Rena
- 9
- reviews
- 54
- helpful votes
- 127
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The Medici Manuscript
- The Glass Library, Book 2
- By: C.J. Archer
- Narrated by: Marian Hussey
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Finding an old manuscript in the attic has always been a fantasy of Sylvia’s. She just never expected the fantasy to come true, or for it to lead her to answers about her mysterious family.
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An enjoyable listen!
- By Kim Meseck on 04-17-23
- The Medici Manuscript
- The Glass Library, Book 2
- By: C.J. Archer
- Narrated by: Marian Hussey
Excellent sequel.
Reviewed: 05-03-24
Narration was again superb. The meta story slowly unravels, but they don’t make so little progress that I actually feel frustrated with it. I may have to go look up the series this one was spun off from.
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The Librarian of Crooked Lane
- The Glass Library, Book 1
- By: C.J. Archer
- Narrated by: Marian Hussey
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Librarian Sylvia Ashe knows nothing about her past, having grown up without a father and a mother who refused to discuss him. When she stumbles upon a diary that suggests she's descended from magicians, she's skeptical. After all, magicians are special, and she's just an ordinary woman who loves books. She seeks answers from a member of the most prominent family of magicians, but she quickly learns that finding the truth won't be easy, especially when he turns out to be as artless as her, and more compelling and dangerous than books.
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Fun to be Back
- By Meg on 10-12-22
- The Librarian of Crooked Lane
- The Glass Library, Book 1
- By: C.J. Archer
- Narrated by: Marian Hussey
Outstanding Narration
Reviewed: 05-02-24
I really love the layered mysteries in this novel. I also found myself intrigued by the notion of a magical world that’s very much not the standard.
The main characters were likable, and I couldn’t guess correctly what was going on until right near the end of the book. The romance woven in is tasteful and doesn’t take over the story.
I’m a big fan of authors like Agatha Christie and Patricia Wentworth, but also enjoy tales of magic, so this hit several sweet spots for me.
The narration was superb. I lost myself in the story, and each character had a distinct and unique voice. I was never in question about who was speaking at any given time, and there weren’t any quirks to break the immersion for me.
I actually double checked after finishing to see if there was more than one narrator, given that both male and female voices were so well done. Will definitely listen to more from this narrator, and seek out more books from this author.
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Sherlock Holmes Crossover Casebook
- By: Howard Hopkins
- Narrated by: George Kuch
- Length: 14 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Moonstone Books is proud to present this original anthology featuring never before seen tales of the world's first consulting detective, Mr. Sherlock Holmes! See it here...a secret sequel to the classic Holmes novel The Sign of Four! Sherlock and Conan Doyle's own "Lost World" Professor Challenger! Holmes teams up with some of the most colorful characters of history.
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Narration changes voices mid-sentence sometimes.
- By Rena on 03-09-24
- Sherlock Holmes Crossover Casebook
- By: Howard Hopkins
- Narrated by: George Kuch
Narration changes voices mid-sentence sometimes.
Reviewed: 03-09-24
Some of these stories had interesting concepts, others were so far-fetched that I struggled to have any immersion in them. (Holmes making constant math metaphors??) What kept me from finishing the book, in the end, was the inconsistency in the narrative voice. The narrator wasn’t ’bad’ as in horrible to listen to. It just seemed like pitch or tone of a voice would sometimes change and it would sound like a different character while it was actually still the same character speaking. Sometimes this would even happen mid-sentence. It became jarring after a while, so I eventually just gave up.
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Mother of Learning Arc 1
- Mother of Learning, Book 1
- By: nobody103, Domagoj Kurmaic
- Narrated by: Jack Voraces
- Length: 22 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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A teenage mage of humble birth and slightly above-average skill, Zorian is attending his third year of education at Cyoria's magical academy. A driven and quiet young man, he is consumed by a desire to ensure his own future and free himself of the influence of his family, resenting the Kazinskis for favoring his brothers over him. Consequently, Zorian has no time for pointless distractions, much less other people's problems.
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This narrator
- By Burnt Taco Meat on 01-02-22
- Mother of Learning Arc 1
- Mother of Learning, Book 1
- By: nobody103, Domagoj Kurmaic
- Narrated by: Jack Voraces
Great story, poor narration of female voices
Reviewed: 10-13-22
I actually really like this story, and I’ve read it before, and will read it again. The world building is excellent, and the character building isn’t far behind. I’d rate the story 10/10 (Oh, and I'm not a teen, btw... while the story does center around teenage characters in the beginning, it gradually broadens out to encompass a fairly broad cast, even in this first arc.)
The narrator is pretty good with male voices, but seems to think that all females have high pitched/squeaky voices. I literally wince when he voices the younger sister. It’s not only shrill, it’s so shrill I can barely understand what’s being said. The other female characters are mostly not so severely high pitched and squeaky, excepting the other female child Zorian encounters, so perhaps this narrator believes that the younger the female the higher and squeakier their voices are. I actually gave up on listening to the audiobook part way, and went back to only reading via text because I found the narration of female voices so grating. Love the story. Cannot recommend the audiobook with this narrator.
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Now, Then, and Everywhen
- Chronos Origins, Book 1
- By: Rysa Walker
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd, Eric G. Dove
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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When two time-traveling historians cross paths during one of the most tumultuous decades of the twentieth century, history goes helter-skelter. But which one broke the timeline? In 2136 Madison Grace uncovers a key to the origins of CHRONOS, a time-travel agency with ties to her family’s mysterious past. Just as she is starting to jump through history, she returns to her timeline to find millions of lives erased - and only the people inside her house realize anything has changed.
