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The Ascendant Wars 1: Hellfire: A Military Sci-fi Series
When the rules of war keep changing, fight for each other...
Humanity has been banished to a distant star. Left to fight over resources rationed to them by mysterious machine-overlords known as Wardens.
Commander Rylan Holt labors against inter-colony arms trafficking when an informant gives him horrific news. The ruthless cartel boss, Lilith, has stockpiled outlawed weapons of mass destruction.
Worse, she claims to have permission from the Wardens to unleash them upon the system.
When the battleship Audacity speeds to investigate Rylan’s discovery, operations officer Scott Carrick finds himself in a trap more deadly than he could have ever imagined. His only hope of escape may lie with their most junior crewmember, a nurse named Aila Okuma, who's never seen battle.
As Rylan, Scott, and Aila struggle to survive a war where the rules keep changing, they must answer a terrible question: how do they win when it seems the Wardens intend for everyone to lose?
Don't miss the start of an explosive Military Sci-Fi series from USA Today Bestseller Rhett C. Bruno and M.B. Vance. It's perfect for fans of The Expanse, Battlestar Galactica, and authors such as Marko Kloos, Rick Partlow, and Joshua Dalzelle.
Humanity has been banished to a distant star. Left to fight over resources rationed to them by mysterious machine-overlords known as Wardens.
Commander Rylan Holt labors against inter-colony arms trafficking when an informant gives him horrific news. The ruthless cartel boss, Lilith, has stockpiled outlawed weapons of mass destruction.
Worse, she claims to have permission from the Wardens to unleash them upon the system.
When the battleship Audacity speeds to investigate Rylan’s discovery, operations officer Scott Carrick finds himself in a trap more deadly than he could have ever imagined. His only hope of escape may lie with their most junior crewmember, a nurse named Aila Okuma, who's never seen battle.
As Rylan, Scott, and Aila struggle to survive a war where the rules keep changing, they must answer a terrible question: how do they win when it seems the Wardens intend for everyone to lose?
Don't miss the start of an explosive Military Sci-Fi series from USA Today Bestseller Rhett C. Bruno and M.B. Vance. It's perfect for fans of The Expanse, Battlestar Galactica, and authors such as Marko Kloos, Rick Partlow, and Joshua Dalzelle.
368 pages, Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook
Published March 7, 2023
About the author
Rhett C. Bruno
74 books592 followersRhett is happy to hear from his fans and can be reached at [email protected]. Please subscribe to his newsletter for exclusive access to updates about his work and the opportunity to receive limited content and ARCs.
http://rhettbruno.com/newsletter/. Or join his facebook reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Rhett...
Rhett Bruno grew up in Hauppauge, New York, and studied at the Syracuse University School of Architecture where he graduated cum laude.
He has been writing since he can remember, scribbling down what he thought were epic short stories when he was young to show to his parents. When he reached high school he decided to take that a step further and write the “Isinda Trilogy”. After the encouragement of his favorite English teacher he decided to self-publish the “Isinda Trilogy” so that the people closest to him could enjoy his early work.
While studying architecture Rhett continued to write as much as he could, but finding the time during the brutal curriculum proved difficult. It wasn’t until he was a senior that he decided to finally pursue his passion for Science Fiction. After rededicating himself to reading works of the Science Fiction author’s he always loved, (Frank Herbert, Timothy Zahn, Heinlein, etc.) he began writing “The Circuit: Executor Rising”, The first part of what he hopes will be a successful Adult Science Fiction Series.
Since then Rhett has been hired by an Architecture firm in Mount Kisco, NY. But that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to work on “The Circuit” and all of the other stories bouncing around in his head. He is also currently studying at the New School to earn a Certificate in Screenwriting in the hopes of one day writing for TV or Video Games.
http://rhettbruno.com/newsletter/. Or join his facebook reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Rhett...
Rhett Bruno grew up in Hauppauge, New York, and studied at the Syracuse University School of Architecture where he graduated cum laude.
He has been writing since he can remember, scribbling down what he thought were epic short stories when he was young to show to his parents. When he reached high school he decided to take that a step further and write the “Isinda Trilogy”. After the encouragement of his favorite English teacher he decided to self-publish the “Isinda Trilogy” so that the people closest to him could enjoy his early work.
