Void Fate

A Novel

By: Suren G. Hakobyan

Narrated by: Matthew Raymond

Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Empty streets are littered with stalled-out cars, buses, and motorcycles. A sunless and moonless sky is covered with an enormous barrier that prevents any view of the heavens.

Nothing stirs. The air is oppressive and there is no wind, not even the softest breeze.

It was supposed to be a typical day for the five friends, but they wake up to discover that they are left alone on earth. The world that they knew is gone. All that is left is silence, pervasive, absolute silence.

What happened while they slept? Are they the only ones left? As the theories start to fly, and their imaginations run wild, they wonder if they are still on Earth at all, possibly abducted by aliens, trapped in a simulation, or claimed by the afterlife.

Aram is the only one who can see deep into the silent world. That’s why, from the very beginning, he starts to look for a way out of this new reality. If he can convince his friends to stay focused, as the whispers begin, and fight against the evil of the silent world, the fog-shaped beings that wander the empty streets, they may stand a chance.

If not, the only thing that lies ahead is the fate of the void.

©2020 Suren Hakobyan (P)2020 Suren Hakobyan

Hidden Gem

Void Fate is not our usual type of story, but both my wife and I are glad we listened to it. And yes, we listened to it all in one go.
It was an intriguing mix of Langdoliers and Twilight Zone. A nice psychological thriller, where the reader\listener gets a glimpse of different perspectives. Sorry, can say much more without spoilers.

The narration was good, but we had trouble distinguishing characters\voice.

We received this audio book free in exchange for an honest review.

A good one...

I really enjoyed listening to this one. It took a few chapters for me to really get into it. I couldn't figure it out. I thought maybe a religious thing, like the rapture. But that didn't seem right. I'm normally pretty good at predicting endings. But I didn't see this one coming. So I would definitely recommend this audiobook. I also thought the narrator was pretty good. There were a lot of male characters so I did find myself having to rewind a few times so I could figure out who said what. But that wasn't his fault. I just have a hard time focusing sometimes. But I am definitely glad I listened to this one!

This book is one you won’t put down.

Set in the former Soviet union Michael Danny Harris Arthur and Arem stay up Late playing cards and drinking. When they finally call it a night at 5 o’clock everyone decides to stay at Michael’s apartment where they played cards, except for Arthur. He decides to go up to his own apartment in the same building to sleep. Everything is seemingly normal, but when he wakes up nothing is normal. His brother and mother are gone. He quickly runs downstairs to see if his friends are still there and they are… Now the nightmare begins. They are dodging blood goes that take you… To where they don’t know. Only to find out later a killer is also inhabiting this world of no one. They start not trusting each other, then meet up with two other people Lydia and Eric and that’s just two more people not to trust. The friends are changing and not all of them will make it out of this world unscathed. That’s if they make it out at all. This book was so good! While I was reading it if anyone called I sent them straight to voicemail I didn’t answer at all. You will not want to put this book down and although it is almost 9 hours long it doesn’t feel like that at all. It felt like it was over before I knew it. I highly recommend this book I don’t even know what genre to put it in horror, fantasy, I don’t know, I just know it was freaking awesome AN the narrator did such a good job. He must be an actor, because he did so good and you could feel the emotion in the craziness as he spoke the lines of each character. I just love this book.

A Fabulous new voice in hard fantasy/horror

Void Fate
Suren Hakobyan
Narrated by Matthew Raymond

Part Twilight Zone part Stephen King novel this multi-layered novel set in the lee of Mount Ararat in Armenia, a mix of thriller, hard fantasy just a touch of sci-fi and horror is amazing. The storyline is unique and intriguing keeping the audience wondering what the heck is happening all the time and if you’re a reader who likes a story tied in a nice bow at the end this is not for you. Each chapter is told in alternating point of views of each of the characters which reveals what’s going on in each of their heads and as the story unfolds and more of this complex confounding plot is revealed readers will learn who’s friend and who’s foe, who leads, who follows and who just might escape this nightmare. But pay attention because this brilliant author will keep readers on their toes until The End. Fans of hard fantasy, horror and thrillers and the novels of Stephen King and Dean Koontz will love this story.

Narration:
The Narration by Matthew Raymond is very good giving each character their own personality and he does a great job of communication their emotions.

Aram, Harris, Daniel, Arthur and Michael, five friends getting together for a regular weekend of cards and guy talk only tonight the talk isn’t about the mundane but about the mysterious disappearances and murders and whether there is a serial killer in the city of Yerevan. When the game ends for the night and the friends crash they wake up to an altered reality where the silence is all consuming, the empty streets are full of non-operational cars, the only electricity and heat is in the apartment they’re occupying and where instead of endless sky the city is encased in a dome. Afraid but needing answers they venture out into the cold silent city and what they find makes them run back to the safety of their apartment, because what they see isn’t human.

Spooky and Dark. I wanted to love this.

This audiobook was received free from the author in exchange for an *honest* review.

I wish I could give a 3.5 overall. 3 is too little, but 4 feels like too much.

The narration by Matthew Raymond was pretty great. I felt a couple times like maybe there should have been some more depth in conversations or action, but I am also not used to his work. I have found that one gets to know the narrators we listen to more often and get a better feel for the emotions they project more easily. I would listen to him again.

I found this novel to entertaining, overall. I love apocalyptic fiction, mythology, fantasy, sci-fi.... I found aspects of mythology-type fantasy and apocalyptic / light sci-fi here. Overall, the writing and the characters were pretty engaging. There were moments that I would be more or less invested in the story depending upon the lead character, but it usually was not a struggle to become absorbed in the events. The creativity and atmosphere were great. The fear was an entity in the story, almost! The suspense in most sequences of the story was expertly handled. The action was all great. I believe I cared about the characters I was meant to and hated as intended also. The people were defined, believable (mostly), and overall, real.

My issue was that I had no idea what was going on. In the beginning of the story this can serve as adding to the mysterious and suspenseful feel. However, i found that I left the experience with many of the same questions which I had early on, and they weren't ever answered. I don't understand what happened, why, how, or all the parties, factors, or entities involved. Where did they come from? What happened? How did they get there? WHAT HAPPENED? That was frustrating to me.
In fact, I listened through the book TWICE trying to see if I missed something. I don't believe I did. It's just not easy to fully enjoy a story you cannot understand the point of, or the source. Sure, there is a problem/ challenge/ antagonist. That much was very interesting and exciting as far as the action goes. I just feel like i read half of a story and I wish the rest was there. This is why I opted for a 3 overall: because i felt let down a tiny bit as a reader.

On the bright side, I don't regret listening through once, let alone twice. The story was entertaining. I'm not hooked, though. I am not looking for the sequel eagerly. I would rather see an updated version of this specific story that answers my questions, first! Perhaps a novella from another perspective somehow?

I would be willing to read something else by Suren G. Hakobyan happily. I hope that I do get the chance, and that there will be more stories in the future. The creativity and atmosphere were, as I said above, GREAT. I just need more definition in the story. Namely, who, how, and why! I hope the review helps and I wish nothing but success to Suren G. Hakobyan.