Critical Failures V

Half a Book

What did you like best about Critical Failures V? What did you like least?

The performance, as usual, was stellar. Saturn Five Sound is amazing.

However, the story never really went anywhere. Just as it was starting to get to a place where I thought to myself, "finally, we've gone through what we needed to do to get to the good stuff," the story ended without getting to the good stuff.

I do not consider this a classic cliffhanger. CF 1,2,3 and 4 all teased you with more cool/important/dark stuff to come, but they also finished a complete story in the process. There was no complete story here.

Would you be willing to try another book from Robert Bevan? Why or why not?

Heck yes! Bevan is the bomb. He writes great stories, and I always want to buy his next book. I'v purchased everything he's ever written that's gotten to Audible, and I'll definitely buy the next one in the CF series. This one was just disappointing.

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Sleep’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This one was awesome, as have been all of his performances. Awesome!

Was Critical Failures V worth the listening time?

I'm sure it will be, as part of a bigger story yet to come, but now it feels like I walked half way up the block and forgot where I was going. If I could do it over again, I'd wait to read it until I already had CFVI in hand to read immediately afterward.

Any additional comments?

I continue to think of Bevan as a master of his dark art. I have tremendous faith in what's yet to come. I just think he made a poor choice this one time in determining where to put the "end" of his story.

25 of 26 people found this review helpful

Same Tired Story

What started as a hilarious take on normal folks being trapped in a fantasy world has turned into the annoying adventures of two child raping guys from Alabama.

The whole of this book could have been fit into three chapters and the monotonous story just drags on and on.

I like the author, but he lost me after book 3. I was hoping for something a little bit better, maybe even some character development, but instead it was more of the same.

There were good parts, but the series has stalled for me.

16 of 18 people found this review helpful

Story was flushed into the dire rat sewer!

What disappointed you about Critical Failures V?

I loved the other books in the series but this was really disappointing. There was no real story here. The party was all separated and to top it off it ends when it gets to the first interesting predicament. This is a half completed book and I hope Mr. Bevan knows it.

Would you ever listen to anything by Robert Bevan again?

I will continue with the series but honestly it is getting thin. If the next story is not better than this I'm out.

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Sleep – was your favorite?

Jonathan Sleep has done a great job with making these books more enjoyable. His characters are obnoxious and fun! I can't pick a favorite character.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

disappointment

16 of 18 people found this review helpful

No story progression, Denise is utterly annoying, Went from College Potty Humor to Elementary Play Ground Potty Humor

Normally I really like these books but as the series has been going on it seems like the full length books are turning into nothing more than the side story books but longer. The story barely progresses and as each new book comes out the story seems to progress less and less. I feel like the author knows this series is his meal ticket so now he’s going to stretch it out until it turns into another LOST series and we all know how that ends.... really shitty and a complete waste of time.
I enjoy some of the college toilet humor but even that has seemed to have gotten worse over the series. Not just the quality of the jokes but the character Denise is unbearable to listen to. It’s partially due to the accent the narrater uses but the larger contributing factor is the fact that the character literally has no off button when it comes to racist, homophobic and sexually perverted statements, and none of it is funny. Not because I am personally up tight and cannot laugh at those types of jokes but because most of it is similar to the types of jokes my 6 yr old son has, i.e. farty doo doo face. Mordrid doesn’t make an appearance until the very end of the book and even then the story progresses nil. There are so many questions that have gone unanswered throughout the series such as how was this other world created, where did Mordrid get the dice, what happened to the four horsemen now that they are back in the real world, is Goosewaddle teleporting back and forth between worlds for Arby’s stock? If so what’s that story like? Who are some of Mordrids other avatars? How exactly does he create the avatars for people? It seems he has some control over it other than the original character creation sheets. Why does it take people so long to level up? They have been in the world for how long now and they are level 4? In most MMO’s killing worms and beetles will get you to at least level 3. There are so many curiosities spiked during the story but very little of it ever comes to fruition. When the next CF book is released it may be a pass for me. In the least bit I will wait to purchase and see what others say about it first.

10 of 11 people found this review helpful

getting worse and worse

started out hilarious. Stacy ruins much of the book as a overcharged heroine who seems to always do the right thing. without playing to Kats character this wouldn't have been worth a read. sad part is Kat isn't what i was listening for. done listening to this series.

