View from Valhalla

Category: Podcast Reviews

  • Podcast Review #79: Kissyman and the Gentleman

    originally published May 2, 2011

    Title: Kissyman and the Gentleman
    Author: Scott Sigler
    Genre: Crime Fiction
    Released: 2 February 2011 – 11 February 2011
    Located: Author’s Site, iTunes, Podiobooks
    Formats Available: podcast only at this point
    Rating: R for violence, language and adult content

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis:

    New York City, 1946. No one knows his real name, but when the job is too dirty, too dangerous, you call Kissyman. Once he was an elite Nazi SS commando, an honorable soldier, a taker of lives. When he was assigned to Dachau and saw what he was actual fighting for, he went AWOL and ran as far away as he could — to America.

    He still makes his living with a gun, but he no longer kills for his country. Now, he kills for cash.

    A dashing, high-profile bodyguard known as “The Gentleman” is hired to protect Beth Copenhaver, an up-and-coming Hollywood starlet. When a man named Mathis Wren surfaces from Beth’s past and threatens her life, The Gentleman hires Kissyman to make Mathis see the error of his ways.

    It should be a simple job, but there is far more to the connection between Wren and Beth than the bombshell lets on. She’s starring in a new movie with John Wayne called Western Dawn. As the premier approaches, Kissyman has to get to Wren before Wren can get to Beth. (stolen from Podiobooks.com)

    Production: The production of Kissyman and the Gentleman is surprisingly good. Wait. I’m not saying that Mr. Sigler’s stories are usually poorly produced. They’re not. But this one is different from any other I remember hearing from him. There is a running backtrack. Sirens, gunshots, road noise, etc. Either Mr. Sigler has moved to a much seedier part of town, or he has moved his production mojo to a new level. I’m going to assume the latter.

    Regardless, this story sounds “good”. The production quality adds to the podcast sound and never really gets in the way.

    Grade: A

    Cast: As always, Mr. Sigler does Kissyman and the Gentleman as a self read, and he does it quite well. If you have listened to any of Mr. Sigler’s stories you know he is unique. Lively and expressive in his readings, he keeps the listener interested in what is going on in the story.

    Grade: A

    Story: Kissyman and the Gentleman is a relatively short listen with only 8 eps. Yes, there are 9 eps in the feed, but the first is the short story that introduced us to Kissyman that Mr. Sigler had released earlier. It, in itself, is a good listen and an excellent introduction to this world.

    I didn’t realize until this moment that this story is told from a 1st person point of view. Regular readers of this blog will know I’m not a fan of 1st person narrative, but it is perfect for this story and works well here.

    Grade: A

    Verdict: I REALLY enjoyed Kissyman and the Gentleman and would like to see it turned into a novel, or perhaps a series with more Kissyman stories. I’ll admit, I have a soft spot for hitman stories, but this one is done exceedingly well. The main character is consistently developed through his interactions with others. Mr. Sigler has a variety of stories out there. From straight out creature feature to dark science fiction, to young adult space football, to scifi horror. I enjoy most of what Mr. Sigler produces, but Kissyman has been moved way up near the top. This is just a plain good story and I do recommend it for adult audiences.

    Don’t forget, if you send an audio comment to me at Odin1eye at viewfromvalhalla dot com, I’ll include it in the podcast version of this episode next weekend. You can also leave voicemail, for this or any other story, at the Valhalla Hotline simply by calling 956-307-ODIN (6346)

    Disclosure: I do follow Mr. Sigler on Twitter and have exchanged a few tweets with him. I do not claim I am a confidante of his or that I am on his Christmas Card (of Doom) list. I do have the feeling that when the plaid tanks roll, my address will be one of the ones known to the gunners.

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  • Podcast Review #78: The God Conspiracy

    originally published April 25, 2011

    Title: The God Conspiracy
    Author: Derek P Gilbert
    Genre: Science Fiction/Conspiracy Theory
    Released: 15 October 2009 – 10 November 2009
    Located: Author’s Site, iTunes, Podiobooks
    Formats Available: podcast, e-book, dead tree
    Rating: PG-13 for violence

    For one of the first times in a long time, I went browsing at Podiobooks simply to find something I hadn’t had recommended or heard a lot about. The God Conspiracy fit all of these requirements, so I subscribed.

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis:

    One e-mail. Five lines. 4,000 dead.

    And it is only just beginning…

    When a small boy in Iowa forwards a mysterious email from ‘God’ to a small group of friends, he unwittingly releases a trigger that sends blood pouring throughout his farming community.

    Thousands more are dead across the country in dozens of simultaneous terror attacks and the government blames fundamentalists who want to trigger the Apocalypse.

