Charles Washington

"Luke Smitherd, gots to get those Benjamins"

Reviewed: 11-11-24

Excellent end to a great series from your new favorite author. Hopefully this or another novel will be optioned for a series.

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Less than impressed

Reviewed: 07-12-24

I tried for the 1st 5 hours but really tired of both the main character and the narrator. The combination of the 2 was enough to make me return the book. I'm sure a wonderful resolution will occur for the accidentally time traveling daughter meeting her mother, but I have not the patience to get there.

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Adult story in kids clothing

Reviewed: 05-01-24

Very good story for both kids and adults. I enjoy nearly all of Ireland's settings and 1920s America is perfect for this story. Felt like a story my grandmother would tell of her childhood - minus the ghosts.

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Disjointed and rambling

Reviewed: 01-25-24

While I really enjoyed The blacktongue Thief, I have found this novel to be a disappointment. The two novels were written 8 years apart and the narrative skill level is apparent. There is a good story here, but it's all jumbled in a storage locker stuffed to the brim, and I'd rather put off unpacking it all another month and read another book.

I think the premise is good and the characters are unique, but find it hard to care about any of them. And the jumping around of the narrative is just annoying after the first 50 chapters... I echo the sentiments of an earlier reviewer in that I did not enjoy 137 chapters averaging 4 - 5 minutes in length ranging from 21 seconds to 8 minutes (excepting the 5 or 6 chapters over 10 minutes.) This coupled with frequent jumps between perspectives, locations, forgettable side characters, and time makes the whole thing feel disjointed. You just want to yell FOCUS at the author.

The narration is good but relaxed and low key, but with this story it just adds to the feeling you are lost in a forest going in circles. I could go on, but now I'm the one rambling. So I'll do what I did several times before finishing this book... listen to another novel.

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on name pronunciations

Reviewed: 12-02-23

So there was a change in narrators which is often jarring but honestly I think the new narration is pronouncing the names phonetically correct.

This is actually the 3rd narrator for the dragon kin series I have heard (I started with Book 6.5 and then went to book 0 and worked my way forward) and all 3 have done a good job in a vacuum of the books they've read.

A little Quality control goes a long way in a long series and this is an enjoyable and light long series.

Look forward to reading more.

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Worth the repurchase.

Reviewed: 10-24-23

I PURCHASED the whole series on audiobook... a combination of books on tape, CDs, and audible files. All I can say is Pike's version is the edition to get ESPECIALLY if you enjoy the casting of the tv series. She mimics accents and cadences of the actors in the tv series and places them into her narration. Another reviewer said it was a next level experience, and I agree wholeheartedly.

She is a savant level narrator with this series, as close as one person can get to a full cast recording.

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Enjoyed the 1st book; 2nd overstayed its welcome.

Reviewed: 09-27-23

Well I finished. And like another reviewer was not sure that would happen. The writing style kept me in it, but at some point I just became bored with the endless cycle of battles at the novels end. That said, most of them advanced the plot the author was going for, but I'm not sure if setting up another story in the same universe was a good thing to do.

I think the time could have been spent more on developing the stories of the other squad members, delving into why they become so attached and devoted to Ikenna aside from her battle prowess. As another reviewer stated, more focus on both the magic systems and the science to counter them.

I still enjoyed the series and will recommend the 1st book. The last 6 hours was too repitive though, so have to deduct some stars.

SPOILER Alert:


I just felt the entire God of War storyine was not needed and was there only to set up the next series. The conflict with Selene was well set up and executed and they could have gone straight to the epilogue.

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The author you've been waiting for...

Reviewed: 09-13-23

For those of us who read a number of books what we always hope for are unique ideas executed well. Smitherd has perfected this art. Each story delivers unique ideas and explores them with interesting characters.

And if you are looking for something different, then your author has been found.

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#2

Reviewed: 12-07-22

always good to have our second favorite author do so well for himself.

here's to many more years of being just short of the best, Mr Smitherd.

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Great production value around the same tired story

Reviewed: 02-24-22

I really enjoyed what they have done integrating the sound effects and music to help convey the story and the excellent cast assembled to enact it out. The story though is just a copy and paste mash up of a number of better more inventive stories. Nothing that happened surprised me and I lost interest after consistently picking plot points out in advance.

And please, shoot me if I have to read another angst riddled internal monologue about the seductive power and allure of vampirism or dumb teens rebelling against authority EVEN THOUGH you are in a post apocolyptic setting.

Next time Audible goes through all the production, pub, and pomp to promote a book, I hope they choose a worthy story... wait a minute, they did that with Sandman... look in to adapting Saga, Maus, or The Boys comics in all their original uncensored glory.

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3 people found this helpful