Listen to Your Favorite Audiobooks in Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary Online

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: Regarding Ducks and Universes

Author: Neve Maslakovic

Narrator: Alexander Cendese

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-27-12

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 43 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

At 11:46:01, California time, on a foggy Monday in January 1986, the universe - suddenly, inexplicably, without warning - bifurcated. Fast-forward to 35 years later: Felix Sayers is a culinary writer living in San Francisco of Universe A who spends his days lunching at Coconut Café and dreaming of a successful career penning Agatha Christie-style mysteries. But everything changes when his Aunt Henrietta dies, leaving Felix a photograph of his father and himself - dated 10 days before Felix was born. It can only mean one thing: Felix has an "alter" in Universe B.

In a panic that his mystery novel may exist already, Felix crosses to San Francisco B and proceeds to flagrantly violate the rules of both worlds by snooping around his alters life. But when he narrowly escapes a hit-and-run, it becomes clear that someone knows hes crossed overand whoever it is isnt happy about it. With the help of a trio of students and a Miss Marple-style detective, Felix must uncover the truth about his alter, the events of one Monday, and a wayward rubber duck before his time in both worlds runs out.

Critic Reviews:

"A witty and light 'what if' novel stuffed with an amusing and eclectic cast of characters." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

A fun story of universes, relationships, ...and ducks

Not too much to say about this one. It was one of the first books I ever got for the kindle and quickly got lost in the shuffle. Much like a (insert major plot device from the story here), the idea of it has been resurfacing since November 4, 2011.

Yes, it has been in my queue for 5 1/2 years and I just now read it. That said, due to the long wait, I feel that I owe this book at least a short review.

Characters: 4.2*

Plot: 3*

Universes: 4*

Ducks: 5*

Overall: 4*

This was a fairly quick, light, and engaging read. A great book to relax on a hammock and read (I did).

The characters were reasonably well developed for a short story. They were likable, relatable, enjoyable, and probably a few other positive -able words. They contained some depth and grew throughout the story. They did fit certain stereotypes for the types of characters that they were, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

The plot(s) were fun and able to be followed. Frequently in multi-universe books (especially ones with body doubles), it is soooo difficult to track which person you are reading about. This book does not suffer that problem. Additionally while what is stated to be the main plot is well written, it is actually the plot of character growth and the relationship of the protagonist to the other characters that draws the most interest from me.

The universe. As I repeatedly say, I love a book where world-building takes center stage. A book that has the word universe in the title and is about multiple universes is daring me to be skeptical. Perhaps that is a reason it has been on my "to read" list for so long. This universe (ummm...these universes?) of the book is front and center to the integrity of the story. While not nearly as complex as the world-building of Sanderson, Martin, or Sullivan, it is also not same type of story as those authors so I can't really fault the book for that. It would be like complaining that my milkshake didn't take like chai; I ordered the milkshake so I knew what I was getting. After that twisted analogy, I'll just say that I liked this universe.

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: As The World Dies: Untold Tales, Vol. 1

Author: Rhiannon Frater

Narrator: Kathy Bell Denton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 11-06-12

Publisher: Lyssa-Noel Rhiannon Frater

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 115 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

THE FIRST DAYS: AS THE WORLD DIES introduced Jenni and Katie and their harrowing journey to the makeshift fort in the Texas Hill Country.

But theirs is not the only tale to be told.

In the first volume of the AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD TALES experience three terrifying tales of those who are forced to face the unrelenting and hungry walking dead.

Deep in the Texas Hill Country, a man and his little dog takes refuge in a bed and breakfast located in the hills above a doomed town where an infested rescue center might unleash the hungry undead

On a deserted highway slicing through the desolation of West Texas, a woman struggles to survive as she faces the horrifying aftermath of the rise of the zombies

And finally, discover what happens on the first day to Katie's beloved wife, Lydia, as the world dies

Members Reviews:

IT'S TIMES LIKE THIS, I'M GLAD I LIVE IN TEXAS,

WE'VE GOT GUNS AND BALLS.

I am writing this as someone who has not read, the As The World Dies series. This is the first volume in the Untold Tales, not the actual series. As I understand it, this is more background on the lesser characters. I did enjoy it, I did not think it was great, but it was enjoyable. I do believe you will enjoy it more if you have read at least one of the books in the actual series.

