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When Edward is swept into the world of Ivalis as a Dungeon Lord, the Dark's most powerful servant, he has no servitude in mind. He'll oppose the evil plans of the Dark god, Murmur, whatever it takes. Through only his wits and his guts to help him survive a weakened arrival, Edward must rise to power if he is to earn the right to live another day. But in the battle between Dark and Light, what can Edward choose if both sides are cruel, uncaring monsters?
On the edge of the galaxy, a diplomatic mission to an alien planet takes a turn when the Legionnaires, an elite special fighting force, find themselves ambushed and stranded behind enemy lines. They struggle to survive under siege, waiting on a rescue that might never come. In the seedy starport of Ackabar, a young girl searches the crime-ridden gutters to avenge her father's murder; not far away, a double-dealing legionniare-turned-smuggler hunts an epic payday; and somewhere along the outer galaxy, a mysterious bounter hunter lies in wait.
For eons, conquering dungeons has been the most efficient way to become a strong adventurer. Although not everything is as straightforward as it seems. Several questions have always plagued the minds of those who enter these mythical places of power: why are there so many monsters? Where do the amazing weaponry and heavy gold coins come from? Why does the very air fill with life-giving energies? Cal has all of the answers to these age-old questions, for a very simple reason. He is a Dungeon Heart.
Seamus is facing life in prison without parole. While doing his time, he's given an option by the Department of Justice and the biggest virtual game maker around, Mindblown Entertainment. If he will help them test long-term immersion, he will get the chance to play the latest game from Mindblown - Alpha World. All he has to do is sign away his legal rights and sign an NDA.
Lee is a quiet and unassuming office worker who leads a life of solitude, comfort, and routine. Day in and day out, he shuts off his brain, keeps his head down, and goes about doing his job and minding his own business. That is, he does until a drunken god shows up randomly one day and whisks him off into another world, demanding that Lee serve as his pawn in a game between the gods. Now, trapped in a completely different world full of danger, magic, and creatures, Lee has to figure out how to stay alive long enough to make it back home.
After being betrayed and cursed by an extremely rare spell, Oren, a powerful and influential player, finds himself as a first-level goblin! Without even a fraction of his previous power, he vows to pull through and have revenge on those who betrayed him. His thorough knowledge of the game's world and his unique ability to immerse himself entirely are his only advantages. But first, he must figure out how to survive long enough playing what is basically a low-level fodder monster!
When Edward is swept into the world of Ivalis as a Dungeon Lord, the Dark's most powerful servant, he has no servitude in mind. He'll oppose the evil plans of the Dark god, Murmur, whatever it takes. Through only his wits and his guts to help him survive a weakened arrival, Edward must rise to power if he is to earn the right to live another day. But in the battle between Dark and Light, what can Edward choose if both sides are cruel, uncaring monsters?
On the edge of the galaxy, a diplomatic mission to an alien planet takes a turn when the Legionnaires, an elite special fighting force, find themselves ambushed and stranded behind enemy lines. They struggle to survive under siege, waiting on a rescue that might never come. In the seedy starport of Ackabar, a young girl searches the crime-ridden gutters to avenge her father's murder; not far away, a double-dealing legionniare-turned-smuggler hunts an epic payday; and somewhere along the outer galaxy, a mysterious bounter hunter lies in wait.
For eons, conquering dungeons has been the most efficient way to become a strong adventurer. Although not everything is as straightforward as it seems. Several questions have always plagued the minds of those who enter these mythical places of power: why are there so many monsters? Where do the amazing weaponry and heavy gold coins come from? Why does the very air fill with life-giving energies? Cal has all of the answers to these age-old questions, for a very simple reason. He is a Dungeon Heart.
Seamus is facing life in prison without parole. While doing his time, he's given an option by the Department of Justice and the biggest virtual game maker around, Mindblown Entertainment. If he will help them test long-term immersion, he will get the chance to play the latest game from Mindblown - Alpha World. All he has to do is sign away his legal rights and sign an NDA.
Lee is a quiet and unassuming office worker who leads a life of solitude, comfort, and routine. Day in and day out, he shuts off his brain, keeps his head down, and goes about doing his job and minding his own business. That is, he does until a drunken god shows up randomly one day and whisks him off into another world, demanding that Lee serve as his pawn in a game between the gods. Now, trapped in a completely different world full of danger, magic, and creatures, Lee has to figure out how to stay alive long enough to make it back home.
After being betrayed and cursed by an extremely rare spell, Oren, a powerful and influential player, finds himself as a first-level goblin! Without even a fraction of his previous power, he vows to pull through and have revenge on those who betrayed him. His thorough knowledge of the game's world and his unique ability to immerse himself entirely are his only advantages. But first, he must figure out how to survive long enough playing what is basically a low-level fodder monster!
Arthur Curie never expected to wind up in Hell. At least, not because he found an ancient sword in a pawnshop. To make matters worse, Hell isn't as he thought. It's a desolate wasteland under siege by an all-consuming void known as the Darkness.
Something quite odd is happening in Second World - the planet's foremost MMORPG. Something that's causing alliances to be broken, and friendships, forgotten. A worthless low-level mine becomes the stage of vicious battles, its burned ruins suddenly contested by the game's toughest clans. Every border is controlled, and every road in the province blocked off. The weak players and NPCs alike are subjected to non-stop violent raids courtesy of Eastern invaders. And the strong are scouring the virtual world for the culprit - the weirdest noob the game has ever seen.
Featuring Inspector Dreyfus - one of Alastair Reynolds' most popular characters - this is a fast-paced SF crime story, combining a futuristic setting with a gripping tale of technology, revolution and revenge. One citizen died a fortnight ago. Two a week ago. Four died yesterday...and unless the cause can be found - and stopped - within the next four months, everyone will be dead. For the Prefects, the hunt for a silent, hidden killer is on....
Victor Shelby ends each day wondering when his life is going to get better. His parents are dead, he struggles to pay rent, and his boss at the animal control shelter has him cleaning cages instead of working in the field. His dream of helping animals seems destined to end in a mop bucket. Then, Victor is abducted by aliens and deposited on a prehistoric world filled with hungry dinosaurs and beautiful alien women. He doesn’t know why he is here or what his purpose is, but he finds himself fighting for survival.
Henry and Jason led normal lives in Seattle before they were abducted to another world. Their kidnapper, the vain, self-styled god Dolos, refuses to send them back unless they can accomplish an impossible task. Oddly, Dolos doesn't seem to care if they succeed or not. Luckily, Henry and Jason studied Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) on Earth. Unfortunately, a Japanese American EMT and a geeky IT programmer don't have many other useful skills on a sword-and-sorcery world like Ludus.
Sam and his teenage daughter Erin return to the surface to find a very different world from the one they left. Stranded, they must adapt quickly or become one of the creatures that now roam the earth. In the Middle East, a small team of soldiers may be the only ones left in a harsh environment overrun by creatures. With very few options and far from any refuge, they set out on a quest for help. Will the reapers hunt them down before they make it to the coast?
Joe Colsco boarded a flight from San Francisco to Chicago to attend a national chemistry meeting. He would never set foot on Earth again. On planet Anyar, Joe is found unconscious on a beach of a large island inhabited by humans where the level of technology is similar to Earth circa 1700. He awakes amid strangers speaking an unintelligible language and struggles to accept losing his previous life and finding a place in a society with different customs, needing a way to support himself and not knowing a single soul.
Being a superhero should be fun. After all, a world of super powers is a world where Amazonian juggernauts made of candy battle guys in spandex that drive talking cars. Irene loves that weirdness, loves the game of fighting, and loves being a four-foot-tall woman who still gets to drop big heavy objects on villains' heads. In 1980, that fun is in danger. A mad scientist who murders people for his research has everyone afraid. Two of the friendliest super-powered rivals around stop playing and go for the kill.
They hunt us. They bomb our worlds for target practice. A star cluster in the constellation of Orion rotates once every thousand years. Those who rule there have an ancient tradition: When each cycle ends, they train their fleets by spilling the blood of lesser beings. The enemy fleets are coming again. In response, the Rebel Worlds gather their starships to face the terrifying threat, and this time humanity is asked to stand with them.
At 75 years old, John Perry is after a fresh start - so, naturally, he joins the army. Earth's military machine can transform elderly recruits, restoring their lost youth. But in return, its Colonial Defence Force demands two years of hazardous service in space. This is how Perry finds himself in a new body crafted from his original DNA. A genetically enhanced and upgraded new body, ready for battle. But upgrades alone won't keep Perry safe. He'll be fighting for his life on the front line as he defends humanity's colonies.
Tricked into a world of banished gods, demons, goblins, sprites and magic, Richter must learn to meet the perils of The Land and begin to forge his own kingdom. Actions have consequences across The Land, with powerful creatures and factions now hell-bent on Richter's destruction. Can Richter forge allegiances to survive this harsh and unforgiving world or will he fall to the dark denizens of this ancient and unforgiving realm? A tale to shake "The Land" itself, measuring 10/10 on the Richter scale, how will Richter's choices shape the future of The Land and all who reside in it? Can he grow his power to meet the deadliest of beings of the land? When choices are often a shade of grey, how will Richter ensure he does not become what he seeks to destroy?
The most powerful starships ever constructed are gone. Thousands are dead. A fleet is in ruins. The attackers are unknown. The orders are clear: Recover the ships. Bury the bastards who stole them. Lieutenant Abigail Cage never expected to find herself in Hell. As a Highly Specialized Operational Combatant, she was one of the most respected soldiers in the military. Now she's doing hard labor on the most miserable planet in the universe. Not for long.
