John O'Brien

My original Awakening audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

For me, there has been time in between Taken and Awakening. For Jack and the crew, very little time has passed.

Right form the get go O’Brien explores the area I wanted so much more if in the pervious books. I wanted more of the “thinking” zombie-like night runners. I wanted to know more about the strange connection that Jack now has to these creatures. While nothing was truly explained, much was revealed about both areas. Such as the night runners do not necessarily need to eat flesh to survive. And they are getting smarter and smarter. I have a feeling that there will be mush more revealed about Jack’s connection as well. Then there is the issue of the unexpected discovery of a mystery survivor right at the end.

O’Brien was able to make his characters so much more. By exploring their backstories, revealing what makes hen who they are. Sure, sometimes this approach can be a tad drab and uninteresting. This. Is. Not. So. The depth of the characters that he is able to create, simply make the book so much more. Also it helps get me vested in their survival.

Because of all of the character development, the action that I became accustomed to was there but mostly near the end of this story. It was worth the wait! Jack and the crew decide to invade a secure facility. You will want to know how they did it, all I will say is that it involves an airplane, as so much of these stories do. Vicious action sequences and very descriptive gore.

I always love it when a crazy cultish group is found in these types of books. Ever reminding me that humans are quite capable of going completely loony tunes within a short period of time. And with that they tend to become so much easier to manipulate.

If I wasn’t hooked yet, I would be after listening to Awakening. I feel utterly invested in the survival of all of the individuals in the group. Needing to know more about how they survive and rebuild a semblance of society.

I may have said this before but. This is the best book in the series so far. Leaves me wanting to get into the next book as soon as possible.

Mark Gagliardi continues, through this series, to grow and polish his narration skills. He has been able to accomplish something that I would think many narrators strive for. To make the story their’s. He has made this a reality. I could imagine no one else making the night runners and Jack and his crew come alive. His characterizations are getting better and better. Pacing changes are spot on. Very hard to find a flaw.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.… (mehr)

My original Taken audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Taken picks up after little bit of time has passed since Sanctuary. Their fortress is now secure, yet far from complete, and the night walkers have seemed to have moved on to easier prey.

As the title of this story suggests, somebody is taken. As it always seems, in true zombie apocalypse style, those you need to be worried the most about are the other human survivors. On a routine patrol Jack’s kids are taken prisoner by a group of unknown survivors and taken to an unknown location. If you have listened to the previous audiobooks in this series, you will know that Jack does not take something like this lightly. The search is on. All other tasks are put on hold until his kids are found. Once the location is revealed Jack and his team storm the premises to attempt a rescue. Then of course the night walkers show up.

The rest of the book is setting us up for the next book, as needs to happen with an epic series like A New World. Other survivors are discovered. There is something very strange going on with Jack. He finds that his hearing, for one, is becoming freakishly good. Being able, at times, to hear a vehicle coming from what seems like miles away. Because of this and a few other things that you will have to listen to know about, his group is becoming concerned for his well being.

Again O’Brien teases us with, a larger part of the narrative than previous, the story told from one of the night walkers point of view. I cannot get enough of this aspect. Zombie like creatures getting smarter, forming attack plans and the like. Making me crave for more and more from this point of view. I really hope we get more of this and I hope that it goes somewhere breathtaking.

Compared the prior books Taken is the most action packed book yet. With a majority dedicated to the rescue of Jack’s kids. All of the planing involved. Dispatching the stupid souls that disrupted their “normal” in the apocalypse. The team got themselves in the position to have to deal with a huge horde of the creatures. Combat scenes delivered with military precision and finesse. There was one scene where Jack was sneaking into the fortress where my heart was beating so fast.

Fans of military zombie apocalypse stories will love this book and the rest of the series.

I will be getting the next in the near future. O’Brien has made me care about Jack, his kids, and the other survivors in his group. I am excited to know this story is going as there are so many possibilities.

With each one of the books in this series I’ve been able to enjoy Mark Gagliardi’s performances more and more. Delivering the story with the bravado you would expect from a military man in this position. His characterizations are getting better, every character is much more distinct than in previous audiobooks in the series. O’Brien picked a good one for this project and, so far, has been smart enough to keep Gagliardi on task throughout the series.

