Jonathan

Magnificent historical fiction

Reviewed: 10-14-20

Highly enjoyable. Not a dull moment in the entire novel. The narrator did a terrific job.

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A poignant tale of lifelong friendship

Reviewed: 01-29-17

Dweller is the story of a lifelong friendship between Toby, a human, and Owen, a furry, flesh-eating monster, talons and fangs and all, who lives in the woods by Toby's house.

They first become friends at age 15. Toby is a loner, a teenager with poor social skills and no friends. He is even bullied at school on a regular basis. Owen (the name Toby gives his monster friend) lives alone in a cave in the woods. He has no family of his own.

The two strike up an unlikely friendship, even though Owen is a man-eater and cannot speak. Toby and Owen get past their initial misunderstanding and fear of each other and manage to communicate by way of hand signals.

Toby begins visiting Owen in his dwelling regularly, bringing him food, sharing his hardships with him. When two bullies from school follow Toby into the woods, the story turns dark--as might be expected from a Jeff Strand novel. After all, you can't have a man-eating monster friends without it leading to all sorts of trouble.

The story follows the two friends as they age. There are loves and losses, triumphs and defeats, romance and happiness on the heels of loneliness and sadness. Yet the friendship persists, against all odds.

Jeff Strand is often billed a horror novelist, but this book is not your typical horror fare. There are grisly scenes, but those are secondary to the story itself, which is beautiful, sensitive, tender, and poignant.

The writing is superb, the buildup of the friendship realistic, the emotional connection you will feel toward Owen and Toby will be strong. You will suffer and exult with them. You will feel their frustrations and joy.

Scott Thomas, who has narrated a number of Strand books, does a fantastic job as always. He is the perfect voice for Jeff Strand novels.

Get Dweller. It's a special, even unique story and a wonderful audiobook.

This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

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2 people found this helpful

Hilarious, gruesome, bloody, and so much fun

Reviewed: 09-05-16

As I read this book I could imagine Jeff Strand pecking away at his keyboard with an impish smile on his face. Occasionally, he would let out a brief cackle of maniacal laughter at the more hilarious, or gruesome, parts of this novel. Thankfully, the hilarious far outweighs the gruesome, although there is a goodly portion of the latter as well.

What I mean to say is that as I was listening to this audiobook, it became clear how much fun Strand was having while writing this. The book oozes fun and humor. I enjoyed it immensely from the first to last word.

Pressure is the story of two characters: Alex Fletcher, the narrator of the story, and Darren Rust, the villain.

The two meet at a strict boarding school for boys. They are roommates. They strike a tentative friendship. Alex is a normal boy of twelve, but Darren is far from normal. He has dark urges. He is twisted. His behavior is strange. Soon the dark side of Darren is exposed. He is a nasty piece of work. And he is crafty and sneaky and smart. Alex, and his other friends at the boarding school, who hate Darren, are on the receiving end of Darren's mischief. And it is far from boyish good fun.

When Darren and Alex part company as boys, after Alex is transferred to another school, Alex pretty much hates his guts.

They meet again at college, when Darren convinces Alex that he has changed, that his past behavior was due to his being an immature twelve-year-old. They become friends. Alex meets and falls in love with a girl. All seems to be going well. Darren seems like a nice enough young man and a good friend.

But Darren's dark side cannot remain hidden for long. His urges are now stronger and he is far more brutal than before. What's worse is that he sees something in Alex. He believes Alex is like him, twisted, cruel, with a desire to hurt people. But Alex is not a monster. He does not relish giving pain to others. This infuriates Darren. He pushes Alex into doing things Alex would never have dreamed of doing. The two turn from friends to enemies.

Years later, when Alex is married and has a little girl, long after he left behind his time with Darren at college, Darren returns. For he has not forgotten about Alex. He still harbors hope that Alex can be made into his partner. And he will do what it takes to make him see that.

Pressure is a great name for this novel. Strand increases the pressure on the reader with each chapter. At times it is uncomfortable. At times it is brutal. Mostly, it is just fun to listen to. Scott Thomas, the narrator, who gifted me this audiobook in exchange for a review, does a fantastic job on this novel, as he did on another Strand novel, Wolf Hunt.

This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

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A Fast-Paced High-Action Thriller

Reviewed: 02-28-16

What if Hercules wasn't a mythical figure but an actual man who lived three thousand years ago and was a scientific genius, who learned how to modify his own genes to allow him to live for centuries, and to combine the DNA of different life forms to create new animals and monsters?

What if the Labors of Hercules, as told in the myths, in which Hercules encountered and fought various monsters, actually told of his interaction with some of these new, manufactured species?

And what if Hercules had created the Herculean society, a group of scientists, historians, and military experts with the express goal of hiding the secrets of history and science he had uncovered and make sure that they would never fall into the wrong hands?

And what if now, an international criminal organization called Cerberus, led by a maniac intent on learning the ancient secrets, was on the cusp of attaining control of the very secrets Hercules strove to hide, secrets that would give it control over life itself, allow it to create new strains of viruses and disease, to lay waste to much of humanity, if it so wished?

