Tourists of the Apocalypse

Tourists of the Apocalypse

Written by: C. F. Waller

Narrated by: J. Scott Bennett

Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date:01-13-17

Publisher: C. F. WALLER

I really liked this audio at first it is a little confusing but the author ties it all in at the end. What a great story about dooms day. The author goes into how the world changes, how long it takes people to turn against each other when they find they have lost everything. The author take today’s world and shifts it back to the 1800 before electricity, before cars. You have a cell phone, a car, heat, air, you have all the things we have today but with one flip of a switch you lose it all. What would you do if you couldn’t get home, maybe you are on a trip but now you find cars, trains, and planes no longer run? This book is about a small town in Texas and the families there taking you through the hardships of today going through the years as one small 13 year old grows up. A kind man comes to town buys up houses throws money around as he helps this family. They talk about strange things, seem to be doing strange things. What could all this be about?

Mr. Bennett’s narration is outstanding as he brings to life the story with strong emotions, confusion, power, control, anger, loss, heartache. You can hear all these in his voice as he builds each character giving us their strengths and weakness. His female and male voices are wonderful you always know who is talking and just what they are feeling. There are no background noises, no volume changes just a very clean clear audio that really pulls you in. If any breaks were taken you cannot tell. What really makes this an outstanding audio is how the narrator really brings it to life, you have no trouble getting lost in his pleasant voice which makes it very easy to picture the scenes in your mind. He really gives character to the characters as he puts his self in their place. Dickie is so sweet and kind with a mental issue after an accident but he is very strong and determined. Mr. Bennett gives the full impact through his voice as your heart goes out to him and later cheer him on. Each character goes through a trying time, the narrator has no trouble showing you exactly what they are feeling. It is a great narration that really pulls you in leaving you laughing and sad at other times.

The author as well as the narrator has put a lot of time and thought into this book/audio. We may set and think about what the future will be like when the end is near. I can promise most of us have not really come close to what the book brings to the table. Who will you save, who will you walk away from and why? How will you keep your home and family safe? How will you get home to your family and what will you have to go through before you get there? What about food, water and so much more. I was very surprised at the detail that was given this story sometimes ia shocking but very believable. But at the same time the author gives you humor that makes you smile or downright laugh which is very well balanced with the sadness, horror, and fear. It is an exciting read with thrills and adventure but can be downright chilling.  He gives you very detailed scenes that you picture in your mind as he takes you to a place that we all fear and hope we never see. The characters are very vivid and real as they deal with day to day issues, their fear, needs and issues of the unknown. I really enjoyed getting to know each one and all that they bring to this story. What you are given is a story about time travel as a group comes back to the past, how they change things and the power they have. It is a compelling read that pulls you in from the first page to the last. It was a story I could not put down. I had to know what these people were going through and what would happen next. The ending is wonderful and could be setup for a series. There are places you think oh no this isn’t the way I wanted it to go, but the author twists it around to make it a better ending giving hope for the future. There is romance but it isn’t over bearing it blends well with the story. I totally enjoyed it and this book as one of my favorite reads/listens of the year. If you like time travel, adventure along with a few chills, fears and thrills you do not want to miss this exciting story with a twists that holds your attention leaving you spellbound

Buy Links

Audible

https://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Tourists-of-the-Apocalypse-Audiobook/B01NCV5B9Y

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Tourists-Apocalypse-C-F-WALLER-ebook/dp/B01DYF733E/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Summary

Dylan Townsend stands on the beach watching commercial jets fall out of the sky like oak leaves twirling in the wind. A wing shears off the one closest to the shore just before it splashes down in the sea. Why was she telling him this outlandish story? What sort of Tourist Agency would offer people a front row seat to the end of the world? More importantly, why would anyone book such a vacation if there wasn’t any way home afterward?

“Why would anyone buy a ticket on the Titanic if they knew it was doomed?”

