-
Risen Gods
- Narrated by: C. J. McAllister
- Length: 4 hrs and 18 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $14.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Map of Shadows
- Mapwalkers, Book 1
- By: J.F. Penn
- Narrated by: Charlie Sanderson
- Length: 5 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When her Grandfather is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Sienna Farren inherits his map shop in the ancient city of Bath, England. She discovers that her family is bound up with the Ministry of Maps, a mysterious agency who maintain the borders between this world and the Uncharted. With the help of Mila Wendell, a traveler on the canals, Sienna discovers her own magical ability and a terrifying place of blood that awaits in the world beyond.
By: J.F. Penn
-
The Dark Queen
- A Supernatural Short Story
- By: J. F. Penn
- Narrated by: J. F. Penn
- Length: 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lara is part of a dive team exploring the sunken city of Thonis-Heraklion off the North coast of Egypt. When a storm threatens the site, there's only time for one last dive, and Lara is determined to be on it - even if it means diving with the man who threatened her this summer. Because the dark queen is down there, and Lara intends to find her before it's too late.
By: J. F. Penn
-
A Thousand Fiendish Angels
- Three Short Stories Inspired by Dante's Inferno
- By: J. F. Penn
- Narrated by: J. F. Penn
- Length: 1 hr and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In "Sins of the Flesh", the mutilated corpse of a wealthy author is discovered with occult objects. Then, in "Sins of Treachery", twin brothers Simon and Gestas inherit a map covered in alchemical symbols that could lead them to great wealth and power. And finally, "Sins of Violence": In a brutal post-apocalyptic world, a young girl is about to be taken to The Minotaur. Can her sister gain access to the fortified city of Dis in time to stop the ritual and avenge her own lost youth?
-
-
Suspenseful short stories
- By MelHay on 03-19-19
By: J. F. Penn
-
The King's Deception
- A Novel
- By: Steve Berry
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cotton Malone and his 15-year-old son, Gary, are headed to Europe. As a favor to his former boss at the Justice Department, Malone agrees to escort a teenage fugitive back to England. But after he is greeted at gunpoint in London, both the fugitive and Gary disappear, and Malone learns that he’s stumbled into a high-stakes diplomatic showdown - an international incident fueled by geopolitical gamesmanship and shocking Tudor secrets.
-
-
Another wonderfully researched thriller
- By LibbyListener on 09-24-13
By: Steve Berry
-
7 Figure Fiction: How to Use Universal Fantasy to Sell Your Books to Anyone
- By: T Taylor
- Narrated by: T. Taylor
- Length: 3 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are only, in my humble opinion, two kinds of readers: readers who love your books and readers who don’t know they love your books yet. But how do you reach those readers in the second category, no matter what kind of writer you are? The answer to that question is...universal fantasy. Universal fantasy is why my sales tripled when I “accidentally” wrote three books that landed in the Amazon Top 100. Universal fantasy is why some authors get gobs of gushing reviews and some authors who write “way better” get crickets.
-
-
FANTASTIC!! So so so recommend!!
- By Jennifer Lawson on 03-24-22
By: T Taylor
-
E-Day
- E-Day, Book 1
- By: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Engines. Genetically modified warriors that keep the great Nova Alliance war machine churning against the enemy Coalition. Most days, Engines are all that stand between salvation and chaos. Led by legendary Engine Captain Akira Hayashi, Shadow Squad has fought on the frontlines for a decade. They are on the brink of victory when the Coalition launches a series of desperate and devastating attacks that cripple the Nova Alliance restoration sites vital to save the dying planet.
-
-
Kicking New Series Opener! Wow!
- By Cindy on 07-09-21
-
Map of Shadows
- Mapwalkers, Book 1
- By: J.F. Penn
- Narrated by: Charlie Sanderson
- Length: 5 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When her Grandfather is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Sienna Farren inherits his map shop in the ancient city of Bath, England. She discovers that her family is bound up with the Ministry of Maps, a mysterious agency who maintain the borders between this world and the Uncharted. With the help of Mila Wendell, a traveler on the canals, Sienna discovers her own magical ability and a terrifying place of blood that awaits in the world beyond.
By: J.F. Penn
-
The Dark Queen
- A Supernatural Short Story
- By: J. F. Penn
- Narrated by: J. F. Penn
- Length: 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lara is part of a dive team exploring the sunken city of Thonis-Heraklion off the North coast of Egypt. When a storm threatens the site, there's only time for one last dive, and Lara is determined to be on it - even if it means diving with the man who threatened her this summer. Because the dark queen is down there, and Lara intends to find her before it's too late.
By: J. F. Penn
-
A Thousand Fiendish Angels
- Three Short Stories Inspired by Dante's Inferno
- By: J. F. Penn
- Narrated by: J. F. Penn
- Length: 1 hr and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In "Sins of the Flesh", the mutilated corpse of a wealthy author is discovered with occult objects. Then, in "Sins of Treachery", twin brothers Simon and Gestas inherit a map covered in alchemical symbols that could lead them to great wealth and power. And finally, "Sins of Violence": In a brutal post-apocalyptic world, a young girl is about to be taken to The Minotaur. Can her sister gain access to the fortified city of Dis in time to stop the ritual and avenge her own lost youth?
-
-
Suspenseful short stories
- By MelHay on 03-19-19
By: J. F. Penn
-
The King's Deception
- A Novel
- By: Steve Berry
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cotton Malone and his 15-year-old son, Gary, are headed to Europe. As a favor to his former boss at the Justice Department, Malone agrees to escort a teenage fugitive back to England. But after he is greeted at gunpoint in London, both the fugitive and Gary disappear, and Malone learns that he’s stumbled into a high-stakes diplomatic showdown - an international incident fueled by geopolitical gamesmanship and shocking Tudor secrets.
-
-
Another wonderfully researched thriller
- By LibbyListener on 09-24-13
By: Steve Berry
-
7 Figure Fiction: How to Use Universal Fantasy to Sell Your Books to Anyone
- By: T Taylor
- Narrated by: T. Taylor
- Length: 3 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are only, in my humble opinion, two kinds of readers: readers who love your books and readers who don’t know they love your books yet. But how do you reach those readers in the second category, no matter what kind of writer you are? The answer to that question is...universal fantasy. Universal fantasy is why my sales tripled when I “accidentally” wrote three books that landed in the Amazon Top 100. Universal fantasy is why some authors get gobs of gushing reviews and some authors who write “way better” get crickets.
-
-
FANTASTIC!! So so so recommend!!
- By Jennifer Lawson on 03-24-22
By: T Taylor
-
E-Day
- E-Day, Book 1
- By: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Engines. Genetically modified warriors that keep the great Nova Alliance war machine churning against the enemy Coalition. Most days, Engines are all that stand between salvation and chaos. Led by legendary Engine Captain Akira Hayashi, Shadow Squad has fought on the frontlines for a decade. They are on the brink of victory when the Coalition launches a series of desperate and devastating attacks that cripple the Nova Alliance restoration sites vital to save the dying planet.
-
-
Kicking New Series Opener! Wow!
- By Cindy on 07-09-21
-
The Starless Crown
- Moon Fall, Book 1
- By: James Rollins
- Narrated by: James Rollins, Nicola Barber
- Length: 22 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A gifted student foretells an apocalypse. Her reward is a sentence of death. Fleeing into the unknown, she is drawn into a team of outcasts: A broken soldier, who once again takes up the weapons he’s forbidden to wield and carves a trail back home. A drunken prince, who steps out from his beloved brother's shadow and claims a purpose of his own. An imprisoned thief, who escapes the crushing dark and discovers a gleaming artifact—one that will ignite a power struggle across the globe
-
-
Not My Genre
- By Roxanne Thayer on 01-06-22
By: James Rollins
-
American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition (A Full Cast Production)
- By: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Ron McLarty, Daniel Oreskes, full cast
- Length: 19 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life. But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow's best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday.
-
-
10 Years and Still a Fantastic Read
- By Nightveil on 07-22-11
By: Neil Gaiman
-
Primordial
- By: David Wood, Alan Baxter
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When eccentric billionaire Ellis Holloway hires renegade marine biologist Sam Aston to investigate the legend of a monster in a remote Finnish lake, Aston envisions an easy paycheck and a chance to clear his gambling debts. But he gets much more. There is something terrible living beneath the dark waters of Lake Kaarme and it is hungry. As the death toll mounts, Aston faces superstitious locals, a power-hungry police chief, and a benefactor's descent into madness as he races to find the legendary beast of the lake.
