The Atomic Sea is a terrific listening experience

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THE ATOMIC SEA: Volume One

Author: Jack Conner

Type of Book: Audiobook - Unabridged

Narrator: Ray Greenley

Length: 6 hours, 40 minutes

Genre: Science Fiction

Release Date: April 6, 2015

Publisher: Jack Conner

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

THE ATOMIC SEA is a very unique and interesting audiobook.

Dr. Avery is a medical doctor on board a Navy whaling ship that travels the Atomic Sea.

The Atomic Sea is exactly what it sounds like. The water is toxic and humans cannot even be exposed to the air or they will die. Any time someone needs to be on the deck of the ship they must wear an "environment suit."

A thousand years ago, the sea started to change. Now the waters are boiling and toxic. These changes have happened to every ocean on the planet.

The creatures that live in these toxic waters have become mutated. For example, many have extra limbs and even extra eyes located in strange places on their bodies. These creatures are inedible unless a person wishes to risk mutation or even death.

Meanwhile, there is a world war being fought. The small country of Ghenisa, is on the brink of collapse under the continuous barrage of attacks by the Empire of Octung.

Dr. Francis Avery is aboard a military whaling ship out on the Atomic Sea, when two murders occur over a two week span. the second murder victim had been a friend of his and he vows to find the murderer.

Avery becomes aware that there is an Octung spy on the ship, but that's just the beginning.

With the help of a huge and fierce whaler named Janx, a mysterious woman named Layanna, and a band of misfits, he finds himself on an quest to save Ghenisa from Octung.

This is the first book in a series that promises lots of twists and turns along with a cast of interesting characters.

The author has done an amazing job of world-building with this audiobook. His attention to detail (whether big or small) is readily apparent.

The only thing I did not like about this audiobook was the cliffhanger ending. I would have liked an ending that was a bit neater and did not leave the reader hanging.

The narrator, Ray Greenley, was wonderful. His voice was clear and his words were concise. There was no mumbling or stumbling over words. Also, his voice somehow adds an extra element to the story and draws the listener in. This allows the listener to fully engage with the audiobook. I give the narration 5 out of 5 stars.

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

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1 person found this helpful

Interesting fantasy world - complex & complicated

My rating: 2.5 stars
Audiobook narrator Ray Greenley rating: 3.5 stars

This audiobook was gifted to me by the narrator in order to receive an honest review. This fantasy book certainly paints an interesting world of giant creatures, mutants, and a bleak war-torn nation. There were many parts of the book that I did enjoy, but I could not really get into it for some reason. I think there were too many characters initially which confused me and certain elements were not well defined.

I enjoyed the narrator and thought he was spot on for the main character. I did not like his voice too much for Captain Sheridan (it confused me when she was speaking) but he did a good job of changing his voice for different characters (something we do not see much these days in narrators).

I personally am giving this book altogether a 2.5 star rating. I usually round up in GoodReads (and Audible) for my half-star ratings but, for this book, I am rounding down because I did not like how the book ended. I know that the book is broken into three volumes but I was hoping there would be some wrapping up at the end and hoping that it could be read as stand-alone. I will not read the second (or third) book in this series.

Thank you Ray for letting me read (listen to) this book!

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2 people found this helpful

It was a dark and stormy night...

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This is a dark story within a depressing and dangerous environment that was itself a major character. The tale moves from sea to land, and that doesn't change. There are monsters in the water, in the air, and in government. I didn't like any of the characters and that means I didn't care what happened to them. I stuck with it, but there's no closure at the end of the book. I will not be reading more in this series. The narration was fine but a little monotone.

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Story didn't captivate me

Where does The Atomic Sea: Volume One rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have only listened to 2 books so far, so this one ranks 2nd.

If you’ve listened to books by Jack Conner before, how does this one compare?

This was my first book by Jack Conner.

Have you listened to any of Ray Greenley’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, I have listened to Ray Greenley narrate the book Nebulous. His performance in both instances is excellent. He succeeds in distinguishing characters by using different voice styles. He articulates well and keeps the story interesting.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Powered by hot lard.

Any additional comments?

I feel like the story tried to tackle too much in too short of a time. There were many references to other nations, people, and past events that did not seem wholly important to the actual plot. I do find lore interesting in stories and the author has created a vast world which I can appreciate, but overall it was alright. I was moved by a part or two of the story when the protagonist experienced loss. I would have liked to have heard more like that. Really, the voice acting is what kept me interested in the story.

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Loved the story, good narration, poor voices

What made the experience of listening to The Atomic Sea: Volume One the most enjoyable?

The story itself. I really enjoyed the unique fantasy setting (I'd call it semi-Lovecraftian Dieselpunk, if I had to make up a genre name). I also loved that the protagonist was a middle-aged doctor, a widower, not the standard cliche of the good-looking (or handsomely scarred) elite warrior.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Atomic Sea: Volume One?

The entire first third of the novel. Imagine if Robert Howard and H. P. Lovecraft collaborated to write an homage to Moby Dick, while weaving a murder mystery into the mix.

What three words best describe Ray Greenley’s performance?

Bad voicework (sorry!)

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

Yes, but I don't want to spoil it for people who haven't read the book.

Any additional comments?

I loved the story, and the performer's narration was really good, but I just couldn't get into the "character voices." They were distracting, honestly.

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The atomic sea

If you could sum up The Atomic Sea: Volume One in three words, what would they be?

The Atomic Sea is a crazy mix of fantasy, adventure, mystery and warfare.It has a unique story line and kept my interest from beginning to end.

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A great first half hampered by build up later on

The first half of this book starts off great. There's a whodunit murder mystery coupled with a search for a mole on the tight confines of a ship where the suspects are always close. Combine that with the hazardous waters that make up the books setting, and there's a lot of fun.

Sadly, things slow down a lot during the second half. It becomes obvious that a bigger story of being set up, but the payoff won't be until the next book. The ending may leave you hollow. But even with the flaws, the setting and characters boost it a bit.

Overall, it's a good book that I wish had kept its pace throughout the whole adventure.

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Great World, Okay Book

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I give this a 3 out of 5 stars, mainly because I really appreciated Jack Conner's world building, it was creative, new, and captivating. The characters, however, were not overly deep nor complicated and the plot was rater straightforward. Something in the story just seemed to be missing. I feel that the story ended before the characters and the plot were truly ready and that the book would be much better if it was longer and better developed. In addition, I did not appreciate the quantity and quality of the sex scenes as they served more as page filler than a tool to enhance the plot. Overall, I did appreciate the book, though, it is not one of the greats but it is good enough to be an enjoyable read.

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wasted time

interesting premise, poor execution. the world building was lax, the descriptions worse. characters flat and interactions abysmal. the narrators performance was dreadful, no range at all everyone sounds the same. absolute shame, could've been a very interesting story.

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Good story with old-style 'Sea Monsters'

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It was a short enough book so I would say it was a worthwhile listen.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Atomic Sea: Volume One?

The world building and introduction that went into the first half of this short book was great. It set everything up and gave the reader a good sense of the world.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

He shouldn't have ended the book the way he did. I understand that there are several books in this series (which I haven't read yet) but it seems to be that the book was just chopped at this mid point toensure readers bought the next installment.

Did The Atomic Sea: Volume One inspire you to do anything?

Not especially. I would probably read the next book, because I so enjoyed the world which the author built.

Any additional comments?

I did enjoy this story overall, and liked the world in which it was set. Definitely has a Lovecraftian vibe from it. Just a shame the book is so short and ends abruptly.

I received a copy of this book in return for this honest review.

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2 people found this helpful