“Relax Dylan,” she assures him. “If you know it’s going to sink, you could bring a raft.”

As she paces in the sand watching the sky, he realizes that however wild her story may be, he loves her. Maybe Izzy is a time travel tour guide after all. In truth, he is more likely to be harmed by her boyfriend than the imminent apocalypse. What’s he going to about that sticky situation?

“Come on,” she orders, pulling on his arm. “We need to see a man about a raft.”

DISCLAIMER: This novel contains no profanity, some violence, an office princess in bondage, cowboy coffee, classic cars, love triangles, domestic violence, birthday cake, Lion Country Safari mishaps, beach volleyball, road rage, a prosthetic shotgun, text messages on gum wrappers and the strong belief that people are a product of their experiences and not just genetically predisposed to mayhem.

Any resemblance to actual historical events or persons alive or dead is purely coincidental.

Since the Sirens

Since the Sirens: Sirens of the Zombie Apocalypse, Book 1

Written by: E.E. Isherwood

Narrated by: Nancy Peterson

Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date:10-05-16

Publisher: E. E. Isherwood

I loved, loved this story there are so many interesting twists that really keeps you on the edge and holding your breath. Granny was a wonderful lady that keeps you laughing. Even at 104 her mind is sharp, quick, smart and very clever. There are serious scenes that grab you leaving you breathless but at the same time you can’t help but chuckle or laugh. It is a story I could relate to being a teen and not knowing how to talk to the elderly, being bored out of your mind, doing everything you can to relieve that boredom.  Zombies are not one of my favorite genre's although I have really enjoyed a few but this one I thought really blow it away from the characters to the story line it was very entertaining.

Ms. Peterson really impressed me with her many different characters and their voices that really fit not only the story line but the characters. She really brings this story to life with her very talented voice you forget you are listening to an audio as she gives very vivid scenes that takes you to another level in your mind as you picture the scenes before your eyes. There is no repeat of wording, no background noise or any place there was a volume change. If any breaks were taken I could not tell.  The audio is very crisp, clean with lots of emotion delivered in a way you feel each characters emotion, knowing just what they are going through and what they are feeling. She gives you a smooth listen with a rich voice that leaves you lost in the plot as she takes you away to another time and place. I have listened to a few of her audios and I think I like this one the best. I really hope she does the next book in this series and it will not be long before it is out. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I found this story to be believable, rich and exciting. The author gives a wonderful plot that pulls you in, with a little spiritual in the mix giving you a meaningful listen but isn’t over powering. It was a wonderful clean read with a little romance mixed in. This is a story that would be for all ages and one a family can listen to together and really enjoy discussing it as they go along. It would be great for a long family trip with long hours of driving.  Liam is your normal teen but when it comes down to what is important he learns fast and steps up to the plate putting his grandmother first trying his best to get her to safety. There are many paths and road blocks they must get through along with a few lives lost that you feel to your bones. There is a play on the government and what they are willing to do and not do to help the people. So much unknown, excitement and thrills will come your way as you take a wild ride on a train with the zombies on the hunt never far behind and sometimes ahead. Bottom line I was hooked almost from the first page to the last. It was a very enjoyable listen from the plot to the narration.

Buy Links

Audio

https://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Since-the-Sirens-Audiobook/B01LYQ0UEF

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Since-Sirens-Zombie-Apocalypse-Book-ebook/dp/B018H82ZYU/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Summary