-
-
Creature feature!!
- By Natalie @ ABookLoversLife on 09-19-17
By: David Wood, and others
-
Chaco
- By: Peggy A. Wheeler
- Narrated by: Chris Abell
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Within days of a series of monster solar storms slamming into earth, electrical grids fail and everything in the northern hemisphere with a computer chip ceases functioning. Electricity won't be completely restored for at least a decade, and the result is that everything modern life depends on to function is gone. Chaco is a well-educated freedom fighter on a death list in El Salvador. Having fled to the United States, he is in hiding by working for a wealthy couple as their handyman and gardener. Following the disaster, he reveals his true identity, and convinces his employers and their neighbors to follow him.
-
-
Not Science Fiction could be Science Fact
- By cosmitron on 02-21-18
By: Peggy A. Wheeler
-
The Clan of the Cave Bear
- Earth's Children, Book 1
- By: Jean M. Auel
- Narrated by: Sandra Burr
- Length: 22 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This novel of awesome beauty and power is a moving saga about people, relationships, and the boundaries of love. Through Jean M. Auel’s magnificent storytelling we are taken back to the dawn of modern humans, and with a girl named Ayla we are swept up in the harsh and beautiful Ice Age world they shared with the ones who called themselves the Clan of the Cave Bear.
-
-
Production and Narration didn't quite ruin it
- By nolagal on 07-28-14
By: Jean M. Auel
-
A Wizard of Earthsea
- The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1
- By: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Rob Inglis
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Sparrowhawk casts a spell that saves his village from destruction at the hands of the invading Kargs, Ogion, the Mage of Re Albi, encourages the boy to apprentice himself in the art of wizardry. So, at the age of 13, the boy receives his true name - Ged - and gives himself over to the gentle tutelage of the Master Ogion. But impatient with the slowness of his studies and infatuated with glory, Ged embarks for the Island of Roke, where the highest arts of wizardry are taught.
-
-
A little gem, excellently narrated.
- By Marjorie on 05-14-12
-
Intuitive Editing
- A Creative and Practical Guide to Revising Your Writing
- By: Tiffany Yates Martin
- Narrated by: Tiffany Yates Martin
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Editing your own writing can feel like doing your own brain surgery. After you’ve completed your manuscript and you’re standing at the foot of Revision Mountain, climbing to the summit can feel impossible. It’s hard to look at your own writing with the objective eye needed to shape it into a tight, polished, publishable story - but just like writing, self-editing is a skill you can learn.
-
-
Must Read/Listen
- By Melissa I. Bamba on 04-29-22
-
Symbiosis
- Justice Keepers Saga, Book 1
- By: R.S. Penney
- Narrated by: Alex Riley
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a mission to recover an escaped alien life-form, young Justice Keeper Anna Lenai pursues the felon into uncharted space - and finds the lost home world of her ancestors. While Anna tries to adapt and survive in a strange, hostile environment, she accidentally uncovers a conspiracy that will shake their world to its foundations.
By: R.S. Penney
-
The Dovekeepers
- A Novel
- By: Alice Hoffman, Heather Lind
- Narrated by: Aya Cash, Jessica Hecht, Tovah Feldshuh
- Length: 19 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over five years in the writing, Alice Hoffman’s most ambitious and mesmerizing work ever, a triumph of imagination and research set in ancient Israel. The author of such iconic bestsellers as Illumination Night, Practical Magic, Fortune’s Daughter, and Oprah’s Book Club selection Here on Earth, Alice Hoffman is one of the most popular and memorable writers of her generation. Now, in The Dovekeepers, Hoffman delivers her most masterful work yet - one that draws on her passion for mythology, magic, and archaeology and her inimitable understanding of women.
-
-
Draining story - but beautifully written/told
- By Kate on 10-14-11
By: Alice Hoffman, and others
-
Souls of the Never
- Book One of the Tales of the Neverwar Series
- By: CJ Rutherford
- Narrated by: Katie Welburn
- Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Katheryne thinks she's just a normal 20-year-old, until her dreams descend into terror and pain. At the edge of the universe, an ancient evil awakens. It wants into our world; and it's coming through her. As the dreams become reality, Katheryne is pitched into a battle that has raged for thousands of years. The fate of all reality rests in her hands.
