The Anatomy of Courage
A First Contact Standalone
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $33.90
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Tim Fannon
-
By:
-
Peter Cawdron
About this listen
Dr. Christopher Walters has been assigned to a medical evac team serving on the front line of the war against the alien invaders known as the Novo.
As part of the Dog Food Squad, his role is to provide battlefield triage to wounded soldiers in no man's land. Life expectancy at the front is so low no one uses their real names, and he teams up with Hawk, Mouse, Leech, Lavender, and William Sunday to save those he can from the brutal reality of war. The Novos, though, are not what they seem. Inconsistencies leave Doc questioning the war and wondering what the price will be for peace...
First Contact is a series of standalone novels that explore humanity's first interaction with extraterrestrial life. This series is similar to Black Mirror or The Twilight Zone in that the series is based on a common theme rather than common characters. This allows these books to be listened to in any order. Technically, they're all first as they all deal with how we might initially respond to contact with aliens, exploring the social, political, religious, and scientific aspects of First Contact.
Contains a special note from the author.
©2024 Peter Cawdron (P)2024 Podium AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
3zekiel
- By: Peter Cawdron
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Deep within the Congo, a team of scientists prepares for the greatest event in the history of humanity, making first contact with an intelligent extraterrestrial species. Only the jungle is no place for doubts. Could first contact be our last?
-
-
avoid this book
- By Ralf Månsson on 07-19-22
By: Peter Cawdron
-
Starship Mine
- By: Peter Cawdron
- Narrated by: Jeff Cummings
- Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
James Patterson is a gay accountant living in Keyes, Oklahoma - deep in the Bible Belt - the religious heartland of America. He's also the first person to make contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence seeking to understand our world, and that makes him the most important person on the planet.
-
-
Not a romance.
- By MRS. QUINN on 09-03-20
By: Peter Cawdron
-
Retrograde
- By: Peter Cawdron
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mankind has long dreamed of reaching out to live on other planets, and with the establishment of the Mars Endeavour colony, that dream has become reality. The fledgling colony consists of 120 scientists, astronauts, medical staff, and engineers. Buried deep underground, they're protected from the harsh radiation that sterilizes the surface of the planet. The colony is prepared for every eventuality except one - what happens when disaster strikes Earth?
-
-
Who rescues the Martians when Earth is gone?
- By Jason on 09-20-17
By: Peter Cawdron
-
Free Fall
- By: Peter Cawdron
- Narrated by: Jeff Hays
- Length: 1 hr and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jackson is an astronaut testing a prototype interstellar craft in deep space. When he returns home, there's no one to greet him. Earth has fallen silent. Now he must decide: stay in orbit, watching a dead planet roll slowly by beneath his windows, or land on Earth and fight for life.
-
-
You don’t need 400 pages to make someone feel
- By Brian on 04-25-16
By: Peter Cawdron
-
But the Stars
- By: Peter Cawdron
- Narrated by: Nicole Poole
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the start of the 22nd century, the starship Acheron is in orbit around WISE 5571, only, unbeknownst to the crew, the ship has been overrun by telepathic extraterrestrials. How do you fight an enemy that distorts everything you see? What do you do when you can't trust your own senses, let alone anyone around you?
-
-
Thought provoking book that made me like my least favorite trope again.
- By Ander on 01-10-24
By: Peter Cawdron
-
Maelstrom
- By: Peter Cawdron
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller, Andrew Eiden, Amy Landon
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tunguska, Roswell, the Bermuda Triangle, the Mary Celeste... For hundreds of years, the danger posed by colliding worlds has been ignored as a crackpot theory, until now, and now it's too late.
-
-
Get ready to have your mind blown!
- By Montzalee Wittmann on 10-11-17
By: Peter Cawdron
-
3zekiel
- By: Peter Cawdron
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Deep within the Congo, a team of scientists prepares for the greatest event in the history of humanity, making first contact with an intelligent extraterrestrial species. Only the jungle is no place for doubts. Could first contact be our last?