10 of 11 people found this review helpful

Bevan needs to reel this thing in

I'm bored of this series and am only continuing to see how it ends. The novelty had worn off around book 3 and the concept is getting a bit tired. This one in particular was a non-story. Nobody did anything the entire book. I really like Randy's story arc going from a deplorable human to a Paladin unable to do anything other than make the most noble choice in any scenario, but Denise is just a terrible character that exists only to be disgusting and obnoxious. Kill her off already. I think readers all hate her and as of this book, she has done nothing to advance the story. I'd like to see the crew get home in book 6 before I get bored and stop caring.

15 of 17 people found this review helpful

Such a let down, I'm just not having fun anymore.

A lot of people hate on the cliffhanger ending, I'm not disatisfied with that. The true let down for me is the nonsense filler "informational world building" dialoge used to pad the overall runtime of the book. It doesn't enrich the world, just comes off as lazy to me. This series was my first real dive into fantasy literature, maybe I've just grown out of it. Like the majority of characters in the book, I'm just not having fun anymore.

9 of 10 people found this review helpful

Don't leave me hanging

Great performance but, is this half a book?
You shouldn't use cliffhangers if you don't know what...

16 of 19 people found this review helpful

Not the best book in the series by a long shot

Dont split the party. These are words to live by, and for good reason. CF lacks a lot when the main characters dont get a chance to interact with each other as a general party.

Also the ending was super disappointing. I am growing tired of these books ending on cliff hangers. It wouldn't kill you to write a ending that closes out a story rather than making me feel like I just bought a half completed story. I am starting to feel like RB is taking his writing model from EA and Ubisofts video games. Sell the consumer a half finished product so they have to keep buying more if they want to get closure.

Never the less, S5S saved this for me. Another amazingly produced audiobook, in a series that I will continue to buy.

20 of 24 people found this review helpful

V: V is for Vaaaary femalcentric

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The reality of this books is, that it should have been a 6D6 book or something to that effect. It basically snubs the 4 main characters (even if Beven no longer considers Dave to be one it seems) and focuses on his 3 female characters: Katherine, Denise, and Mary Sue. 1 of them is interesting, 1 of them is painful to sit through, and the other is Denise. Because it focuses on these 3, only 1 third of the book has content worth listening to, Denise is so absurdly offensive of being a redneck racist stereotype that it becomes rather silly to believe this person existed in a world prior to this, and Mary Sue is unironically placed there in all her glorious flawlessness for us to be bored and bludgeoned with.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting aspect of this story (because this book is about the 3 girls and Randy) is Katherine, I guess I will get this out of the way, but if someone made a cut of this book with only her parts of the book, I would repurchase this book for that version. She fit's in with the main 4 hero's as a flawed but lovable character in her own way, an aimless woman that has potential to be more, but sort of flatlined in life until she get's sucked into the C&C world. Bevan does a fantastic job writing her, and is willing to use her as the punchline from time to time.
This book also has expanded on how skills effect characters mode of thought, and every time it starts to be slowly interjected into the conversation, it was hilarious. I thought it brought alot to the table.

The least interesting is the other two focused characters in this book. Denise and Mary Sue are almost to the point of being the laziest aspects in Bevans writing. Mary Sue does no wrong, always is liked by everyone she meets, never faces any problems, and does nothing for the story. Denise is the punchline of "Racist homophobic, closet homosexual pedophile, idiot redneck extraordinaire". She brings nothing to the book other than... I would say commentary on the stereotype but it's almost as bad as "Assigned Male" in terms of strawman arguments, and while that never bugged me that much in the past books because Denise was occasionally used, in CF:V she's given the spotlight and like Mary Sue, makes me wish I could jump to a summary of what progressed plotwise, and get back to the MC's or Katherine.

What about Jonathan Sleep’s performance did you like?

Jonathan Sleep killed it once again. I can't read the books without hearing his voice.

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

Netflix maybe, if someone told me they cut out 2/3 of it.

Any additional comments?

It's a half book for one. It almost has nothing to do with the main characters, with only Katherine progressing in any sense of the word. I can't recommend it until the second half comes out, and reading reviews on that one. I had a great time when Bevan wasn't trying to legitimize Mary Sue or drive home that Denise is just as bad.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful