Endgame

The Calling

By: James Frey

Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra

Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Twelve thousand years ago, they came. They descended from the sky amid smoke and fire, and created humanity and gave us rules to live by. They needed gold and they built our earliest civilizations to mine it for them. When they had what they needed, they left. But before they left, they told us someday they would come back, and when they did, a game would be played. A game that would determine our future.

This is Endgame.

For ten thousand years the lines have existed in secret. The 12 original lines of humanity. Each had to have a Player prepared at all times. They have trained generation after generation after generation. In weapons, languages, history, tactics, disguise, assassination. Together the Players are everything: strong, kind, ruthless, loyal, smart, stupid, ugly, lustful, mean, fickle, beautiful, calculating, lazy, exuberant, weak. They are good and evil. Like you. Like all.

This is Endgame.

When the game starts, the Players will have to find three keys. The keys are somewhere on Earth. The only rule of their Endgame is that there are no rules. Whoever finds the keys first wins the game. Endgame: The Calling is about the hunt for the first key. And just as it tells the story of the hunt for a hidden key, written into the book is a puzzle. It invites readers to play their own Endgame and to try to solve the puzzle. Whoever does will open a case filled with gold. Alongside the puzzle will be a revolutionary mobile game built by Google's Niantic Labs that will allow you to play a real-world version of Endgame where you can join one of the lines and do battle with people around you.

Will exuberance beat strength? Stupidity top kindness? Laziness thwart beauty? Will the winner be good or evil? There is only one way to find out.

Play.

Survive.

Solve.

People of Earth.

Endgame has begun.

Not all Endgame Contest clues are available in audio book format. A print copy or electronic book is required to access all clues necessary to solve the Endgame Contest puzzle.

©2014 Third Floor Fun, LLC (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers

Interesting story, but not audio book material.

It was a good story. However, in the paper book there must be graphs, charts, and data at the beginning of some chapters. This means, you end up listening to the narrator just read aloud different numbers and what not at the beginning of some chapters. In one instance, I remember skipping through at least a couple minutes of just numbers. So I would recommend the book, really an interesting story, but definitely do a paper edition so you can see what they are ineffectively trying to relate.

12 tribes decide fate of humanity

The book offers up a plausible set of events where normal people through out the world are well trained killers who are fighting for the lives of family and friends. The book takes you on a race to find hidden artifacts that will decide the fate of humanity. It shows the instant survival is on the line how people will act and do anything possible to preserve their futures. Great read.

best story I read in a long time

it's been quiet a few years where a good story had me hooked from the start. I'm so glad I gave this book a read. I love the plot and even better it's a series. I'm so excited to start sky key

Interesting story

I did like the story but presentation was a bit strange, would help to say the chapters in the processes so you know where you are. Other than that. The story is good

Great Story!

The book was awesome! The narrator could have been better, but accents can be hard to mimic sometimes. Other than that, great character and world building throughout the story.

Loved it

This is like the first book of hunger games but on steroids! Sprinkle some of that "I am number four" series flare and you'll have endgame.
The reader too is fantastic.

Pretty Darn Good

WHAT DID YOU THINK OVERALL?
I thought this book was pretty good. I don't like James Frey, but I really enjoyed this book.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE BOOK?
I loved how James Frey blended the different stories to make on large narrative. It was fascinating, the kind of book that you can keep on thinking about after you finish it. Also, James Frey set it up so that you can root for your favorite character. I liked that.

HOW DID YOU LIKE IT AS AN AUDIO BOOK?
I did not like it entirely. Every few chapters you would be subject to 5 straight minutes of internet links due to the big puzzle. But I loved the reader.

ANY CRITICS?
It was obvious throughout the book that James Frey was trying to show how smart he was. Its annoying. But not a bigy.

Good narration, but better as a self-read

Would you listen to Endgame again? Why?

I won't listen to this book again, might read it again myself, but, to no fault of the narrator, the book as an audiobook is really annoying. One of the characters has ticks and they are written out in the book, and therefor told by the narrator, this is fun at first, but after blink and shiver 100 it gets too annoying. The same goes for some clues in the book that consist of the narrator reading only numbers for more than four minutes.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The story itself is interesting, though it suffers from too many main characters to give an equal and full arc to. The focus on two of the twelve makes it a little predictable too andat points it reads a lot like a Hunger Games wannabe.

What about Sunil Malhotra’s performance did you like?

Sunil tries to give a different voice to all the characters and succeeds in it for most of them. As a man he has more problems with different female voices than male-voices, but overall he does a good job and his voicing never annoys me. I could recognize almost all characters in the book purely on the voice Sunil uses for them.

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

The Hunger Games, with aliens!

Any additional comments?

Despite the reasonably low number of stars I've given this audiobook, I am looking forward to reading the second book (maybe even as an audiobook). The story isn't great and takes a lot from the Hunger Games and other such titles, however I do find myself wondering how it will end.

Amazing!!

Absolutely loved the story!
not to be confused AT ALL with Hunger games. Very unique story and characters. Multiple perspective is a plus! Narrator on point!

Classic Teen Apocalyptic Adventure

I personally thought the narration lacked much emotion but was very clear and easy to follow.
All the characters were well developed and youll understand and like each of them.
The story follows some very classic action and love story tropes but they aren't forced and you'll be very engaged even if you see them coming