Deadlands: Ghostwalkers

By: Jonathan Maberry

Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's Summary

From New York Times best-selling author Jonathan Maberry, the first in a thrilling series of novels based on Deadlands, a hugely successful role-playing game (RPG) set in the Weird, Weird West.

Welcome to the Deadlands, where steely eyed gunfighters rub shoulders with mad scientists and dark, unnatural forces. Where the Great Quake of 1868 has shattered California into a labyrinth of sea-flooded caverns...and a mysterious substance called "ghost rock" fuels exotic steampunk inventions as well as plenty of bloodshed and flying bullets. In Ghostwalkers, a gun for hire, literally haunted by his bloody past, comes to the struggling town of Paradise Falls, where he becomes embroiled in a deadly conflict between the besieged community and a diabolically brilliant alchemist who is building terrible new weapons of mass destruction...and an army of the living dead! Deadlands is one of the most popular RPGs in history, with over a million Deadlands gaming books sold.

©2015 Visionary Comics, LLC (P)2015 Macmillan Audio

GOOD GRIEF (those who read the story will get it)

I don't like Cowboy Stories. I don't particularly care for Steampunk novels. The ex-Union Soldier Turned Mercenary with a Broken Heart of Gold has been done to death, and the title sounds like a cheesy Hidden Object Game. And yet I frigging LOVE this book - it is FUN FUN FUN. I'm almost sorry that I purchased it so quickly after it was published, because now I have to wait for ??? until Jonathan Maberry cranks out the next one in the series. Narrator Ray Porter is a god, and I suppose I would pay to listen to him read my grocery list (note to self: develop this app), but Maberry is a machine. A gol-durned steam-fired writing MACHINE who cranks out one exciting, tender, violent, terrifying, evocative masterpiece after another. I *have*, I promise you, read a few Maberry novels which I decided were not for me. Nothing wrong with them, but well, definitely not for me. In fact, I was almost convinced to avoid any books which didn't feature my secret-lover, Joe Ledger. So okay, I was wrong. I'm grateful to JM for sharing a review which sparked my interest in this wonderfully fun audiobook. And as far as waiting for the next one? I can always listen to DEADLANDS: GHOSTWALKERS again!

The Weird, Weird West

The Old West of Ghostwalkers is very different from the one in our history books. The Union never won the Civil War, and what was once the United States is now a number of smaller nations, including the USA, the CSA and the Sioux Nation. A cataclysmic earthquake has shattered the coast of California and a strange and portentous new element has been discovered--ghost rock. The lands west of the Mississippi have fallen into an age of terrible wonder, with fantastic science, bizarre and monstrous creatures, terrible magic, and the walking dead.

The setting is taken from the Deadlands role-playing game which was first published in the 1990s, but readers need not be acquainted with the game to enjoy this book.

Jonathan Maberry is a deft hand at writing team-based stories about good guys & bad guys, and packs this tale with plenty of action. In this he's ably assisted by Ray Porter, who's narrated a number of Maberry's other books. Porter has a tough, no-nonsense delivery that is well suited to this story and is never obtrusive.

This was a fun listen.

Jonathan Maberry is an exceptional storyteller

Ghostwalkers is book one in a planned three book tie-in to the Deadlands RPG games. And did they pick a great author to start if off. Jonathan Maberry is an exceptional storyteller, multiple Bram Stoker award winner, and a perfect fit for this world. Best known for his award winning Pine Deep Trilogy, as well as his Joe Ledger series and his YA zombie series, Rot & Ruin. I've listened to all of them and they're all great. It wasn't a question of if I would read this, but when. Especially when you consider Ray Porter is narrating.

Welcome to the Wild Weird West, "a country made for dying." After The Great Quake in 1868; California has been shattered and released veins of a new, mysterious metal called Ghost Rock. Which is used in various steampunk weapons and gadgets, as well as some more devious uses that I will leave the reader to discover on their own.

Grey Torrance is running from ghosts as he sees a man being chased by six others. Torrance doesn't like the odds and goes to help. He quickly discovers there's more to the chase than meets the eye. As he's - let's say talking - with a couple from the group doing the chasing, he sees a blinding flash of blue light and quickly loses consciousness. When he comes to, he sees a man standing over him. This man, Thomas Looks Away, explains why he was being chased and what he's trying to accomplish. After some entertaining dialogue, which Maberry is always good at writing, Looks Away hires Grey to help him save the people of a little town called Paradise Falls. After helping them reclaim their very own town well, Grey discovers what Ghost Rock can really do and it terrifies him. Looks Away and Torrance set out to stop the man responsible for this new hell, each obstacle more terrible and horrific than the last.

