Not as good as book one, jarring but still interesting enough to get book 3 and see if the author made the same mistakes again

This book was not as good as book one. Far too little progression in the story compared to characters internal monologue. I appreciate the character building to an extent but a good amount of it is monologues that build traits that have already been established. I think this book could be a good bridge into a better 3rd book but overall was not impressed. The character called thirsty completely broke my “trance” of being in ludus and made the whole story feel completely ridiculous. I understand how it would theoretically make sense in the context of the universe given the characteristics of the great god dolos but I have to say that I feel like the whole character was an excuse for the author to spit his two cents about current political and social issues on earth regarding sexuality and gay people and while I have no issue with this on principle I think that having too many personal feelings from the author and long sections about something unrelated to this world on top of the character them-self being ridiculous and OP completely detracts from the gravity and seriousness of the events that transpire. It’s not that the author didn’t make these things happen in a way that could all be theoretically justified and make sense in the context of Dolos personality considering this is his world but I think they were unnecessary and heavily detracted from this story. It was a short one as is and didn’t need any extra crap. It feels like a book that was put out to placate and entertain until the release of book three which I understand but am not necessarily happy about. I would still recommend the series, and the performance is great (because he can do fairly convincing girl voices), but this book was much weaker than book one.

10 people found this helpful

Good until the lecture started.

Great way to turn people off a book is to throw a trans in there and lecture us about it. OK i get it you put a trans black male in the book that by itself would be fine but then he spends at least an hour of the only 9 hour long book lecturing you on why its ok that he put a trans in there. i wanted a fantasy book not an equality lecture.

5 people found this helpful

Unfortunately this book is a political ploy

A ploy to get more lgbtq community involvement in this genre takes up probably half this book. I’m not saying that’s a bad idea but I came here to escape the world not to see discrimination and political stance of our current world. The story is narrated well and even though book 2 is slower progression due to authors political ploy the story is still good. aT least enough for me to buy book 3. Again we buy these books to escape life not dwell on our problems we all should be accepted no matter sex race age sexual orientation. We know this some just seem to ignore it but it doesn’t need to be rammed down my mouth for half a book.

5 people found this helpful

A Little Too Preachy

Obligations Incurred is the second entry in Blaise Colvin’s Delver’s LLC series and I probably would have benefited from listening to or reading the first.

After a brief catch up I was thrown into a world with RPG-esque rules and characteristics. The magic system was interesting and the book seemed promising.

However, about a quarter of the way into the book it becomes REALLY preachy and SJW-y. I felt like I was being lectured at. From there on it was just OK. I completed the book mostly out of a sense of (wait for it) Obligation Incurred.

Narrator, Jeff Hays, does a fine job. He deftly handles the various accents of different human nationalities and non-humans alike. I would listen to another book he narrates.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

16 people found this helpful

Flawed

Yet another auther who has turned a novel, a work of fiction meant for entertainment, into a promotional speach on gay rights. Some works use this type of thing to support a story or to build the world they are set in but this surprisingly errant section of the story didnt add anything needed. The whole "thirsty" section seemed tacked on and completely detracted from the story. In the authers defence it could be that the auther felt this had to be put in in order to avoid criticism on the world setting, i.e. polygamy, but as his writing never depreciates women down in any way, it doesnt seem very thought out. In fact far from degrading women, it goes so far as to put women in most serious positions of power even within the family units. Still an interesting story and i will be trying the next one, i only hope this was a passing phase of the story.

15 people found this helpful

Becomes a little to preachy

I was enjoying the book, until it got into the whole gay rights thing. It isn't even that it had it, it is the way it did it. It really sounded like the author trying to tell everyone what he wanted people to think his point of view. However, it oversimplifies different groups point of view. So it really serves no purpose.

I stopped listening, but will probably finish it. It just wasn't what I was in the mood for. I purchase all kinds of audiobooks, and listen to what I am in the mood for. I just wish the books was a little more consistent.

4 people found this helpful

Too Short, Excellent narrator

What was most disappointing about Blaise Corvin’s story?

The book felt like the first act of a complete book. Corvin sets out 2 major plots at the start of the book, neither of which is anywhere close to being sorted out by the end of the book. Basically, they only get to the city where the real story is going to take place. This book is all set up for future books.

And the over the top SJW lecturing. My god, he goes on and on in such a ham-handed way, it's just eye-rollingly bad. And just when you think it is over, Corvin comes back to it to hit you over the head with it some more. Enough already! In a book at least you can skip a few pages, but with an audiobook, you are just forced to sit there and listen to it.

Was Obligations Incurred worth the listening time?

I'd wait until the 3rd and 4th books are out to pick this one up. It really is incomplete.

9 people found this helpful

This series just keeps getting better and better

All right, admission time. This book combines two awesomely talanted individuals, whom I deeply respect. Corvin has anability to write a battle scene that will simultaneously make you sweat from fear and laugh uproariously at the same time. His characters are real live people, and you feel every emotion they display. His dialogue is sharp and witty, and his plots are skillfully interwoven.

Jeff Hays, is without a doubt, the best narrator I have ever heard. He is the Andy Serkis of narration, stepping into a role and making it his own while staying true to the character and not disrespecting the writer. Seriously, this guy is the Lon Chaney (Sr.) of voice actors. He can play male and female, human, dwarf, alien, god, etc. You name it and he will have a voice for it.

The Delvers books only getter better and better as they move on, with the stakes continuously raising, danger mounting, and the team having a hard time staying together.

If you aren't reading this series then you are only hurting yourself. It is packed full of great fight scenes, hot chicks, magic, powerleveling, jokes, and a jerkface god named Dolos. You have to realize that by not reading this series that you are causing irreperable psychic harm to your brain. Don't fry your brain, get this whole series and see what you have been missing.

8 people found this helpful

Decent battle, lots of emo, not much else

Would you try another book from Blaise Corvin and/or Jeff Hays?

Narrator is fine. Author needs to reign in the emo. Not much happens in this book except one pretty bad ass battle. And lots and lots of emotional anguish/introspection from the characters... Get over it already.

Would you ever listen to anything by Blaise Corvin again?

ehhh.... might give the next one a try. The world and overall premise is super creative. Cut/edit out the emotional introspection that made up about a third of this book and it would have been a great short story. Seriously a huge part of the book is the characters struggling with their feelings. Weak.

What about Jeff Hays’s performance did you like?

Solid. Rock on dude.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Not sure how so much emotion and self introspection would be captured in a film. Close up of a tear rolling down a cheek? Then a close up of the next character with a tear rolling down their cheek? And so on... Needs way more world building and plot development. Way, way more.

Any additional comments?

Nope.

17 people found this helpful

how to ruin a book

book was doing fine until it spent more than 30 minutes talking about earth politics, transgenderism, gays and religion.
after that I stopped listening to it and dropped the book series since it stopped being a sci-fi and fantasy book and turned into a book about politics.

16 people found this helpful