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Title: Forbidden Knowledge: The Gap into Vision

Subtitle: The Gap Cycle, Book 2

Author: Stephen R. Donaldson

Narrator: Scott Brick

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-16-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 287 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Author of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, one of the most acclaimed fantasy series of all time, master storyteller Stephen R. Donaldson retums with the second book in his long-awaited new science fiction series - a story about dark passions, perilous alliances, and dubious heroism set in a stunningly imagined future.

Beautiful, brilliant, and dangerous, Morn Hyland is an ex-police officer for the United Mining Companies - and the target of two ruthless, powerful men.

One is the charismatic ore-pirate Nick Succorso, who sees Morn as booty wrested from his vicious rival, Angus Thermopyle. Thermopyle once made the mistake of underestimating Morn and now he's about to pay the ultimate price.

Both men think they can possess her, but Morn is no one's trophy - and no one's pawn.

Meanwhile, within the borders of Forbidden Space, wait the Amnioin, an alien race capable of horrific atrocities.

The Amnion want something unspeakable from humanity - and they will go to unthinkable lengths to get it.

In Forbidden Knowledge, Stephen R. Donaldson spins a galaxywide web of intrigue, deception, and betrayal that tightens with inexorable strength around characters and readers alike.

Members Reviews:

Nonstop misery and stress is not entertainment

This book is well written, but brought me no value for my credit. The prose is very good, and well edited. However, readers need relaxation from the tension, and hope for the future. This book is just misery, and when it ended abruptly with little resolution I rejoiced, since I wouldn't have to listen to it any more. If you enjoy endless human cruelty, perhaps you would like this book, but I found little in it to recommend. Stephen Donaldson is a very competent author, but perhaps I'm not the right reader, because I have no interest in listening to another chapter of this malevolent torture.

Wow

So far this series has blown me away. So intense!!! I came across this accidentally and I'm glad I did.

Stephen Donaldson and Scott Brick fantastic

Brilliant story, Brilliant narrator science fiction at its best. Stephen really knows how to build a story and use every element to the max.

It's all victims and villains now

In the afterword of book 1, author Stephen R. Donaldson commented that he wrote the novella becausehe wanted to takethe classiccharacter triangle of hero, victim, and villain and havehischaracters switch roles as the story progressed. For book 2, he apparently decided that everyone should be a victim and a villain and to hell with being a hero. This book picks up right after the events of The Real Storyand continues to followall three lead characters: Morn Hyland, Nick Succorso, and Angus Thermopylae. Angus is in custody for a crime he didn't commit and undergoing torture at the hands of the UMCP. Morn has essentially gone from being a captive on Angus's ship to being a captive on Nick's ship but this time she possesses the control for her zone implant, which she must keep secret at all costs. And finally, Nick Succorso shows his true colors and begins to unveil hisevil plans for profiting from Morn's situation.

Angus is the scum of the universe and it is ironic that he a prisoner for a crime he didn't commit when he should be executed many times over for the ones that he did.

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Title: Crystal Dragon

Subtitle: Liaden Universe Books of Before, Book 2

Author: Sharon Lee, Steve Miller

Narrator: Kevin T. Collins

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-04-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 208 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

You can't go home again...

What do you do when home is a conspiracy that's been discovered and destroyed? When home is a planet in a star system that's gone missing? When home means working for the destroyers of galaxies? When home is a spaceship that's calling out to the enemy? Cantra 'yos Phelium isn't a quitter, but she has more than a little problem: the Enemy has accelerated its attacks and how do you fight an Enemy whose major form of attack is the de-crystallization of everything around itself? A smuggler with a rogue soldier for a co-pilot, and a tree with an attitude for crew, Cantra's the only one who can get close to the man who holds equations that might, that just might - thwart the Enemy. All she has to do is help a young pilot from a missing world, juggle a slippery promise she never quite made to a pair of wizards, and then forget who she is along with everything, and everyone, she's ever known.

