Tesla & Malone

Lightning's Call, Book One

By: Vincent J LaRosa

Narrated by: David Stifel

Length: 2 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

It's summer in New York City. All is quiet and peaceful. Or is it? An ancient evil is about to be unleashed on the unsuspecting island populace.

Former Civil War cavalry sergeant Denis Malone struggles to live a normal civilian life but the nightmares persist and gain strength. What do these haunting visions mean? Meanwhile - Nikola Tesla, his eight-years-long search for the Cult of Five Stars nearly over, has just arrived in the city from overseas. Not a penny to his name, the young man has only his inventions and his wits to combat the ancient evil that is about to be summoned down from the sky. Can he find the cult leader in time to stop the ritual? Or will the girl be sacrificed and horrors run free upon the earth, starting with New York City? With unlikely aid in the form of Denis Malone, Tesla is about to find out!

©2015 Vincent J LaRosa (P)2016 Vincent J LaRosa

Would Make a Great Movie, Not an Audio Book

There are two main complaints I have about the book, which has more to do with my tastes and the medium by which I consumed the book (audio), and do not reflect upon the story or the author's writing itself. First, the romances between the two main protagonists and their respective women was tedious. I could appreciate having a love interest for both of the heroes, but the time dedicated towards the exchange between the men and their women, was way too long. Perhaps in sequels to the book, there could be more room for flirting and developing the romance stories, but it was just jarring in a short book that I was hoping would be a lengthy comic book. Second, though the narrator did a perfectly fine job, he is a man, and when he does a woman's voice it just threw the whole thing off. This is why I strongly recommend reading the kindle or paperback version and not the audio.

Beyond that the book does save itself in the action-packed second half of the book. And it lays down the hope for sequels...hopefully absent of the harlequin romance scenes in the first book. Additionally, LaRosa's writing is incredibly efficient, painting a very clear picture with precisely chosen words, and innuendo those chosen words convey to say more than the literal words did. I do look forward to the future adventures of Malone and Tesla, but in a very Kelly's Heroes sort of way - with no women.

a nice, quick read

What can I say about this? I have mixed feelings. It is a nice, quick read, which is one of it's strong points.
Tesla and Malone are both likable characters judging from a quick introduction, as well as their respective lady friends, though the book is so short there isn't much time for character development.

Malone has been having visions. Nightmares. Why? He doesn't know, but they've become more and more frequent. Tesla is hot on the trail of an enemy who is continually eluding him. Fortunately he's been able to keep the villain from summoning any creatures from the other side.

Unfortunately this book suffers from it's own length. Yes, it's quick and easy, but the background is severely underdeveloped. It reads a lot like a short bonus story about a special side mission in an ongoing war from an already established and successful series. And those books are rarely good even when we know and love the characters. These are characters we don't care about yet, and frankly, we're given little reason to. I need to know a little more about the why and how before I get all the what dumped on me.

I wanted to like this story, I have nothing against Tesla as a historical figure, and I like the premise of steampunk.  However poor Tesla gets dragged into everybody's alternate histories, and then used to support ridiculous technology. Turning him into a man in black with magic and a death ray doesn't suit him or me. Certainly not without a lot more backstory.

The quality of the recording was good.  Everything was clear and understandable.  No effects or music.

I personally didn't care much for David Stifel's style of narration.  I like his reading voice, but his delivery annoys me slightly.  And I don't like several of his character voices.  Particularly the female.

I would be willing to give the next book a chance, but I hope LaRosa will spend a little more time on plot than action.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

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

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YA Steampunk Adventure

What did you love best about Tesla & Malone?

The character of Nikola Tesla, and his inventions.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

More dialogue, less description. The characters don't interact enough.

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

Mr. Stifel's narration brought the characters to life and made the description vivid.

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

Yes.

Any additional comments?

This is an excellent read for a young adult reader of about 12-15. I would have loved this book at that age. As an adult, it didn't hold my interest as much. Nikola Tesla and his steampunk inventions were well-conceived and realized. The "cult" aspect seemed cliche and the book could have been improved with a more fully fleshed-out villain; the cultists didn't seem to have enough personality to make them realistic or unique.