To Hell's Heart

Crimson Worlds, Book 6

By: Jay Allan

Narrated by: Jeff Bower

Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

The combined forces of humanity have beaten back the First Imperium invasion. For the first time, the enemy has been defeated in battle. The cost was high in blood and suffering, but the Line held. The heart of human-occupied space has been saved from annihilation. For now.

There is little time for the victorious warriors to savor their triumph or mourn their dead. The First Imperium has been driven back, but it has not been defeated. No one expects the fruits of victory to be more than a brief respite.

Augustus Garret, Erik Cain, and the rest of the human high command have a decision to make. Do they stand on the defensive, waiting for the massive second invasion they all know will come? Or do they consider another option, one that compels them to face overwhelming odds, and launch a strike that could end the war in one campaign?

The attack ship Hornet returned home after a miraculous run through enemy space, and her crew brought with them priceless intelligence... the location of a world of the First Imperium. In the capitals of Earth, the ruling classes call for caution, for the armed forces to stand on the defensive. But on the frontier, Garret and his compatriots are planning something different, and they do not intend to be deterred. They are going to take the war to the enemy. They are going to march into hell's heart.

©2013 Jay Allan Books (P)2013 Jay Allan Books

GREAT STORY, BUT I HOPE THE AUTHOR ISN'T DONE

What did you love best about To Hell's Heart?

GREAT SPACE OPERA

Any additional comments?

HOPFULLY THE AUTHOR WILL WRIGHT A FOLOW UP STORY OR NEW SEREIS THAT TAKES UP WHERE THIS ONE LEAVES OFF

awesome book narrator sucks

the book itself overall so far is great but oh my God the person dictating it sucks the man should stick to one voice not trying to create new voices and for god sakes when you're doing a military-style novel you don't make a general sound like a goddamn fairy

Hell's Heart review

Again I just love Jay Allen audio books. The narrator Jeff Bower keeps me coming back. His style of reading keeps me glued to the story line. It like my own father reading me a night time story right before bed.
This is my forth reading. I can read and listen again and again.
I really recommend the Crimson Worlds books. It has everything a military SYFI book needs to keep you interested and coming back. Find out for yourself.

One Huge Nitrous Hit of Character Dialogue

Would you consider the audio edition of To Hell's Heart to be better than the print version?

Did not buy book, so I would have to say....Yes. The audio edition is at least 3 leagues above mere paper and ink. It might serve you well to have book in hand while listening. Then again, maybe you should just sit there and listen to this gem.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I have a group favorite character. Every male captain, Group Leader and Chief Intelligence Officer in this audiobook sounds like either prepubescent pimple-faced pussbags, de-balled eunochs, near sighted nerdlings or that kid in the Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer Christmas Special who wanted to be a dentist when he grew up. You remember him, don't you? Also, my sympathies go out to Grand Admiral Powell for reasons elaborated below.

It's amazing. I have now purchased four audiobooks in this series and with each successive listen I am more and more convinced that the narrator is for some undisclosed reason purposely turning what should be normal, probably a smidge extra-masculine voices of the above listed characters into a somewhat ridiculous sounding cast of falsetto choir boy 6th graders. At first I thought "the author either owes this narrator a substantial sum of dough and the only way out is to let him narrate, or the author wrote the books, washed his hands of the whole post publishing get book to Audible scene and has since moved forward and really couldn't give a rat's ass about his book's narration."

Face it, this book is jam packed with tons of solid outer space military action. Every chapter has at least 215 people either killed, maimed or driven utterly insane after being completely drenched with the spattered brains and / or pureed internal organs of some unfortunate sad sack squad member who happened to catch a salvo of Imperium Reaper death bolts square in the left eye and solar plexus. Why then does the narrator turn what is a virtual audio bloodbath perpetrated by avenging intergalactic badasses into what sounds like an evil Barney and Friends episode? I do not type these words with a flippant air; nor do I have any personal animus towards the people who are responsible for this audiobook. But I cannot stay silent. I must defend the honor of this audiobook's characters, as they are trapped in the digital prison of eternal silence known as "My Library".

To give you an example of what I am trying to relate - just now, as I type this review, Admiral Powell, an African-American character has just had a conversation with one of his squeaky voiced Eddie Haskell Unit Commanders. This stud is the commander in charge of "Operation Save Humanity's Ass". He is a figure of authority and power. Why does Powell have to sound like some low budget early 1970's pulp black guy character named
T-Bone, or J-Rock drawling lame jive lines to his strung out, hollow eyed ho?

Doesn't Powell deserve better than this? He's the f.....king Grand Admiral for Christ sake. Show some respect narrator! The man is trying defend humankind from the merciless psychopathic Imperium and you make him sound like one of those characters from the 1980's cult classic 'I'm Gonna Git You Sucka!". Think of the scene at the end when that group of Afros are doing their "Jerry Curl!" song and you are half way there. It is that bad. What is worse, is that there is absolutely no reason for the narrator to do this. I just think someone should stand up for Grand Admiral Powell. I am that someone.

If there was even an iota of justice in this world I would have the power to bring Grand Admiral Powell to life, have him travel back in time to tomorrow, let him listen to what he sounds like on this and other audiobooks in the series, drive his muscle bound strappingness to the narrator's house and watch him beat the living shit out of the guy.

What does Jeff Bower bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

See above for all relevant comments.

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

Oh, I don't know...... I sure as hell didn't cry. My laughter is basically a reaction to yet another character commanding 12 battleships and an elite detachment of Space Marines in the midst of heavy combat operations who ends up sounding like some 52 pound 4th grade hall monitor who is waiting for his balls to drop.

I don't even want to touch the whole female captain sounding like she is either some slutty skag tag, or a teen age Tiny Tots daycare assistant. I am better than that.

Any additional comments?

Drop a dime, buy the audiobook. The action is top notch. Get ready for narration that will amaze you.

Has gotten very old...can't take it any longer

20% story, 80% same old battles with the same terrible narration. I have slugged through these books in spite of the terrible narration but have now had it. He has an extensive set of superior characters but fails to develop them as well as the potentially excellent story arc. However, the author instead focuses on the now tedious battle sequences while repeating many of the same old phrases. The narrator's range of voices is obviously very limited and many of them do not even "fit" what one would expect a real character to even sound like. When men sound like women something is wrong. So I surrender. The story line is failing, it battles repetitious and I can no longer take the narration for what little bit of new storyline there is. The series had great potential but the author failed it on many fronts. Truly a shame but can't take any more.