-
-
An amazing fantasy!
- By Natalie @ ABookLoversLife on 12-27-15
By: CJ Rutherford
-
Noah Primeval
- Chronicles of the Nephilim (Volume 1)
- By: Brian Godawa
- Narrated by: Brian Godawa
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Noah Primeval is a speculative retelling of the beloved story of Noah for a new generation. In an ancient world submerged in darkness, fallen angels rule as gods, and breed giants and monsters. Mankind is enslaved to evil. Noah, a tribal leader, has been prophesied to bring an end to the rule of these "gods" and save humanity from coming destruction. But Noah's wife and son are captives of these dark forces.
-
-
Does Noah really get on the ark?
- By BDubs on 01-13-18
By: Brian Godawa
-
The Wretched of Muirwood
- Legends of Muirwood, Book 1
- By: Jeff Wheeler
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the ancient and mystical land of Muirwood, Lia has known only a life of servitude. Labeled a “wretched”, an outcast unwanted and unworthy of respect, Lia is forbidden to realize her dream to read or write. All but doomed, her days are spent toiling away as a kitchen slave under the charge of the Aldermaston, the Abbey’s watchful overseer. But when an injured squire named Colvin is abandoned at the kitchen’s doorstep, an opportunity arises.
-
-
An unexpected gem
- By Dylan on 04-17-14
By: Jeff Wheeler
Publisher's Summary
Can Ben and Lucy battle the Risen Gods to find each other again and save the country from destruction?
When a tidal wave strikes the coast of New Zealand, Ben Henare and Lucy Campion are separated in the chaotic aftermath. As earthquakes shake the land and volcanoes erupt on the Pacific Rim of Fire, Ben wrestles with his Maori heritage as he faces the supernatural powers that threaten the land of Aotearoa. He must fight his way north on a quest through ice caves and oceans, battling the manifestations of the evil god Whiro and the creatures of the sky.
Lucy faces personal tragedy and human evil on her own trek, confronting a mighty demon of the deep as she crosses into the Cook Strait. Then Ruaumoko, god of the volcano, stirs, and the powers of the land threaten to pull the country into the sea.
As the people they love are threatened and Aotearoa begins to crumble in the face of natural disaster, can Ben and Lucy battle the Risen Gods to find each other again and save the country from destruction?
Risen Gods is a dark fantasy adventure set against the backdrop of Aotearoa/New Zealand, rich with the myth and history of the island.
More from the same
What listeners say about Risen Gods
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Diana in SC @AudiobookObsession
- 04-14-16
Action-packed thrill ride!
I initially bought the ebook, and then I won a free copy of the audiobook from one of the authors in return for an honest review.
First, I want to comment on the narration. The narrator did a good, solid performance with really good pacing and excellent pronunciation of unusual Maori words. He has a pleasant, slightly gravelly voice. I have one minor complaint that when he is not doing characters' voices he sometimes sounds a too clinical and slightly monotone as if he is reading the nightly news. He does not attempt any New Zealand accents (he sounds American all the time), but I was fine with that. He is as good at women's voices as he is with men's, and he differentiates various characters' voices well. In addiction, the production was almost always very good. However, once in a while, I can tell there are one-sentence-long sections that I can tell were recorded later in a different location that has an unpleasant echo.
This book is an imaginative thrill ride that I loved. It is a natural disaster story mixed with thrilling action and fascinating fantasy based on the religion of the Maori, the native New Zealand culture. If, like me, you love Neil Gaiman's "American Gods", then try this action-packed novella-length story of several people trying to save New Zealand after the sleeping Gods rise up and cause all kinds of natural disasters. There are earthquakes, a tsunami, volcanic eruptions, and storms! It is also a cool travelog of all the most famous places in New Zealand from Auckland all the way to the far northern tip. Unlike crappy action movies, the action in this book makes sense, and the characters' escapes from death sound plausible to me.
FYI, there are no sex scenes, but I would rate it PG-13 or R because of some bloody injuries and some occasional chilling violence. Thankfully, there are no love triangles and very little romance. This is a highly enjoyable fantasy novella and audiobook. I have told all of my finds who like fantasy that they really need to try it.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- ecocat
- 03-26-16
Man vs. Man vs. Gods
Risen Gods is a great supernatural thriller. Ben Henare and Lucy Campion are two best friends living in New Zealand. Both have grew up together. Ben is from a Maori heritage while Lucy is Western. Lucy is enjoying her vacation from medical school with Ben. When a tsunami separated Ben and Lucy, both hoped to regroup back on land without realizing that the ancient gods of Maori have awaken and are very angry of how the native islanders have mistreated their land. The gods needed to be appease.
