Lucy Belle
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Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy
- Chaos Rising, Book 1
- By: Timothy Zahn
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson
- Length: 15 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Beyond the edge of the galaxy lies the Unknown Regions: chaotic, uncharted, and near impassable, with hidden secrets and dangers in equal measure. And nestled within its swirling chaos is the Ascendancy, home to the enigmatic Chiss and the Nine Ruling Families that lead them. The peace of the Ascendancy, a beacon of calm and stability, is shattered after a daring attack on the Chiss capital that leaves no trace of the enemy.
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Good book, but too many audio effects
- By Tom on 09-06-20
- Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy
- Chaos Rising, Book 1
- By: Timothy Zahn
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson
Disney Strikes Again
Reviewed: 09-21-20
I have mixed feelings about Thrawn Ascendency. The beginning is what saved this review from being a one star, and the end was fair, and I liked how everything turned out. I want to start out with the things that I do not like about the book, and save what I love for the end, so that everything ends on a high note.
The first thing that I do not like about this book is that this book could be cut almost in half and the story would be pretty much the same, except that it would be less aggravating to listen to. There was about six hours of information that just felt like the book was going in circles. This could easily tell the proper story in roughly seven to ten hours and you would not miss a single thing.
The next thing that I found utterly aggravating was the very shoehorned style of putting Thalias into the story. The excuses that are made for putting her into missions are flimsy at best, as Zahn has apparently forgotten that ships have non-essential personnel (laundry, cooks) that are in the military, and thus are obligated to listen to Thrawn’s orders while on a vital military mission, instead of someone who is civilian and is thus under no obligation to follow Thrawn’s orders. There are plenty of other reasons that he could have given for taking Thalias on a mission that would be way more reasonable, even if a bit implausible, like using the fact that Thalias was a former Skywalker as a reason. Or, better yet, I would have loved to see Thalias cut out of the picture entirely, and for Thrawn to have used Ar’alani instead, and develop that dynamic better.
The next problem that I had with Thrawn Ascendency is that Zhan wrote all the sky walkers the same. He wrote them as grumpy, moody, cranky, 10-ish year olds. The only difference you can really see is that one likes to read, while one likes to draw. What a big deal. With any other age of character, this would have been completely inexcusable, and would have been chalked up to bad writing, but because they are children it is totally fine.
The final problem that I have with Thrawn Ascendency is that it feels like the exact same story as the last two Thrawn books that Disney pumped out. There is nothing new or different about this. It seems like Disney wanted a story to be told about Thrawn, but not that Zahn had another story to tell about him. It felt like the same old, same old, and I think that was the most disappointing things to me.
There were quite a handful of things that I did like. Firstly, I liked the dynamic between a young Ar’alani and Thrawn, and everything that was done with them at the beginning of the book. Secondly, I really liked the dynamic of having small girls on a military ship and mission and have them as vital components to said mission. It added a wonderful dynamic that was a nice element to see and play around with. The third thing that I loved about Thrawn Ascendency was that we got to see more of how the Chiss Ascendency operates, and how the sky walkers fit into the system. That was something that I really wanted to see from the first book. It was, once again, refreshing to see Thrawn in action.
Even with the things that I liked about the book, I am sticking to the two-star review, and it is a travesty to me that that is the final review. I grew up with Star Wars books, Thrawn, and Timothy Zhan ever since I can remember, and it is sad that Disney has taken the last good thing from the EU that they kept, and ruined my excitement for that too.
The sad fact is that I most likely will not get the next Thrawn book. I was extremely disappointed with this book, especially in light of the fact that it starkly subpar to the first Thrawn book.
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Master of the Phantom Isle
- Dragonwatch, Book 3
- By: Brandon Mull
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 14 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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The dragons have formally declared war on anyone who stands in their way of freedom and unrestrained power. With every dragon sanctuary that falls, Celebrant, the Dragon King, comes closer to his goal of world domination. No single mortal or creature can stop Celebrant. Kendra will need to raise an army of friends and allies to accomplish her mission to thwart Celebrant because her brother Seth and her closest ally, Bracken, are missing.
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obsessed with this series
- By erica brown on 10-07-19
- Master of the Phantom Isle
- Dragonwatch, Book 3
- By: Brandon Mull
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
The Best so Far
Reviewed: 11-02-19
This was the quickest fablehaven/Dragonwatch book by far. I think it has some of the highest stakes for the characters, and Brandon Mull lets his characters make mistakes, which is truly refreshing. It is Quick paced and setting up future books nicely. Simply fantastic! I only have two issues: (1) Kendra makes a decision near the beginning of the book that didn't make sense to me, and (2) The Sphinx has no real motivation in my opinion. Besides these issues I am so excited for the books to come!
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Code Name: Lise
- The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated Spy
- By: Larry Loftis
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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1942: World War II is in full swing. Odette Sansom decides to follow in her war hero father’s footsteps by becoming an SOE agent to aid Britain and her beloved homeland, France. Five failed attempts and a plane crash later, she finally lands in occupied France to begin her mission. It is here that she meets her commanding officer, Captain Peter Churchill. As they successfully complete mission after mission, Peter and Odette fall in love. All the while, they are being hunted by the cunning German secret police sergeant, Hugo Bleicher, who finally succeeds in capturing them.
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SKIP THE PROLOGUE!
- By Erica J. Conway on 09-17-19
- Code Name: Lise
- The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated Spy
- By: Larry Loftis
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
Truly Magnificent
Reviewed: 06-04-19
This story is incredibly compelling. It is well written, and Kate is perfect in this role. I am a little sad that it wasn't more in depth with the various missions.
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Leven Thumps and the Ruins of Alder
- Leven Thumps, #5
- By: Obert Skye
- Narrated by: E. B. Stevens
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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In the fifth and final volume of the epic saga of Leven Thumps, all of Foo is rushing madly to exit the realm of dreams while Leven is headed in the opposite direction. Fate snatches him to the island of Alder, where he is poised to pass or fail the final test. Meanwhile, in Reality, Ezra and Dennis are welcoming those flowing out of Foo - but only so they can selfishly conquer them and gain control of both realms. Phoebe is loose, and it takes Geth getting a hold of her to begin to balance the emotions and passions of all that is crumbling.
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Awesome
- By SARA on 04-28-15
- Leven Thumps and the Ruins of Alder
- Leven Thumps, #5
- By: Obert Skye
- Narrated by: E. B. Stevens
Exceptional!
Reviewed: 04-14-18
As always Obert Skye did a fantastic job! E.B. Stephen is always wonderful. I highly reccomend this series!
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Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want
- Leven Thumps, #3
- By: Obert Skye
- Narrated by: E. B. Stevens
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Foo - the place between the possible and the impossible - is a realm inside the minds of each of us that allows mankind the power to hope and imagine and dream. The powerfully gifted Leven Thumps, once an ordinary fourteen-year-old boy from Oklahoma, has been retrieved from Reality and sent to stop those in Foo who are nurturing dark dreams and plan to invade and rule Reality.
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Love Obert Skye!
- By Lucy Belle on 04-07-18
- Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want
- Leven Thumps, #3
- By: Obert Skye
- Narrated by: E. B. Stevens
Love Obert Skye!
Reviewed: 04-07-18
Obert Skye has one of the best descriptional talents ever! He is great at helping you see his story. Absolutely loved!!!
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