An immersive experience with the Brajj

4.5 stars

This is the first book I have heard by the author and it is an interesting whirlwind of complex characters who are looking to make their way in uncharted territory. Dr. Baros, along with her team, are striving to survive in an alien world where things are not as they appear. The plot is engaging and for those who enjoy science fiction, this is right up their alley. As the story moves from beginning to end, narrator Skyler Morgan does an admirable job bringing the situations and characters alive but there were times where it was challenging to follow along and one may need to use the playback function. Overall, this is one immersive experience with a surprise ending and I look forward to the next audiobook to see where this journey continues.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Hard to follow

This was an interesting, deep science, science fiction book that was a bit difficult for me to follow. I enjoyed it but a few times got lost/confused as to which characters were doing what and why. Still very enjoyable, I just had to go back and re-listen in a few spots.

I received a copy of this book at my request in exchange for a fair review.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Stargate-esque

I would describe this book at a romantic star gate with a twist. The sci-if world was really well done and very interesting. The characters, for supposedly being very intelligent people, are really stupid and way over the top. So there was a lot of drama but it helped lead to an unexpected climax within the story. The narration was very well done.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Sadistic Mastermind

I received a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
If there were warnings about the sexual abuse content in this story, I wouldn't have listened to it.
Having said that, I found the storyline interesting. Dr. Cass Baros and her team travel through a worm hole and find the answers to her dreams in the world of the Brajj. The sadistic scenes came out of the blue and revealed the true character of Cass's longtime boyfriend. That says something about her. The narration was excellent and carried the story.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

welcome to a whole new world!

narrator was excellent. story was interesting and drew you in, suspenseful, with romance and action all combined for a well rounded story. Story about a scientist, parallel universes, love, lust, and lies with 2 worlds and civilizations in the balance.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Slow at first, but quickly sucked me in!

The book started a little slow at first, but quickly picked up both speed and interest!  I began getting invested in not only the main character, but the side and background characters too.  Mysteries, twists, and twists upon twists made this an exciting book that ends with me eagerly awaiting the next installment!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Standout Indie Sci-Fi with a great story

I received a free copy of the audiobook from the author to review. Usually when I do these types of reviews, I try to leave a fair and detailed review. Most of the time when I get free audiobooks from authors, it is invariably some indie author just looking to get exposure, which is fine. I don't expect much out of those types of stories, most of the ones like that that I read (or listen to) range from mediocre bordering on bad to good, but forgettable. A lot of indie sci-fi feels like it is just a mad-lib of sci-fi tropes with predictable themes.

Let's talk about Dreams of the Queen though. I saw the blurb that said it felt like a mixture of Stargate and Doctor Who, that got me interested since I enjoy both of those things. No spoilers here, but I really enjoyed this story, and will look forward to listening to the sequels to see what happens next. The main characters had some thought and character put into them, and I enjoyed the writing style. The story and plot were fantastic. It will be recognizable to fans of sci-fi, but is original enough to be a breath of fresh air in a genre dominated by overused plot devices. This story gave me vibes akin to Adrian Tchaikovsky's The Expert-Systems Brother, with the whole "lost technology" theme. You could even think of this story like a sci-fi horror Wizard of Oz. the lost or secret technology and man-behind-the-curtain tropes are two of my favorites!

While there is a lot I love about this book, there's a few things I didn't care for about it, I am still going to give it the full five dstars becauise it exceeded my expectations. First, I felt the pacing was a little slow in the early parts of the book, or if not slow, than at least slower than how it feels in the latter part of the book. The biggest problem that I had with the book is how it handles sex. Anyone who has read enough sci-fi knows that the genre had an odd fascination with sex scenes. To the point where countless authors just shove in sex scenes for who knows why, to create drama? To be edgy? Who knows? Oddly the sex in this story does relate to the plot, so that's good, the problem is significantly more violent and rapey than I have usually read in the genre. That may put off some reads and prevent the book from being more popular, which is a shame, because I look at it as being a depiction of how violent and traumatizing rape and sexual assault is. If a reader is sensitive to that sort of depiction, this book could be hard to finish, which is a shame because the rest of the book holds up well, but is understandable.

In regards to the audiobook version. There were definitely a couple of editing glitches along the way. A couple spots where there were unnaturally long pauses (presumably due to editing multiple recording sessions together), and a couple of spots where a sentence was repeated (presumably due to the same). So, not perfect, but something that would take away from the experience. In regards to the narration, I initially did not think I woudl like the narrator, but got used to him, and in the end he did a decent job. Keeping the characters voices separate and consist is difficult work, but it was handled professionally and accurately.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the tropes found in Stargate or Doctor Who, but who can also handle a couple violent sexual assault scenes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Science Fiction that Sizzles!

Nothing is as it seems in this tight, fast paced, beautifully written science fiction other world thriller! The action is nonstop and fast moving with no shortage of battles, betrayals, twists, turns and surprises! The characters are imaginative and beautifully defined, some so likable you’ll want to cuddle with them, some so loathsome you’ll want to send them to a never ending gnarly wormhole! No spoilers, I’ll leave it up to the listener to sort out the whose who! The narration is astounding, truly breathing life into every character and setting every scene perfectly! This is a stunning five star way to begin a trilogy! I can’t wait more!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Something different

Ok so where do I start.... for scientist these two aren’t the brightest. Cass does the unthinkable when reaching a new world....where as I’d think 99.99% of the scientific community would not..... I can’t give it away but I thought damn she is stupid. Of course it worked out to her favor.... could have killed her. Her fiancé is like a 12 year old jealous hormonal boy. At times both main characters are not likable but other times they are. It was more of the characters from the new world that really kept me going. It’s very interesting and I was happy with how things played out and more was explained. I would definitely read book 2.
Narrations by Skyler Morgan was exceptional.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Fun Science Fiction!!!

As a science fiction lover I really enjoyed this. It had all the things I like, Wormholes, space, adventure, ALL THE THINGS! Cass and her team have a great dynamic too. The character voices from Skylar were great!. Each character had distinguished voices that were matched well. I hope the next two books in this series release as audiobooks. Deep down I kinda wish I was Brajj!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!