Wraith

By: James R. Hannibal

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's Summary

From former Stealth Bomber pilot James R. Hannibal comes the intense and revealing prequel to Shadow Catcher.

After the towers fall on 9/11, a squadron of A-10 Warthog pilots in Germany are desperate for action, but CENTCOM puts them on the sidelines, leaving them restless...reckless. Amid the controversy of a fatal training mission, young Lieutenant Nick Baron leaves his fighter squadron to join the legendary B-2 Stealth Wing, where a recruiter for a new covert initiative recognizes his unique combination of skills. Suddenly Nick and his new friend Drake Merigold are swept into Operation Cerberus, a top-secret mission that takes Nick from a harrowing flight over a black testing facility in the American desert to a fight for his life on the Iraqi Dunes.

©2010 James R. Hannibal (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"Hannibal brings together a terrific mix of real air technology with intrigue and nonstop action. A true suspenseful story that will keep you turning the pages until the exciting finale; it really is a great tale." (Clive Cussler, best-selling author)

"Hannibal, a former air force officer, offers an insider's view into some of the U.S. Air Force's most intriguing weapons systems in his promising first novel, a post-9/11 thriller.... Hannibal demonstrates that high-tech weapons are only tools, and that it's the people doing the fighting who win the day...will please military fiction fans." ( Publishers Weekly)

Nick Baron Series - Book 0.5

One thing you need to know about this audio version of Wraith. It is not a reading of the book as originally published in 2010. It has been rewritten by the author to tighten and polish the work and to bring it in line with his current series. This Brilliance Audio version is a direct prequel to Shadow Catcher. It is about Nick Baron and the origin of the revived Triple Seven Chase Squadron and tells the story of how that B2 bomber in the beginning of Shadow Catcher came to be underwater. So if you, like me, are a fan of reading series in chronological order, you should consider this Book 0.5 of the Nick Baron series and start here. Btw, this revised prequel version is only available on audio.

So how's the book? Well, I enjoyed it. There is a lot of air action as expected, the pacing was pretty solid, no over-abundance of gear-glee, and no romance, thank you. It was also surprisingly funny. Some of the banter and ribbing between team members had me laughing out loud.

Luke Daniels does his usual good job narrating. I liked it enough that I've already downloaded and started the next book.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Masterfully Written and Narrated

What made the experience of listening to Wraith the most enjoyable?

It's a great military action novel that for those that enjoy aircraft, cocky jet jockeys and espionage. Sure, some suspension of reality is required in terms of certain human capabilities, but the in-depth knowledge of military lingo, flight mechanics and general geography balance out the equation in perfect detail. It's important to note that this is not a dramatic thriller, nor does it try to be. Instead, it reads as pure action with numerous moments of comedy relief from wisecracking characters to provide a lighthearted, yet gripping story that will leave you refreshed and wondering how time flew by so quickly

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Absolutely. The story flies by so quickly with non-stop action that you are left worrying whether it will conclude abruptly, given the total length of the book. Worry not, nothing is rushed and the pace remains constant.

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

Having never heard of Luke Daniels before I was a bit hesitant, but his emotionally driven narration and mastery of various accents is superb. I would put him in the same league as Dick Hill, George Guidall and Scott Brick, which in my opinion are the best narrators today. There are a few characters who's voices left me thinking of Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, but they also provided the same comedic value through their sarcastically humorous lines that it really worked well for the story. Bottom line, Luke Daniels will be added to my short list of narrators that I would find entertaining even if they read the phonebook

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Ok book

It's not a bad book but some parts are childish and alil hard to think people would really say or do.

Give me the next one

Great story. There were a couple lulls in the action,but this was a really good story. As am Air Force brat I love hearing a book written by an insider, someone that has such great insight into the life of a pilot. I'm sending a copy to my dad today.

Disappointed

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

If you like nerdy things and concepts this book might be for you but if you just want to be entertained this book probably won't be for you.

Would you ever listen to anything by James R. Hannibal again?

Probably not

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Narrator did a fair job but I found myself wandering off bored out of my gourd. One reviewer on another book said listened to the book a 2x speed and I don't think even that would have helped

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Wraith?

Found the book incredibly boring. I fact didn't finish it.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

Sooo Slow

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

I kept waiting to engage with the book, and it never happened. There was lots of action, but it just fell flat.

What could James R. Hannibal have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Different narrator

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Luke Daniels?

Bronson Pinchot, James Marsters, or Ray Porter

What character would you cut from Wraith?

none

0 of 1 people found this review helpful