Coming of age can be hard for anyone. But for Blackmon Perry Stone it is life threatening. At 15, he barely manages to graduate from the empire's cadet training by a talent for unusual problem solving. He has trouble settling into navy life, but life becomes harder when he uncovers a ring of thieves aboard the huge ship. Life becomes difficult when they killed him.
Stone is ejected into hyperspace in an escape pod without hyperspace engines. Fully expecting to die, he reconfigures the sub-light engine to escape the inescapable. To his surprise it works, but only well enough to do little more than crash on an uncharted planet. It will surprise him if he can make the engine work again, but not as much as it will surprise everyone else if he can come back from the dead.
Someone please tell the author that contractions make the dialogue sound more natural. Between the narrator giving the protagonist the voice of a 12 year old and the author being fixated on how teen boys can't control their erection, this book came across as simply juvenile. Of course the older women were worried about being seen as "cougars" but that didn't stop them from indicating repeatedly that they were attracted to the 15 YEAR OLD BOY!
it read like a child's fantasy where he is able to solve all problems including functioning as a starship Captain in battle... skip this one, trust me.
33 of 42 people found this review helpful
i like this story line. easy to listen too and follow. can wait to listen to the next book
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Larry here.
🐐 and yes, I do remember when...
Metal Boxes, was too enthusiastic for an old-timer science fiction loving Codger like myself.
I love innocence in a solid adventure story , this has it; and a good one.
Furthermore It's likely I'll be listening to the whole series of novels that follows "Metal Boxes;" - in spite of my grumps.
Not speaking critically this was well done in both the writing, & telling.
"The up & comming" does well in the face of "the old guard." A strong upbeat adventure is just as satisfying as it is enjoyable.
Most of us have been there, or one day will be.
ADVICE: Listen to Boxes. Anyone too young for those time endowed wrinkles set about the jowels is bound to delight in this story, and the story set that follows it.
- And you elders, honored or not, It will be a glance back over the shoulder to how we were when, at least I was when.
OK, Mister Stone, our hero, is something more in all ways than any of us are, or were are in the flesh; isn't that the fun of a story.?
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I had wrongly allowed the audible negative review to prevent me from purchasing the book. In my opinion, the negative criticism was taken out of context.
The audible book I heard was well read and entertaining. I am always amazed by the talent of the people who read these books and bring the action and adventure as well as the comedy to life in my mind. Unlike movies, this book uses the unlimited power of the imagination.
It would be appropriate for advanced high school audiences. I'm much older than that and enjoyed the story. I did not hear excessive sex.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
What disappointed you about Metal Boxes?
I only listened to a couple of chapters before I had to stop. I like pulp military sci fi, so no issues with the genre. but this was rubish, there was a ten minute period talking about the main characters erection. Seriously. I expect a little sex, but that level of detail was jarring. I got several chapters past that, but it stuck out, pun intended.
Would you ever listen to anything by Alan Black again?
Maybe, but more than likely not.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
His tempo and clipped words, even the narrator couldn't wait to finish the book. The Instructors voice in the beginning did make me laugh out loud but other than that terrible.
What character would you cut from Metal Boxes?
All of them =P
Any additional comments?
The writing was terrible, like a bad dub of a soap opera, add in an infatuation with an erection it was a no go.
16 of 22 people found this review helpful
Better suited to a juvenile science fiction fan. Narrator is inconsistent in his characterizations, after while every character sounds like they are from Arkansas.
11 of 15 people found this review helpful
This book is cute, fantastical junk-food reading. That’s not exactly a bad thing, but you should know that going into it.
1. The protagonist is too infallible; 16 years old, and doesn’t mess anything up except cultural blunders from ignorance throughout the entire book.
2. While technically an interstellar book, and it being a major theme, it doesn’t really fall into the hard sci-fi realm; not even close. Even the author keeps making cracks about how few people “get hyperspace”.
3. The writing is so fluffy it makes me groan all too often. This is a short-coming but more along the lines of, let’s keep this Ultra-G-Rated, not intolerable censorship strangling the plot potential.
4. The most developed characters in the book can’t even speak; I’ll let that speak for itself. Badum-tsh!
5. This is pretty much completely kid-safe. I don’t think I ran across any profanity or even directly addressing sex or illicit drugs. Alluded to, yes, but not spoken about outright. However, I’d caution against giving this to children. You’ll probably bore them, and give them a crushing life-long inferiority complex when compared to Midshipman Blackman Perry Stone.
Please, think of the children.
Wonk!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Really enjoyed the book, very entertaining story, well performed. would recommend for any travelers or on the road business people.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Nice little sci fi story for younger readers, and adults that don't want to think to hard.
The reader Doug Tisdale is a good reader but may not have been the best choice for the teenage character. He tried to capture the right sound for the enthusiastic young teen but it was definitely work for him to capture the tone.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
The story is fast paced and exciting and was unexpectedly great classic science fiction.
I would recommend this story to anyone.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful