Seabound

Publisher's Summary

When an apocalyptic catastrophe decimates the land, a lucky few escape on a souped-up cruise ship called the Catalina. After 16 years, the strain begins to show in a floating world of distrust and shifting allegiances.

A young mechanic named Esther wants to prove herself, but she tends to bash things up in the name of progress. When disaster strikes the Catalina on Esther's watch, she must risk everything to fix her mistake. She sails in search of help and encounters a mysterious metropolis called the Galaxy Flotilla. The inhabitants are keen to parade their lives of luxury, but they'll want something in return for their warm welcome.

A new storm is brewing on the post-apocalyptic ocean. Can Esther save her friends aboard the Catalina before it's too late?

©2014 Jordan Rivet (P)2016 Jordan Rivet

Critic Reviews

"The quick-paced story is fueled by an adeptly realized sense of place, a powerful undercurrent of emotional nuance, vibrant details, a cast of complex characters and no shortage of seriously suspenseful situations. Rivet does more than make her characters, their connection to each other and their circumstances engaging; she makes them irresistible." (Underground Book Reviews Top Pick, nominated for Best Book of 2014)

Seabound Apocalypse

TARGET AUDIENCE: This is a new twist on the apocalypse. No zombies, instead you come face to face with the good and bad of human existence. Tells the amazing story of both people who work together for the common good, and those who are only concerned with themselves.

PROFANITY AND SEX: None, Thank you. Terrific story for listeners of all ages.

NARRATOR: Wow. Truly brings the book to life. Really does a great job with different characters and voices. You never get characters confused or lose your way.

OVERALL: Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I can’t wait for the next one to come out.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Excellent post-apocalyptic book!

After a catastrophic volcanic explosion, the land is unlivable causing most of humanity to flee to the oceans for survival. Those lucky enough to find a ship survive and adapt to sea life. The only thing I can think of to compare this to is Waterworld. The story is very engaging and the characters are relatable. Lots of action and a little romance throughout the book. Can't wait to hear the rest of the series. Ray Greenly does an excellent job with the narration!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

a fast paced post-apocalyptic novel

Seabound by Jordan Rivet is the first novel in a series called The Seabound Chronicles. Civilization has been pushed to the sea and people live in communities on a diversity of ships, barges, and other vessels. Esther is a young mechanic on a solitary cruise ship called the Catalina. Over the years, resources have become strained and the crew of the Catalina have needed to trade with other ships or groups of ships, regardless of the potential danger of these interactions. Further, politics on the Catalina have also become turbulent as differences arise on how to use resources and interact with strangers. When a critical life supporting piece of equipment on the Catalina is destroyed, the crew of the Catalina is forced to interact with an unknown and seemingly idyllic group of ships called the Galaxy flotilla. As Esther attempts to obtain the resources needed to fix her ship, she and her crewmates begin to realize that the Galaxy flotilla may not be as generous and accommodating as it initially appears. Esther must figure out a way to repair their equipment while trying to retain the Catalina’s independence from the Galaxy flotilla.

This is a fast paced post-apocalyptic novel filled with friendly banter, politics, action, and even some romance. The post-apocalyptic setting of the sea is a pretty unique premise and allowed the characters to deal with challenges differently than would have occurred in a similar story but on land. While there was not a lot of discussion regarding the apocalypse that caused this migration to the sea, there were hints of where the story may be going in the next few books. It also would have been nice to see more of the early, more turbulent, life of the survivors. The glimpses helped add depth to the story and the characters. The interactions between most of the characters really felt true to how people behave and the main characters were all well developed. Esther, especially, grew a lot as the novel progressed. She was a good female protagonist in that she is not above reproach, which gives her room to grow. I look forward to seeing how the story progresses.

The narration by Ray Greenly was well done. The voice characterization of the different characters was spot-on. The production quality was also good. I would recommend this novel to readers who like strong female protagonists, young adult novels, and post-apocalyptic stories.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

[If this review helped, please press YES. Thanks!]

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Awesome apocalypse!

Got this audiobook on a recommendation from a friend, and loved it! I have kindle unlimited, so I got to listen to this book as part of my subscription. Already finished book 2! I can't wait for pay day, so I can snag book 3! Nothing like Waterworld, but what that movie strived to be... I would totally recommend to anyone who likes dystopia or apocalypse! Loved it!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

No Nonsense Heroine

16-year-old Esther is a mechanic on the Catalina, a cruise ship that ends up being home to all aboard her when an apocalyptic event makes the seas the safest place to be and I use the term “safest” loosely! Running low on water Esther makes desperate decisions to help keep the community she’s come to call her family alive.

The apocalypse has definitely hardened this 16-year-old who through circumstance has become wise, way beyond her years. It makes the Esther character difficult to love, although she does have many redeeming qualities, foremost among them a staunch loyalty that never wavers. She reminds me of a lion, best admired from afar because this girl has claws! I love a strong hero though, and Esther delivers on that point. It’s easy to forget she’s only 16.