Members Reviews:

Cantra (the Dragon) to the Fore

Crystal Dragon continues the story (begun in Crystal Soldier) of Cantra yos'Phelium (the Dragon) and M. Jela (the Soldier), and of the great migration that creates the Liaden Universe. If you haven't yet read Crystal Soldier, stop now and read it first.

In Crystal Dragon, Cantra must transform herself to go deep under cover and save the mathematical equations of Scholar Liad dea'Syl. With these equations, and the luck, some may survive and escape the decrystallization of the universe by the sheriekas. That she succeeds, and that it leads to the founding of Clan Korval, is at no time certain while reading the book.

This is the second book in the Books of Before sequence on Audible. These three books are very much a prequel to the mainline Liaden Universe books in the Agent of Change sequence. The narrating of the Before books by Kevin T. Collins is superb. Each character has a distinctive voice, but the distinction is subtle and doesn't interfere with the narrative. The Liaden Books of Before are my first encounter with Mr. Collins' narration, but I certainly hope not my last.

A good story but skewed by the presentation

Where does Crystal Dragon rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

This book is in the middle of the pack. I like the story but the performance badly damaged it for me.

What did you like best about this story?

This story concludes the founding of the Liaden universe and explains how a reasonable subsection of humanity came to a place far from their origins. Mostly the story is pretty well told, but sometimes the flaws in characters are beyond belief. A person who is a general expert on just about everything who can handle complex mathematics and espionage who is also bonded to a sentient alien that defended a planet doesn't seem like the sort of person who would dismiss its communications as an irritant. Hard to believe the people who associated with the alien never bothered to talk to it. Is it cargo or something? Are they supposed to be that stupid? Now I understand why people write fan-fic.

What didnt you like about Kevin T. Collinss performance?

How a story is perceived and the opinion you form of the characters is hugely influenced by the voice that you give to each person. A character can be benign, or angry, or calm, or casual all while saying the same thing.

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Title: Mouse & Dragon

Subtitle: Liaden Universe Space Regencies, Book 3

Author: Sharon Lee, Steve Miller

Narrator: Bernadette Dunne

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-04-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 169 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Aelliana Caylon has escaped her abusive family. She's found love in her starship co-pilot - a man who turns out to be the leader of Korval, the most powerful clan of the Liaden Universe. But destiny never intended an easy life for Aelliana. Insidious forces within the empire are determined that a new line of Korval heirs be destroyed and that Clan Korval itself be blasted to interplanetary dust. The fight for the future of the Liaden Universe is on, and one heroine is determined to protect her family and her soul mate at all costs!

Members Reviews:

Continues the story of Daav and Aelliana

Mouse and Dragon is an immediate sequel to the events in Scout's Progress, and continues the story of Aelliana Caylon and Daav yos'Phelium. It is, in some ways, a bit easier to read than Scout's Progress, though we're still very much aware of the abuse that has occurred. If you haven't read Scout's Progress, you can still enjoy Mouse and Dragon, but they really are a pair and I recommend reading them that way.

In Mouse and Dragon, we have the ongoing growth of the relationship of Aelliana and Daav, and their eventual lifemating. More than that would be a spoiler, but we get a glimpse into the very beginning of what will be the Fledgeling (Theo Waitley) sequence.

The reader is Bernadette Dunne, and she does a superb job. Thank you, Ms. Dunne, for giving some of my favourite characters a voice.

Sequal of Scout's Progress

This was such an emotional story, very strong and powerful not only for the main protagonists but also the side characters. The authors really don't let anything become weak or incidental, but never obvious. I have to confess at one point I had tears running down my face, it definitely has its tear jerker moment and one knew it was coming from the direction from previous books. It was well written and compelling and somehow, in spite of how it had to end, the authors left us with hope and continuation. Well narrated, and overall story enjoyable and hard to put down. Long live Korval!

Another fun Liaden adventure

Aelliana Caylon has survived her brother's attempt to kill her. Her mother, Delm Mizel, has declared her son and heir dead for his crimes. Daav yos'Phelium, Delm Korval, has taken her under his protection, now that she is able to say she does not feel safe in House Miz, el. And she and Daav are natural lifemates.

