Title: Prophecy of Swords
Author: M. H. Bonham
Genre: Fantasy
Released: 11 April 2005 – 10 September 2007
Located: iTunes, Podiobooks
Formats Available: podcast, dead tree, ebook
Rating: PG for violence and mild language
Prophecy of Swords is another story I picked up by perusing Podiobooks shelves. I noticed that it was quite a long story and was anxious to hear a good long epic fantasy.
So, on to the review.
Synopsis: To End A War Nearly a thousand years ago a great warrior named Lachlan sought to unify his people, using the power of the Three Swords of Destiny. Before his victory, Lachlan was killed by his trusted friend, Allarun. Now, Allarun is still in power but haunted by dreams of Lachlan’s death curse: that Lachlan would return to avenge his death. Allarun’s decision is to destroy the very people Lachlan tried to unite. Only two men have the power to stop the slaughter. Romarin, the last of a line of kings, and a half-blood mercenary named Shadowhelm. One may be destined to be Lachlan, but can they unlock the secret to Lachlan’s power before Allarun kills them? (stolen from podiobooks.com)
Production: For regular readers of this blog it should come as no surprise when I admit that I look for things to like in each story that I listen too. It isn’t that I won’t point out issues, but I also like to find the good that almost every story has. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to like in the production for Prophecy of Swords. There are a lot of episodes in this book. Probably at least twice as many as their needs to be. Each episode contains one chapter from the book, and the chapters are short. Instead of combining chapters, the author made the decision to keep the episode content short. However, the episodes might be twice as long as the content of the chapter. The author always does a fairly lengthy intro, and even more before closing, so a 15 minute ep can (and does) occasionally offer less than 5 minutes of story. If that weren’t enough to drive the casual listener away, the audio quality of the book is very poor. There are many artifacts from the author’s recording environment that made their way into the production, as well as the music being much too loud.
All of these elements produce a listening environment that is not friendly and severely limits the listeners enjoyment.
If there is one saving grace about the production, it is that this podcast was started in 2005. That is very early on. However, as much as the story is appreciated, I doubt more than a rough 10% make it beyond the 1st episode.
Grade: D-/F
Cast: Ms. Bonham reads her own story with A Prophecy of Swords, and she does only an adequate job of it. There is very little in the way of inflection or voice cues to let you know whom is talking. Some might describe the reading as somewhat wooden. I believe that to be a fair description as well.
Grade: C-
Story: Prophecy of Swords is truly an epic fantasy. This is a big story that a listener might become lost in. Not because of the impressive tapestry, but due to the similarity of names and places with other epic fantasies you might have read. It isn’t a bad story, and in some ways it is rather unique. However, is it unique enough to allow the audience to truly enjoy? If you’ve listened, you tell me.
Grade: C
Verdict: Pass. Unless you are desperate for an epic fantasy that is overly drawn out and boils down poorly, I can’t recommend that you take the many hours of effort to listen to Prophecy of Swords. I’m not saying some won’t enjoy it, but for me, the story wasn’t worth the effort.
Disclaimer: I do not follow Ms. Bonham on twitter, nor to the best of my knowledge does she follow me.
Title: Time Stryder
Author: J.W. Kingsley
Genre: Science Fiction
Released: 23 August 2011 – 13 October 2011
Located: iTunes, Podiobooks
Formats Available: podcast only I believe
Rating: PG for violence and mild language
TIme Stryder by J.W. Kingsley is another one of those stories I’d never heard of before seeing Evo Terra tweet that it was complete and available at Podiobooks.com. I admit, I knew I was going to subscribe almost before even reading the synopsis, because with a title like that, the story simply had to be about time travel, right? Well, being a big fan of the new Doctor Who, time travel is intriguing me more than at any other time of my life. Granted, this story wasn’t penned by S. Moffat, but I could hope for something just as good, right?
So, on to the review.
Synopsis: Arthur George Edward Stryder, or George as he prefers to be called, is out of place and time, and it’s a struggle for him to keep from going out of his mind as well. He is eleven years old, and ill prepared for what lies ahead when he washes up on a beach in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, in the summer of 2011.
Alicia Henderson, who is eleven years old herself, finds George, battered, unconscious, and barely alive, and as soon as she touches his hand, a bond is formed. They find themselves adrift in time, but the places they go are oddly disconnected, and the people they see are unable to see them, yet it seems like a grand adventure nonetheless. However, the pull of reality is strong, and George must learn to adapt to his new home in our world, unable to understand how he got here.
