Rules of Engagement Survival Rules Series, Book 4“ignore my first review...accidently posted book 2 review instead of book 4....
Bringing the Survival Rules series to an end, Rules of Engagement embraces the old saying: the enemy of my enemy is my friend, as a new group of outside invader forces The Ford family to ally with Jude Lawson and Morning Star. Of course the Fords must also come to terms with Morning Star's true identify. As with the other books in the series, this is a fast paced thriller with plenty of action. While I still felt there were issues to be addressed, overall it was a satisfying ending to the saga.
I was given a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.”
Rules of Darkness A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller Book 3“In Rule of Darkness the reckoning that has been building since the start of the series comes to a head...sort of, lol. I say sort of because I have no doubt the aftermath is going to be one wild ride. Like the previous books, this book follows the story of the Ford family, each of them dealing with their own inner demons as well as coming to grips with the new reality of a world that has been devastated by an EMP attack. We see what Nate and Erika are up to, and while interesting and in a way kind of twistedly fun, Nate's adventure doesn't really play into the main storyline of the book as is more of a side story, a way to let us know he and Erika are still around. Plenty of action, and the ending...no spoilers but I must say I did not see that coming at all. Definitely enjoying this series. Once again Miles Meili does a great job with the narration.
I was given a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.”
Rules of Conflict: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller (Survival Rules Series)“Rules of Conflict, the 2nd book in the Survival Rules series, picks up shortly after the end of Rules of Survival, and continues to follow the struggles of Tyler Ford, his friends, family, and the people Whitefish, Montana. This is a solid post apocalyptic thriller and features a solid cast of characters (no spoilers but some of them you'll absolutely love to hate), a lot of fast paced action, and multiple interconnected intriguing storylines (one of which was surprisingly dark). And the ending definitely left me wondering about what comes next.
I was given a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.”
Rules of Engagement Survival Rules Series, Book 4“Rules of Conflict, the 2nd book in the Survival Rules series, picks up shortly after the end of Rules of Survival, and continues to follow the struggles of Tyler Ford, his friends, family, and the people Whitefish, Montana. This is a solid post apocalyptic thriller and features a solid cast of characters (no spoilers but some of them you'll absolutely love to hate), a lot of fast paced action, and multiple interconnected intriguing storylines (one of which was surprisingly dark). And the ending definitely left me wondering about what comes next.
I was given a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.”
Space Team: The Wrath of Vajazzle“This is the second book in the Space Team series by Barry Hutchison. It's a fun lighthearted and often crazy space adventure. At times I think it tries a bit too hard to be funny, but overall it's an enjoyable tale.
Phil Thron does a spectacular job narrating the book.”
Tortugas Rising“I'm a fan of Benjamin Wallace's work and absolutely loved Tortugas Rising. It is a wild fast paced nonstop adventure with more than a touch of humor. The story starts with Steve Bennett, a man who is suddenly rich from an inheritance he never expected, and his best friend heading off to see a man-made island he is now the own of. What is supposed to be a relaxing holiday turns out to be anything but. No spoilers, but I will say starting out I would never have guessed where the story was going to lead me. This story would make an excellent movie. And I have to give Benjamin major props, this is the first book I've read read/listened to that dropped a Remo Williams reference!!
The book is narrated by the talented Phil Thron and he does a fantastic job. This is the 3rd or 4th time I've listened to his work and he never disappoints”
Rules of Survival: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller“Rules of Survival is the first book in a new post-apocalyptic survival series. Written by Jack Hunt, who is no stranger to the genre, this book hits all the beats I've come to expect from the genre: multiple groups of survivors-some preppers, some regular 'unprepared' folks, with the main characters attempting to reach somewhere 'safe' as society begins to break down around them. The story starts in Vegas with the book's main protagonist, Tyler, out on a first date that does not go well and then gets even worse when there is an EMP attack, throwing the city into absolute chaos. For the most part I really enjoyed the cast of characters, especially Tyler's date Erika, and the plane full of felons instantly had me thinking of the movie Con Air. It's a fun story with plenty of action. I'm definitely interested to see what happens next to Tyler and his friends. and Miles Meili does a really good job with the narration.”
