Quicker

An Ell Donsaii Story, Volume 1

By: Laurence E Dahners

Narrated by: Shiromi Nassreen

Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's Summary

Quicker is a near-future SciFi/Thriller whose young heroine, Ell Donsaii, is an intrepid athletic phenom who reminds one of David Weber's Honor Harrington. Like Stieg Larsson's Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Ell is also a mathematical genius who, instead of counting sheep, works on her own theory of quantum mechanics to help her drift off to sleep. At once shy and concerned about her social skills, yet well loved by those around her, she finds herself at the center of a terrorist plot at the Olympics. The terrorists never contemplated trying to hold a hostage with the unbelievable quickness and athleticism of Ell Donsaii! A tradition of young, strong, brilliant, female heroines like Honor, Lisbeth, and Katniss Everdeen is continued.

©2011- Laurence Earl Dahners (P)2014 Laurence Earl Dahners

Top-Shelf fodder here!

I love this Audiobook! Great main character and supporting others. Fast paced, wickedly funny at times. I have a new, favorite author/narrator. I just finished this one, after completion of this review, I'm buying book 2. I highly recommend this book, and I bet the rest of the books are just as good. Actually, I was given the ebook version in exchange for an honest review, which I am tendering now. I had read 3-4 chapters into the ebook and put that away and paid for the audio version. Yes, it's that good. Although, from here on out to #15, I'm going with the audio version. Now for the obligatory: "I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

Another addiction!

Dammit! I only listened this to pass time. Now I'm hooked like all these other bums! First it was Vaz, and now it's this one.

Upbeat and fun contemporary science fiction story

I have read all of the Ell Donsaii stories with great enjoyment. This is the first of the series in audio format and hope that the rest are forthcoming. This story is very upbeat, like all of Laurence E. Dahners stories are. It makes for an light hearted escape, and admiration of such a good hearted character. Ell is such a good person and she's off the charts intelligent, brave, forgiving, kind and just the sort of person I hope is out there.

Fantastic, amusing, impossible to put down!

This is going in my reread list.
Need I say more?
I’m not a fan of female heroines that are beautiful—the cleverest—tall—physically idilic. However, I’ll make an exception for Ell. She’s not good at everything and incredibly down to earth—ordinary in a nerdy, but individual way. That’s what makes this different from those stereotypical stories.
I’m already wondering how I can up my two credits a month for this series. What a find. I thought I loved Vaz and Tiona—holy smokes!
I read this novel in under a day, out on a Sunday drive—it’s the beginning of the month and there’s only. Another ten novels in this series. How will I get through them when I have work this week?
Hey, who needs to sleep?
You have to try this book!
Helena

Outstanding

great story can't wait for the next one to come out on audio. love the books, I'm ready for the next one. I read the book first then the audio is a great way to reread them.

an unexpected find

my daughter recommended this and I loved it. the plot moved along well and action was perfect.

Sci-fi True to it premise

The story grabbed me by about chapter 2 or 3, and never let me go till the very end. I was uncertain during the prologues as to whether I would enjoy the book. I found the narrator to be a bit flat in her reading. however once the story grabbed me I totally lost track of the narrator and was immersed in the story.

Holy Smokes!!

I have a lot of Audio books .. and when I say that I am talking about hundreds of said books. This was one of the most enjoyable books I have read .. a true delight. I can't wait to continue the adventure and will be purchasing the next in the series after posting this review.

The blurb for the book does a good job of explaining the series. A pre-spaceflight Honor Harrington crossed with the Black Widow from the Marvel Universe? Ignore reality .. just enjoy the ride.

GOOD START W/A LEAD HAVING POWERFUL GENETIC MUTATI

I enjoy science fiction of almost every genra. sadly in the last few books I've read, the dialogue was poorly crafted w/the main character expressing silly overly long silly thoughts while in the course of serious life-threatening events. I'd find myself jumping forward through those parts. Another book was by a well known & published author who clearly has lost what made him a great author decades ago.

However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book both due to it's unique subject matter & approach which centered around a heroine who has a unique & believable genetic mutation. But then I'm not an expert in human genetic biology. I suspect this may be an early work by this author, because a very modest increase in details to better develop charisma, action scenes w/just a very slight increase in sensory impact, & a fleshing out of personality & emotional character of the main characters could make this series exceptional.

In truth, I would consider this a very good short story or novella. If the auther continues w/o fleshing out some of the critical characters found in most novels, I'd be gravely disappointed, though the story is still so unique & good I'd likely continue with the series for at least several more books.

