just like you did in your own head the first time through. The reader was clear, had distinguishing voices, and had sensible intonations in their speech, and ultimately that puts him at 3 stars at worse. I'm giving 4 because of the fact that having already read the book, I think my expectations were skewed a bit.

I do think one thing is of special note about this book, having gone back to it now after having read the entire two series in this setting. There are little things here in this very first book that plant seeds for the second series. They're small, and I didn't remember them when I came to that second series, but now going back they are clearly there, and I find that amazing. It suggests that even when Starr Z. Davies was writing this very first book, she already had at least bits of the two storylines in mind, and began tying them together and setting up for them at the very start. That sort of foresight and dedication leads to a very immersive setting that readers are able to joyfully explore over and over, finding new treasures on the way with every new visit.

Highly recommend.

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Action-Packed Conclusion

Revisado: 09-24-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review:

5/5 for this action-packed conclusion of the Powers Legacy series!

The reader has different voices for the characters (admittedly, I found 2 or 3 to be a bit similar, but not to the point where it became confusing), and more importantly the emotions of the characters are clearly and sensibly voiced in Cole Eubanks' intonations. The narration really helps in bringing this final book to life.

Starr Davies does a good job in this conclusion tying up loose ends and questions from throughout the series, while simultaneously taking the reader on a trip of ever-increasing tension and action. This is the type of book that would make a cool movie backed with a large SFX team. And yet, the heart of the characters and story are not lost. There were a few minor side plots that I wish had gotten a bit more time, but doing so would likely have detracted from the pacing of the story. Honestly, it's easy to forget and forgive those as one gets swept away in the main storyline.

If you've read the other three books in the series, you'll no doubt pick this one up. If you haven't, know that this story is not a standalone, and is the culmination of the series relying upon those others. If you, however, are reading this review in order to decide whether or not to start the series based on whether the finale is worth the journey or is a complete flop, I strongly recommend you pick up Desolation and start moving through this Powers Legacy series. You won't be disappointed!

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Powers meets the Bachelor

Revisado: 08-20-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't seen The Bachelor, but I assume that this is what it's like, only this is likely better. As a follow-up to my prior review of Desolation, I've come to understand that the reader's choices to drop letters and such from certain character's speech is an accent he has chosen for those who hail from the region the Powers kids find themselves in, and in that context it works well. With the voicing no longer a problem for me (it's grown on me, what can I say?), I was able to just sit back and enjoy the ride. This book really starts the momentum on the series' plotline, having handled the basic setup stuff in the first book. In fact, I got so hooked into this one that I rushed right over to the third book as soon as I had finished this one. A great listen!

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A Good Start to a Good Series

Revisado: 08-01-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I received this audiobook free in exchange for an honest review.

Having read this series in written form already, I can say straight away that I enjoyed this series a lot. So much so that I'm now going back to re-consume the entire series in audio form. The series, I believe, only gets better as it goes on to the point where I found myself unable to put the books down, and chomping at the bit for the next one to come out after I was done reading the prior one.

This series is a sequel series to the Powers Series which takes place about 20 years prior to this series. While I enjoyed the first series, I found this one in many ways more engaging. This book in particular sets the stage for those to come and so while it isn't perhaps as action-packed as some stories to come, it does a good job in getting the ball rolling, introducing characters, and whetting the appetite for more. A fair warning, however, this one book does not in any way encompass a complete story arc in and of itself. If you plan to read this book, you'll want to commit yourself to reading the series as a whole. Fortunately, that's a rewarding commitment.

As I'd already read the novel, much of my focus was in the narration of this book. The narration had its ups and downs, but in all, it works. The number one killer of audiobooks is a narrator that is monotone. Here, Cole Robert Eubanks does not let down. Main characters have unique, easily distinguishable voices, and sensible intonations for the most part. I found the distinguishing features of some to be a bit distracting, though. Of the main characters voiced, I found Paige's voice to be great. Gavin's speech mannerism took a chapter or so to get used to (it's a bit... jerky/hesitant at slightly odd times), but any detractions quickly were forgotten as the story progressed and the voice became natural to the character. The only trouble I really had voice-wise was Zephyr. I felt his voice was too artificially low, was delivered in a very repetitive and definitive cadence pattern, and he was given an accent (specifically dropping the 'g's off of 'ing' words) which wasn't in the written word. That character, along with one other, left me feeling that Cole does better (to my ear) with female and what one would picture as the skinny/lithe/nerdy guys, and has a harder time realistically portraying voices for the tougher/stronger/broader/'manlier' men. That was the impression I got anyhow. Still, as I became more used to the character's voice, it detracted less from the story than it originally did for me. I'd much rather have that character's voice seem off to me, however, than have a monotone narrator that doesn't distinguish between characters or emotional states. The voicing was clear and crisp enough that I was able to clearly make out every word despite listening at times with a lot of obscuring background noise coming from my environment. I also can't mark down the performance much for the voice, because thanks to it's uniqueness, it's the only voice I can hear in my head when reading the text-copies now, so of all the voices, that one has now become the greatest embodiment of its character for me, despite my original reaction to it.

I've enjoyed the series in writing, and I'm enjoying the audio version too. I would certainly recommend this to others (in fact, I have many times). Now... off to listen to book 2!

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