While studying architecture Rhett continued to write as much as he could, but finding the time during the brutal curriculum proved difficult. It wasn’t until he was a senior that he decided to finally pursue his passion for Science Fiction. After rededicating himself to reading works of the Science Fiction author’s he always loved, (Frank Herbert, Timothy Zahn, Heinlein, etc.) he began writing “The Circuit: Executor Rising”, The first part of what he hopes will be a successful Adult Science Fiction Series.
Since then Rhett has been hired by an Architecture firm in Mount Kisco, NY. But that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to work on “The Circuit” and all of the other stories bouncing around in his head. He is also currently studying at the New School to earn a Certificate in Screenwriting in the hopes of one day writing for TV or Video Games.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 24, 2023
A phenomenal read by Bruno and Vance! 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The combination of of crime genre with Scifi is an explosive mix, made more powerful with the addition of the mysterious Wardens.
A breathless, edge of seat, unputdownable story, that had gripped me from the beginning. The intriguing plot, the emotional and ethical controversies made this storyline a very enjoyable read.
I loved it! Impatient to read book-2.
The combination of of crime genre with Scifi is an explosive mix, made more powerful with the addition of the mysterious Wardens.
A breathless, edge of seat, unputdownable story, that had gripped me from the beginning. The intriguing plot, the emotional and ethical controversies made this storyline a very enjoyable read.
I loved it! Impatient to read book-2.
April 25, 2023
Audible listen. Not gonna lie: I bought it because (a) I love Ray Porter’s narration; (b) I like these authors; (c) Fan of SciFi and PsyOps thrillers.
I didn’t get it.
For 9 hours and 22 minutes, I listened and said, “Wait. What? WHO is that again? HOW did they get into this war?”
It was a rich tapestry of a story, or — if you’ll allow me to mix metaphors — the mulligatawny stew of book plots.
I’m going back to a mindless tomato bisque for awhile.
I didn’t get it.
For 9 hours and 22 minutes, I listened and said, “Wait. What? WHO is that again? HOW did they get into this war?”
It was a rich tapestry of a story, or — if you’ll allow me to mix metaphors — the mulligatawny stew of book plots.
I’m going back to a mindless tomato bisque for awhile.
April 1, 2023
I barely remember what happened tbh. So I guess not that notably. I picked this because of the narrator.
March 25, 2023
The Ascendant Wars is told from multiple different story arcs in this galaxy in which there are multiple different colonies of humans living on planets, star bases and small colonies. At some point, each of the colonies as fractured into different factions following different belief systems, and needing resources and as with all these things, it has turned to war. However, along the line, an omnipotent race, known as the Ascendant (or more commonly referred to by the people of these colonies as ‘The Wardens’), has stepped in, and established a set of governing rules by which warfare can be conducted.
Now, there is a complex set of rules that govern these systems, how many ships, types of weapons, research, and along with this the Wardens control all of the resources for the manufacture of food, distributing food supplies to the colonies so that each of the factions has the exact number of resources, as each of the other colonies. Whilst some factions have introduced controls on their populations so that they can manage resources, others haven’t, resulting in populations that are not sustainable, and again, this is another factor in war between the factions, as well piracy and black-market operations.
It is into this, we are introduced to one of our main characters, Rylan Holt, a spy for the Lucian colony, who is trying to infiltrate a criminal organisation, a Cartel run by a woman known as Lilith.
Lilith is another main character, and runs a syndicate that controls the Lakshmi colonies by brute force, and has named herself their Empress. She has somehow organised a deal with the Wardens for not just major weapons for her organisation, but weapons that are not available for anyone else, including those that are capable of destroying entire colonies, which have been banned by the Wardens since they took over.
Rylan was trying to gather evidence on Lilith, but has been captured, and through his eyes, we learn not only of her operation, but just how depraved she is, much to the horror of poor Rylan.
We are also introduced to two other Main Characters, Lt Scott Carrick, the Ops Officer aboard the Lucian Battleship the Audacity, and Lt Junio Grade Aila Okuma who is a Medic aboard the Audacity as well.
Carrick is a former Police Officer, who joined the fleet after his entire unit was decimated in an attack on his colony by Lilith’s rebels. He still suffers from PTSD incidents. He is a tough veteran though, dedicated, battle hardened, with walls up due to his past, until he meets the very pretty Lt Okuma with her startling blue eyes that melt those walls in an instant. For her part Lt Okuma is new to her role, but incredibly intelligent, competent and eager, until an away mission leaves her fighting for her life and desperately trying to save those around her.