    FBI Agent Joe Unes reluctantly teams with reclusive Internet radio host Barney Ison (from Sharon K. Gilbert’s The Armageddon Strain) to expose the plot — and discovers that he’s not contending against flesh and blood. (stolen from Podiobooks.com)

    Production: When you randomly pick a podcast, you never know what you’re getting yourself into in any of these categories. Simply stated without much camouflage, the production quality on The God Conspiracy was exceedingly well done. Minimalist in many ways, with musical intro and outro, with read lines in between. The audio quality was crisp and clear and there was no real issues with the production. Except one. One BIG one. If you notice from my description of the production above, something is missing. It was missing from the podcast as well. There was simply no audio cue, or any other way of telling, when the author jumped from one scene to another. One moment you’re listening to one story line and literally in the next breath your transported to something completely different. This was distracting, for me, in the extreme.

    Only one area of concern, but it truly lowered the listening experience for me.

    Grade: B

    Cast: Mr. Gilbert does The God Conspiracy as a self read. The number of characters in the book are of a medium large quantity, and Mr. Gilbert kept the number of special voices to a minimum. Most of the cues to the action were received simply by the reading. I didn’t really have an issue with this at all and the story never really suffered for it.

    Grade: A

    Story: The God Conspiracy is unique in the podiofiction I’ve listened to in that it is the first that is overtly Christian in its delivery. Scott Roche’s Archangel series is more about Christian mythology where The God Conspiracy is continually rooted in biblical scriptures. I know I’ve all ready lost some of you with that statement. I guess that is fair. I hadn’t expected this level of Christian theology as I really hadn’t gleaned this from the synopsis. However, if you’re still with me, this story is in a strange ‘no man’s land’ for me in that it is also conspiracy theory and definitely not something I’ve heard before.

    Grade: B

    Verdict: The God Conspiracy is not heavily supernatural, page after page. There is a fair amount of conservative Christian theology presented. This story, well not for everyone (and what is?) will appeal to fans of Frank Piretti all the way to Janette Oke, and in my opinion, Mr. Gilbert is better than either.

    Don’t forget, if you send an audio comment to me at Odin1eye at viewfromvalhalla dot com, I’ll include it in the podcast version of this episode next weekend. You can also leave voicemail, for this or any other story, at the Valhalla Hotline simply by calling 956-307-ODIN (6346)

    Disclosure: I do not follow Mr. Gilbert on Twitter (indeed, I don’t know if he is even on Twitter), I’ve never conversed with him (at the time of this writing) and was offered nothing in return for this interview.

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  • Podcast Review #77: Fables of the Flying City

    originally published April 18, 2011

    Title: Fables of the Flying City
    Author: Jared Axelrod
    Genre: Steampunk flying adventure
    Released: 30 May 2010 – 6 April 2011
    Located: Author’s Site, iTunes
    Formats Available: podcast
    Rating: PG-13 for some violence

    Fables of the Flying City had been on my radar since I heard Balticon buzzing about it (via twitter) last year. Of course, then I completely forgot about it until Mainframe (Richard Green) had the author, Jared Axelrod, on his wonderful interview show, Geek Out with Mainframe. I then forgot about it again (seriously, I’m simply terrible sometimes) until I asked Richard to remind me to subscribe. The act of asking someone else to remind me naturally caused me to remember and I subscribed.

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis:

    Ashe, a young woman from the streets of the flying city of Amperstam learns what it takes to be a member of the Aerial Guard, and finds herself at war with an invading empire and the rulers of the city she has sworn to protect!

    Fables of the Flying City is written by Jared Axelrod, with illustrations by Steve Walker and Natalie Kelly. (stolen from author’s site)

    Production: Mr. Axelrod, early on shows that he’s not too worried about production and talks to his listeners about different setups he’s experimenting with. These eps are short, often in the range between five and ten minutes. It isn’t unusual for Mr. Axelrod to give his listeners as much metatalk as there is story. Since most of the metatalk I found informative or amusing, I didn’t mind. However, I personally prefer this metatalk to come AFTER the story, but that is only my personal preference.

    Grade: C

    Cast: Mr. Axelrod does a nice job of self reading most of the story. He has a guest reader for several episodes, but the story is always a single voice. I liked Mr. Axelrod’s readings. He has an infectious quality to his voice that makes your root for his heroine. I preferred his voice to his guests, but again, that is probably just my preference. All were easily understood and read the parts well.

    Grade: B

    Story: Fables of the Flying City is going to be a graphic novel. This podcast that Mr. Axelrod has provided is actually the prequel to that graphic novel. Having said that, this prequel stands on its own and does what any good prequel should do: makes you care about the characters that will be moving on.

