Rod

An awesome horror

Revisado: 12-24-16

Christmas is a time for family so what better time to release a story about a family holiday…even if it does turn into a nasty, scary horror?!

Released in time for the holiday season, Patrick Lacey’s non-Christmas chiller is about family unification, childhood memories, theme parks and mass murder. #Ho-Ho-Holidays-To-Avoid!

Lacey unfolds the mystery of Dream Woods slowly and deliberately, establishing all the players before building anticipation for the climactic finale. His character relationships are intricate enough for anything to happen, pitting family members against each other and creating surprising alliances.

Narrator Joe Hempel has a good ear for horror story telling, providing the right pace and teasing the tension. Having enjoyed his reading of Glenn Rolfe’s The Haunted Halls earlier this year, he doesn’t disappoint. Hempel gives a quality reading that plays with the descriptive text to build the mood. He’s deliciously vile in all the right places, yet tender and child-like at other moments.

While Dream Woods may not be a holiday tale to send your kids to sleep on Christmas Eve, it’s sure to make you think twice about your own childhood memories and just how happy those family holidays were.

My full review and other audiobook reviews are on my audiobook website at SaidNotRead dot wordpress dot com. This is the second audiobook I've reviewed that's narrated by Joe Hempel and I'd happily listen to others based on the strength of his narration.

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A fitting conclusion to the trilogy

Revisado: 12-24-16

Author David Neth returns to form in the third novel of his Under the Moon witching series, delivering perhaps the best of the three.

With the ever-reliable Nathan Weiland narrating again, the adventure kicks off with a good recap of the story so far before launching immediately into the action.

The Blood Moon follows Chris and Josh Harper, two witching brothers and nephews to Kathy, presumably one of the sisters from the original novel.

The ill-conceived villain, Toxanna, takes a back seat for The Blood Moon, although her presence is often felt, which is the best way to present such a caricature. When she does appear, it’s usually brief and bearable with her scenes often shared by her toxic crew: Will, Devon and Axon.

The story focusses on a set group of characters again, which also includes inexperienced witch Holly and her overly-protective father, Simon. It works well, allowing us to emotionally invest in the plight of each one, whether it be in their fight against evil or their more personal fight for independence and romance.

Weiland’s narration works best in this audiobook because the central characters are primarily male. Through no fault of his own, the predominantly female cast of characters in the previous books would have been more suited to a female reader instead of a falsetto-voiced male narrator. His diction is clear and it is quickly obvious which character is speaking, although Neth’s text doesn’t provide any level emotional depth.

You can read my full review on glamadelaide dot com dot au under the Entertainment section however, as the final volume in the Under the Moon trilogy, The Blood Moon ties things up nicely while remaining a stand-alone story that can be listened to without the previous tomes.

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A good summary of established techniques

Revisado: 12-24-16

Alex Allen's audiobook to help listeners improve memory is a very useful and concise summary of established techniques but, before deciding to purchase the book, it’s important to note the disclaimer tucked away at the end which covers a lot of legalese, including that he "does not warrant or represent at any time that the contents within are accurate due to the rapidly changing nature of the internet." Shame on him for not using a real library! (joking).

Allen insists that anyone can improve their memory and goes on to discuss mind-mapping, isochronic tones, mnemonic techniques, herb and aromatherapy, and changing our behaviour. He discusses each one at length, offering examples and ideas, with a final section summarising some of these techniques and adding a few extras in brief.

Charles Orlik narrates the audiobook in an engaging and enthusiastic manner, which helps when listening to such a dry topic. It’s a short listen, running only 45 minutes, but the book covers a lot in that time and Orlik keeps it interesting, pausing momentarily in the right places to let information sink in, but never stopping the flow. His diction is clear and he seems genuinely interested in the topic, although whether that’s a display of his skill as a narrator, or an actual fact, is anyone’s guess.

Unlimited Memory Learning Techniques saves you having to do the base research yourself, providing a good resource as a starting point to understanding many of the memory techniques around. From here, you start your own journey of discovery, armed with some knowledge of what might work best for you.

My full review and other audiobook reviews can be found on my audiobook site at SaidNotRead dot wordpress dot com

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Intricate storytelling, highly enjoyable

Revisado: 12-18-16

Any book that centres around a female, teenage vampire hunter in high school, who lives with her single mum, is bound to be compared to TV’s Buffy, The Vampire Slayer. Without doubt, that television series spawned countless copycats, including its own spin-off television series, Angel. Buffy ran for seven seasons, progressing the central characters from high school kids to young adults.

The Aurora Sky series similarly takes its main characters through teenage angst to young adult issues, but is far more adult than its television inspiration. Nikki Jefford’s series is complex, personal and quickly leaves any Buffy influence behind.

At the time of writing, there are six volumes in the Aurora Sky series, and this box set joins the first three stories into one continuous tale, although all three remain available as individual downloads if you prefer.

