A corker of a read!

It took me a little to get into this but once there I was hooked. This is a book about an unlikely duo, a young experienced agent who is a bit gung-ho and is investigating an old, cold case and the librarian.. sorry no.. the Archivist she's teamed up with as a punishment. Their complementary skills and contrasting styles and a tale filled with pace and excitement lead to a cracking good read.

Now where's book two and three?

---------

As a final comment I'd like to include that it's definitely an adult book because of one particular scene, you might not want to share it with younger readers till you've got past that point.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A bit slow moving

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Not really, Eliza D. Braun is not at all a likeable character, which tends to put me off a book - Not the existence of an unlikeable character (nasty, self-centred, and manipulative) but for them to be one of the main protagonists is not an encouragement to continuing with the book.

Would you be willing to try another book from Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris ? Why or why not?

Probably not, given the likely hood of such an unlikeable protagonist cropping up again is not an encouragement to continue with the series.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Cracking good yarn.

A well set and wonderfully progressed story. A fun and playful jaunt in to this entertaining world.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Very unexpected

If you could sum up Phoenix Rising in three words, what would they be?

Really enjoyable romp

What did you like best about this story?

When I began listening to this I seriously wandered if I had wasted my money but by chapter three I was well & truly hooked

Have you listened to any of James Langton’s other performances? How does this one compare?

This is my first James Langton listen but I thought his performance was excellent.

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

No I listened to this at work over a period of three or four days.

Any additional comments?

I bought this on a whim and I have to say I really enjoyed it, the story was strong, Eliza & Wellington were very believable characters, a well constructed tale well told, I will be listening to more of this series.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

Brilliant action steampunk adventure

What made the experience of listening to Phoenix Rising the most enjoyable?

All audiobooks bring characters to life more than the written word. Apart from the seriously bad New Zealand accent of the female lead, this was well read and easy on the ear. Will someone please tell narrators that New Zealanders sound more English than the Australian accent that they are usually given?

What was one of the most memorable moments of Phoenix Rising?

The beginning. The first chapter. It starts off with a bang (literally) and sets the pace for nearly the whole book.

What about James Langton’s performance did you like?

See above about listening and the accents.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

None that could be named without spoiling. Several parts spooked me a bit.

Any additional comments?

This was a thoroughly enjoyable listen. I already have the second one and have requested more to be added to the Audible site.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

bit wordy but otherwise fun

a decent introduction to the world, with plenty of mystery and action, coupled with a good degree of character development

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Phoenix rising

Immensely enjoyable. Brilliant story beautifully read. From the first words I was completely immersed & engrossed.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Fun imaginative story

Imaginative story, fun characters, immersive steam punk world. Some very dark storylines, so not suitable for younger readers. Good narration and character voices bringing them to life. The narrator was good at getting the tone right to convey the sarcasm and wit of the characters. interested to see what happens to these two next.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Great story; shame about the writing

Steampunk meets the X Files

Phoenix Rising is well narrated, has an engaging central duo and a well-paced story with dramatic set-pieces. Good news and probably enough to persuade me to download the next book in the series.

All of the above is nearly ruined by some rather clunky writing (over-use of the phrase "quite the", frequent Americanisms mis-use of some words e.g. "mnemonic" for "memento"). The characters range from the anachronistically modern (Eliza Braun) to crude caricatures (most of the baddies) and the occasional forays into (soft core) pornography more embarrassing than erotic.

Still, the book's good points slightly outweigh its bad points and, if you are a fan of steampunk, you'll probably enjoy this.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Enjoyable steampunk story.

It was an engaging story with an excellent narrator. I enjoyed the pace and the character builds.
Will be buying the next in series. Well worth a listen.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!