    Grade: A

    Verdict: I truly enjoyed Fables of the Flying City. It is the first story that I’ve heard that I would classify as true steampunk and not a story with steampunk elements. The characters drive the story and your imagination is used (appropriately) to fill in some of the technology. I always looked forward to hearing the latest episode of Fables of the Flying City and I think you will to. I am very anxious for the graphic novel to make its way into my hands.

    Don’t forget, if you send an audio comment to me at Odin1eye at viewfromvalhalla dot com, I’ll include it in the podcast version of this episode next weekend.

    Disclosure: I do follow Mr. Axelrod on Twitter and find him quite the intelligent tweeter. I don’t converse with him often or at length. I was not offered a free copy of the graphic novel for review (grinding teeth) or anything else in return for this review.

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  • Podcast Review #75: Vatican Assassin

    originally published April 4, 2011

    Title: Vatican Assassin
    Author: Mike Luoma
    Genre: Science Fiction
    Released: 31 July 2009
    Located: Podiobooks, iTunes, Author’s Site
    Formats Available: podcast, ebook
    Rating: R for violence and strong language

    This is another story that had been recommended to me. Again, for one reason or another, I’ve lost the link between the book and the person that recommended. I have had this one sitting on my phone for ages and finally had a chance to sit down and listen.

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis: Bernard Campion, aka “BC”, is an assassin for the Pope, struggling with his work’s inherent contradictions while trying to take care of “business” during an out of control interplanetary religious war in 2109. BC is a killer disguised as a priest of the New catholic Church. His current assignment? Eliminate the Governor of Lunar Prime, the free state on the Moon. BC has no idea this latest assignment will change everything… (Stolen from Podiobooks.com)

    Production: Mr. Luoma does a decent job of the production on Vatican Assassin. As noted in the title, I am reviewing the remastered addition. I have no idea why it was remastered or what issues might have been present in the first. I’ll restate however that the production of the remastered version is pretty good. I think I caught a repeated line or two, but it is hard to tell as the speaking patterns of certain individuals might include a certain repetitiveness. In cases like that, I tend to give the benefit of the doubt to the author.

    However, in a disturbing trend, I’m finding several episode lengths to be much too short. I’ve discussed this before and won’t go in depth here, but I think podcast eps should be at least 20 minutes long. Of course, that is just me.

    Grade: A-

    Cast: Vatican Assassin is an author read story. Mr. Luoma does his best to read the story with gusto. Perhaps too much. I personally found the continued ebullient voices grating after a while, but your opinion may differ. (If so, you know where the comment section is, right?) The character list for a podcast story was just right and I had no difficulty remembering or tracking characters.

    Grade: B-

    Story: Mr. Luoma states at the beginning of each episode that Vatican Assassin is the beginning of a trilogy. In his world, this must mean that the first book is basically meant to create multiple open threads and close very few of them. This is exactly what Vatican Assassin does. We follow B.C. around for thirty eps watching him blunder from one storyline to the next without closing any of them along the way.

    Grade: C-

    Verdict: I personally can not recommend Vatican Assassin. I found the premise of the concept of a unified “Christian” church under the auspices of the New catholic church (small “c” on catholic intentional) to be implausible but very interesting. I also found corruption in the church to the extent where they include a branch of assassins to be novel and clever. (Yes, I know there is probably historical precedent, but that is not what I’m talking about.) In implementation though, I found the story lacking. From the reading to the slapdash antics of the protagonist, I just never grokked this book. One of the things that probably annoyed me the most about this story was the fact that it was written in 3rd person present narrative. “B.C. looks out the door. He turns and looks out the window. He sees nothing and sits in a chair.” (NO, that is not out of the book, it is an EXAMPLE of 3rd person present.) I hated this writing style as it felt to me more like a screen treatment than a book. Again, this might be just me. But it annoyed me badly enough I almost discontinued listening.

    I know that many of the story lines will be concluded in the next two books (or believe they would have to be), but this will happen without me. I believe that in any series, at least the first book should be self contained. If the author chooses to make further books mandatory to receive closure, I’d prefer they just roll it into the original book, even if it makes that several hundred thousand words long.

    Someone recommended this book to me. What did I miss that would make you recommend it? Give me your side in the comments. Please.

    Disclosure: I’ve never tweeted with Mr. Luoma or conversed with him in any other way. I’ve seen him continually putting up new works at podiobooks.com, and for that I thank him.

