The Lost Machine

By: Richard Kirk

Narrated by: Jake Ruddle

In a wasteland ravaged by plague, Lumsden Moss steps out of a decaying prison. Armed with a satchel of yellowed notebooks containing the fragile memories of five murdered children, he is determined to track down and confront their killer. Lumsden, accompanied by a stranger, begins a long journey to the ancient City of Steps where he is forced to confront the horrors of the past and present.

©2010 Richard A. Kirk (P)2019 Encyclopocalypse Publications

Entranced in a Mystical World...

This piece has so many wonderful little quirks that really fortifies this unique world the listener steps into. I listen typically at standard speed to achieve the appropriate pacing for myself, and I feel it works rather well for The Lost Machine! The narrator is quite clear and engaging.

I feel like there was a bit of a slow start to Moss' journey with the first few chapters, but the rhythm quickly settles in afterwards. The narrative achieves balance with the way Kirk spaces out the high-intensity action scenes between the world building and more lull moments. In addition, Iridis, Buttons, and the Sisters all have really interesting personalities with behaviors that make them feel very lived-in to this reality presented to us. As this story searches for truth and closure, you can't help but be on your toes for all the twists and turns till the end. Worth checking out!

Interesting World

I found the world and the fantastical things that the characters encountered to be one of the most interesting parts of the book.

A Beautifully Dark World, Short and Simple Journey

I was entranced by the way that Jake Ruddle weaves into your mind the images of this fantastical yet mysterious world that Richard Kirk has crafted. It is stunning, and mystical, and leaves you wanting more.

The plot does leave much to be desired. In all honesty, I do wish it was longer. The journey of Moss and the mysterious stranger is a good glimpse as to the entirety of the setting, the action scenes are the highlight of their journey, but the journey itself is too short and sparse and really does not satisfy my desire to learn more of this world.

The setting has so much potential for it and I would love to see more books found in this setting. Otherwise, The Lost Machine is an intriguing short story that is worth a listen or two.

Bazinga

This is an overall good listen. I was able to visualize everything that was happening. The author told a great story. The narrator did a great job as well. Overall an enjoyable listen. I liked the ending and would be interested in more of this storyline.

Disclaimer: I've been listening at 2x speed for so long anything else sounds like slow motion. My enjoyment of the narrator is based on my listening speed. I only leave 5 stars for books I've listened to multiple times. I'll update my review if I listen again.

I requested this book from the author, narrator, or publisher in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The Lost Machine

I thought this was a fun and quirky book. It was short and kept my attention. I expected the ending that I got, but I still enjoyed the journey so I'll take it.