Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire

John August

Feb 2018 · Blackstone Audio Inc. · Narrated by James Patrick Cronin

About this audiobook

Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire is the first book in a spellbinding fantasy adventure series by screenwriter John August.

Some trails lead to magic. Some lead to danger.

“As Arlo looked around, the walls of his room began to vanish, revealing a moonlit forest. Only his bed remained, and the frame of his window, through which he saw the girl. The world on her side of the glass was sparkling with silver and gold, like a palace made of autumn leaves. She looked off to her right. Someone was coming. Her words came in an urgent whisper: “If I can see you, they can see you . . . Be careful, Arlo Finch.’”

Arlo Finch thought becoming a Ranger meant learning wilderness skills, like camping and knots. But upon arriving in the tiny town of Pine Mountain, Colorado, Arlo soon learns there’s so much more. His new friends Indra and Wu teach him how to harness the wild magic seeping in from the mysterious Long Woods―a parallel realm of wonder and danger.

First he must master the basics, including snap lights, thunderclaps and identifying supernatural creatures. But Arlo Finch is no ordinary Ranger, and this is no ordinary time. A dark and ancient force is sending threats into the real world . . . our world.

Through perilous adventures and close calls, Arlo is awakened to his unique destiny―but the obstacles he faces will test the foundations of the Ranger’s Vow: loyalty, bravery, kindness, and truth.

Ratings and reviews

I think that "arlo Finch Valley of Fire" was a really good book with a strange ending. The start of the book was good but could have been better. I liked the beginning of the book, but it doesn’t make sense how Arlo knew how to do things as if he had been doing it for years. The middle of the book was the best part of the book. The middle of the book was very exciting and interesting. There was lots of times where Arlo had to fight monsters and it was up to him to defeat them. He had to fight the hag in the cabin and the night mare and his house. It had very weird ending that didn’t make any sense. I was expecting the final chapter to be amazing and answer all of my questions that I had but it just didn’t answer any of them. I think that it was a very good book with some weird things about it, but I would definitely recommend it to any one that loves an adventure.

I would recommend Arlo Finch to readers who enjoys solving mysteries and reading about adventures. Firstly, Arlo Finch includes a lot of detail about the characters. The author expands and describes the characters very well. Even when the characters are waiting for something, the author would describe what their thinking, how they feel, etc. I think that this really adds to the book and the story. Next, the audiobook teller is very good at making his voice pleasant to listen to. When the audiobook teller speaks, he makes his voice clear to listen to. As well, when he impersonates other characters, he makes it so you can always tell whos speaking. The voices make it more entertaining and fun to listen to the audiobook. Lastly, the book is like a scavenger hunt that never ends. Arlo Finch is a good book for anyone who enjoys adventures. Since the book is a series, you won’t experience a huge amount of adventures and mysteries. But you do get a lot of cliffhangers as well as a sense of how everything works in the book. Therefore, that is why I would recommend Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire audiobook.

Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire is good reading choice but I would recommend you read the book rather than listen to the audiobook. In general, reading a book gives you more space for imagination. Sometimes, you would think this person would sound like this but when you’re listening to the audiobook, it’s not at all what you imagined. For example, if you want to make your monster really, really scary, don’t describe it, the reader can imagine way scarier things than you. This is one reason I would recommend you reading the book rather than listening to the audiobook. When you’re listening, you can tune out the sound and your mind wanders elsewhere but if you’re reading the book, then you would have to concentrate on what you’re reading. I find that sometimes happen to me because I would think of something else or a person walks in and I would miss a part but the audiobook just continued on. Of course, I couldn't stop it because I was listening to it with the whole class but it would work better if you’re listening by yourself. There are some good reasons to listen to the audiobook, however. If the whole class has read or listen to the book, it puts us at the same pace so no can go ahead and read before others do. But some people thinks it too slow and they’ll like the book better when their reading it so it depends on the person. It’s also kinda neat to listen to the narrator using different kind of voice for different characters. Personally, I enjoy reading a book but not listening to it, so in conclusion, I would highly recommend you to read the book.

About the author

John August is a screenwriter whose credits include Big Fish, Charlie’s Angels, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, and Frankenweenie. He also created Writer Emergency Pack, an educational storytelling tool distributed to more than two thousand classrooms worldwide. Born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, John now lives in Los Angeles with his family. Learn more at JohnAugust.com.

James Patrick Cronin began his audiobook career at twelve years of age opposite Christopher Lloyd in the book-on-tape of The Pagemaster. A classically trained stage actor with an MFA from the University of Louisville and a degree in philosophy, James has spent his years since college performing as an actor and a comedian on stages all over the world. He has performed everything from the classics to original material in Ireland, Scotland, Serbia, and Israel, as well as throughout the U.S. He has recorded over 100 audiobooks across an extensive range of genres.