Audible Book Review: Solitude by Dean M. Cole

This is a little cheesy but I enjoyed it.

Solitude
Dimension Space, Book One
By: Dean M. Cole
Narrated by: R.C. Bray, Julia Whelan

Series: Dimension Space, Book 1
Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
Release date: 04-03-17
Language: English
Publisher: Blue Heron Audio
Genre: Alternative History, Post-Apocalyptic, Sci Fi
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.25.

From the Bestselling Author of the Sector 64 Series!

I Am Legend meets Gravity and The Martian when Earth's last man discovers that the last woman is stranded alone aboard the International Space Station. If you like action-packed, page-turning novels, you'll love the electrifying action in this apocalyptic thriller.
Can Humanity's Last Two Unite?
Separated by the gulf of space, the last man and woman of the human race struggle against astronomical odds to survive and unite.
Army Aviator Vaughn Singleton is a highly intelligent, lazy man. After a last-ditch effort to reignite his failing military career ends horribly, Vaughn becomes the only human left on Earth.
Stranded alone on the International Space Station, Commander Angela Brown watches an odd wave of light sweep across the planet. Over the next weeks and then months, Angela struggles to contact someone on the surface, but as she fights to survive aboard a deteriorating space station, the commander glimpses the dark underpinnings of humanity's demise.
After months alone, Vaughn discovers there is another. Racing against time, he must cross a land ravaged by the consequences of humankind's sudden departure.
Can Vaughn find a path to space and back? Can Angela—the only person with clues to the mystery behind humanity's disappearance—survive until he does?

Review:
Army Aviator Vaughn Singleton may be highly intelligent, but he is a slacker, a heavy drinker and some would call him a “loser”. But his best friend, Mark, sees more in Vaughn and encourages him to work harder and do better. They are in a testing flight when a strange phenomenon makes all the people and living creatures on earth disappear. As they struggle to determine what happened Mark is killed in an accident leaving Vaughn the only living being on earth.

Commander Angela Brown has had to remain behind after sending off the last of her space station team. She thought the others were heading to safety but soon realizes that she is the sole survivor stranded in space. As she orbits earth she begins to suspect where the devastating beam originated. But she can’t do anything about it as the space station deteriorates and her supplies run out.

After two months Vaughn finally realizes that the mission director had left an urgent directive. Now he has to race against time to rescue Angela from space. He rushes along, botching several chances and resources. Fortunately, both Vaughn and Angela have the ability to cobble together “MacGyver” like fixes. Now the question is can Vaughn actually get to Angela in time to save her?

Vaughn is not a particularly likeable character which makes the story a little awkward. Angela has a few quirks too but mostly I found those cute. Vaughn’s mess ups are frustrating and cheesy while Angela’s fixes are timely and also a bit cheesy, especially with mice living in her hair! Cole rotates scenes between the characters which added to the interest. The story moved very quickly, and I enjoyed the humor, the suspense and the bumpy ride. I recommend this as entertaining sci fi.

Audio Notes: R.C. Bray and Julia Whelan do a very fine job with the narration. They capture and convey the characters and the intensity of the situations. The narration enhanced the story for me.

Source: 4/9/19 Audible Daily Deal $2.95. This qualifies for 2020TBR and 2020Audiobook goals.

Audible Book Review: Sector 64: Ambush by Dean M. Cole

This is an engaging story with alien danger.  "X-Files meet Independence Day" is an accurate tag line.

Sector 64: Ambush

Written by: Dean M. Cole

Narrated by: Mike Ortego

Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins 

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date:11-14-14

Publisher: Dean M. Cole

Genre: Sci Fi Suspense

My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary

**Huffington Post - IndieReader Best of 2014**

What happens to present-day Earth if friendly aliens take humanity under their wing?

What happens when their enemy becomes ours?

X-Files meet Independence Day when incredible events thrust Air Force Captains Jake Giard and Sandra Fitzpatrick into a decades-long global conspiracy to integrate humanity into a galactic government. However, as Jake finishes indoctrination into the program, it renders present-day Earth a disposable pawn in a galactic civil war.

Unknown aliens with a dark secret raid the planet.

Within and even below Washington DC, Jake fights through a post-apocalyptic hell, struggling to comprehend the enigmatic aftermath of the first attack. On the West Coast, Sandra's squadron smashes against the invading aliens. Thrown to ground, Sandy wades through blazing infernos and demented looters in a desperate attempt to save her family.

Finally, with the fate of the world in the balance, both captains must take the battle to the enemy--humanity's very survival hanging on their success....

Scroll up and grab a copy today.

©2014 Dean M. Cole (P)2014 Dean M. Cole

Review:
Jake Giard and Sandra Fitzpatrick are Air Force Captains ready to fly to the defense of their country. Jake experiences an X-File type of event while helping a younger pilot friend, Vince, with night flying practice. Something approaches them and first Vince’s jet, then Jake’s, is disabled. Energy returns allowing Jake to break free of a nose dive but Vince isn’t so fortunate. When Jake returns to base he is whisked away as a criminal with no one believing his story. Hours later he is released only after swearing to complete secrecy regarding the event.

Soon after the loss of his friend, Jake is summoned to Washington to meet with another pilot friend from training days. What he learns is full of surprises that start on the ground, continue in the air and on into outerspace. Jack and his friends end up in an epic battle against the alien forces. The race to save Earth comes close to disaster.

While Sandy is wondering where Jake is, Earth suddenly suffers a wide spread and horrible attack. The ships and weapons are nothing known to Earth forces and have a devastating and large kill zone. By a fluke, Sandy survives an attack in California that takes out her full squadron. Shaken and concerned to determine if her parents, who live to the south of the attack, have survived she heads south with orders to provide needed military intel along the way. She has to fight through ground damage, danger and human looters to get home.

The action is engaging and the story has elements that definitely made me think of Independence Day, especially with a strong, kill-minded alien. I enjoyed the history of the advanced Galactic allies, and the long time civil war with their evil, alien enemies. There is some technical detail that added authenticity without bogging down the story. The ending leaves open future engagements between the primary characters and aliens. I recommend this to readers who enjoy sci fi space battle action.

Audio Notes:  Mike Ortega does a solid job with the narration. He provids a unique sound to each of the characters - male, female and alien. The narration provided a steady pacing and easy listening that enhanced my enjoyment in the story.

I received this audio from the publisher through Audiobook Jukebox, for an honest review. It qualifies for my Audiobook Challenge.