Audible Book Review: The Age of Embers (A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller) by Ryan Schow

This is a good action, post apocalyptic title.
The Age of Embers (A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller)
The Age of Embers, Book 1
By: Ryan Schow
Narrated by: Kevin Pierce

Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
Release date: 08-07-19
Publisher: Ryan Schow
Genre: Adventure, Post-Apocalyptic
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
An Amazon all-star recipient! Fresh off the highly acclaimed The Last War Series, comes a gripping new tale of the apocalypse from bestselling author, Ryan Schow. The Age of Embers Series is perfect for fans of Matthew Mather, Bobby Akart, Jack Hunt, Nicholas Sansbury Smith, Mike Kraus, and Harley Tate.
The end is almost here, are you ready?
A high-tech nightmare. A crippling attack on America and her infrastructure. Are humans in their final days? When a sudden, unexplained spasm of violence rocks the country from coast to coast, when our military is hijacked and the president can’t be found, the survivors will be left to wonder if this is the start of a new world war, or if this is the last chapter of humanity itself.
Undercover DEA agent, Fire Dimas, is drowning in problems: an unrelenting job, a difficult marriage and a teenage daughter with suitors of the worst kind. Then there’s the cartel he double-crossed and the “incident” at the high school. To say he’s in way over his head is the understatement of the century. Rest assured though, for Fire and his family, it’s about to get much, much worse. The assault has already begun....
Eliana Gutierrez and her niece, Carolina, are stolen by the Guatemalan cartel and swallowed into the dark world of human trafficking until a brutal crime separates them. Eliana must now use the deadly trafficking lines to trek up through Mexico and into America in search of the only person she ever loved. Along the way, she’ll come face-to-face with a handsome, rancorous hitman who will either be her salvation or her bitter end. Under the cover of a post-apocalyptic nightmare, Eliana will risk life and limb for the child, but will it be enough?
The Age of Embers is a post-apocalyptic survival series written inside the universe of the best-selling The Last War series. This edge-of-your-seat thriller chronicles the harrowing journey of ordinary people trapped in an encroaching dark age. Get ready for characters you'll want to know in real life, big post-apocalyptic action and a no-holds-barred action/adventure series that just might hit a little too close to home.
Note: The Age of Embers and subsequent books can be listened to as a stand alone series or in addition to The Last War series. Both stories are written in the same universe on the same timeline and some characters will overlap.
©2019 Ryan Schow (P)2019 Ryan Schow

Review:
Fire Dimas is an undercover DEA Agent in Chicago who is on the edge. He hasn’t been home for eight months and his marriage is on the rocks. His teen daughter is stepping out with the wrong kind of boys. Fire has underlying anger issues that haven’t been helped by having his hands tied in a criminal environment.

An unexplained attack starts destroying the cities, taking out authority centers as well as indiscriminating killing people in the streets. Chaos erupts and the social dynamic changes as surviving gangs try to take control and civilians just try to survive. Fire is caught in the middle wanting to protect his family but being in a place to take down the gangs. He will move between both worlds until his own family is caught in the maelstrom.

Meanwhile, in Guatemalan, Eliana is a beautiful young woman who has been isolated by her overly protective father. His means of protecting her is to make her look less attractive and train her to fight to injure men. Finally, the day arrives when Eliana and her younger niece, Carolina, are captured by traffickers who kill her father. Eliana struggles to escape and survive to track down Carolina. As Eliana pursues the trail, she meets a rough but handsome ‘hitman’. He agrees to introduce her to the head of cartel with a plan that may well cost her live. After they both walk out of the situation, they agree to travel together in the same direction, if not as partners. Their path goes through grit and death and eventually brings them to a collision with Fire in Chicago.

I picked this for an action, post-apocalyptic title and it delivered. It is dark, gritty and violent story. Some of the scenes made me flinch and cringe and I didn’t feel that all of it was realistic. But it could be real, especially the attack event, which is scary! It is likely that I will go back to the earlier books by Schow and then continue with this series too. I recommend this to fans of post-apocalyptic who can handle the girt and violence.