Each of these characters brings a different piece of the puzzle to the overall story, allowing us to try and piece together this overall intriguing, fast-paced, action-packed thriller, about a galaxy that should, on paper be ok, as the Wardens provide everything they need. However, underlying all of this is over-population, criminal organisations, corruption, persecution, all leading to a galactic level conflict. But who is driving this?
The character writing is done exceptionally well, with very real and believable people. Carrick’s character really portrays the raw emotion that comes with PTSD, as well as that dedication to his roll. Okuma’s character is one that you immediately fall for as a reader, and it is a testament to the authors ability to create such a likeable character in just a few short paragraphs. The connection between these two is magical, but also so believable given the situation.
Rylan Holt’s character is remarkable, (I don’t want to give anything away), but what he endures is savage, and is just very well done from this characters POV. Lilith is brilliant, you both love and hate her at the same time.
There is also a slew of minor characters that are just outstanding. Amongst these are the Wardens themselves (Including the Ascendant beings), which are just masterful and really add this amazing element to the story, making it a real standout in this genre, something different, and really interesting and engaging.
The world building is astounding in this book, from the individual colonies, to the Wardens themselves. The combat descriptive work is stunning, including the ship-to-ship combat, and ground based military operations. There are some amazing tactical operations on the ground which are done with all the intricate detail of a Bourne Film operation, whilst the ship-to-ship combat reads like something out of a Star Wars movie with all the different capital ships, starfighters, and space stations firing on each other. Combat is brutally descriptive and detailed, with gritty (graphic) and realistic detail.
I will add a bit of a warning for anyone that has a trigger for torture or PTSD issues, as there are some pretty intense scenes in this book. Having suffered from PTSD for years, I have to admit I was at my limits a few times. It is very well done.
Overall, this is an exceptionally well written book, regardless of what genre you like, there is something for everyone, and it is absolutely worth the read. I have already pre-ordered book 2. One of the Must-Reads of the Year!!
Now, there is a complex set of rules that govern these systems, how many ships, types of weapons, research, and along with this the Wardens control all of the resources for the manufacture of food, distributing food supplies to the colonies so that each of the factions has the exact number of resources, as each of the other colonies. Whilst some factions have introduced controls on their populations so that they can manage resources, others haven’t, resulting in populations that are not sustainable, and again, this is another factor in war between the factions, as well piracy and black-market operations.
It is into this, we are introduced to one of our main characters, Rylan Holt, a spy for the Lucian colony, who is trying to infiltrate a criminal organisation, a Cartel run by a woman known as Lilith.
Lilith is another main character, and runs a syndicate that controls the Lakshmi colonies by brute force, and has named herself their Empress. She has somehow organised a deal with the Wardens for not just major weapons for her organisation, but weapons that are not available for anyone else, including those that are capable of destroying entire colonies, which have been banned by the Wardens since they took over.
Rylan was trying to gather evidence on Lilith, but has been captured, and through his eyes, we learn not only of her operation, but just how depraved she is, much to the horror of poor Rylan.
We are also introduced to two other Main Characters, Lt Scott Carrick, the Ops Officer aboard the Lucian Battleship the Audacity, and Lt Junio Grade Aila Okuma who is a Medic aboard the Audacity as well.
Carrick is a former Police Officer, who joined the fleet after his entire unit was decimated in an attack on his colony by Lilith’s rebels. He still suffers from PTSD incidents. He is a tough veteran though, dedicated, battle hardened, with walls up due to his past, until he meets the very pretty Lt Okuma with her startling blue eyes that melt those walls in an instant. For her part Lt Okuma is new to her role, but incredibly intelligent, competent and eager, until an away mission leaves her fighting for her life and desperately trying to save those around her.
Each of these characters brings a different piece of the puzzle to the overall story, allowing us to try and piece together this overall intriguing, fast-paced, action-packed thriller, about a galaxy that should, on paper be ok, as the Wardens provide everything they need. However, underlying all of this is over-population, criminal organisations, corruption, persecution, all leading to a galactic level conflict. But who is driving this?
