Mike C

Intriguing science fiction mystery

Revisado: 07-03-19

In this story, all men have been dead for dozens of years due to a manufactured virus mutating and getting out of control. No more men are "produced" because all women are still carriers of the virus.

I found the plot engaging. The author excels at world building, and filling that world full of details.

The way the story is laid out, is we have the main character stumbling around a bit through the mystery. Then it will switch to a news report, advertisement, or the like from the past. Those interjections are also well done.

The problem I had is that when I was getting into one aspect of the story, it would come to a complete halt and change direction into a different aspect. Some of the chapter parts are so short that this can happen very frequently in a short period of time.

Also, the "man-hating" commentary is a little heavy at times. Other than those two things, I enjoyed the book.


The narration is top-notch, and the individual character voices are excellent.


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

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Military fiction with the backdrop of zombies

Revisado: 06-30-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I'm coming into this series having skipped the first three books.

This story details a group of SEALs during a zombie apocalypse. It is very heavy on the military aspect, and light on the zombie and survival aspects. It has more to deal with a shadowy, counter-government organization.

I couldn't really tell how long zombies have been in existence in this world - I'm assuming it was one of the details I missed in the earlier books.

I was a little surprised at how good the morale is for military members during a time when the dead walk and kill the living. The characters can be fairly flippant while being in danger, or in a firefight, or after losing a member.

At some points, the dialog between characters gets a little cheesy, but overall I enjoyed the story.

If you like descriptions of guns, tactics, and military hierarchy, you'll like this book. In spite of my tastes running more toward personal survival day-to-day, I'll probably be checking out the rest of the series I skipped soon.

I didn't notice any problems with the narrator, and he excels at giving each character their own voice and personality.

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

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Wild!

Revisado: 06-25-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

This was straight up my alley. Seriously, almost nothing is sacred here, and you should expect vile and horrible things.

I'm a huge fan of gore and disturbing imagery, and this collection goes above and beyond my expectations. I guess over the years I've become a bit jaded, but several times the stories had me wide-eyed, grimacing, and imagining how I would be reacting myself to some of these situations (probably dying).

You have your standard gore, a revenge yarn, bugs, zombies, blasphemy, unexpected horrible twists, perversions, and cows.

My favorites are:
Cow Made God
Man Made Cow
The Unholy Birth
Purgatory
School's Out
Lisa's New Life

There are a couple of stories by other authors included as well, and I enjoyed Leftovers as well.

Finally, the author helpfully recommends a few of his favorite books, which I will definitely be checking out, especially Meat.

The narrator does a fine job.

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

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A quick shot of revenge

Revisado: 06-21-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Ok, so we have a short revenge story here.

Overall, it was fine. Although I was engaged in what was happening, I wasn't very horrified listening to the story - I actually thought it was fairly tame.

In my opinion, the "body horror" descriptions could have been way more gory and detailed. The main character undergoes a metamorphosis, and we're just told his skin falls off and moves around on its own, and a basic passing mention of it hurting. Come on, sock it to us! I want my sensibilities offended! Any horror movie or death metal fan might be left feeling a bit wanting like I was.

One other minor issue some may encounter is that there are no truly likeable characters here. It's a short book, so there's not much opportunity for character growth. The main character is not a protagonist, and as such I had no concern for his well-being throughout the story, which deflated much of the suspense of what is coming. I was curious to see how it would end, but I was only an impartial observer throughout.

The narrator is pretty good, if a little bit wooden at times.

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

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Short horror stories from a fantasy writer?

Revisado: 05-29-19

Here we have a collection of short horror stories from a writer who normally specializes in sci fi/fantasy novels.

All of the stories are loosely centered around a fictional town of Tuckers Grove, although they can stand alone without being part of the greater context.

Highlights for me include:
- Glimpse of the Onku(sp?) - has a nice Twilight Zone vibe to it.
- Cupid's Arrow & Royal Wedding - quick "flash fiction" with twists.
- The Fate Worse Than Death - contains an accurate portrayal of a nerd.

Now, regarding the narration. The main narrator has a deep voice naturally suited for reading audiobooks. Most of the time, he's fine, except for some recurring mispronounciations. Across becomes "acrost," escape is "excape," "upsurp" was said once instead of usurp, and the W in sword is pronounced many times in the story that contains a katana. It was a real problem for me in that story, and just made me frown at the other times it happened. Also, he kind of had a strange intonation in regards to making commas sound like periods. on occasion. (like that)

Additionally, a female narrator pops in for the female voices, but women are speaking so infrequently that it would have made more sense to just have the one doing all voices. But, don't get me wrong; overall, the narration is ok, and was recorded clearly.

Definitely, give this book a shot. There's some gems in here...

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

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A brief adventure in space

Revisado: 05-19-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Here we have a short story of a handler/bodyguard "to the stars," summoned to attend to an alien princess who is analogous to children of rich people here on Earth. It's a fun, light listen, but be aware there's a brief sex scene that might be embarrassing to be caught listening to at one point. Be aware there's not much character development, though, which I feel is ok for a short story.
The narrator puts a lot of effort into making each character distinct, but the recording quality isn't the best. At some points it makes the narrator sound quite harsh, which was a bit of a bummer.
My favorite character is the robotic teddy bear that has an obvious disdain for humans.
Overall, it's a good listen. This is my third book from this author that I've enjoyed, and I'll continue to check his writings out
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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The beginning of a cheeky space opera

Revisado: 05-19-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

This is the fun beginning of what seems to shaping up to an epic humorous space opera.
In particular, I liked the depiction of the AI, and the quality of the narration. There is not nearly as much toilet humor as the title would suggest, and all of the jokes are inoffensive if that matters to you.
The only thing I was a bit disappointed about was finding that the story is to be continued. There is already a second part available, which I will check out at some point, although I prefer to hear while stories at once.

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

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A fun jaunt into a familiar world

Revisado: 04-09-19

Anybody with some D&D experience will be at home here.
A capable monster hunter happens to save a wizard's life, who then pledges a life debt. The only problem is, the wizard is mostly incompetent. A short quest is then embarked upon to rectify a miscast spell. Hijinks ensue.
The humor is good, and the narrator does a great job of selling it. The singing was actually a highlight for me.
I definitely would listen to more of this duo in future audio books.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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A unique fantasy setting

Revisado: 03-26-19

This is the beginning of a three-part series. In this book, we're introduced to primitive, human-like clans that are separated by their distinct physical features, along the lines of skin color, height, etc.

Most clan societies seem warlike, although there are periods of uneasy peace. This story follows an individual who begins to get himself caught up in impending war and intrigue.

The world building is kept to a minimum, but fleshes out the surroundings well enough. I would have liked a little more of this, though. The story's pace is fast because of this.

I will be checking out the following two books, for sure.

Finally, the narrator is top-notch.

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

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Memoirs that don't matter

Revisado: 03-05-19

This is light on tips and heavy on personal history. Has a bit of a pretentious vibe.

Actual tips:
- don't buy new, buy used
- buy less stuff
- take free stuff
- buy a property for rental purposes
- get a really well-paying job
- invest in low-fee index funds
- don't use electricity when you don't have to
- walk around outside
- move out of the city to a rural area
- make friends with people

Narrator was fine.

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