Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Earth Shine

Author: Sharon Ahern, Jerry Ahern, Bob Anderson

Narrator: Scott "Scooter" Fortney

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-05-17

Publisher: Speaking Volumes

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

The Rourke saga continues now with Michael Rourke striving to lead America back from the precipice of a liberal agenda toward the formation of a responsible government, accountable to the people. However, he has been painted as a psychological maniac killer and his wife, Natalia, is viewed as an unsuitable First Lady because of her past as a KGB operative.

An alien force, The Coalition, is trying to destroy the planet and yet still another alien group is staged, waiting for their chance to take control of Earth's human population. Traitors within the human race have aligned with both sides, and the Rourke family is once again thrust into the breach.

It seems that no matter how far into the future you travel, some things never change, there are just new faces being worn by evil. John Thomas Rourke knows, "It always pays to plan ahead". If he fails, Earth's population has only two futures-extinction or slavery. Which will it be?

Members Reviews:

Book good. Music between chapters has to go

Very good book. Theres no reason to have 10 seconds of annoying music between every chapter. Especially when I tell you what chapter

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Adrift on the Sea of Rains

Subtitle: Apollo Quartet, Book 1

Author: Ian Sales

Narrator: Jeffrey Schmidt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-10-17

Publisher: Novel Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

When nuclear war breaks out and the nations of the Earth are destroyed, a group of US astronauts are marooned on the lunar surface. Using the "torsion field generator", a WWII Nazi Wunderwaffe previously known as the Bell, they hope to find an alternate Earth that did not suffer nuclear armageddon. But once they do discover one, how will they return home? They have a single Lunar Module, which can carry only four astronauts into lunar orbit.

Members Reviews:

Stick to visual choices for this one

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This is a science-fiction/alternate-history/fantasy mash-up with a largish side of infodump.

The story is post-nuclear-armageddon told from the perspective of Colonel Vance Peterson, USAF (United States Air Force), who is a complete tool. The story revolves around Peterson and we switch between "now" and flashbacks that explain how things came to be. It's hard to say more without getting into spoiler territory.

I didn't like Peterson, you're not meant to, but I don't see how he could ever have possibly gotten into the positions he was put in based on his behaviour. Because of this, large chunks of the narrative just don't gel and the final twist continues that trend most admirably. This is part one of a four part series and I was ever so vaguely curious as to what might happen next, but when I read the synopsis of "The Eye With Which The Universe Beholds Itself" it obviously was related in theme (the Apollo program) but there's not connection between the stories themselves.

I listened to the audio version of the book and I think that was a mistake. The infodump is the main problem with the audio version of this story. I understand that approximately a quarter of the text-based book is made up of glossary and timeline. The audio version attempts to work around this by including the expanded version of each acronym the first time it appears. Seems reasonable until you discover that every fifth word is an acronym. OK, that's an exaggeration, but not that much of one, the first paragraph alone chalks up USAF, PLSS and A7LB; OK, that last one's not an acronym, but it still gets an explanation. I was constantly jarred out of the story to process and memorise the expansion of the current acronym.

In conclusion: The story wasn't terrible, but I didn't love it. It was a little like an old Twilight Zone episode (most of which I feel the same way about, semi-plausible with a really annoying end). I would definitely NOT recommend the audio version of this if you want to read it, there's no problem with the narrator, it's just not something made for listening to - stick with eyeballs for this one.

Interesting Concept

The idea is interesting and the narration is great, but I wasn't satisfied with the execution of the concept. I felt no connection with the characters, but hopefully that changes with the other books. More details about the earth event, characters, & the evolutions would have been nice to hook me in more. The worst thing, which may be better in print format, was the seemingly endless list of acronyms. It was irritating where it felt like every other sentence had a new acronym.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Awakened

Subtitle: The Mind Agents Series, Book 1

Author: Igor Max

Narrator: Roderick Schulz

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-07-17

Publisher: Igor Max

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

A psychic superhero is born....

Life is hard for "bad boy" Jack Ellis. He's just minding his own business one day when government agents start chasing him. Soon a deadly terrorist also has him in his sights.

Why are they after him? Because they know something he doesn't - Jack has a paranormal gift that could make him an incredibly powerful teen superhero...or get him killed.

Join Jack as he discovers his awesome new psychic ability, enrolling in a top-secret government program with other psychic kids (including a teen girl with a uniquely romantic telepathic gift). Jack and his new friends must race against the clock and break every rule to develop their hidden paranormal powers in time to stop an out-of-control psychic terrorist bent on destroying the world!