To provide perspective on what I consider an almost perfectly written book, see the 1987 novel, a serious non-comedic book entitled Memoirs of an Invisible Man, by H.F. Saint.

Sadly, that fabulous book was decimated when it went to film, the lead character played by of all people, Chevy Chase. It was hidious. Another interesting side note w/respect to that book is that the publishing company paid a record amount up front for that era for what was a 1st novel. Finally, that book was interesting as it was the only novel that author ever wrote (he was a businessman, & receiving such a big pay check for the book, & as the movie rights were also purchased, perhaps he invested wisely & never had to work again-who knows) .

Back to the book at hand. My hope is that we will be entreated to a little more background on the protagonist. E.g., what was the psychological impact of the loss of her father, what ever would've possessed the mother to marry a physically & mentally abusive & controlling 2d husband. What was the nature & extent of the relationship with the grandmother, & was she the maternal or paternal G.M.? These are all interesting elements that could've been covered in the 1st book providing a far greater emotional connection with the main character & make me feel I was actually paying for a full book.

I don't do a lot of reviews, but I can be quite prolific if I get started. And again, by offering these thoughts, I don't mean to imply that I didn't thoroughly enjoy the 1st book which was so short that I am hoping that the author starts to address some of these other elements as the series continues. And I always keep in mind that it's easy to review someone else's work, for until one writes a book of their own it seems there's an excess amount of insecure wannabes lashing out at what they've never even tried to do.

But on the other hand, while yes many of us lack the talent to write a book, if we enjoy reading, there is a great amount of benefit from telling others & even the author what they liked & disliked or otherwise felt about the book.

Personally, I feel anyone who likes to read new & various types of science fiction & isn't solely caught up with just one catagory, e.g. "Space Operas", "Gaming Sci Fi" "Military Space Operas", "Apocoliptic Sci Fi", & likewise w/fantasy, will find this most enjoyable.

But to continue, in this I'm gonna call it a novella for much of what was overlooked & would have made for a longer & more complete novel was ignored. E.g. the antagonists of the form of the arab terrorists were so superficially stereotypical that they were almost caricaturistic manifestations of the same. However, for purposes of the story an in depth look at the antagonists really wasn't necessary for my enjoyment of the book. On the other hand it wouldn't take a lot of imagination to provide a bit more of an in depth approach to bring out a little more background, information, perspective &/or feeling for the main character or one or more of the other characters typically found in novels of note, by spending a little more effort on what I presume is her "confidant", the wrestler, or by adding some other charchacters typically covered in "Writing 101", such as "deuteragonists", a "foil", & lastly some "tertiary characters", but not by any means the only other characters good writers incorporate into their books to help fill out the lead character & give them substance, & create a story with more empathy, emotion, suspense, fear, & even some humor.

Again, as these books come out in series often these elements get added as the author developes skill. But then too, I suspect that many of the books that come out in series & are so short are simply what would be termed 6th grade level books. But then too there have been some spectacular books & series, & perhaps I'll reference them as they have been every bit what "Game of Thrones" was. But I just thought I'd take a shot at reviewing a book who's initial plot I really liked & hope grows better as I read more of the series.

Well written, interesting ideas

This is a very good story. I almost abandoned the book because of the rape and bullying scenes. But, I am glad I stayed with it. There was growth and some resolution. The science part of the story is the most interesting and the "in the zone" moments were described very well. The narrator sometimes threw me off with how words were pronounced, pulling me out of the story and wondering which of us was pronouncing the word wrong or if both versions are right. I'm probably a lot older though . . . Because the science ideas are interesting without making my eyes glaze over I might try the next book in the series.

A short book that is fun but very predictable

To compare Ell to Honor Harrington is misleading at best and an insult at worst. The book reads a lot more like Missy the werecat. The lead is utterly dependant on their supernatural ability and scared to show it at the same time. Enemies are shown mercy to an extent that it endangered those who the heroine is trying to save. Then at the end everybody is happy and having a laugh like the ending of an american feel good tv-show.

All that said, I cannot say that I didn't enjoy the book, the beginning was interesting it just quickly moved on and any trauma from such a childhood was forgotten, but 6 hours doesn't give time for much depth.

If you like your heroine beautiful, clever and generally flawless, the bad guys bad and no worry that anyone you meet in the book will suffer harm then you have it here.

The performance of Shiromi Nassreen is perfect, she brings Ell to life well and also the other characters

some start

a great start to a book series, where's the rest of the ell donsaii story?