Arena of Souls: A Brock Stone Adventure

Brock Stone Adventures, Book 1

By: David Wood

Narrated by: James Conlan

1931 - Brock Stone returns from places unknown to claim an inheritance and unravel a mystery his grandfather left behind. Stone and his companions set off on an action-packed adventure where enemies lurk in the shadows and the past comes to life. Mysteries, thrills, monsters, and more in David Wood's classic-style adventure, Arena of Souls. Fans of Indiana Jones and Doc Savage will love Brock Stone!

©2014 David Wood (P)2015 Gryphonwood Press

Entertaining, but definitely YA

Fast-paced fun but definitely meant for a young audience.

I’m 78 And certainly enjoy YAN even kids books but I like to know what I’m buying. Since I’ve been reading David Wood’s books for many years, I initially thought upon hearing the first few chapters, what on earth happened to him?!

Since I’m legally blind I rely on some sort of categorization when selecting an audiobook. This is often missing

1930's action adventure

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

Yes, it was an action packed story that is good for ages 10+. There was mystery, adventure and no bad language.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I wish it would have been longer. I would like to learn a little more about Brock and Trinity's relationship.

Which scene was your favorite?

I enjoyed Brock and Trinity's motorcycle chase with the bad guys. Nice details about the ride thru 1930's Washington DC.

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

While I didn't have any extreme reactions to the book, I did have moments of concern for all of the main characters. I wanted to see what would going to happen next.

Any additional comments?

Arena of Souls is the first in the Brock Stone adventure series. Brock Stone is an action adventure hero in the vein of Indiana Jones. Set in the 1930's, this story is a great beginning to the series.

After his grandfather dies, Brock is left with a mystery to solve. With his friends Alex, Trinity and Moses, Brock goes on the hunt for an island. Confronted with danger at each turn, we are along on this wild ride!

Mr. Conlan's narration of this book is great. He was able to give each character their own unique voice. His pacing was good and he kept me drawn into the story. I will have to look for more of his work.

I can't wait to see what happens next in this series!

Pulp adventure with a slightly modern attitude

Brock Stone is, for lack of a better term, Doc Savage written by a modern author. The style is very similar to the Doc novels, but infused with a more modern world view. One of his companions is a black man. The racism of the time (the 1930's) is placed front and center and met with a refreshingly modern destain by all of the main characters. Then, unfortunately, it's written away as "well that's the way things are. Nothing to be done about it". I understand that digging in on that subject would have detoured the story quite a bit, but perhaps they can do or say more in future volumes.

Also from the modern take, we have an overarching threat that reads like something from Lovecraft or perhaps Ancient Aliens. It's only introduced here, so it's a bit vague yet.

Brock himself is a virtual copy of Doc Savage with unique capabilities that no one else can match.

All that said, the story is fast paced and a great deal of fun. I will be following Brock Stone through as many adventures as I can. Recommended.

loved it

One love the better audiobooks I've listened to.

James Conlin does an excellent job in his narration

Indiana Jones meets Dirk Pitt

Solid action/adventure with suspense and plot twists. Evidence of research rivalling Cussler. Clear, believable characters. A perfect initial volume of what promises to be an engaging series. Audio performer has pleasing voice quality and narrative and vocals flow well. Enjoyed tremendously and will certainly proceed as adventures continue.