If you have only read one or two Zombie books, or you just want a Zombie fix this is pretty good. You will not find anything new or different , this is pretty much your vanilla, everyday zombie book. It's not too gory or dark, it's even a little sweet at times. It is supposedly three stories, but the first two or done in less then an hour and the last story is over four hours long. Matter of fact the first story is more just a tidbit of action, not story.

For me it did not get the fifth star for the following reasons. 1. There was never an explanation for why we have Zombies. That is often the best part of these books, was it a mad scientist, our own government, aliens, etc... Perhaps it is explained in the actual series. 2. The book is very predictable. It needs something to make it stand out from the crowd. 3. If you are going to try and be funny, then be funny not punny. I also found it pretty poor taste that a woman would be making jokes, just minutes after she shoots her twin brother in the face. Not counting the fact that she lost her dad, just a few hours before that.

Those little things aside, I did find myself warming up to all the characters. The characters are all regular people, some stupid, some smart, but not super in any way.

One reviewer was worried about the production. I had no sound quality problems. There was twice when a couple of lines where repeated, but it was not enough to ruin the listening experience.

Ok

Zombies with lots of overly dramatic stuff. Narrator emphasizes it. I like character driven zombie stories, without the military stuff or the hormones on overdrive.

Any suggestions?

Other characters

this is a really good follow up to some of the other characters in the books. I really enjoyed getting to learn more about Eric and his beginnings

Three short stories from Rhiannon.

Additional short stories from Rhiannon Frater; Eric and his dog Pepe are one of my favorite. Great read.

loved the stories

The story with pepe was the best. Great job. keep them coming. I can't wait.

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: Building Harlequin's Moon

Author: Brenda Cooper, Larry Niven

Narrator: Tom Weiner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-02-12

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 46 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

The first interstellar ship,John Glenn, fled a solar system populated by rogue AIs and machine/human hybrids, threatened by too much nanotechnology, and rife with political dangers. TheJohn Glenns crew intended to terraform the nearly pristine planet Ymir in hopes of creating a utopian society that will limit intelligent technology, but bysome miscalculation they have landed in the wrong system. Short on the antimatter needed to continue to Ymir, they must shape nearby planet Harlequins moon, Selene, into a new, temporary home and rebuild their store of antimatter through decades of terraforming.

Gabriel, the head terraformer, now leads this nearly impossible task; his primary tools the uneducated and nearly illiterate children of the original colonists, born and bred to build Harlequins moon into a virtual antimatter factory. With no concept of the future and with life defined as duty, one girl, Rachel Vanowen, begins to ask herself, what will become of the children of Selene once the terraforming is complete?

Critic Reviews:

Niven and Cooper have crafted a multigenerational, star-spanning epic with intriguing, fast-paced action. Against a backdrop of mind-boggling technology, the authors ask important questions about how far science should go and its impact on social structures and human rights. Niven and Cooper are playing God on a grand scale." (Brian Herbert,

New York Timesbest-selling author)

Fans of both hard and softer, psychological SF will welcome veteran Niven and newcomer Coopers well-written taleNiven and Cooper provide complicated characters, particularly the AI, which struggle with realistic moral dilemmas. (

Publishers Weekly)

Exploiting Nivens classic flare for world building, he and Cooper craft an entertaining epic with subtexts concerning cultural obsessiveness and the fear and worship of science. (

Booklist)

Members Reviews:

How did this performance average 4.4?

Where does Building Harlequin's Moon rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

near the bottom

What other book might you compare Building Harlequin's Moon to and why?

hard to tell because the reader is so bad.

What didnt you like about Tom Weiners performance?

He sounds like he is reading a documentary or technical user's manual. He has a deep, booming voice. Since most of the characters are female and/or children/teens, it just doesn't work. Even when he is reading "tender moments" it's like the Hulk hugging a child. You know what he's trying to do but you can do nothing but cringe. I'm sure that he would be great for some other books but not one such as this in which gentle nuances are needed. The characters are constantly torn because of decisions that they have to make or that others made. He just can't express that depth of felling.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Haven't finished it yet but it really is difficult to get into it and really care about the characters since they are read so woodenly.

sweet sci fi in an epic story

, loved it, great story, great performance, awesome actor. you probably know the basics of working on mechanics before you start and be comfortable with the idea of imagining a jovian type system

Excellent - but needed to be twice as long

This book has world building scope (literally), but is too short to effectively flesh out all the possibilities.

