Marines: Crimson Worlds

By: Jay Allan

Narrated by: Jeff Bower

Erik Cain joined the marines to get off death row. The deal was simple; enlist to fight in space and he would be pardoned for all his crimes.

In the 23rd Century, assault troops go to war wearing AI-assisted, nuclear-powered armor, but it is still men and blood that win battles. From one brutal campaign to the next, Erik and his comrades fight an increasingly desperate war over the resource rich colony worlds that have become vital to the economies of Earth's exhausted and despotic Superpowers.

As Erik rises through the ranks he finally finds a home, first with the marines who fight at his side and later among the colonists - men and women who have dared to leave everything behind to build a new society on the frontier, one where the freedoms and rights lost long ago on Earth are preserved.

Amidst the blood and death and sacrifice, Erik begins to wonder. Is he fighting the right war? Who is the real enemy?

Now Included: A sneak peak at Crimson Worlds II: The Cost of Victory. Read the first three chapters, immediately following the end of Marines in this Kindle edition.

Crimson Worlds II: The Cost of Victory - Available Now!

Crimson Worlds III: A Little Rebellion - December 2012

©2012 Jay Allan Books (P)2012 Jay Allan Books

Refreshing

If you could sum up Marines: Crimson Worlds in three words, what would they be?

Peculiar, Entertaining, Promising

What was one of the most memorable moments of Marines: Crimson Worlds?

What I like about this book and in turn what has endeared me to this series is the cast, the universe, and the potential. Allan has created a fascinating universe for his characters a world that I would love to explore.

Did Jeff Bower do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Bower is not my favorite narrator, his performance was so jarring that the first time I started to listen to this book I put it down in disgust within a few minutes thinking that I had purchased a poorly written, poorly pronounced piece. I came back to the series last week and ended up falling in love. That being said, you may find Bower a little different or annoying at first be sure to listen to the sample before you buy!

Any additional comments?

Viewed by itself this book is perhaps mediocre. Yet, I am truly a sucker for space opera and after reading this book and its sequel I have to say I absolutely love this series. Before you buy let me break down why I love this book and why this series is worth spending your time on, and then let me tell you what to watch out for!

What I love:

The fiction that this story occupies is deep, far deeper than we are immediately exposed to. I got the distinct impression that the author has a grand vision of what the universe looks like in his world (More on this later)

I see amazing potential in this series that it has not yet reached and I am basing alot of my enjoyment on that. I hope that the author follows through on the hints he is leaving and does this series justice.

If you like these books you might like this one too:

Old Man's War
Legacy of the Aldenata
Troy Rising
Prince Roger
Armor
Star Force

One major difference: Marines: Crimson Worlds is Human vs Human



Things I don't like:

It isn't the best writing. I love it and I'm a sucker for it but this is scifi pulp its fun and enjoyable and I think that this series has the potential to transcend that classification but with only book one and two out this series is currently only delivering the title: Marines + Crimson Worlds (Blood).

If you are looking for a deep read or an epic space opera I think you might be more satisfied with a different title however, if you are like me and you want some unique action with solid characters in promising new world give it a shot.

My verdict:

If you are new to scifi or space marines there might be better options to start off with. If you are a grizzled veteran like me, dig in I think you will love it. You need to love this genre to love this book.

not for me

I've listened about half of it. I don't think I'll finish. story hasn't made me eager to get back to it after taking a break. the narration is unenthusiastic and the voices used for some of the characters just aren't realistic for who is being portrayed.

Didn't love the reading

The reading was very flat. Sometimes hard to tell if I like the story or not. the reading was so monotone and when he did another character it was just not good.

Jeff Bower... Never again...

Where does Marines: Crimson Worlds rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is alright.. Nothing special. A good scifi and space

How did the narrator detract from the book?

His voice pitches up and down without meaning to. It sucks and makes the narration sound cheesy and awful.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It almost made me puke. This guy's voice sucks.

Any additional comments?

I won't listen to a Jeff Bowers narration again

"We'll leave the light on for you..."

Any additional comments?

The story itself is actually a good story. No, it's not original, offhand "Old man's War" by John Scalzi comes to mind, but still an entertaining listen. I actually enjoyed the story in and by itself. But...Two chief complaints, first the narrator. This story just does not fit his voice. He reminds me of the "Motel 8"'s commercial voice over actor saying "...and we'll leave the light on for you...". not a rough and tumble type of voice your expecting. Second, the second half of the book is really only about 3 hours long, the rest being the first 3 chapters of Book 2. I didn't appreciate the abrupt ending and was about 30 minutes into the organizational flow chart before I realized the book was over. I will read Book 2 eventually, but I will need to listen to a couple of other books with different narrators just to adjust my listening comfort agian. I do recommend the book, but with patience as a virtue.Rooster

Good story hobbled by a lousy performance

I struggled to finish the story because of the absolutely terrible narrative. That said, the story itself was pretty good.

Reader just adequate-story predictable

Reader often gives inappropriate emphasis to words zoned phrases but, straight exposition was Okay. Story took unlikely protagonist to the head of the military’s forces without very plausible justification then, started a political coup in the last chapter to get to to read the next book. (Not a great read/listen and typical of several other books I’ve read by Mr Allan so I’ll be dropping any future books by this author.)

So far it's a good series.

Would you consider the audio edition of Marines: Crimson Worlds to be better than the print version?

I consider audio books to be better than the print versions due to the fact you can "read" them while doing other things and usually, but not always, the individuals who narrate them do an excellent job adding to the overall story and plot.

What other book might you compare Marines: Crimson Worlds to and why?

In my opinion this book series is starting to play a similar tune to the Star Force books with Kyle Riggs playing the same role and Eric Kain.

Any additional comments?

Overall it's a good series with moments where the conversations between characters become a little awkward in the way they communicate between each other. The dialogue doesn't always flow easily between characters but so far the plot is good. Since I previously enjoyed listening to Star Force I thought I would give this series a try and i'm definitely going to continue and I would recommend this book to those who enjoys epic space battles and when the underdog comes in to save the day.

Not what I was expecting

Normally I love Jay's books but this is more of storytelling with little character interactions his later books have. Blood on the stars is a great example. It's more like a long explanation give during a chat with a old soldier.

Some unfair reviews out there...

What made the experience of listening to Marines: Crimson Worlds the most enjoyable?

This series has sucked me in over the last couple of days. If you can get through three chapters without identifying with Erik Cain then you have lost your ability to lose yourself in a story.

What other book might you compare Marines: Crimson Worlds to and why?

If you are into "Hard Sci-Fi" (Military based sci-fi such as John Ringo's "Aldenata", or David Weber's "Honorverse") this will knock you out. Think "Starship Troopers" with more military detail and no aliens. Give it a try.

What three words best describe Jeff Bower’s voice?

Steady, calm, a bit nasal in some characters.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Sometimes it takes a few bad men to save a universe from itself.

Any additional comments?

Part space opera part hard sci-fi, this book (and the entire Crimson World Series) shows us a new take on a dystopian future that is at times "Starship Troopers" and at others "12 Monkeys". It is at all times worth a read.