It might seem that the strangeness is behind him, but George soon learns that there are still malicious things in the darkness, and they are hunting him. They are relentless, and they can move in and out of reality as easily as a stray thought… (stolen from podiobooks.com)
Production: The production of Time Stryder was good. There were lots of things going on and for the most part, none of them interfered for with the telling of the story. Although that would seem like a simple leap of logic, I’m always surprised when people don’t get it right. Overall, Mr. Kingsley get’s it right and each episode should provide you with nothing that will be detrimental to your ears. That begin said, I believe a good portion of the way into the story, the closing music changed, and then later changed back. To be honest, I might be wrong about this, but I don’t think so.
Grade: B
Cast: Mr. Kingsley does Time Stryder as a self read. He does an overall fine job with it too. A good number of the characters are British and he does a good British accent. However, he doesn’t do an adult female voice well. Not a huge criticism, as I would not even consider trying, but it should be noted.
Grade: B
Story: I admit, I don’t read reviews before listening to a story. Or before writing my own review. Which generally means I don’t ready very many reviews about podiobooks. I have no idea if one of the reviews mentions that this book should be billed as YA, but if it is in the description anywhere, I am sure I missed it. However, that far from makes this a bad thing in my mind. I enjoy a well written story, and by the inclusion of so many children’s stories into our heritage, I’m far from the only one. Time Stryder isn’t only about tweeners and young teenagers, it is well suited for that audience.
Grade: B+
Verdict: Even if you don’t have any young adults lounging around the house instead of working in order to provide you with an extra present for your birthday or.. ooops.. sorry… um..
Take 2
Even if you don’t have any young adults in your household, if you enjoy stories where young adults play leading roles, and if you enjoy some of the thought that always goes into a time travel story, you’ll probably enjoy Time Stryder.
Disclaimer: I do follow Mr. Kingsley on Twitter (@timestryder), but as he mentions in one outro, he really doesn’t do social media that well. (Hey, I didn’t say it!) I’ve never conversed with him, and no one paid or bribed me for this review. (I really need to get a PR department onto this remuneration thing.)
Title: Smoke Rings
Author: J. Daniel Sawyer
Publisher: Artistic Whispers
Release Date: October 2011
Available: Kindle, Nook, all other e-readers
J. Daniel Sawyer’s name and books should be familiar to anyone that has spent any amount of time reading reviews on this blog. He is one of the most original and unique of any of the writers I know. Also take into account how prolific and ubiquitous his writing is, and I can always state that I am looking forward to seeing what he’ll come up with next.
So on to the review.
Synopsis: You met him in And Then She Was Gone, you got to know his family in A Ghostly Christmas Present. Now, the hard-boiled snarkfest continues as Clarke Lantham tackles the two most perplexing mysteries of the universe: FBI fugitives, and romance.
Clarke Lantham has a checkered relationship with holidays, and this New Year’s Eve is no different. His space is cramped, his personal life is on the skids, and his business is once again under assault from lawyers and bill collectors.
But it’s not all bad. The year from hell is ending tonight, and he has his office to himself, and when an old girlfriend shows up with a chance for a $50,000 reward and a New Year’s Eve reconciliation, he jumps at the chance. After all, things can only get better, right?
Yeah, right.
Setting: Clarke Lantham lives and works in the San Francisco Bay area. So does Mr. Sawyer. When I read the Clarke Lantham mysteries, Mr. Sawyer transports me to the city of cable cars, the golden gate, Alcatraz, coastal breezes and crime. Not saying that San Francisco is synonymous with crime, but if there wasn’t something shady going on, it wouldn’t be much of a mystery would it? Mr. Sawyer nails the feel of this locale and I enjoy experiencing a new city through the eyes of someone that knows and loves it. Even if that someone is a fictional character. Go figure.
Grade: A
Plot: It’s not going to end well. No, that is not a spoiler. It is a reality for any story of Mr. Sawyer’s that I’ve read. To date. Who knows? The next one might be about the fuzzy little bunnies holiday in Tokyo. Right before the bomb fell.
I digress.
Clarke is ready for the new year. He has a bottle and a couple of stogies. He needs nothing else. Still. It’s not going to end well.