-
-
avoid this book
- By Ralf Månsson on 07-19-22
By: Peter Cawdron
-
Starship Mine
- By: Peter Cawdron
- Narrated by: Jeff Cummings
- Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
James Patterson is a gay accountant living in Keyes, Oklahoma - deep in the Bible Belt - the religious heartland of America. He's also the first person to make contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence seeking to understand our world, and that makes him the most important person on the planet.
-
-
Not a romance.
- By MRS. QUINN on 09-03-20
By: Peter Cawdron
-
Retrograde
- By: Peter Cawdron
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mankind has long dreamed of reaching out to live on other planets, and with the establishment of the Mars Endeavour colony, that dream has become reality. The fledgling colony consists of 120 scientists, astronauts, medical staff, and engineers. Buried deep underground, they're protected from the harsh radiation that sterilizes the surface of the planet. The colony is prepared for every eventuality except one - what happens when disaster strikes Earth?
-
-
Who rescues the Martians when Earth is gone?
- By Jason on 09-20-17
By: Peter Cawdron
-
Free Fall
- By: Peter Cawdron
- Narrated by: Jeff Hays
- Length: 1 hr and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jackson is an astronaut testing a prototype interstellar craft in deep space. When he returns home, there's no one to greet him. Earth has fallen silent. Now he must decide: stay in orbit, watching a dead planet roll slowly by beneath his windows, or land on Earth and fight for life.
-
-
You don’t need 400 pages to make someone feel
- By Brian on 04-25-16
By: Peter Cawdron
-
But the Stars
- By: Peter Cawdron
- Narrated by: Nicole Poole
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the start of the 22nd century, the starship Acheron is in orbit around WISE 5571, only, unbeknownst to the crew, the ship has been overrun by telepathic extraterrestrials. How do you fight an enemy that distorts everything you see? What do you do when you can't trust your own senses, let alone anyone around you?
-
-
Thought provoking book that made me like my least favorite trope again.
- By Ander on 01-10-24
By: Peter Cawdron
-
Maelstrom
- By: Peter Cawdron
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller, Andrew Eiden, Amy Landon
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tunguska, Roswell, the Bermuda Triangle, the Mary Celeste... For hundreds of years, the danger posed by colliding worlds has been ignored as a crackpot theory, until now, and now it's too late.
-
-
Get ready to have your mind blown!
- By Montzalee Wittmann on 10-11-17
By: Peter Cawdron
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
The Coming of Darkness
- Chaos and Creation, Book One
- By: AJ Andersson
- Narrated by: Will Duzington
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Arthar finds a mysterious amulet, Morbydd’s dark intent turns toward the West, threatening to plunge all that he knows and loves into unending chaos. Morbydd's dark army threatens the empire’s holy city and Arthar’s people see their chance to cast off the shackles of imperial might. But Cradoc, a wise philosopher, warns that this is a distraction, that Morbydd’s true aim is to find and destroy a lost gateway revealed when Arthar discovered the amulet.
By: AJ Andersson
-
The Trouble with Tycho and Cosmic Engineers
- By: Clifford D. Simak
- Narrated by: Graham Rowat
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Adventurers journey into the foreboding unknown regions of outer space in these two classic science fiction tales from the Hugo and Nebula Award winning author.
-
Liquid Cool: The Cyberpunk Detective Series
- Liquid Cool, Book 1
- By: Austin Dragon
- Narrated by: Shamaan Casey
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Science fiction and crime fiction blend in the high-tech, low-life world of Liquid Cool as Cruz faces off against neon gangsters, sinister cyborgs, corporate samurai soldiers, and laser-gun shootouts solving cases in the rainy supercity of Metropolis.