Tourists of the Apocalypse“LOVED IT!
Dang this was one heck of a wild journey. Listening to it I was surprised (pleasantly so) by how many twists it had. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, it took an unexpected turn. I think these days it's hard to find something that feels fresh and original, but C.F. Waller definitely delivered that for me with this book. It almost felt like several different books (genres) rolled into one epic story. And that really is the only way I can describe it, because when you reach the end you really will feel as if you've been along on epic journey. This is the first book I've read (listened to) by Mr. Waller, but I assure you it will not be my last.
J. Scott Bennett's vocal performance was excellent. This was the first time I've experienced his work and I was no disappointed.”
10:37“The promising concept grabbed my attention straight away, yet sadly it never delivered. The story definitely borrowed heavily from Stephen King's The Stand (and the author even seems to acknowledge that) with an incident taking out a massive percentage of the world's population, also featuring another similarity of having a kid dream about where they are supposed to go and who they are supposed to see (think Mother Abagail), unfortunately the story isn't anywhere near fleshed out as the book it seeks to imitated (or emulated is perhaps a better way to say it). Even so it wasn't bad for the first half or so. But somewhere in the middle the story seemed to loose its way and never got back on track. Not horrible by any means, but definitely not what it could have been.
Kyle Tait has a clean delivery and his use of inflection helped bring the characters and story to life, and he definitely made for an enjoyable listening experience.”
Death Benefit“Not sure if this story was one of those often labeled as 'ripped from the headlines' or not, but I certainly wouldn't be shocked if it was. The idea behind the story feels completely believable, and I could totally picture this happening (if it hasn't already). For me, much of the book had kind of a Grisham The Firm feel to it. And I definitely mean that as a compliment as I loved that book. The story is loaded with twists and turns, and just when you think you know everything, something else pops up to add a new wrinkle. My only real issue with the book is that I felt the main character should have been in more danger. Given the circumstances of the story, with everything that Elliot was digging into, I kind of felt he should have been in danger. It just felt as if he was somewhat removed from the events, like he was watching it all from the behind safety glass. That really is my only complaint. Excellent characters and a compelling story. I'll definitely be looking forward to the next Elliot Lerner adventure.
Kyle Tait does a fantastic job narrating this one, and I find myself enjoying him more with each performance I hear.”
Extinct“Extinct the first book Ike Hamill's Extinct series has an interesting and promising premise, but the book is not without it's problems. I won't post any spoilers, but I will say the idea behind what is causing the extinction of humanity is quite original, and for the most part the story held my interest, but as I said it was not without its issues. The first half of the book basically bounces back and forth between two different characters as they struggle to come to grips with what it happening. There are definitely some pacing issues, but the real problem is the excessive use of the character's names. What do I mean? Let me explain. As I said the book jumps back and forth between just two characters for much of the first half of the book. There are Brad chapters and Robby chapters. And during these chapters, for the most part, they are the only characters in the chapter. It's a survival story and we are witnesses their individual struggles. And yet for some reason it almost feels like Mr. Hamill is afraid we'll forget whose chapter it happens to be and so is constantly using the characters name. Brad is hungry. Brad makes a tuna sandwich. Brad eats the tuna sandwich. Brad cleans the plate. lol okay it might be that bad, but it's dang close. Ike, dude, use a pronoun every now and then, lol. And to be fair he didn't always do that, but there would be sections where you just couldn't not notice it. Now had I been reading it and not listening to it it wouldn't have bothered me so much, as my eyes and brain would have skipped over that names, but listening you can't help but notice. Now as for the story, as I said the concept behind it was quite cool, but towards the end it kind of falls apart. Some new characters and a subplot are kinda sorta introduced but never completely explored/explained. Also there are definitely issues with the 'solution'...I'm struggling to explain without posting spoilers, let me just say that there are things that seem to come/happen out of nowhere, without any indication of why these are happening or without any hinting/foreshadowing that they'd even be possible. That being said I am kind of interested in knowing what comes next, so he must have done something right.
Kyle Tait's narration is great. He definitely did a good job of bringing the characters and world to life, and despite the issues I had with the story, his narration made listening to this book an enjoyable experience.”