But Mizel views her simply as an asset, all the more valuable now that the heir is officially dead, and also resents her for having been the occasion of the events that caused his death. The Delm is determined to get her back and wring every bit of value out of her. Her brother's abuse of her has damaged her natural bond with Daav. And getting Ride the Luck offworld and starting a working, successful courier service is going to be even harder than she anticipated.

Nothing is made better by the fact that Daav's sister Kareen considers Daav's judgment worthless and Aelliana unfit to be associated with Clan Korval in any way. She's determined to make Aelliana publicly and spectacularly embarrass herself and Daav.

As they are both pressured by their clans, Mr. dea'Gauss works hard to negotiate a solution between Korval and Mizel, while Mizel works to achieve only one thing: getting Aelliana back under their thumb.

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Title: Defender

Subtitle: Foreigner Sequence 2, Book 2

Author: C. J. Cherryh

Narrator: Daniel Thomas May

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-07-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 446 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The three-time Hugo Award-winning author continues her second trilogy in the "superior alien-contact series." (Kirkus Reviews) National best-selling author and winner of three Hugo Awards, C.J. Cherryh presents book two of her second Foreigner trilogy - the epic story of a single human delegate on a hostile alien planet. In this long-awaited sequel to Precursor, the alien atevi enter the treacherous politics of space travel-as their one human negotiator is caught in the throes of a mutiny.

Members Reviews:

This author has an awesome imagination

STORY (sci-fi) - Wow, this series has hit its full stride! It's long (15 books), and Defender is Book 5. The first three books were good, but there was lots of background to assimilate, character development, even some special language to learn. But it's time well spent, because the last two books -- wow! I'm definitely in for all 15!

If you look at the cover art, you will get an idea of the story. Bren Cameron is a human negotiator/translator who lives with a larger, black-skinned alien race "atevi" on their home planet. There is a human colony on the planet as well. As you might imagine, there are all kinds of differences and difficulties with their cohabitation, just like we have here on earth. Things are further complicated by the fact that the humans have detected another possibly evil alien race on a remote space station and fear it may have plans to attack them. The human/atevi alliance is strained to come to agreements regarding their own space station, ship construction, space travel and how to potentially deal with the aliens should there be contact. Bren is in the middle of a myriad of difficult decisions and must navigate all kinds of deception, ulterior motives, etc. It's absolutely fascinating, but if you're looking for lots of neat gadgets, weird creatures and action scenes, this is not the book for you. This is more about thinking and problem-solving, because that is what Bren's job is all about.

PERFORMANCE - Great job, great character differentiation. Can't imagine anyone doing it any better.

OVERALL - You must listen to this series in order, as each book picks up where the previous one stops. That said, each book ends at a good stopping point should you decide to "exit" the series at any time. I don't recall any violence and only heard "damn" a handful of times. There's one extremely minor sexual reference in the story. Very highly recommended for anyone who enjoys sci-fi and dissecting difficult situations.

As good as ever!

What made the experience of listening to Defender the most enjoyable?

The story keeps building up. Ilisidi dowager aji and Bren make a good team. They understand each other and work along very well. Bren's team of security guards/body guards headed by Banichi is really good. .

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bren Cameron

Which character as performed by Daniel Thomas May was your favorite?

All.

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Title: Veiled Alliances

Subtitle: A Prequel Novella to the Saga of Seven Suns

Author: Kevin J. Anderson

Narrator: David Colacci

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-10-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 279 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

This prequel novella to Kevin J. Andersons international best-selling space opera Saga of Seven Suns is based on his 2004 graphic novel Veiled Alliances from Wildstorm/ DC Comics.

