OYENTE

Adam Blanford

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This was a fun listen…

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-05-24

Bladejob is a story about a professional wrestler who serves 25 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. He’s offered a chance to go back in time to change history and right this grievous wrong, but it’s not without its pitfalls and consequences.

The main protagonist is sympathetic in that he is the victim of forces beyond his control or understanding. He wants to change the past to avert the murder, but also to restore his family life and relationships. Even when he succeeds in averting the original murder, those forces take from him in other ways. It’s a good metaphor for life in that we gain something but we may also lose something in the process. There is a second protagonist in the story as well, and it is interesting to see her grow and progress.

The story is interesting and fun to listen to, with a good balance of humor, magic and horror.

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Make sure you have a strong stomach

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-27-24

This is some extreme stuff: sexual assault, body horror, necrophagy. Don’t listen after you’ve eaten. You’ve been warned.

The story is gross but strangely compelling. The Gibson family is “invited” to attend a haunted house called The Dark Side of Hell on Halloween night where they are subjected to incredible horrors and depravity that makes their own deep family problems pale in comparison. As you listen you can’t help but wonder what horrible things are going to happen next, so you keep going.

The characters are interesting, though I would have appreciated a little more depth. No one deserves the horrors visited upon them in this story, but I don’t feel like the characters really came to any realization or learned anything about themselves in the process of enduring the dark side of hell, Horror allows for self-examination and reflection even amidst body counts and gore. This is horror for the sake of horror, which is fine if that’s what you’re looking for.

The narrator does a good job of evoking the emotions in each character and upping the tensions on each scene. I have to admit that some of the voices he does add a darkly amusing air to the story, which works well I think.

Overall, a decent story but you really have to have a strong stomach to listen.

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A fun diversion...

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-26-24

Don't Look in the Trees is a sci-fi/horror novella with LGBTQ+ elements about a group of men who are stalked by creatures hiding out in the woods of Appalachia and their ensuing fight for survival. As an LGBTQ+ story, it works well because it explores the budding relationship between two men in rural Appalachia, as well as the reactions of others around them. I found that entertaining and heartwarming to a degree. As a sci-fi/horror story, it has plenty of action and suspense to it, although a) the creatures never seemed to be all that scary and b) everything gets summed up a little too easily in my opinion. There's also a bonus short story at the end unrelated to the main story, which was interesting in its own right. Joe Hempel does a good job with the voice acting and being able to differentiate between all of the various characters, so kudos to him. In all, a good diversion that doesn't overstay its welcome.

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Interesting story of art, avarice, and aspirations

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-09-24

Charcoal is the story of a young artist of color who ends up using a set of charcoals containing the damned ashes of a notorious artist and libertine, only to end up in the dead artist’s thrall. She achieves power and artistic freedom, but at considerable cost to her mind, body and humanity.

The central character, Shannon, gives the reader insight into what it is like to marginalized - subordinate, made to keep quiet, conditioned to bear deep traumas without ever letting on. It makes one think about how the world is structured today. What makes the story interesting is when she does achieve power and what it does to her. Is she right in her actions? Is she wrong? The story does not pull punches - Shannon has justification while simultaneously making the reader wonder if the lengths she goes to are so.

Shannon is a rich character with some depth, and her friend Rem has depth as well, although not quite as much as Shannon. However, other characters come off as one-note like her Professor. I wonder if the story would have been served if the professor had had more subjectivity, just as art is itself subjective.

The story starts slow but begins to build up momentum after a time, which makes for compelling reading to the end. The narrator does a credible job although some parts of the delivery feel somewhat flat, which takes away some of the emotional impact.

Overall, it was a decent story.

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A fun mystery!

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-04-24

This is the second book in the Kelly Clark mystery series, in which Kelly and her sister Nikki try to figure out what really happened when the curator of the Geneva History Museum dies under mysterious circumstances. Meanwhile, Kelly also tries to navigate the challenges of Nikki expanding her business to include a coffee shop next to Chocolate Love, completing her next book, and building her relationship up with Jack.

The character dynamics are great and it was fun to listen to Kelly interact with her sisters, her boyfriend Jack, and potential love interest William, the brother of the deceased museum curator when he comes to town to investigate his brother's death. Things are more organic now that the characters are established, so they can play off each other. Third Street in Geneva is a nice, comfortable little world where everyone knows everyone, and there are adventures to be had even among the safe and familiar confines of a place you know well. The story moved along at a good pace and it was nice to get more insight into Kelly's past with her ex-husband, as well as sowing the seeds for the next book. I think my only critique is that both Kelly and Nikki should get credit for solving these mysteries, since Nikki tends to put the pieces together as fast, if not faster, than Kelly.