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: Down the Stream of Stars

Subtitle: Starstream, Book 2

Author: Jeffrey A. Carver

Narrator: Merrit Hicks

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-28-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 11 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Starstream!

A great interstellar migration has begun, down the grand, ethereal highway known as the starstream - from the remnant of the Betelgeuse supernova to the center of the Milky Way. Who could have predicted the wonders of the starstream, or the perils it would unleash - including the Throgs, shadowy beings of n-space that seem to understand only death and destruction? But life goes on, dangers or no, and colonists pour down the starstream seeking new worlds. Aboard starship Charity are many such colonists, including one Claudi Melnik, a child of uncommon talents - and an AI named Jeaves, with purposes of his own. When the unthinkable occurs, Claudi must face alone the challenge of the Throgs. And no one, not even Jeaves, could have predicted the final confrontation - or imagined where unexpected allies would be found.

Triumphant sequel to the best-selling From a Changeling Star, Down the Stream of Stars is a daring journey across the gulf between human and alien, to the heart of consciousness itself.

Named one of the best science fiction novels of the year by Science Fiction Chronicle.

Critic Reviews:

"I enjoyed it immensely. Carver provides another wild ride through a deranged cosmos. His imagination is matched only by his compassion. Marvelous effort!" (Jack McDevitt, author of Infinity Beach and The Engines of God)

"Carver's ingenuity is everywhere apparent." (Locus)

Members Reviews:

Weird, confusing and poor narration

I bought and read this book in an attempt to better understand the first book, Changling Star.

While Changling Star was frustrating and nearly impossible to follow in thw first half of the book, it still ended up being a good book.

This sequel, however... well, suffice it to say that this book has turned me off to trying any of Carver's other works.

On top of a weird and just plain unenjoyable book, the narration was aweful, making the confusing book worse. Merrit Hicks has poorly discernable voices for most characters in this book. Nearly half the voices are so different, I knew after the first introduction of each which one was which. This made the lack of differentiation in other voices even more frustrating because I knew she COULD have produced more dissimilar voices. All the others were so pitifully voiced that I lost track of dialogue trying to keep up with which voice she was speaking in.

Your Patience Will Not Be Rewarded!

What did you like best about Down the Stream of Stars? What did you like least?

It had a good story line, albeit an impossible one to even try to believe. I won't give it away though. A child might actually enjoy the rambling, never ending story. I kept my hope up that it would eventually cash in on its possibilities- but it never did. It was like watching Mr. Rogers Neighborhood for ten hours straight, bordering on boring. Still, for a child it might be interesting.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Down the Stream of Stars?

I enjoyed the 6-7-8 year old battle scenario in which one boy is "killed" in saving the "captain." The writer was infinitely patient in producing this book. That showed all the way from beginning to end.

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: Gods War

Subtitle: Bel Dame Apocrypha, Book 1

Author: Kameron Hurley

Narrator: Emily Bauer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-11-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 141 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Nyx had already been to hell. One prayer more or less wouldn't make any difference...

On a ravaged, contaminated world, a centuries-old holy war rages, fought by a bloody mix of mercenaries, magicians, and conscripted soldiers. Though the origins of the war are shady and complex, there's one thing everybody agrees on - there's not a chance in hell of ending it.

Nyx is a former government assassin who makes a living cutting off heads for cash. But when a dubious deal between her government and an alien gene pirate goes bad, Nyx's ugly past makes her the top pick for a covert recovery. The head they want her to bring home could end the war--but at what price? The world is about to find out.

Editorial Reviews:

The first book in Kameron Hurley's Bel Dame Apocrypha series is set in a future world ravaged by holy war, and former assassin Nyx is called back into duty by her government to help end the conflict. Hurley builds a fascinating atmosphere with a remarkable attention to detail, as well as an intriguing heroine who is brought to life by Emily Bauer's tough, engaging performance. Bauer is convincing in portraying Nyx's intelligence and fortitude, making God's War an intriguing sci-fi fantasy that entertainingly tackles aspects of gender, war, and religion.