Audio Notes: Kevin Pierce is a good narrator who does quite a bit of narrating in this genre. He manages the hard voices and gritty characters well with distinct sounds and energy. I appreciated having this in audio format.

Source: 12/17/2020 Audible Sale – $5.00. This qualifies for 2023TBR and 2023Audiobook goals.

#NetGalley Audio Book Review: Flop Dead Gorgeous: An Andy Carpenter Mystery by Davide Rosenfelt

This is another good Andy Carpenter legal thriller that was a quick listen.

Flop Dead Gorgeous: An Andy Carpenter Mystery
By David Rosenfelt
Narrator: Grover Gardner

Series: An Andy Carpenter Novel, Book 27 Length: 6hr 43min
Release date: 07-04-23
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Legal Thriller
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Lights, camera, action in bestselling author David Rosenfelt’s Flop Dead Gorgeous , as Andy Carpenter goes bicoastal to prove an old friend’s innocence.
Retired lawyer Andy Carpenter remembers every dog that’s come through the Tara Foundation’s doors, but the most well-known alum of the dog rescue organization that Andy founded in Paterson, New Jersey, may be Mamie. Adopted by famous actress Jenny Nichols―Andy’s high school girlfriend―the miniature French poodle is now practically a starlet in her own right.
Andy doesn’t hold it against his friend. In fact, he and his wife, Laurie, have dinner with Jenny while she’s in town filming her next big hit. But after an eventful meal, there’s a plot twist the next morning that none of them see Jenny’s costar is found dead, a knife in his back. It’s not long before Jenny is arrested for the murder and finds herself in need of Andy’s legal services.
While Mamie becomes reacquainted with Tara, Andy’s golden retriever, Andy digs into the lives of the rich and famous.

Review:
Andy Carpenter is a millionaire lawyer who would rather be retired and working with his dog rescue, Tara’s Foundation, named after his golden retriever. But Andy is continually pulled in to representing people he knows, or are friends of friends, who are in desperate need of his services. A famous actress, Jenny Nichols, who rescued a miniature French poodle from Tara’s Foundation, has now been accused of killing her current costar. Few people know that Andy dated Jenny in high school so of course he is going to step up to take on her defense.

All of the usual investigation team get pulled in to help. This includes Andy’s wife, Laurie, a former Paterson police officer, Marcus, Andy’s brutish bodyguard, Sam, the finance / computer wizard, and investigator Corey with his K9 partner, Simon. The team begins to pursue connections that bring threats to Andy’s life.

The pattern of these stories is similar. It seems pretty clear the accused is innocent. The actual killer is often attached to the mob, a terrorist group, or similar crime syndicate that has an obscure connection to the victim. Andy and his team are able to gather details but may not be able to get admissible evidence in time for the trial. At the last minute some evidence or admission (often with the help of Federal agents) is delivered to save the case.

Even though this story fits the repeated pattern, the investigation into connected clues and ‘Andy snark’ make the story worth the read/listen. This is an on-going legal mystery series I enjoy and recommend. I have missed a few stories in the middle of the series and I am glad that the later stories are able to be read as stand alone stories with the proviso that you have read the first several books so that you get to know Andy and his team.

Audio Notes: Grover Gardner has this series down pat. He provides the perfect accents and attitudes of the characters. I totally enjoy listening to Gardner’s performance of this series.

Source: June 2023 NetGalley. This qualifies for 2023NetGalley and 2023Audiobook goals.

#NetGalley Audio Book Review: The Never-Ending End of the World by Ann Christy

This is a very good end of the world and dystopian story with a unique mystery event.
The Never-Ending End of the World
By: Ann Christy
Narrated by: Thérèse Plummer, Ari Fliakos

Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins
Release date: 08-08-23
Publisher: Campfire Publishing
Genre: Dystopian, EOTW, Post-Apocalyptic
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.75; Narration 4.75.

