The Dungeon & the Labyrinth Audiobook by Rob Horner

My fifth narration is now live!

I learn something new with each book I finish.  I  mean, apart from the fact that I don't like my own voice that much; I learned that long ago.

This one is my best work to date.  

Ten strangers wake up to find themselves unwitting contestants in a new reality show, The Dungeon. The rules are simple: if they can make it to the end, they will live. The world is watching. Timed kill rooms, traps, wild animals, and a new breed of human monstrosity are all bent on making this game as difficult as possible. Can they come together and work as a team? Or will they fall to the perils within these halls?

Tune in to the inaugural episode of The Dungeon to find out! (Check your local listings for availability.) (All bets must be placed within the first 5 minutes of each episode, except where not allowed by law.)

The Dungeon & the Labyrinth Audiobook by Rob Horner

Review: The Headphones

The Headphones by Steve McElhenny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reminded me quite a bit of series such as Twilight Zone, or Monsters. A misanthrope, who has never known happiness, attempts to use a magical artifact that reminds people of their happiest time.

I've read a lot of McElhenny's work - he comes up with unique ideas and tributes to the entertainment of earlier days. Sometimes I think that he's too optimistic for horror -- where Steve King would allow his characters to spiral into misery and eternal damnation, Steve McElhenny gives them an escape to redemption.

The narrator was talented - all characters were distinct and separate, all voices well-done, and the overall mood appropriate - but the way he used accents made me question exactly where the book was supposed to be set.

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Review: The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

An annoying format for a story. Only at the very end does the reader learn why they're reading case files, and I suppose it makes sense, but it didn't make it any less annoying. Were it not for the fact that this was selected by the local mystery book club, I would not have finished the book.

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Review: Mockingbird

Mockingbird by Steve McElhenny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

McElhenney has a unique style; his humor shines through even when he's writing horror. Always entertaining, and always with an optimistic view of humanity - even as he parodies our foibles.

Alan Aldersley-Byrne is a talented reader. He conveys the mood of the piece well, keeps all the character voices distinguishable, and has taught me a few things about UK accents. I would love to workshop with this guy.



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Review: Hollow Kingdom

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I kept wanting to read it aloud just so that I could do all the voices.

ST (for "Shit Turd") is a crow who thinks he's human. At least, in his soul. He was adopted by a redneck (Big Jim) who has now, unfortunately, become a zombie. The world is adjusting, and the humans are changing. Can ST find his place in this new world?

I found this story poignant at times, funny always, and ultimately it left me wanting more. The crow is essentially embarking on a classic hero's journey, and along the way we get to glimpse how a few other animals, scattered around the globe, react to change in the world.

Can't wait to read the sequel.

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Review: The Framed Women of Ardemore House

The Framed Women of Ardemore House by Brandy Schillace
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I never ever shook the feeling that this was basically a Harlequin romance with a mystery in the background. And the penultimate chapter describing what really happened got kind of tedious. By the time the last chapter came around, it was past time for the book to be over."

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Review: Shards of Earth

Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

December 2, 2024 –
0% "Once upon a time, mysterious beings appeared, made a bunch of planets unlivable, then went away after one man spontaneously developed superpowers and managed to defeat just one ship. The splintered masses of humanity, including the genetically engineered and the AI offspring, are not truly ready for the BBEGs to come back.
Oh, and one Amazon falls for this man, who is surprisingly youthful for his years."
December 3, 2024 –
0% "Let's see - an all-female warrior race with relaxed social mores regarding sex. Check."
December 8, 2024 –
0% "Everybody has too many names. I'm beginning to think that Tchaikovsky is hostile toward audiobooks.

This is turning into a sidequest story."
December 9, 2024 –
0% "Oh, they found the Infinity Stones!"
December 10, 2024 –
0% "These AIs sure are sarcastic.

I like the spacer's wake.

Can't help but think that the mystical ability of a select few to navigate un-space and mentally connect with Originators and Architects, is just a wee bit like The Force."
December 15, 2024 –
0% "The early text stated that Ollie could not adapt to standard limb prosthetics because she was not born with standard limbs and couldn't operate them efficiently. And yet, she routinely operates an arachnid form with several more limbs, AND was able to plug directly into a ship's controls? She wasn't born with those, either!"
December 16, 2024 –
0% ""Oh, pay no attention to the veteran with PTSD. No WAY the enemy could come at us again!""
December 22, 2024 – Finished Reading

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