Members Reviews:

A thought provoking rarity

This is one of those rare sci-fi novels that uses the genre to explore our own culture and assumptions by turning them on their head in a far-flung fictional world. The true beauty and success of the narrative is that the book does this without becoming preachy.

This is not a simple book. It explores questions of gender, religion, morality, violence, war, bio-engineering and what it means to be human. The protagonist is an anti-hero... complex, morally ambiguous, someone who I could believe as a scarred war veteran.

You should read this book and appreciate it for the nuanced examination of social structures, belief and the affect of war on the human psyche. Or, you could simply read it for the action, the pacing, the unique sci-fi world building and the interesting story.

The narrative and the narration flow so well together that I didn't experience any of that disconnect you sometimes feel in an audiobook.

I rarely give 5 stars. I gave this 5 stars across the board.

Rough brutality? Get it here.

Here's two things you should probably know before you purchase this book:

Kameron Hurley is a Feminist, capital F, the kind that doesn't want women to be men with breasts. She's the type of person interested in what makes societies what they are, and who puts all of the negativity of strict gender roles into this book, unflinching.

She was very into Middle Eastern religion when she wrote this trilogy, and spent six years beforehand researching war.

Still with me? Good. Kameron Hurley doesn't pull punches. She's interested in writing real people who have real consequences from their actions.

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: Stealing Light: Shoal, Book 1

Author: Gary Gibson

Narrator: Charlie Norfolk

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-02-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 185 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

In the 25th century, only the Shoal possess the secret of faster-than-light travel (FTL), giving them absolute control over all trade and exploration throughout the galaxy. Mankind has operated within their influence for two centuries, establishing a dozen human colony worlds scattered along Shoal trade routes.

Dakota Merrick, while serving as a military pilot, has witnessed atrocities for which this alien race is responsible. Now piloting a civilian cargo ship, she is currently ferrying an exploration team to a star system containing a derelict star ship. From its wreckage, her passengers hope to salvage a functioning FTL drive of mysteriously non-Shoal origin. But the Shoal are not yet ready to relinquish their monopoly over a technology they acquired through ancient genocide.

Members Reviews:

Cool character & plot ! Do you like Chase Colpath?

Smart tough female lead character. Fairly hard sci-fi. I always wonder, with the great success of Jack McDevitt's character Chase Kolpath and Weber's Honor Harrington, why there aren't more tough female leads in sci-fi. Look at what Neal Stephenson has been able to do at times. I'm also a sucker for great narration. I haven't heard Charlie Norfolk narrate before -- but what a great talent. This starts in three plots that come together....and when they do it is a real fast ride.

slow...............................

the books sounds ok . it looks ok but iv tried 3 time i have never gotten past part one.

it never got my attention and i just gave up on it . not worth my credit

Very Entertaining-Will buy the rest of the series

This one starts a little slow, but hang in there. Ms. Norfolk's accent takes about 15 minutes to get used to, then she is an easy listen. The story is first rate hard science fiction with very good characterization and an amazingly interesting and complex plot line. All kinds of fun Perils of Pauline moments, which you know will generally turn out well, but not quite the way you expected. I am going to take a break and listen to Weber's latest turgidity in the Safehold series. I am sure he will drive me back to the Gibson/Norfolk team for clean, clear, directed characters, plots, and interesting speculative science and history.

Fun, entertaining, something borrowed.

This is a good story that has definitely borrowed from classics like Ringworld. Definitely worth a listen and very enjoyable. It has some good originality, so don't worry, it's not a re-hash of old material.

There is a down side. The narrator, while quite good! Gets a bit confused with names every once in a while and mixes one character with another. This is a problem...but does not cause too many problems in the end if you're paying attention.

Now the fun part, accents, characters, language and personalities. This novel builds on more to come (a lot more), so stay tuned!

Not sure at first, but well worth it.

Wasn't sure what I was getting into when I first got this book, but I soon found out it was well worth the purchase. First and foremost this book has a very good plot. But along with that the story is very well written and grabs your attention.

The reader does a good but not great job telling the story.

The story really heats up at about the mid point until the end. By the end of this I knew I would be getting the next book in the series.

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: River of Gods

Author: Ian McDonald

Narrator: Jonathan Keeble

Format: Unabridged

Length: 21 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-21-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 68 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

August 15th, 2047. Happy 100th Birthday, India....