Members Reviews:

A Kind of Fantastic 4 With Their Backs to the Wall and Pushing Their Limits

Awakened is a book I carry mixed emotions about. It has the potential to be a highly suspenseful thriller as the blurb on the front of the book would indicate. Yes, it is true it is a coming-of-age as a sometimes intense push at YA; so you have that cord of thought running through it. Psychic? - in spades surrounded by spades surrounded by spades. At times it comes off as the X-Men challenging a beefed up Magneto. Recalling the X-Men adventures, the government was not extremely helpful in their attempts to stop the baddies; so that is here as well. Thriller-wise, that part took a long time to come. When it does and the hidden agenda by the bad guy here Kasym goes into play, the beat of the drums here is frenetic, pulse pounding, and a push to the very end. Unfortunately (and I would wish otherwise), the two threads of the dangerous Kasym and our four youths took a while to weave together.

You might need some background and here goes. A dangerous man Kasym has a mission suited to his mental talents and the focus is in the political realm. Meanwhile, the gov't has been monitoring school students with special tests. The more talented ones (Jack, Chris, Maya & Sabine) have yet to face their own awakening of their special abilities. You don't tell nabbed kids diddley squat and leaving it up to them to discover them, thereby bonding them. The gov't comes off just as convoluted as ever. Now, when you leave it up to them, push them to the limit, the ending is downright explosive with backs to the wall.

So why 4 Stars? This deals with an aloof sense in the writing where the writer is setting things up. Aloof as in little character empathy where the characters are placed in the plot, do their stuff, say their say, like little mechanized figures in a complex clock appearing where they are appointed by the writer. Character empathy for me is extreme important because you are likely to lose the reader before you get to the really good stuff, such as the non-stop ending with psychic muscles straining and backs to the wall. The book was almost set aside for that very reason. The X-Men analogy would not be too far afield as a comparison with them in their beginning stages. Not a bad book and potentially really good, Can't say it much better than that.

A thrilling YA debut

I'm glad Igor Max's debut novel "Awakened" crossed my path.

The story's about a group of four young people who are brought to a government facility.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Rise

Author: Brian Guthrie

Narrator: James Patrick Cronin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-07-17

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 8 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

On a world brought to the brink of destruction, life now clings to the shattered remains of the planet's crust. These fragments are the Shells: fragile wastelands of desert and rock, protected from the cold of space by a water shield. In the struggle for survival, its people have depended on ancient technology, controlled by the omnipresent Network, to sustain the entire population. But the Network is breaking down, water is sparse, and a complete societal collapse is imminent. As the stakes become clear, the inhabitants of the Shells begin to turn on each other, and appear headed for all-out global war. Now the paths of several strangers will converge at the opportune moment. From a woman who seeks to protect her family as it's ripped apart to a prison warden hiding from his past, this unlikely group has little in common - but together, they may hold the key to saving humanity from its worst enemy: itself.

Members Reviews:

very unique story!

I haven't read a lot of science fiction books so I don't have a lot to compare this to, but I enjoyed listening to Rise very much. The world as we know it is completely blown apart... such an interesting concept and like nothing I've ever read. It makes the whole setting strange yet oddly familiar. The characters were authentic and relatable. I'm glad I stepped outside my normal genres and listened to this. The narrator did a good job with the different characters. I'm looking forward to the next book to find out what happens next!

Excellent FIRST Book - Amazing story

This is just the first book, the second is called Fall. It has not been published yet.

The story telling is amazing a scribe is gathering the viewpoints of two individuals and trying to tell a narrative of events that will save society. The end of the story is a cliffhanger for the second book. The included appendix of the first interview with Quentin shows how crazy he really is.

Please support this author, this is Brian Guthrie's first book, to bring out more amazing books that continue this story. You will enjoy the ride.

Rise Up and Enjoy!

Really different fantasy/sci fi. I never knew what to expect next. Can't wait for the next book!

Made it a marathon listen!

this was so good. I couldn't stop listening. I found myself trying to predict every step of the way yet I was kept on my toes and still have no idea what's to come. I can't wait for chapter 2!

Hören Sie sich dieses volle Hörbuch kostenlos bei https://hotaudiobook.com

Titel: Auf verlorenem Posten (Honor Harrington 1)

Autor:: David Weber

Erzähler: Nicole Engeln

Format: Unabridged

Spieldauer: 16 hrs and 8 mins

Sprache: Deutsch

Veröffentlichungsdatum: 01-06-17

Herausgeber: Lübbe Audio

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

Zusammenfassung des Herausgebers:

Die erfolgreiche Military-Science-Fiction-Serie von Bestseller-Autor David Weber erstmals als Hörbuch!