Ben has grown up with his grandfather's teaching of heritage. Ben has never believed that the ancients gods of Maori are true. When the evil god Whiro has taken his grandfather, Ben has to make the journey north. Ben is assisted by Gina, a Westerner to make the journey north.
Lucy returned home in search of her family. The tsunami has taken her parents but her sister Amber survived the natural disaster. With Amber, Lucy searched for a Red Cross shelter. With the rumbling of the volcano, Amber became separated from her. Lucy searched for Amber and stumbled upon a Maori named Rangi. With Rangi's help, Lucy is reunited with her sister. However, having been warned by an old woman, Lucy has to go north with Rangi to make an offering to appease the gods from destroying the island.
What I love about this story is the myth and history of the Moari culture. I love the background description of New Zealand and how the myth is interwoven into the story. I love the element of how the gods are angry with the people of not respecting and taking care of the land when they decide to slumber and woken up of how the land is abused by the people. This is the reflection of how we can be so selfish and careless in destroying nature (hence the Greenhouse effects).
Another thing I love about the story is that it shows how human nature is. While there are decent people who help each other in a natural disaster, there are also people who profit for their own gains.
This story has so many elements presented. When the readers read and analyze the story, it is the true reflections of human nature. The storyline is predictable but the story truly captures the readers' attention. I couldn't put the book down because I want to take the journey with Ben and Lucy knowing that Ben and Lucy would be able to save New Zealand from the gods.
The narrator, C.J. McAllister does a good job. He does give life to the characters but the narration voice and the broadcast voice sounds the same. It is a fact stating voice that doesn't give the listeners a feel for the story except through the characters. His pronunciation of the Maori language is excellent. It gives that native feeling to the story.
I was given this ebook by the author in exchange of an honest review. I was not compensated or influence in any way for writing this review.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 03-22-16
A Must Listen
I want to start off by stating that I am a huge fan of both J. Thorn's and J.F. Penn's work. I have read most of their books as individual authors. I was optimistic that both authors working together would make a lethal combination. And I wasn't disappointed. The story was solid and the pacing and action was perfect. This was my first audio book and it took me a little adjustment time to the different format. But I liked it. The narrator spoke clearly and differentiated the characters which I found helpful. Great job and I highly recommend the audio version.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jason Craig
- 03-21-16
Great story.
Thorn and Penn combined to write a great disaster book that kept me entertained seeing what would happen to the main characters. The narrator did a good job also. I will definitely read more books by these authors in the future.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- lynda
- 03-16-16
A Great Story
I've always enjoyed novels based on Ancient Gods and Risen Gods will be added to the list. I've been a fan of J.F. Penn for years and always enjoy her novels. I was intrigued when I saw she was co-writer with J. Thorn. I like the result so much that I've looked up some books by J. Thorn to give them a try. I listened to it in one sitting, the fast pace of the story line just kept me from turning it off.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- RJWood
- 03-16-16
RISEN GODS
RISEN GODS is a story of modern day New Zealand as seen through the eyes of native people and longtime residents who remember and still believe in the old gods of the land, air and sea. Having lost their families and friends, Ben and Lucy discover they have always been destined to be together and to protect their homeland.
Well written and professionally delivered. RISEN GODS is a book of love and inner strength, a book of discovery you will want in your library.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mindarch
- 08-03-20
Interesting but could be better
I have read some of J Thorns work before, but not Joanna's. There were a couple times I lost track of what was happening, not sure if it was slow writing or the delivery. The story wasn't bad, but not what I expected. I did like the setting.
I was given this for free and chose to write a review
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jan
- 07-03-20
Thrill ride!
supernatural, survival, suspense, action-adventure, New Zealand, indigenous-people, thriller
The gods of the Maori in New Zealand are angry with the humans who ignore the sanctity of the land and sea and are seeking vengeance. Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruption, and beasts from the sea. Many are dead or severely injured, but two young people who love their land are destined to fight for it. Ben receives his orders from his Maori grandfather, Lucy receives hers from a Maori priestess while looking for her younger sister. Lots of action and terror, good people and villains in this exciting read. Author's descriptions of the beauty of the South Island are wondrous. Loved it!
