M. Carpenter

Least good thing from Terry Miles...

Revisado: 02-13-24

This is about teenagers... yet somehow they are expert hackers, leaving long and complicated clues that feel like reaching at straws, etc. Yeah... right.

The story was initially kinda interesting but felt rambling in a way less interesting way than Tanis.

Also A LOT of anti-religion stuff that basically called anyone who holds a traditional faith stupid and blind... would have been fine if it targeted religion that gets out of hand leading to abuse or far out cults, but it started there and then went nuclear on everyone with a traditional faith. Which... I mean, people are free to think and say what they want, but this was over the top and kind of out of left field considering I've listened to basically everything Miles has made.

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Very engaging... will appeal to fans of Ernest Cline's books

Revisado: 02-09-24

I got here through through podcast, which was good... this is so much better. Very immersive story, grounded in just enough reality to get you invested and make the question of whether it MIGHT be real flit across your mind for a moment.

The podcast and this book have some similarities to Ernest Cline's books Armada, Ready Player One, and Ready Player Two, but with a creepier, mysterious undertone rather than a rather lighthearted homage to nerdom.

So, if you like Clines books, love a good conspiracy theory, and tend to fall into research rabbitholes on odd subjects, read this one. And if you like this one, check out Cline's books.

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Brought Joy

Revisado: 12-09-23

I love fantasy books but so much of current popular fantasy is just smut with elf ears, so I haven't been reading much fantasy lately. I saw this book reviewed on Insta and thought I'd give it a chance. So glad I did.

On its own merits, aside from the allegory aspect, the story is enjoyable, characters are good, and the world is vividly written.

On the allegory side, it is also amazing. It kind of reminds me of a modern Chronicles of Narnia, kind of along the lines of Prince Caspian or The Silver Chair - not in terms of the storyline but the type of allegory.

I'm usually skeptical of modern fiction, especially Christian fiction, bc it is either poorly written or cheesey, but this book is neither of those.

Highly recommend.

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Stunning story, great performance... abridged?

Revisado: 05-19-22

Unlike other reviewers, I am a big fan of the audio-drama style of this and do not find it jarring to switch between the chapters done by the narrator and the ones done by the cast. 5 stars

The story is fantastic. One of the only science fiction stories I've ever found that creates a truly unique world and culture. 5 stars

So I'm really enjoying it... BUT, it appears it is abridged, which was not disclosed in the info available. I would have preferred to read an unabridged version, and to have known this one was abridged up front. Oh well - it is definitely a story I'll read again, so I guess I'll do an unabridged version on round 2.

Overall? Definitely recommend.

4 stars overall because it is abridged and that wasn't disclosed

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Good story, but NOT child appropriate

Revisado: 07-23-21

This was a good book. The characters were well drawn, the plot unpredictable, and the performance well done. That said, I should not call this a children's book. There are strong themes of fear and manipulation, as well as ongoing and extensive psychological abuse and a little physical abuse directed toward the child protagonists.

While in some ways this story is your classic "child protagonists set off to defeat the bad guy" story, there are much more mature themes here than are typical of children's books.

Frankly, the level of psychological abuse in this story made me, a full grown adult, quite uncomfortable. So, while I'd recommend this book for teens and adults, I'm not sure I'd recommend for children or for people who have experienced severe psychological abuse themselves.

Also, should be noted that the author did a fantastic job of representing how there are different kinds of intelligence, all are valuable, and there are multiple right ways to solve a problem.

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Boring...

Revisado: 02-23-21

This was basically a maneuver-by-maneuver account of a bunch of groups trying to get control of a bunch of dangerous weapons. If you were looking for something only slightly more interesting than a textbook, you'd be happy with it. No character development to speak of... no characters you really like either.

Performance in terms of the reader's actual narration was good, HOWERE the recording had some low crackles and P-Pops/plosives throughout the whole recording (reader too close to mic so sounds like "f" and "p" make extra noise).

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thoughtful and insightful, well-written too

Revisado: 08-06-19

Klavan is a fantastic writer - great at fiction and, as this book demonstrates, great at nonfiction. This thoughtful, honest, and raw true story is riveting. It reminds me of some of my favorite historical authors whose books bring with depth and insight.

This book and author is also one of the few reasons I have not left Christianity. If believers like this man who has truly lived and who is a real intellectual with a skeptical mind exist, perhaps there is a place for me too.

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great language learning tool

Revisado: 07-30-19

Each lesson is a different topic. Some build on previous lessons and some stand alone. The English guy says what he wants to say and the Russian gal says it in Russian. Then they break it down into easy to learn chunks, point out key words and phrases, sometimes cover some grammar, work on pronunciation, etc. I studied Russian for three years in high school and I was still learning new vocabulary and word usage. I would definitely recommend.

Only complaint is that the entire first volume is one very long chapter. The second volume is broken up by lesson, which is much easier to navigate.

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

might change your lifestyle because of this book..

Revisado: 06-18-19

Fantastic book... a lot of it is recorded conversations, so it's very lively and interesting... documents a studies showing that time in nature has a dramatic impact on positive mental health... reduced levels of overthinking, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, and stress, and improved mood, creativity, and overall mental health.

Definitely going to be make a greater effort to spend more time outdoors consistently... Highly recommend!

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