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  • Phantoms

  • Written by: Dean Koontz
  • Narrated by: Buck Schirner
  • Length: 14 hrs and 39 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (158 ratings)

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Phantoms cover art

Phantoms

Written by: Dean Koontz
Narrated by: Buck Schirner
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Publisher's Summary

Closer...
They found the town silent, apparently abandoned. Then they found the first body strangely swollen and still warm. One hundred fifty were dead, 350 missing. But the terror had only begun in the tiny mountain town of Snowfield, California.

...and closer...
At first, they thought it was the work of a maniac. Or terrorists. Or toxic contamination. Or a bizarre new disease.

...and closer...
But then they found the truth. And they saw it in the flesh. And it was worse than anything any of them had ever imagined.

©2008 Dean Koontz (P)2008 Brilliance Audio

What the critics say

"First-rate suspense, scary and stylish." ( Los Angeles Times)
"Schirner's pacing and pitch respond to the story's context, and his characterizations of female characters are impressive." ( AudioFile)

What listeners say about Phantoms

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Way too long....

I enjoyed this story and audio performance but the book was way too long. I think it could have been culled a bit and the overall story would not have suffered.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

This book is not one of Mr. Koontz's better works.


This book falls way short of Mr. Koontz regular quality of writing.
I couldn't get beyond some unrealistic
characters. Teenager speaking with a maturity and life wisdom of a 50 year-old therapist.. Any teenager finding themselves in a situation like that would have a compete mental breakdown, not walking down memory lane with an older sister who she doesn't know from Adam.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not one of his best.

Phantoms is an okay novel, although I am of the opinion that Dean Koontz has written more intriguing books. As for the narration, Buck Schirrier is perfect for voice-overs but not for relaying fiction to listeners since his voice is extremely baritone with little inflection. In any event, if you enjoy Koontz you may get more out of Phantoms than I did. #Audible1..

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Read

I bought this in movie form years ago and really enjoyed it. I'd always heard the book was better and its definitely true. My only note not really complaint is the narrator has a fairly one tone voice making his work to create a voice for each character a bit one note but he gets to job done fairly well.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it!

The only regret you will have is if you don't get this book! I was hooked, I found myself making excuses to do any activity that would afford me the ability to listen to the story at the same time!!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good premise, mixed delivery

Overall a great premise with interesting concepts. The delivery was more mixed. On one hand, the action and horror elements are well done and genuinely creepy/intense. On the other, the dialogue and overall style are heavy on exposition, hand-holding the reader where a much more subtle approach and allowing the reader to fill in the gaps would have felt more natural and less patronizing.
Overall: good horror/tension, pulpy dialogue and excessive exposition. Would recommend for a light read (for adults), or a horrifying read for late teens/early 20’s young adults.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wow! Just awesome

The story line was great, keeping you wanting more. The narrator was awesome.
This book is worth every minute of you reading it. I highly recommend it

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

The MOVIE is way better

This is too long, too boring and the narration is not that good. Cant believe how drawn out this novel felt. So glad it's over.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

amazing

this book was well written and the voice was perfect. I listen at 1.75x.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Fun Ride

Enjoyed the reader and the overall production. Much better than the motion picture adaptation, and a great entry into the writing of Dean Koontz.

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