Publisher's Summary
Station Eleven meets The Last of Us in this post-apocalyptic sci-fi epic from USA Today and Wall Street Journal best-selling author Ann Christy.
Coco Wells hasn’t seen another living person since she was a teenager. All of Manhattan is reliving the same few seconds, minutes, or hours on a loop…and they have been for years. Everything looks normal from a distance, but up close, it’s a nightmare.
Coco is a survivor. She scavenges for food, reads, and—most importantly—avoids loopers. They ignore her, but only as long as she’s silent. She’s learned the painful lesson that a broken loop can mean death.
After eight years of solitude, learning to survive and precisely timing the loops that weave around the city, Coco wonders what lies beyond New York and what has become of the rest of the world.
As she leaves home for the first time, one question haunts her above all:
“Am I the only one left?”
Speculative sci-fi, dystopian apocalypse, and scientific mystery coalesce into The Never-Ending End of the World—a gripping tale of survival, hope, and love from retired Naval Officer Ann Christy.
©2023 Ann Christy (P)2023 Ann Christy

Review:
Coco was a 12 year old when her world changed. Suddenly her family members appeared only in a loop of time…some seconds and some as much as hours. But if the loop is interrupted, there are immediate reactions. Coco breaks a few loops before she realizes the harm that she has caused. She learns to map out the loops in her Manhattan community so she can scavenge real food and resources. She also keeps a journal of her activities and some of the more remarkable loops she observes. For years she is able to take pictures of time and leave them carefully behind…just in case time ever gets fixed.

Surprisingly, after many years alone, Coco meets another person who is alive like her. Sadly, the woman is ill, and Coco only gets a short time with her. But this gives her hope and sends her out to explore the world beyond Manhattan and New York. When she finally meets others, she learns there are two divisions. Her newest friends are Seekers who will go out to explore, find other living beings, and look for a way to fix the frozen time problem. They are soon joined by some members of the Chosen who is a group who believe they were chosen to live and start a new world society. The Chosen are willing to break loops if it is necessary to their plans for development.

The story continues to a new generation where it is learned that some children develop new skills relating to the loops. Hidden information regarding the cause of the event is discovered. This leads to hopes of discovering the possibility of fixing it. But there is a huge cost, and not everyone wants to fix the past as it threatens their current and future lives.

I enjoyed the creativity of this EOTW dystopian story. I was pulled in to caring for Coco and other characters. I was invested in discovering how the event occurred and if and how it could be fixed. I recommend the story to fans of EOTW with rival groups of survivals and elements of mystery.

Audio Notes: Thérèse Plummer and Ari Fliakos are skilled narrators. They provide distinct voices and their delivery helps the characters to be real to the listener. The narration enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

Source: May 2023 NetGalley, This qualifies for 2023NetGalley and 2023Audiobook goals.

Sunday Post July 16, 2023/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday July 17, 2023

I am linking with Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? now at The Book Date (at Wordpress)

What Are You Reading? is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

We celebrated my assistant's last day on Friday as she is heading out to start law school in August! She will be working online for the next few weeks and limited hours after school starts. She has been an important part of the office for 7 years and we will miss her!

Above is the office crew,
And below is the cake!

I am volunteering at our church VBS (Vacation Bible School) from 4-8pm Sunday through Thursday. I think I will be tired this week! I'll share some photos of this next week.

My continuing prayers include prayers for more unity in all nations, a calmer social atmosphere, and for revival. There seem to be many things to pray for from mass shootings to floods. We are also continuing prays for family and church.

The temps were hot but not as hot as out west. We did have several bad storms that scared my dogs a bit. We are expecting temps in mid 90s again plus more storms.

I finished three audios and posted two reviews and my memes.

I visited 14 blogs again last week.
No Shout out this week. I'm late to get this posted and I'm tired so I'll pass on posting this tonight.

Audiobooks.com is still sharing some free listens for children.

• Sunday Post July 9, 2023/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday July 10, 2023.

• ATBR: Audible Book Review: Evolution Impossible by Dr. John F. Ashton; Genre: Apologetics, Nonfiction, Spirituality; My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 4.0

• A2023: Audible Book Review: If Angels Fall by Rick Mofina; Genre: Crime Fiction, Suspense; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

• Sharing Beyond Books FINAL POST.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement July 16, 2023 - Our Great God!

