Into the Storm

Destroyermen, Book 1

By: Taylor Anderson

Narrated by: William Dufris

Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Pressed into service when World War II breaks out in the Pacific, the USS Walker---a Great-War vintage "four-stacker" destroyer---finds itself in full retreat from pursuit by Japanese battleships. Its captain, Lieutenant Commander Matthew Patrick Reddy, knows that he and his crew are in dire straits. In desperation, he heads Walker into a squall, hoping it will give them cover---and emerges somewhere else.

Familiar landmarks appear, but the water teems with monstrous, vicious fish. And there appear to be dinosaurs grazing on the plains of Bali. Gradually Matt and his crew must accept the fact that they are in an alternate world---and they are not alone. Humans have not evolved, but two other species have. And they are at war.

With its steam power and weaponry, the Walker's very existence could alter the balance of power. And for Matt and his crew, who have the means to turn a primitive war into a genocidal Armageddon, one thing becomes clear: They must decide whose side they're on. Because whoever they choose to side with is the winner.

Battle stations! Listen to more in the Destroyermen series.

©2008 Taylor Anderson (P)2008 Tantor

imaginatve

Good yarn, well conceived, compelling with excelllent reader. Only negative is that the author could use some lessons in reducing wordiness.

This should be a movie...

Would you listen to Into the Storm again? Why?

I think that another listen would be good.. There is so much going on that missing something is going to happen.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Into the Storm?

When the plane was discovered.

Which character – as performed by William Dufris – was your favorite?

I do not have a favorite yet.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Where are we?

Any additional comments?

This is all the future-past stories in one...

Great Story, Good Acting

I have read the whole series in analog form over the years but I was reluctant to do the audiobook form. However, with work the way it is, I wanted to have something to listen to and decided to give the first one a try. As with most audiobooks it takes a bit of time to get used to the voice actor. However, the voice acting is certainly good once you get past the initial stages it works really well. The voice work could use just a bit more refinement on the recognizable accents (Bradford and Shinya in particular) but is overall very solid and distinct.

The story is, if anything, even more engrossing than I remember and it has a very nice build. I look forward to getting the rest of the series.

Fantastic introduction to a new world

Taylor Anderson nailed this first book. From the first moment, the crew of the USS Walker come alive. They are their own people, with concerns and beliefs and feelings separate from one another, rather than just being background details and storyhelpers.

The details and language of setting are excellent, and the explanations for terms a modern reader might not understand are skillfully inserted without being obvious.

William Dufris took these real, living characters and made them pop. Without needing tags I can tell who is speaking, through everything from accent to pacing.

I bought this off a jacket description that grabbed my attention, and now I'm busily plowing into the rest of the series. Fantastic fodder for walks or runs or doing mindless work around the house.

Remarkable story, remarkably narrated

What made the experience of listening to Into the Storm the most enjoyable?

When the story started, it was going to be another WWII experience, but then Into The Storm they went and what a wonderful mixture of what appeared to be many many years ago, mixed with a bit of today (1940's). Creatures of an unknown time, with a knowledge of modern geography. The Narration by William Dufris is equal to, if not better than that of Anne Hathaway's - The Wizard of Oz (an unbiased opinion of course) hehehe.....

Incredible epic saga.

If you could sum up Into the Storm in three words, what would they be?

Constantly expanding universe.

What did you like best about this story?

This story caught me off guard early and didn't let me off the hook. Before I knew it, I was 3 books in and they had set out the foundation of an enormous epic. I am now caught up with the writer and jonesing for book 9, 10, 11 and 12...

Which scene was your favorite?

The opening battle gets you into the book quickly and introduces you to the horror and wonder of this new world they find themselves in.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

All the characters are well written and voiced so you feel for any of them if they are killed along the way.

ABSOLUTELY ASTONISHING!!!!!

Would you listen to Into the Storm again? Why?

This book and its story is absolutely amazing. Everywhere it goes in the story I get the chills in whats going to happen next. The thrill I get from the story is amazing. I would definitely read it again when I could.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character in the book was the Captain of the USS Walker. The Leadership he showed to his crew was amazing. He never gave up on his crew, and he always led them the right direction.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene was when they entered through the squall and ended up in a new world. A new world full of adventure.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When the ship of the Lemurians was first attacked. The Captain had a choice to save those in need. Or let them be and forget. He chose to save the creatures that were not even part of his world. Even though it could endanger his crew. He saved the lives of others. That was a challenge that he faced and came through.

Any additional comments?

This book is a must read for anyone. It has many messages, and it can teach and show you many things.

A make believe naval adventure,start of a series

What made the experience of listening to Into the Storm the most enjoyable?

I enormously enjoy nautical story telling, esp in a historical setting , like the British Navy in about 1800. This tale carries WW2 American Naval action well beyond its history and creates a sci-fi adventure every bit as entertaining as the old British Navy in action. Only negative I noted was it seemed more like a young readers book selection, employing very simple phrasing and sentences. All in all, tho, I look forward to the next book in this series as I enjoyed the author's use of his imagination..

Who was your favorite character and why?

Captain Mathew

Which scene was your favorite?

Approaching the Home, Big Sail and first sea battle with the Grek.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

NO

I had reservations , but glad I made the purchase.

The plot seemed strange, but very well written. will continue series.

It just never grabbed me.

I have not read a lot of alternate history/alternate reality books, but I chose to give this one a try based on the reviews. William Dufris is an excellent narrator and he does a decent job with this book as usual, but the story itself was where it fell short for me.

As a reader of many Fantasy/Sci Fi books, I often wonder what I would do if I found myself placed in the same circumstances as the characters in the book. To me that would be the main attraction of this sub-genre. However, while listening to this book I never found myself with those thoughts. I was always an observer of what was going on and was never immersed. I must admit that I was actually going along for the journey at the beginning, somewhat intriguied by the challenges that would be faced by the crew of a modern ship that all of sudden lost access to the infrastructure needed to keep things running. Then the cat & lizard people were discovered and I knew this wasn't for me.

To be fair, I didn't absolutely hate the story, but for now I won't be picking up book number 2 in the series.