Cheimon

I had a wonderful time listening to Headhunters, and Steve West does a terrific job keeping the listener in perfect suspense. He brings across all the charm and wit that is necessary for the lead character. And the story definitely had me at the edge of my seat for long stretches.

It was just at the very end that I realized... all that action, and for what? The motivations for the characters on a scene by scene basis are highly understandable, this is a proper thriller with lives in the balance. But looking back at it, it all rang a bit hollow. I was at the edge of my seat because I cared about the character's life... it wasn't until later that I realized, that's all the character cared about, too. This wasn't James Bond, with a world to save. Would have loved a grander set up, a more fundamental motivation, something bigger at stake.

Headhunters is a tremendously well written, suspenseful thriller. It's just not one of the truly great ones.

The story is very charming, that it was written in 1970 adds a lovely nostalgia to it. It's not a fast paced thriller, but a cute, funny crime story (it gets funnier the farther you get, I agree with other reviewers that it's a bit bland in the beginning). Not a must-read, but definitely an enjoy-to-read.

Surprisingly though, there aren't a lot of reviews about the narration. Woodman has a very pleasant voice, but his narration is a bit catastrophic, he leaves much of the novel's potential untapped. It's all about the characters and their interplay, but only two or three of the main characters enjoy any depth in the narration. Dortmunder himself is not among them - Woodman endows him with his regular narration voice, which is young and light. There are indications in the text that Dortmunder is actually reluctant and tired and rolling his eyes most of the time. We don't hear any of that through Woodman though. Very sad, a better narrator could have made this raucously funny.

In addition, the African characters have Pakistani accents, which is hard to handle.

THIS BOOK

This exciting Part 2 of the Rho Agenda series ups the ante for the three teenage protagonists and we follow them through a suspenseful web of lies and intrigue. Phillips draws the net more tightly around the three (and the world!) without giving himself leave to reinvent his universe - the suspense he masterfully built in Part 1 continues its hold and we remain on our toes.

As the series progresses and expands outwards from Los Alamos, the plot gets a little more cluttered with characters and scientific loops that are a little superfluous, a few plot points are developed but never picked up again. The timeline also introduces some slack, while we felt pushed through a tightly woven narrative arc in Part 1, Parts 2 and 3 suddenly allow world events to progress for weeks or even months without escalating our sense of urgency.

Nevertheless, Phillips always picks us up again and sweeps us into the whirlwind of the Rho Agenda - despite these moments of respite, this is a thoroughly suspenseful and charming tale, leaving the listeners (and the fate of the world) in the hands of three protagonists who are supremely likable and, in no small part because of their internal dynamics, never too dull or too perfect.

The narrator deserves tremendous praise for keeping the story as sharp, quick and warm as it is. Parts 2 and 3 challenge him to even greater range than Part 1 did (or any common audiobook would) and he excels at keeping us always at the crest of the story as it thunders through its countless different characters, locales and emotional peaks and valleys.

THE TRILOGY AND THE NARRATION

The Rho Agenda is a thoroughly enjoyable sci-fi trilogy - Richard Phillips succeeds in painting a sci-fi universe that is firmly anchored on earth and in its human protagonists and accordingly doesn't require an all-round suspension of disbelief from the reader. He sets the sci-fi parameters for his story early on and diligently sticks to them, resisting the temptation to constantly introduce new sci-fi "miracles" to toss around his characters. The human story and the political thriller may be instigated by input from another world, but they remain exactly that: a huy man story and a political thriller. With some cool sci-fi stuff going on.

The author switches between points of view more than a hundred times per book, but MacLeod Andrews narrates his way through these transitions seamlessly, taking the listener along with ease. We always know exactly where we are and who, out of the large ensemble of characters, we are currently with. The books give him a wonderful opportunity to show off his range, in terms of both voices and accents, and he brings its countless twists and turns to life masterfully, instilling the main characters with his characteristic humor and warmth. His voice grips us as tightly through the densely packed action and political intrigue as it charms us during the spells of the teenage life of our heros.

One additional point: I greatly appreciated that Phillips keeps the story at a very agreeable level of "clean" - he abstains from being gratuitously graphic in his characters' language or actions, but doesn't shy away from strong language, violence and even a little carnage when they are necessary. I enjoyed not feeling myself be dragged through gore and bodily fluids at every turn as is so easily the case in contemporary otherworldly fiction.

THIS BOOK

This first book of the trilogy was by far my favorite - it is tightly written and very consistent, focusing on the three teenage protagonists as they cleverly stumble their way through a story that is far larger than the three of them. We laugh and smile and hold our breath with them as they discover the extent to which the world around them is changing. We applaud their bravery as they take on the forces that promise harm. The book succeeds wonderfully at weaving the science and the fiction into the story of these three kids without letting it take over - no matter how well equipped the three might be for the fight that lies ahead, they remain as intrinsically vulnerable and as rightfully scared of the forces they are up against as any three high school juniors. Science fiction is an important part of their quest - but their superhuman courage is what stands out.