On the eve of Mother India's 100th birthday, 10 people are doing 10 very different things. In the next few weeks, all these people will be swept together to decide the fate of the nation. From gangsters to government advisors, from superstitious street-boys to scientists to computer-generated soap stars, River of Gods shows a civilization in flux - a river of gods.

River of Gods is an epic science fiction novel, as sprawling, vibrant and colourful as the sub-continent it describes. This is a novel that blew apart the narrow Anglo- and US-centric concerns of the genre, and ushered in a new global consciousness for science fiction as a whole.

Members Reviews:

A long and winding river

McDonald has become well known for setting his stories outside of the traditional Euro-American context of most science fiction, and the effect is to lend an air of the exotic and strange to the near future he imagines. This novel, set in a balkanized India at the middle of the century, follows that pattern. Be warned that it starts slowly with a subplot that is somewhat removed from the main action, and it takes a long time to really get to the meat of the science fiction that drives the story. Like all McDonald novels it is very well written, with language that is often surprising in the way that good poetry can be, but it also flows languidly, just like the Ganges River from which it takes its title, taking its time to gather together the life streams of its many complicated characters. This is only sporadically a book of intense action and high excitement, but it is thought provoking and well crafted, with a nice twist at the end to resolve the major mystery at its heart. In the process it wrestles with big themes about the nature of intelligence and the meaning of life, drawing extensively from the cultural history of India and Hinduism in the process. Indeed, one of the major negatives about listening to this book rather than reading it is that you dont have access to the excellent and informative Glossary included at the end. The narration is generally excellent, although Jonathan Keeble isnt consistently good at American accents. All in all this is definitely worth a listen.

Great philosophy, technology, story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Definitely. It's rare to find a book about India, let alone a science fiction book. As an anthropology student of the subcontintent, I was pleased that McDonald just jumped into use of terms like bindi, crore, etc. without explanation (it wasn't until I hit the glossary at the end that I realized it even existed -- one of the few limitations of audio books).

What did you like best about this story?

The philosophy of self and the great portrayal of India.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would have happily done so. I usually listen to books on my commute, but I found myself putting on my headphones at home whenever I could steal a few moments to listen.

Any additional comments?

I have a huge issue with readers (and directors!) who let pronunciation issues slip through. It seriously irked me that McDonald's phonetic shortening of "artificial intelligence" to aeai got pronounced as "ah-ay-ee". It's Ae-ai. -I. A.I. Artificial Intelligence.

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 Coming

Author: Joe Haldeman

Narrator: Kevin Orton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-09-12

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 10 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards, Joe Haldeman has penned several best-selling novels, including The Forever War. After receiving a message from deep space, astronomer Aurora Rory Bell anticipates extraterrestrial visitors on New Years Eve. But with Earth teetering on the edge of another world war, Rory soon begins to wonder if the message was a hoax. And when the message is leaked to the public, a media frenzy ensues.

Critic Reviews:

A large-scale story [that] provides food for thought as well as fast-paced action. (Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

Dull; Not Nearly As Good As Joe Haldeman's Others

The story concept is potentially engaging but it's all about dull internal politics leading up to its anticlimactic ending. I've read Joe Haldeman's other books, which I enjoyed much more.

come on Joe, you can do better than this

wtf? I have read a few of Mr Haldemans books, but it seems this one was written as a way to fill pages wwith words to make a buck.

two thumbs down

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: Angels of Vengeance

Subtitle: Without Warning Series, Book 3

Author: John Birmingham

Narrator: Tom Weiner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-10-12

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 132 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

When an inexplicable wave of energy slammed into North America, millions died. In the rest of the world, wars erupted, borders vanished, and the powerful lost their grip on power. Against this backdrop, with a conflicted US president struggling to make momentous decisions in Seattle and a madman fomenting rebellion in Texas, three women are fighting their own battles - for survival, justice, and revenge.

Special Agent Caitlin Monroe moves stealthily through a South American jungle - her target: a former French official now held prisoner by a ruthless despot. To free the prisoner, Caitlin will kill anyone who gets in her way. Then she will get the truth about how a master terrorist escaped a secret detention center in French Guadeloupe to strike a fatal blow in New York City.