This was performed by Ray Porter, "'Nuff said" as far as I'm concerned. However, the man deserves more than that. He is an exceptional narrator, and is at the top of his field. He has read everything from horror and thriller to fantasy and non-fiction, always delivering a great performance. This was no exception. Jonathan Maberry and Ray Porter's chemistry is astounding, as if Porter can crawl into Jonathan's mind and understand exactly how Maberry is hearing the words as he writes them. Listen to anything read by Ray Porter, the man is a force.

This has everything I wanted from it. It's a Western, Fantasy-Horror weaved in such a way that it would be enjoyable for anyone who isn't interested in any of those genres. It's a story about a man who is haunted by guilt and grief trying to right past wrongs, and a group of people who just want their lives back. It's filled with horror, heartache, determination, and love. Written by a man who understands the art of storytelling better than most, and performed by a man who's voice talent is one of the top reasons I fell in love with audio books.

Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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I hoped for better.

Would you try another book from Jonathan Maberry and/or Ray Porter?

I am not a reader of this genre so please account for this in my review. I really appreciate Ray Porter and especially when he is reading as Joe Ledger. I tried to get through this book but grew tired and disappointed about 6 hours into it.

What was most disappointing about Jonathan Maberry’s story?

Too fantastical for me.

Which scene was your favorite?

The beginning of the book was good.

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

Disappointment

Any additional comments?

Ray Porter is by far one of the best.

THE CLOCK HAS NOT STRUCK THE HOUR OF UNDERSTANDING

MOSEY AROUND THE MOUNTAIN WAY OF GETTING TO THE GOD DAMN POINT
I am a big fan of Weird Westerns when written well (WWWWW). I am a huge fan of Jonathan Maberry, so I was really looking forward to this. Like a lot of popular authors, JM is writing less stories and more lectures. I am not exaggerating, I actually timed one. Starting the second hour, there is a conversation between A LITERATE COWBOY AND A FUNNY INDIAN that takes 40 minutes. The conversation is of nothing that interesting, it mostly information dump. That by far is not the last lengthy conversation. Grey, the man character here, (like Joe Ledger) is super politically correct. I am not sure why he even gave the guy a new name, he should of just transported Joe Ledger back through time, if he was going to be the same character.

HE WONDERED IF THE DEVIL WAS AN ENGLISHMAN
The literate cowboy, of course speaks very well, but not as good as the Indian who is from England. One of the best parts of reading a western, is the language. While this has some western language, it is used sparingly. Joe pretty much took the western out of the western. Joe R. Lansdale has written some good Weird Westerns, of which Magic Wagon is one. Jack Ketchum has also, of which The Crossing is one. Mike Resnick writes in the genre, only I don't think any are available at Audible. I tried hard to get through this, but only lasted five hours.

Ray Porter is Joe Ledger. I believe he was a little confused on how to read this as someone else.

Great start, stretches at the end

I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of the book. The middle was quite good as well. about two-thirds through I felt it was trying to be more van was practical. the narrator was incredible. as the story went on it just contained too many impossibilities.

Would have made a great short story

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Not really. I felt like it was a good story but was drawn out way too long. Don't get me wrong, I love long books, but I felt like this particular story was being dragged out to the point of monotony. It would have been better written as a novella.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Ray Porter is always decent enough.

Was Deadlands: Ghostwalkers worth the listening time?

I don't want to take anything away from Jonathan Maberry, but I wasn't really satisfied with this one. I gave it a very generous 3 stars.

Dead fun

I loved this book it's a mix of the walking dead and the wild,wild west. Cowboys and zombies makes for dead fun!!

Maberry does it again!

Great take on the west! Loaded with action, horror, and adventure! The characters were very entertaining and Ray Porter gave an excellent performance as usual! Worth the credit for sure.

Joe Ledger meets the wild and weird west.

All the thrills you expect from a Maberry novel and some added grit and leather. Only issue is the main character is nearly stitch for stitch Ledger, down to refering to himself as three personalities at one point. But the world Maberry pulls from the deadlands rpg world has more than enough new things to put the hero through enough thats its rather easy to overlook if it bothers you to much.

A dead on winner.

I've played the Deadlands rpg in years past and been a cowboy fan even longer. I wasn't expecting much but a decent tale, but I was completely surprised. I thoroughly enjoyed the story that was written and written well, mixing western, horror and steampunk. The narrator did an amazing job telling the story in a way that made it come alive and classic, making me want to hear more.

Great Story.

Great story, nice little twist at the end. loved Grey the Antihero of the novel. Narrator was brilliant too. I struggle to find narrators that aren't annoying but this guy nailed every character. Spot on. highly recommend.