Finished Reading:
1. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

The Age of Embers (A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller)
The Age of Embers, Book 1
By: Ryan Schow
Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
This is a good action, post apocalyptic title.
Source: 12/17/2020 Audible Sale – $5.00.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

The Murderer's Son
A Jackman and Evans Thriller
By: Joy Ellis
Narrated by: Richard Armitage
Series: Jackman & Evans (Published Order), Book 1, Jackman & Evans (Recommended Listening Order), Book 2
Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
I saw this title which is free but only to 7/28/2023. It is a good thriller.
Source: August 2022 Audible Plus.
Publisher's Summary
Twenty years ago: a farmer and his wife are cut to pieces by a ruthless serial killer.
Now: a woman is viciously stabbed to death in the upmarket kitchen of her beautiful house on the edge of the marshes.
Then a man called Daniel Kinder walks into Saltern police station and confesses to the murder.
But DI Rowan Jackman and DS Marie Evans of the Fenland Constabulary soon discover that there is a lot more to Daniel than meets the eye. He has no memory of the first five years of his life and has a rather unusual obsession with his mother....
Full of twists and turns, this is a crime thriller that will keep you gripped until the shocking ending.
©2016 Joy Ellis (P)2016 Audible, Ltd

3. Spotify App Smartphone (A2023)

The Poisoned Princess: Warders Book 1
by Armen Pogharian
Narrated by: Michele Babb
Length: 6hr 16 min
I enjoyed this creative story.
Source: July 8 Audio Code for Spotify from Narrator.

NOTE: CamCat, the publishers of the Misaligned series by the same author, are doing a serialized podcast of Michele Babb's production of Penny Preston and the Raven's Talisman.  If you want to live the adventures of Penny, Duncan and Simon (everyone's FAVORITE Cait Sith), be sure to check it out!

The plan is that they will play six daily installments, and then an interview with the author and some other commentary. After they've played the last installment, they will take down the last 3 or 4 installments, leaving the beginning up as a teaser.

You can listen at www.camcatunwrapped.comwhere you can find all their available episodes and the listening platforms they are on (such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, and other major streaming sites). Or, you can listen on their YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@camcatunwrapped

Currently Reading:

1. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

Perestroika in Paris
By: Jane Smiley
Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
I chose this story for the #parisinjuly2023 event.
It's sweet but I fear it is going to be longer than I need.
Source: 4/5/2021 Audible Daily Deal $2.95.
Publisher's Summary
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Thousand Acres and the New York Times best-selling Last Hundred Years Trilogy, a captivating, brilliantly imaginative story of three extraordinary animals - and a young boy - whose lives intersect in Paris.
Paras, short for "Perestroika", is a spirited racehorse at a racetrack west of Paris. One afternoon at dusk, she finds the door of her stall open and - she's a curious filly - wanders all the way to the City of Light. She's dazzled and often mystified by the sights, sounds, and smells around her, but she isn't afraid. Soon she meets an elegant dog, a German shorthair pointer named Frida, who knows how to get by without attracting the attention of suspicious Parisians.
Paras and Frida coexist for a time in the city's lush green spaces, nourished by Frida's strategic trips to the vegetable market. They keep company with two irrepressible ducks and an opinionated raven. But then Paras meets a human boy, Etienne, and discovers a new, otherworldly part of Paris: the ivy-walled house where the boy and his nearly 100-year-old great-grandmother live in seclusion. As the cold weather and Christmas near, the unlikeliest of friendships bloom. But how long can a runaway horse stay undiscovered in Paris? How long can a boy keep her hidden and all to himself?
Jane Smiley's beguiling new novel is itself an adventure that celebrates curiosity, ingenuity, and the desire of all creatures for true love and freedom.
©2020 Jane Smiley (P)2020 Recorded Books

2. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

Mountain Man
By: Keith C. Blackmore
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
Series: Mountain Man, Book 1
Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
I wanted something easy to listen to this week.
Source: January 2021 Audible Plus Catalog.
Publisher's Summary
A man must survive the zombie apocalypse armed with only a shotgun, a Samurai bat, and the will to live among the unliving in this horror series debut.
It’s been two years since civilization ended in an unstoppable wave of chaos and blood. Now, former house painter Augustus “Gus” Berry lives a day-to-day existence of waking up, getting drunk, and preparing for the inevitable moment when “they” will come up the side of his mountain and penetrate his fortress.
Living on the outskirts of Annapolis, Gus goes scavenging for whatever supplies remain in the undead suburbia below. Every time he descends the mountain could be his last. But when Gus encounters another survivor, he soon realizes the zombie horde may not be the greatest threat he faces . . .
©2012 Keith C. Blackmore (P)2014 Podium Publishing

I don't really know what I will choose next.

