Gehenna Dawn

Portal Wars, Book 1

By: Jay Allan

Narrated by: Liam Owen

Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Book One of Portal Wars, the new series by the author of the bestselling Crimson Worlds series...

Jake Taylor was a New Hampshire farm boy who wanted nothing more than to marry his girlfriend, work on the farm, and maybe one day write a great novel. But mankind was fighting the alien Tegeri and their bio-mechanical cyborg soldiers, and UN Central needed men…men to go to war on hostile worlds far from home.

Jake wasn't given a choice, not a real one. He found himself torn from home and family, conscripted for life and shipped to the planet Erastus to take his place in the battle lines, never to return. Erastus was a sweltering inferno, called Gehenna by the condemned men sent to fight there. In the blasted deserts and steamy jungles of this alien hell, Taylor and his cybernetically-enhanced comrades fight their never-ending war.

As Jake survives battle after battle, he rises steadily through the ranks, giving all to the desperate fight to save Earth. But endless combat in hell carries a cost, and Taylor feels his faith slipping away. He begins to question much of what he's been told, things he'd believed all his life, and the more he learns, the greater his disillusionment grows. He can feel the madness building inside him, slowly taking control.

But when he discovers the ultimate betrayal, a secret more horrific than anything he'd ever imagined, he must decide who is the real enemy…and how to contain the fury and lust for vengeance that threatens to consume him. How far will he go to destroy the true evil and right a horrendous wrong? And if he does what he must to prevail against overwhelming odds and win the final victory, will be become the very thing he has sworn to destroy?

©2013 Jay Allan Books (P)2014 Jay Allan Books

THAT'S IT! The engagement is OFF!

Let's keep this brief.

I like the work, as it's a military sci-fi effort, but in the long run, it's lacking. It doesn't have the powerful emotion and drama I expect in a military sci-fi novel. More than anything, I didn't connect with the author or the work. And THAT, dear Audible listener, is the crucible by which all good writing is tested, and either is found in abundance or lacking.

For instance, listen to "The Forever War" if you have it. This is extremely good military sci-fi action at its finest. It's gripping, decisive, disturbing, and engaging, something you can't easily put down - A roller coaster ride you never forget. You will sympathize, you will relate, you will suspend disbelief - In short, you will ENGAGE. When compared in the light of such a great work, this is lacking, and I couldn't connect. While it's good, I feel the author could have done better. The plot is a bit tired and very thin, and while I wanted to be more engaged, I wasn't.

Will I get dislikes for my opinion? You bet. Count on it. But that's why it's my opinion. It's mine, and mine alone. So if you don't agree, I understand completely. Still, I hope this helps you to get a better handle on whether you'll connect fully on this author's ride.

So, while I feel there is potential here, the engagement is off.

Well worth reading and then hearing...

Great story, doesn't linger on the unnecessary, characters are unique and alive. Continuing on to the next book, having read and now hearing. Just like the masters of Sci-Fi I read back in the 1960's...

Great Action Packed Scifi!

I really enjoy military scifi and this was excellent. Great story and narration here made for a great experience, better than some movies I've watched. Can't wait for the next one!

Fun book but the sound editing poor

Fun book but poorly mixed. Chapter transition too short. The narrator's voice is at times too soft when one is listening in the car. Better off for a reader to download or pick up from the library. Jeffrey Kafer would have been a better reader for this series.

Beat the point to death !

Character so over developed in fits and starts almost ruined a great story line. And the lack of even a moment between chapters had me checking my device for errors until realized that it was in the recording. Hoping for better in the next episode.

Great book

I really enjoyed the story. There were a few flaws that I had to push through, but I still thought that the book was good overall. It’s mainly a story focused on the MC who was blackmailed by the government. In order to save his family from destitution, the MC has to join the military, where he has to enlist for an never ending term of service. It takes place on a hot planet with two suns. There is no relief from the heat or light, and there is no returning home.

Good summer listen

Any additional comments?

While I enjoyed the book very much, and am waiting for volume #2, I was also waiting for Spartacus to step forward to command the army.

Book to listen to while doing something else

I'm not going to comment on the story as the summary does this well enough. I do have 2 big complaints.

1. The production of this audiobook was obviously done during amateur hour. For example, narrator reads the last sentence of chapter... (0.001 second break)... narrator speaks "Chapter 2". Another example is the volume increasing when people shout.

2. Sound effects. PLEASE, do NOT add sound effects to audiobooks!

The story itself is not bad at all but it could have been much more enjoyable if the production had been better.

Engaging story/plot, horrible narration etc!!

Would you try another book from Jay Allan and/or Liam Owen?

I will never ever again purchase a book narrated by Liam Owen.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrators attempts at accented English voices made me nauseous. Irritation scaled from annoying for about 70% and the rest was just right out terrible.

As Another Reviewer stated the narrator Mr Liam Owen gets far too enthusiastic in playing up the emotions of the characters. In my own opinion he also portrays them incorrectly.
His portrayal of the main character actually comes of as a person with bipolar disorder.

Due to the narration I also find the main character when working on his memoir's to come off as a silly crybaby instead of a disillusioned, angry, depressed, raging or contemplativ etc soldier and commander of men.

I have given Liam Owen several chances now but damn if hes not getting worse.

Was Gehenna Dawn worth the listening time?

Barely "Great story/plot" kept me listening. Never been so Close to returning a book, passed by the skin off the storys nose ;)

Any additional comments?

Jay Allan needs to work on his characterization's.

In this book the main character feels just slightly off even discounting Liam Owen's portrayal.

Secondery characters are total non entitys and even thou they are referd to by name they could all be referd to as "beep" or some such. So bland where their nearly non existent characterization.

Editing so so could have been better.

great precursor

looking for more, need to continue the story of these guys,there sacrafices and wins. make them pay