When the Sky Falls

A Sky Fall Event Series, Book 3

By: Joseph Bendoski

Narrated by: Bill Nevitt

What makes you believe a lie? I'm not asking how you know someone is lying. What makes you believe? Because if you don't understand how that works, then you won't know when you're being manipulated.

In 1938 the War of the Worlds hoax panicked millions of Americans, then in 1988 another fictional media broadcast convinced nearly half of Portugal that sea monsters had risen from the ocean to destroy their cities. A team of CIA agents was sent to study the aftermath of this 6th Skyfall Event in the hope that they could turn it into a weapon of war. When the team consultant turns up dead, everyone scrambles to be the last man standing: the one who will decide if or when the sky falls.

©2017 Joseph Bendoski (P)2017 Joseph Bendoski

The "what if" of this novel is a scary one

When the Sky Falls is an action novel by Joseph Bendoski that keeps a fast pace while delivering the alarming message of the atrocities that can result from the intentional and malevolent perpetration of Skyfall events.

While the novel delivers relevant eye-openers and plenty of other food for thought with regard to manipulation of the public, is it a compelling story in itself? I'm still on the fence about this. It could happen, and apparently has happened, but was this story one that will resonate? Time will tell.

I guess my disappointment lies in the fact that this novel delivers non-stop dialogue and break neck action, but it offers practically no character development, unless you consider the concept of Skyfall to be its main character. We are given little to no background on, or reason to care about, any of the agents, consultants or bad guys as they are introduced into the narrative. For the first half of the book, they all seemed almost interchangeable as they explained the concepts and pitfalls surrounding Skyfall events. I could barely tell them apart while I listened to the predominance of dialogue over characterization. They seemed to serve the sole purpose of providing information about Skyfall events and the massacre the carefully orchestrated events can inflict upon a community or nation.

As for the narration, Bill Nevitt did a fine job but I believe he would be better suited for newscasts or military non-fiction. His declarative voice is too dispassionate and matter-of-fact to effectively deliver a thriller. The narrator here should be bringing the urgency and characters to life, but this comes across more like a business report.

Start of a fascinating new series

This is a well-performed, well researched and rather compelling introduction to what I hope is a solid series. Interesting idea, well performed with enough twists and plot devices to keep the listener engaged. At times it was a bit of a reach, but with well-developed characters and a strong performance by Nevitt, it stayed the course. Highly recommended!

Gripping thriller

Would you consider the audio edition of When the Sky Falls to be better than the print version?

Oh yeah. Listening to the story being narrated was so much better than reading the book on its own. The narrator's voice worked fantastically for this book. It created the proper ambiance and took me inside the story. The base in his voice and the clear and powerful delivery made it one of the best narrated books I've listened to in a while.

What did you like best about this story?

The premise of the book is so awesome that I couldn't wait to start listening to it right after I got it. And the book didn't disappoint. It starts strong and keeps picking up pace from there, never losing momentum. There were no dull moments. Keeping me interested throughout the length of the book is fabulous achievement for the book.

Any additional comments?

I received this book free of charge from the author / narrator / publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

When the sky falls

It was a good story,but just did not hold my interest.The characters were stereotypical.The premise was scarey,yet there was no real build up. It felt like a big you tube prank. .Bill Nevitt was a fine narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.' 

Reminds me of a Dan Brown novel.

Love the high concept of a Sky Fall event. This is strengthened by the chapter epigraphs. It reads a bit like a serial, somewhat episodic in its plot. Also, the idea of the Nephilim is cool (though I didn't love that the little girl joined in). A few memorable characters too, primarily Alice. Looking forward to the rest of the series.