Freedom of the Mask

Whew! Again what a story!

19 hours. More twists than you can wrap your brain around....and still want more! This book goes on and on but flows like a steady river rushing to a cliff you know is coming. And still you want more. The author has done a Wonderful job with the story and the narrator as usual brings all the characters to life. This is one of those stories you wish would never end..well you get your wish with this series. Can't wait until the next adventure.

11 of 11 people found this review helpful

A violent historical fiction

This is the 6th book in the series, and the protagonist is somehow still alive after too many harrowing life threatening events . I love Matthew 's curiosity, but it gets him into dangerous situations. He is still after the same enemies in each book. That is beginning to get old. Still, It is exciting, and the narrator Ballerini is excellent. His accent for each character is wonderful and you can picture each of the characters and the different scenes vividly .
I want some happily ever after in these books,
but I'll have to keep following, until that comes.?(

.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Marvelous. Incredibly inventive.

This entire series by Mr. McCammon, and the entire narration by the incomparable Mr. Ballerini, is a pure joy from beginning to end. I am not usually much for costume dramas, as it were, but the author's re-creation of New York City and various other localities around the year 1700 is just remarkable. You can see the outfits these people are wearing as they stroll down the streets, such as the streets were three hundred years ago. McCammon's uncommon ability to create extraordinary visualizations in our minds is truly a talent unmatched in my experience. The clothes are just one example of how wildly creative this guy is. It is a realm of creativity that I have never encountered before. I can't possibly know, of course, but I think people actually did dress in the way that he describes, and talk in that way, and the plots also seem equally likely. They are far-fetched, to be sure, but I listened to every word of all of these books without ever once thinking, Gee, this could not possibly have been how life was four hundred years ago, could it? There are, of course, a number of moments when I believe that he intends to challenge your disbelief, but he does it with such remarkable skill that I, for one, just did not mind being challenged. The outlandish idea that the sausages here are made of the same ingredients as the pies in Sweeney Todd: don't you just love being scandalized once in a while by an imagination so lofty? And so filthy and low-minded at the same time? Heaven.
Do yourself a favor and read all of these. It might not seem like your kind of thing in the beginning, as it didn't at first seem to be my kind of thing, but if you stay with these books you will be rewarded by utterly delightful reading, and adventures that just cannot happen in modern times, and you will also get a sense of the history of some parts of this country that I don't imagine many of you are knowledgeable about. (Whew, that was a mighty dicey sentence, wasn't it?)
Enjoy, enjoy! This is unique stuff.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Keeps getting better!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series from the very start. What surprises me is how it seems to be developing and gaining steam with each installment...this latest being no exception. I cannot wait to find out what happens next and will suffer withdrawal symptoms as I wait for the next book: a clear sign of a winner.
If you have not read the series start at the beginning and get ready for a vivid, utterly engrossing ride. If you are already a fan, rest assured that the fascinating and highly detailed characters, the expert narration, and the finely drawn descriptions are all present and accounted for. Dig in!

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Frustrating

I actually upgraded my rating of this book and story after realizing that my frustration with the end of this book has everything to do with the masterful crafting of the story of Matthew Corbett. I love this series. Unfortunately these books are like the modern day mini-series of tv. It feels like the author just stopped the book at a decent place for a commercial or season. I'm really upset I have to wait for more. Therefore 5 stars!

The narrator is wonderful. I've bought other highly rated books just because he was the narrator.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Freedom of the Mask

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

I discovered Matthew Corbett when I took a chance and read "Speaks the Nightbird". I have been a fan of the Corbett (the problem solver from New York) series since.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Freedom of the Mask?

There were several memorable moments but what stuck out to me was: 1. when Matthew was taken to Newgate Prison only to be visited by the masked vigilante, 2. finding out who was behind the mask.

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

Edoardo really gives the characters a face and personality for the listener. I can see how Matthew would look as well as Hudson Greathouse. Matthew is a thinker w/a quiet demeanor and Edoardo reads with a calm and sophisticated voice when Matthew is speaking. Hudson Greathouse is like your loud uncle who takes up an entire room when he enters BUT he has a gentleness (which I think he hides), and quick sense of humor. Edoardo reads him in a booming voice that makes you instantly like the big man although you might think he would start barking if you got too close. Edoardo narrates the book in such a way you get the sense you are watching a movie.

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

Yes, Yes, Yes!! In fact that is just what happened.

Any additional comments?

When will the next Matthew Corbett book be released.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Disappointment

I loved this series until this book. The first books contained fully developed stories with clear endings that left you satisfied and wanting to read more about Matthew Corbet's adventures. I love Matthew's character. He's intelligent, curious and a problem solver. In this book Matthew has a series of adventures where he was quite gullible, pessimistic, and whiney. There is quite a bit of violence that seems to just be thrown in without really adding to the story or plot. I found myself thinking how many times can Matthew get hit in the head without some serious brain damage. In addition, his friends are quite easily overcomes and have lost all their earlier skills and abilities. Wasn't Matthew trained in combat, which he seems to have forgotten along with his quick wit. I found myself just ready for it to end, and losing interest about half way through. I was really looking forward to the book and preordered it. What a disappointment, and the worse thing was it didn't really end or wrap up, just left you with another cliff hanger of unresolved plot elements. It's become more of a soap opera then a well developed story with a good beginning, middle and end. Really loved the first 4 books, but this was a mess.

11 of 13 people found this review helpful

WARNING Cliff Hanger Ending

When Robert McCammon started the Matthew Corbett series each book could be read as a stand alone book. It was more interesting if you knew the characters, but not necessary. Now Mr. McCammon has joined leagues with those authors that feel it is ok to try to force his fans to read the next book by NOT ENDING THE STORY.

This practice strikes me as somewhat underhanded. A good author can conclude the current predicament and if needed still leave the "bad guy" alive to go on and wreak havoc another day, in a new book. Therefore I gave it 2 stars. The action is as intense as in the previous books, and the characters well written. Unlike the first 3 books, Mr. McCammon's background as a horror author is evident in these last two books. The torture scenes, fight scenes, etc are nightmare producing.

I went back and read all of the books again when this one came out just so I could REALLY enjoy the experience. Now I feel like I wasted my time because there is still no conclusion.

Disappointed.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Another Cliffhanger -- and that's two too many

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It would have been had there been any kind of resolution at the end.

Has Freedom of the Mask turned you off from other books in this genre?

As a previous reviewer said about the previous book in this series, the other books leading up to this were stand alone stories. This one leaves you hanging. No resolution for the second time. I'm not willing to stay on the hook through two, so I'll be waiting to read the reviews before investing in another book in this series.

What about Edoardo Ballerini’s performance did you like?

He's great. No complaints.

Did Freedom of the Mask inspire you to do anything?

Yes. Look for another author until McCammon gets the message, if he gets the message.

Any additional comments?

If you're a dentist, you're going to hate this book!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

The Never Ending Story

Just too long and too much. And then you are still hanging when the story just stops.
I have followed Matthew since the beginning, but I think I will leave him at this juncture.
I'm not even sure he's one of the good guys any more.
There was history in former novels. Now it borders on scary fantasy. That is not my genre.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful