The Swift

De: Ricky Dragoni

Narrado por: Steve Castello

Left behind after a military evacuation and separated from their families, the people of Storm Lake must decide what to do. Technology along everything else has mysteriously ceased to function. There are no answers, only questions and many tough decisions to be made.

As they search for help in the cornfields of rural Iowa, a deadly game of hunter and prey develops between them and the Swift. The Swift are mysterious and ruthless creatures who hunt to kill. They unexplainably appear after the event and mercilessly dispatch anyone who they encounter, while Coach Mike Larson, Levi, his pupil, and everyone else must hunt the Swift for sustenance and survival.

Go along this dark and twisted journey with Coach Mike Larson and Levi as they do the unimaginable to survive in this apocalyptic new world, all in hopes of one day reuniting with their families.

©2018 Ricky Dragoni (P)2018 Ricky Dragoni

Very captivating. Makes you wanna hear more.

I love this story and the way it's narrated. A story that makes you wonder, could it happen?

What a Ride

This book was a fantastic ride into the unknown but a story of survival at any cost. It’s not a story I would typically look for but I found it engaging and the writing so descriptive that you like you were there. I listened to the audible version the narration was so perfect for the story. The Swift is really about the fight within ourselves and the struggle to survive against all odds. Mr. Dragoni is a master storyteller.

Loved the story

This book flowed well and I loved the ending. The narrator kept us interested the whole road trip. We can't wait to hear more from Dragoni and Castello!

Excellent story from a new to me author!

Between Ricky's writing and Steve's narration, you are in for a treat.

Ricky Dragoni is new to me as an author and he did not disappoint. The story takes us on a journey where we meet Coach Mike and Levi both separated from their family when it all began. Lucky for them both they are not strangers.

In the beginning of the story, I listen, thinking, ok your normal struggling to find safety and sustenance dystopian read. Then you start learning about The Swift and you become intrigued, good, they're not being called Zombies, that's new. Then you get hit over the head with a sledgehammer at the end. The only complaint I have, is the story is too short! It flows well and wraps up nicely, I'm just greedy and wanted more.

Great new voice

This is the first book I've listened to of both Steve Castello and of Ricky Dragoni. I enjoyed both the story AND the telling. Castello's warm voice makes you feel like you're siting down next to the fire listening to his latest adventure. I'll keep him on my list of one-clicks :)

Suspenseful and satisfying

The Swift is a relatively short suspense novel about a man and a teen boy who find themselves abandoned by civilization in a rural area infested with creatures called The Swift. They move around, meeting up with other survivors, making their way in a bloodthirsty and insane world. As you'd expect, they lose more and more of their humanity as the days and weeks go on, while they fight to stay alive in a terrifying new reality.

The ending is a not-entirely-unexpected surprise, and whoo, boy, it ties the saga of their travels together nicely. As the ending approached, I was worried I'd be faced with a cliffhanger begging me to "buy the next in the series", but I was happy to find the story quickly wrapped up in a wholly satisfying way.

For the price as an Audible sale deal, The Swift was definitely worthwhile. The narrator, Steve Castello, has an unusually deep and gravelly voice, and I'm still on the fence about whether his John Wayne-styled reading was the best choice for this novel. He did a decent job, so I'll say it worked.

Castello Rocks!!

Great story that puts a twist on the Zombie genre. The story as a whole is great though I felt like the ending was rushed. I would have liked a long form of this story. But. Don't allow my criticism to deter your purchase. The journey itself is worth every penny - especially when it comes to Steve Castello's narrative. The man is freaking awesome. His voice is pleasant and his narrative acting is something to truly behold. I LOVED listening to him. Buy this audiobook and all of Steve Castello's work!!

Well-paced survival story with a worthwhile ending

This is both a review of the book and Audible audiobook. The narration is of very good quality, pronunciation is smooth, clear, and polished. Though I typically listened to this one at normal speed, I can verify that it's very possible to listen at higher speeds like 1.2x or 1.5x and still perfectly make out every detail. This book is on the shorter side, almost a novella, and about the same length as watching a longer than average film would be.

Which is fitting because (onto the book review now) the story line flows in a way that's similar to a fast-paced action flick. This is a dystopian tale about two people left behind to fend for themselves after an apocalypse wherein creatures called Swifts (similar to zombies, but different) lurk about and much of humanity has been evacuated into safe zones.

The main characters are Mike and Levi, a teacher and his student, desperate to get back to their families and traveling from place to place in search of food and fellow survivors. The story is told from the first person perspective of Mike. There is a lot of detail put toward his inner voice and reactions, putting the reader in his shoes to feel every harsh and frenzied moment of his struggle. Levi is in a fragile state and reminds Mike of his own children.

Mike's determination to protect Levi is endearing, but I was often left wishing Levi showed more personality early on and were a more interesting character. He does show more spark toward the end though. I also wish there had been more character development for other characters. Mike and Levi end up finding more groups of survivors but that's quite late into the book and the focus is still on the larger goal of just surviving from day-to-day. I do like single-character storylines or small casts of characters though, so it wasn't a big problem and Mike's death-defying journey is well-paced enough to be entertaining. Mike himself is a well-defined character.

Withing spoiling anything I'm just going to say the ending is really good. I was left startled by it. After enjoying a plethora of dystopian/survival media, I've never seen an ending quite like this one and it's a clever approach to this genre. There's some good re-read value in experiencing the story again, knowing some important details that the ending provides.

Disclaimer : I was provided a digital audiobook of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Post Apocalyptic Horror

Something bazaar has happened. One day everything was normal and the next the power was out and the military had taken a certain portion of everyone. Those that remain are not sure what is going on, but with the arrival of the swift they have bigger problems. Forced to hide in the dark with seemingly no food every day has become a fight for survival. Can they survive the fast menace who hunts them or will they starve to death first in their search for their families?

Coach Mike was separated from his wife and boys by the military and soon finds his previous player, Levi, on his quest for them. Now, he has a new reason to keep himself together as well as find a food source. The swift are edible, but they are so fast and hard to take down. Life has become the hunter and the hunted. The question is...which will come out on top?

I loved this book from the start, but certain things didn't make sense. I didn't question the food spoiling that the author expressed that he felt I would question. Instead I questioned why they would not eat the field corn that they were having to travel through. I know that field corn is primarily used for animals and ethanol, but as long as you get them before they "dent" field corn is edible. I have ate field corn many a time, and if I was starving I don't think I would have any compulsions against the hard dented corn either. It bothered me quite a bit at the time, but now that I know how the book ends it doesn't quite as much.


As always I will not give anything away, but this is one post-apocalyptic horror novel I suggest for anyone. I received this book as a free code from the author in exchange for a honest review. I have nothing bad to say about the book and can honestly say that I did not expect the ending. I was right in where I thought the swift had come from, however, which pleases me.

great

im gonna tell you the ending gets you! makes you stop and say wow! a must listen to