Think the US is done with the Middle East? KOBANI audiobook out now!

"Kobani is a high octane drama of land and air combat fought with the best in futuristic weaponry...Holden balances this with intricate backstories and motivations for his capable and steadfast characters, offering up fleshed-out human stories amid all the high-tech toys. Military thriller fans, war buffs, Middle East politics junkies, and sci-fi enthusiasts will immerse themselves in Holden’s epic tale of regional politics and potential for worldwide conflict." USA BookLife

Reviewed on Briansbookblog.com

5.0 out of 5 stars Relentless In The Best Way

Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2021

Kobani was a title that I saw and promoted in one of my weekly new and notable audiobooks posts. To be honest, I pointed it out more because of Bennett’s narration than knowing the author. I’d never heard of FX Holden until this book and ironically, I saw a synopsis or a post that said something like “if this is your introduction to Holden you’d better buckle up”. So, I knew I was in for a ride. I didn’t know just how much of a ride it would be. Right away Kobani throws you into the action. I was shocked at just how fast things moved and I thought “wow, this pace can’t possibly continue”. Spoiler alert, it did. Holden was able to keep me at the edge of my seat for the entire twelve hours – only slowing down to give a bit of backstory or maybe to make sure that I didn’t pass out or fall out of my seat. I love near-future thrillers but I don’t always read a ton of them that deal with “the future of war”. I knew going into this I was going to get that since it says it on the cover, but it was really well thought out and everything that came up or happened felt super realistic. Each piece of technology or way that tech helped the soldiers felt like it was well-researched and like it was a natural way that things could go. I think that surprised me more than anything else. Not knowing anything about Holden I didn’t know what to expect. But I didn’t expect it to have me thinking “oh yeah, that sounds right” or “that makes sense” to all of the near-future stuff. That’s hard to pull off, even for hardcore science fiction writers. This isn’t my first or even my 10th book narrated by Gary Bennett that I’ve enjoyed (it’s actually my 22nd or 23rd which is crazy). There’s a reason I keep going back to his narrations… they’re easy to listen to. Jump off of the page. And he’s able to bring life to each and every one of them. I honestly think this might be my first “pure” thriller – but he knocks it out of the park. His pacing and ability to turn tense situations into what feels like nail-biting moments astonishes and amazes me. Overall, I thought Kobani was an excellent near-future military thriller. It kept me interested throughout and the pacing was relentless.