The plot is straight forward with only the occasional lost love of your life thrown in to muddy the waters. Will Clarke capture the bad guy? Will he find true love and not screw it up?
Grade A
Characters: Clarke Lantham is probably my favorite of Mr. Sawyer’s characters. And if you know how much I’ve enjoyed some of his stories, that says a lot. Each of the characters lives and breaths. I’ve known people just like them. So have you. Some of them you wish you didn’t. Some of them, well, you wish you had a vat of hydrochloric acid. Still it is fair to say, each character in Smoke Rings, even the most supporting, seemed to ring true for me.
Grade A+
Odin’s recommendation: Buy it. Read it. Thank Dan.
Seriously, if you’re a fan of detective fiction, you’re going to like the Clarke Lantham stories. Smoke Rings is a bit different from the other two in the series, in that there really isn’t much speculative about it. That didn’t detract from it in any way for me, and I doubt it will for you either.
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Title: Beneath
Author: Jeremy Robinson
Genre: Science Fiction
Released: 7 February 2010 – 22 April 2010
Located: iTunes, Podiobooks, Author’s Site
Formats Available: dead tree, podcast, ebook
Occasionally, I simply go to Podiobooks.com and browse through the stories looking for something I’ve never heard. This might not be the best lead in for a story, but the truth is the truth. Browsing the racks is exactly how I stumbled across Jeremy Robinson’s Beneath. It sounded, from the synopsis, like a story that would be quite enjoyable.
So, on to the review.
Synopsis: Three thousand years after a chunk of iron the size of Khufu’s pyramid collides with Europa, Jupiter’s sixth moon, an asteroid borne of the collision crashes into Earth’s Arctic ice shelf carrying extraterrestrial microbial life. The first man to come into contact with the microbes hears voices—and then dies.
After determining the meteorite originated from Europa, the Global Exploratory Corporation sends oceanographer and biologist, Kathy Connelly, and her crew to the moon aboard the Surveyor, an experimental spacecraft. They are charged with the task of melting through miles of ice to the hidden ocean beneath, where the search for alien microorganisms begins. But a startling discovery awaits them on the surface of Europa.
Life.
Vast fields of red, plant-like organisms fill the cracks crisscrossing the moon’s surface, surviving on nutrients welling up from the waters below. Intoxicated by thoughts of what might lie beneath, Connelly and her crew activate the Thermal Exploratory System and melt through the ice—toward a world that does not want to be found, toward a force that will do anything to make sure they never leave.
They search for life. They find death.(stolen from podiobooks.com)
Production: Beneath is put together quite well. I enjoyed listening to the story. The audio was neither to loud nor to quiet. The quality of the recording was better than average and the editing was well done. Sometimes, it is best to just not notice the production. That means it didn’t interfere with the story. This is the case with Beneath.
Grade: B+
Cast: Beneath is a self read podcast with voice work provided by Jeffrey Kafer. I’m unfamiliar with Mr. Kafer’s work, but after having heard him in this story, I would not be reluctant to call upon him if I needed any voice acting done. He sells the characters without going overboard. The reading was fluid and his reading voice was mellifluous. Both greatly enhanced the story.
Grade: A-
Story: When I started listening to Beneath, I was really hoping for a scary space horror story. What I got instead was an episode of The X Files. Not that that is bad, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. The creatures could have been truly scary, or evil, or just malevolent in their pursuit of their own survival. (Minor spoiler ahead) Instead what I got was a sentient race just wanting to be left alone. Again, this is far from bad, it just wasn’t what I expected.
Grade: B+
Verdict: If you like a good science fiction story that will keep you guessing, Beneath will most likely fit that bill for you. However, if you’re looking to be a bit spooked and for a story that you best not listen to in the dark, keep looking, there is nothing for you here.
Disclaimer: I’ve never met Mr. Robinson, nor do I follow him on Twitter (to my knowledge). I have never discussed this story with anyone and received nothing in the way of remuneration for this review.
Title: The All Pro
Author: Scott Sigler
Publisher: Dark Øverlord Media
Available: Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Author’s site/Back my book
The All Pro is the third book in Mr. Sigler’s GFL series. Having just finished listening to Mr. Sigler’s previous story in the series, The Starter in podcast form, I quickly purchased The All Pro wanting to feed my addiction. Did it live up to the rest of the series?
