Jessimyn Kovolt

An Enjoyable (short) Listen!

Revisado: 11-19-17

This one is for fans of Nicholas Olivo’s Caulborn series. As much as I enjoy recommending his series to everyone, I would actually hold off on starting the series with this audiobook as newcomers would miss out on a lot of the backstory that makes it interesting to regular readers. It consists of two separate, short stories - the first one giving us a look into protagonist Vinnie’s first encounter with an on-going bad guy who plagues him for most of the series, as well as giving a bit more insight into the nature of how of Time is governed. Since Vinnie’s Demi-god powers relate to time, this is an important tidbit.

The second, and my favorite, is from the point of view of Gear Stripper, Vinnie’s mechanically oriented gremlin sidekick. It was interesting getting a look into how the little guy perceives the world. However, for me, what truly stood out was Ian McEuen’s voice for Gear Stripper’s character. It is spot-on to what a Gremlin should sound like, even though I’ve never actually encountered a Gremlin! Once again, I would recommend this author and narrator to anyone who is fond of the Iron Druid series narrated by Luke Daniels. Ian McEuen is every bit as talented, and Nicholas Olivo’s series offers a fleshing approach to the Urban Fantasy genre.

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The Fireworks Keep on Coming!

Revisado: 10-20-17

What do you get when you combine a refreshing and inventive urban fantasy author with a talented voice actor? You get "Torment" by Nicholas Olivo, narrated by Ian McEuen. I cannot say enough good words about this audiobook series.

Olivo again delivers an interesting, action-packed plot, literally putting demi-god Vincent Corinthos, through Hell. Vincent is really put through the wringer, but also manages to gain a better understanding of the powers he inherited from his father, the mythological Janus, that allow him to manipulate time.

As always, Olivo interweaves the folklore from real places in the Boston area in a realistic way (but giving it that urban fantasy twist) that really brings to life the novel's setting. We also get the long awaited appearance of a significant person in Vincent's life, who has been mentioned but never before seen in the Caulborn series. There are tantalizing hints of a possible new Galahad, some look at alien technology, and a satisfying finale to one the series' long standing story arcs.

Narrator Ian McEuen does an outstanding job of bringing this series to life, and this audiobook is no exception. He gives each character its own voice and makes listening to the Caulborn series very enjoyable.

If you like urban fantasy, give this series a go! It's well worth the trip.

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If you like Iron Druid, give this series a listen!

Revisado: 07-18-17

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

In a New York minute! Between the action-oriented plot, interesting set of characters, and fantastic narrator (Ian McEuen), this book has it all. Caution: To those who are new to the series, it may not be the best place to starting point. To best appreciate the series, I recommend beginning with book one: Imperium. In fact, after listening to the first chapter, I stopped myself and went back to listen to book 4 (“Fractures”) to refresh myself on recent events in the Caulborn universe. (Trust me, it wasn’t a hardship – Nicholas Olivo’s entire Caulborn series is a fantastic read and Ian McEuen’s voice performance is a pleasure to hear.)

What did you like best about this story?

This book is a game changer for Vincent Corinthos – the series is taking a decidedly darker, more serious tone with deadly prophecies brewing in the background. Vincent (the hero who narrates the series) has been maturing and growing through the series, but really takes a huge stride forward in this book in his character development--learning to look before he leaps and considering consequences of his actions.

What about Ian McEuen’s performance did you like?

What’s not to like about Ian McEuen’s performance! The energy and enthusiasm (complete with distinct character voices and accents) he brings to his performance reminds me of Luke Daniels, a favorite Audible narrator who is the voice of the Iron Druid series. Trust me, if you like Luke Daniels, you’ll love Ian McEuen.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Definitely. I liked it so much, that as soon as I finished it the first time, I replayed it a second time. With a couple exceptions (ex: Dresden Files, Iron Druid) there aren’t many audiobooks I am a repeat listener of, but the Caulborn series is one of them. The author and narrator combined are just THAT good.

Any additional comments?

I’ve fallen in love with the Caulborn series. Nicholas Olivo has managed to come up with an interesting take to the urban fantasy genre, which has become rather crowded and trite.

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A Good Start to a Historic Urban Fantasy Series

Revisado: 03-09-17

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Some stories work well in a shorter, but I found myself wishing that this one had been longer just to flesh out the characters a little more as well as the historic, 1930s era in which the events take place. Instead we leap right into relationships we have to take for granted and only get passing references to things like the Prohibition. However, it has peaked my interest to continue with the next book in the series.

If you’ve listened to books by Nicholas Olivo before, how does this one compare?

I've listened to the entire Caulborn series and can enthusiastically and unabashedly recommend that series -- both in terms of it being an excellent story, but having an incredibly expressive narrator who brings the book and every character in it to life. It also provides an interesting twist on urban fantasy, in a genre that (IMHO) has grown a bit stagnant and over populated with every new author and their neighbor producing a new urban fantasy novel on a monthly basis. Unfortunately, I wasn't as taken with this book, but I think a lot of that has to do with my dissatisfaction with the narration style.

What aspect of Gregory Peyton’s performance would you have changed?

The pacing of his narration and limited expression in his voice. Mr. Peyton does an excellent job differentiating among characters by changing the accent of his voice. However, I found his voice was too even-sounding for the most part. What engages me with the most dynamic audible narrators is their ability to make each sentence come alive just by the expression they use to utter each sentence. They don't just read the book, as they act it out. Their voices might gain in intensity or loudness or speed up the pace during action scenes.

For the most part, Mr. Peyton's voice, even while voicing the characters, remained so smooth and even toned that I gave up trying to listen to this audio book while on my morning commute, and instead listened to it at night while getting ready for bed, because there wasn't much excitement or expression in the narration to keep me alert. While I initially appreciated the fact that he gave the main character, "Doc Gravestone," an English accent, somehow it ended up making the character seem incredibly snobbish, emotionless, and arrogant. I'm not sure I would have ended up with that same impression had I read the book, instead of listening to it.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes! I'm both a fan of history, love Boston, and am a sucker for the urban fantasy genre. There are some great elements in this story and I loved how the author portrays necromancy as just another magical ability -- sure it freaks people out, but it's not this sinister, evil dark magic that will corrupt the souls of those who practice it.

Any additional comments?

On the whole, I think Nicholas Olivo is a talented, interesting, and innovative author. I just wish he had gone with a different choice of narrator. I'm sure Mr. Peyton did his best, and he is incredibly good a different accents, but this narration style fell flat for me. I might have enjoyed this story more had I read it instead of listening to it.

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