The Experiment

By: Alicia Nordwell

Narrated by: Shaun Leonhardt

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's Summary

In the distant future, humans wage war against the alien planet Caeorleia, with no tactic off-limits if it will help the humans get their hands on Caeorleia's resources. Ask Ryker. He thought he volunteered for a simple experiment that would help his government in the war. He didn't realize sadistic doctors would turn him into the experiment - by injecting him with blood from a captured Caeorleian, Seral Iorflas.

Nor did Ryker realize he'd be sent to sabotage a planet full of the very beings his world is battling, beings who kill humans on sight. But then, thanks to the experiment that irrevocably changed him, he isn't exactly human any longer - and with each passing day, as his blood bond with Seral strengthens, he's less and less sure as to whose side he's on.

©2014 Alicia Nordwell (P)2014 Dreamspinner Press

I really enjoyed the story!

I thought that the main characters were great. Kind of a futuristic Romeo and Romeo. I would recommend this book to listeners

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Eh - it’s okay

By the time this story ended, I was ready for it to end. It’s a slow roll story even with several elements that were intended to build suspense and/or intrigue.

The love connection had just enough shared to make you feel like it worked but I felt I had to fill in too many blanks and I found myself thinking more time have past than really did in the storyline for the main characters to have such an working relationship.

The remainder of the story was also just there. No real suspense building so that by the time one important arc came up, it was rushed and I was too distracted by the characters’ ridiculousness for going away without guards.

Maybe all of that wouldn’t have left me feeling like I might have wasted a credit if I didn’t truly believe the narration contributed significantly to the flow. The narrator wasn’t bad but his inflections and more, his pace and pauses just didn’t drive me further into the story and that’s what I wish for when I listen to a book.

Overall, I’m left with this being okay and not much more.

Great Story and Narrator!

I love Alicia Nordwell's story telling. This was an excellent story (which I had already enjoyed via ebook) and the audiobook was just as wonderful. My first narration by Shaun Leonhardt and I really enjoyed his performance.

A Pleasant Surprise!

If you could sum up The Experiment in three words, what would they be?

Aliens. Sex. Revenge.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Experiment?

The first time Ryker was being examined by the doctors on Caeorleia and then later had to explain some of what he had endured while being on the ship prior to arriving on Caeorleia. The entire scene was emotional and my heart bleed for Ryker.

Have you listened to any of Shaun Leonhardt’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not prior to listening to this book, but he did an amazing job (especially considering all the foreign words) and I will for sure be looking for other books narrated by him.

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

A hero with nothing to loose... or so he thought.

Any additional comments?

I don't read alien books, but my friend had gotten this audio book and had been giving me text updates over how ridiculous this book was. It made me really curious, so I got it thinking it would be awful. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not the case. I found instead that the book was incredibly well thought out with lots on interesting characters, scenes, and a ton of originality. I liked everything about it.

Its not perfect, some things could obviously be tweaked, but for the most part it was fun to listen to. If there was a little more humor maybe to balance it all out, it would be perfect.

I know there is a published sequel and I hope more then anything that it is turned into an audio book as well.

Synopsis deceptive, It's gay porn.

I loved the book until about an hour and a half in where guy on guy action exploded onto the scene (laugh). I was getting interested in the story then the fake romance started to appear. I ignored it hoping it was just some character building but I was wrong. The gay scene was very graphic. I went back to the book on audiable trying to figure out what happened and noticed up top it says romance. Son of a... I did a search for scifi, the synopsis has no hint of porn and the cover could be just some alien looking down at a victom. I re-checked the new realease search and of course it does not say it's a romance. You have to click into the details to figure it out. That is not right. I feel like audiable and the publisher are in colusion to trick me into buying romance novels. The book has some kinda of split personality disorder. It starts off as scifi guess the writer is in on it too, then vampire stuff appears and now gay porn. Audiable needs to add in icons indicating romance so people like myself can find aliens and technology rather then boyfriends and flowers.

4 of 14 people found this review helpful

Reading the Dictionary is Better than this book.

What would have made The Experiment better?

A writer that knows how to write. This book has literally every single bad writing and bad romance cliche ever invented. I hate the characters. The main character, if you understand this reference, is Shinji Ikari; aka he whines and complains the entire book. Any action that he could have taken... since he IS the main character is taken away from him. He literally sits and waits around the entire book. The romance it terrible. Its instalove and they spend way too much time on it basically repeating the same scene several times then wrapping up the weak plot line. For me it is a very segmented book. Part 1: torcher /horro scene, Part 2: Instalove Romance, Part 3: Scifi action adventure. It just doesn't come together and is missing alot that would make it a good story. For most of the book it is a bad scooby doo episode.

What do you think your next listen will be?

IDK

What aspect of Shaun Leonhardt’s performance would you have changed?

It was acceptable. I didn't find it particularly bad. It wasn't spectacular either. The only thing that I didn't like was that you could hear every breath he takes, it gets annoying after a while.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No. My money would have been better spent by ripping it up and burning it. Oh, I know. Its soo bad it is actually funny.

Any additional comments?

Don't buy this book, even if it is free.

0 of 3 people found this review helpful

Horrific

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

What a horrible waste of money. The book is actually all about gay sex between the main character and an alien. While I don't have any problem with that, it certainly wasn't obvious that I was downloading a book full of graphic descriptions. I can easily see how some people could be very offended. What offended me though is the writing style. This reminds me of a book aimed primarily at teenagers, with over-the-top emotional drama and repetitive predictable actions and reactions. Bottom line... booooorrrriiinnnggg!!! I not only want my money back, but how about a couple wasted hours of my life?

What do you think your next listen will be?

Nothing from this author!

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Narrator was OK, but nothing special.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No, I didn't notice any redeeming qualities. Perhaps the author is a good speller - since it's an audiobook, I wouldn't know.

Any additional comments?

Don't bother!

0 of 8 people found this review helpful