Hopebreaker (A Sci-Fi Dystopian Adventure)

The Great Iron War, Book 1

By: Dean F. Wilson

Narrated by: R.C. Bray

Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

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

Pure Dystopian Pulp! (In a good way)

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book to review.

Dystopia is crowding our shelves full of Dark Towers, Uglies, Hunger Games, etc etc - but for those who like gritty scenarios that give you a fun popcorn-esque thrill ride, look no further than this book. The main character is very much an archetypal maverick, reminiscent of Han Solo and his bad boy, always tough, never compromise attitude.

I mean, c’mon: HE’S A SMUGGLER. ‘Nuff said.

I think a lot of the best parts of this book are found in the world building and thriling scenes - while the kinds of details I like best in my fantasy are sorely lacking, those who listen to this book are looking for Tolkien-style exposition. Instead, they learn of a world facing the potential demise of humanity at the hands of a sinister empire. The war is beyond negotiation or question, but that is likely exactly what the audience wants out of this book: explosions, gunfights, a bloody good time! With the scene set and some mysterious plot elements in motion, the story hits the ground running and doesn’t let up.

One great highlight here (and one of the reasons I was happy to check this out) was the narrator. He has a voice made to read Ender’s Game-style military SF akin to that dude who started narrating movie trailers with “IN A WORLD” at the beginning of each one. If that is your cup of tea, ooo boy, you are in for a treat.

One small gripe that I don’t think everyone will share: the “male gaze” was too strong for my liking in the first romantic entanglement of the series. I allow license for relationships I find in fiction, but having female characters exist solely to fall for/seduce the lone wolf protagonist or get spurned and flustered for NOT getting with the lone wolf protagonist is a kind of James Bond-level wish fulfillment I don’t get down with.

All in all, it’s pulp, so likely a lot of the picking apart and unpacking I want to do with my books doesn’t really apply here. Best to turn the mental filters off, grab a brewskie, make the kessel run in 7.3 parsecs and enjoy this one for the romp that it is.

Dark, Dystopian, Plot-Driven SF

If you're looking for a reasonably short listen and enjoy darker stories, this is a solid choice. There's enough world building to keep you interested without getting bogged down, it touches on philosophy / morality a few times without it getting in the way of the action, and generally just scratches that itch for a quick dystopian SF read.

meh

I finished it, but almost quit listening at several points. The story was awkward and rambling. I was never quite sure where it was going and by the end not sure of where it went.