Cleve Sylcox

Seven is supposed to be a lucky number...isn't it? Or is it? How many husbands have to die before you become a black widow? Is this wife unlucky (or her husbands)? Or is there more to it than we think. David Winters is about to find out when an old friend, a fellow Viet Nam vet, asks him to be his aunt's lawyer in a court case. Influenced by a real case in 1940, if this book is any indication of what's to come, this will be the beginning of an exceptional series. This will be a short review because the book is packed with everything a series could deliver. A lawyer (with the attitude of a '40s private eye and an eye to the ladies), an adventurous investigation, murder, mystery, confusing twists, humorous asides, and a surprising ending. If I say more, I may inadvertently spoil the plot. Cleve Sylcox certainly knows how to capture my attention. Trust me, this book kept me reading and is worth the adventure.… (mais)

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

Professor Thomas Hardwick is a red P-cant, a humanoid capable of great strength and mental capacity. Living by himself in the frozen waste-lands of the arctic world of Nucor, he just wants to do his scientific studies in peace. The alien invaders and A-cants (warrior race of his own species) have other ideas for him, however, when they destroy his science station. Soon he is on the run with his three companions: the station AI, the rover AI and the beautiful assassin who isn’t sure if she should bed him or kill him.

Thomas can’t remember much of his past, so when he discovers three keys, he is driven to find out more about himself. It becomes clear to the listener, though not Thomas, that his friends might actually be his enemies, and his enemies his friends. Thomas has the ability to “see” around himself, know about things that are happening in his near surroundings. It gives him an advantage if it doesn’t overwhelm him.

There is plenty of action in the story, but there is also a lot of ground work being laid for a much broader tale. The listener has a guess about how the various humanoids came to be, but very little about the Lizard race of invaders and their mind control agents.

It is an entertaining story with a lot of mysteries that are revealed in fits and starts. Toward the end, the listener knows a lot, but very little about the aliens and their motivations. There are a lot of humanoid and alien species to keep track of, but not impossibly so. It is book one in a series after all.

Michael Ortego is the narrator of the story and does an excellent job. His deep voice is a pleasure to listen to and his character voices are clearly defined and easily discerned. He has what one might describe as a classic audiobook voice.

Nucor – Invasion is an entertaining book with plenty of action and interesting characters. The plot constantly redirects the listener, keeping us somewhat off balance. It is not without its flaws or distractions (written in the present tense, which is somewhat confusing at times), but is enjoyable and will have the listener looking forward to the sequels. Well worth a listen.

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