Koban, Volume 1

By: Stephen W. Bennett

Narrated by: Patrick Freeman

Length: 25 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

All new narration adds sound effects and eliminates issues noted in reviews. To obtain new version, remove old one from device, download new copy at no charge.

We colonized seven hundred planets. Humankind enjoyed the benefits of expansion and the end of wars. We disbanded our military.

Then the Krall found us.

The Krall have used thousands of years of combat to select the genes of the strongest and fastest warriors. They are a species determined to dominate the galaxy, through annihilation or enslavement of every opponent.

Koban is an uninhabited high gravity planet with impossibly fast savage animals, which employ organic superconducting nerves. This deadly world is where the Krall are testing humans for fighting capability. We are useful only if we can fight well. If not, they will destroy us swiftly, as they have other species. They have slaves, and we’re poor tasting meat animals, so we fight or die. The Krall will use us, if worthy, seeking physical perfection through attrition of war, one planet at a time.

Growing weary of our failures in testing, the ruthless Krall are on the verge of a decision to eliminate our species. A ship carrying bio-scientists is captured for combat testing. The choice for Captain Mirikami and the scientists is simple: Prove we can produce better, smarter fighters quickly, or humanity is doomed to rapid extermination.

But the Krall are only half the problem. We must survive Koban's gravity and superfast animals. The tiger-like rippers with skin contact telepathy are predators too fast and powerful for the Krall to face. Our solution is genetic: If you can't beat them as you are, become human rippers.

The Krall will learn another species can bypass natural selection.

©2012 Stephen W Bennett (P)2013 Stephen W Bennett

A great book! And an amazing series.

A must read. I've re-read all of his books numerous times, i love them every time. Bennett makes such an amazing universe to get immersed in.

Narration

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Other reviewers have commented negatively on Patrick Freeman's narration. I agree that it is difficult to listen to, so I speeded up the playback to 1.5X and everything was fine. Also, one other point. The second book leaves the plot just hanging. We don't know how humanity is ultimately saved. I guess the intent is to leave room for lots of follow-on books, but I thought it was just too open ended. If I had known that, I wouldn't have bothered with this series.

Surprisingly suspensive !

What made the experience of listening to Koban, Book 1 the most enjoyable?

The development and explanation of the characters.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Without a doubt, the captain of the flight of fancy.

Which scene was your favorite?

The way the captain handled and managed to manipulate the Krall to the advantage of the captives.

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

The test of the captain.

Any additional comments?

In the beginning, the story starts slow, but then holds you in anticipation of the coming events.

Unique twist on first contact

Great book listened ng to it for the third time as I prepare to listen to the latest in the series.

Good story, but

Where does Koban, Book 1 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Mid-pack so far. Not done yet.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Koban, Book 1?

The recorded warning...

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Patrick Freeman?

Dick Hill. Mark Boyett. Jeff Gurner, George Guidall would all be preferable.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not so far. I haven't finished the book yet. I'll follow up when done.

Any additional comments?

I have bought well over a hundred Audible titles and this is the first that the narrator has affected me negatively. The narrator has a weird rhythmic phrasing when he reads which gets pretty grating. Also his emphasis given some characters is oddly stilted. Also he insists on pronouncing escape as excape. Yeah I;m being picky but this narrator bugs me.

It has sucked me in and now I'm addicted!!!

I guess I got lucky and did my listen after the narration was fixed. I found it an enjoyable listen and the narration was a great listen. I really enjoyed the story and really wanted to find out how it continued and have gone on to the next in the series, with plans to finish them all. It builds and just gets better and better. So worth the credit and the ride.

Imaginative and Enjoyable Series

What made the experience of listening to Koban, Book 1 the most enjoyable?

The Science and Believability.

Any additional comments?

I'm now on book 4 and still enjoying this series. The narrator is great and the sound file is mixed properly. Every narrator should understand the importance of compressors and limiters being applied to sound files, and clearly, this one does. It has been a pleasure on the ears.

Lisp from hell

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

No, the lisp and recording had some problems. The performer at times controlled his lisp, but there were chapters where it was difficult to understand the words being spoken. My family found it amusing and would often mock the performer. I'm trying not to be cruel if it was a real disability but it was distracting.

The character voices were recorded separately from the narration. You can tell because the character sentences are said in a way that would be inappropriate in the context of the sentence. "We're screwed," he growled and "We're screwed," he mumbled, are two different sentences. It's a basic example not in the story but relevant nonetheless. If it only happened once or twice, it wouldn't be noticeable but office the main character spoke in such an annoying, inappropriate way it became distracting.

What did you like best about this story?

The story is solid. I've read the series before. The world was built well. I could see everything in my own head.

Would you be willing to try another one of Patrick Freeman’s performances?

Heavens no.

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

No

Any additional comments?

The performer needs to consider context when recording separately. He had great voices for the character, and I could tell he tried his best to fix the lisp on the characters. However, it was severe in some chapters and hard to understand while driving a car.

hacky but entertaining

One look at the garish cover art will tell you that the Koban series is not high minded literature,
But if what you want is a quick moving story about a group of plucky, outnumbered humans who persevere against an assortment of arrogant, sadistic, thick witted aliens by genetically altering themselves into super-heroes, than give it a try.
I just finished book 5 and I'm actually looking forward to the next one.

Be warned though, the narration in book 1 is awful, I don't know what they were thinking, but they bring in a decent narrator for the rest of them

Genetically engineered?! I'm in!

This book will tell you how it's possible to live on the most hostile planet in the universe! It's all about genetics. How good are they? I'll tell you for sure they are not good enough to live on Koban. Many reviews tell you that this book is too descriptive about the many things going on, and the author just needs to get on with the story. Well this is a 24 hour book. Be prepared for a lot of listening. Although this is a long book it is fairly easy to listen too. Just make sure you use the bookmark feature. The first time I listen to a sample of this book was last year before the revamped narrator. The narrator does much better this time around. So much better. Don't let the sound effects scare you off. After a while they're a good part of the story. Yeah, you will just have to get used to them. Then all is good.