Wanderlust

Stop swapping narrators in the middle of established series

Reviewed: 04-26-24

Story is great and provides a satisfying conclusion to this saga with most plot points wrapped up, but the new narrator was so off-putting that I stopped after 30 minutes and just bought the Kindle version instead. I know RC Bray has lowered his output due to health issues but I’d rather have waited for his version than been handed this weak knockoff instead. Why is this so hard for audiobook publishers to understand? The Fallen World Series just pulled the same nonsense by swapping Mark Boyett for Christopher Ryan Grant. They’re both good but are 100% NOT interchangeable. Knock it off, Publishers.

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You’ve already heard most of this story, told better

Reviewed: 09-20-23

In the years I’ve been subscribed to Audible, I’ve returned only two books. Well, this makes three. The majority of this book is a retelling of Kade stories we’ve already heard in earlier books, retold by a new narrator. I like Grant, who narrates the Forgotten Ruins series among others, but he is a sharp heel turn from Mark Boyett’s established style and I’m not liking this late game change.
So because of those two factors, plus the way the original story at the end that is supposed to give us the origins of Kade completely contradicts several key facts already established in this series (such as where Kade “woke up” and what happened immediately after) make it impossible for me to recommend this book. Save your money and your credit and skip to the next book in the series: Wildcat Foreclosure of a Dream.

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If you loved the first 4 but hated the 5th, you’ll love this one.

Reviewed: 07-09-23

Gayou’s Commune Series is something I use to introduce Audible to others that have never tried it. They are the perfect combination of an author’s and narrator’s talents perfectly blending to create something special.

Gayou took a tried and true but well worn trope (life after the apocalypse) gave it a new and singular spin, and RC Bray breathed life into every single character inhabiting that story.
Then it all kind of ground to a halt with book 5. There’s been much debate among fans at to what happened, but for me it felt like Devon C Ford did the majority of the writing with a few nudges from Gayou. To be blunt it’s not a good book and it doesn’t belong in the series.

This entry, however, is a return to form and feels wholly Gayou. I’ve seen some other reviews here comment on how different Gibs is, or how it’s a bit violent, but I have to ask two questions: do you think people don’t change over years of time, and did you not read the first four books? There is a fair bit of criticism on the violence part, as Gayou seems a bit more graphic in his descriptions, but I think that’s just some leftover baggage from his poorly received Udo series, for which I swear the man was paid a nickel everytime he mentioned a sex organ, but thankfully that’s not the majority of the book. Gayou is at his best when vaguely referencing horribleness in a way that lets the reader fill in the blanks, and I think he’s figuring that out again.

I found myself laughing out loud routinely throughout this book because Gibs is a glib and often hilarious individual with his blunt insights. That right there is a nice return to form and was sorely lacking in book 5. Our ability to laugh at the absurd and god awful rather than surrender to it is something that keeps us alive and sane in an otherwise insane world, and Gayou gets this better than most.

My only real criticism is the way the story drags a bit when not focused on the main characters, but thankfully it was nothing like book 5, which took me weeks to get through as I stopped listening repeatedly out of boredom. If he’s going to introduce new characters, Gayou needs to take the time to make them at least half as interesting as established characters. I didn’t give two cents for the entire town of Saline, but at least they only took up maybe 1/5th of the book unlike half such as book 5 with the folks outside the DC walls.

TL;DR: headline is accurate. It’s not as good as 1-4 but a thousand times improved from 5. Ford is a fine writer himself but needs to stay the hell away from this series as his style does not blend well with Gayou’s. Sorry if that’s a bitter pill but it’s the solid truth.

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Robinson and Bray do it again

Reviewed: 03-23-21

If ever there was a better matchup of author and narrator, truly this one could only be matched by Alanson and Bray. I was a huge fan of the first book, and after a horrible experience with Ready Player Two, the only Audible purchase I have ever returned AFTER finishing, I was a bit nervous that this sequel would lack the magic of the original.
Thankfully, I was wrong to ever doubt Robinson.
Everything that made the first wonderful, horrible and unforgettable is back once more in fresh new variations.
I won’t spoil it, but the way Robinson weaves his other works into this book, simultaneously invalidating and revalidating them, was just plain genius. I want to geek over it and the new possibilities but, again, spoilers. You’ll get it when you reach that part, it’s awesome.
I’m ridiculously excited to see what Robinson comes up with next, and where it will take this everything that has come before.
RC is on point as always, offering that bit of humanity that makes the emotions of the book real, and the humor gut-bustingly funny. You will laugh out loud, trust me. I did, in the middle of a grocery store. Whatever, they were just jealous.
Anyhoo, get this book. It’s worth every Penny.

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Not a fan of the format but another great story

Reviewed: 06-21-19

Craig Alanson and RC Bray deliver another fantastic story, but honestly I hope this is the last audio drama. Honestly whomever mixed the sound here should be fired. The music was too loud and far too often drowned out the audio. Same goes for the sound effects, as they distracted from the action and suspense instead of enhancing it. I’m always for experimentation and trying new things, but this production is better off as a one and done.
That said, I can’t wait for Armageddon and the next adventure of The Merry Band of Pirates.

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Great book, not sold on Wesley Crusher reading it though

Reviewed: 07-29-17

Was a great book and a fun story, but as an audiobook I found Will Wheaton’s performance distracting. He’s a fine voice artist but due to his past I can’t not help but hear young Wesley Crusher whenever he speaks. In one way, that fits perfectly given the nerdy 80’s obsessed world the book takes place in, but in another it took me out of the story more than a few times.
I recommend it of course, but would be remiss to not mention this one tiny quibble.

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