On to the review.
Synopsis: THE ALL-PRO is the third book in the Galactic Football League series, following on THE ROOKIE and THE STARTER. Seven centuries into the future, aliens and humans compete for the greatest prize in the universe: the Galaxy Bowl trophy. Quarterback Quentin Barnes enters his third season at the helm of the Ionath Krakens. He’s re-shaped the team in his image, and the time for excuses is over — it’s win, or be replaced. Quentin’s championship quest carries he and his teammates across the galaxy in a brutal twelve-game season fraught with injury and death.But he faces more than just on-field challenges. As he enters a free-agent year, several franchises vie for his services. Will he play for a new team, or will he remain with his beloved Krakens. And then there’s the slight distraction that someone, somewhere, is trying to assassinate him – and he doesn’t know why.The GFL series is described as “STAR WARS” meets “REMEMBER THE TITANS” meets “THE GODFATHER.” Join the Krakens as they fight to take the title and achieve immortality. (The preceding synopsis was stolen from the Amazon.)
Setting: All of the GFL books to date have played out in very similar environments. The team bus, (which in actuality is an interstellar space ship equipped with its own field), the home planet, visiting planets and occasionally, an office or yacht. I maintain that none of these is the actual setting for the story. The setting, is the FIELD. Ever week Quentin and the rest of the Krakens engage in combat with the baddest sentients in the universe. And Mr. Sigler writes this setting perfectly. Not being a fan of earth bound gridiron myself, I have very few experiences with the field in my mundane life. The way Mr. Sigler writes, that doesn’t matter. I feel like the field is a home away from home everytime reality disappears within the cover of one of Mr. Sigler’s GFL stories.
Plot: The plot of The All-Pro is similar to the previous books in several ways. All of them (to date) have been about Quentin’s pursuit of becoming the best. The best quarterback on the best team. In The All-Pro, Mr. Sigler continues to flesh out Quentin’s character a bit more. He is no longer a teen ager and shows sign of maturing. Don’t fear fans.. it isn’t a quick process. We also begin to see movement of the search for his family. All of these are great, and even better, Mr. Sigler doesn’t let it overshadow the sport. The quest to achieve and be the best.
Characters: I love the characters in the GFL. Quentin continues to grow and evolve. Gredok becomes even more of a driving force. Becca stands on the sidelines of the book waiting for her chance to be a starter. John and Ju make strong showings. The team is back and they make their fans cheer as they march towards the inevitable climactic season closer.
Odin’s Recommendation: If I, a non-football fan living in Texas can get excited about these books, I’m betting you can too. They’re fun. They’re well written. But perhaps most importantly, they’re just darn good entertainment. Should you buy a copy of The All-Pro? Yes. Is Mr. Sigler going to give it away for free? I have not read anything to the contrary. However, if you can afford $4 dollars to purchase the Kindle version, even if you have to read it on your computer (or simply as a gesture to the author of thanks) then what are you waiting for?
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Title: The Starter
Author: Scott Sigler
Genre: Science Fiction
Released: 28 March 2010 – 16 October 2011
Located: iTunes, Podiobooks, Author’s Site
Formats Available: dead tree, podcast, ebook
This book, The Starter, written by author Scott Sigler is the sequel to the Science Fiction/Football novel The Rookie. If you haven’t heard/read The Rookie, I strongly suggest you do so. The Starter continues the story begun there. You don’t necessarily need the previous story to understand this one, but since The Rookie has always been my favorite of Scott Sigler’s books, I recommend you don’t miss it.
So, on to the review.
Synopsis: Last season, 19-year-old rookie quarterback Quentin Barnes overcame his racism and unified his team. Now, he and the Ionath Krakens have to compete against the greatest football teams ever assembled and do far more than just survive each game. As he rebuilds the team in his own image, Quentin truly begins his life-long quest for a Tier One Championship. (stolen from podiobooks.com)
Production: The production of The Starter lives up to the remarkable standards that Mr. Sigler has become known for. I’ve always preferred a rather minimalistic approach to production unless you have the skills of someone like Dan Sawyer. Mr. Sigler (or his production team of A Kovaks and Arioch Morningstar) keeps the production simple but clean. Seriously, if you’re considering podcasting your novel, you could do much worse than trying to replicate Mr. Sigler’s sound.