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  • Podcast Review #74: Digital Magic

    originally published March 28, 2011

    Title: Digital Magic
    Author: Philippa Ballantine
    Genre: Science Fiction and Fantasy
    Released: 10 November 2009 – 13 March 2011
    Located: Podiobooks, iTunes, Author’s Site
    Formats Available: podcast, ebook and dead tree (dead tree is no longer being published, so you might have to search)
    Rating: R for violence and sexual situations

    Thank God it’s over. I’ve been waiting to review this since November of 2009. For those of you keeping score, yes, that is when Podcast Review #1 dropped. And, yes, it is also when the first ep of Digital Magic was released. I purchased the book a year before that and had been waiting for the podcast so that I could review it!

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis: Penherem is a quaint, sleepy English village where people go to escape the 21st Century. Hiding from the world of laptop computers, the Internet, and wireless communication, is Ella. A writer, now barren of ideas and drive, she resigns herself to a quiet life of solitude. Everything changes with the arrival of a shapeshifting thief. Suddenly, everyone begins to change–from the local librarian to the lady of the manor–revealing their true natures and dangerous secrets. Something in this sleepy English village is awakening… something that might be better left alone. (Stolen from Podiobooks.com)

    Production: It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that has ever heard Ms. Ballantine’s work that the production is superb. She is well known as a voice actress in the podcast fiction community and I’ve rarely (never?) heard any of her audio that was less than excellent. Hmmm.. well maybe her first work of podcast fiction Weaver’s Web, but truthfully I don’t recall and would have to listen again. Suffice it to say, I heard nothing in Digital Magic that needs pointed out in a negative way.

    However, the production schedule might make some take notice. Yes, it really did take over a year for this podcast to be completed. It is strange listening to early eps now and hearing advertisements (that word really is/should be pronounced Ad-ver-tis-ments… no long vowels, it’s just nicer that way) for The Boom Effect. Ms. Ballantine has been a very busy person during the course of this podcast and has consistently shared with us the deadlines and issues she has faced and the delays these have caused. If you’re podcasting, and you face delays, share that with your listeners. Perhaps even in the feed without an ep attached. Let us know. We’ll stay loyal when we know you haven’t left us.

    Grade: A

    Cast: Ms. Ballantine has moved a bit more into the full fledged cast with Digital Magic. She has regularly used multiple cast members, but I “think” this might be the largest she has utilized. The full cast can be found here.

    Grade: A

    Story: Digital Magic was written as a sequel to Chasing the Bard. However, two more different stories linked by the same content would be hard to find. I submit you would easily be able to listen to or read either story without having any knowledge of the other and have little to no issues arise from that fact. The story does continue with Puck as a main figure, but transverses the globe from Britain to New Zealand to the virtual worlds of the future internet. Digital Magic is Shakespeare as envisioned by William Gibson and written as only Ms. Ballantine could write it.

    Grade: A

    Verdict: I loved Chasing the Bard, but I adored Digital Magic both in its print form and this podcast version. I will also say, as long as there was between eps, I still had no problem following the story without a TSSF. If you like Science Fiction without spaceships and still want a bit of magic thrown in, you’re not going to find a better story than Digital Magic. Go, subscribe now.

    Disclosure: Ms. Ballantine is one of my best friends. Pip is generous to a fault and one of the most talented people I know. I suspect she figured I’d review this podcast eventually, but she never asked or promised anything in return.

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  • Podcast Review #73: Wiener Blut

    originally published March 21, 2011

    Title: Wiener Blut
    Author: Katharina Maimer
    Genre: Fantasy
    Released: 12 December 2010 – 19 March 2011
    Located: Podiobooks, iTunes
    Formats Available: podcast, ebook (here or here) and dead tree coming very soon
    Rating: PG for violence and mildly suggestive sexual situations

    Some stories you hear about many months after complete. Some stories you find out about as they’re being released. And then a few stories you know about as they’re being written. Wiener Blut is one of the latter for me. Ms. Maimer is a good friend and Wiener Blut was is her debut novel. When Ms. Maimer decided to enter NaNoWriMo this last November, she wasn’t sure she would finish. I knew she could. She did. And then she barely made it to December before she began to podcast it.

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis: When Isabelle’s secret past returns to haunt her nightmares, she must take action to protect her family from a threat that is closer than she realises.

    Set within the traditional Viennese café culture, ‘Wiener Blut’ (literally translated as ‘Viennese Blood’) is the story of café owner Isabelle Schindler-Krug and her role in a struggle for power that stretches back for centuries.

