QuantumNorth
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Sharpe's Triumph
- Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Assaye, September 1803
- By: Bernard Cornwell
- Narrated by: Rupert Farley
- Length: 13 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Richard Sharpe. Soldier, hero, rogue—the man you always want on your side. Born in poverty, he joined the army to escape jail and climbed the ranks by sheer brutal courage. He knows no other family than the regiment of the 95th Rifles, whose green jacket he proudly wears.
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Another exciting Sharpe adventure by Cornwell !
- By Mtee on 06-02-23
- Sharpe's Triumph
- Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Assaye, September 1803
- By: Bernard Cornwell
- Narrated by: Rupert Farley
High ambitions for a low enlisted
Reviewed: 03-22-25
This time Sharpe finds himself on a special mission to hunt down a dangerous defector. He also is offered his own opportunity to defect and begin a new career as a lucratively paid officer in the Indian military. Unknown to Sharpe, Sergeant Hakeswill maliciously pursues Sharpe with a warrant for his arrest, but with more nefarious intentions of inflicting revenge on Sharpe and stealing his loot.
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The Icarus Hunt
- A Novel
- By: Timothy Zahn
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson
- Length: 17 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Jordan McKell has a problem with authority. Unfortunately for him, the iron-fisted authority of the powerful Patthaaunutth controls virtually every aspect of galactic shipping. In order to survive, Jordan ekes out a living dabbling in interstellar smuggling for outlaw concerns that represent the last vestiges of free trade in the galaxy. So when Jordan and his partner, Ixil - an alien with two ferret-like "outhunters" linked to his neural system - are hired by a mysterious gentleman to fly a ship and its special cargo to Earth, they jump at the job.
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I've been waiting a long time for this.
- By Aerindel on 02-03-22
- The Icarus Hunt
- A Novel
- By: Timothy Zahn
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson
Superb sci-fi mystery unravels during a chase
Reviewed: 03-20-25
Very well-written tale about a pilot roped into a seemingly innocuous transportation gig to deliver a spaceship to Earth. However, quickly the job turns sideways, and the MC, and the newly formed spaceship crew, are left suspicious of one another and on the run from just about every powerful entity in the galaxy. Engaging and suspenseful all the way through.
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Sharpe's Tiger
- The Siege of Seringapatam, 1799
- By: Bernard Cornwell
- Narrated by: Rupert Farley
- Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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From New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell, the first exciting adventure in the world-renowned Sharpe series, chronicling the rise of Richard Sharpe, a Private in His Majesty’s Army at the siege of Seringapatam.
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Give us Farley!
- By Samantha Maxwell on 06-04-22
- Sharpe's Tiger
- The Siege of Seringapatam, 1799
- By: Bernard Cornwell
- Narrated by: Rupert Farley
Underdog soldier finds pride & honor in his duties
Reviewed: 03-17-25
Coming from from humble beginnings and, now, a reluctant private in the British army, Richard Sharpe, contemplates abandoning the military and starting anew in India as his superiors attempt to conquer the region. A malignant, petty, and jealous sergeant plots against him. However, a dangerous mission is thrust upon Sharpe, requiring him to show bravery and cunning beyond what could normally be expected, and, in the course of accomplishing this task, he finds a new love for being a warrior and a renewed commitment to the British crown.
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Shattered Galaxy
- The Complete After the Galaxy Series Box Set
- By: Scott Bartlett
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 27 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Raised fatherless in a galactic Brinktown, Joe Pikeman only ever wanted to escape. The Galactic Guard offered that escape, with the promise of regular meals to boot. Now Joe is a full Guardsman, with his own ship and a snide partner bot who hates humans almost as much as he hates other bots. To the pirates he hunts, Joe is known as the Butcher. His bloody reputation has landed him in the center of a sweeping conspiracy that threatens to stamp out the galaxy’s last surviving human settlements.
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Scott and Mark marvelous again!!!