Sofia Pieraro is a teenage girl who witnessed firsthand the murder and mayhem of Texas under the rule of General Mad Jack Blackstone. Sofia might have tried to build a life with her father in the struggling remnants of Kansas City - if a vicious murder hadnt set her on another course altogether: back to Texas, even to Blackstone himself.

Julianne Balwyn is a British-born aristocrat turned smuggler. Shopping in the most fashionable neighborhood of Darwin, Australia - now a fantastic neo-urban frontier - Jules has a pistol holstered in the small of her lovely back. She is playing the most dangerous game of all: waiting for the person who is hunting her to show his face - so she can kill him first.

Three women in three corners of a world plunged into electrifying chaos; nation-states struggling for their survival; immigrants struggling for new lives - John Birminghams astounding conclusion to the series begun in Without Warning and After America is an intense adventure that races from the halls of power to shattered streets to gleaming new cities as humanity struggles to grasp its better angels - and purge its worst demons.

John Birmingham is the author of the Axis of Time trilogy and several other novels and nonfiction titles. He and his family live in Brisbane, Australia.

Critic Reviews:

Brilliant, nail-biting, thoughtful, and excruciatingly pertinent to our times. (James Rollins, New York Times best-selling author)

Members Reviews:

Solid action story

The first book was the hook for me, with the sudden disappearance of pretty much everyone inside the continental US (and implied death). Because of the timing that the author choose(2003), a lot of America's military muscle was already outside the US so that makes things slightly less catastrophic. And I kept on following things into the second book as the second order effects of the disappearance and then beginnings of reclamation of the now deserted US began (as well as the global chaos that came, nuclear war in the middle east and India/Pakistan regions).

This book picks up not too much afterward, now focusing more on the politics of the new America and her reduced role in the world. Overall it was a fairly standard action/spy novel with the unique catastrophic event background. I really only read this out of the fascination of how the author would continue to spin world events and to see what would happen to the now familiar characters.

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: Lost and Found

Subtitle: The Taken Trilogy, Book 1

Author: Alan Dean Foster

Narrator: Oliver Wyman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-31-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 463 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Not so long ago Marcus Walker was just another young commodities trader in Chicago, working hard and playing harder. But that's all in the past, part of a life half forgotten-a reality that vanished when he was attacked while camping and tossed aboard a starship bound for deep space.

Desperately, Walker searches for explanations, only to realize he's trapped in a horrifying nightmare that is all too real. Instead of being a rich hotshot at the top of the food chain, Walker discovers he's just another amusing novelty, part of a cargo of cute aliens from primitive planets - destined to be sold as pets to highly advanced populations in civilized regions of the galaxy.

Even if he weren't constantly watched by his captors, Walker has few options. After all, there is no escape from a speeding starship. Another man might resign himself to the inevitable and hope to be sold to a kindly owner, but not Walker. This former college football star has plenty of American ingenuity and no intention of admitting defeat, now or ever. In fact, he's only just begun to fight.

Members Reviews:

Alien abduction with a twist

"Lost and Found," is classic Foster in many ways. Human nature is brought into sharp relief against the backdrop of a galaxy filled with very non-human creatures. In the process Foster creates a picture that is often (but hardly always) flattering to humans, but this is done with an air of bemusement, as if he takes neither himself nor the rest of us seriously. This novel performs this narrative trick in the context of a story of abduction of an ordinary human and an ordinary dog who manage to be quite a handful for the nasty aliens who have taken them from their homes. It's a clever, amusing story, and it deserves 3.5 stars, but it is often predictable, and, unlike Foster's earlier trilogy, "The Damned," it lacks real tension and excitement. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a fun, easy listen, this is a good choice (but be advised that this is the first book of a trilogy, so the ending leaves loose ends). Reader Oliver Wyman's performance is stellar. His ability to capture the personalities of very strange aliens is uncanny. He actually makes this a book better heard than read.

Great story and excellent narrator

Oliver Wyman does a terrific job of creating the varied characters of Lost and Found, especially admirable as most of them aren't human. The story itself is fast paced and provides a mix of humor, adventure, and tension that should satisfy most anyone. The only issue, which I hope is short-lived, is that the other two books in this series are not yet available from Audible.

Great listen for an at home day

This story is fun and a very light, fun and easy listen.. If you want something to just jump into, this is the book. Of course Oliver Wyman is outstanding. He is great at dividing up his voices to give great sound to each role.