Columbus Day

Audio Book Review

Rating: 4.2

Columbus Day

Expeditionary Force, Book 1

By Craig Alanson

Narrated by R.C. Bray

Release date

13-12-16

Language

English

Format

Unabridged Audiobook

Length

16 hrs and 23 mins

Audio Sample - Listen Now

Audio Book Review Technical Scores

What?	Details	Score	My thoughts
Vocal Quality & Tone	• Clarity and pleasantness • Consistent tone throughout • Voice suits genre/characters	4	A brusque military voice, that wakes you up like a clarion call. Not my favourite, but a mesmerising breathyness that keeps you listening
Characterisation & Performance	• Distinct voices • Genuine emotion • Avoids exaggeration or stereotype	5	Fast and flawless, very compelling
Pacing, Rhythm & Flow	• Natural pacing • Smooth phrasing • Effective pauses	4	Crisp storytelling, but blink and you miss it. Needs your attention.
Technical Production Quality	• Clean audio • Stable volume • Professional editing	5	Excellent
Engagement & Listener Experience	• Holds attention • Enhances story • Re-listen appeal	4	Maybe a bit too exciting, but would be great to keep you focused during along drive.

Audio Book Review

R.C. Bray’s narration of Columbus Day hits with the same force as the Ruhar invasion—sudden, loud, and impossible to ignore. His brusque, military-honed vocal quality isn’t exactly warm cocoa by the fire, but it is the perfect clarion call for Craig Alanson’s chaotic interstellar misadventure. Even if his tone isn’t your personal favourite, there’s a hypnotic breathiness to it, the kind that makes you sit up straighter without quite knowing why. It’s not soothing; it’s commanding—and that’s half the fun.

Where Bray really flexes is in characterisation. His delivery is fast, clean, and ruthlessly precise, capturing the humour, tension, and sheer absurdity of humanity stumbling its way into galactic warfare. Each character is distinct without straying into cartoonish territory, and the emotional beats land with surprising authenticity. The pacing is razor-sharp—blink and you’ve missed a battle, a twist, or a joke—but that urgency suits a story built on unreliable alliances and cosmic bait-and-switches. This is narration that demands attention, and frankly, deserves it.

Technically, the production is immaculate: steady volume, crisp editing, and audio as clean as a debriefing room after a visit from the brass. Listener engagement stays high—sometimes too high. This is not the audiobook you put on to relax; it’s the one you use to stay awake on a long drive, preferably while contemplating whether humanity should really trust anyone with tentacles. In the end, Bray’s performance doesn’t just enhance the story—it enlists you into it. By the final chapter, you’re not just listening to the Expeditionary Force… you’re pretty sure you’ve been drafted. Audio Book Review Nov 2025