Wraith

Empire and the Hand, Book 1

By: Robert Allen Johnson

Narrated by: James Foster

Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's Summary

In Wraith, author Robert Allen Johnson leaves the alleys, battlefields, and politics of ancient Rome behind in favor of fantastical war-torn lands from ages long past.

Following the tales of two haunted, fragile protagonists, Wraith drops the listener into dense forests scouted by cruel soldiers, abandoned wilds teeming with dangerous mysteries, scorched villages burned to ash, and hidden rebel camps as both men fight to escape their haunted, tortured pasts.

In Tiro's tale, a troubled bowman known as "The Ghost" fights to navigate a world of loneliness, revenge, and purpose after losing all he holds dear. In the tale of Arach, a weary traveler in a strange, foreign land meets a mysterious, unwelcome visitor with unknown intentions.

Thus begins the first chapter of Johnson's new series Empire and the Hand, a dark, emotional ride through failure, purpose, vengeance, and regret that will leave fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction fans breathless and eager for more.

©2015 Robert Allen Johnson (P)2015 Robert Allen Johnson

Dislointed fantasy noir

In Wraith we are introduced to Tiro a young man that is a master with the bow. So good in fact he takes on the persona of the bowman sniper “The Ghost”, whom the government soldiers fear. We get to learn about he took on this persona and exactly what the demons are that now haunt him.

Then there is Arach, a traveler in a distant land. Who is plagued by a supernatural Wraith that seems to have taken a liking to him. That also seems to like Arach to suffer, by taking those who get close to him.

The story is told from both of these characters points of view switching without warning. One sentence will be one of them and the next will be the other. This made it difficult to know where the story was taking place. Confusing my more than once enough to where I had to rewind and re-listen to parts.

While I think I have figured out the relationship between the two protagonists, I have not figured out how the wraith plays into everything. If I am correct this story will make much more sense otherwise it seems like two unrelated stories that happen to be told at the same time. Again I cannot say to much as this was a short story where little is not tied to the plot.

I would classify this story as a fantasy noir. Because Arach and Tiro are victims of suffering, while living in a fantasy world of magic and the supernatural. If you want a fantasy story that is a little dark and a little different from the norm. Wraith is for you. I see the series expanding into something special, just not quite there yet.

James Foster, once again, has a flawless performance. Doing his best to differentiate the characters. The issues I found with the story had nothing to do with the narration. He was able to make himself sound evil for the wraith, much appreciated and enjoyable. While Arach and Tiro were very similar in tone, making you need queues from the story to tell you who was taking the spotlight in the story.

Audiobook provided for review by the narrator.

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

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Wraith

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wraith?

The audiobook has a very good plot. The characters were real, the situations very understandable, the emotions deep, and keep me interested. The writing was descriptive and filled with detail that gave me a complete sense of time, place and feeling. I recommend it.

Wraith compels you to listen!

Where does Wraith rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I drive a truck for many hours each day and listen to many audiobooks. I found Wraith to be highly engaging, thought provoking, and downright captivating. The characters live tough lives and the author does a great job making me believe in the story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was the wraith. What is it? Why is it? is there any good in it? I also loved the way the narrator changed his voice when speaking the Wraith's part. Awesome stuff.

Which character – as performed by James Foster – was your favorite?

The wraith was the most unique character. James Foster nailed it.

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

I devoured this audio in two sessions. It went by fast. Very professionally narrated.

Any additional comments?

I guess if I were forced to come up with a complaint I would say the book is a bit short. At only 5 hours it went by fast, but I am no doubt going to be hooked on future volumes.

Spooky and Satisfying

Would you listen to Wraith again? Why?

Yes. I'm sure I will listen to this again before the next book comes out. There seems to be so much beneath the surface to this book, a second read/listen would be worth it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wraith?

The story of Arach was so spooky and sad throughout. I'm not sure which of the two stories was better, but this one won on the memorable and creepy scale.

Which scene was your favorite?

So many! One that sticks out is when Tiro returns home.

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

Yes! It's a book that moves fast and rarely, if ever, slows down. It was easy to get lost in the story and lose track of time.

Any additional comments?

I cannot wait for the next book!

So Good!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes! I already have. The story is so engaging. I can't wait for the next book!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wraith?

There are so many heartbreaking, sad, and spooky moments throughout the book, from one chapter to the next. I should keep them to myself to avoid any plot spoilers though.

Which character – as performed by James Foster – was your favorite?

Both of the main characters, Tiro and Arach, were memorable. Both have very different stories, but both kept me engaged and wondering what happens next to them.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It definitely made me nervous at times and a little creeped out.

Any additional comments?

Buy this book! I can't wait for the next one!

The Start of a Promising Series.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

With memorable characters and questions left to be answered, this promises to be an epic fantasy series.

It's a great start to an interesting series

Where does Wraith rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I really enjoyed this book, but I tend to listen to more horror titles.

What did you like best about this story?

It kept me wondering what was happening, or going to happen. I felt engaged the whole time.

What about James Foster’s performance did you like?

He's awesome, I enjoy all of his works, and pretty much everything about them.

Any additional comments?

I received this title in exchange for an honest review

Couldn't Put It Down

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

There were no dull moments in this book. It seemed like I couldn't put the book on pause at the end of a chapter because I wanted to know what happened next.

What did you like best about this story?

It seemed like I was there. The author's storytelling, combined with the narrator's professional delivery were a perfect match.

Which scene was your favorite?

Each chapter seemed to get more intense, terrifying, and heartbreaking as it went on. Just the kind of book that only gets better the deeper you get.

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

Wow, I have no idea.

Any additional comments?

Wonderful book, I would recommend it to everyone.

Great start to a new series

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

It moves fast and rarely slows down. Very easy to listen to in one or two sittings.

What did you like best about this story?

The stories of the two characters were deep, dark, sad, and intriguing. It was easy to get lost in the story itself.

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

I loved his pacing and characterizations. The wraith was great.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It did make me nervous at times, and as I said above, sad. There's definitely a lot of emotion and tension in the book.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait for the next one!

Good but could be better

Would you try another book from Robert Allen Johnson and/or James Foster?

I would listen to another from author Robert Allen Johnson to see if my opinions change any and I will definitely listen to James Foster again if given the opportunity.

Any additional comments?

The summary holds much promise for a great story, however what actually happens is two protagonists wander around, one stealthily bringing men to their death, one stubbornly turning away from those in need. There’s plenty of slaughter by an Empire of soldiers, rebel forces, a juvenile killing machine and a wraith. I can see the author cranking out six plus books all leading the reader on and on and….with no real purpose to a final end where in one paragraph we are told something of real significance.

What is the Empire? Who are the Rebels? What happened to get to this point of war? Even subtly answering these questions in the first book in order to really grab the readers attention would have been better than leading us around by the ears in a seemingly endless amount of travel, death and fluff, only then to be presented with a meaningless ending intended to suck the reader into continuing to buy into the story. The writing overall was fine, there were no glaring mistakes in grammar. Truly I believe the author has a great imagination and a talent for writing but this book appears to be the consequence of boredom with the writing of another series.

James Foster, narrator of Wraith, is a beautiful reader and the overall production is of high quality. Foster kept the story at a steady pace and his relaxed yet penetrating voice lent authenticity to the dark and foreboding atmosphere. He didn’t need to and didn’t use a bunch of flashy voices for the characters, but there was enough distinction to know who was talking. If the author wishes to keep the story in sync he would be well advised to keep Foster for any future installments.

I think Wraith the series has potential but will fall dramatically short of its mark if this first book is any indication of what lay ahead.

This book was gifted to me by the author and Audible in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you.

An interesting start to a new series.

Where does Wraith rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Definitely towards the top. If you want a fantasy book that is a little dark and different then this is for you.

What did you like best about this story?

It felt a little different to the norm. Possibly because we have two main characters who in their own way live lives of suffering, with a backdrop of fantasy and the supernatural. I loved the bowman sniper idea. As someone who is a keen archer it's nice to get characters who like to shoot.

What about James Foster’s performance did you like?

James Foster is an excellent narrator and the overall production is of very high quality. He kept the story at a steady pace and his relaxed yet engaging voice gives authenticity to the dark and foreboding atmosphere permeating throughout the story. He adds just enough distinction between characters to know who was talking without using distractingly different voices. Let's hope he's in it for the entire series as its a great combination of narrator and story.

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

The quick answer is that I did.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.