    As she tells her sons the legends behind coffee and Vienna, it becomes clear that one such legend is still in the making, with her own family caught right in the middle. [A bit more from me on synopsis here. While not spartan, this synopsis is still just a wee bit short for me. It does entice me, but it doesn’t seal the deal.] (Stolen from Podiobooks.com)

    Production: I initially subscribed through iTunes and while I had no problem with the audio, I did notice that Wiener Blut made good use of the stereo effect for conversatons and it occurred to me that most podiobooks do not. Recently, the only other one I could remember was Prometheus Radio Theater. I later re-listened to a couple of the same episodes downloaded through Podiobooks.com and noticed that the effect was now missing. I questioned Katharina on this fact and she confirmed that these eps had been re-engineered due to the fact that one of the Podiobooks.com guidelines requests this. I was initially a bit surprised, but it made much sense when I considered the fact that during the Prometheus episodes I was reduced to hearing half a conversation through my earbuds while I kept the other ear on my children. Still, the production is quite good and I have no problems with any aspect of it. [note: When I am a first pass listener and one or another issue is discovered with an ep, and the author states they have discovered it and fixed it, I give the podcast the marks it would have received if I had never heard the issue. I DO NOT go back and listen to the ep again in order to verify. I just don’t have time.]

    As a final production note, though Wiener Blut is not a long book, it never missed a release window. I don’t have issues with an occasional missed week, but it sure is nice when they don’t occur. This is even more rare when the book is being recorded as eps are being dropped. For all that accomplish this herculean task, good work!

    Grade: A

    Cast: This cast is a freaking who’s who of podcasting talent. With the exception of two voices that readily come to mind, I think ALL of my favorites are here. That is an amazing accomplishment. With this kind of cast, it shouldn’t be surprising that I felt the story was read exceptionally well. There was one “extra” [me] that sounded like a total hack with the one line he handled [sorry] but hopefully that will be overlooked by all of the awesome that surrounded it.

    Grade: A+

    Story: Wiener Blut is an easy story to listen to and an even easier story to enjoy. If you have trouble with accents, you might have issues with this story, but then, I don’t want to hear about it. This is a story that starts out in the world we know and ends up elsewhere, but not in the usual way, and I was able to enjoy the travels between the two worlds. The characters are well done and come to life on their own. Initially, I was led into believing the antagonist was other than whom it ended up being, which made me enjoy it even more. The sexes are evenly and fairly portrayed which happens more often in novels written by females (or it least it seems to me to be so at the time of this writing).

    Grade: A-

    Verdict: Ms. Maimer made no secret on Twitter or at various times in the comments on this blog that she has been taking notes on the things that might appeal to a certain reviewer. I can say that although the lack of TSSF and other silly annoyances like that were nice, it would never have garnered a positive review from me in and of itself. Neither would being a friend of mine. There is only one way to get a positive review on this blog: write something I like. Start with characters and go from there. This is exactly what Ms. Maimer has done. The peek into Viennese coffee house life is fascinating, the coffees look and sound devine, and the characters carry the story. While I might be able to list these attributes, they’re not really something that would fit nicely on a checklist. It’s a first novel that doesn’t read like a first novel. I commend Ms. Maimer for not only putting the story into production as quickly as she did, but for doing it in such a polished form. One could probably always do more editing, but this story is far from unedited. I do recommend Wiener Blut, and after listening, I think you will too.

    Disclosure: Not only am I friends with Ms. Maimer (the name is Katharina, not Kat), but I also work as first line editor (first line of rejection) for the joint podcast she does with Mick Bordet (her kilt wearing snuggle bunny), Every Photo Tells. We exchange Christmas cards and I entirely expect to be invited to Europe at some future time for some future event.

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  • Podcast Review #72: House of Grey

    originally published March 14, 2011

    Title: House of Grey
    Author: Collin Earl
    Genre: Fantasy
    Released: 5 September 2008 – 7 March 2010
    Located: Podiobooks, iTunes
    Formats Available: podcast only
    Rating: PG for anime type (and referenced) violence

    I have no idea who recommended this podcast to me. Whoever you are, I don’t know whether to thank you or curse you. It was recommended to me quite a while back and I simply never got around to it. Recently, I fixed that.

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis: 14-year-old Monson Grey faces the same challenges that any freshman high school kid would. Difficult classes, weird teachers, food fights…girls. Except Monson Grey is not Monson Grey. At least, when he looks at himself in the mirror, the scarred face staring back is not someone he recognizes. Now he finds himself attending an extraordinary school, the recipient of an incredible scholarship, among ridiculously rich classmates, and with no memory of how he got there or what to expect. As bizarre events start to unfold around him, Monson wonders what secrets lay locked in his hidden past. Add all this to a mysterious silver stone, an Indiana-Jones-copycat professor, Merlin the wizard, and even Atlantis, and you’ll find yourself in a fantastic tale in which magic does exist and everything is never as it seems. (Stolen from Podiobooks.com)

    Production: House of Grey does some things very well. Without getting into the cast (which comes next of course) the producers did some remarkable work with computer altered voicework. I’m usually not a fan of this, but 8 out of 10 times, they did it very, very well. There is a The Story so Far that morphs during the course of the podcast, though never becomes something I enjoyed. In the last ep there is one or two repeated lines. Occasionally, the pieced together audio sounds like exactly what it is, but as the grade shows, never quiet enough to take me out of the moment.