The character writing is done exceptionally well, with very real and believable people. Carrick’s character really portrays the raw emotion that comes with PTSD, as well as that dedication to his roll. Okuma’s character is one that you immediately fall for as a reader, and it is a testament to the authors ability to create such a likeable character in just a few short paragraphs. The connection between these two is magical, but also so believable given the situation.
Rylan Holt’s character is remarkable, (I don’t want to give anything away), but what he endures is savage, and is just very well done from this characters POV. Lilith is brilliant, you both love and hate her at the same time.
There is also a slew of minor characters that are just outstanding. Amongst these are the Wardens themselves (Including the Ascendant beings), which are just masterful and really add this amazing element to the story, making it a real standout in this genre, something different, and really interesting and engaging.
The world building is astounding in this book, from the individual colonies, to the Wardens themselves. The combat descriptive work is stunning, including the ship-to-ship combat, and ground based military operations. There are some amazing tactical operations on the ground which are done with all the intricate detail of a Bourne Film operation, whilst the ship-to-ship combat reads like something out of a Star Wars movie with all the different capital ships, starfighters, and space stations firing on each other. Combat is brutally descriptive and detailed, with gritty (graphic) and realistic detail.
I will add a bit of a warning for anyone that has a trigger for torture or PTSD issues, as there are some pretty intense scenes in this book. Having suffered from PTSD for years, I have to admit I was at my limits a few times. It is very well done.
Overall, this is an exceptionally well written book, regardless of what genre you like, there is something for everyone, and it is absolutely worth the read. I have already pre-ordered book 2. One of the Must-Reads of the Year!!
August 6, 2023
This book is considerably better than it’s current rating. I can be pretty critical on my books, but this one earned all 5 stars. It has the feel of being part of “The Expanse” universe with just a touch of Warhammer 40k.
April 18, 2023
Not many science fiction books, military or otherwise, cause me to cringe at the terrible things evil villains can do to the innocent. But, this book had me cringing a lot! Commander Rylan Holt is a spy or more cleanly, an intelligence operative for Lucian Fleet Intelligence. He's after a contact that seems to have information about weapons smuggling in one of the cartels on Lakshmi Colony. Now this is an entire universe that has nothing to do with our Solar System. The various factions identified in this book are kind of hard to understand, but lets just say they all seem to be humans doing what humans do. And that means illegal stuff happens all the time like weapons and drug smuggling along with human trafficking. Rylan Holt has been doing his kind of work successfully for over 12 years and it's about time he stopped. Just one more job and he can go home to his wife and kids and stay.
Only he gets captured. Now you unfortunately meet Lilith. She is the pinnacle of evil. Lilith's Cartel has been doing all sorts of illegal activities and all are directed towards allowing her to take over this entire sector of space. She doesn't have a large army or space navy, but some how she has gotten the favor of the Wardens. They have given her some very lethal weapons to us against mostly the Lucians and anyone else that stands in her way. Commander Rylan Holt needs to stop her.
OK, so who are the Wardens? Well, this part of space is under control of something called the Ascendants. I don't exactly know who or what these things are, but they could have been humans that have evolved to almost god like entities and they control this part of space and everything in it. The Wardens are their enforcers of the Ascendants rules although not all those rules are known by the humans. Also these rules can change without notice or reason at any time. Up time now, the Ascendants have just kept humanity from annihilating themselves by limiting the lethality of war between factions.
Only the game has changed, at least the game being played by two Ascendants, one of which is certifiably insane! They are actually playing some kind of game with the humans as players. One, called Cef, has granted Lilith with unusually powerful weapons and control of numerous enforcers (mechs) that she is willing to use against the Lucians. Commander Rylan Holt knows about her plans and has sent that information to his HQ just before he got caught. Now he's about to undergo some painful torture because Lilith wants to know how much the Lucians know about her plans. The thing is, it doesn't matter what they know because they have no way to stop her. With the weapons given to her by the Ascendants she can and will be Empress of this region of space or every one will be dead!
What makes this book so vile is how Lilith can, at the touch of a pad, wipe out billions of humans who life in orbital colonies. They have no idea of what's going to happen to them and can't stop it if they knew. The first orbital station/colony Lilith destroys is Zeus station, where Commander Rylan Holt's family resides. How she found out that information was the unfortunate mistake of Rylan's eldest daughter. She should have known better. It will cost someone in her family their life.
