Aaron Knepp

Good, but sub par compared to the original

Revisado: 01-10-21

Ready Player One was a great book I’ve listened to many times. It was one of my favorite all-time novels. I think that’s one reason why this one fell so flat. I think if this were a completely new story set outside of the world Cline created for RPO, it would be a solid 4 stars, but trying to shove characters I cared about into this story just left me feeling unfulfilled. I grew to really feel for the characters in RPO and throughout this entire book, I didn’t really care at all for anyone other than Og and Samantha. Wade bothered me to no end, and it’s his story!

There was also very little in terms of retro gaming culture in this. A lot of music (one section of the book involving music felt very forced and way too long) which made it feel a lot more like a new IP than the original. It also took to many cues from Sword Art Online for my liking, though at least they mentioned it.

Wil Wheaton, as usual, was great, so there’s that, but I can for sure say that unlike Ready Player One, I will not be picking up Player Two ever again.

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An excellent sequel

Revisado: 07-02-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

**received promotional copy from author

This book continues where Bad Luck Charlie leaves off. A lot has happened and the author does a great job easing you back into the world without rehashing everything. It’s definitely a good idea to refresh your memory of book 1 before jumping back in, but it feels great when you read this directly after 1.

The book doesn’t feel as action-packed as the first did, but that’s ok. It’s kind of like the Empire Strikes Back in that it’s more about the development of Charlie than a huge action epic. This really works. There are predictable moments but they are few and far between. I saw the ending “twist” coming the moment the author set it up, but that didn’t stop me from getting excited about book 3!

If you read my review of book one, my main complaints were language and the const use of “tech.” I’m pleased to say that it was much better. “Tech” sounded better because most characters began calling it “tech magic.” It just felt less forced. The language wasn’t as prolific either.

Another fun listen! Don’t pass it up if you listened to the first!

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Not at all what I expected... Better!

Revisado: 07-02-20

Looking at this series, I imagine a comedic romp through the galaxy with silly characters and an even sillier plot. I was completely wrong. The story is completely science fiction for the first third of the book and then transitions seamlessly into a clever Sci-fi/fantasy hybrid. Characters are likable and fairly diverse and the pacing was great.

The book definitely lived up to its name. Charlie has the worst luck, but it never felt forced or trite. The only thing I didn’t absolutely love about the book was the prolific use of language and the term “tech” when “technology” would have been more appropriate (though who am I to judge? The author is great)

The narrator was pretty great as well. Often in self published books, the author skimps on the narration. Not the case here. Voices aren’t always different, but the reading is near flawless.

If you’re into sci-fi/fantasy, you won’t be disappointed.

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Poor writing and no resolutions

Revisado: 01-29-20

I understand that this is a collection of ghost stories, but they sound like they’re written by a 10 year old. Maybe I’m just spoiled by the likes of Harry Potter and even Percy Jackson, but the writing here just feels so poor.

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It's a series that should be a book

Revisado: 11-12-19

Disclaimer: Review copy received for free

I finally finished the series and, though the last book may have been the best, it just wasn't worth the time. In order to enjoy this book, you have to listen to the ones prior, but they were a slog and the characters were difficult to like.

I'm going to make a brief call to the author: First, this should not be a three book series. It should be a single book. Secondly, your narrator was extremely hard to listen to. His breathy voice was downright painful at times to listen to. Everything sounded like a whisper that felt more at place in a book with Fabio on the cover.

I know this isn't a very precise review, but all I can say is that the story had potential, but it lacked form and had a very difficult to listen to narrator.

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Decent world, bad love story

Revisado: 08-21-19

Disclaimer: received review copy.

This book was a bit better than the last one in terms of narration but it struggled a lot with pacing and character development. They shoehorned in a love story between one of the main characters and a brand new character, but just like the original love story in the first book, they fell in love within days and are now soulmates. I will readily admit it is kind of love stories are not my cup of tea, but to reuse the idea of love at first sight so frequently and then harp on how much the characters adore each other and could never experience life apart ever again it’s a little too much. The next part of the story is an interesting change of location, so we’ll see how it’s concluded.

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OK story marred by frustrating narration

Revisado: 07-23-19

Disclaimer: Review copy given by author

I was really hoping this book would have improved upon the flaws of the first in the series, but alas, it was not to be. As with the first book, the world the author created is pretty interesting. It’s not the most inspired of vampire stories with too many tropes, but the world has weight and is engaging enough for me to want to learn more. The pacing of the story was very off, though. The characters come to extremely life-altering decisions very quickly even if they aren’t pressed. Motivations are completely lost in quick story telling. The climax of the story was entirely too simple as well.

My biggest gripe with the book was the narrator. I hoped that they would use a different reader, one without an British accent, as it really detracted from the feel of the New Orleans and bayou setting. He also had a very breathy voice and a distracting cadence that made me want to stop listening a few times. There were moments when I liked him, but far more times I didn’t.

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A prologue trying to be a novel

Revisado: 07-13-19

Disclosure: Review copy received for free

This story had some potential. It tried a little too hard to be a Twilight story but it made it self it’s own by creating a new world the characters live in. Common vampire troops were used a little too frequently and not fully explained to the reader. The author could have expanded upon the story and made the book feel a little bit more substantial had he built the backstory up.

I have never been a fan of romance stories, and though I’ve read Twilight, they were not my favorite books. This story tried a little too hard to be like the Twilight stories and fell flat in many places. The romance between our two main characters was a bit nonsensical and required be to believe that they can fall madly in love and be willing to die for one another with in two days of meeting. Maybe this is a plus for people into these kinds of stories, but it just didn’t do it for me.

The author did a good job of making me curious about where the series will be going. I’m going to read the rest of the series and see if it improves, but as of right now it looks like all of these books could’ve been pushed into one compilation of short stories.

The narrator’s British accent was an interesting choice. The story takes place in southeastern United States, but the way the characters were written and the accent made the characters seem a lot less believable than they could’ve been. The rest of the series is narrated by different people so I’m hoping that this aspect improves in future volumes.

Overall, if you are interested in supernatural vampire stories with a touch of romance in them, you may enjoy this series. My one comment to the author would be to combine all of these books into one volume. This one book just seems a little incomplete.

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A wonderful Star Wars story!

Revisado: 11-13-17

I was so sad when they announced that the star wars stories written before the new trilogy would no long be canon. This is one of the best stories in all of Star Wars. To no read or listen to this work by Timothy Zahn would be a disservice to any Star Wars fan. One of his characters has even become canon due to how marvelous a villain he is! AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY

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Unnecessary plot device

Revisado: 10-15-17

The book was OK, but the whole premise was forced. The entire book could have been a rudimentary fantasy novel that was enjoyable but cliche, but the author decided to sell to role playing gamers and added in the prologue, a small section in the middle, and a strange ending that forced the story into a mould that it just wasn’t meant to be in.

If you’re into very cliched fantasy novels, this one is perfectly passable, but if you’re listening to this because you want an interesting look into role playing or table top games, it misses the mark.

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