thunderskunk

Diving DEEP into the black goo

Revisado: 03-12-25

I’ve been a listener to this show for quite a while, and the black goo has been a subject I’ve been waiting for a deep discussion on. It’s absolutely a plot device full of holes and inconsistencies between entries in the Alien, AVP, and Prometheus franchises.

Nonetheless, I love the concept of the goo itself and this episode gave me a stronger appreciation for it as well as the “introduction/exploration” of Engineers in the canon.

I wasn’t a big fan of the notion of Engineers being fallen angels or servants rebelling against a higher, more advanced alien species UNTIL now. Dark Descent was mentioned frequently, but I’m curious to see if/how the Ancient Citizens played a role in the Engineer rebellion. Surely the two would have encountered each other, especially given the strong similarities between the Ancient Citizens and the 79’ Space Jockey.

Lots lf great theories with precedent in media to back it up. Great episode!

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GREAT story; New Faces, CLASSIC Splinter Cell

Revisado: 06-03-24

I won't retread too much on the other 4-5 star reviews as they are all true. This is an excellent entry into the Splinter Cell franchise. Sam is back and better than ever, along with most of the characters from SC: Blacklist. The story felt and was read like it could have been adapted into a sequel to Blacklist, which is a very good thing on part of James Swallow.

Narration:
I've seen a lot of negative reviews aimed towards Natalie Naudus' performance on this audiobook. I give her performance a 5/5 stars. I for one am VERY particular about audiobook narration. You can have the greatest book ever written narrated into audiobook form and I wouldn't be able to sit through it because the narrator didn't have the proper tone or didn't use the right intonation/accents to bring life to the characters. Natalie does a superb job in this regard as a solo narrator. The gruff of Sam Fisher is excellently captured; the cold, matter-of-fact-ness of Anna Grimsdotter (?) is perfect; and the roller coaster of emotions that is Kobin is well-emulated. Again, the story felt like it could have been adapted into a game, and the narration made it feels like I was actually watching the game.

Sarah Fisher:
It's no spoiler that Sam's daughter is now a Splinter Cell as she is on the cover of the book...and I am all for it.

For context, I have played all SC titles on release (yes, even SC Essentials and both versions of Double Agent) and do consider myself a die-hard fan of the franchise. When I saw the cover, I can honestly tell you that I was uneasy about the direction the lore was going...but I stuck with it and James Swallow, in turn, stuck the landing.

The beginning chapters explain what leads Sarah to this point but also poetically ties up her once behind-the-scenes arc starting at SC: Double Agent, leading through SC: Conviction, and ending up to the present. Without getting into spoilers, remember all that this character has been through since Double Agent...and then remember whose daughter she is.

IF you are still not convinced that this is the direction you want the franchise to go, don't worry, Sam is still THE leading man in this story and appears to remain so for the foreseeable future. Whether or not Sarah eventually becomes the new face of SC remains to be seen, but if that is Ubisoft's long term goal for the character, at least they gave her an excellent introduction as agent of Fourth Echelon.

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Not a Great Horror Story but a Great Star Wars Story Nonetheless

Revisado: 01-21-24

I want to start by saying that the audiobook and the narration was well-done and the voice acting of the characters was great. This is a well-made production and yet another enjoyable Star Wars audiobook. My only issues are with the story itself.Star War Death Troopers was an enjoyable read in that its one of a handful of SW books that dares to venture into a more mature area of fiction, that being sci-fi horror. In a universe full of space wizards with lazer swords that can shoot lightning from their hands, introducing zombies seems like a no-brainer (pun absolutely intended). The issue is that - other than one particularly suspensful scene that occurs before things really go awry- there is no horror. Granted, whetherin legends or in the new canon, SW was and always will be a family friendly franchise; however, it always has the opportunity to push the envelope on the literature side of the franchise. There was an opportunity here to do that but sadly it was not taken advantage of. It is still a great SW story with a cameo I did not see coming, but the title left me wanting more. Also without delving into specifics, I felt that the ending was rushed or may have been the product of Joe Schreiber writing himself into a corner. As the situation became more dire for our protagonists and more enjoyable, I thought to myself *huh…what would happen if the titular “death troopers” were to make Coruscant (or some other metropolis world) look like Raccoon City?* The ending…quickly addressed my question in the negative. (Oh well.) >Long story short: great SW tale; “ok” zombie story.

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A stellar story told by a stellar narrator

Revisado: 12-08-23

I’m a newcomer to 40K but I did not feel lost in the story at all. It’s full of action and intrigue as well as appearances from numerous imperial factions. Not to mention, the titular Cypher whose true allegiance remains unclear BUT better understood after hearing this audiobook.

The narration is spectacular and kept me engaged the whole way. I highly recommend to 40K fans old and new alike.

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Great way to enjoy the NJO

Revisado: 09-16-22

I have always been interested in giving the Legends New Jedi Order books a try, and I knew from message boards that this series is one of the all time Star Wars greats. For that reason, I decided to listen to it through audible, to get that cinematic feeling. Vector Prime does not disappoint. Highly recommend to fans old and new!

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A Wonderful “Epilogue” to Dune

Revisado: 04-17-22

Dune Messiah takes place 12 years but easy to dive into as it deals with the consequences of the events of the first book, “Dune”. Without getting too into spoilers, a common (and fair criticism) of this book is that it seeks to tear-down and view Paul Atreides in a cynical, flawed light after being built up as the Messiatic figure we see in “Dune”.

This book serves as a necessary and entertaining follow up to Dune and -ultimately- deconstruction of Paul’s character. If you thoroughly enjoyed Dune as self-contained sci fi fantasy that needs no further sequels, then perhaps I would avoid Messiah. But if you wish to continue to read about Paul and the fate of House Atreides, I cannot recommend this book enough. The VAs are top notch and sound effects are stellar.

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