Earth Fire

Earthrise, Book 4

By: Daniel Arenson

Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer

Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

They emerge from shadows. Hungry for flesh, they scurry forth. They are the marauders, the galaxy's deadliest predators.

And they crave Earth.

Five years ago, we won our first galactic war. We defeated the scum, a race of alien centipedes. But the marauders are stronger, smarter, and crueler by far. And they will show us no mercy.

Marco Emery, hero of the last war, struggles today as a civilian. Shell shock cripples him. Nightmares haunt him. Yet now he must become a soldier again. Now his old platoon must reunite. Together, they must defeat the greatest threat Earth has ever known.

Or humanity will fall.

©2016 Daniel Arenson (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

DON'T SUBJECT YOURSELF TO TORTURE

Books 1-3 were OK but by 3 I was getting sick and tired of the terrible monotone of the narrator, how everything was read like it was the dramatic action high point of the story with those awful pauses every few words. Unfortunately the story just gets worse from this point. Unbearably worse. Marco whines and whines and self analyzes, carries on long monotonous inner dialogues with himself and everything is over described. Book 4 literally made me sick. Agitated and depressed. The constant tension the narrator tries to relay is grating on the nerves. Everything in the story is said over and over and over. Different characters literally have the same conversations using the same phrasing and descriptions. And the same characters keep having the same conversations saying the same things over and over from one paragraph to the next. From one chapter to the next. From one book to the next. Think I'm overstating? I'm not. From here on the books are over bloated with the pointless self deprecation and flagellating of the good guy characters. The aliens are portrayed as one dimensional beings solely occupied with the enjoyment of the torturing of humans and the author seems to get even more enjoyment describing this in great redundant detail to no apparent point or end. Take out this repetitive filler and the books would probably be about 75 percent shorter. Give them a different narrator and then they might be tolerable. And you wouldn't feel like you needed antidepressants after listening to them. It's really a shame because the author did have some interesting characters and a story line that could have made for a decent or at least average sci fi series if he'd let the humor of the horrible situations out and had a narrator that could show that. There was a bit where Marco and his friend cooked hotdogs in a bizzare way that could've made for a hilarious scene. But he didn't. He's written it like a bad poet in a deep depression with an obsession for adjectives and stuttering over description that takes himself too seriously. (Ha! Like Marco, right?)

The best thing you can do for yourself is to stop now. Don't waste your time or money on this book. Find a better series by a better author. Don't make the same mistake I did in thinking that somehow the series has to get better. It doesn't. It gets worse. Much worse. Unless of course you're a masochist, then by all means, keep going, you'll be greatly satisfied.

Wtf?

Loved the first 3 books. This one just didn't make sense to me. It was written well and I can appreciate the ptsd angle but there were so many things that just didn't fit. These characters did a lot of stupid things that I can't reconcile.

FANTASTIC!

Absolutely one of the best in the series so far & among the top in military syfy genre that I have read thus. Jeffrey kafer's narration is superb!

The old gang is in trouble! Earth Too!

A powerful look at how warriors return home. War follows long after victory is declared.

Well it's good, sad and dark more than the last 3.

Well this one is extremely dark, good but a very sad and depressing book. It is worth the time though.

darker then first three books but still good

This book is much darker (more depressing) then the first 3 books in the series but still worth listening to. The end of the book gives some hope. I've moved on to book 5 to keep following the gang.

Kafer did a great job as usual.

its so f*cking depressing

Why is this series so depressing. they ended on a nice note at the end of the last book but now its dropping again ... i feel like following this series the author will jump off a bridge

Depressing. I don't need this in a book.

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

People who want to commit suicide.

What was most disappointing about Daniel Arenson’s story?

I loved this series. This book, however is just full of negativity, It took over 7 hours for the sun to shine. I don't read books to be absolutely depressed. I really don't understand why an author has to be this negative. The world is bad enough as it is. I hope in the next book he returns to his usual style of entertainment, rather that encourage Vets to commit suicide.

loved it....

but short.... cant wait 4 more. we have to have Hope win... we need that.

A lot of whining and dark self pity

Daniel Arenson is not good enough for this much self reflection, he may have decided that he is Tolstoy.

You have to listen to it

A great book loved the story great narration 5 stars I highly recommend listening to this book 👍👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Depressing and boring.

This book has made me feel like crap and gave me a headache everytime I try and listen to it. Please stop at book 3

Morbid but interesting.

You'll find a lot of the negative reviews here revolve around the rather depressing nature of this installment. However instead of being put off by the change in tone, I became quite facisnated with the author's depiction of PTSD and post-war society, an angle which I imagine took inspiration from life in America following the Vietnam war. As the book went on I did start feel uncomfortable, especially with Marco's sex addiction, but it didn't spoil the overall story arc. I also would have liked to have seen a more original enemy emerge rather than another insect race, but again it didn't prevent me giving this book 4 out of 5.