So, how do you fight back against some kind of alien presence that you have no idea how to fight against. How do you even keep track of the rules when they can change on a whim? There's going to be a lot of people dying in this book but you will read about two Lucian soldiers, both Lieutenants in the Lucian space Navy, who find each other and hope to make it through this ordeal.
While this book does have an ending, there's still more to come. The game isn't over. Book 2, "Brimstone", is available on Amazon right now. I'll add it to my reading list, I think!
Only he gets captured. Now you unfortunately meet Lilith. She is the pinnacle of evil. Lilith's Cartel has been doing all sorts of illegal activities and all are directed towards allowing her to take over this entire sector of space. She doesn't have a large army or space navy, but some how she has gotten the favor of the Wardens. They have given her some very lethal weapons to us against mostly the Lucians and anyone else that stands in her way. Commander Rylan Holt needs to stop her.
OK, so who are the Wardens? Well, this part of space is under control of something called the Ascendants. I don't exactly know who or what these things are, but they could have been humans that have evolved to almost god like entities and they control this part of space and everything in it. The Wardens are their enforcers of the Ascendants rules although not all those rules are known by the humans. Also these rules can change without notice or reason at any time. Up time now, the Ascendants have just kept humanity from annihilating themselves by limiting the lethality of war between factions.
Only the game has changed, at least the game being played by two Ascendants, one of which is certifiably insane! They are actually playing some kind of game with the humans as players. One, called Cef, has granted Lilith with unusually powerful weapons and control of numerous enforcers (mechs) that she is willing to use against the Lucians. Commander Rylan Holt knows about her plans and has sent that information to his HQ just before he got caught. Now he's about to undergo some painful torture because Lilith wants to know how much the Lucians know about her plans. The thing is, it doesn't matter what they know because they have no way to stop her. With the weapons given to her by the Ascendants she can and will be Empress of this region of space or every one will be dead!
What makes this book so vile is how Lilith can, at the touch of a pad, wipe out billions of humans who life in orbital colonies. They have no idea of what's going to happen to them and can't stop it if they knew. The first orbital station/colony Lilith destroys is Zeus station, where Commander Rylan Holt's family resides. How she found out that information was the unfortunate mistake of Rylan's eldest daughter. She should have known better. It will cost someone in her family their life.
So, how do you fight back against some kind of alien presence that you have no idea how to fight against. How do you even keep track of the rules when they can change on a whim? There's going to be a lot of people dying in this book but you will read about two Lucian soldiers, both Lieutenants in the Lucian space Navy, who find each other and hope to make it through this ordeal.
While this book does have an ending, there's still more to come. The game isn't over. Book 2, "Brimstone", is available on Amazon right now. I'll add it to my reading list, I think!
March 23, 2023
Averting Disaster ? . . .
The trademark skill of Rhett Bruno, whose books I have habitually read, is to always provide the reader with a well-written, exciting and clever story that immerses us within the pages to experience everything first-hand rather than just reading words. As always, the fast-paced action plot grabbed me at the start and didn't let go. The setting is well developed with lots of nuances to it that provide surprises around every corner. The journey takes us through lots of twists and turns to keep us motivated to anticipate further action ahead. And that action keeps the reader unsure of where to look next because it never stays in one place. Don’t miss this one! With machine-overlords (“Wardens”) rationing resources, life for humans becomes a powder keg of tensions that can’t be contained. The story will keep your imagination in high gear from start to finish!
The trademark skill of Rhett Bruno, whose books I have habitually read, is to always provide the reader with a well-written, exciting and clever story that immerses us within the pages to experience everything first-hand rather than just reading words. As always, the fast-paced action plot grabbed me at the start and didn't let go. The setting is well developed with lots of nuances to it that provide surprises around every corner. The journey takes us through lots of twists and turns to keep us motivated to anticipate further action ahead. And that action keeps the reader unsure of where to look next because it never stays in one place. Don’t miss this one! With machine-overlords (“Wardens”) rationing resources, life for humans becomes a powder keg of tensions that can’t be contained. The story will keep your imagination in high gear from start to finish!
March 18, 2023
( Format : Audiobook and ebook )
"It's the right thing to do."
With a science fiction book, if the authors are Rhett C.Bruno and M.B.Vance, a reader can be assured of a well written book with interesting characters and a gripping story. Add in the great Ray Porter as narrator, with fully differentiated voices for the protagonists, there really isn't any way this cannot be good.