Grade: A
Cast: Mr. Sigler, as always, performs The Starter as a self read. Mr. Sigler has always gone above and beyond when it comes to reading life into his characters. I especially love his personification of the Galaxy Sports show trio. If you haven’t enjoyed Mr. Sigler’s reading of his other stories, you probably not need waste your time here. If you, however, have enjoyed any of Mr. Sigler’s other works, and you especially enjoy an extra dose of wit and sarcasm, you’ll probably like the reading Mr. Sigler provides here.
Grade A
Story: As the synopsis states, this is the story of Quentin Barnes. What happens in his second season in the GFL? Will Quentin become a team player? Well, those answers are definitely answered here. Unfortunately, all those answers will do is leave you wanting more.
Grade A
Verdict: I can no longer say that The Rookie is my favorite story of Mr. Sigler’s. The series continues to ramp up with each story. One isn’t necessarily better than another, but the entire package is one you shouldn’t miss. With the completion of The Starter (on Mr. Sigler’s site at least) there is no reason not to dive in now.
Disclaimer: I do follow Mr. Sigler on Twitter (@scottsigler). I tweet at him occasionally, but more because I just enjoy reading his stream.
Title: Venom of Vipers
Author: K.C. May
Publisher: Flying Island Press
Available: paperback (Amazon) ebook (Amazon, Smashwords)
Recently I started following K.C. May on Twitter (@GASciFiAuthor) after I ran across her name in a conversation with Nathan Lowell. I love a good Science Fiction story, and she had several out, so I went aheaded and downloaded The Venom of Vipers from Smashwords, loaded it on my iPad and (at the sound of the bell) turned the page.
On to the review.
Synopsis: In a future where humans teeter on the brink of extinction, hope lies in the genetic experiments of Katie Marsh. A brilliant young scientist, Katie is hard at work perfecting a new species of humanoid resistant to the devastating virus afflicting mankind. But not everyone wants Katie to succeed.
Confined to the lab that created him, Ryder Stone wants to live as a free man. But Ryder, whose unique physiology may provide the cure for this viral malady, must tread lightly, for in his world, friends can sometimes be foes, and the helping hand of people close to him may very well turn out to be… the venom of vipers. (The preceding synopsis was stolen from the Amazon.)
Setting: Ms. May’s story takes place predominantly in a compound created for the study, education and retention of a mutated humanoid species known as Saphers. This compound is located in Arizona on a near future earth and all elements of it ring true.
Grade: A
Plot: The plot of The Venom of Vipers is a bit more convoluted then the synopsis would make it seem. Without going into too much depth, it is hard to provide an accurate idea of the detail in the plot, and since I prefer not to provide spoilers, that makes this part a bit difficult. I would say that The Venom of Vipers is really about what motivates us. Love, hate, revenge.. they’re all in there, and each is given a bit of time to play out.
Grade: B+
Characters: Ms. May’s characters are written to be very human. Even the meta-humans. This makes them easy to identify with and it is easy empathize with. However, at times they were a bit inconsistent to my way of thinking. Case in point: main character Ryder is consistently portrayed as being hotheaded and a bit of a trouble maker, and yet every time there is a situation, it truly is instigated by someone else, and Ryder is simply defending himself or others. Yes, maybe it truly is because he is working on his temper, but if this is so, no one seems to be noticing a difference.
Regardless of this type of minor issue, I enjoyed the characters in The Venom of Vipers. Minor SPOILER alert: Especially Captain Nelson, whom I STILL don’t know how to react to.
Grade: A-
Odin’s Recommendation: I liked The Venom of Vipers. If you’re a fan of scifi thrillers and can enjoy a book written more about relationships than science, you should do yourself a favor and check it out. Simply said, I will be checking out Ms. May’s other works as soon as time allows.
Title: Earthbound
Author: Artemis Greenleaf
Genre: Fantasy
Released: 25 June 2010 – 7 July 2010
Located: iTunes, Podiobooks
Formats Available: Podcast
Rating: PG 13 for Violence and disturbing imagery
I’ve run out of things written by authors I’ve listened to before or know of, so I’ve been scouring Podiobooks of late. This has done several things for me. One, it is helping me find some great stories that I might not have stumbled upon earlier, and two, it seems like the number of views has decreased a bit. Maybe my readers are more interested in reading reviews by those they know or know of , or maybe it is simply coincidence. Regardless, this story, Earthbound, isn’t one I was familiar with and the author was unknown to me as well.