Banished by bad decisions to spend the summer with his great-grandmother, Liam Peters thinks his life is over. After all, Marty Peters is a tough woman to be around. Maybe she wouldn't be so bad if she'd just take an interest in the modern technology he loves. Sure, she has some insight to her...but the woman is practically "pushing daisies". Not surprisingly, as tornado sirens announce a city-wide emergency, Liam discovers why that term should be avoided...well...like the plague.
When Grandma Marty tries to send him on his way, refusing to abandon her home, Liam sees his situation in a new light. Something deep inside awakens - and he chafes at the thought of leaving his 104-year-old grandmother to die. Armed with two tiny pistols and an arsenal of knowledge from his overwhelming zombie book collection, Liam realizes he could be the hero and accomplish the impossible: rescue her.
With the interstate gridlocked, opportunist criminals looking to take what they can get, law enforcement desperate to keep the peace, and the military declaring St. Louis a war-zone, Liam and Marty find themselves wrapped up in a world of chaos and panic. But when the zombies begin to overshadow everything else, Liam comes to appreciate why there are no atheists in foxholes.
Since the Sirens is the gripping first installment of E. E. Isherwood's hit post-apocalyptic series Sirens of the Zombie Apocalypse. If you like to watch society collapse, zombie hordes bear down on the heroes, and skin-of-teeth escapes, you won't be able to pause this awesome story!

Sniper: Women of the United Federation Marines

Sniper: Women of the United Federation Marines, Book 2

Written by: Jonathan P. Brazee

Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt

Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins

Series: Women of the United Federation Marines, Book 2

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date:10-07-16

Publisher: Jonathan Brazee

This was an interesting story but I did find my mind wondering. The story is based on a military women and her career. It fast forwards a lot and skips over a few years through out. For me something is lacking, there is action but I just do not fill it. She has two love interests but that is about all we know.   Gracie has a very interesting career that is full of killing people and saving other military personal through her talents. She is a very talented sniper and does an outstanding job. The author takes you through lose of friends, bring back some that should have been dead. This is a story base on the future and the technology we could only dream about.   

Ms. Schnaubelt does a really good job with her narration, there are no repeat of words nor any background noises or anywhere that the volume changes. If any breaks where taken I could not tell. It is a very clean and clear audio that the narrator deliveries in a delightful way. After each chapter announcement there is a number I am unsure of what that is. I thought it was a page count but a lot of them have the same number which left me confused. Her character voices were outstanding you have no trouble understanding who is talking or what they are feeling. Her male voices were just as enjoyable as her female’s ones.  She puts emotion into her read you can feel each emotion as the characters go through their day to day life. I thought her performance was great except for those numbers after each chapter.  The narrator has a very pleasant voice that pulls you in giving you an in depth feel of the danger around them.

There is nothing in this book that really grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. It isn’t boring at all just nothing that really held my attention. Too many years were skipped and I felt a lot had been left out. I enjoyed the audio just not one I would want to listen to again nor does it want me to want to read the other books in this series. It could be because I had not read the first one and I am missing something. I hope you will give it a try the narrator alone is worth the listen. You decided what you think of this and if it is something that you may want to listen to. It is a clean read which is pleasant.

Buy Links

Audible

https://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Sniper-Audiobook/B01LXFZV59

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Sniper-Women-United-Federation-Marines-ebook/dp/B01GE4I82W/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Summary

After a successful initial tour as a Marine rifleman, Lance Corporal Gracie Medicine Crow volunteers to become a scout-sniper, one of the deadliest - and most dangerous - military specialties in the United Federation Marine Corps. Gracie comes from the Apsáalooke Nation, a people with a long history of military tradition.
Small in stature and considered stunningly beautiful, she is often underestimated, but that merely drives her to be the best sniper in the Corps. Somewhat wary of her fellow snipers' attention and interaction with her, she maintains what she considers a professional front, but one that is not as well received by others - and one that earns her the nickname of "Ice Princess".
A technically skilled sniper, Gracie feels her shooting should speak for itself. But being a scout-sniper is far more than simple marksmanship. If she wants a career in the Corps, she must learn not only teamwork, but how to be a leader of Marines.
This is the second book in the series, but each book is standalone and does not have to be heard in conjunction with the others. The series follows two Marines and a Navy corpsman as they follow their individual career paths.

