Ashes

Ashes Trilogy, Book 1

By: Ilsa J. Bick

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

It could happen tomorrow....

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions. Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom, a young soldier, and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP. For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it's now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling novel about a world that could be ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.

©2011 Ilsa J. Bick (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"For fans of postapocalyptic and horror fiction, Bick has created a story of equal parts intrigue and gore…Katherine Kellgren narrates the tension-filled action at a lightning pace…The author’s frenetic characterization of Alex is tempered by Kellgren’s ability to draw the listener into each scene." (Audiofile)

2012 Audie Award Nominee, Female Solo Narration

Story isn't bad but the narrator is annoying

Would you try another book from Ilsa J. Bick and/or Katherine Kellgren?

I liked the premise, and the characters start off ok but you would expect more growth and learning. Maybe they will in the later books. The narrator seems to feel that tension and action can only be shown by yelling.

Would you recommend Ashes to your friends? Why or why not?

To read, maybe. To listen to, no.

Teenage girls and younger are a pain

What would have made Ashes better?

The story, for one thing. By the time I was 2hrs into it, I never wanted to be around the characters again. I pressed on, hope attempting to triumph over experience and was disappointed.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Why I left Goldman Sachs

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The reader did some screaming, not doubt to help us get in the story and it hurt my ears.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Anger, I hated the little girl and grew to dislike, Alex, the female lead.

Absolutely Horrible

What could Ilsa J. Bick have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Have Ellie die a slow painful death at the beginning! Delete all the boyfriend drama and make Alex a strong character capable of learning from her mistakes.

Would you be willing to try another one of Katherine Kellgren’s performances?

Worst narration I've ever heard. I should have paid more attention to the reviews.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Relief I paid only the "on sale" price.
Frustration at the missed opportunity this story could have been.

Can't this girl do anything right?

I have to agree with an earlier review. I read (listen to) post apocalyptic tales to hear stories of everyday heros who overcome adversity. Into part two and I just cannot connect with someone who does everything wrong, loses with every situation. I'll continue to struggle through, but my bright daily outlook can only absorb so much heroine failure in a given reading.

Apocalypse vs. Angsty Teen Girl with Boy Problems

Any additional comments?

Despite an innate ability to soldier on through shockingly bad storylines and/or ear grating narrators, I was unable to finish this story. Had the story sustained it’s initial arc of “young protagonist vs. apocalypse” this would have been a mediocre but listenable tale. Sadly, it appears this author is attempting to tap into the ever lucrative teenage girl readership. “Alex” quickly finds herself caught in the roils of romantic attractions between “Tom” her early savior but feels so guilty about conflicting feeling for “Chris” who really, really likes her but that damned “Lena” kissed him….yeah. Another MAJOR pothole in the bumpy road to Bad Book Purchase-Ville is the narration. The delivery is fine, even engaging…until any sort of action scene starts. Then she launches into this rapid paced, strident, semi-shouting technique that was not only irritating sonically but also quite stress inducing on a visceral level. That, of course, could be a unique combination of her voice and my inner ear… who knows.

NO!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!! Be prepared!

I really liked the story. Even after finding out it had the "different zombie" take. BUT the narrator decided she had to act out every single book in the series. She didn't read it, she yelled it. For example. Most would read, "No, oh please Jack, no, no, no." This narrator had to SCREAM! NO! OH PLEASE JACK!!!! NO!!!!! NO!!!!!!!! I found myself fast forwarding so I didn't have to hear her yell and act out the scenes. Don't they direct these people????

Good first part, then...

I won’t continue listening to this, the history started quite good, and narration is just amazing. The second part turns a bit confusing and forced. I started feeling I was immerse in the walking dead and lost me.
Again, narration is amazing and I would look for more books from K. Kellgren

Careful!

Would you try another book from Ilsa J. Bick and/or Katherine Kellgren?

I would not want another that has no ending such as this one.

What could Ilsa J. Bick have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Have an interim ending that makes us feel we haven't wasted our time.

Would you be willing to try another one of Katherine Kellgren’s performances?

I think she does a good job overall, but this book does not allow us to remember the good since the ending (actually non ending) is so frustrating.

What character would you cut from Ashes?

All the characters seemed developed well but with no ending we are left with at least six that nothing is told what happens to them.

Any additional comments?

Audible should be ashamed to put this book out without the followup books not being available!

Quit half way through

Could have been a great story but I couldn't take the characters making stupid decisions left and right. Too much whining as well.

The narrator was a HORRIBLE choice for this book.

What disappointed you about Ashes?

Okay.. I feel bad about saying something negative about the narrator, but I really feel this may have been a decent story, if not for her. I'm not saying she is a bad narrator, but I am saying she was a terrible choice of narrator for this book. And as they say at Shark Tank... "and for that reason I'm out." The characters in the book are young and the narrator sounds quite a bit older. The different voices she used for the different characters caused me to stop reading this book. Again, she's not a bad narrator necessarily. She was bad for this book, though.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The whole story line was decent. The least interesting part was the narrator. I think it may actually be a decent book if you read it on your own.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Katherine Kellgren?

Colleen Hoover maybe? I'm not sure... but definitely someone that is better

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment... but only because of the narrator.

Any additional comments?

I think it may be a pretty decent book if you read it yourself, without the narrator.