Not the same without Gus

Keith Blackmore's 'Mountain Man' were the first in the zombie genre which really got me hooked on a series. However, since those first days I have certainly listened to a lot more. Some of the latest have included were Chris Philbrook’s “Adrian’s Undead Diary”, Timothy Long’s “Z-Risen” and Eloise J Knapp’s “The Undead Situation”. Which certainly have taken the battle to Keith's books in my favourite zombie series.

Since finishing book 2 'Safari' in this 'Mountain Man' series I wondered how it was going to go without Gus, as this one is all about Scott who has left Gus to hurt down a madman... serial killer... Scott's character never really got me that interested in the previous book and so I found it difficult to really care what happens to Scott.

Worse still for this book was one of the reasons I liked the series so much was the character Gus came across as the sort of bloke I would really like to know. Gus' sense of humour and the way he talked to his beloved 'uncle Jack' really allowed me the listener to enjoy the scene for what it was... a comic book style action.. which caused the listener to feel young at heart. Gus' character never allowed the story to become too serious... after all it is a zombie story!

I was surprised I found myself listening to the book in one session. While I still didn't take a shine to the main character Scott. The other characters balanced it rather well. While, it wasn't my favourite in the series: That award belongs to the free short story (The Hospital) you get with book one and book one itself (Mountain Man). I think as a standalone book it was acceptable but as part of a series it was better.

The ending... don't worry there won't be any spoilers. I wonder if there will be another in the series. I'm hope if there is it includes Gus again!

The narration was good; I listened to this one at 1.25x speed with no problems.

My buying advice for this one is... do yourself a favour and get the rest of the series first, it will be more fun!

17 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

much better than expected!

What did you love best about Hellifax?

the palpable tension in parts of the story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Hellifax?

there were several memorable moments, but i can't say without spoiling parts of the story. but i did find myself cheering for somebody unexpected. 'nuff said!

What does R. C. Bray bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

r.c. bray is the man! he can do all sorts of voices, from a regular joe to deep and gravely to a confident, young girl to a great canadian accent.

Who was the most memorable character of Hellifax and why?

tenner definitely gets more developed, but i'd have to say amy. who is she? listen to the book to find out!

Any additional comments?

at first, i wasn't to sure about this story. i liked scott's character from book 1, but i wasn't sure if he could carry a story bby himself, without gus. also, i wasn't sure if a whole 12 hour story about hunting for a serial killer would be that interesting. so if you're wondering the same things, then let me put those worries to rest. this is another great story.

as the story opens, scott is traveling to hellifax in search of tenner, the serial killer who brutally tortured and killed his 2 friends and mistakenly left him for dead. there's one problem though- a blizzard. the snow is really piling up, and scott must find a suitable place to hole up before he and his suv get stuck.

the beginning is kind of slow. tenner lures somebody to their death. at first, i thought it was just another torture scene, but that person's death plays a pivotal role in the direction of the plot later in the book. throughout the story, parts of the story are told from tenner's point of view. these are like short vignettes, and i enjoyed them.

there's also another group introduced in the beginning. they call themselves the norsemen. they are a hardened group of men ordered to head east to find out what's going on and to look for supplies. like tenner, i wasn't to sure about them, but their story is woven nicely into the overall arch of the story.

i must say the author has once again done a good job of creating a lot of tension in certain parts of the story. i was actually holding my breath in parts, trying not to make to much noise as i listened. LOL no, i won't spoil your listening experience and tell you what was happening. but it does involve scott meeting a girl named amy at the most inopportune time!

once the story starts to pick up, it moves quickly to end. yes, the ending is a little sad but satisfying. the author nicely wraps up the major plot lines, and you don't get the feeling that the author rushed to finish things. i would say the pacing is excellent. at the end, there is a possibility of another book, but if not, the story definitely wrapped up in a satisfying way!

overall, i highly recommend this book! it could be read as a standalone book, but i really enjoyed it as the 3rd and final? book.

14 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

This series just keeps getting better and better

SPOILER ALERT. If you have not read “Mountain Man book 1″ and “Safari (Mountain Man Book 2)” best read them before this one. They are both well worth the time and give you a base for what happens in the following books.