    One final note on production. This story has some of the longest eps I’ve ever heard. Many approach an hour and several surpass, with at least one hitting two and a quarter hours of content.

    Grade: B+

    Cast: The House of Grey was read by Chris Snelgrove. He does a commendable job of voice inflection and personalization of each voice. Yes, even the ladies (which pay a large part). If you choose to listen, you’ll have very little trouble differentiating the characters.

    Grade: A-

    Story: Occasionally, it is hard for me to distinguish between the “Story” portion of these reviews and the “Verdict”. This particular story is one of the hardest for me to differentiate.

    I would label House of Grey a young adult title whether the author would or not. The protagonists are all high school kids in a prestigious west coast school. The violence is much like the anime the characters are hooked on. The problems they face range from the typical high school type of problems to saving the world.

    House of Grey is also a story that unwraps as you go along. I love/hate stories that I’m half way through when I’m asked, “What’s it about?” and my only answer can be, “I have no idea.” House of Grey firmly resides in this camp.

    Grade: B

    Verdict: I LOVED House of Grey. Seriously gang. I know not every story is for everyone, I accept that. However, this story truly resonated with me. I have no idea why. It just did. I am not claiming everything is perfect. The story is bloated. At almost 40 hours of content I’m guessing it is at least 200,000 words and would probably surpass 500 pages in mass market paperback form. I’m also guessing a good editor would probably trim at least a third. That didn’t matter to me. Mr. Snelgrove’s over enthusiastic ep intros annoyed me. That, too, didn’t matter. What it come down to was, I was so enthralled with the story that the writing issues just didn’t matter. And for me, THAT is rare.

    By now, you’re probably suspecting that my verdict would be an unqualified listen. And until the last episode, you would have been correct. The last two and a half hour episode. The one that was one huge battle sequence. The one that, with 30 minutes left, you’re beginning to wonder “How is Mr. Earl going to tie this up?” And yes, the one that with three minutes left we forget about trying to tie it up and change the point of view to a highly unlikely cast member and leaves the audience completely in the dark about how ANYTHING in the story is resolved. Let me make this clear. The story does not end. If Tolkien had left us during the scene inside Mount Doom with Frodo and Smeagol wrestling, you might get the idea. I have to admit that my initial reaction to the last episode was anger. But then again, all I really paid for all of these hours of exuberant, thrilling imaginative entertainment was my time.

    So, can I recommend House of Grey to you? No. Unfortunately not. I only review finished stories, and I’m sorry to say, that although this story is marked “complete” I would beg to differ. And I cannot recommend this story to you. Why? Perhaps you noticed the first ep dropped over 2.5 years ago and there is no sign of anything new on the horizon. And for the rest.. I ask you to follow me down to the disclosure.

    Disclosure: As stated multiple places and multiple times, I keep my twitter feed pretty lean. If I follow you it is because I feel you add something to my stream. A couple of eps before the end, I found and followed Mr. Earl on the basis of how much I enjoyed this story. I don’t recall ever having done that before. Through a few innocuous questions, I have discovered that he is currently planning a rewrite of House of Grey (which as much as I loved it, I agree it needs) before going on book 2. This rewrite is planned to occur in 2012 with part two following sometime after.

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  • Podcast Review #71: The Prince of Hazel and Oak

    originally published March 7, 2011

    Title: The Prince of Hazel and Oak
    Author: John Lenahan
    Genre: Fantasy
    Released: 20 May 2010 – 1 March 2011
    Located: iTunes, Podiobooks
    Formats Available: Podcast, coming soon as ebook and dead tree from Harper Collins UK
    Rating: G/PG but with some violence and intense scenes

    About seven months ago, I reviewed Mr. Lenahan’s first book Shadowmagic, which I enjoyed very much. So when I discovered that he was also podcasting the sequel, it wasn’t much of a decision to give it a listen.

    NOTICE: I was recently effervescing on Twitter about a work of podcast fiction that I had found and become enamored with. I announced that I would be reviewing it this week. Well, I guess I should have known better. I finished the podcast and decided I needed a week to let it gel before I made that review. Luckily, Mr. Lenahan finished Prince of Hazel and Oak this week and I had been listening as it dropped.

