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Koban, Book 1
- Narrated by: Patrick Freeman
- Series: Koban, Book 1
- Length: 25 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction
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Summary
All new narration adds sound effects and eliminates issues noted in reviews. To obtain new version, remove old one from device, download new copy at no charge.
We colonized seven hundred planets. Humankind enjoyed the benefits of expansion and the end of wars. We disbanded our military.
Then the Krall found us.
The Krall have used thousands of years of combat to select the genes of the strongest and fastest warriors. They are a species determined to dominate the galaxy, through annihilation or enslavement of every opponent.
Koban is an uninhabited high gravity planet with impossibly fast savage animals, which employ organic superconducting nerves. This deadly world is where the Krall are testing humans for fighting capability. We are useful only if we can fight well. If not, they will destroy us swiftly, as they have other species. They have slaves, and we’re poor tasting meat animals, so we fight or die. The Krall will use us, if worthy, seeking physical perfection through attrition of war, one planet at a time.
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The Krall will learn another species can bypass natural selection.
What listeners say about Koban, Book 1
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Terrence
- 16-12-14
An excellent first story!
I had to write a little something here about this audiobook, I was just getting ready to buy the 2nd and 3rd audiobooks because I absolutely loved the build up in this first one. I noticed the narrator had changed on the second and third books so I went along to Mr Bennetts FB page to see what caused it?
Seems there were some issues people were having about Patrick Freeman's narration, which in turn affected sales? Seriously? I mean seriously? I don't get it, I really don't. I absolutely loved what Patrick Freeman did with the narration here? There was a hell of a lot of tension in this story between species, Patricks methods of reading totally nailed that tension in my ears and in my visual imagination of what was going on with the Krall.
I've just taken a chance and bought the other two books because I'm totally hooked to the story and universe Mr Bennett has created, so yes, another new fan to his universe. I just hope the narrator of the other audiobooks, (Eric Michael Summerer) can nail the vibe that has been created in this first book. I got burned really hard with the change of narrators with Peter V. Brett's (The Demon Cycle) audiobooks, he dropped the narrator Peter Joyce and replaced all the books with Colin Mace and for me, killed the 'feel' of the audio story dead in the water.
Anyway, it's been a while since I've enjoyed a good long bit of audio Sci-Fi like this, the last time I got a feeling like this was listening to Peter F Hamilton's Commonwealth Saga. What ever the other books hold for me, this is a great story and a great bit of narration no matter the negative comments thrown out somewhat unfairly to Patrick Freeman (in my opinion).
If you are thinking about getting this audiobook and are taking in some of the negative comments about narration, don't listen to them. Get it the audiobook, judge the audiobook for yourself, it's a great rollercoaster of a ride.
For me 5 stars all round.
4 people found this helpful
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- Dr H. Teph
- 02-06-15
Abysmal narration
What didn’t you like about Patrick Freeman’s performance?
This is the worst narration I have encountered, odd intonation and slurring words, mixed with overly clear pronunciation of "complicated" words ruins the rhythm of the reading. I breaks further by the overlay of another actor reading some lines (possibly to "cover up" even worse performances of the original reade).
You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?
It may or may not be a good book, I don't know. I couldn't continue listen as I begun to fixate at the lisp(?) of the narrator.
2 people found this helpful
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- a j kember
- 22-12-14
If you like having your intelligence insulted....
If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?
Young teens could enjoy this book
What was most disappointing about Stephen W. Bennett’s story?
The pace of the plot line really drags. There's nothing surprising or unexpected in the story direction. It's all very clunky.
What didn’t you like about Patrick Freeman’s performance?
It's like having a 'voice over man' reading to you. The phrasing of the sentence is repetitive, and rarely matches the actual words being said.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
I was disappointed, and slightly amazed that this had got good reviews.
Any additional comments?
I'm obviously not the target audience.
