Dead Six

By: Larry Correia, Mike Kupari

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Length: 21 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Michael Valentine, veteran and former member of an elite private military company, has been recruited by the government to conduct a secret counter-terror operation in the Persian Gulf nation of Zubara. The unit is called Dead Six. Their mission is to take the fight to the enemy and not get caught. Lorenzo, assassin and thief extraordinaire, is being blackmailed by the world's most vicious crime lord. His team has to infiltrate the Zubaran terrorist network and pull off an impossible heist or his family will die. When Dead Six compromises his objective, Lorenzo has a new job: Find and kill Valentine. As allegiances are betrayed and the nation descends into a bloody civil war, Lorenzo and Valentine must face off. Two men. Two missions. Only one will win.

©2011 Larry Correia, Mike Kupari (P)2014 Audible Inc.

A good story ruined by bad narration

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No. I have listened to several other Correia titles read by Bronson Pinchot; although he has always had an odd style it hasn't been enough to ruin the story, but in this one he has gone totally off the rails. His cadence is ridiculous. Why does he voice half of the characters as though they are idiots? Why does his narration slow to a crawl during big action scenes? For example. I. Lifted. The. Gun. And. Shot. Him. In. The. Head. Ridiculous. A shame because the story seems really good and I will not be able to finish it.

What did you like best about this story?

A solid plot.

Would you be willing to try another one of Bronson Pinchot’s performances?

Not after this.

Was Dead Six worth the listening time?

No

Any additional comments?

A real shame because Correia is a great author. Check out Monster Hunter International instead.

Not a home run, but a solid double

I picked up this book after tearing through the Grimnoir trilogy, wanting to read anything written by Larry Correia. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I struggled when I got started with this book. However, I was patient and gave it several hours. It did improve and I came around and liked it enough to finish and get the next book in the series.

The book revolves around the perspective of two central characters - a middle aged professional thief forced to perform a heist against his will and a young mercenary recruited into a shadowy government organization. Through separate story lines both of them find themselves in a fictional middle eastern country called "Zubarah" (probably named after the real Fort in Qatar) where their paths cross and conflict as they pursue their own objectives.

Once the two characters are established the arc of their story becomes very engaging and the two authors do a great job making you care about both of them.

Like all Larry Correia stories, you can expect that action will take center stage as battle after battle will be narrated in vivid detail. This book is no exception and the fun of the conflicts is all there, much like in the Grimnoir series. The geo-political conspiracy stuff is also fun if you just suspend disbelief and go with it.

The drawbacks of the book all come in the beginning and they are minimized as the book develops. There are a great number of flat, cliche characters in the start of the book. It is a bit tedious to wait through their predictable and flat dialog. However, sit through it and it will pay off.

The narration by Bronson Pinchot is nearly flawless. His range of character voices is amazing and he does a fantastic job (with only one minor exception - one of his female voices sound a little weaker than the characters seems to be). He is a real standout and deserves all five stars anyway.

All in all, if you like Grimnoir and want more, you'll eventually be really happy with this book.

Fantastic Merc Series! Dead Six Trilogy delivers!

Larry Correia brings the goods! He's a tactical whiz and as a "gun guy" he delighted me with the details of the weaponry. The story that runs across these 3 books are each great books in their own right, but also make a great overarching story when listened together. As for the narration... Bronson Pinchot is among the greats! Bringing every character, & the story, to life!

Bad narration

Normally Bronson Pinchot is my favorite narrator. But, I'm trudging through this book because some of his narration sounds more like some soft spoken, pencil pushing, bored, museum guide who has given far to many tours to keep things interesting as opposed to sounding like elite, bad-ass, military personnel.

solid story

The story was good and the performance was exceptional. Best audio performance I have ever heard.

Fast moving and great story line.

Great listen. Hard to get into story but once the story starts to evolve you can't stop listening.

just ok

I've heard better from Jonathon Maberry. this is predictable and boring however I do give him a nod for weapons and military knowledge

Larry Correia with no magic or monsters?

Not the usual writings I am used to from writer Correia. Without the additions of some monsters and, or magic, I was quite excited while listening the high action story line. The fine detail of equipment, vehicles, aircraft, and weapons had surely added to keep the intensity of interest high and almost. an inability to stop listening. I even missed my Doctors appointment and an nights sleep.
The collaboration Larry Correia and Mike Kupari with an excellent performance by the cast of one, Bronson Pinchot, had a very enjoyable result and purely fantastic entertainment value.

Great listen

What an entertaining book. The performance was awesome. I am now hooked and ready to continue the series.

Pinchot Does Great Narration

Dead Six is the first book of a trilogy which will certainly appeal to those who like the heroes-save-the-world genre. Fighting not only contemporary radical enemies, they also take on secret societies, and an evil mystical maniac. The pace moves fast. Lots of action for those who enjoy that, plus some romantic elements as well. I had to read all three books in sequence since the suspense from one to the next compelled me to do so. Highly recommend.

I was tentative, at first, about Bronson Pinchot as the narrator. I guess I remember him as "Balki" from his sitcom days and wasn't sure of his dramatic talents. However, he did a great job acting all the roles with distinct voices that brought all the characters to life. This is why I like audio books, because in the hands of a talented actor the reading of the story is enhanced. I would certainly listen to other books by him as well since he's an excellent audiobook actor/narrator.