Audible Book Review: To Serve and Protect by Glynn Stewart

I enjoyed this action story with supernatural villains and heroes.
To Serve and Protect
Onset, Book 1
By: Glynn Stewart
Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
Release date: 10-24-17
Publisher: Podium Audio
Genre: Action, Paranormal, Superhero, Supernatural, Urban
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
A small town cop with an unexpected gift. A shadowy government agency on the side of justice. A call no good man could turn away.
When vampires attack David White's small town, only luck, firepower, and the intervention of an elite government task force saves his life. The aftermath of the attack leaves him in the middle of the world's biggest secret: the existence of government agencies that regulate the supernatural.
They insist that David's "luck" is actually a supernatural gift, and he's immediately recruited into ONSET, the most shadowy part of America's thin blue line of police protectors.
Questioning both his gifts and the agency he now serves, David is drawn into an escalating battle that threatens all of humanity. If he isn't what ONSET thinks he is, the entire world may pay the price.
©2016 Glynn Stewart (P)2017 Podium Publishing

Review:
David White is a small town cop, dedicated to the mantra of “serve and protect”. One day he chases after a group of young ‘punks’ who have murdered a store clerk in a bloody fashion, and on their escape path they also brutally murdered his own partner, a young, new officer.

A secret government police force known as Onset sees his valiant efforts to fight the pack of vampires. They barely save his life and take him to their secret facility to heal his injuries. When he wakes up they offer him the chance to work with the elite supernatural team. They recognize he has skills that he isn’t even aware of, just as he wasn’t aware of the existence of vampires, werewolves, and other creatures from the realm of fantasy and myths.

Initially David isn’t sure but a discussion with an old friend convinces him that he can “serve and protect” in a broader sense with this covert organization. Can David really help this team that includes a werewolf leader, a good demon, a mage and more? His initial training doesn’t reveal the extent of his powers but when he gets in the thick of battle a hidden ability appears. The dangers progress to a deadly battle with a large terrorist organization and the evils they summon. Not all of the good guys will make it out alive.

I liked the moments of introspection included in a consistent pace of action. I enjoyed the development of the primary character and the uniqueness of the supporting teammates. I will be getting more in the series. I recommend this to fans of action and supernatural characters.

Audio Notes: Ray Porter is a wonderful narrator. As with most of the works he narrates, his performance with distinct voices and fitting energy, added to my enjoyment of the audio.

Source: 7/31/2022 July Audible Credits. This qualifies for 2023TBR and 2023Audiobook goals.

Audible Book Review: Don't Call Me Ishmael by Chris Kennedy

This is a strong story, set in The Fallen World series, of a man without a memory seeking his identity.
Don't Call Me Ishmael
By: Chris Kennedy
Narrated by: Mark Boyett

Series: The Fallen World, Book 2
Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
Release date: 06-25-19
Publisher: Podium Audio
Genre: Action, Post-Apocalyptic, Superhero
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
Don’t call him Ishmael. Or do; he really doesn’t care. Just don’t call him Fred.
No matter what you call him, though, he has a problem. Well, several of them. Ishmael - for want of a better name - woke up in a world that had changed. The Corporations - the wielders of power in a society not long from now - brought about the end of civilization as we know it, nuking each other to the point where it collapsed.
Ishmael doesn’t know any of this, though; in fact, he doesn’t know anything about himself when he wakes up in this shattered world. All of his autobiographical and episodic memories are gone, and along with them, any knowledge of who he was or anything in his past.
Worse, he has made enemies of some very important people, and they are after him. They are armed and he is alone and in...well, he doesn’t know where he is, either.
Can Ishmael stay alive long enough to recover his memories - to find out who he is and how he fits - or will he be just another casualty of This Fallen World?
©2019 Blood Moon Press (P)2019 Podium Publishing.

Review:
“Ishmael” doesn’t know his name or his identity. He awoke in a ‘coffin’, like a tanning bed, in a locked room. He soon runs into hostiles and discovers that the world around him is in chaos. As he escapes from the building, he destroys it behind him not knowing how important that chamber was to his recovery.

Ishmael, or Fred as he gets dubbed, has some natural muscle memory that helps keep him alive. He learns clues that send him off to find a former Corporation leader who may be able to help him learn his identity.

I liked Fred’s personality even when he didn’t know who he was. It was clear he was a superhero/warrior of sorts, probably an assassin like Kade in This Fallen World. I was glad that his inclinations were to do good considering the history and reputation of the Corporation assassins.

I really enjoyed the story-telling that fit well even though this is a different author in The Fallen World series. There are good characters, plenty of action, and a sense of humor. Again, the use of “this Fallen World” was fun but the reader has to get used to the repetition as it is used at the end of almost every chapter. I will be looking for more books in the series and more series from this author. I recommend the series and this action packed superhero, post-apocalyptic story.

Audio Notes: Again, Mark Boyett does a wonderful job with the narration. He is one of a handful of narrators I would be willing to search to select books he has narrated. I am thankful to have gotten these books for free for Audible listening.

Source: 11/5 Audible Plus Catalog This qualifies for 2022Audiobook goal.

Book Review: X-O Manowar, Volume 1: By The Sword by Robert Venditti

I quite liked this except that it ends at a point that needs more.

X-O Manowar, Volume 1: By The Sword
(X-O Manowar (2012- ) #1: Digital Exclusives Edition Kindle & comiXology
by Robert Venditti (Author) (Writer), Cary Nord (Artist), Stefano Gaudiano (Inker), Moose Baumann (Colorist)

ASIN : B01FIJ9XP0
Publisher : Valiant (May 2, 2012)
File size : 32876 KB
Print length : 35 pages
Genre: Comic, Graphic Novel, Sci Fi, Superhero
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.

The beginning of the all-new Valiant Universe starts here!
Aric of Dacia is a brash warrior and heir to the throne of the Visigoth people. He has lived his life under the heel of the Roman Empire, but now a far more terrible enemy has come to subjugate him. Taken from his home and family, Aric is enslaved aboard a starship belonging to a brutal race of alien colonizers known as The Vine. If he is to have any hope of escaping and returning to Earth, he will have to steal the Vine’s most powerful weapon – a sentient suit of indestructible armor – and become X-O Manowar!

Review:
The Visigoth people have been battling the conquering Roman Empire for years. Aric of Dacia is the heir to the Visigoth throne and a brash warrior. He is ready to attack even as his uncle calls the troops to retreat in the face of the overwhelming numbers and superior weapons of the Romans. When Aric and a band of his soldiers seek to charge, they find themselves facing a brutal alien force instead of the Romans. They are taken captive by the aliens known as The Vine. Aric watches as the aliens hold a religious ceremony and pick their strongest warrior to step into a powerful sentient suit of armor. Although the warrior doesn’t survive the armor, Aric now plans to steal the armor and return as a superhero to his people on Earth.

I really liked the story and the bright, clear illustrations. I was ready to learn how Aric would steal the armor and what would happen to him if he did… But that would have to wait until the next book.

Apparently, this is a recreation of a Valiant comic series from the 1990s. I am definitely tempted to get the next book in the series but, on the other hand, I am not particularly inclined to commit to a series of 50 (plus?) editions at $2.99 each. This first episode is free and teases those who might really enjoy digital comics. Give it a try!

Source: December 25, 2018 Free Kindle Download. This qualifies for 2021TBR, 2021eBook, and 2021Alphabet goals.