Audiobook provided for review by the author.… (mehr)

My original Sanctuary audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Have you heard of the term used when describing a book that is not the first in the series, called Sequel Syndrome? Meaning that the latter book suffers from either a lack of direction or is less intense than the original series opener.

John O’Brien has found a way for this term to not even come close to describing Sanctuary, Book 3 of the A New World series. Because this is by far the best story line yet!

While many of the characters in the first two books could be described one dimensional or shallow. I think that was because they really only had one thing on their minds, their immediate survival. O’Brien was able to bring so much more emotional intrigue to many of the survivors from the previous books. For example, Jack Walker, our main protagonist, group leader, goes through so much this time around. At one point I thought he was just going to give up.

Sanctuary picks up almost right after we leave the gang in Return. Now what is the group to do? Not live the apocalypse out in an airplane, that’s for sure. Now they must find somewhere for a, um, sanctuary. Much of this book was was spent securing a location, gathering supplies and making an action plan for the future. With many excellent highly entertaining military style skirmishes. Building up for future books, I can see why this series has been able to go on for as long as it has.

One of my favorite parts of this book was a quite shocking death in the party. Proving again, much like Glenn did in the Walking Dead, that no one is safe. This even sends Jack, especially, in to an emotional tailspin. Followed by an even stronger determination and resolve.

Then there is the issue of the seemingly smarter than the rest Night Runners. Sending picture messages to the others in him pack to tell them what to do. The one who thinks he would be able to talk, but the others of kind would not be able to understand. Parts of this book are even told from this ones POV. I loved every second of it, it makes me giddy when the zombie becomes the story teller.

So much was set up for the next book, I am really excited for what might be coming.

If you have listened to the first two books, you will have to listen to Sanctuary, because, so far it is the best in the series. TOns of action and violence, just they way I like it. Several heartfelt moments. Plus a highly unique twist on the standard zombie, which I think has a lot to offer us in the coming books.

This was hands down the best performance, that I have heard, by Mark Gagliardi. He was able to evoke so much emotion, he made me feel Jack’s pain and furry. Just when I thought that was over, and I started to get used to the story unfolding, he did it again. I have been choked up by very few narrations in the past and when it does happen, it is a sign of brilliant performer. In just three books he Gagliardi has become so much more confident and his range continues to increase. I am going to go stalk other books he has worked on.

Audiobook provided for review by the author.… (mehr)

ABR's original Return audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

In Chaos, the first book in this series, Jack Walker commandeered an aircraft to rescue his wife from a military base in Kuwait. Now in Return, they must all return home.

O’Brien made me really happy by giving the monster creatures a fantastic name, NightRunners, not zombies. Because they are really not your typical zombies. They really only come out at night or occupy dark building and such. They run fast, can open doors, they even go to the bathroom, err, relieve themselves. I love this simple twist on the classic undead that everyone knows.

On their journey home this group winds up getting the bright idea to try to get more information on what has happened and where the nightrunners came from. Now, where would you go to get such details? The CDC (Center for Disease Control) or course. But along the way they must land every so often for supplies. Because of these two factors they run into hordes, maybe the better term would be several infested buildings. Bringing the action level up to a ten.

Return has so much action and tension early on, it made me want to keep listening for more. So much more than Chaos. One of my favorite parts of the story was the ending, and not because it ended, I know some of you thought I was going to go there. But not at all. What I liked about the ending was, no cliffhanger. Sure there was a great setup for the next book but it didn’t end making me feel like the story was incomplete.

Even though I did not enjoy the huge role that the groups airplane took in the story. The intricacies of flying and all that. I do understand why it was there. It is the first apocalyptic story where the group can actually fly where ever they want, except for maybe Day by Day Armageddon.

If you want a military-ish, high tension, action packed apocalypse story with not so common ghoulish hordes. Look no further than the New World series. I have a feeling that from here on out the story is going to get much more complex.

In the year between the release on the first book and this one Mark Gagliardi has changed his narration style so dramatically that some of the reviewers on Audible think that it is a different guy. Well it is the same narrator and yes Gagliardi has grown much as a narrator. While I think it will still take some getting used to as he is still a bit rough around the edges, I really hope that he continues to grow! There where however some noticeable production issues. In several spots you could really tell that a recording session ended and another began. Volume levels would switch fairly dramatically.

Audiobook provided for review by the author.… (mehr)