Narrator C.J. McAllister was great in differentiating characters and narrative as well as providing pronunciations of words I haven't heard on Brokenwood.
-
Overall
- anon
- 02-26-18
Bleh...
Medio & predictable. Narrator's delivery is almost monotone & his voice is creaky. I found it annoying.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- WatchFam
- 10-09-17
Action-packed, fast-paced supernatural thriller
Risen Gods follows two main characters, Ben and Lucy, as they navigate the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in New Zealand. While at first, it seems like a normal natural disaster, Ben and Lucy soon realize that it's actually supernatural. The ancient gods have awoken, and they're ready to take back their land.
The action begins in the first chapter and doesn't let up throughout the novel. Ben and Lucy are separated and thrust into different journeys, where they must face the devastation caused by the earthquake, learn the truth about the disaster, and attempt to save New Zealand with the help of unlikely allies. The various obstacles and twists kept me guessing, as every time Ben or Lucy made progress, something else stood in their way. While I enjoyed the fast pacing, once the end came, it seemed to come very quickly and without as much resistance as the rest of the book. It was still satisfying, but not what I was expecting.
My favorite aspect of this novel is how it grappled with two central themes. First, the authors did a fantastic job of weaving in New Zealand mythology (I learned so much without feeling like I'd read a textbook), and showing the tension between modernity and folklore. Second, the authors encapsulated the best and worst of human nature. Some people offered help and compassion after the tragedy, while others took advantage of weaker individuals in the worst possible ways. This theme gave the novel a gritty realism that many authors are afraid to touch.
Last, I should note that I listened to the audiobook version. Though I would have preferred a New Zealand narrator, I do understand that the authors probably chose an American to make listening easier for the majority of their audience (myself included). The narrator held my interest, was articulate, and did a good job with both male and female voices (so often I think male narrators make women sound silly).
TL;DR: Risen Gods is a supernatural thriller in which the characters attempt to survive and save New Zealand after a divinely caused earthquake. Fast-paced and action-packed, it holds modernity and folkore, as well as human goodness and evil, in perfect tension. One hell of a fun ride, with an articulate narrator to boot.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- lisa hird
- 10-09-21
Love this - when is the next one!
Narration was good and a cracking fast paced story line. Enjoyed this very much and hope more will follow.
Love the amount of research that goes into JF Penn's books - really enjoy learning about the history.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Debbie McLean
- 12-14-20
Great
what a great audiobook from the pen of J F Penn and J Thorn with brilliant narration by CJ McAllister xxxxxxx
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Bookfan
- 05-02-20
Fast-moving and gripping
This was a good story overall, with a mix of apocalyptic and paranormal horror. I was on edge the whole time because there were no guarantees about who was going to make it. However, I felt the story was rushed and I would have liked to have known the characters a bit more in their "normal" lives before they're thrust into the horrific events that happen.
I'm not familiar with Maori culture and religion and found the mystical underpinnings of the story fascinating. The idea of mighty deities and the earth itself turning against humans gave the book a truly dark and terrifying tone. There were quite a few side characters who seemed to know the full reasons behind what was going on, but all they did was give the main characters rushed hints and no full explanations, leaving me as a reader frustrated and wanting to know more as well. The inclusion of some human non-mystical villains added another powerful layer of suspense.
At first, I didn't like the narrator at all. His delivery of the narrative portions felt monotone and robotic. However, he did much better with the dialogue portions, adding more life and emotion when the characters were speaking.
The only reasons I haven't given this five stars are because I felt the story needed more time and space to be told, and because the narrator's delivery wasn't my cup of tea.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- jennifer
- 04-10-17
When you can no longer deny the monsters
Any additional comments?
Risen Gods weaves the natural elements with the supernatural. Locations are so vivid they feel like characters. The story follows three kinds of people. Those who believe in what they see, those who believe in what is unseen, and those who struggle as they move from no longer being able to deny the monsters a rationale mind can't comprehend. I enjoyed the characters who fell into each category as I wondered what I'd do if put in their shoes. Great if you are looking for a thrilling story you can consume in a short amount of time.