Ray Greenley has fully voiced this nearly 8-hour production and I think he did a wonderful job. Having him narrate definitely helps elevate this story to four stars. I will add author Jordan Rivet’s next installment to my list, I need to know what happens next!

This audiobook was received in exchange for an unbiased review!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great story, great naration

Would you consider the audio edition of Seabound to be better than the print version?

Haven't read the print version

What did you like best about this story?

The overall situation intrigued me. Post apocalyptic but no zombies!

What about Ray Greenley’s performance did you like?

His characters have consistent unique voices, no doubt as to who is talking. Good reading in general

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Your pleasure cruse has been extended!

Any additional comments?

Good story, good characters, good narration..

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Very interesting

I liked the story a great deal. a little iffy on the immaturity of the main character, but the rest of the cast is fascinating. Can't wait to see how the next book in the series goes!

Slow start.

I honestly tried several times to get into this. I really like the idea of survival at sea. Just so very slow paced that I finally gave up. I feel bad, because I have never gave up on a audiobook that I received for free for an honest review.

Seabound

I really liked this book.The story of a land apocalypse that leaves people to make homes on ships is very intriguing.Some of the characters were very stereotypical, but maybe they will flesh out in the other books.Ray Greenley did a good job narrating.I was provided this book free by the author, narrator or publisher.

GOOOD STORY

I GOT THE KINDLE FOR FREE AND THE AUDIO DISCOUNTED SO I WASN'T EXPECTING MUCH OF A STORY. IT WAS A GOOD SURPRISE HOPE TO READ THE OTHERS SOON.

Unique twists and serious world building.

I picked this one up a long time ago, and somehow my review didn't post, so this is a revised review after taking another stab at it, as I also have book 2 now!

What I really enjoyed through this book and again in taking another listen was the world building. Of course we all expect in a post-apocalyptic world for there to be many events for the characters to get over, but this was written in such a way that these events were not just breathtaking but so very emotional.

16 years after the event that sends everyone to the seas this story digs down and brings us some events that will really tug at your thoughts. The Catalina and her crew/citizens are forced to act after their ship breaks down, but this causes a lot of grief and internal confusion in what to do, and in the people who might help.

I love the characters in here, of course Esther especially who is great with leading and being who she's supposed to be. they're all really interesting and fight for all the right reasons.

Ray's tone and style really suits sea bound stories, (hence the Atomic Sea) and I really love the voices for each character that he choose, they bring the story and the people to life in so many ways. There were some interesting accent choices, and one that really made me laugh out loud, but in a good way. No spoilers, I've got book 2 to listen to this next week, as soon as I've caught up on some others, so many great books released this last week. I don't know what to pick!

:)

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Great story with truly excellent characters.

Where does Seabound rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's brilliant. One of the best. Some great action scenes and I really like Esther.

What other book might you compare Seabound to, and why?

Think of a great action book that you really like. This is like that. It is backed by the apocalyptic story which I also liked but for those who don't like end of the world stuff it's more action and survival than hung up on viruses etc.

What about Ray Greenley’s performance did you like?

Really good narration. Great with both the characters and the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I listened to it on two long journeys over two days. I loved it.

Any additional comments?

This review copy audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost.

"Strange ships are not our friends"

Any additional comments?

16 years after a volcanic eruption filled the skies with ash, blighting crops, changing weather patterns and making life almost untenable on land, a group of survivors struggle on aboard the Catalina, a small cruise ship. With limited supplies and old equipment in constant need of repair, life is tenuous. Then Esther, 22 years old and an opinionated budding mechanic, makes a mistake which threatens them all unless they can find a way to replace the water filters. Which means they need to find another ship willing to trade. Immediately.
This book was an enjoyable listen with a good storyline but I had some problems, well, queries really, over some aspects. For example, although in short supply, the ships needed diesel to power their engines and I have always believed that, after about four years, this power source starts to rapidly deteriorate so was unlikely to be usefully available after sixteen years. And in a sky so filled with ash that crops die, surely it would be impossible to enjoy a nighttime filled with stars? These things aside, it was interesting to compare two very different societies even if that aboard the Galaxy flotilla was too good to be true. Perhaps after three or four years, yes, but sixteen? Somehow, I don't think so, even with their greater initial resources and later acquisitions.
Ray Greenley's narration was mostly very good. He has a pleasant, easy on the ear voice and he read the text fluently and with feeling .His dialogue voices were distinctly different, too. But, sadly, some of his accents were dreadful, in particular that of the water taxi driver, Byron, whose strange speech came from nowhere known. Better to have stayed with less convoluted voicing.
So, would I recommend this book, which I received as a complimentary copy from the author, narrator or publisher, via Audiobook Boom, in exchange for an honest review? Yes, I would, provided the listener was prepared to suspend disbelief to simply enjoy the story of a stubborn young woman caught up in a different type of post apocalyptic world