The ongoing saga follows teenager Aurora Sky, who dies in a car accident only to be brought back to life by a clandestine government agency that fights vampires. Those with AB +/- blood are infected with a toxic vampiric virus that makes them poisonous to vampires, yet vampiric themselves. It’s a conundrum that haunts most vampire hunters and turns some of them bad.

Beyond the expected vampire killer sprees, Jefford’s tale reaches deeper into the human psyche, exploring complex relationships with family, friends, school colleagues, work and romance. There’s a lot of eroticism and, amongst some stereotyped characterisations, her world is steeped in believable characters who struggle with their lot in life.

Em Eldridge narrates, with almost 80 audiobooks to her credit. Her characterisations are great and she easily expresses both male and female characters with clarity. You know who is talking before she tells you. With such experience behind her however, it’s surprising to wince at her mispronunciation of common words. In an age of digital downloads, it’s more important than ever to get the pronunciation right for an international audience, especially when speaking foreign words that have been adopted into the English language, such as Grand Prix. Other words, like “mischievously” are also mispronounced, which have nothing to do with colloquial accents. It’s this kind of fine-tuning that takes a reader from being average to being professional. With so many audiobooks to her name, I would expect a lot better from her. As much as I loved her reading and characterisations, I can’t recommend such an experienced reader that continues to have such poor quality control.

The Aurora Sky saga is one that I would recommend however. It’s smart, witty, intricate and exciting. Jefford has created a world with a detailed history and characters that don’t rely on the modern penchant of superficial relationships and easy escapes.

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Fresh, fun and quirky

Revisado: 12-18-16

Mike Whitworth’s cute children’s story is targeted at kids aged two to eight. It is the first in a series of books, this one aimed at teaching children the importance of being organised.

Narrator Anna Valencia is exceptional, providing a plethora of character voices that are so distinct that it sounds like a full-cast production. Although this short children’s tale runs for only 4 mins, the incredible character work by Valencia makes it feel like so much more.

Whitworth’s simplistic tale centres around young owl, Ootoot, who loses his truck. His wise owl parents, Oot Ma and Oot Pa help him think through all the possibilities, including his truck being borrowed by animal friends. The jokes are corny… dad jokes, even, as they consider how a mouse, squirrel, groundhog, fox, lamb, ducks and cows may have used his truck. Despite the groan-worthy humour, young kids will delight in the dialogue and Valencia’s voicework.

Ultimately, young Ootoot learns that everything has its place and being organised makes things easier to find. The lesson is learnt suddenly and without much introduction, which is perhaps the only fault in Whitworth’s engaging storytelling. It’s a segue from the main thrust of the narrative that seems to be tacked on rather than a natural progression of the tale. Parents may need to clarify the sudden twist and how Ootoot came to that conclusion.

With such charming characters, the younger members of the target audience will undoubtedly love this audiobook, with the older age range loving it just as much but with questions to be answered. Children’s books are all about parent-child engagement however, and it would not surprise me if this has been a deliberate ploy by Whitworth to encourage such dialogue.

If this first tale is anything to go by, future stories of Ootoot's Learning Adventure Series promise to be something to look out for. With Valencia’s narration, it’s fresh, amusing and quirky.

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Aspiration ideas balanced with realism

Revisado: 11-27-16

I've read enough self-help books and positive thinking books to be jaded by the whole thing, but Katelyn Williams' book stands out above the rest for the simple fact that her advice embeds itself in realism.

Williams herself explains what I mean best: "Thinking positively is not about ignoring reality so you can focus on aspirational thoughts. It's actually about taking a proactive approach to your life rather than feeling hopeless and overwhelmed."

William L. Sturdevant's excellent narration drives home this message as he presents the text clearly and precisely. His is a voice that wills you to trust in him, and it's that's important for any book that we are investing in for our own well-being. He's a great choice of narrator.

Topics are not limited to the mundane. There's talk of creative thinking as well as problem solving, and Williams' makes useful suggestions on finding humour in life, promoting optimism, self-nurturing and self-fulfilling prophesies. Her explanations are simple and clear.
I particularly liked William's discussion on how life is not black and white, as much as we'd like it to be sometimes. She challenges us to seek the shades of gray in between, to reframe our challenges, and use our family and friends when needed.

Running less than an hour, I'm amazed at just how much worthwhile advice has been squeezed into this audio tome. It's not rushed, by any means, but the usual padding that goes with these kinds of books has been eradicated. It's focussed and to the point.

An excellent self-help guide which I wholeheartedly recommended.

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Beyond spreadsheeting, this book is practical

Revisado: 11-14-16

How to Budget: A Guide for Beginners stands out for two primary reasons.

Firstly, it's practical. It's not about spreadsheeting, although that is one of many tips. Where most budgeting books focus on the need to spreadsheet, Christina Sorg talks about it briefly but spends most of the time offering excellent tips and tricks for real life circumstances.