This audiobook shows the origin of the green priests on Theroc, the first Roamer skymining operations on a gas-giant planet, the discovery of the Klikiss robots entombed in an abandoned alien city, the initial Ildiran expedition to Earth, the rescue of the generation ship Burton and the tragedy that leads to sinister breeding experiments. Veiled Alliances is an excellent starting point for readers new to the Saga, as well as an unforgettable adventure for fans of the series.

Members Reviews:

Start with Book One

This series is probably the most original writing that Anderson has ever done. He has made a living expanding on other peoples work. I am not saying that is good or bad. I especially like his Captain Nemo book and the first prequel of Dune. Even in this book he seems to borrow form Asimov (Nightfall), Bester (Demolished Man), Niven (Man-Kzin Wars), Card and F. Herbert. I have read all but one of the books in this series and I like all of them and hope to read the last book soon, and move on to the sequel series he is just coming out with. This prequel will mean more to you after you have read at least the first book in the series. He sets the series up well enough, that this book is not needed. It is more enjoyable for those already familiar with the series.

Anderson does not over complicate his books with lots of techno talk. You can just enjoy the story. Although do not expect lots of character development. Most of his characters are black and white and they don't seem that important to the story.

This series has green priests, fire beings, water beings, telepathic beings, gas giant beings, you name it, you will find it here and it will all be easy to understand. There is some politics, genetics, robots, insect type beings, etc...

Countdown to the Seven Suns

I first read Kevin Anderson in the Dune books he wrote with Frank Herbert's son Brian. Even though none of the add-on Dune books had quite the mystique and intrigue of Frank Herbert's original writing, I really thought that Brian and Kevin wrote more realistic characters and better dialog than the original Dune books so I read a little more by Kevin Anderson and found this seemed to be standard for him. Anderson isn't the top in scientific creativity, fabulous prose, or the tightest plot lines, but he is one of the few sci-fi authors to give me characters I really love, love to hate, wish I could meet, or wish I could be. So, I was really excited when Hidden Empire: The Saga of Seven Suns, Book 1 was released. I bought the book immediately and then...Never Read It. I was in a super stressed period of my life and could not get past the first few pages - too tired to concentrate. Now that my life is semi-sane and I've become an audio-phile, I started to pick up Hidden Empire on audio, but saw this prequel and thought this might be a better start (and Nurlip's reviewe confirmed - thank you, Nurlip). I was right - this is a great place to start The Saga. This novella is a series of vignettes designed to give you some near history prior to the opening of Hidden Empire.

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Title: Mortal

Subtitle: The Books of Mortals, Book 2

Author: Ted Dekker, Tosca Lee

Narrator: Henry Leyva

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-05-12

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 286 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Centuries have passed since civilization's brush with apocalypse. The world's greatest threats have all been silenced. There is no anger, no hatred, no war. There is only perfect peace...and fear. A terrible secret was closely guarded for centuries: every single soul walking the earth, though in appearance totally normal, is actually dead, long ago genetically stripped of true humanity.

Nine years have gone by since an unlikely hero named Rom Sebastian first discovered a secret and consumed an ancient potion of blood to bring himself back to life in Forbidden. Surviving against impossible odds, Rom has gathered a secret faction of followers who have also taken the blood - the first Mortals in a world that is dead.

On the heels of Forbidden comes Mortal, the second novel in The Books of Mortals saga penned by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee. Set in a terrifying, medieval future, where grim pageantry masks death, this tale of dark desires and staggering stakes peels back the layers of the heart for all who dare take the journey.

The Books of Mortals are three novels, each of which stands on its own, yet all are seamlessly woven into one epic thriller.

Members Reviews:

Another Solid Hit for Dekker & Lee

Obviously, this is a continuation in the BoM series. If you liked the first one, you'll like this one. Ted sticks with his tried-and-true blood/life-corpse/death formula (goes back to his original trilogy) and it still works for me. On the critical side, I felt the writing was just a bit sloppy in places (although they were little things I would have expected an editor to pick up on, rather than the author). And I find Henry Leyva a bit of a disappointment as a narrator. He's both overly-precise and a bit mushy, if that's possible. And there were a number of noticeable mispronunciations (for example, the word "inauguration" is used extensively in both books and he just never gets it right). I prefer my narrators to either be a big plus (George Guidall, Will Patton or in the case of someone who has done several of Ted's other books...Tim Gregory), but I find Leyva to be a bit of a distraction. Still, enjoyed it tremendously, and will certainly be listening to the third in the series when it's available.

