Tiffany

Great story with amazing characters - loved it!

Reviewed: 01-13-14

What did you love best about Elseerian?

Even though the story follows a classic Fantasy theme, I was entranced by the way in which the author wove well developed characters in a complex story arc without any fluff or unnecessary plot twists. Elseerian sets up the trilogy fantastically in such a way that the reader sees all the puzzle pieces presented but doesn't quite know how the author will turn each one and fit them together. I especially loved how the main character is flawed and has to learn along the way what his role in the final battle of good versus evil will be, without any of the frustrating back and forth that we see in a lot of other Fantasy heroes (ex: Rand Al Thor - Wheel of Time series).

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

Absolutely. At the end of Elseerian I panicked because I had no idea if the other books in the series were published by Audible yet, but thankfully both Book 2 and 3 were! I even purchased extra credits so I could immediately listen to all of them.

Any additional comments?

Great listen and I can't wait until Ben Hale's other books become available on Audible!

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4 people found this helpful

Fantastic - can't wait for book 2!!

Reviewed: 12-31-13

Where does Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase, Book 1 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Definitely in the top 10%. The story is so original, rich, and interesting that I was immediately swept up. The ending was so amazing that I cannot wait to learn the secrets that book 2 reveals.

Any additional comments?

The author did a great job explaining the magical reality and world the characters live in (so like ours just altered in one major and devastating way). I came to love the characters and rooted for them every step of the way.

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7 people found this helpful

High hopes dashed

Reviewed: 12-31-13

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I really wanted to like this book but found myself getting incredibly frustrated with it the longer I listened. At the midpoint I took a week long break from it to start and finish another book. I ultimately came back to it out of sheer stubbornness. The only book I've ever walked away from entirely was Stephen King's "The Cell" (just horrible) and I am a huge Stephen King fan. My biggest critique (and what drove me crazy) was the main character's inability to grow and learn from her mistakes. She continued to make the same mistakes over and over. I love characters who even though they're flawed and don't have it all figured out go on an adventure and eventually discover their own strengths and weakness along the way (think Rand Al'Thor - Wheel of Time, Tris Prior - Divergent, Fitz Farseer - Assasin's Apprentice, etc) Ultimately, even though the pace and plot line of the book picked up at the very end - I never came to love the characters. Definitely not time well spent.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I thought it was predictable. The central relationships were so black and white/2D that you can easily see where each one would go.

What about Alana Kerr’s performance did you like?

Her performance was the only redeeming factor. She was fantastic.

Any additional comments?

While the magical theme used in the book was incredibly original - the author did a poor job of introducing the reader to each category and type of magical talent and gifts. Every chapter mentions a new class of talent and you never really understand any of them. I think in the right author's hands this magical world could have been incredibly rich and interesting. Other Fantasy/SciFi books and series I do recommend: The Name of The Wind, Game of Thrones, The Rithmatist, Lockwood & Co., Wheel of Time, 14, Divergent

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