Honor Harrington hat einen Fehler begangen: Sie hat sich ihren Vorgesetzten zum Feind gemacht. In Unehren wurde sie daraufhin auf den kleinen Außenposten Basilisk versetzt. Ihre demoralisierte Mannschaft macht sie für diese Degradierung verantwortlich. Das Parlament weiß nicht, ob es den Sternensektor überhaupt behalten will; die ortsansässigen Händler sind Schmuggler und fordern Honors Kopf; ein benachbartes Sternenreich schmiedet dunkle Ränke - und Honor steht nur ein altersschwacher Raumkreuzer zur Verfügung. Doch ihre Gegner haben einen schrecklichen Fehler begangen: Sie haben Honor wütend gemacht...

Wenn C. S. Forester, der Autor der Horatio-Hornblower-Romane, Science Fiction geschrieben hätte: Dies hier wäre das Resultat.

©2016 Bastei Lübbe. Übersetzung von Dietmar Schmidt (P)2016 Lübbe Audio

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Somniscient

Author: Richard Levesque

Narrator: Steven Jay Cohen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-30-16

Publisher: Richard Levesque

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 22 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

When reformed dream hacker Nix Nighthawk's sleep chip malfunctions, he is forced to seek help from a world he is trying to avoid - his old friends in the pirate dream network. But that world has changed, and Nix soon finds himself at the center of a complex plot to overthrow the vast corporation that controls every aspect of society. Betrayed by his lover, his friends, and even the technology that defines him, he has to choose: go back to living his safe and controlled existence, or be the hero and join forces with the revolutionary known only as The Somniscient.

Members Reviews:

Get this Book!!!!

SI-FI at its best. I loved this book. The dystopian setting coupled with-tech gone amok was just the ticket to keep me glued to my ear phones. Steven Jay Cohen's narration was spot on clearly delineating the characters both male and female in a novel way. This book caught me from the very beginning, no warm up, just full speed excitement to the satisfying conclusion. I want more of this story line and I will definitely be looking for Steven Jay Cohen's work. In all honesty, I have not been this satisfied with an introduction with an author's work since I discovered Robert Silverberg. Thank you Richard Levesque.I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher but will gladly pay for more work of this caliber.

The Somniscient

Any additional comments?

Great and fantastic book! The story is just great. The writing is very good with the far-out concepts being presented in a very clear way.

My God this was good

Once in a while a book comes along that truly resonates with me. The Somniscient is one of those books. The writing style, the brilliance of the narrator, the subversive horror that is a pretext to the entire narrative, combines to create an amazing listen.

The story is divided into multiple books, with each book advancing the timeline a few years. It starts describing how the book's main protagonist Nix Nighthawk is struggling to make ends meet in his job as a coder. In this version of the future, currency is in the form of Z's, or minutes of sleep. If you make enough Z's, you can sleep, or if you have an abundance of Z's you can purchase luxuries, but for the average working, making enough Zs to even sleep is a challenge.

To me, this is a terrifying vision, and hooked me into the story immediately. Things go from bad to worse for Nix, and the entire book is one tragedy after another. I don't think I've ever had as much empathy for a character as I did Nix.

Steven Jay Cohen is an amazing narrator and is legend among the narrator community. At the beginning of the story, since Nix was so sleep deprived, Steven's voice mimicked that condition, using a shaky, weak voice that truly added another level to the experience.

Highly recommended!

This audio book was gifted to me by the author in exchange for a unbiased review.

Great

This narrator has such a calming voice! I found this audio book to be very easy to list to and really enjoyed it. The story is original and well thought out. I look forward to more.

Somniscient

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

The detail of the author (Richard Levesque) coupled with the extraordinary talent of Steven J Cohen's narration brings to life every emotion.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Alexander Agrenev IV [Russian Edition]

Author: Alexey Kulakov

Narrator: Oleg Volya

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-27-16

Publisher: IDDK

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

Publisher's Summary:

"Magnat" - fantasticheskij istoricheskij roman Alekseja Kulakova, kniga chetvertaja, vhodit v cikl "Aleksandr Agrenev". Malo dostignut' vershiny, nuzhno eshhe i uderzhat'sja na nej - chtoby bylo, kuda shagat' dal'she. Knjaz' Agrenev stal svoim sredi jelity Rossijskoj imperii, dveri luchshih domov otkryty pered nim, priznanie i uspeh... No hvatit li jetogo? Pokorjatsja li emu novye gorizonty, pojdet li on vpered - ili opora pod ego nogami okazhetsja neustojchivoj i obernetsja lavinoj neudach? Vremja pokazhet.