Thought provoking book

An abstract book that is a great though-provoking book. Easy book to get lost in. The previous book in the series is not necessary, but I would recommend "reading" that before "reading" this one.

Enjoy!

Really belongs in the fantasy section

Mortal picks up 9 years after Forbidden ended. Jonathan has now reached the age to claim his title as Sovereign. With only a few more days to wait, all the best laid plans crumble. Saric has been busy and manages to find the cyroperserved Feyn. Saric then uses his blood to transfuse Feyn, restore her to the living, and her assuming the role of Sovereign. Jonathan meanwhile has spent his last 9 years serving as a blood donor to hundreds of nomads. At the same time, Saric has been doing the same and creating his own special army with global dominance hanging in the balance.

Any science fiction elements have gone by the wayside with this sequel. There is the constant juxtaposition of technology capable of cyroperservation with a Medieval aspect to living conditions. 500 hundred years in the future means never having to type and match blood either.

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Title: Enter, Night

Author: Michael Rowe

Narrator: Kevin Stillwell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-10-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 74 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Welcome to Parrs Landing, population 1,528...and shrinking.

The year is 1972. Widowed Christina Parr, her daughter Morgan, and her brother-in-law Jeremy have returned to the remote northern Ontario mining town of Parrs Landing, the place from which Christina fled before Morgan was born, seeking refuge. Dr. Billy Lightning has also returned in search of answers to the mystery of his fathers brutal murder. All will find some part of what they seek - and more.

Built on the site of a decimated 17th-century Jesuit mission to the Ojibwa, Parrs Landing is a town with secrets of its own buried in the caves around Bradley Lake. A 300-year-old horror slumbers there, calling out to the insane and the murderous for centuries, begging for release - an invitation that has finally been answered.

One man is following that voice, cutting a swath of violence across the country, bent on a terrible resurrection of the ancient evil, plunging the town and all its people into an endless night.

Members Reviews:

I enjoyed it

This was a good listen for the most part. Good characters though their motivations and drivers may feel odd to some because of the differences between the early 70's and today. Vicious vampires. My favorite. I enjoyed it.

The book goes off into another direction in the last few chapters of it, to explain the origins of the vampires. It threw me a little.

Good read, even though it's a bit disjointed

So, the concept is really good, and Rowe's writing is good. However, some aspects were rough. He has a throw away story in the beginning of the book that really doesn't make any sense why it would be in there; his back stories on the characters are MADDENINGLY drawn out, so much so that it takes a away a bit from the main story; and the coolest part of the story (the last few chapters ) would have been much better served in the beginning of the story. However the old adage is true, those who can, write and those who can't....write Audible reviews. That being said he did a good job on this; the Narrator (Kevin Stillwell) did a really great job!! Great tone and speed

My first from Mr. Rowe, but not my last.

Something has awakened in the small town of Parrs Landing. And its hungry.

This one really had 70s early 80s horror vibe to it. I liked the eccentric cast of characters and the pacing was spot on. Interestingly, the ending was a flashback to the beginning and had a much different feel to it as if they were 2 separate stories. Should have been distracting, but somehow managed to stay cohesive.

Kevin Stillwell nailed the narration for this one. Dude was spot on with his cadence and pacing. Very well done.

My first from Mr. Rowe, but not my last.

strong start

I really loved the first half of this book but was truly dissapointed with the second half and way it ended. I would have loved to hear more about christina and Morgan and what happened to them!!

Scared me worse than Salem's Lot

This was a really terrifying Vampire novel. I mean what could be scarier than a 12 year old boy's black vampiric lab (dog) going to play "fetch" with him before dawn. As they climbed higher and higher into the dark mountains that the dog was bitten in my heart was in my throat! If you love to be scared, watch this!!!