By: Austin Dragon
-
The Time Travelling Tourist
- The Time Travelling Tourist Series, Book 1
- By: Nick James
- Narrated by: Tucker Dally Johnston, Kitty Perrelli
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Brian Partridge leapt at the chance to buy the personal property of his favorite historical author following his death, although what he received was far more than he bargained for. It didn’t take him long to discover just how the author was able to write scenes from the past with such accuracy. Of course, Brian was familiar with time machines in movies, but that was fictional—not real—and yet, before him stood one of his very own. He knew he shouldn’t step inside and turn it on, but the temptation was more than he could bear.
By: Nick James
-
Random Survival: The Road: Weatherman
- Random Survival: The Road, Book 1
- By: Ray Wenck
- Narrated by: Jack de Golia
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Darwin Merriweather, code name, Weatherman, hears about the deadly nationwide pandemic sweeping the country leaving millions dead, he sets about protecting his mountainside home. If the madness has hit the town below, he knows it won’t be long before scavengers climb the mountain. He plans on being ready. However, his work is interrupted when he receives a desperate radio call from two members of the special forces unit he once led.
-
-
💥💥💥💥Great post apocalyptic series!! 💥💥
- By KellyC on 12-29-24
By: Ray Wenck
-
Relics
- The Chronicles of Solomon Drake
- By: Robert York
- Narrated by: Connor Brannigan
- Length: 14 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
RELICS—The Chronicles of Solomon Drake, is an Urban Fantasy story set in modern day Detroit. On a brisk Monday in December—after staying up most of the night looking after a pack of sick Werewolves—Solomon's world is turned upside down when a small Cob Elf is found in the back of Blackmane’s with a strange crystal in his possession, a crystal that contains the spirit of the powerful Wizard Merlin.
By: Robert York
-
The Coming of Darkness
- Chaos and Creation, Book One
- By: AJ Andersson
- Narrated by: Will Duzington
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Arthar finds a mysterious amulet, Morbydd’s dark intent turns toward the West, threatening to plunge all that he knows and loves into unending chaos. Morbydd's dark army threatens the empire’s holy city and Arthar’s people see their chance to cast off the shackles of imperial might. But Cradoc, a wise philosopher, warns that this is a distraction, that Morbydd’s true aim is to find and destroy a lost gateway revealed when Arthar discovered the amulet.
By: AJ Andersson
-
The Trouble with Tycho and Cosmic Engineers
- By: Clifford D. Simak
- Narrated by: Graham Rowat
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Adventurers journey into the foreboding unknown regions of outer space in these two classic science fiction tales from the Hugo and Nebula Award winning author.
-
Liquid Cool: The Cyberpunk Detective Series
- Liquid Cool, Book 1
- By: Austin Dragon
- Narrated by: Shamaan Casey
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Science fiction and crime fiction blend in the high-tech, low-life world of Liquid Cool as Cruz faces off against neon gangsters, sinister cyborgs, corporate samurai soldiers, and laser-gun shootouts solving cases in the rainy supercity of Metropolis.
By: Austin Dragon
-
The Time Travelling Tourist
- The Time Travelling Tourist Series, Book 1
- By: Nick James
- Narrated by: Tucker Dally Johnston, Kitty Perrelli
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Brian Partridge leapt at the chance to buy the personal property of his favorite historical author following his death, although what he received was far more than he bargained for. It didn’t take him long to discover just how the author was able to write scenes from the past with such accuracy. Of course, Brian was familiar with time machines in movies, but that was fictional—not real—and yet, before him stood one of his very own. He knew he shouldn’t step inside and turn it on, but the temptation was more than he could bear.
By: Nick James
-
Random Survival: The Road: Weatherman
- Random Survival: The Road, Book 1
- By: Ray Wenck
- Narrated by: Jack de Golia
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Darwin Merriweather, code name, Weatherman, hears about the deadly nationwide pandemic sweeping the country leaving millions dead, he sets about protecting his mountainside home. If the madness has hit the town below, he knows it won’t be long before scavengers climb the mountain. He plans on being ready. However, his work is interrupted when he receives a desperate radio call from two members of the special forces unit he once led.
