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Old Nostalgia I'm Glad to See on Audible

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

Reviewed: 02-07-25

Note: Some spoilers.

This particular book narrated by this particular gentleman has a huge nostalgia value for me. It was the one story that definitively made me a dedicated lover of fantasy for years, to the point that I rarely wanted to read anything else, and while I have branched out, I still love it to this day as much as I did then and am still hugely fond of this genre in many forms. My father purchased it for me on cassette for Christmas back when I was twelve as a Christmas gift. Until he did so, I had not heard of Harry Potter, but trust me, once I began to read it, I couldn't stop and didn't even want to pause for our family's Christmas festivities.

First, I loved the story, both its plot and characters. Well, even if I did not love every character, I felt that J.K. Rowling wrote them in a strong and detailed way. It should go without saying that I had a lot invested fairly quickly in Harry, I was cheering him on, and he was a boy I could have been friends with had I been able to meet him. His move from being mistreated by his nasty family to becoming a future wizard was exciting, full of hurdles, and interspersed with joys, trials, stupid mistakes, and new friends. Part of the fun was having the chance to learn along with Harry as he stepped into a thrilling, new world he'd never heard of, and I was very touched by the fact that he'd never had such a good Christmas in his whole life as he did during his first year at school, that his birthday was the best of his life, and that after such awful treatment at the hands of his relatives, he gained some great friends. Those friends are other characters I grew to like as well; the same holds for some of his professors.

The plot always left me eager to push ahead. First, I wanted to see just how Harry did as a wizarding newcomer, I wondered what Lord Voldemort's ploy to try to regain his former power would be, and I loved the way that part of the story unfolded. the plot was a mixture of exciting discoveries, boring classwork or homework, investigations that landed the main characters in trouble, and, in the end, a twist I was definitely not expecting. I also liked how the plot follows Harry through the course of a single school year and shows us his growth along the way as he reacts to everything thrown at him. Included was a rich combination of magic spells and elements of the wizarding world, from unicorns to different types of wizarding candy, that filled in details and made the world feel alive and dynamic.

I admired both Jim Dale's enthusiasm for the book he was reading and also his talent in so doing. His narration was what initially pulled me into the book, the way he used tone, different voices in particular. His ability to craft different voices for different characters was rather amazing. (I feel that he does the best Peeves voice of anyone I know of.) When he was reading text that was not dialogue, I found that he inflected just enough without overdoing it or sounding monotone; he had a nice balance that was right in the middle, something that was both soothing and subtly compelling. I love the versions read by Stephen Fry just as much and cannot choose a favorite narrator between these two. Jim Dale's books are the ones I grew up with, and I will always recall that they were my very first introduction to Harry Potter's world.

I highly recommend this book if you require an excellent narrator to get into audio, if you love the idea of people doing all sorts of magic, and if you want a new favorite that will remain so for years.

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Fun Diversion from Others in the Series

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

Reviewed: 02-04-25

This one is definitely not styled like those before and after it, but I found it unique, cute, and fun. I'd vote for Sneaky. The focus on the talking animals is one of the aspects of this series that won me over right away. I take it as a slight detour that amuses me, gives me a nice, light read, and also causes me to think because the animals do make some valid points. At first, I wondered why this one had differed so much, but then, when I got into it, I truly liked reading it. While I might have had even more fun if Ms. Brown had made a related, though different, "Cat for President" series or something along those lines, I'm content with this as it was. I love the descriptions of the setting, the colorful characters, and the narrator.

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Nice Way to Continue This Series

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

Reviewed: 02-04-25

Note: Definite spoilers included, possibly more if you have not finished the original Inheritance series.

When the original Inheritance series concluded, I was genuinely sorry. While I enjoyed and am happy with The Fork the Witch and the Worm, I regretted that there weren't more books. This one fully satisfied me.

One of the tales from The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm was neatly incorporated into an early chapter of this book, and it fit well. In fact, it was expanded and filled out, which I liked. Though you see little of them, I liked meeting the characters in that chapter, and they depict nicely the man Mertagh is attempting to become.

Mr. Paolini took a very troubled, tortured character, Mertagh, and helped him to progress nicely along a redemption arc that is in line with how he was portrayed in the previous series. In all honesty, he was a character I loved to hate in those books, and somehow, this one had me fully on his side. He embodies the idea of going through the fire and finding his way out. He is surely flawed, but progress is obvious, two truths that are key in any good character in a well-written novel or series, and these facts helped me to feel attached to and engaged with him. On a similar note, I liked the way the relationship with his dragon was shown.

This plot is intriguing for me because it demonstrates a number of things. It hints at the dangers of something good shifting to become evil or, at least, misguided, shows that even after a major war has been won, the world cannot be perfect, and offers a chance for a character who made a lot of mistakes in his life to redeem himself and accomplish good. Its mystery and the clues that he is pursuing reveal the potential for the trouble that is on the horizon and give us a foundation for more strong novels in the future. It offers more of a vista for the implied discord from the previous short-story collection to express itself and be resolved. One theme is that characters all have vital choices they must make, and make them they must, even if they are difficult to contemplate. Add to that a struggle that is, in its way, harder than what Mertagh had to face already, and you have a very powerful read that can easily be continued at a later date.

