Rumae

Creatures of the Dark

By: Lexington Howe

Narrated by: Alexander Doddy

Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Set in the early 1900s, a young boy comes across a life altering machine - and creatures - that may change the course of London's history. Oliver finds himself struggling with understanding the means of the system and where he fits in among creatures that aren't necessarily human. Can he beat the clock and save humanity before it's too late?

©2020 Lexington Howe (P)2020 Lexington Howe

Captivating

From the start, the author captivates the reader through intense description bringing the characters to life. This book is gritty and raw giving it a dystopian feel like that of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World or George Orwell's 1984. The voice author matches the style of writing bringing to life a world unimaginable. It is a must read if you enjoy this type of fiction like myself!

Sci-Fi Mental Time Travel

I ended finishing up Rumae a couple of weeks ago while painting my holiday nutcracker. I thought I was going to draw a skull, but while listening to the story I was inspired to do a creature-like Rumae, something not humane, a keeper that obeys orders...perfect theme for my little soldier. My favorite stories are the type that give me a mental time travel from past, present and future, and Rumae did just that, very stimulating just like other sci-fi novels I have enjoyed reading.

Awesome world building

Author Lexington Howe does some awesome world-building filled with magic and fantastic technology designed to impact mankind.
London in the 1900s is before child labor standards were supported. Young children working in both mines and factories were treated to long hours, wretched pay, and dangerous conditions. The descriptions are vivid and hit all the senses. Rumae creatures are terrifying, with only fragments of humanity.
Oliver is portrayed as a young boy who has struggled with living during these times. He is an unlikely hero who wants to survive and thrive. Oliver has an innocence making him an endearing character, even with interactions designed to erode his humanity. I related to Oliver early in the story with this area where the narration completely engulfed me. Oliver’s uncle was a neglectful drunk with a mean streak.
“He hadn’t been in London long. Prior to his living here he had been living in an orphanage just outside the city of London, north of the river Thames. A sad smile jolted his features. In a way, he missed it. It had to have been better than his current condition.
Oliver had previously had four siblings, all much older than him. Two had gone off to war-the eldest had died, leaving his twenty-two-year-old brother Marx to fend for himself. He had been refused the living conditions from his aunt’s husband, at the account of “he’s old enough, he needs to live on his own” response from his uncle…”
Alexander Doddy uses realistic accents for the characters with precision delivery to highlight the terror of the situation. The pace is consistent with no technical issues impacting the audio delivery. This is a captivating listen and story that will make you a fan of this author. I look forward to book 2.

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.

Disclaimer: This audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.