July 16, 2023 - I am doing the daily readings of BibleProject plan: The Full Story - "From the beginning to the Amen". Now the readings have moved into Ezekiel.

I finished three audio titles and posted two reviews. I have the four reviews to post and one I am holding. I have written the review for Never Ending End of the World but thought I would save it for a few weeks to be closer to the release date.

NETGALLEY STATUS--
I have one newer audio and an older one on my shelf.
I still have the two old NetGalley ebook titles.

I have one author review in my queue that I need to start reading on my computer. (I need to look back and see which one this is.)
(Plus a few that I received from Facebook links and newsletter sign-ups, not specific review requests.)
Still many titles through InstaFreebie and many new author requests I haven't replied to.

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) and after a tour of hosts has returned to its permanent home at Mailbox Monday. Thanks to the ladies sharing hosting duties: Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, me, and newest to the team, Emma at Words and Peace.
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

No new review title this week.
I'll be making my 2 June Audible selections this coming week.
I selected three new audios from Audible Plus this past week.
No free Kindle titles last week.
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

NONE

Won

NONE

Purchased

NONE

Free

Week of July 9-16 Audible Plus Titles:

Beaks, Bones and Bird Songs: How the Struggle for Survival Has Shaped Birds and Their Behavior
By: Roger Lederer
Narrated by: Charles Constant
Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins

Rekindled
By: Tamera Alexander
Narrated by: Barbara McCulloh
Series: Fountain Creek Chronicles , Book 1
Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins

Between Jobs: City Between Series, Book 1
By: W.R. Gingell
Narrated by: Zehra Jane Naqvi
Series: City Between Series , Book 1
Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins


No new titles added to Kindle library.  Free titles might be found at Bookbub, Book Adrenaline, Ereader News Today, Inspired Reads, or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement July 16, 2023 - The Right Priorities

Our Sunday School teacher continued the study in James with James 1:19-21. James was telling the people to seek wisdom from God and to control temptations. In this morning’s verses the message is to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. Anger operates similar to an uncontrolled fire which is destructive, or a controlled fire which can provide maintenance.

Anger is natural, but people need to find a positive way to express their anger. There is too much anger present in our society today. Human anger doesn't produce justice. Righteous anger produces just action. Stay in your lane. Exercise Control.

Today’s sermon was based on Matthew 6:33 and could be titled “The Right Priorities”. Matthew 6:25-33.

Even if we don't plan it, we all have priorities. Pastor reminded us of the movie Up where the dog, Dug, would be totally distracted by the squirrel. Believers shouldn't be distracted by the things of the world.
Believers need to be eternally minded. Matthew 6:19-21.

God knows what we have need of. He takes care of the plants and birds who do what they are designed to do. He will take care of His people, but we too need to do our work. Matthew 6:25-32.

Sometimes we say I need something when it's really a want. Believers should not be preoccupied with earthly matters. “Your Will be done” is the first thing we are told to pray after recognizing God as our father who is entitled to worship. Matthew 6:5-15.

We need to seek His Kingdom, Peace, and Joy. We get entangled with things of the world that take our attention. But if we seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness, then everything else will follow. Seeking God is putting emphasis on the right relationship. Asking “God lead me”.
Seek peace by being in right relationship.
Seek joy though the Holy Spirit.

Make God’s Kingdom a priority and blessings follow. God provides for and rewards his followers. Submit to God and let the “Main thing be the main thing.”

This song came to mind right away: First Thing First:

A Verse for Today:
Matthew 6:33
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.


Lord, Help me submit to You, to Seek You and Your Kingdom!