The second reason this book is so good is because it's short. Let's face it - we all want the information, but we don't want to spend hours and hours listening to waffle and irrelevant information. Sorg's writing is tight and to the point. Her chapter headings are useful, and she wastes no time getting to the very useful "how to" suggestions that cater for anyone's situation.

While Sorg's book is, sadly, focused strictly on an American audience, the tips are transferable to any western culture. She discussing everything from credit card debt to retirement; savings plans to buying your morning coffees. Even the need for sleep gets a mention. This is good,simple advice for a beginner, and an excellent reminder for those already in the know who have gone off track. What also impressed me was her inclusiveness of starting at any age, offering alternative suggestions for different financial situations, and her ability to comment without judgement.

Amy Barron Smolinski reads with clarity without talking down to the listener, and the bonus of listening to this audiobook is that it frees your hands to make copious notes if you wish.

I highly recommend this audiobook and commend Sorg on providing such a practical and reachable resource. Bravo!

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A surprisingly disappointing sequel

Revisado: 11-01-16

After enjoying the first book in this series, I was surprised and disappointed that this stand-alone sequel didn't come up to scratch.

In this tale, author David Neth traces generations of one witching family condemned by an evil sorceress who obsessively lets the family line continue so she can kill each generation. He regularly jumps through time, often by years, resulting in the listener witnessing only random periods of each character’s life. With no flow, it leaves us detached from the story, and this is hampered further by the central characters being killed off regularly, leaving us with no one to bond with. Neth creates a relay race, with the baton being handed to new characters time and time again. It works in a sporting race but not in a story. Toxanna remains the only ongoing character, but she’s pantomime clichéd.

Nathan Weiland returns to narrates this second volume with mixed results. Unlike his reading of book 1, The Full Moon, Weiland plays Toxanna as the campy stereotype she is. While it may be the author’s intent, it is achingly awful to listen to. His other characterisations are all believable, and his narration is otherwise great, making his terrible interpretation of Toxanna all the more painful to listen to.

This audiobook was provided to me free of charge via AudiobookBoom. You can read my full review on glamadelaide dot com dot au under the Entertainment section. Despite the disappointment of this second volume, I still see the potential in this series and am still keen to hear further volumes as they're released.

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A satisfying ending

Revisado: 11-01-16

The sixth and final volume in Tamara Rose Blodgett's and Marata Eros' supernatural romance/erotic thriller is a satisfying end to the series although, after the violence of the previous instalment, the finale almost feels like an epilogue. It's not, of course, because there's conflicts and issues yet to be resolved and the authors wind up those threads nicely.

Featuring what, I believe, is the longest sex scene in the series, the ménage à trois is an experience in itself, with the writing taking us into the thick of the action, so to speak. It's intimate and hot, but also made me smile.

The final showdown between the two factions was dramatic, but suffers one of the main faults of a short story - it's over too quickly with not enough sustained tension to make it truly exciting. To compensate however, the story has been building to this moment, amongst others, and the outcome really does hang in the balance.

After six episodes, I've grown to love Holly Elise as a reader. She's been consistently good in defining the characters and in playing out the explicit sex scenes in ways that are erotic without being a laughable cliche. It's a very delicate balance and she walks that tightrope comfortably.

Other than Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty trilogy, I've not delved into erotic fiction before, and this has been my first audio adventure into it. My copy of this volume was provided complementary through AudioBOOM but in retrospect, I would have been happy to purchase it. I hope a box set of all 6 volumes is released eventually as a single purchase. The Shifter series has been quirky, exotic, erotic, thrilling and funny. It's been a fun ride and I'm pleased that I've had the opportunity to listen to it.

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It's getting kinkier!

Revisado: 10-21-16

Any additional comments?

The Shifter series has been a fun ride so far, but it's getting more violent, kinkier and quirkier now that the two males who have been fighting to claim our heroine have come to a precarious truce. Much of this volume is violent, but there's also the usual humour and erotic imagery.

Authors Tamara Rose Blodgett and Marata Eros have fine-tuned the art of a throw-away line that jolts with eroticism (for example, the passing mention of a bicep or firm chest). They've yet to give us a drawn out sex scene, but what we get in this volume is stimulating.

After so long waiting, I can only hope the final volume is going to have an explicitly drawn out love scene between our three main characters, because that's what it seems to be building towards. Every story needs a payoff. My concern is that there still seems to be too much story to tell with only one volume left.

Narrator Holly Elise does her usual fine job distinguishing characters with her voice and preventing the intimate scenes from becoming cliched or comical. She's a fine reader, well suited to this unusual and highly enjoyable supernatural erotic fantasy.

This audiobook was provided to me free of charge from the narrator, however I don't know her personally and am happy to continue recommending this series.

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