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Title: The Road of Danger

Subtitle: RCN Series, Book 9

Author: David Drake

Narrator: Victor Bevine

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-03-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 211 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Captain Daniel Leary with his friendand spyOfficer Adele Mundy are sent to a quiet sector to carry out an easy task: helping the local admiral put down a coup before it takes place. But then the jealous admiral gets rid of them by sending them off on a wild goose chase to a sector where commerce is king and business is carried out by extortion and gunfights. With anarchy and rebellion in the air, a rogue intelligence officer plots the war that will destroy civilization and enlists the help of a brute whom even torturers couldn't stomach. And, of course, its up to Leary and Mundy to put a stop to the madness.

Members Reviews:

Another great book

First let me say this is another very enjoyable book in the RCN series but if you are looking to check the series out you'd be better off with an earlier book.

If you have enjoyed the series to this point you will enjoy this book as well. Nothing new gets added in here which might usually cause me to lower the story rating but I just found it too enjoyable.

As has been the case for most of the series Leary gets sent to another world with a simple mission which then leads into another more twisted and complex mission etc. For me I read this book at the right time so really liked it but the plot needs to start moving along. While we got a bit more of the politics in the universe it is too much more of the same.

Victor Bevine does a great job as always. At this point I could not imagine these books being read by anyone else.

So while I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed the series so far, it really is just more of the same.

great book great reader

Drake's RCN series is a favorite of mine, and Mr. Bevine does an excellent job with the pacing and characters, relying on voice characteristics to identify players rather than attempting a terrible falsetto.

An excellent read, and an excellent listen.

RCN forever!

Just the latest in the adventures of Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy. He is always cheerful and optimistic, and she is....well...a good friend to Daniel. Today she would be called a high-functioning autistic. I am always amazed at how they can turn around what seems to be an impossible situation. If you like military sci-fi with a fun, fast moving story, you will love this series!

Audio Frontiers bombs again.

Another fine book by David Drake brought down to insignificance by the colorless, flat delivery of Victor Bevine. I had thought that I might have become immune to the mind numbing performances of Mr. Bevine by book 9 in the series, but it just isn't in the cards.

The story is, however, first class. If at all possible, read the book first. Then, if you absolutely must, listen to the audio version.

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Title: Anvil of Stars

Subtitle: A Sequel to The Forge of God

Author: Greg Bear

Narrator: Stephen Bel Davies

Format: Unabridged

Length: 20 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-27-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 179 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The Forge of God described the destruction of Earth itself by self-replicating robots, Von Neumann machines designed to use the planet's mass to create more robotic creatures and spread throughout the Galaxy. Only a few humans have survived, aided by a mysterious alien race known only as The Benefactors, who arrived at Earth too late.

Now the small group of human survivors is determined to track down the criminal race who launched the planet killers. Humanity is given a starship by The Benefactors, and driven only by revenge they set out to find the unknown beings who are responsible for the destruction of Earth, and many other worlds.

Members Reviews:

Great story

Where does Anvil of Stars rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

This book has some interesting ideas about technology and how advanced alien races would defend themselves. It ranks amongst the top ten SciFi books I've read so far.

What did you like best about this story?

The action parts where stuff is happening and techno babble is on rapid-fire.

The best sci-fi book i've ever read!

Truly this is an underrated masterpiece- and I don't use that term lightly or often.

Two aspects of the novel keep me returning to it in both audiobook and print form: the insights into the realistic applications of warfare between civilizations and the murky morality in revenge over the span of lightyears and centuries.

Starts off ssssllllloooowwww.