So, on to the review.
Synopsis:
“I didn’t believe in ghosts, not until I became one.”
Schuyler Ramsey just wants to be like the other kids in school. Too bad she’s dead. She haunts a farm in windswept western Ireland, along with some of its previous inhabitants. When she partially materializes in front of her sister at breakfast, she is propelled on a quest to stop a fake TV psychic from visiting the farm and stirring up trouble. Along the way, she visits a famous pirate, helps a mermaid rescue a basking shark from fishermen, and encounters Nicniven, queen of the dark elphs. But Schuyler soon finds that the Haunted Planet television show is the least of her problems. As her world unravels, can she find the strength to save her sister from a monstrous evil? (Stolen from Podiobooks.com)
Production: The production of Earthbound is rather robust. The music that is recorded for the intro and outro is haunting and beautiful and completely matches the story. The ambient nature sound effects matches the feelings of desolation the story invokes perfectly. The sound quality is crisp and clear and all parts work together well. There are 23 eps in this story. Not 24. Ep 21 file must have been corrupted or something, because when I tried to listen, I could never download it. I streamed it instead and had no issues. I then happily listened to eps 22, and 23. Where the story ended. Ep 24 is actually a reworked version of ep 21. Be wary to get the right one.
Grade: A-
Cast: This is a single read story. At first I thought the author was the narrator, later I found this not to be true. Regardless, the narrator does an excellent job, and even with accents abounding, does a decent job. (However, I will say the “Houston drawl”, while perhaps recognizable sounds strange when practiced by someone from the “other side of the pond”. Still, much better than I could accomplish in reverse.
Grade: B+
Story: The story is quite different from what I expected, and some of the foreshadowing would have made me believe the author had planned to make this a different story than it turned out to be. However, that didn’t make it any less enjoyable to listen to. The characters were well done. The plot and the setting were vivid.
Grade: A
Verdict: I really enjoyed Earthbound. However, one of the things that made me want to listen was the fact that it was billed as family friendly. While there was no language that I can think of that might have been objectionable, the content was a bit more scary then I’d let my little ones listen to. Definitely a YA or an adult book. That point not withstanding, I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend it. If you are interested in hearing what happens when a deceased soul doesn’t choose to enter the light, told from the ghost’s point of view, download Earthbound now and thank me later.
Shameless plug: Don’t forget, if you send an audio comment to me at Odin1eye at viewfromvalhalla dot com, I’ll include it in the podcast version of this episode next weekend (or when I receive it). You can also leave voicemail, for this or any other story, at the Valhalla Hotline simply by calling 956-307-ODIN (6346)
Disclosure: I do not follow Artemis Greenleaf on Twitter. I loved the theme for this podcast so much though, I tried to track down the author to find out where I could get a copy of “Dandelion Girl”. Turns out that Artemis Greenleaf is a pen name. It took a bit of effort but I finally found the narrator and, as I figured, he was also the singer of the song in question. He showed me where to obtain the song and I immediately did. However, as much as I enjoy this song (and let me tell you, it has become quite the ear worm), I wrote the review with no regard towards any favors received.
Title: Shape Shifters
Author: S. Lawrence Parrish
Genre: Monster Horror
Released: 22 August 2011 – 8 September 2011
Located: iTunes, Podiobooks
Formats Available: podcast only
Rating: R for violence, language, sexual situations
I’ve recently greatly enjoyed going to Podiobooks.com and simply perusing their offered wares. That is how I stumbled upon Shape Shifters. I read the synopsis (below) and when I got to line “a werewolf tale with no vampires” I knew I had to give it a listen.
So, on to the review.
Synopsis: The sun sets. The moon rises. And the night howls…
The people in the foothills town of Black Diamond are thrilled to hear of government plans for commercial development of the Kananaskis Parklands. With three world-class ski resorts within an hour’s drive, everyone is going to get rich! But The Fellowship, a colony of “nature nuts” who live to the immediate west of Black Diamond, are effectively stalling the government’s plans. Hostilities escalate when a hitch-hiker is brutally slaughtered just outside of town…
Shape Shifters–a werewolf tale with NO vampires. (Stolen from Podiobooks.com)
Production: Shape Shifters was easy to listen to. All of the audio levels were safely within comfortable limits. There were many sound effects and the use was usually done fairly well. However, on at least one occasion I can remember, the cycling of the effect was a bit repetitive.