And it is good, enthralling, exciting, full action and a background mystery. I followed the audio production with great pleasure, occasionally also reading the kindle book, free with kindle unlimited.
This is the first of what I hope will be a long running series. Recommended to all military SF fans.
"It's the right thing to do."
With a science fiction book, if the authors are Rhett C.Bruno and M.B.Vance, a reader can be assured of a well written book with interesting characters and a gripping story. Add in the great Ray Porter as narrator, with fully differentiated voices for the protagonists, there really isn't any way this cannot be good.
And it is good, enthralling, exciting, full action and a background mystery. I followed the audio production with great pleasure, occasionally also reading the kindle book, free with kindle unlimited.
This is the first of what I hope will be a long running series. Recommended to all military SF fans.
July 26, 2023
Pointless and depressing. The whole thing is a game contest between aliens. They don't care who gets hurt or dies.
There is a lengthy section about a battle sim, which carried on even after the battle part was over. There seemed to be no reason for this to be included in the story.
There are lengthy descriptions of torture of a main character. And then we get senseless torture of children.
Lots of ships destroyed and people killed by Lilith, who was a cartoon character and killed them just for fun I guess.
Won't be continuing with the series.
There is a lengthy section about a battle sim, which carried on even after the battle part was over. There seemed to be no reason for this to be included in the story.
There are lengthy descriptions of torture of a main character. And then we get senseless torture of children.
Lots of ships destroyed and people killed by Lilith, who was a cartoon character and killed them just for fun I guess.
Won't be continuing with the series.
July 30, 2023
In a distant future where Humans routinely travel through space, there is a mysterious race of Ascendants who have sloughed off their mortal coil and continue as some other form of consciousness. They have an army of AI controlled robots to enforce rules of peace across the myriad of human settlements. But one day, two of these Ascendants seem to start playing a ruthless game where Humans are the players in a savage battle for... well that part was never really clear. The goals and motives of Ascendants are rarely revealed.
October 17, 2023
Loved it. At first it was a bit slow, but things picked up pretty quickly. I liked the switching between points of view.
But be warned - this has some really bad stuff in it. There are "mechs" who literally pull people limb from limb. And that's kind of the milder version of their actions. Bruno gets pretty graphic with all the violence.
But the premise is really interesting. I'm looking forward to book 2. Plus Ray Porter on audio is such a pleasure.
But be warned - this has some really bad stuff in it. There are "mechs" who literally pull people limb from limb. And that's kind of the milder version of their actions. Bruno gets pretty graphic with all the violence.
But the premise is really interesting. I'm looking forward to book 2. Plus Ray Porter on audio is such a pleasure.
April 4, 2023
I almost didn't get this because I'm not as fond of Military Scifi as I used to be, but I enjoy Rhett C Bruno and you can never go wrong when you pick-up a book by Ray AwesomeSauce Porter.
I needn't have worried, there wasn't any slogging, as this book had me right on the edge-of-my-seat whole time.
So grab the audiobook and enjoy!
I needn't have worried, there wasn't any slogging, as this book had me right on the edge-of-my-seat whole time.
So grab the audiobook and enjoy!
April 21, 2023
I’m going to rate this book on the writing style instead of content. The world building and technical information was great. Unfortunately the subject matter is not for me. Half the time I was lost in the technical talk! The beginning was really slow, the last quarter was fast paced but it left more questions.
September 16, 2023
Kind of meh... it has some good ideas, but the story is just dragged out and the characters are all kind of weak. Even though a lot is happening, i never felt like i really cared about any of the actions or characters.
October 15, 2023
Meh... I really wanted to like this book, but after about 20%, I was forcing myself to continue reading. I'm not going to continue on with the rest of the series based on my experience with the first book.
March 19, 2023
Ray Porter, as usual, did an excellent job of narrating. The story itself is meh. I never felt a connection to any of the characters. everything felt very stilted.
October 16, 2023
Starts slow and picks up speed quickly. Some of the arch enemies are classic archetypes with adolescent verbiage. I listened through Audible and am waiting for the second installment of the series.
November 4, 2023
Boy am I finished. Tooooooo gory! I don't want or need to read (or hear) about torture sessions. It adds nothing and turn me (and the book) off. It only took about 5% of it to make me ditch it.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews