Reviews by Mitzie

If it were up to the reading alone, I would give this audiobook at least a four-star. Neville Jason read it well and made it enjoyable to listen to. Unfortunately, as highly praised as the book is, I did not enjoy it as much. It's long, and at times winded. I am not one to be daunted by big books, and without a doubt Tolstoy's writing is lasting, but the vastness of the tale just did not manage to capture me. At times the story managed to transported me to 19th century Russia, but other times it talked about such miniscule things and so many people that I just couldn't keep my interest at bay. I enjoyed the Peace part, not so much the War part or the essaying like in the Second Epilogue.

While the book is an entertaining action thriller, the reading leaves a bit to be desired. The narration halts in places and you can audibly hear the gulps and flipping of pages, which made it rather uncomfortable. Storywise, it's a Matthew Reilly story (read: expect a lot of eye rolls, but it's a good distraction for when you're stuck in traffic)

There is something about this book that just warmed up on me from the beginning. I can't quite point out what, but the story just enveloped me. As someone who's not particularly keen on war novels, I didn't look forward to the gory bits, but I didn't mind in the end. It's real, modern and warm, compared to most other war novels that to me felt cold, technical and uninteresting. The narrator brought to life the different characters and their lives so well that I can almost relate to them. Overall, I would recommend it to all kind of readers (listeners?) out there.