Grade: B+
Cast: Mr. Parrish read his story independently and did quite an adequate job of it. Some of the voiced characters were a bit similar and occasionally the listener might be confused as to whose point of view he is listening to. The story is told from a variety of view points so it is hard to single in on a single character as being the lead character. However, all of the ensemble characters were interesting enough that the average listener will be interested in hearing what is happening to each one.
Grade: B+
Story: The story is a straight forward werewolf tale. The town is divided into two camps. The humans and the wolves. Of course the humans know nothing of the wolves and are only aware that there is something “different” about the freaks that choose to live in the woods and keep to themselves. While the story offered nothing completely new in the way of werewolf folklore, it also did not try to change everything we know. It also, as promised, contained no vampires.
Grade: C
Verdict: I had high hopes for Shape Shifters. The werewolf has always been one of my favorite classic monsters. I was a bit disappointed in several aspects of the story though. One, once again the monster is really not a monster. They’re too human. They’re treated poorly as people and we’re supposed to have a sympathetic reaction. I wanted a terror story where evil wolves hunted/killed hapless humans. That isn’t this story. *SPOILER* Add that too a scene of bestiality that was much too graphic for my tastes and unless you’re a huge fan of the genre, I’d have to recommend you give Shape Shifters a pass.
Shameless plug: Don’t forget, if you send an audio comment to me at Odin1eye at viewfromvalhalla dot com, I’ll include it in the podcast version of this episode next weekend (or when I receive it). You can also leave voicemail, for this or any other story, at the Valhalla Hotline simply by calling 956-307-ODIN (6346)
Disclosure:I don’t follow Mr. Parrish on Twitter, nor have I ever had a conversation with him.
Title: Ginnie Dare: Crimson Sands
Author: Scott Roche
Publisher: Flying Island Press
Available: ebook (Amazon, Smashwords, others) paperback (Barnes and Noble, Amazon)
I’ve known Scott Roche for quite a while now. I’ve reviewed his first novel, Archangel, as a podcast novel here on the blog. When he completed this story a while back, he asked me if I’d be interested in reviewing it. At the time I wasn’t reviewing print books. That was then.
On to the review.
Synopsis: Ginnie Dare is the communications officer for her family’s space faring shipping company. They arrive at Eshu for a routine supply drop and discover that the entire settlement’s population has vanished. Their search of the site reveals nothing out of place, except the people, but ends in a tense confrontation with the natives. During the conflict, Ginnie discovers an alien artifact that may be the key to diffusing the conflict. Can she decode the artifact before it’s taken by the Sector Defense Force? Will it help them to discover the missing colony’s fate? Or, will the whole thing spark an interstellar war? (The preceding synopsis was stolen from the Amazon.)
Setting: Most of the story takes place on an alien planet. One of the things I like about science fiction is the setting can be as normal or extra-normal as the author likes. Mr. Roche brings us a setting that is enough different from our own to allow him to set the rules, while at the same time similar enough to give us easy points of reference. He keeps it consistent throughout and allows us to experience this environment with the characters.
Grade: B
Plot: As the above synopsis describes, the plot of the story revolves around a puzzle/quest with a time sensitive pressure keeping everything moving along at a good clip. Worth noting is the change of antagonist three quarters of the way through the story that was clever enough to catch the casual reader unaware.
Grade: A-
Characters: I really enjoyed Mr. Roche’s characters. And no, not just the one that bears my namesake. Each of the main characters, especially Ginnie, lived and breathed as much as any character I’ve ever read. Ginnie definitely came across as the character she was written as: an astute and inventive prodigy that is still very much a 14 year old girl.
Grade: A
Odin’s Recommendation: I love a good young adult novel, and make no mistake Ginnie Dare: Crimson Sands is good. It was better than I had hoped for. Having read several of Mr. Roche’s short stories and having listened to Archangel, I can assure you that Ginnie Dare shows remarkable growth and a maturing style. The editing is fluid and reads easily, though not perfect. The punctuation between paragraphs of dialogue being conducted by the same (uninterrupted) character isn’t quite normal, but it’s of little consequence. How much did I enjoy this book? I’ll be buying a paperback copy to share with my son.