The Forge of God was a page-turner. It's hard to believe Anvil of Stars is by the same author. The first six hours of the book is agonizing. It is virtually all angst and neurosis of the main character, Martin. What do his lovers mean to him? How is his affair with the boy different from his affair with the girl? What does it mean to be a leader of young adults on a mission to avenge mankind? In terms of plot, very, very little happens in the first six hours. I could literally say it in a sentence, so I will: In the fifth year of their mission, the children think they have discovered the killers of mankind, and launch the attack. You might think I'm leaving out a ton of plot turns and twists, but I'm not. You could say I've left out a training exercise (boring) and apparitions seen by a few of the crew (even more boring). And of course the ship divides as planned, but that's it. I'm not going to bother with the last two installments. In fact, I've already read the Wiki summary. The narrator is good, and even though I found his "voice" for at least one of the characters irritating (an uptalker? you know, when everything they say rises in inflection like a question?), I would have to say his narration kept the otherwise moribund story on life-support. Sadly, when nothing of consequence had occurred by the end of the first six hours, my interest expired, and the plug had to be pulled.

Extraordinary

Best novel Bear has ever penned, possibly the best scifi I've ever read. Brilliant. Breathtaking.

Didn't like

over all, easy to listen to. I did not like it. It should have went another direction. too much irresponsible behavior. The use of children in this adventure was not the way too go.

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Title: Ganymede

Subtitle: Clockwork Century, Book 4

Author: Cherie Priest

Narrator: Edoardo Ballerini

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-04-11

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 165 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The air pirate Andan Cly is going straight. Well, straighter. Although hes happy to run alcohol guns wherever the moneys good, he doesnt think the world needs more sap, or its increasingly ugly side-effects. But becoming legit is easier said than done, and Clys first legal gig - a supply run for the Seattle Underground - will be paid for by sap money.

New Orleans is not Clys first pick for a shopping run. He loved the Big Easy once, back when he also loved a beautiful mixed-race prostitute named Josephine Early - but that was a decade ago, and he hasnt looked back since. Jos still thinking about him, though, or so he learns when he gets a telegram about a peculiar piloting job. Its a chance to complete two lucrative jobs at once, one he cant refuse. He sends his old paramour a note and heads for New Orleans, with no idea of what hes in for - or what she wants him to fly.

But he wont be flying. Not exactly. Hidden at the bottom of Lake Pontchartrain lurks an astonishing war machine, an immense submersible called the Ganymede. This prototype could end the war, if only anyone had the faintest idea of how to operate it.

If only they could sneak it past the Southern forces at the mouth of the Mississippi River. If only it hadnt killed most of the men whod ever set foot inside it. But its those if onlys that will decide whether Cly and his crew will end up in the history books, or at the bottom of the ocean.

Members Reviews:

Too many inconsistencies and missed Kate Reading.

The Clockwork Century series had really had me as a serious follower. Boneshaker was the first "Steampunk" book and actually the first audiobook that I ever listened to. It was this book that really got me into listening to audiobooks, I'm always trying to find one better and there have been a few, but in different genres, none in Steampunk. The following two were decent as well. Unfortunately, Ganymede disappointed me too many times in just the first two chapters and I was unable to get over this.

The first disappointment was the reader. It seems as though Eduardo Ballerini didn't pre read this book or even read the previous books. There were many times throughout the whole book where character voices lead into narration, this was tough to discern what was going on. I had to basically just forget the female voices, which wasn't hard since they all sounded the same anyway, and listen for myself to find the narration. Pre reading the book would have helped this. If Eduardo had read the previous books, or even better, listen to them. He would have found that princess Angeline did not sound like a princess, due to a throat injury, that Lucy was a gruff and tough older woman, not a bartender that is trying to get sweet on all her customers, and that Jeremiah Swackhammer was not an old elderly guy, just because he has a daughter in her twenties. Even though the story is no where near as great, I believe I would love this audiobook still if it was reread by Kate Reading. I didn't appreciate her during the readings, but her characters were top notch and can't be beat.

Second disappoint was the inconsistencies in the story. I have only gotten through half the story at this point but it is enough to piss you off that the writer, of all people, didn't even keep care to keep points consistent. Cly met Mercy at the end of Dreadnought...