Audiobook Review: Goliath

Title: Goliath

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Narrator: Alan Cumming

Release Date: September 20^th, 2011

Series: Leviathan #3

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Length: 10:35:32

Number of Pages:  543

Source: Bought

Alek and Deryn are on the last leg of their round-the-world quest to end World War I, reclaim Alek’s throne as prince of Austria, and finally fall in love. The first two objectives are complicated by the fact that their ship, the Leviathan, continues to detour farther away from the heart of the war (and crown). And the love thing would be a lot easier if Alek knew Deryn was a girl. (She has to pose as a boy in order to serve in the British Air Service.) And if they weren’t technically enemies.

The tension thickens as the Leviathan steams toward New York City with a homicidal lunatic on board: secrets suddenly unravel, characters reappear, and nothing is at it seems in this thunderous conclusion to Scott Westerfeld’s brilliant trilogy.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

I’m simply speechless after finishing this series. I’ve listen to the audiobooks of the three books and I have to say I’m completely and utterly in love with Alan Cumming’s voice. He is my favorite narrator right now. I may have only listen to four different narrators, but I have to say that he is ten times more amazing than any other narrators I’ve listen to. He is the reason I got into audiobooks actually.

The different voices he created for the characters simply bring the story to life. His pace is slow enough for us to follow easily, but fast enough not to lose the interest. I love hearing the attitude and the personality of Deryn, Alek and all the other characters shine through his narration. I can’t think of a better series to start if you’re looking into audiobooks. It is simply amazing.

Now, the book itself is also completely amazing. I’m completely in love with the characters, and I was so sad when it all ended. I’m still wishing for more. Not because there is anything missing, but mostly because it is too good not to want more.

Scott Westerfeld blew me away with this series. I knew he was good from his other series, but this one brings him to an other level in my books. Wow. I’m still speechless about all he made me feel through the series. I can’t remember a moment where I wasn’t completely into the story. It was addicting.

This book has a little something more than the first two books didn’t have: Romance. I love how the romantic aspect has been introduced in this book. He didn’t suddenly turn in into a romance novel, which I think would have made most fans completely mad. It builds slowly, which makes it even more beautiful.

And of course I have to say something about the ending. It simply made me squeal, smile and it made my toes curl. I loved it.

I absolutely adore this series. If you haven’t read it yet, you really need to do so soon. It is simply amazing.

Audiobook Review: Uncommon Criminals

Title: Uncommon Criminals

Author: Ally Carter

Narrator: Angela Dawe

Series: Heist Society #2

Release Date: June 21^st, 2011

Length: 6:44:28

Number of Pages: 298

Publisher: Brillance Audio (Hyperion)

Source: Bought

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life life. Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners. 

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long, and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous and that is simply… the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all she has her best friend—the gorgeous Hale—and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses, realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

My audiobook addiction continues as I bought a new book. After reading Heist Society a couple of weeks ago, I decided to give this audiobook a chance, as it is shorter than seven hours, which is honestly the length I prefer (around ten hours is still great, but fifteen is too much for me.

First, let’s talk about the narrator. Angela Dawe is the one telling you the story, and I have to say that I did enjoy listening to her. The one thing that annoyed me at first is that I had voices for the characters already created in my mind, as I had read the first book instead of listening to it. Still, after a couple of chapters, it was forgotten. Angela does a great job a keeping us captivated, creating voices for characters and adding enough life to the book that it doesn’t end up soporific (I have a tendency to fall asleep while watching TV, so this aspect is really important for me. As much as I did enjoy her character voices, I have to say that some of them ended up being so similar that I had trouble knowing for sure who was talking. (Usually, the context ended up telling me, but still.)

Overall, I really ended liking this audiobook. Yet, it made me realized how hard it could be to hear someone else voice doing the narration when you already have your own narrator picked in your mind.

Now, it’s time to talk about Ally Carter’s novel. I have to say that I liked it better than Heist Society. The pace was fast enough to keep us into the story, without being too fast. I also have to say that I love all their thief talk, which probably makes me sound strange. The other thing that really made me happy is the romance slowly building between Kat and Hale. This is simply a great rollercoaster of emotion for Kat, which made her even more interesting in my eyes.

That’s another thing I really liked about this book. Kat is maturing, even thought others have to use some drastic measure to get her to see their point. If Kat is one thing, it’s stubborn. Hale really made me like him even more in this book. He was at some point even too good to Kat.

Honestly, I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a fun, captivating and entertaining read. I really enjoyed it.

Audiobook Review: Beautiful Creatures

Title: Beautiful Creatures

Author: Kami Garcia & Margareth Stohl

Narrator: Kevin T. Collins

Series: Caster Chronicles #1

Release Date: December 1^st,  2009

Length: 17:23:40

Number of Pages: 563

Publisher: Hachette Audio (Little Brown)

Source: Bought

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

I had the paperback version of this book in my TBR pile for a while, but I never got around to read it. After discovering the wonders of audiobooks, and hearing that the narrator for this book was great, I decided that it was probably the little push that I needed to read it.

When it comes to the audiobook itself, I’m a little on the fence. I did enjoy the narrator. He was great and did convey nicely the emotion of Ethan though the narration. I did like the effects we could hear during the narration. Yet, I had to give up on the audiobook after 2 hours, because it was simply too long for me. In a little less than two hours, we were only 50 pages into the book. I usually read around 100 pages per hours. Still, the narration really got me into the story, which was great. I ended up reading it in a couple of hours. Yet, the length was an important factor. This book is around 16 hour, which is simply too long for me, as good as the narrator can be. If you don’t mind spending 16 hours listening to a book, I would recommend it. If you’re like me and 16 hours is too much, I would look for the printed version.

