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Dystopian romance

Revisado: 11-15-23

This book is outside my normal genres. That being said, it’s better than I expected. I’ve known the author a long time and always knew she is a good writer, and this debut novel did not disappoint. There are two protagonists, the enigmatic Captain and the naive Vanessa, and the book does a good job of dancing between each of their perspectives. He is running to escape the mistakes of his past, which have left him literally scarred, and she is running to escape what she perceives as her stagnant future in a dystopian, but not post-apocalyptic, Holland. There are some elements which I’d like to see resolved in future books in this series, which I intend to keep reading, not the least of which is some more world-building. I definitely wonder why the world is the way it is and what brought these ragtag soldiers together under their Captain’s command.
The performances are solid. Both narrators bring a number of characters to life, and tell the story in a captivating way. Even if this isn’t your normal genre of book, I suggest giving it a try and seeing what the author has wrought here. It’s well written, well researched, and well executed. Enjoy.

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Hit and Miss

Revisado: 12-06-22

I’m a big fan of short stories. When done properly, they give you compelling characters and stories in a compact, easy to digest form. It’s unfortunate that this collection has stories that both hit and miss then. Let’s start with the basics: the writing is on point and the narration is good. Authors who read their own work can either be amazing (Neil Gaiman) or terrible (Stephen King). Barnfather chose to read her own and, though she gets off to a bit of a rough start, grows into her narration over the course of this book. Especially during the last half of the book, she leans in to these stories (and a poem!) and gives some top notch narration. Which makes it a shame that more of these stories don’t hit. Many of them have a good premise, but feel like they should have been given more time to grow into bigger stories. I WANT to explore these worlds. I WANT to know more than just the tiny snippet we’re given. I WANT more time to get to know these people and why I should care about them. A couple are repetitive, almost painfully so. Two have a similar premise which leaves me wondering about the logistics of those worlds and how humanity survives in those conditions. One doesn’t make a lick of sense until we get to the end. Some end before we ever get any answers. And one is a mystery which doesn’t get resolved at all, but hints at something truly horrible. I wonder if that’s what the author was going for.
Yet, there are some real nuggets in here where Barnfather’s strengths really come to life. Cargo Movement is powerful, poignant, and worth the price of admission by itself. It evokes a strong memory of Big Yellow Taxi, by Counting Crows, and places it in the context of what we lost during the pandemic. Do Not Talk to That Child did more of the same, though I was a bit confused at the ending. The title story, You Know What I Think?, reminds me very strongly of a particular Twilight Zone episode, but left me wanting a deeper dive into that mystery. I have so many questions about that story. Duke Ketter and the Mountain of Dragons was completely bonkers until the end, at which point it became an amazing premise of which I want so much more.
I will certainly continue to support this author, as I believe she will only become a better storyteller. Her story ideas are clever and compelling, and she has a solid foundation on which to build. I feel like some stronger content editing would have been very helpful here though.

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Interesting with a nifty twist

Revisado: 11-08-22

I’m not a fan of Wil Wheaton as a narrator, and this time was no exception, but he did better this time than other stories I’ve heard him read. Ron Perlman was…well…I mean it’s Ron freakin Perlman. The man is always brilliant. This is an interesting story of a man who’s down on his luck getting a free self-help audiobook in an attempt to turn his life around. And…well…he gets a lot more than he bargained for in the process. It turns out there’s a lot more to this book than meets the ear: a mysterious publisher, a washed-up action movie star, and maybe - just, maybe - a bit of creeping madness thrown in to boot. Plus crime. Lots and lots of crime. This fun listen doesn’t take a lot of time, and is definitely worth it. Winters tells an interesting story with an unexpected twist (at least for me) that is definitely worth the few hours it takes to get through this one. Definitely recommend.

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Overstuffed

Revisado: 11-05-22

I’m a big fan of O’Malley’s first two books in this series. The Rook and Stilleto were both very well written, stuffed full of dry humour, and have a fantastic premise. This one, while good, was not nearly as tightly written. We follow two separate main storylines here, involving a significant time jump. And while they eventually sort of connect, I feel like the connection was a bit forced and, honestly, marginal at best. We could have gotten either storyline as a book in itself and this one wouldn’t have felt as bloated. Don’t get me wrong - the characters are compelling, and it’s always fun to explore more of the world of the Checquey. But this one feels like it was perhaps a bit too ambitious. Still, I’ll keep reading this series as it slowly expands. And while I enjoy seeing the rank and file, I hope we get more of Myfanwy in future installments. I missed her presence in this book. Moira Quirk is an excellent narrator who brings this absolute tome of a book to life. I don’t feel like the first two books in this series are necessary to enjoy this one, but the background from them is definitely helpful.

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You MUST read this book!