Gerard Doyle was on form, as he was in the previous books of this series. His style belongs with this series, as does the myriad of voices he has chosen for the various characters. The man is one of my favorite narrators.

Purchasing this title was a good idea, and I am eager to read more from this author in the future.

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I Recommend This Great Edition of Fine Classics

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

Reviewed: 02-04-25

Note: Some spoilers included.

Sherlock Holmes has long been a favorite character of mine in the classic mystery genre. While I also have a Stephen Fry edition, which includes his forwards to the different novellas and collections, these, read by Simon Vance, are equally good. His narration consists of a nice mixture of well-done inflection and differing voices with varied accents. I've read other titles he has narrated and find him to be a versatile and talented reader.

Of course, the stories themselves are beloved classics. It's nice that they have been arranged in the order in which they were intended to be read. The Hound of the Baskervilles is my favorite of the novellas, and among the numerous stories, I cannot pick a favorite. I can't even choose the book I like the best, but here are my highlights:

This version of The Blue Carbuncle is particularly good; Mr. Vance's portrayal of James Rider truly demonstrates what a little toerag this character was. Among the selections in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, this is one of my favorites.

I love how Jabez in The Redheaded League is narrated. This is another one I realy liked, mainly because I could not surmise what was going on. The League of the Redheaded men truly bemused me.

Silver Blaze is a favorite story. Until the end, I couldn't guess who the killer was. The colonel is another character Simon Vance narrates quite well.

The Speckled Band was different because it is not hard to predict who the killer is. It is another of my favorites.

I liked Mr. Vance's reading of The Final Problem.

Overall, the style in which these stories are written makes them approachable and easy to read and enjoy for me. They are fun and engaging for those who claim to be wary of tackling the classics, and having a skillful narrator doesn't hurt, either. I highly recommend these.

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A Favorite

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

Reviewed: 02-04-25

I grew up with, and still love, the Jim Dale-narrated versions of these novels but am thrilled to now own these. Though picking favorites in this series wasn't easy, I think Goblet of Fire is my favorite of the seven books.

The plot of this book was much more complex than those that came before in some ways. the way Rowling linked the events of the prologue to the rest of the story was quite clever, I was totally wrong about who the bad guys were and what precisely was happening, and everything that I guessed concerning why Harry found himself in the situation he was in was completely off the mark. Encountering international wizards for the first time was really cool, watching Harry, Ron, and Hermione was, as always, one of my reasons for loving the book, and getting to see how the wizarding world reacts when true adversity occurs at the end was humbling because I feel it reflects some of our modern problems without yanking me out of the joy of relishing a well-crafted story. As with most of the other titles, I welcomed the descriptions of food, a chance to see a Quidditch game, a huge one in this instance, and the mixture of mundane schoolwork and high excitement that it entailed. I also feel that while part of it was achingly sad, it was thrilling, meaningful, and character-developing, setting up for the books to follow it.

For those of you who may be torn between owning one version of these or the other, I'm not going to be a lot of help. As I hinted, I do own them both, all seven of both versions, and I find it impossible to choose a favorite set by narrator. I read both equally, choosing which I download purely by my current mood. These being the actual British editions, they are the ones to own if you want pure authenticity without any of the slight adaptations made for the American editions, but other than that, I can't offer you much assistance. I loved both narrators. Both of them offer very good, though very different, interpretations. While Jim Dale is extremely skilled with creating various voices for each character, including accents, and his reading is equally rich, Mr. fry's narration stresses tone nuance more heavily in some ways. His reading brings to mind for me a ballad teller sitting with listeners around a fire. The bit of echo added at some points in this story, such as during the Quidditch World Cup, is a nice touch. What I'd say is listen to several samples of them both, choose the ones you feel fit your style, or do as I did, and spring for both if you can.

I am grateful that both this edition and its American counterpart are available for purchase and will continue to sincerely relish them in equal measure.

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Great First Book in a Series

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

Reviewed: 02-04-25

Recommended to me by a friend, this isn't a series I'd have sought out or found by myself. I come from a fantasy-loving background, and while I do intend to stay that way, I have grown to love a good thriller, and this qualifies.

First, I love the character of Scot. At once snarky, kind, determined, and skilled, he doesn't take any crap, won't take no for an answer, and tenaciously strives to get his mission completed to the best of his ability. He's very earthy, funny, thoughtful, and patriotic. He resonates with me because he's the kind of soldier I'd want fighting for me if I were put into the situation depicted here in this novel. For me to continue a series or even finish a story, a character needs to engage me quickly, and Scot Harvath did so.

Another thing about this book that drew me to it is that part of me enjoys stories that depict a president, king, general, etc., whether that person is a real-life figure or not. In this, we see a type of alternate history where the author isn't using real people's names but is keeping the time line and events believably realistic.