The narrator does a good job conveying the various characters and the delivery is a lot smoother in this story this time around. I enjoy her rendition of Kelly, Nikki, and Jack immensely. Here's to more books in the series!

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Not for the faint of heart...

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-04-24

Let's start with a disclaimer: if you have a weak stomach, this is not the book for you. This book contains scenes of graphic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. The authors stress this before the book even starts, along with the reminder that this is purely fictional.

The story centers on a man named Johnny, a sexual deviant who works for the mob. When he's called on to pick up a "product" and make a delivery to his boss, the actions caused by his deviancy and selfishness cause everything to fall apart. He soon ends up a man alone, with everyone and everything set against him and determined to torture him with creative and horrific punishments.

The story is compelling to listen to because you wonder just what will happen to Johnny next, how he will react, and how you will feel when the next bad thing occurs. He is entirely amoral and does not possess the barest ability for self-reflection, so even though empathy compels one to feel bad for anyone put in such awful situations, there is still the feeling that he is getting exactly what he deserves. It's also compelling because Todd Waites does an excellent job of conveying Johnny's complete lack of morality, compassion, or empathy while still injecting him with a sense of victimhood and injustice that's seen in awful people in real life time and time again. My only critique is that the events of part 2 felt a little too convenient to allow Johnny to segue into his next round of castigation.

I received this title for free from Fright Night Audio as part of their review team.

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A gory character study…

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 03-16-24

Let me start by saying that if you have a weak stomach or get queasy at lots of violence, sex, sexual assault, and gore, this book is probably not for you.

The premise is simple: it’s a haunted house/possession story, told from the perspective of the haunted house itself as it plays with those it has already possessed, and as it tries to possess a newcomer within its walls. It’s an interesting take on the genre. There’s a lot of sex (both consensual and non-consensual), violence, and gore in the story because the house delights and revels in agony.

The story is decently paced, keeping the reader engaged in the story while wondering what will happen next. It does drag on in a few places, but overall it’s good.

At its heart, it’s a character story: the characters, including the house itself, possess deep personal hurts and flaws. Moreover, they exist in states of perpetual self-denial, preferring to exist in their own realities rather than confronting and conquering their ills and moving on. This makes the characters perfect prey for the sadistic haunted house to nurture and amplify their pain so as to possess them. It also affects the house, but you’ll have to listen to understand what I mean.

The narrator does a good job conveying the houses’s sadism, and each character’s pain and anguish in turn. The delivery is slightly atonal, which adds an off-putting edge to the story that shows the inhumanity inherent to the house and the damaged characters as well.

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Great story

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 03-12-24

“The Crucifixion Experiments” is an excellent thriller that follows Lt Jake Mercer and his rookie partners as they try to stop a series of serial murders involving members of the Catholic Church in Oakland, CA. The plot is well-constructed and the pacing is excellent, leaving the reader guessing as they progress through the story up to the very end.

Mercer is a great protagonist: a cantankerous, flawed smartass who sees the demons in others even as he wrestles with his own. He’s an excellent student of human nature and his insights are invaluable to the reader. His partners, Riley and Bello, are good foils for him and I hope if there are more stories featuring Mercer that they get more time to stand out.

The narrator brings a perfect blend of world-weariness, resignation, and hope to Mercer. He also does a great job differentiating the various characters that Mercer encounters in the story. All in all, a great story and highly recommended!

I received the audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review.

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A really fun story!

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 03-12-24

“Give Me Chocolate” follows Kelly Clark as she moves back to her home town of Geneva, Illinois as she rebuilds her life after a particularly traumatic divorce. She lives in the apartment above her sister’s chocolate shop and while there she has to contend with a series of unexplained break-ins as well as the death of a trusted employee right in the shop itself. The plot is well-constructed, pacing is good, and the author does a great job setting the scene so you really feel like you are on 3rd street among the shops and people.

The characters are fun: Kelly is a smart, relatable protagonist with a sharp wit and good sense of humor. I found myself hoping she would be able to rebuild her life, write her book, and fall in love. Her sister Nikki is also a great supporter of Kelly who pushes her outside of her comfort zone to do great things. Adele is well-meaning but a bit rough around the edges, and Jack is a great companion for Kelly.

The narrator does a great job bringing the various characters to life, although at times the narration becomes a little too rigid or artificial. Even that is a minor things that won’t take away from the enjoyment!

I received a copy of this audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review.

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