2 people found this helpful
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- Mr. R. Chvapil
- 12-04-14
Harry Harrison feel
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I liked the story line. As hinted in the headline this book recalled memories of Deathworld Pyrrus. This book however adds more ideas and twists. Due to it's length (excellent) the author covered many side stories that helped paint the picture but never losing the sight of the main storyline. I also liked the characters and clear effort that went into creating the social relations in post gene war society. And of course I will never get bored of the old line of humans as underdogs fighting against the odds and standing triumphant in the end(?)...hopefuly in future books.......fingers crossed
What was one of the most memorable moments of Koban?
Mental shift of all the Primes and newly arrivals becoming Kobani. .....United we stand.....
Which scene did you most enjoy?
Many scene were enjoyable. There isn't a favourite one but I liked the moment when the native tigers established mindlink with their human victims. The potentional richness of what could develop from this in future books is obvious and I can't wait....
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
the beast within
Any additional comments?
I enjoyed the narration once I got used to it. However I think few characters, mainly the the women and characters in charge were little unnatural. Overall good and enjoyable performance. Thank you
4 people found this helpful
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- Jez Cajiao
- 06-05-15
Very poor narration
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
A decent narrator, I turned it off after 20 minutes in disappointment
What could Stephen W. Bennett have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
Choose a different narrator
What didn’t you like about Patrick Freeman’s performance?
Clunky, poor performance, with a slight lisp, that appears and disappears in unconnected places
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Disappointed, and annoyed that I wasted a credit on it.
Any additional comments?
Never again with this narrator!
3 people found this helpful
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- I. Fenton
- 14-12-14
I was hooked from chapter one.
What made the experience of listening to Koban, Book 1 the most enjoyable?
The sound effects enhanced the great storyline.
What other book might you compare Koban, Book 1 to, and why?
I'd compare this to David Weber's writings because of the detailed descriptions and in depth analysis during the narration. Just my kind of reading.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I had a visceral reaction to the fighting etc. and loved the detailed descriptions of the dangers the characters faced.
1 person found this helpful
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- Katie
- 30-07-15
Gave up after 2 hours
Any additional comments?
Obviously since I didn't finish this, it may have gotten better, but what I heard was not very good. It reads like a strange period drama almost - formal address and gender bias (though in women's favour). Almost like it was trying too hard to be something it wasn't. Now I usually love a good bit of science ficion and also period drama, so you'd have thought this might be for me, but seemingly not.
It didn't really seem to go anywhere much in the time I listened for - even when something finally happened, I just couldn't raise enough interest to follow what was going on, so decided to give up (which I don't often do). Badly written and not very well performed in my opinion...
2 people found this helpful
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- Mr Anthony Geoghegan
- 08-07-14
I'm bored with it already
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
A less hackneyed plot and a narrator who can enunciate more than 6 syllables without pausing for his reading to catch up would have really improved this read for me.
Would you be willing to try another book from Stephen W. Bennett? Why or why not?
I'd be dubious now as I've been burned.
Would you be willing to try another one of Patrick Freeman’s performances?
Not a chance.
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Koban, Book 1?
The Krall are boring and predictable. I find it completely unlikely humans would colonise some 700 worlds and end up in a state of internal peace. Talk about not understanding human nature.
Any additional comments?
I like escapism, it's not the escapist nature of the book I have an issue with. I'm just bored and not interested in finishing it. Plus the tiny hint of lisp the narrator has is starting to bug me. His characterisations are good though.
2 people found this helpful
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- RickG73
- 18-11-18
Loved the whole series
Fantastic series. Enjoyed all 9 books. Hopefully there will be more books to come. Would love a continuation.
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- dave h
- 02-04-18
Amazing! had me hooked!
I don't know why there has been do much criticism of the narrator, I think he done a great job!
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- Nate
- 14-05-15
Good Story, dreadful narration.
Would you listen to Koban, Book 1 again? Why?
Like many of the other reviewers, I found the narration dreadful. Each time the narrator use a chuckle in his voice I would cringe. Unfortunately, he did that a lot. But, I trusted the other reviewers and stuck with the story and listened to all of it.
This is a well written book and worth the read. I'm looking forward to the other books in the series.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Koban, Book 1?
The testing day.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
His intonation and inflection was entirely wrong for this type of book. People are dying left and right and he would use a chuckle in the main character's voice. It really made my teeth grind.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No
16 people found this helpful
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- M. Spencer
- 26-07-15
Worst Narrator Ever
Any additional comments?