That is the premise of this fine adventure novel, written by Jeremy Robinson and Sean Ellis, and narrated by Jeffery Kafer.

The novel is a fast-paced, action-packed sci-thriller, full of gun fights, villains, monsters, biology, history, mythology, and history, all blended together into one hell of an enjoyable tale. The book made me feel like learning more about Hercules and Greek Mythology. And Kafer's narration was solid and fit the narrative well.

This isn't great literature, but it is well-written, it moves very quickly, and I had a very good time with it.

Note: This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast

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4 people found this helpful

A laugh a minute horror novel

Reviewed: 02-12-16

George and Lou are two of the sweetest thugs you're ever likely to meet. They would break your thumbs, but be polite and gentle as possible about it. They won't kill you, nor would they do more than the minimum damage required by their criminal bosses. They are also best friends, not just partners.

Now they are tasked with driving a van with a special cargo: a werewolf, who is stuck in a cage at the back of the van. A werewolf? Neither George nor Lou believe that Ivan, the man in the cage, is indeed a werewolf. And so, in a moment of carelessness, they allow him to escape. And learn that Ivan is not only a werewolf, but a world-class psychopath who likes nothing more than killing, maiming, and tormenting his victims. George and Lou, along with a woman named Michelle who they pick up on the way, decide to get after Ivan, either to recapture him and deliver him to the original destination or kill him.

But Ivan is much faster and stronger, and he seems almost immune to bullets, kicks, punches, and cuts. He is also arrogant and wants to play along with George and Lou, to torment them before tearing them limb from limb.

The result is Wolf Hunt, a fantastic comedy-horror novel and one of the funniest novels I had ever had the pleasure to listen to (or read, for that matter). There is a lot of gore in the novel, but it is offset by an ocean of humor-filled conversations and descriptions. The pace is lightning fast and the characterization is fantastic. You will fall in love with George and Lou. And you will hate Ivan.

I'm grateful to Jeff Strand and Scott Thomas, the narrator of this book, for giving me a review copy of the audiobook. A word on the narration: it was perfect for this book. Simply perfect. The voices were distinct, the accents and tempo just right to make the most of the funny material. I will seek out more work by Jeff Strand and Scott Thomas.

Note: This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.

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1 person found this helpful

An Entertaining Heinlein Tale

Reviewed: 02-10-16

An entertaining and well-performed novel by Robert A. Heinlein that fails to reach the brilliance of his later novels, but is still a fun and short listen.

Lorenzo Smythe, an arrogant, haughty, and self-admiring actor, is hired to impersonate an important politician who has been kidnapped. Smythe believes he will do the job for a short time only, but the part gets longer and more complex. And the role changes the actor.

There are glimmers of the political ruminations which gave color to Heinlein's better work. This is not a masterpiece, by any means. But I enjoyed it quite a bit.

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An excellent sci-fi/horror thriller. Fantastic Fun

Reviewed: 10-14-15

Hunger is an excellent sci-fi/horror thriller read superbly by Jeffry Kafer. The book details a road trip taken across America in a post-Apocalyptic world dominated by monsters of every shape and form, all eager to consume what few humans remain.

World hunger and the desire to design GM crops to combat it is what leads to the world's demise in this novel. Plants are designed that can grow everywhere, and this is what they do. Hunger does not exist anymore, but the plants change one's genetic makeup, turning them into predators hungry for meat, and changes their appearance beyond recognition. Humans and animals turn into monsters and hunt each other.

Only a handful of humans remain, those that hadn't eaten any of the GM foods. Now it is up to a group of them, to get to a special lab near Boston where the scientist who first developed these crops wishes to undo the damage and save the world.

The book is fast, exciting, and very well-written. The narration was spot on. I will look forward to book 2.

Note: This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com

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2 people found this helpful

An Epic Classic Made Even Better by Audio

Reviewed: 05-21-15

Imajica is an epic modern fantasy, written by one of the undisputed masters of horror and fantasy fiction.

In Imajica, Clive Barker created one of the more dense, complex, and memorable set of worlds. The five dominions of the Imajica, the various characters within, and the conflicts between them provide a rich experience, made even better by the excellent narration of Simon Vance.

If you're a fan of complex modern fantasy, rich prose, sensual and sexual descriptions, Imajica is a masterpiece you should not miss.

This audiobook is just what an audiobook is supposed to be: a new medium through which an already great novel is made even better.

Note: I received a review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

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5 people found this helpful

A Nice Cozy Mystery

Reviewed: 10-19-14

A nice mystery. For people who like cozy mysteries, this should prove to be an enjoyable listen. If you're into more gory stuff, this one is likely to miss the mark.

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A Song For Disgraced Gentlemen Soldiers

Reviewed: 08-21-14

The term Gentlemen-ranker refers to a former office, either by education or social station, who has somehow disgraced himself and been turned to a common soldier. Kipling writes this poem for these soldiers and gives many allusions as to the hardship they face fighting in distant lands for the British Empire.

The song has an unusual structure, one ably delivered by the narrator. If you are interested in the life of soldiers in the British Army of Kipling's time, you should find this poem enlightening and enjoyable.

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