Agent G: Infiltrator

Agent G: Infiltrator 

Written by: C. T. Phipps

Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer

Length: 6 hrs and 6 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date:03-29-17

Publisher: Amber Cove Publishing

I really liked this audio when I think ahead to the future I can see this being it. The story goes into the aliens and the issues they had and have with them. When I think about the time they come to earth I really hope I am not here to see it. I do not see any good coming out of it. The author goes into issues that could be touchy from the dead to being a live, the world is not as we know it today. States may or may not be there. The things they do with items we hold precious will blow your mind. Really the whole story is wonderful planned down to the last detail the whole book is mind blowing. I have no trouble picturing this as our future.

Mr. Kafer does a great job in his narration he has an agent voice that really pulls you in as he becomes part of his characters. His voice at first I didn’t care for because it sounded so agent like but I came to understand that is how it needed to be and grew to love it. It is a very strong voice that pulls you in making you forget you are listening as it becomes more of a movie. There are no background noise, no volume changes, and no repeats of working. His character voices are wonderful from his males to his females. His computer voice is so real just like you would picture it. He really brings the danger alive, as well as the excitement from each new obstacle that is overcome. Mr. Kafer puts a lot of emotion into his audio’s giving the reader a wonderful listen. His voice and tones never leaving you guessing you know just what each character is feeling from their excitement to their anger. His performance is outstanding giving you a clear, clean crisp audio you get lost in.

My heart went out to Agent G what it must feel like not to know who you are. Having to overcome so much and learn everything all over again. Than as he felt he was part of the military at one time I really felt for him and what he had become. There is a love interest as well as confusion on his part and on the computer chip in his mind. The world this author built seemed so real as well as the characters. This was an audio I couldn’t put down from the many different things the future holds and the new things it brings as well as the danger, excitement of all the twist and turns that are just so thrilling and at times chilling.  You will never see California or Tennessee along with a few other states the same again. As I listened to this it remind me of the movie V where the aliens wanted and took what they wanted. This is how I see the future if they ever make it here.

I was a little confused at first of what a walk about was but it wasn’t long before the author brought to life just what it entitled and the danger it brings. This is a story of starting over, meeting your past and future head on, reality as well as the danger it brings. It is a story of hope and death, making a difference and just what the military means. What if there was no military who would save us? People become to set in their ways over looking issues but one man sees the future and knows the day will come when we must fight with all we have to keep everyone alive. There are those that feel this fight will never come as they wear their rose color glasses they are in for a rude awaking.  

I was drawn from the first page as G is born, how he felt, his confusion and his fight to stay alive and bring justice to a world he doesn’t know. There are things one should never forget, one is how to fight keeping your love ones safe. One man gives his all and may die to save us all. It is setup for the next book in the series at least I hope there is another one. It really hit home for me how easy one gets use to the life we live and forget what we need to remember. I totally was invested and loved this plot, the characters that seem so real. I can hardly wait for the next book I wonder who it will be. There are others on the walk about will they be as interesting as G? I can’t wait to find out what this author has in store for us.

Buy Links

Audible

http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Agent-G-Audiobook/B06XW17WDY

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Agent-Infiltrator-C-T-Phipps-ebook/dp/B06XFJ5HF5/ref=cm_cr_if_orig_subj?_encoding=UTF8&linkCode=xm2&tag=audiblecom0f-20

Summary

“Black Technology has made murder a billion dollar industry.”

The International Refugee Society has twenty-six cybernetically enhanced “Letters,” and for the right price, they’ll eliminate anyone. They’ve given up their families and their memories for ten years of service with the promise of a life of luxury awaiting them.

Agent G is one of these “Letters,” but clues to his past are starting to emerge while he’s on a dangerous mission to infiltrate the Society’s most dangerous competitor. In the midst of all the violence, subterfuge, and deceit, he’ll need to keep his wits about him and trust sparingly.

After all if an organization will kill for money, what would they do to keep the truth hidden?