Audio Eficionado “I do at least 30 audiobooks a year”

Basically Awesome

Revisado: 09-08-18

So, basically I thought this collection was awesome. Some stories more engaging than others, but that's the way of anthos. Expertly and professionally narrated, which really gave good life to all the stories. Great voice.
Favorite were the opener, kind of a mystery noir, and the second and third stories. So yeah, the first 3 open this book with a bang. Some good humor as well mixed in with some truly unique turns. Other stories were more straight forward, but I love me some metal crunching, straight forward action sometimes.

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Crazy mashup of tech and fantasy!

Revisado: 07-05-18

I really think this book has something for everyone. If you like futuristic tech I really think this book has something for everyone. If you like futuristic tech,This is for you. If you like classical sword and sorcery fantasy, this is for you. If you like YA adventure with hints of romance, this is for you. If you want a narrator who makes you forget that you’re listening to a story, and instead makes you think you’re IN the story, this is for you.

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I think I found a winner

Revisado: 07-05-18

Exploring audible can be a little tough. Lots of titles, and they all kind of blend together after a while. I was looking for something dystopian but not yet another mountain man or ex-military guy who turns into an unlikely hero. Shift Bader, the main character, is a sarcastic, unassuming archeologist who specializes in the history of plagues and mass-extinction events. Pretty cool, right? I gave this book 5 stars not because of the quality of writing or the actual storyline, but because it just felt real. Usually the characters are right in the middle of the end of the world happening. While Shift is there at the beginning, much of the doom and gloom happens beyond his sphere. This is a story about the solution, about heroes who largely go unsung, who slave away in crappy working conditions trying to save the human race. The setting and characters are just really true to me.

Narration. Really good. Lots of minor characters that come and go. Over 2 dozen altogether I think, and each had their own unique voice. A good part of the story is told in a female first person perspective, and I forgot the narrator was actually a male in those parts. Wide range, good quality.

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The magic of STRANGER THINGS and THE MAZE RUNNER

Revisado: 03-03-18

William Wilde and the Necrosed by Davis Ashura, narrated by the sublime Nock Podehl, is a tremendously well-written and exciting story. Nick's performance confirms that he, once again, deserves the credit given him as one of the top narrators in fantasy today.

Fans of Rick Riordan, Suzanne Collins, James Dashner, and Brandon Mull will find a new home with The Chronicles of William Wilde. Those who loved Indiana Jones, the Goonies, and E.T. as kids will also get lost in this Urban Fantasy.

This story is magical. Both literally and figuratively. Ashura has managed to unfold an adventure to us that bridges the generational appeal, promising to delight middle-aged audiences all the way down to high school audiences, much the same way that STRANGER THINGS has done. As a 40-year-old, I found myself living in a nostalgic time through the story, with all the 80's references, while not being able to take the ear buds out as the plot sped along. The magic system is just being introduced, and we get to learn with the characters. For a while, I wasn't sure who was on whose side. With a fair amount of twists and discovery, hints of teenage love, and plenty of adventure, William Wilde and the Necrosed promises a rollercoaster of thrills to a wide audience. The characters feel like old friends from a long time ago . . . and some are, if you know Ashura's other works. You will not be disappointed.

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Newest Epic To Grab My Attention in a Major Way

Revisado: 01-02-17

Here are some questions to consider when looking for a new fantasy series:
1. Since, most of the time, the world and cultures are made up, does this book come across as a believable setting that is easily settled into?
A WP does this flawlessly. Ashura is a star at quickly creating settings and a world that feels authentic.
2. Is there a good balance between intrigue, characterization, and action?
A WP deserves highest marks for all of those. I loved the political intrigue worked into this story that shows the culture, political and justice system of the City of Ashoka. The main characters are incredibly well drawn, with flaws and hypocrisies all of their own that makes each one of them complex and believable. The action, especially creating "blends," was something that grabbed me instantly. The writing changed in these parts to reflect a loss of singular POV in favor of the blend's POV. Very well done.
3. Is the "magic system unique?
The magic system of a WP is unique and well-developed. It's simple, for the most part, which makes it easy to follow.
4. Are the antagonists simply "bad guys," or are they also complex beyond simply "evil"?
This might be the best part of a WP. There are several antagonists, including entire races. The world that Ashura has created showcases many different races and species. Some are naturally against each other (as would happen in any complex world of different species), and some are pitted against each other because of a deeply rooted history. However, there are twists and turns that make the antagonists, at times, who you want to cheer for.
5. For the audio versions, does the narrator do the book justice, matching the atmosphere of the book?
Uh, yeah. Totally. Podehl hit it out of the park. With some animal-like characters, the cast of voices he brought to the table was most impressive and, importantly, consistent.