Without throwing in any spoilers, this story had a great plot as well. Its pacing was outstanding, the settings described well and interesting to learn about, and the twists and turns enough to keep me glued to my book player.

The narrator was a good choice as well. This novel is the first one I bought that was read by him, and I feel that he's a very good fit for it. I read lots of audio books, and a narrator can either make or break a reading experience. this one was a definite keeper.

as soon as I finished this book, I had to buy the next one, and so it has continued for a while. I think I've read about twelve or so of them so far, and while I've slowed down, that's because of being insanely busy and not due to a bad series. I absolutely do intend to continue, and I think that once you start, you will as well.

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A great Book Finally Done in Unabridged Audio

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

Reviewed: 02-04-25

While true that I fundamentally disagree on Disney's take on newer Star Wars material, I heartily approve of their decision to create audio versions of the X-wing series, and Iron Fist was another very well-done book to add to that roster.

In this book, as in its prequel and its sequel, watching the growth of characters is very moving and adds depth and meaning to the plot. While their various arrays of problems do not smack you over the head, the conflict is clear, and it helps the story to move forward steadily. There were some parts that made me want to cry, made me howl with laughter, and just made me think, and all those emotions did nothing to detract from the action you'd expect when you pick up one of this series. the Wraiths are among my favorite groups of people in Star Wars, tied with the Rogues, which makes me feel very invested in their stories.

Another thing to remark on is the Aaron Alston humor. Trust me, this book has some very sad scenes in it, and anything to bring on laughter is a relief.

Doing his typical quality work again was Mark Thompson, whom I feel is an ideal choice of narrators. His ability to concoct different voices for characters makes the novel a richer audio read. His diction when not reading dialogue is also to my taste and, not only that, it fits well with this series. You can really tell he is enjoying himself as he goes through the book. I think he could make even the most boring book sound better, and believe me, this book, definitely not boring at all, was better because of his performance in it. On a related note, the use of full music and sound effects, while not strictly mandatory, is a choice that I agree with because I feel that it helps to bring the world and people fully to life. I enjoy reading full dramatizations with acting, music, and sound effects, but I enjoy the way these are produced just as much.

I highly recommend this book, and the entire X-wing series, to those of you who, like me, would much rather see a focus on classic Star Wars material. Please keep producing these beloved classics. I will keep on buying them.

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New Version of an Old Favorite

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

Reviewed: 02-04-25

From the first time I read any Tolkien works as a high-school student fresh from my first visit to England, I loved them, the world the characters, and this fairly recent edition of The Silmarillion was to me very welcome.

Tolkien's meticulous and fascinating ability to flesh out and elegantly tell so many back stories augments a world that I already find richly intriguing. Though not very religious myself, I was impressed with this bible of the Lord of the Rings universe, and it interested me to learn about some of the people the characters of the main trilogy mention. While the language and style in which it is written might put some people off, I liked it and found it a highly engaging read. All of the descriptions and dialogue were written in a way that I feel is largely lost in this day and age, and the style choices add beauty to a set of great stories. Information about the world is included as well as facts and stories about the characters, and i loved it all.

And of course, how can you say no to a rendition narrated by andy Serkis? He is the perfect person to narrate this book and the others as well. I love the original versions I purchased, but these are a wonderful addition--I own both now--and I treasure them just as much.

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Interesting and Made Me think

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

Reviewed: 02-04-25

I appreciate the candor the book offered, and I also find it fascinating to have some things I was curious about discussed in terms of the nuts and bolts of how things are done by the Secret Service. I'd have liked to see more of that, but I am not offering up a complaint. Hearing what is good, what is bad, and what is interesting, as long as it's proven, is something that I feel is quite important.

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Another Excellent Star wars Legends Title

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

Reviewed: 02-03-25

I'm delighted that these books are being produced in audio, and this one makes another great addition to the offerings already on the market. It is unabridged, which I fully appreciate; I don't feel that these books are anything like the same in the abridged additions.

The choice of Mark Thompson as the narrator for this novel was a great one. I feel that he's performed at his best on all of these. He reads with plenty of expression, uses an impressive variety of different voices, and is clearly enjoying himself, which leads me to enjoy myself.

While unadorned versions of these would have been perfectly acceptable, the sound effects and Star Wars music enhance the book. As in the previous six of this series produced, you will hear everything from commlink sounds to weapons firing at the appropriate points, and it brings authenticity to the atmosphere.

The plot itself is excellent: You will see a lot of good depth of character, a mix of action-filled and contemplative scenes, and a whole collage of emotions ranging from great sadness to absolute hilarity. It would have interested me to grasp why Han Solo hated Zsinj on such a visceral level, which is the only thing I felt the plot was missing. I appreciate the way a very comic subplot culminated in this book, having taken root in the fifth book of the series. The descriptions of places, battles, and actions are vivid, Aaron Alston makes use of various plot devices with good results, and overall, this was one of my favorite books in this series.

Overall, I recommend this book and hope to see the remaining two produced.

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