Cyclops Road

By: Jeff Strand

Narrated by: Joe Hempel

Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Evan Portin is at a sad, scary place in his life. While taking a long walk to compose himself and figure out where to go from here, he encounters a young woman being mugged in a park.

When he tries to intervene, he discovers that she doesn't need his help. At all.

Her name is Harriett. She is very, very good at defending herself. Everything she owns is in a large backpack. She's never seen a cell phone. She's never been in a car. She's never really ventured into the outside world.

And she says she's traveling across the country to slay a Cyclops.

She's crazy, right? Evan is not in the habit of hanging out with delusional women he's just met. On the other hand, it can't hurt to offer her a ride out of town. And maybe this insane journey is exactly what he needs...

A brand new adventure from the four-time Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of Blister, Dweller, and Wolf Hunt.

©2016 Jeff Strand (P)2017 Jeff Strand

AMAZING!!!!

This book was ah-bloody-mazing!!! Seriously. I've read a few books by this author and he never fails to impress and amaze me with his imagination. Where does he come up with his ideas?? Lol. Anyway, it's going to be so hard to say all I want to say about this because I will end up spoiling it. This is the story of Evan, who lost his wife and child not too long ago. He is having a hard time with life and ends up kind of getting the boot from his job too. He decides to take a walk through the park, which ends up changing his life forever!!!

Evan, oh god, my heart broke for him!! He is so sad and I just wanted to hug him. He is at rock bottom when he sees Harriet being mugged in the park. Evan is a nice guy, and decides to step in, but Harriet doesn't need help, in fact she is like a ninja!! She gets hurt and he offers to help. Little does he know that this will change his life and himself irrevocably!

Harriet is such a mystery. At the start, when she tells Evan that she is on a trip to kill a cyclops because the prophecy said so, you think, what a nut job. But her story unfolds and you find yourself eagerly waiting to see exactly who she is and where she is going?

The plot of this was unique, quirky and absolutely gripping. I had no clue where the author was going with the story, nor how he would get there. But get there he did, and let me tell you, it was an absolute rollercoaster of a road trip. I mean, who wouldn't want to go on a road trip to kill a Cyclops??

That is all I can say about the book itself because it is one better experienced. I'd advise you not to read any review (well apart from this one ;)) and just go read the book. I didn't read any and boy did I devour this one. It captivated me and stunned me.Right from the first page the author gripped me and made me become invested in the characters and the story. After finishing, I wanted to dive back in and read it slower, just to savour it. Brilliantly written and executed, this is one book I can highly, highly recommend.

Joe Hempel was simply amazing. He brought this book alive and really made it easy to visualise. He has a clear, clean voice and gave each character their own tone and personality. He also reads and performs brilliantly. It was effortless to listen to because of him!

I was voluntarily provided this free copy by the author, narrator, or publisher. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.

Cyclops Road

What did you love best about Cyclops Road?

I was fully entertained, and hard to put it down. This book is not the usual horror themes from Jeff, but there is some horror in it. It's more of a road trip adventure tale. And full of twisted humor

Funny, absurd and deliciously endearing

Any additional comments?

I have received this book in audio format from the narrator in exchange for an honest review.

Evan has lost everything in life that mattered to him: his wife, dead of cancer, and his job. While walking on a park to clear his mind he meets Harriet, a woman who is willing to go walking from Florida to Arizona to fulfill her destiny: slaying a cyclops. Since Evan has nothing better to do, he decides to drive her during a part of the trip, clearly convinced that Harriet is completely mental.

I was not sure what to expect from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a fresh tale full of humor, sadness, and many absurd situations. It is one of those stories where the journey is more important than the goal itself. I really enjoyed traveling with Evan and Harriet, and all the things and the people they met during their journey. Due to Harriet's atypical background there are quite some absurd conversations that made me laugh a lot. I have to say that there is a bit of Deus ex Machina, but strangely, I was not bothered by it this time. I think it was due to how well the story was written and how great I found the characters to be. They were not ultra developed, but they felt real and each one special on their own way. Strand is great in creating great characters that feel close to one, and even though we are not given many details about them, I cared for them and I already miss them.

As Evan, I was curious about whether the cyclops existed or not. But as I have said, I was not too worried about it. It was funny to be in the dark regarding this, and enjoy the weird situations Evan and Harriet found along the way.

I found a bit confusing the part with the cave and the path in the desert, but for the rest it was a greatly enjoyable book. One of those that you listen to with a smile plastered on your face.