Please note: This audiobook is in Russian.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Year's Top Short SF Novels 6

Author: Aliette de Bodard, Eugene Fischer, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Carter Scholz, Bao Shu

Narrator: Tom Dheere, Nancy Linari

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-19-16

Publisher: AudioText

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Short novels are movie-length narratives that may well be the perfect length for science fiction stories. This audio collection presents the best-of-the-best short science fiction novels published in 2015 by current and emerging masters of this vibrant form of storytelling.

In The Citadel of Weeping Pearls, by Aliette de Bodard, set in the author's Dai Viet interstellar empire, an Empress orders her scientific Grand Master to search deepest space and track down the missing Citadel along with its technologies, to help defend against enemies amassing on her borders. In The New Mother, by Eugene Fischer, a freelance journalist pursues the career-making opportunity to write a feature article for a major publication following a contagion that turns human ova diploid, capable of parthenogenesis - reproduction without the need for sperm. In Inhuman Garbage, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, set in the author's popular Retrieval Artist series, a detective investigates the murder of a body found in a recycling/composting waste disposal crate in a dome on the moon. In Gypsy, by Carter Scholz, a meticulously rendered slower-than-light starship flees a totalitarian Earth on a mission whose outcome is not a clear-cut success or failure. Finally, in What Has Passed Shall in Kinder Light Appear, by Bao Shu, Xie Baosheng and his lifelong love, Qiqi, are small children as the countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympics has begun. Their lives in China are prosperous, but then history starts to run backward.

This unabridged collection was edited by Allan Kaster.

Members Reviews:

Sometime challenging but exquisite read

Note: received copy for impartial review.

Note the second - I had actually read part of this story in its original form, then got distracted, and never came back. My mistake. This is a great read: 4.5/5 stars.

The Citadel of Weeping Pearls (CWP) is a lovely short novel that dovetails with On a Red Station, Drifting. Both stories are filled with politics, subtle technological wonders, and above all, unique characters dealing with all-too-familiar family issues.

Strong characters in conflict is a hallmark of good writing, and Ms. de Bodard delivers that here. In addition, she brings her trademark polished prose, intricate family plots, and (at times) truly painful drama.

Highly recommended.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Eden's War

Subtitle: A Distant Eden, Book 5

Author: Lloyd Tackitt

Narrator: Michael Hacker

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-13-16

Publisher: Lloyd Lee Tackitt

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 8 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

The final volume of the five-part Distant Eden series. Adrian isn't allowed to rest on his laurels but now must face an invasion from China. He faces an enemy that is ruthless and has vastly more manpower and resources.

Book five in a five-part series that includes A Distant Eden, Adrian's War, Eden's Hammer, and Eden's Warriors.

Members Reviews:

huh?

not a horrible book....but the epilogue should have never happened. Adrian, as a character, needs to be on his own taking down the scum. The story should have never gone away from that....

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Pledge Allegiance

Subtitle: The Finch, Book 1

Author: Rider England

Narrator: Greg Tremblay

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-02-16

Publisher: Rider England

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 9 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Shaun Blake had once had it all. As captain of the ISS Oregon, he'd commanded his crew in the Horde War and helped to protect Earth. It was a dream come true for a farm boy from Idaho.

But the dream shattered a year ago when a Horde ship blew the Oregon out of space, leaving Blake and a single crew member as the only survivors.

Now, Blake is a gambler and a drunk living in the slums on Iton-3. His only interest is winning money at the WarZone tables and trying to forget who he was. He blames himself for every death that occurred under his command.

When a woman named Jane Baltimore approaches Blake in a bar and says she has a job for him, he isn't interested. Until she tells him the job is to captain a ship about to embark on a search and rescue mission.

There are more surviving crew members from the Oregon.

And they're stuck on a planet deep in Horde space.

Members Reviews:

Pledge Allegiance

Really enjoyed this book. The characters are truely likable, and the story flows smoothy. I will be buying the next installment.

3.5

This was a fun, if simplistic (and familiar to any sci-fi fan) story. I liked Blake and his crew, but I never felt I got to know them well or that there was the opportunity for any significant character growth. I liked that two of the main characters, two of the best fighters were women. But it felt a little cliche that one was almost childlike in her joy and the other basically emotionless. (To be fair, the male soldiers were even flatter.)

This is a good set up for a further series, but on its own it's largely a protracted fight scene. And even in that it's pretty weak, as the characters seemed to triumph a bit too easily. But as a just-for-fun read, I call it a success.

Kudos to the narrator though, I don't know if Blake would have felt as charismatic if he hadn't had his distinct drawl.