-
-
💥💥💥💥Great post apocalyptic series!! 💥💥
- By KellyC on 12-29-24
By: Ray Wenck
-
Relics
- The Chronicles of Solomon Drake
- By: Robert York
- Narrated by: Connor Brannigan
- Length: 14 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
RELICS—The Chronicles of Solomon Drake, is an Urban Fantasy story set in modern day Detroit. On a brisk Monday in December—after staying up most of the night looking after a pack of sick Werewolves—Solomon's world is turned upside down when a small Cob Elf is found in the back of Blackmane’s with a strange crystal in his possession, a crystal that contains the spirit of the powerful Wizard Merlin.
By: Robert York
-
The Staff of Beckoning
- A Symphony of Spheres, Book 1
- By: Praneet Menon
- Narrated by: Adam R. Watson
- Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Adir Nathar craved more than what he was born into. And existence obliged. A mysterious death … an act of revenge! Adir flees Marafel, abandoning friends and family for safety and a fresh start. But, unbeknownst to him, he is pursued by the Khasmia Shadow, a secret society charged with a sole divine purpose—eliminate the destructive venna with the sacred Staff of Beckoning. The world of Leakarha itself is undergoing a seismic shift. Rakhor, terrible demonspawn, are emerging farther south from the Precipice than ever before.
-
-
A story that draws you in
- By Ron Jackson on 12-27-24
By: Praneet Menon
-
Not My First (Space?) Rodeo: A Sci-Fi LitRPG Adventure
- Not My First (Space?) Rodeo, Book 1
- By: M. Talon
- Narrated by: Gary Tiedemann
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Shad Williams joined the army to fight for his country, not to fight aliens. But when he's abducted through a portal along with his terminally ill grandfather and kid sister, that's exactly what he finds himself doing. Now, deep below the surface of the planet Ganymede, they find themselves with other equally confused groups of humans drafted into serving under extraterrestrials battling for control over the Reality Engine, an advanced supercomputer capable of producing miraculous resources and technologies.
-
-
Really Enjoyed This Book
- By Amazon Customer on 12-31-24
By: M. Talon
-
Sleepaway
- A Novel
- By: Kevin Prufer
- Narrated by: Kevin Prufer
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s 1984, and the invisible mists are falling, mists that cause people to slip into dreamless slumber—sleeps from which most, but not all, awaken. Those who do wake live in fear of the next mist, and the next, each a little longer and more dangerous than the last. Alternating between the perspectives of a kleptomaniac waitress named Cora and her twelve-year-old friend Glass, Sleepaway depicts a small-town America turned alarming. This is a place where loved ones are lost to a state between life and death; where denial, delusion, and desperation take hold of those remaining.
By: Kevin Prufer
-
World Walkers
- By: Neal Asher
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 23 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ottanger is a rebel and mutant on an Earth governed by a ruthless Committee. But after its Inspectorate experiments on him, Ottanger realizes the mutation allows him to reach alternate worlds. The multiverse is revealed in all its glory and terror—and he understands that he can finally flee his timeline. Then Ottanger meets the Fenris, an evolved human, visiting his Earth from the far future. He'd engineered the original world walking mutation, so those altered could escape the Committee's nightmarish regime. And Ottanger sees that that Committee will become unstoppable if not destroyed.
By: Neal Asher
-
The Lost Relic
- ENIGMA Files, Book 1
- By: Joshua James
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Indiana Jones meets The X-Files in this thrilling, globe-spanning adventure about the greatest treasure hunt of all time—where ancient secrets collide with cutting-edge technology. In the high-stakes world of ancient artifacts and clandestine organizations, a trio of unlikely misfits are drafted into a desperate race to prevent the assembly of a long lost device.