- By Richard on 10-15-20
- Shattered Galaxy
- The Complete After the Galaxy Series Box Set
- By: Scott Bartlett
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
Great premise, weaker execution
Reviewed: 03-12-25
I think the author set-up an intriguing universe and solid plot premise. Set in the future, with most people living in a virtual reality and a much smaller group of people still having bodies in the real-world, but many of these also being augmented by nano-tech. The MC is tasked with protecting the hardware that keeps the virtual world possible, but he, himself, detests the idea of choosing to live only as a virtual construct. Slowly it becomes apparent that a few pirate attacks in the real-world are actually tied to a grander plot that is subverting all of humanity.
Unfortunately, the plot progression isn't quite as enjoyable nor as captivating as one might hope for. In part, some aspects of the plot start to become more fantastical and pseudo-spiritual woo, and less of solid sci-fi. In an almost nonsensical manner, the MC adopts an arrogant mentor, who ultimately imparts incredible abilities to the MC that, later, turn out to be absolutely crucial to his success. Of course, it's always better to have a crafty, but weaker, protagonist outwit a more powerful adversary, rather than relying on (what are effectively) supernatural abilities to win by brute force.
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HALO: Smoke and Shadow
- By: Kelly Gay
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Find. Claim. Profit. In a postwar galaxy littered with scrap, it's the salvager's motto. And with a fast ship and a lust for adventure, Rion Forge has certainly made her mark on the trade. When the discovery of a wrecked UNSC cruiser brings Rion's past back to haunt her, stirring fresh hope into a decades-old wound, she's hell-bent on finding answers: What really happened to her father and his ship, the Spirit of Fire?
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Scott is still boring
- By Evan on 02-27-17
- HALO: Smoke and Shadow
- By: Kelly Gay
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
Salvage effort unveils clues to past mystery
Reviewed: 02-27-25
In an attempt, to capture the biggest salvage score of her career, a captain leads her team on a dangerous mission that may just reveal what happen to her father during his past military assignment. Solid story, but not exceptionally captivating.
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Blindsight
- By: Peter Watts
- Narrated by: T. Ryder Smith
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Set in 2082, Peter Watts' Blindsight is fast-moving, hard SF that pulls readers into a futuristic world where a mind-bending alien encounter is about to unfold. After the Firefall, all eyes are locked heavenward as a team of specialists aboard the self-piloted spaceship Theseus hurtles outbound to intercept an unknown intelligence.
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Gothic Horror Hard Science Fiction
- By Doug D. Eigsti on 06-24-15
- Blindsight
- By: Peter Watts
- Narrated by: T. Ryder Smith
Thoughtful & imaginative, not action/adventure
Reviewed: 02-21-25
With the story told through the unique perspective of the MC, Siri, who is incapable of empathy, we're led on a journey with a small group of people chosen to make contact with a mysterious extraterrestrial species. The book is really about presenting to us all of the various possibilities that the crew contemplates could be the driving motives, instincts, and/or perspectives of these aliens, illuminating our biases for what it means for a species to be "highly evolved". The tale also highlights how humanity is often driven by fear, and a desire for having or maintaining order/control.
This is a cerebral experience-type sci-fi, rather that a some sort of action-packed adventure.
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Limitless Lands
- The Complete Series, Books 1-5
- By: Dean Henegar
- Narrated by: Jack Voraces
- Length: 62 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Colonel James Raytak is about to die. The 93-year-old combat veteran is living his last days in a nursing home, and his only hope for survival is found inside the virtual world of Limitless Lands. With every swing of his sword and every command given to his army, Raytak is one step closer to returning to the people he loves. Many foes will stand in his path, and despite a lifetime of military experience and powerful allies, victory is not assured.
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Outstanding!!!!
- By Jeremiah D. Laxson on 09-17-24
- Limitless Lands
- The Complete Series, Books 1-5
- By: Dean Henegar
- Narrated by: Jack Voraces
Mixed bag, decent if inserted politics are ignored
Reviewed: 02-19-25
I like the concept behind the main story, namely that an elderly person, who is otherwise unresponsive in the real-world, is able to enjoy playing a RPG online game, while an AI uses the data to help his mind and memories recover. The plot progression is enjoyable enough, and is on par with what one would expect from an LitRPG book.
However, the narration of the little girl is straight-up grating to my ears; though I do credit the narrator for making each character's voice distinguishable.
