Andy
- 18
- reviews
- 61
- helpful votes
- 68
- ratings
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Echo of Worlds
- Pandominion, Book 2
- By: M. R. Carey
- Narrated by: Dami Olukoya
- Length: 16 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 61
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 59
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
Two mighty empires are at war - and both will lose, with thousands of planets falling to the extinction event called the Scour. At least that's what the artificial intelligence known as Rupshe believes. But somewhere in the multiverse there exists a force - the Mother Mass - that could end the war in an instant, and Rupshe has assembled a team to find it. Essien Nkanika, a soldier trying desperately to atone for past sins; the cat-woman Moon, a conscienceless killer; the digitally recorded mind of physicist Hadiz Tambuwal; Paz, an idealistic child and the renegade robot spy Dulcimer Coronal.
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5 out of 5 stars
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He’s done it again best book. I’ve listened to this year.
- By Jenny Wilson on 24-09-24
- Echo of Worlds
- Pandominion, Book 2
- By: M. R. Carey
- Narrated by: Dami Olukoya
Nice ending to the series —- if a little drawn out.
Reviewed: 29-07-24
A good narration spoiled by some very poor editing. Run on sentences. Not enough pause between paragraphs. Sounds like some sentences ran over a page. It’s such a shame. The story itself was good. Builds on the first one well. I think it could have worked as a combined (and edited) epic single book.
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Seveneves
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Peter Brooke
- Length: 32 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,123
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 1,024
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1,022
The astounding new novel from the master of science fiction. What would happen if the world were ending? When a catastrophic event renders the Earth a ticking time bomb, it triggers a feverish race against the inevitable. An ambitious plan is devised to ensure the survival of humanity far beyond our atmosphere. But unforeseen dangers threaten the intrepid pioneers, until only a handful of survivors remain....
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3 out of 5 stars
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Mixed feelings
- By Chris on 24-07-15
- Seveneves
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Peter Brooke
Smart telling of an unfinished story
Reviewed: 01-07-16
You can't knock Stephenson's ability to tell a tale. His skill is in the way he directs you, guiding you through an ever decreasing set of possible directions till you find yourself at a point in the story that would have been absurd if presented at the start. But with Seveneves you also get the worst of him. Long periods of explanation where concepts are drawn out and he can't help show you just how much he gets it. The result is a mish mash of concepts and ideas held together with a well structured but ultimately weak story. In other words - some interesting ideas mansplained.
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Alien: Out of the Shadows
- An Audible Original Drama
- By: Tim Lebbon, Dirk Maggs
- Narrated by: Rutger Hauer, Corey Johnson, Matthew Lewis, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,296
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,937
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,915
As a child, Chris Hooper dreamed of monsters. But in deep space, he found only darkness and isolation. Then, on planet LV178, he and his fellow miners discovered a storm-scoured, sand-blasted hell - and trimonite, the hardest material known to man. When a shuttle crashes into the mining ship Marion, the miners learn that there was more than trimonite deep in the caverns. There was evil, hibernating and waiting for suitable prey.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic!!!
- By Chris on 27-04-16
- Alien: Out of the Shadows
- An Audible Original Drama
- By: Tim Lebbon, Dirk Maggs
- Narrated by: Rutger Hauer, Corey Johnson, Matthew Lewis, Kathryn Drysdale, Laurel Lefkow, Andrea Deck, Mac McDonald
Great production of an average re-production
Reviewed: 13-05-16
A really well put together bit of audio drama. The sound effects, music and general production values are top notch - I'd expect nothing less from Dirk Mags. But the story wasn't up to it. A pastiche with one too many attempts to keep the knowing fan happy - you can almost hear the nods to the other films. The constant 'diary' from updates from Ashe betray the radio series roots (did audible win a bidding war with a radio station?). For those in the uk thinking of buying, it's worth a listen, but expect it to appear on radio 4 extra for free at some point.
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1 person found this helpful
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A Symphony of Echoes
- The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 2
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,290
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,024
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,020
Dispatched to Victorian London to seek out Jack the Ripper, things go badly wrong when he finds the St Mary's historians first. Stalked through the fog-shrouded streets of Whitechapel, Max is soon running for her life. Again. And that's just the start. Max finds herself in a race against time when an old enemy is intent on destroying St Mary's. An enemy willing, if necessary, to destroy History itself.
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5 out of 5 stars
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More entertainment
- By Robyn on 09-11-16
- A Symphony of Echoes
- The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 2
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
Plotting a bit messy in places but still good fun
Reviewed: 25-02-15
You'll need to have heard the first one to get the drift but a good follow up. A little touch time setting up new story arcs makes parts of this feel muddled but the general story and characters are still great.
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1 person found this helpful
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The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
- By: Claire North
- Narrated by: Peter Kenny
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,524
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,268
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,270
Harry August is on his deathbed. Again. No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes. Until now. As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. 'I nearly missed you, Doctor August,' she says.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A good one!
- By Robyn on 27-06-16
- The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
- By: Claire North
- Narrated by: Peter Kenny
A great book well read - just listen and enjoy.
Reviewed: 11-02-15
This is a no risk download. A great story, well written and very well read.you won't regret it. In this life or the next...
