ABR's full Going Shogun audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

You are either going to really get a kick out this book or hate it. Lindsey has put an enormous amount of energy into creating a strange and lighthearted dystopia. The world sucks, but everyone finds a way to make it work for themselves. It was tough going to at first, but sticking with the story was worth the effort. One of the main characters, “Brick” has created a language that no one understands, even you dear listener. Can that get annoying? You bet. But keep going and you will understand, eventually.

The plot is purposefully ridiculous. Three losers are bent on stealing the recipes to the wildly popular restaurant where they work(ed). But as the plot unfolds, you the listener, learn that Going Shogun is not really about that at all; it is love story and a bromance. Which clearly saves the book. This is a book about young people stuck in their parents’ nightmare society. How do they fit in, how can they make it their own? It is funny, and gently poignant. Something like Generation X in the 21st Century. Lindsey has clearly stuck his neck out, you will either bend forward and give him a kiss or take a whack with a sword.

The narration is by DJ Holte who does an outstanding job. All the characters are clearly differentiated. They sound like what you would expect. His range is wide and he brings a lighthearted dystopia to life without a flaw.

One can sense the possibility of a sequel or a series based on the characters or plot. There isn’t one as of this writing. But if you enjoy this book, you will likely want to continue on. Ernie Lidsey has a distinctive style and unique way of describing his imaginative worlds. Humor and dystopian science fiction do go together.

Audiobook provided for review by the narrator.

Tales Of Tinfoil: Stories of Paranoia and Conspiracy



Blurb: TBA

(apparently) Coming in May 2015

 

"Say, 'It's just a game,' one more time. Go on, do it. I dare you." -Anonymous

 

Sara is the VP of Marketing for a fast-growing video game company in Portland, Oregon. She is highly successful and she is a mother of twin 5th grade girls and a boy in kindergarten. Her husband left for the gym one day and never came back. It's been hard for her to raise the kids alone and work such a high-pressure job. But she is a strong person. Then, one day, she gets a call from her son's school that plunges her into a crazy game of life & death.

 

Turns out all three of her children have been kidnapped. She finds a note on her car that says, "ARE YOU READY TO PLAY THE GAME?" This is actually a line from her company's new video game. This sends her mind reeling as she tried to figure out who is doing this to her family. The kidnapper calls her and gives her instructions. If she doesn't follow the instructions exactly, her kids will suffer. He makes sure to demonstrate this to her by making each of her kids cry at one point while Sara is on the phone. She has no way to reach the police, the kidnapper is monitoring her every move. How is she going to get out of this alive... let alone save her children?

 

This book is a great thriller. I enjoyed trying to figure out exactly what was going on. I will say that I was pretty sure I knew who was behind the game fairly quickly. But I didn't see all of the twists that were coming and I had no idea how it was going to end. I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read; I couldn't wait to find out the resolution and who would survive.

 

Recommended to:

Adults who like thrillers and mysteries. It kept me on the edge of my seat.

Panther's Quest by V.M. Black

It was interesting seeing things from Chay's point of view and how he thought and reacted in a situation his rash werewolf friend and his friends girl put him in. A very interesting read and well written by V.M. Black, look forward to more by this author and reading the other books

Meh...

This one was just okay for me. I didn't feel engaged with the characters, particularly the main character. There was a fun twist, but beyond that I never really felt pulled towards the end the way a really awesome read does. There is a ton of language too, and that just frustrates me.