In the end, A Warrior's Path triumphs as a new entry into the epic fantasy realms that deserves a place on every serious fan's shelf.

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This was a must have for me...

Revisado: 11-20-16

As a fantasy author, I can truthfully say that Davis Ashura is one of my favorite fantasy authors. I'm so glad I discovered this series. SFA is a collection of short stories that give greater insight and depth into the world of Arisa and many characters you might not get as much face time as you would like in the full length novels. Each of the 4 stories delivers comedy, intrigue, action, or just plain good thought-provoking prose. I both listened to and read these collection. Nick Pohdel continues to be a perfect match as a voice for this content. If you're a fan of the Castes and the OutCastes, Stories From Arisa is a must have! You'll find yourself wanting to go back and re-read the series to see where all these stories fit in to the overarching plot.

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Fantasy. Action. Magic. Seeing the human soul

Revisado: 08-12-16

I want to be transparent. Davis and I are friends. We became friends through our books. He read one of mine before I ever had contact with him and posted an unsolicited favorable comment on SFFworld. So, this is an honest review.
When Davis's books were produced to audiobooks (using the amazing Nick Podehl as narrator), I wasted no time checking his work out. From the first introduction to his main characters, they leaped out of the story. They sang. I maintain a healthy envy as an author for his ability to develop lively characters that are so authentic despite being set in a fantasy story. That realism continued throughout each book. I loved the relationship between Ruhk and Jasira. I loved the political strife between the Castes in Ashoka. I loved the political maneuvering and consequences of them, good and bad, upon characters you both love and hate. I loved the redemption of one antagonist in this third volume that gave insight into the human soul. Davis has a knack for bringing out raw emotion in his characters that translates to us as readers and listeners.This series is truly original in its magic system. There's a part in this third installment in the first third of the story where a conflict arises that is just GRIPPING. I truly did not know what was going to happen. My heart was in my throat. After that, the book did slow down a bit much for me, but (BUT!) the payoff was amazing. I'm not kidding.
I will listen to this series many times like I do Stormlight Archive or the Kingkiller Chronicles (hurry up Rothfuss, Ancients take me). There aren't many series I listen to again, but Ashura's Castes and the Outcastes will be one of those few.

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Solid thriller

Revisado: 07-07-16

First, Dewey Andreas is the closest thing I've found to Mitch Rapp, though a more relatable hero. He gets hurt, he doesn't always hit his mark. But he's a beast. Also, these stories aren't so hero focused as to cut out other players that always have a key role in overcoming massive potential disasters. Again, this makes this series feel more real and plausible. The performance is good but the engineering wasn't great. The mouth noises weren't edited out and pulled me out of the story several times. Would have preferred a bit more post production. Still, solid work and looking forward to the next one!

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Fantastic first book!

Revisado: 01-04-15

As a fantasy author, I'm extremely critical of other fantasy works. Rarely do I find works outside of Sanderson, Rothfuss, Ryan or Martin in this genre that intrigue me on an author's level. The magic system here is well thought out and I look forward to its depth increasing in future books. The main character, Caldan, is very likeable as is Moranda (sp?). I wanted more development of the Protector master, Simmins (sp?) but that's a minor thing.

One thing I give high praise to this story for is the side stories. In truth, I was just as intrigued, if not slightly more so, by several of those. They were expertly weaved into the main plot and I never felt like I wanted to just move on to get back to the main story. Trust me, this is a skill and something author's struggle with. Hogan does it well. I was very captivated by Lady Kaitlyn and Vacille's (sp?) stories especially.

Caldan definitely felt naive at first as a character, but guess what? He was! Others have pointed that out as a negative point, but it didn't bother me as I felt that was intentional. By the end of this first installment, he had grown and grown quickly.

I think there's just enough tying up of loose ends to satisfy any reader of the genre and leaves enough open to make me want to eagerly move on to the next book (which is out, thank goodness). Final note: this book is VERY light on foul language and contains almost no sensuality, only a few references. It is YA safe and something I value in books. Hogan, like some other well-known authors, prove again that you don't have to muck up a book with profanity and sex to be entertaining and captivating.

Truly, for a first book from a debut author, I am impressed. So will you be.

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Quite intriguing

Revisado: 12-16-14

Very detailed and well imagined. I found myself jealous, as an author, of the descriptions and corridors of imagination the plot took me through.

I really enjoy these kinds of novels, how they take disputed and unknown history and weave a great tale of fiction that makes you feel the story. My only real complaint is that there were a lot of convenient things that happened to move the story along that felt a bit contrived. Nevertheless, very worth the time.

The narration, especially Paul Michael's, was excellent. The numerous European accents and characters must certainly have been a feat but he proves himself adept at vocal performance.

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