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis: Join Conor (and a very confused Scranton cop) as they try to survive The Prince of Duir’s chaotic return to The Land. (stolen from Podiobooks.com)

    I’m going to depart a bit from the norm and ruminate a bit on synopses at this point. If you’re going to go to all the effort of writing a book, and then the extra effort of podcasting it, why wouldn’t you give the synopsis your best sales pitch? This is your one chance to hook me or any other reader. Sure, I might listen regardless of the synopsis, especially if it is a sequel like this, but why take that chance? The above synopsis wouldn’t convince me to listen to five minutes.

    Production: Mr. Lenahan knew he had a winner on his hands with Shadowmagic and he was smart enough not to miss with the production of the sequel. He uses the same music (provided by Lunasa) and production cues. His reading styles hasn’t changed and overall the production remains quite tight.

    Score: A

    Cast: Mr. Lenahan does a fantastic job with a straight read for this podcast. He uses quite a bit of inflection and is able to differentiate quite well between the characters simply by using his voice. Yes, even the women. One of the things that I appreciated the most concerning his reading of the characters though was the sarcasm that he imbued his characters with. I love sarcasm and find it quite well done here. (I actually copied the cast portion of this review over from Shadowmagic, it is still the truth.)

    Score: A

    Story: If you haven’t listened to Shadowmagic yet (or hopefully purchased and read the book) I definitely recommend that you do so, as this story picks up a season or so after that one ends. This story is similar to the original in that it is based on the quest trope and follows Conor as he traverses the land. This is fantasy, pure and simple.

    Verdict: There were several things I didn’t really care for about this book. Namely, the beginning and the ending. The device Mr. Lenahan used at the beginning of the book I felt was a bit of a cheat. I would much rather the information he provided about Jesse and Frank be embedded into the body of the story, and I can see several places where that could easily have been accomplished. The last chapter, as well I felt was just a bit too predictable and would wish it could have been handled differently. However, between these two minor (and they are minor) issues, The Prince of Hazel and Oak is pure fun. Fans of the original will surely enjoy this second chapter in the story of Conor, Prince of Duir. Go subscribe. You won’t regret it.

    Disclosure: I still have never communicated with Mr. Lenahan. I still do not know if he is even on Twitter. I can tell you that nothing was offered by anyone in return for this review.

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  • Podcast Review #70: Eden

    originally published February 28, 2011

    Title: Eden
    Author: Phil Rossi
    Genre: Science Fiction/Horror
    Released: 11 February 2009 – 16 April 2009
    Located: Podiob1ooks, iTunes
    Formats Available: podcast only
    Rating: R for violence, adult situations

    Nothing I’m listening to currently ended this week, and I wasn’t able to finish a completed story in time to review, so it was time to pull one from the vault. Having realized that I had never reviewed Mr. Rossi’s Eden, I have decided to rectify that.

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis: The tree is beautiful and they call her Eden. Her branches reach for the stars. She is like all other trees on planet Earth save for her enormous size. Still, she has leaves and she has bark. She turns sunlight into life. But this tree does not sprout from the dirt. Eden fills the sky, high in orbit above the blue expanse of Uranus. There she changes humanity’s very concept of extraterrestrial life. Dr. Malcolm Green is sent to Eden to audit a science team studying this extraordinary tree from the dark confines of space station Lola. But with unexplainable accidents plaguing the team, tensions are mounting between scientists and custodial staff. Is there a future for this project and Lola? Only Malcolm Green can make that call. From the second he sets foot on Lola, Malcolm’s own future becomes at stake. He soon finds that love, friendship, and his own mortality tremble like a leaf at the sound of Eden’s call. (Stolen from Podiobooks.com)

    Production: By the time Eden was produced, Mr. Rossi had all ready provided us with Crescent and his anthology, Notes from the Vault. Having these previous works under his belt, producing Eden was probably fairly easy for him as he follows much the same formula. As with Mr. Rossi’s other works, the audio is clean. There are limited audio effects that enhance the mood of the story. I can’t recall a single instance of being distracted from the story.

    Grade: A

    Cast: Eden is a straight read. Everyone has their own preference when it comes to straight read versus casted stories. I go back and forth depending on the story and/or the author. Mr. Rossi does a very good job of reading his own material and his voice seems just sly enough to be a bit creepy. Perfect for this kind of story.

    Grade: A-

    Story: Eden is a novella and a fairly short one at that. There isn’t a lot of character building and the story itself demands immediate suspension of belief. This is not to say Mr. Rossi does not provide motivations for his characters or back story. He does. But he is obviously sharing with us a moment of their story, not their entire story. For Rossi this is a bit different but he does it adequately and in a way that makes sense to me.

    Grade: B

    Verdict: I found Eden to be much like one of the better episodes of The Twilight Zone or perhaps The Outer Limits. It is short, quick to the conclusion, and maybe somewhat without a point. This is not a criticism. I quite enjoyed the shows mentioned above and I have no problem with stories/podcasts that are similar. Harvey is far and away my favorite story by Mr. Rossi. Eden is my second.