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Annihilation
- Southern Reach, Book 1
- By: Jeff VanderMeer
- Narrated by: Carolyn McCormick
- Length: 6 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 871
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 789
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Story4 out of 5 stars 786
Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilisation. This is the twelfth expedition. Their group is made up of four women: An anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain and collect specimens; to record all their observations, scientific and otherwise, of their surroundings and of one another; and, above all, to avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.
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3 out of 5 stars
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An interesting story let down by the production
- By Andy on 19-09-14
- Annihilation
- Southern Reach, Book 1
- By: Jeff VanderMeer
- Narrated by: Carolyn McCormick
An interesting story let down by the production
Reviewed: 19-09-14
A creepy, other-world story that reminded me of a cross between Ian Banks (not the scifi) with a dash of Into the mountains of madness. But, oh god, the narration!
The dialogue was delivered well but , on the whole, this has either been badly edited or her read was done in a hurry. There are no gaps over 1 second between sentences. The text runs into itself. Sentences are left meaningless and there is no sense of pace. Tension is killed. With a little more breathing space the mistakes in the read could have been forgiven - McCormick can get the tone right. I just found myself shouting "PARAGRAPH" a lot.
It's a shame the production spoils an otherwise interesting story
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42 people found this helpful
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14
- By: Peter Clines
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,068
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,702
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,693
There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment. Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much. At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A good one!
- By Robyn on 23-11-16
- 14
- By: Peter Clines
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
A long run-up to an exciting ending
Reviewed: 14-04-14
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Disengage brain in terms of some of the plot and character ''maguffins' and let the story carry you. Depending on your taste in fantasy/scifi the plot twist (when it comes) may leave you cold. But I was already hooked. Think of it like that us tv series with the bonkers premise you're addicted to. Enjoy the ride.
What about Ray Porter’s performance did you like?
Great. Nice range of voices and pace. Adds a sparkto the dialogue and captures the humour and banter well.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
It wouldn't be a film. This has tv mini series written in to it. Right down to the chapter breaks that read like commercial breaks.
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Crux
- Nexus, Book 2
- By: Ramez Naam
- Narrated by: Mikael Naramore
- Length: 18 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 96
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 83
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 84
Six months have passed since the release of Nexus 5. The world is a different, more dangerous place. In the USA, the freedom fighters of the Post-Human Liberation Front use Nexus to turn men and women into human time bombs aimed at the President and his allies. The first blows in the war between human and post-human have been struck.
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3 out of 5 stars
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The second season of a TV Show that lost its way
- By Andy on 09-04-14
- Crux
- Nexus, Book 2
- By: Ramez Naam
- Narrated by: Mikael Naramore
The second season of a TV Show that lost its way
Reviewed: 09-04-14
Any additional comments?
I'd enjoyed Nexus enough to give in to the hanging ending and pick up Crux. Some of the pace and imagination had gone. I'm going out on a limb in terms of cultural references here but it felt like the second season of Heroes. The first book had genuinely interesting characters but this tends to fall back on shifting the action to some worn and predictable stereotypes.
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3 people found this helpful
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Wild Cards I
- Wild Cards, Book 1
- By: George R. R. Martin - editor
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 18 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 193
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 166
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Story4 out of 5 stars 166
In the aftermath of WWII, an alien virus struck the Earth, endowing a handful of survivors with extraordinary powers. Originally published in 1987, the newly expanded saga contains additional original stories by eminent writers.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Super Effort
- By Paul on 08-01-12
- Wild Cards I
- Wild Cards, Book 1
- By: George R. R. Martin - editor
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
A sum greater than its parts
Reviewed: 09-04-14
What made the experience of listening to Wild Cards I the most enjoyable?
The range of stories is great but some stray a little too close to fan fiction in terms of tone and ideas for my liking. That said, there is a consistent undertone to the stories that is testament to the steady editing hand of Martin. It's a shame that this series is overlooked in favour of a more current crop of 'normal super hero' trope books. Think Watchmen rather than xmen and you're on the right track.
What about Luke Daniels’s performance did you like?
Great. A lot of different styles to contend with but he pulls it all together
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The Scar
- New Crobuzon, Book 2
- By: China Mieville
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 21 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 389
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 320
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 318
A pirate city hauled across the oceans.... A hidden miracle about be revealed.... These are the ingredients of an astonishing story. It is the story of a prisoner's journey. Of the search for the island of a forgotten people, for the most astonishing beast in the seas, and ultimately for a fabled place - a massive wound in reality, a source of unthinkable power and danger.
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3 out of 5 stars
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not too bad
- By Amazon Customer on 13-04-13
- The Scar
- New Crobuzon, Book 2
- By: China Mieville
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
Compelling story, poor narration
Reviewed: 09-04-14
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
The story is great but Lynch seems to struggle to handle what sounds like a clumsy sight reading of the text.
What did you like best about this story?
As usual Mieville's work crackles with great ideas, weird landscapes and a rich, deep world building
How did the narrator detract from the book?
The contrast between the dialogue, which pops with personality, and the narrative which stumbles under a stilted delivery of two to three sentence chunks really grates after a while.
Did The Scar inspire you to do anything?
Sadly, it inspired me to stop listening
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7 people found this helpful