Revisado: 09-30-22

I’ll admit - I was a bit nervous starting this book: new author, new (to me anyway) narrator, and it’s outside my comfort zone in that I normally listen to sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. What intrigued me was the title, the fact that new author is Latinx and a woman, and that she wrote a book based on our shared cultural mythology. Latinx characters are far too underrepresented, as are Latinx authors, in my opinion.
Colour me extremely glad I read this book. Mesa does a fantastic job relaying Rose’s story and her struggles of trying to fit in to an extremely sexist and blatantly racist society. Rose struggles with her very concept of self throughout, forced to hide the truth of who and what she is. And through it all, she must dance her way through a minefield of men who are determined to strip her of literally everything- including the very things that make her HER. This book is a brutal and unapologetic look at some of the history they don’t teach in school - the way women, immigrants, and non-heterosexuals were (and, sadly, might be again) treated by a world ruled by white men steeped in puritanical upbringings. Frankie Corzo (Mexican Gothic) does a fantastic job bringing these characters to life, especially Rose. This book is an absolute must read - both for a glimpse at the past, and at what the creeping return of fascism could bring us back to. Plus it’s just a good story.

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Excellent addition to the series

Revisado: 02-01-20

Peter has said in interviews that he doesn’t like it when you have to read the entire series for the latest book to make any sense, and he writes with that in mind. Terminus, as in Dead Moon, doesn’t require you to have read -14- and The Fold to make sense - but it sure helps. Fans of the series have been clamoring for a direct sequel to the first two books. We only kind of get that, as only two of the characters we’ve met thus far actually return...though one we’ve only met indirectly shows up in spades. Well...two of him show up, but that’s complicated. If you’re clamoring for more of a direct sequel, like me, you’re going to have to wait. Damn you, Peter!!!! *dramatically shakes fist at the heavens*
Clines jumps directly into the action here. No time is wasted AT ALL. The story has a large, international cast, tight pacing, monsters, mayhem, and - as a bonus to me - the destruction of Los Angeles. Don’t worry, it all gets sorted out in the end. Sort of. Well...not so much actually. How does one say that it both IS and ISN’T ok? Schrödinger’s Ending? Have I coined a new phrase? Anyway. Fans of Lovecraftian horror should enjoy this, though in this one we don’t get the slow burn of creeping existential dread. All in all, Terminus is an exciting addition to the Threshold series, even if the stories are only tangentially related to each other.

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“Meh...”

Revisado: 02-23-19

Death goes on strike, and now people aren’t dying. It’s a cool premise, and I expected a lot more from it. This book didn’t deliver. Ok - let’s get the narrator out of the way. PJ Ochlan isn’t RC Bray or Ray Porter. The fact is, though, this book takes place in Canada and Canadian is subtly different from American. It takes real talent to pull that off. Or being from Canada. Personally, I wouldn’t take a vacation to Canada in the winter, but I’m not an immortal entity, either. Either you grow to love PJ or you don’t. It took a while but I developed a taste for him - especially when characters grew angry.
On to the story. The idea of this story is awesome, and has the potential to be really scary. It’s not, though. This isn’t a horror story. At all. Which I was led to believe. Hell, I found myself laughing out loud at a few points. It also takes a LONG TIME to get interesting. Like - not until after the second half of the book begins. And, at over 20 hours, it’s a long book. And it didn’t need to be. This book could have easily been edited down to 2/3 to half as long and it could have told the same story. It also leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Who are the minions? Where do they come from, and what is their deal, exactly? What’s going on with the entities?
Overall, I think this could have been a better story in the hands of a more capable author. I’m new to Blackmore, and I’m pretty sure this will be my last experience with him. I understand he’s written books narrated by the great Mr. Bray, but I’ll skip them if this is how he writes.

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Clones does it again!

Revisado: 02-18-19

To be frank, for the first 2/3 of this book I failed to see how it tied in to the larger Threshold series Clines has created to this point. There is a tidbit in the prologue, but that’s it. Then we get to the big reveal, and it makes perfect sense - to me, at least. The book itself is well written, and can stand on its own. You don’t have to read the first two to get into this one. The characters are well fleshed out, and though Clines doesn’t delve as far into the hard science as say, Andy Weir, it’s definitely plausible.
Ray Porter does a fantastic job, as always. The production quality is superb. Whether you’ve read the other Threshold books or not, this is an excellent read. It’s not overly long, at just over 11 hours. Once I started this book I couldn’t stop. Buy this book if you’re into horror sci-fi.

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Excellent memoir of the craft

Revisado: 12-30-14

Any writer should read this book. It's always helpful to plumb the minds of people who are better at any given task, and Stephen King is one of the best. Here he shares stories from his own life which helped mold him into the writer he is today as well as practical advice for anyone who wants to write or write better. This book is definitely worth the time investment.

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A must read!

Revisado: 02-20-13

Peter Clines tells an amazing story here. Nate Tucker needs a place to go, and he hears about the Kavach building from a nominal co-worker. The rent is cheap, utilities are included, and it's even a little closer to work. So opens 14. Soon Nate learns there are some mysteries surrounding his new home, some of them with even darker ramifications than any of his neighbors dared imagine.

This is not a horror novel by any means. It is definitely a supernatural thriller, and without a doubt one of the best books I've ever read. I think of it as Lost meets Stephen King, they get drunk at a bar and have a love child. The story is well-written, the pacing is excellent, and the characters are very interesting.

Ray Porter does a superb job, and pulls off several convincing accents to boot. The production quality is very good as well. GET THIS BOOK.

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