-
-
Riveting Technothriller
- By Laura on 12-22-24
By: Joshua James
-
Crossing Serpent's Way
- Trials of the Endless Planes, Book 1
- By: RJ Shoke
- Narrated by: Tim Lounibos
- Length: 20 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the last four years, humanity has been facing its greatest challenge yet—a trial known as the Crucible. This harrowing ordeal has tested the mettle and determination of individuals, weeding out the weak and transforming the survivors into warriors. They have been forced to conquer dungeons and battle horrific creatures with magical powers so they can gain abilities of their own. However, the Crucible was merely the beginning. As the trial concludes, the survivors find themselves on the precipice of an entirely new realm—the Endless Planes.
-
-
Kaito = Ryun & Endless Plains = Infinite Realms
- By CDM860 on 12-21-24
By: RJ Shoke
-
Theft of Decks
- Theft of Decks, Book 1
- By: Lars Machmüller
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 22 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Life on the Waves isn't easy. Especially if you're a pickpocket with no education, no prospects, and no future. For Chase and his crew of low-lives, there is one real option. If they want a path out of poverty, they will have to unlock access to the magical card system that will change their lives for the better. Of course, nothing's free in life. And nobody higher up the chain is going to give them a hand up. But what they might lack in education, riches, and, let's face it, hygiene, they have in determination.
-
-
This was amazing!
- By Kenneth on 12-31-24
By: Lars Machmüller
-
Salt
- Thalassic
- By: Liz Shipton
- Narrated by: Neva Nevarre
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
My name is Bird Howsley, and I'm a beautiful disaster. Okay, "beautiful" is probably being generous. But the "disaster" part is right. In a brutal dystopian waterworld, where survival depends on skill and smarts, I'm pretty much always one bad decision away from watching my life go completely down the drain. Luckily, I have a lifeline: my cute, level-headed sailing teacher, Sargo Paz. Did I say cute? I didn't mean cute. He's just a friend. I definitely don't have weird sex dreams about him.
By: Liz Shipton
-
3zekiel
- By: Peter Cawdron
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Deep within the Congo, a team of scientists prepares for the greatest event in the history of humanity, making first contact with an intelligent extraterrestrial species. Only the jungle is no place for doubts. Could first contact be our last?
-
-
avoid this book
- By Ralf Månsson on 07-19-22
By: Peter Cawdron
-
Find the Stars
- The Nano Empire, Book 1
- By: James Scott
- Narrated by: Garrett Michael Brown
- Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alex went for a walk in the woods and ended up changing the world. Chased by a bear, or maybe a squirrel, he finds a spaceship that lets him control an AI and nanomachines. Join his adventure as he changes the world and the galaxy as he builds the Nano Empire.
-
-
found a starship done smart
- By Ben on 12-09-24
By: James Scott
-
The Portal
- Portal to Xibalbá, Book 1
- By: Brandon Q. Morris, Tim L. Rey
- Narrated by: Kim Ramirez, Gary Tiedemann
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After years of hard work, Tyler built his IT Security company into a massive success. He trusted his people and now it was time to enjoy the fruits of that labor. Everything was perfect until an unexpected discovery. Should they go through the Maya portal? Adriana's small diving instruction shop is popular enough with the tourists for her to scrape out a living, but it's not the life she expected. When she got the call, it seemed impossible. Wasn't Xibalbá a myth? In a fantastic world of danger and possibility, two people want to discover the truth, but for entirely different reasons.
By: Brandon Q. Morris, and others
-
Otherworld Volunteer
- A LitRPG Apocalypse Adventure
- By: FreeiD
- Narrated by: Will Collyer
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the System Administrators arrived on Earth, they forced those of the younger generation into other worlds to fight for multiversal entertainment. Bored of life on Earth, Noah has trained to become one of the chosen. He even had his class all planned out–a Mounted Monster Tamer. But he was never picked. So he put matters into his own hands and volunteered. Arriving in a world thick with jungle and hotter than the most boiling desert, Noah finds himself face-to-face with a kobold, which he proceeds to beat into submission and turn into a minion.