THE TRILOGY AND THE NARRATION

The Rho Agenda is a thoroughly enjoyable sci-fi trilogy - Richard Phillips succeeds in painting a sci-fi universe that is firmly anchored on earth and in its human protagonists and accordingly doesn't require an all-round suspension of disbelief from the reader. He sets the sci-fi parameters for his story early on and diligently sticks to them, resisting the temptation to constantly introduce new sci-fi "miracles" to toss around his characters. The human story and the political thriller may be instigated by input from another world, but they remain exactly that: a human story and a political thriller. With some cool sci-fi stuff going on.

The author switches between points of view more than a hundred times per book, but MacLeod Andrews narrates his way through these transitions seamlessly, taking the listener along with ease. We always know exactly where we are and who, out of the large ensemble of characters, we are currently with. The books give him a wonderful opportunity to show off his range, in terms of both voices and accents, and he brings its countless twists and turns to life masterfully, instilling the main characters with his characteristic humor and warmth. His voice grips us as tightly through the densely packed action and political intrigue as it charms us during the spells of the teenage life of our heros.

One additional point: I greatly appreciated that Phillips keeps the story at a very agreeable level of "clean" - he abstains from being gratuitously graphic in his characters' language or actions, but doesn't shy away from strong language, violence and even a little carnage when they are necessary. I enjoyed not feeling myself be dragged through gore and bodily fluids at every turn as is so easily the case in contemporary otherworldly fiction.

The book behind this audiobook alone would be a great read, but the four performers who lend their voice to the four central characters lift it into the must-listen category.

The first three chapters alone are worth the purchase - we hear the voices of three remarkable human beings, two abused slaves and an Irish immigrant who is a mere child when he boards a New York-bound "coffin ship" to escape the potato famine. With their tenacity, their faith even through the greatest of suffering, their compassion for strangers and their unending love and devotion for their families, these three represent America at her very finest, even at a time when America herself is deeply torn about her own convictions.

Especially in the second half of the book the story itself lags a little behind some of the grand Civil War sagas of the last century - some fortuitous turns may seem a little too easy, some choices, especially as they relate to the love stories, just a little too clean. As it spans twenty years in four separate lives on only 400 pages though, this is forgivable and in no way diminishes the overall enjoyment of the audiobook. I would give it four and a half stars for story, but five seemed fairer than four.

The greatest treat lies in its narration, however. The characters as voiced are immensely lovable and made me root for them passionately. I laughed, I cried, I wasn't even a little ashamed... it was a thoroughly heartwarming listening experience despite the grim backdrop.

Micah's struggles to be a true man in a world that doesn't even acknowledge him as fully human are brought to life with a raw depth that brings chills to the spine. The narrations for both him and Mary are particularly notable, as they bring to life two slaves who had to acquire every bit of their forbidden literacy with hard, covert work - their narrators never let us forget the competing forces of pride, submission and genuine devotion that tear at their characters. At the same time, they transport the listener straight into the mosquitoes and the scorching sun of the Deep South.

Ethan's boyish humor often had me laugh out loud - his story (including every mischievous smirk) is voiced throughout in the most adorable brogue, which keeps alive the 12 year old boy we fell in love with in the first chapter. Marcella (the fourth character, joining a bit later) in many ways undergoes the greatest amount of growing up over the course of the novel, even though (or because?) she started in the most comfortable place. Her voice does justice to this arc - rarely have I watched a narrator mirror her character's development so faithfully, and yet so subtly.

I cannot recommend this book heartily enough.

I am sure there is a better narrator out there... this version is of the style that puts the narrator at the center of attention (as though somebody is simply reading the book to you), rather than making him a vehicle for the author and allowing the story to come to life.

This is an absolutely outstanding audiobook. The story is one of Dickens' most enthralling works, and Martin Jarvis' narration captures its essence with unmatched passion. Dickens' wit sparkles in Jarvis' voice as brightly as the darkness and helplessness loom heavily. The characters come to life in all their facets, keeping up with the lively narration. If you are looking for the right Dickens for entertainment, you can't go wrong with A Tale of Two Cities. And if you are looking for the right version of this masterpiece - you will enjoy this one tremendously.

This is a wonderfully moving, insightful presentation of the novel, treating the characters with tenderness as they are being torn apart. That said - this is not an audiobook for the casual listener, the novel demands attention. If you are like me, and listen to audiobooks while walking on busy streets, relying on an author to dwell on important plot points long enough for you to hear them eventually (think Tolstoy), you will find yourself rewinding All The King's Men a lot.

I absolutely adore the book, but this audiobook is helplessly out of date. The narrator is not neutral, but almost a character in himself. He speaks everything with the air of a stereotypical arrogant man from a period movie, his narration is nasal and oddly drawn out. There is also not a lot of variation for voices of characters. Additionally, you often hear him turn the pages (which is not that bad, but does not speak well of the production value).

I am sure that there are much better versions out there, I cannot recommend this one.

The narrator evokes the industrial utopian spirit wonderfully - the audiobook is, however, excruciatingly slow. The good news is that it is slow enough to work very well with the iPod's "faster" option for audiobooks.

Little need be said about the book itself - it is a legend in its philosophy, though I personally find it a less than amazing work as a novel. That should not be anybody's reason to read it though!