Phantoms

By: Dean Koontz

Narrated by: Buck Schirner

Length: 14 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Closer...
They found the town silent, apparently abandoned. Then they found the first body strangely swollen and still warm. One hundred fifty were dead, 350 missing. But the terror had only begun in the tiny mountain town of Snowfield, California.

...and closer...
At first, they thought it was the work of a maniac. Or terrorists. Or toxic contamination. Or a bizarre new disease.

...and closer...
But then they found the truth. And they saw it in the flesh. And it was worse than anything any of them had ever imagined.

©2008 Dean Koontz (P)2008 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"First-rate suspense, scary and stylish." ( Los Angeles Times)
"Schirner's pacing and pitch respond to the story's context, and his characterizations of female characters are impressive." ( AudioFile)

Great!

I believe that this is the best book that Mr. Koontz has ever written. You better hang on, it takes you for a ride.

A story that grabs you and doesn't let go!

Would you consider the audio edition of Phantoms to be better than the print version?

I enjoy reading for myself, but I travel constantly and don't have the luxury or reading while driving for obvious reasons. Audio books makes this possible and it is a service that I am thankful for. As far as the audio edition being better than the print edition I would have to say it is the same because it is the same story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jenny and Sheriff Brice Hammond. They were both strong characters that you can relate to. They become real and you share in their victories and failures. It is rare for any other author to paint such vivid pictures, characters, and environments as Dean Koontz does with such regularity.

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

Buck does a fantastic job. He gives each character a rich distinctiveness that doesn't leave you wondering who is speaking. He is also great at building tension with his delivery.

If you could rename Phantoms, what would you call it?

Not sure what would be more appropriate. The title is fitting.

Any additional comments?

If you have never read Dean Koontz or if you are a fan. This is a must read! If you are just browsing the titles looking for something to get you through a long transit or you have some downtime for your mind then look no further this is a real treat!

koontz rules

the story as I've come to expect from Dean was truly amazing. The reader left a little bit to be desired although in a complex reading such as this I can understand the struggle. Maybe I just got spoiled by David Aaron Baker reading Odd Thomas

Phantoms

I read this book back in 1997 when I was in high school and read voraciously. I found the passages I remembered very interesting, as they were quite small in comparison to the grand story. I remembered the moth and the early interactions between the main characters and virtually nothing of the ending. The “apostles” weren’t even on my radar at the ripe age of 16, so it seems.
Re-reading it now, I do recognize things that I missed before. This book felt a little more juvenile than say “Intensity,” which I just finished reading prior to Phantoms. Character development and interaction feels very.....contrived. Lisa is the most insightful, mature and wise 14 year old in existence. She was busy telling the police officers and doctors all kinds of things they didn’t know, but she had a good grasp of. I did not find her character believe able. The love story wasn’t over the top romantic and ridiculous, so I appreciated that. I think Bryce and Jenny were some of the most fleshed our characters in the book.
I find “It” interesting as well. It was creative and creepy and awful all at the same time. I do remember reading the book before and wishing he didn’t reveal the creature because it took the suspense away. The suppose the story needed a climax, but it does take away the mystery.
It’s an interesting read and I recommend the book if you are looking for action, mystery and suspense while you suspend your disbelief. 😉

Hooked from the very beginning

Finished it in like 2 days! Such an amazing book! 10/10 would recommend. Bravo! ~

MUST LISTEN TOO!!

All I'll say is you want regret itif you take my advice with this one.

scary just the way I like

well this book was very suspenseful it had a scary element to it that I would love to see more of. books just aren't scary this book and the narrator were a perfect amount of scary and suspense.

Excellent!

Excellent storyline as usual for Dean K. Story pulls you in and keeps you enthralled.

Great Detail. Even greater "afterword".

Almost couldn't tell it was written in '83! Narrator did a fantastic job with each characters voice. Makes one think about becoming a narrator as well. We'll Done!

Decent not the best

The story was good up until the last few chaptets could have made the ending better. Being this is my first book written by him i read not bad hope the next one is better.