After having heard about 50 times already how the MC (really the author) likes how his new in-game friend is setting up a town that only imposes "low-taxes", in book 2 chapter 19, multiple characters each spend several minutes marveling how low-taxes are the right choice for any society. Given that this never plays any significant role in the 5 books, yet is mentioned nearly constantly throughout, it quickly becomes just plain obnoxious. I don't really care whether or not the MC (or author) enjoys low-taxes; however, I absolutely don't want the politics preached at me.
What makes this even dumber is that all of this is occurring in a fictitious game that involves magic and obviously skips over boring real-world issues (establishing sewer systems, determining the salaries of public servants, disputes among the populus about what government services ought to be provided, etc.). Yet the author acts as if outcomes within his fake RPG game act as evidence that his low-tax politics are the right path. He doesn't define what "low-taxes" even mean. Of course, if someone feels that they're getting their money's worth or better out of government services, then they'll ultimately feel like their taxes are "low"; otherwise, they'll feel that the taxes are "high" and wasteful. Yet such sentiments vary from person-to-person in the real-world. None of the townspeople (NPCs) ever complain, nor do they ask for better or new services, and so whatever taxes are imposed, and whatever type or quality of government services are provided, they're always satisfactory.
My point being that there is absolutely no reason to be preaching politics when your story cannot realistically address the benefits and downfalls of the viewpoints (and/or positive or contrary evidences that either support or deny the claims). Rather, this just comes across as childish and distracting, and makes it seem as if the author isn't intelligent enough to covering such topics.
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The Planets and the Solar System
- By: Jen Green
- Narrated by: Ruth Sillers
- Length: 2 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Living busily on Planet Earth, we rarely remember that we actually inhabit only a miniscule part of the universe. In The Planets and the Solar System, Jen Green paints the wider picture, and takes us on a journey across billions of kilometers in our galaxy, from our Sun to near and distant planets. Some, like Mercury, have a molten core surrounded with crust and spins quickly; Jupiter, on the other hand, is a big ball of gas.
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Not just the planets...
- By QuantumNorth on 02-09-25
- The Planets and the Solar System
- By: Jen Green
- Narrated by: Ruth Sillers
Not just the planets...
Reviewed: 02-09-25
A brief, yet informative, summary of astronomy and our solar system. This probably best for a novice or younger audience.
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Halo: New Blood
- By: Matt Forbeck
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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While Spartans get all the glory, no soldier - not even the legendary Master Chief - wins a war on his own. Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck and his team of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODSTs) played a major role in saving the Earth from all-out invasion at the end of the Covenant War - acts of bravery and ingenuity that did not go unnoticed by the United Nations Space Command.
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Somewhat Lazy
- By C. Karam on 03-17-15
- Halo: New Blood
- By: Matt Forbeck
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
Pre-war issues resurface in the post-war condition
Reviewed: 02-08-25
Solid story of a dedicated and talented warrior who is eventually recruited into a new Spartan cohort. However, in the aftermath of the war with the Covenant, internal strife among human factions re-ignites previous complaints about the oversight and governance of the Unified Earth Government (UEG). Some of the UNSC military waiver in their desire to serve now that the Covenant and/or other aliens no longer pose the primary threats against humanity.
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Ancillary Justice
- By: Ann Leckie
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest. Once, she was the Justice of Toren - a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy. Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.
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Has some redeeming value, but is deeply flawed
- By Matthew J. Mimnaugh on 08-07-19
- Ancillary Justice
- By: Ann Leckie
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
A house divided against itself
Reviewed: 02-01-25
A well-written tale with a well-planned plot progression that steadily reveals an intricate set of relationships and competing intentions that are integral to the strength and survival of a powerful empire among the stars. Somewhat frustratingly, the plot moves back and forth in time, and with uncommon character names (for Americans), making it, at times, difficult to ascertain what is happening and/or what are the interrelationships between the characters -- one needs to pay extra attention. Even still, the story is quite suspenseful and enthralling.
In summary, an artificial intelligence, previously in control of a starship, but now inhabiting a human body, sojourns among the former empire it once served. However, after a long time, it initiates a series of events in order to bring to fruition in an opportune moment a long-held personal objective. The empire, still superficially strong, was once betrayed by an insider threat, and now its supreme leader is suspicious and cautious to the point of becoming uncharacteristically uncivil and brutal.
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