-
-
Unconventional Class Choice
- By John Chambers on 01-01-25
By: FreeiD
What listeners say about The Anatomy of Courage
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jas P
- 12-28-24
Frontline Doc in an Alien War
Anatomy of Courage follows Dr. Christopher Walters, a US surgeon who has been assigned to the front in a war against an alien enemy. The aliens are known as the Novo, a spider like species with energy weapons. The front line is a blood-bath, soldiers have a very low life expectancy, so low, that they don’t use their real names, and don’t bother telling each other about their lives, as it’s not worth making the connection or going through it with each new person. They are just not around long enough. Walters, who is known as Doc, meets his squad – Dog Food Squad or DFS, and each of the members, Hawk, Mouse, Leech, Lavender and William Sunday.
At the start of the story, Doc has a notebook, and is making notes on each of his squad mates, as he wants to write a book about what it’s like on the frontline. When the others notice, they ask him what his book is about, and what it’s called, and he tells them, “The Anatomy of Courage” – what is the definition of courage.
As the story unfolds, we see Dog Food Squad perform their role, running out into the no-mans land of the battlefield, finding wounded soldiers so Doc can perform triage on them, and then bring them back into makeshift hospitals. The aim is to try and save as many lives as possible, given the horrendous turn-over rate.
Initially, Doc finds the process brutal and confronting. However, after a particular event, when he comes face-to-face with a Novo, he starts to wonder what they are actually fighting for?
What is the point of the conflict? Has anyone actually tried to make first contact with the aliens and find out what they want?
As with all of Cawdron’s books, the character work is exceptional. Doc’s character is brilliant as he comes to the front with a certain enthusiasm for the role, and whilst he understands the ‘concept’ of what he has signed up for, this is vastly different to the reality. Even being a trauma surgeon in the ER, he still finds the brutality of the front confronting.
Doc’s story is gripping and powerful, as his understanding of the front grows, and he begins to question everything that is happening.
One of the most extraordinary characters in the book is William Sunday. Her name comes from her brother who died at the hands of the aliens, and the day she lost her family to them. She lived in the area that was first hit by the aliens, and lost her entire family, and everyone she knew. Now she fights and works to help those on the front. She is a contradiction on many levels, having a very kind soul, but at the same time, she is ruthless when it comes to the Novo. When Doc starts, Sunday takes him under her wing, doing all she can to make his stay more bearable, and to help him. On the battlefield, she is always by his side, making sure he is safe. She carries a heavy burden from the loss of her family, refusing to answer to her real name, but she is very compassionate when it comes to others.
There are other interesting characters, Hawk, is quiet, but he is a skilled scout. Doc and Hawk form a unique bond as the story continues. Mouse’s name is ironic, and his character is brilliant (I’ll let you read about him). Leech is a typical soldier in a lot of ways, but the war has had a significant impact on him. Lavendar is another fascinating character, one that is incredibly in-depth, but like Mouse, I’ll let you read about her.
The descriptive work in this book is outstanding, incredibly gritty, and at times, very intense. The portrayal of the frontlines and combat scenes is blunt, authentic and candid, leaving little to the imagination. Cawdron takes you to the frontline and walks you through the trenches. It is a combination of World War 1, aspects of the Gulf War, and an alien war. A no-mans land that is shelled each day by heavy artillery to stop the Novo from ‘digging in’ (they bury themselves into the ground and wait for ambush), with a trench system on the human side, including a ‘MASH’ style hospital system buried in the trenches to serve the wounded. It is a fascinating combination of different aspects of warfare throughout history.
This is another astounding tale from Peter Cawdron in his First Contact series, combining outstanding characters with extraordinary storytelling. This is another thrilling epic not to be missed!
Tim Fannon does an exceptional job with the Narration, providing clear and concise narration throughout the audiobook. He does a brilliant range of voices, both male and female, that are easy to understand, and easy to distinguish so you can understand the different characters during the story.
Fannon also does an outstanding job of providing the emotional aspects of the voices so that you really understand how the characters are feeling in the story. It brings the story to life, making this so much better to listen to than reading.
Fannon’s Narration is engaging and captivating, and shouldn’t be missed – fantastic job!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!