Hopebreaker (A Sci-Fi Dystopian Adventure)

The Great Iron War, Book 1

By: Dean F. Wilson

Narrated by: R.C. Bray

In the world of Altadas, there are no more human births. The Regime is replacing the unborn with demons, while the Resistance is trying to destroy a drug called Hope that the demons need to survive.

Between these two warring factions lies Jacob, a man who profits from smuggling contraceptive amulets into the city of Blackout. He cares little about the Great Iron War, but a chance capture, and an even more accidental rescue, embroils him in a plot to starve the Regime from power.

When Hope is an enemy, Jacob finds it harder than he thought to remain indifferent. When the Resistance opts to field its experimental landship, the Hopebreaker, they find they might just have a chance to win this war.

©2020 Dean F. Wilson (P)2020 Blue Heron Audio

Steampunk meets Mad Max

Completely character and plot driven, not really any need for in-depth world building (you get the idea from the details tossed around and character developments), and fantastic character interactions. You couldn't ask for a better narrator than Bray for this story.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Very well done.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

The character interactions were well done, and the story was well written.
The narrator was fantastic.

A promising start to an engaging series

This first entry in The Great Iron War series is an engaging deep-dive into a dystopian steam-punk world neck-deep in a war between humans and demons. The existential crisis facing the human race is constantly at the forefront, even in the lighter segments of the novel, thereby ensuring that the reader has no choice but to remain engaged. The length of the chapters was perfect, allowing the reader to digest the events and their implications without getting bogged down in unnecessary detail. To be frank, steam-punk has never been of interest to me. This novel has single-handedly changed that.

Despite searching for cons in order to give my review an air of seriousness, I have failed miserably to find weak aspects of RC Bray's performance. The mesmerizing accents are inescapable and the effortlessness and intensity of the delivery are compelling.

I eagerly await the next installment on Audible.

More Fantasy than Sci-Fi

The story was kind of fun, but it never went very deep. I didn't make a connection with any of the characters. It's hard to care about the plot when the main character barely cares. The story definitely has potential and when they release the second book in the series, I will most likely pick it up. R.C. Bray's narration was excellent as always.

A great trip into a dystopian steampunk world

As a fan of the Coilhunter Chronicles that Dean has put out, I immediately jumped on this one as soon as the audiobook was available. This book picks up in the same universe as the previously mentioned series and takes you on a journey along with Jacob, Whistler, and a handful of great characters.

The picture painted of the realm for the Great Iron War by Dean was, to put it mildly, otherworldly. He definitely has a way of setting the mood in terms of ambiance, scene development, and plot advancement, and I often had a feeling of experiencing what was happening at the moment. I will say, Dean definitely had me emotional at the end of chapter 31. I won't go into details, but that was one of the strongest moments, for me, in the story.

I can't wait for the next entry in this series. Bray, as always, did a fantastic job of bringing Dean's words to life.

5/5