    Disclosure: I have followed Mr. Rossi on Twitter for quite some time. Mr. Rossi has tweeted much less in recent times and I suspect is quite busy between his many endeavors.

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  • Podcast Review #69: Bone Machines

    originally published February 21, 2011

    Title: Bone Machines
    Author: John Dodds
    Genre: Psychological Murder Thriller
    Released: 20 January 2011 – 15 February 2011
    Located: Podiobooks, iTunes
    Formats Available: podcast, ebook, paperback
    Rating: R for violence, adult situations, drug use

    When I started these reviews a little over a year ago (yes, it really hasn’t been much more than that), my primary goal was to help people find a work of podfiction they would enjoy. People along the way have commented along the lines of ‘thank you for listening to that so I didn’t have to’. Regular readers of this blog know that from time to time I ask for recommendations. Recently however, I’ve had a few requests to listen to something that the requester hasn’t listened to in order to provide that “screen”. Not long after the first of the year, our friend Katharina Maimer asked if I would mind taking a listen to Bone Machines. Now, I suspect she had alternative motives as those of us who know her know she has a thing for Scottish accents. Be that as it may, I decided to give it a try, and since I don’t have an overabundance of reviews in the “crime novel” category, I felt it would provide a nice counterbalance to the rest of the reviews.

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis: They suffer for his art…

    When a number of women are reported missing in Glasgow, the spectre of a previous spate of unsolved disappearances in the city rears its head.

    Journalist Ray Bissett is drawn into the case when his daughter joins the ranks of the missing. And ambitious police detective Tom Kendrick won’t let Ray forget a terrible incident from his past which resulted in the death of a young boy.

    Damaged lives and dark secrets…

    The streets of Glasgow haunted by the ghosts of the missing…

    And an artist driven by a deadly inspiration. (Stolen from Podiobooks.com)

    Production: The production of Bone Machines had the potential to rank in the A category. Unfortunately it failed. In some episodes there were multiple repeated lines. If there is one thing that can take me out of “the moment” in a story, it is repeated lines. Mr. Dodd did note that he had corrected these later on, and I will take his word for it that he did and not count them against him. One of the things an “early” listener must accept is that in some ways we are beta listeners. At least that is how I feel. If the author/producer cares enough about the product to go back and “fix” these errors even after release, I’m inclined to be a bit forgiving. At least I am today.

    However, the mediocrity of the production doesn’t end there. There is an obvious audible difference in certain spots where lines have been edited in and other places where artifacts are plainly heard from the author’s recording environment.

    Again, this production is far from “bad” and in most places it is good. Overall, with the areas noted above countered by the mostly good, induces me to score Bone Machines as average.

    Grade: C

    Cast: Bone Machines is a straight read by the author, Mr. Dodd. If you are not Scottish and have trouble understanding a Scottish accent, you might as well not even give Bone Machines a trial listen. Of course, I also don’t want to hear your complaints in this regard. We’re all products of the area we were raised. Personally, I found Mr. Dodd’s voice quite pleasant and as the story takes place in Scotland, his reading was entirely appropriate and added value. Mr. Dodd did not try to differentiate the voices overly much, and it was unnecessary as his written/read cues were quite sufficient to easily understand which character was speaking.

    Grade: A-

    Story: One of the reasons I haven’t reviewed a plethora of crime stories, is they’re not my favorite genre. I’ve read my share of Sherlock Holmes and other “great detectives”, but I classify those as mysteries, not necessarily crime novels. The first chapter of Bone Machines inclined me to believe it was going to be torture porn (i.e. The Saw franchise). I endeavored to listen to two more eps before I gave up, as I really detest torture porn. The second episode got away from the shock value of the first and allowed me to start enjoying the story so I followed it all the way through.

    There were several areas of the story that I think suffered from continuity errors. Twice information was provided on the varying technique of stripping flesh from bone, and each time it was presented as if new. The “big reveal” I had figured out before hand, though I’m not entirely sure Mr. Dodd didn’t have it planned for the reader to do so.

    Grade: C

    Verdict: Though I might have seemed to have been a bit harsh here or there in the above, Bone Machines is one of the better examples of crime fiction I’ve heard on Podiobooks. It was graphic in places and probably isn’t for everyone. I suspect if your a fan of Silence of the Lambs, Bone Machines will be right up your alley.

    Disclosure: I do not follow Mr. Dodds on Twitter and I don’t believe he follows me. I’ve never entered into a conversation with him and was provided with no incentive by the author to provide this review. Not even a picture of a highland coo.

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