Donovan

This book really needed a central opposing character to the main character(s). It ultimately read like part memoir, part historical non-fiction because it never really settled on a central plotline. You jump around a lot, things happen, but they are all more of vignettes than a through story. You know where it's going to end up because they tell you at the beginning but getting there doesn't seem very satisfying when you arrive.

For those who know Star Wars well (and why else would you randomly pick up a Star Wars book if you haven't seen the movies?), it's a nice companion book to the events that precede The Phantom Menace. But the quandry is this: If you haven't seen the pre-trilogy, it's all really hard to follow. You feel a little like this story skates and skimps when it comes to how they are actually pulling off a galactic coupe. The best part for me was probably exploring the inner-mind of a Sith Lord. But *spoilers* they aren't all that complicated as it turns out. They want to rule the world. It's a pretty basic philosophy.

I liked him as a reader. No complaints there.

I will always be able to make it through a Star Wars audio book because they add all the fun and immersive sound effects and music to add layers of epic-ness to the experience.

Yes - two words: James Marsters. In 2 more words: Jim Butcher.

Harry Potter

I have listened to all the dresden files as audio books. I almost tossed my cookies when they used someone else for last book. It was awful by comparison.

There are new twists that garnered an OMG, but those are spoilers. There are points where Dresden is grappling with some really deep human issues that were surprisingly well done. Always shocks me when Butcher puts some meaningful heart and soul in a novel about a bad-ass wizard taking care of business.

Overall, the lore of the world and some of the mysteries are nicely laid out with answers, but more questions, and Dresden is still awesome and living life cranked to 11 with little breathing room.

John Glover just ain't Harry Dresden. Marsters made Harry Dresden for us audio book listeners. I can't stress that enough. I am done buying anymore books in this series unless they have Marsters delivering the goods. Glover turns gravelly-voiced and cock-sure-but-still-geeky Dresden into a nebbish dweeb. His sense of timing, inflection and irony are awful by comparison. Night and day. Glover may be great for spinning some medieval tale of yore, but he doesn't have a single piece of gritty detective cartilage in his esophagus.