But a great story is nothing without a great narration, and Joe Hempel delivered a top notch one this time again. He makes the story flow naturally, creating the right atmosphere, delivering great characters' interpretations, and making you forget that you are listening to a book. It is the most similar thing to a seamless experience that I can imagine.

I loved this book much more than I expected. It was a great story but the key here was on its execution. I will be closely following Jeff Strand after this one.

A Fresh Take on an Old Monster Story

I had a lot of fun listening to this story. Harriet is a very interesting character from the first moment we meet her. She is a very well-written female character. As was said by George R. R. Martin, it seems like the author considers women to be people, and writes Harriet as such. The camaraderie that she and Evan share really helps define and shape the story. It shifts with each addition, but it is still the framework. When they finally reach their goal, I was satisfied with the intrigue and developments we found. Jeff Strand really nailed it. A classic cyclops hunt reminiscent of the Odyssey for me took on new life and context journeying through the United States.

The story was narrated by Joe Hempel's welcome voice. My own issue, and the -1 star, is that I did not feel Joe differentiated the characters' voices well enough. I following along fine, didn't find any distracting quirks, and enjoyed the overall tone and reading. I would listen to Joe again happily.

I volunteered to receive a free copy of this audiobook and have volunteered my review with no influences other than my own listening experience. I recommend this book!

Review Cyclops Road

“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review "
Jeff Strand has done a terrific job with this story. It is fun, light, adventurous, with just the right amount of witty humor. The story starts with an unlikely meeting and moves into a road trip with unexpected curves and ends up with the unreal being real. Joe Hempel's five star performance pulls it together for a very enjoyable listen. I love it when each character is automatically recognizable and I'm not back tracking to figure out who what when. Enjoy.

World’s Funniest Road-Trip

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this unbiased, voluntary review.

This book was AMAZING! There is no other way to put it. The title and summary had me worried for an average or less than average story that I wouldn’t enjoy. But, I was surprised by the quality of this story.

I usually avoid comedy books because they often aren’t great at timing. But this story got it just right. Many times I was laughing unbearably.

The fantasy aspect was okay, but some of the mystery left a desire for more.

Joe Hempel has real talent. He portrays Evan as “the average joe” while still giving feeling. The different characters have distinct voices and are easily recognized. It was a masterful performance that I am happy I heard.

If I could I would rate it higher, I would. It’s one of my new favorites for sure.

We're off to see the Wizard! ... Erm Cyclops

When you have lost everything, it's hard to pick up the pieces to move forward. So Evan fights with his mental and emotional imbalances and helps questors who have a mission and destination... Yet both are blurred by common sense and reality.
I really enjoyed this book. I was just as uncertain as Evan if Harriet & company were seriously looking for a Cyclops or on an adventurous ghost hunt.
I have to admit, I had never read (or listened to) any other book by Jeff Strand, but chose to listen to it because I tend to like a lot of books Joe narrates.
I'll probably pick up another book by both soon!

Great listen!

Highly entertaining listen with a unique story and intriguing characters. Fantastic narrator too! I received a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

Fun ride.

I was given a copy of this book for free, in audiobook form, in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun listen. It was decently written and entertaining. It had sad moments, funny moments and "oh crap" moments.
The character Harriet seemed a little stilted in comparison to the others. I get that she was sheltered her whole life but... just saying.
I was able to sympathize with each person's plight well enough most of the time.

It did keep me entertained the length of the book so, no problems there.

Decent job.

I wish there were a sequel!

I was so impressed by this book. I'll read just about anything by Jeff Strand, and listen to almost anything by Joe Hempel, so when you combine the two, you know it's going to be a winner.

It starts with some witty banter between two people, in a way that made me invested in them from the beginning. I thought, wow, these people are a little nuts . . . but in a good way.

From there the story soon becomes a mix of comedy and suspense, with a bit of Twilight Zone thrown in. It's basically a really long, strange road trip where you have absolutely no idea what to expect. Crazy things happen out of nowhere. I laughed--a lot.

In the end I liked this even better than the Wolf Hunt books. Those were also funny and suspenseful in Strand's hallmark way, but this one has an off the cuff weirdness the others lacked. I really wish Strand would do a sequel--and have Joe Hempel narrate again, of course. As usual, Mr. Hempel gave life to the characters and his delivery was flawless. Even the female characters were perfect. It was much better and more fun than reading this in print.

I received this audiobook for free at my request, and have voluntarily left this review. I bought the Kindle version to go with the audio, even though I didn't read it because the narration was so great. The book is totally worth the money or the credit.