In this installment we start with a caravan of vans on the trans-Canadian highway. The men inside were rough, dirty, mean, and wore a variety of protective gear. Calling themselves “Norsemen” with a leader named Fist. He had been sent from the West coast to check out the east coast for supplies, survivors, and zombies. Their goal was to get information, procure everything they could, and kill zombies. They were headed to Hellifax.

Scott had finally made it to the city. He arrived during a vicious blizzard. When the snow finally stopped it was very deep with high drifts. He left his SUV parked at an empty house and headed toward town. It was there that he met Amy and her friends. One of them was named Tanner. A lot of grizzly things happen after this.

Tanner arrived in Hellifax and started doing his thing. He had decided to take out the members of Amy’s group one at a time. It didn’t work out that way.

As Scott and Amy’s group head out for his SUV Tanner discovers why all the zombies are leaving town. That is when he decided to leave also.
Toward the end of town the Norsemen, Scott’s group and Tanner will engage. Who do you think will live?
Extremely well developed story lines. Full of fast paced action. This series just keeps getting better and better.
Mr. Bray did his usual splendid job of bringing this book to life. I didn’t have a problem with his voices and he really got into at times. Everything was clear and easy to understand. Audio production was without fault. I really liked the book cover too. It is perfect for this story.

Audiobook purchased for review by ABR.

Please find this complete review and many others at audiobookreviewer dot com

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9 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Now we're talking!

Great story, has everything. Scott takes off on his mission to find the sociopath that murdered his friends. There are cannibal raiders, a hot chick, a whole new group of people and a big plot line with different parts weaved together, and its 12 hrs long! Woot! I couldn't put my headphones down :) Can't wait for book 4, "Well Fed". Ok, but narrator, when you speak, you say Tennor, when you speak for them, they say Tanner. Hmm.

7 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

1st book - OUTSTANDING, 2nd - Not, 3rd - OH YA!!!

Would you consider the audio edition of Hellifax to be better than the print version?

This should have been the second book in the series, very very nicely done!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Too many to pick or list, several characters with outstanding, disturbing, brutal and compassionate story lines.

What about R. C. Bray’s performance did you like?

Perfection!

If you could rename Hellifax, what would you call it?

StayAwayVille

Any additional comments?

Thank you for 12 hours of pure goodness.

5 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Loved the series !

Start with book one you will not be able to stop
One of the best I have listen to
You will not be disappointed

4 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Perhaps the best of the series

What did you love best about Hellifax?

I thoroughly enjoyed the slight break from Gus to follow Scott's story into Halifax. This was different from the other books and, in some ways, more human. There was a confluence of evils that resulted in an exciting and breathtaking conclusion... and spoiler... the good guy wins.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The guy from nova scotia... made me laugh in the midst of the madness

Which scene was your favorite?

It has to be the final scene... epic!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I could have I would have

3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Great addition to the Mountain Man series

What did you love best about Hellifax?

The story was very well told. There was never a time where I felt that something shouldn't have happened. I love how everything came to a head and exploded in a well paced manner. I hope this is not the end of the Scott portion of the series.

What other book might you compare Hellifax to and why?

The Hospital, The Mountain Man, and Safari. All great books. This is a really good series.

Have you listened to any of R. C. Bray’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to The Martian and Yesterday's Gone. Both are well done works and this series is no less. R.C. Bray has done a great job. I put his skill up there with George Guidall, Roy Dotrice, Michael Cramer, and Kate Reading.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The fall of Tenor. That was so well deserved. I was wondering how they would do it or if they would take Scott completely out of character. Very very well done and described.

3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Listen to The Mountain Man Series

What did you love best about Hellifax?

Learning more about Scott who was in book 1 of Mountain Man!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Hellifax?

The final battle with Joe Tenor in Halifax

Which character – as performed by R. C. Bray – was your favorite?

R.C. Bray does a great Job with all the characters in the Mountain Man books! Great use of changing voices for different characters.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Scott falling in love with Amy

Any additional comments?

The Mountain Man series is a must for any person who likes The Walking Dead, and Zombie stories! Buy them ALL!!!!! So looking forward to Well Fed book 4 of the Mountain Man Series!

3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Terrific Third book in this Seried

A must read if you've read the first two !
You get even closer to the main characters and are in for quite a ride!!

2 personnes ont trouvé cela utile