Beyond the Blue Moon

Forest Kingdom, Book 2

By: Simon R. Green

Narrated by: John Keating

Length: 19 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Captains Hawk and Fisher, the only honest cops in Haven, are up to their ears in the usual Haven business when a messenger from a far away land finds them and reveals their real identities and mission - bring a killer to justice and ascend to the throne.

©2000 Simon R. Green (P)2014 Recorded Books

fantastic read

the narrator is amazing and the story is the second in a trilogy. it was as funny and enthralling as the first!

Chicken Run Voices?

Where does Beyond the Blue Moon rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

A great Simon R Green tale as always.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

My only complaint is the narrator makes all the femal characters sound like the chickens in the movie "Chicken Run"

i love this series!

i really enjoy the lightness of this book. i laughed and giggled throughout the whole book. it was so refreshing to listen to a story that wasn't so full of blood and gore and darkness that it weighed down your spirit. i truly enjoyed how Jesus and God were incorporated without any holier than thou attitude. i realize this story has to be taken for what it is, a work of fiction, but that does not detract from the significance of God that is portrayed.
no, this is not a 'religious' story, but it definitely gives food for thought, and is a reminder that there is a greater good in the world.
and i enjoyed John Keating's narration, while not as diverse as some, and maybe a little lacking in variation from person to person, it was completely enjoyable. i will look forward to listening to him again.

I just could not do it.

Any additional comments?

This second book in the series goes on to add ghost and zombies into the mix of way two many creatures from book 1. Ok, I tried to stick it out again, but then individuals who in book-1 spoke as if from the medieval times, all the sudden started having 1980s slapstick dialog that used words like ectoplasmic (like from "Ghost Busters"-really), crucifix, and swearing by Jesus. It was as if the characters got in a time machine and left the middle ages and ended up in the 1980s for book 2 and did not tell the author. It just got ridiculous. Maybe there was eventually an explanation, but if there was it had to be some convoluted nonsense.

Disappointing sequel to a great first

Would you try another book from Simon R. Green and/or John Keating?

I have enjoyed a number of Simon R Green's books, and John Keating's performance perfectly fits the tongue-in-cheek characters of Green's fiction.

What does John Keating bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His renderings of the voices are perfect for the characters.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

no

Any additional comments?

I loved Blue Moon Rising, and looked forward to this sequel... to be rather disappointed. Got off to a great start in the initial chapters, but soon became rather abstract and philosophical and even boring in spots. Wondering "whodunit" kept me listening, and the suspense on that was worth the wait, but overall I can't say this was a good book beginning to end.

A study in how to ruin a sequel

After loving the first book, I cannot think of how the author could have ruined a sequel more for me. When I thought this one might finally be mercifully ending, I was dismayed to see I still had 9 hours left. I've finally made it to the end and it has not changed my opinion. I think I stuck with it out of a morbid curiosity wondering if it would/could redeem itself. Here's how to ruin a wonderful story:

- remove the dragon and unicorn with vague references of what happened to them years ago
- replace the unicorn with an unimaginative talking dog minor character, then drop him from most of the story
- change the names and core attitudes of the main characters....what the hell, just make honor not important to them
- add in a weird twisted Christian plot running through the middle complete with a multi-murdering prophet and artifacts made by or used by Jesus.
- throw in abortion and drug problems
- when you don't know how to write yourself out of a corner, just ditch the world you created and throw in a mix of real life and impossibility...just have horses GALLOP up metal fire escapes, reach the roof and jump on loose tiles from roof to roof.
- oh, and take what had been an action filled story and cram it with hours of slow dialog and shallow side plot characters.

I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I had skipped chapters 4-9. I don't believe there was much needed in them and a lot of unnecessary boredom. This may be the first book, in years of listening, for which I ask for a refund.