The author thing about this audio book that annoyed me a little was how low the dream sequences were. I had trouble hearing what they were saying…

I ended up really liking the story, which I wasn’t so sure about at first. I wasn’t sure if I would like it, because I have to say Ethan was a little too feminine for my liking. All I could think about during certain scene was “What kind of guy reacts like that? That’s a girl reaction..” Yes, I did find that he had the kind of reaction I would have rather than the reaction the guys I know would have. I didn’t really like Lena at first, but she grew on me. At the end, I did end up liking her, just not loving her. I just didn’t feel like she was that strong, especially with her powers and knowledge. I would have liked her to be a little more in control of herself.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I didn’t love it as much as I had hoped, but I did enjoy it. I really like the world created by Kami Garcia and Margareth Stohl.  It’s a book I would recommend, that’s for sure.

Audiobook Review: Behemoth

Title: Behemoth

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Narrator: Alan Cumming

Release Date: October 5^th, 2010

Series: Leviathan #2

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Length: 9:27:19

Number of Pages: 481

Source: Bought

The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker powers.  

Deryn is a girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service, and Alek is the heir to an empire posing as a commoner. Finally together aboard the airship Leviathan, they hope to bring the war to a halt. But when disaster strikes the Leviathan's peacekeeping mission, they find themselves alone and hunted in enemy territory.

Alek and Deryn will need great skill, new allies, and brave hearts to face what's ahead.

I love this series. I simply love it. You’ll have to forgive me for gushing about this book, this world, this narrator and this writer for a couple of lines, because it is all I can do.

Wow. This series is getting better with ever book (and audiobook). Alan Cumming is again excellent, making this story come to life so easily. I was honestly addicted. I got through this one within a day. I just couldn’t stop listening to it, even for a couple of seconds. Alan Cummings makes the characters come to life, with the voices and even through is narration, we can easily see how the characters would move, how they are. I have to say I’m so impressed with all the voices he can do. I listened to this one right after Leviathan, and the voices simply don’t change, even if there had been month between the recordings of both. I have to say I’m completely impressed by Alan Cumming, Sir, I’m falling for your voice,

Of course, there’s more to Behemoth than the narration. The story is simply unbelievably good. This is the first Steampunk series I’ve read, and I’m loving this genre. Now that the world is mostly set, there’s more space for action. And there’s a lot of action in this book. Alek and Deryn have to face some challenges, as much form outside than form inside their circle. Deryn’s secret is not as secret as she may have hoped for. Both Alek and Deryn and faced with choices that will influence the war and, of course, their lives.

I loved how the friendship between those two grew, and even grew a little more than just into friendship. They both can be so dense, but I think it’s part of their charm. Everytime I read more from them, the more I fall for those two amazing characters. Really, this is one of the best series I’ve read this year, without a doubt. If you haven’t started this series yet, DO IT! If you’re not into audiobooks, read them. The books actually some pretty nice drawing by Keith Thompson, which will force me to buy the physical books simply to have them (yes, I’m like that…)

Audiobook Review: Leviathan

Title: Leviathan

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Narrator: Alan Cumming

Release Date: September 22^nd, 2009

Series: Leviathan

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Length: 8:15:59

Number of Pages: 440

Source: Bought

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men. 

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered. 

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

Last week, I finally gave in and bought an audiobook. My first try wasn’t that successful (I bought Damned by Chuck Palahniuk. A little disappointing.), but I gave audiobooks a second chance, and bought Leviathan. I had heard great things about this series, and I read that the narrator was Alan Cumming, which really excited me about listening to this. I abso-freaking-lutely ended up loving it in the end.

Let’s start with the audio format of this book. The narrator, Alan Cumming, was amazing! He really brought the series to life, giving different voices to every different character, important or not. I could easily recognize who was talking because of that without hearing who said it. He added a layer to the amazing characters Scott Westerfeld had created.

Still, I wasn’t sure at first if I would become an adapt of audiobooks. There’s one simply reason: A book like this would probably have taken me 3-4 hours to read, as I’m a fast reader. Yet, it took me 8 hours and a half. That did annoyed me at first, but when understand that you can do stuff while listening to the book, it ends up being a lot of fun (well, except when I clean my apartment while listening to an audiobook. As good as the audiobook can be, I’ll never enjoy cleaning.) The other thing that I found hard was for my brain to stop thinking. I’m always thinking, so I had the bad habit of letting my mind wander, this was also especially true for this one, as this book is setting a world for the series. This means that there’s a lot of description, which made it easy for my mind to wander….

Now, when it comes to the series, I have to say that I ABSOLUTELY loved it. Wow. It took me sometimes to really get into it, but soon after I started it, I was addicted (proof being I bought both Behemoth and Goliath after I was done with this one. I had to know what would happen next.

Scott Westerfeld created a crazy world, some amazing characters, and a kick-ass story. If you enjoy Steampunk, or if you’re curious about this genre, you have to check it out. It is simply amazing. I adore Alek, even thought sometime he could be a little prince-ish. My favorite really was Deryn. What a great character. I really found her to be courageous. She was a lot of fun to follow.

I will repeat myself: If you haven’t read it, do it. If you are looking for an audiobook, this one is simply amazing and addicting. It has everything an audiobook need to be captivating: A great story, great characters, and, of course, an amazing narrator!