I read the reviews of this book before buying it. Although it seemed as if everyone acknowledged the poor quality of the narrator, I figured i could struggle through and appreciate the story. After listening to two hours of this book, I find myself unable to due to the overwhelming annoyance with the narration. The narrator seems to choose a word out of every sentence at random to emphasize in his incredibly nasal voice. I would recommend reading a hard copy of this book for the story, then move on to the vastly superior narrators of the rest of the series.
27 people found this helpful
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- Denny L Bauer
- 21-06-15
I feel sorry for the author.
Bennett wrote an an enjoyable book that suffers because of the narrator. I've listened to more audiobooks than I can count, and I've never heard worse. Character voices are cheesy, he doesn't pronounce words correctly and puts emphasis on the wrong words. (The sound effects and fake laughter have to go) All that being said, the story has me hooked and I will download the next book in the series.
12 people found this helpful
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- ZHerm
- 17-06-15
Truly enjoyable story - except for the narrator
How did the narrator detract from the book?
Mispronouncing approximately 20% of the words, adding an annoying chuckle to half of the dialogue. It really distracted from a great story. I rarely write reviews, but this narrator must be stopped! Some comments indicate that there may have been an improvement in the narration; I shudder to consider how it could have been worse before.
19 people found this helpful
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- James
- 18-07-15
Good Story, Horrible Narrator
Would you consider the audio edition of Koban, Book 1 to be better than the print version?
No. No no no no no no no.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
In a world where book narration is done in the movie announcer voice, Patrick Freeman leads you through a space opera about humanity's first contact with an alien species while making the journey about as enjoyable as dancing barefoot on broken glass.The narrator places peculiar emphasis on words that don't need emphasizing. His voice is grating an nasal, at times he uses unnecessarily elongated S sounds (even when not voicing one of the aliens). He often ends sentences by making it sound like he's asking a question. He does manage to do well on the dialogue, but every other word that flies from his lips is like a dagger in the ear.
Any additional comments?
The story itself is a good one, which makes me sad that I can't actually recommend this production. Definitely listen to the audio sample before purchasing the audiobook. If you can tolerate Patrick Freeman's horrible performance then purchase it. Otherwise, definitely buy the physical book and enjoy it without the headache.
8 people found this helpful
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- Chuck Baker
- 27-04-15
Good story - not so good narration
What do you think the narrator could have done better?
The narrator constantly put emphasis on words that changed the meaning of the story and it just sounds wrong... It's like the reader tries to emphasize something in every sentence and that's just not how people talk... Annoying to me.
15 people found this helpful
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- Ryan
- 18-07-16
Not the Worst Narrator
The story was really good but the Narrator/sound effects were awful. The publisher summary says they did new narration, but all the reviews seem to reflect this version. This includes the stupid laughing the main character does after his own "jokes". That being said, it isn't the worse narration. Check out "Test of Magnitude" where ALL the reviews are padded with fake feedback praising the narrator. With this one you can just set your speed to 1.25 and it make the problem tolerable.
The story itself is good. The main idea is that Earth is getting sucked into a war where its advanced cunning and primitive technology are going up against a primitive species with advanced technology. This book sets the foundation that leads to a awesome series.
6 people found this helpful
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- Jean
- 06-06-16
Narrator ruined my Enjoyment
The story was worth listening to, but the narrator portrayed every character as chuckling or laughing in embarrassment, fear, nerves. you name it! Very distracting.
4 people found this helpful
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- Jennifer P.
- 14-04-19
I think I will READ this myself
I just couldn’t tolerate The narrator’s mispronunciations of “debris” and “nuclear”. (I tried very hard, I promise.)
3 people found this helpful
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- William Janney
- 12-05-16
Started out slow.....
By the end I was enjoying the story. I was really annoyed by several of the audio voice, but stuck with it. I will download book 2 and give it another chance. In truth I listen during exercise and the annoying vocal performance distracted me from the pain of exercise. Kind of like hitting you thumb with a hammer to distract from your broken leg.
3 people found this helpful