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Yuck!
- By Trish R. on 04-02-20
- Now, Then, and Everywhen
- Chronos Origins, Book 1
- By: Rysa Walker
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd, Eric G. Dove
Just as engaging as the original trilogy
Reviewed: 07-01-22
I love time travel stories, and Rhysa’s works are ones I find hard to put down. I was just as glued to this one as I was to the original trilogy, and I’m looking forward to the other two books in this trilogy.
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Murder by Other Means
- The Dispatcher, Book 2
- By: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Zachary Quinto
- Length: 3 hrs and 33 mins
- Original Recording
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Welcome to the new world, in which murder is all but a thing of the past. Because when someone kills you, 999 times out of 1,000, you instantly come back to life. In this world, there are dispatchers - licensed killers who step in when you’re at risk of a natural or unintentional death. They kill you - so you can live.
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Scalzi and & Qui Deliver on 2nd Dispatcher book!!
- By tstray1 llc on 09-10-20
- Murder by Other Means
- The Dispatcher, Book 2
- By: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Zachary Quinto
It’s no longer possible to murder people? Or is it?
Reviewed: 09-17-20
As usual, Scalzi envisions a world where something fundamental has changed, and then starts asking questions about how people would react to that. It makes fascinating reading... or listening, in this case. Really enjoyed the narration as well.
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The Dragonbone Chair
- Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Book One
- By: Tad Williams
- Narrated by: Andrew Wincott
- Length: 33 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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A war fueled by the dark powers of sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard—for Prester John, the High King, slayer of the dread dragon Shurakai, lies dying. And with his death, an ancient evil will at last be unleashed, as the Storm King, undead ruler of the elvishlike Siti, seeks to regain his lost realm through a pact with one of human royal blood. Then, driven by spell-inspired jealousy and hate, prince will fight prince, while around them the very land begins to die.
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A Work of art
- By Andre on 10-22-16
- The Dragonbone Chair
- Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Book One
- By: Tad Williams
- Narrated by: Andrew Wincott
Unlikable Protagonist and Very Slow to Start
Reviewed: 05-07-20
Given that this book is 33hours long, you might expect a tad of a slow start. However, six hours in I'm still wondering what the point of anything that's happened so far is. I rarely fail to finish a book once I've started it, but I'm giving up on this one. The main character is very distinctly portrayed as a self absorbed childish character who is definitely intent on doing anything he's been told not to do, and seems incapable of actually learning much of anything. His only motivation seems to be if he thinks a thing will get him what he wants.
Six hours in, I still despise him, and he's shown no redeeming qualities whatsoever so far. It's also very clear that 'bad things' are happening, but mostly 'off screen' and the people here are hearing about them via letters or 'word from afar'. It's clear who the villain is supposed to be, but there's as yet no real hint as to WHAT is actually happening. There are also hints that there's something special about this main character... but the barest hints that there's 'something' with no hint as to what that 'something' actually is.
The narration was good, but not good enough to keep me interested in a lack of plot and a lack of characters I could actually like.
I got this book because I loved Tad Williams 'Otherland' series, so I was prepared for long descriptions, etc... but this book is just not enjoyable for me.
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Legendarium
- By: Kevin G. Summers, Michael Bunker
- Narrated by: Robert Rossmann
- Length: 3 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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In every generation, certain writers are chosen to be protectors of The Legendarium, a metaphysical library that exists at the nexus of the multiverse. Inside this library are doorways that lead to every world ever created in literature. There are forces of evil constantly at work to destroy the library and send the world back into an age of darkness. Now, in a time of growing illiteracy, two heroes are chosen to defend The Legendarium.
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If Butcher & Fforde had a child, this would be it.
- By Elizabeth Hauris on 07-02-14
- Legendarium
- By: Kevin G. Summers, Michael Bunker
- Narrated by: Robert Rossmann
The World of Books
Reviewed: 02-05-15
I've always loved books, and libraries, so the premise of this story intrigued me. I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed. This book was a nice light-hearted listen, with some serious moments, and some serious discussions about literature.
The narration really brought out the personalities of the main characters and the dry wit of the writing. My favorite parts were waiting for the moments when one or the other of the main characters would have their preconceived notions shattered, and be forced to unwillingly admit they were wrong to the other party. I guess I enjoyed listening to them squirm.
The portions that involved other books (some fictional, some real), were also really well done. I felt like I caught a glimpse of the atmosphere of each of those stories as the protagonists explored them.
All in all, an enjoyable listen. I might listen to another, if the authors write more.
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2 people found this helpful
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Off Armageddon Reef
- Safehold Series, Book 1
- By: David Weber
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 29 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Humanity pushed its way to the stars—and encountered the Gbaba, a ruthless alien race that nearly wiped us out. Earth and her colonies are now smoldering ruins, and the few survivors have fled to distant, Earth-like Safehold, to try to rebuild. But the Gbaba can detect the emissions of an industrial civilization, so the human rulers of Safehold have taken extraordinary measures: with mind control and hidden high technology, they've built a religion in which every Safeholdian believes, a religion designed to keep Safehold society medieval forever.
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Entertaining SciFi epic with a few flaws
- By A reader on 02-05-07
- Off Armageddon Reef
- Safehold Series, Book 1
- By: David Weber
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
The narrator sold me on this book.
Reviewed: 12-03-12
I'll try to be as spoiler free as I can manage here...
This isn't the type of book I normally read, since it's pretty heavy on politics and warfare strategy. However, I was intrigued by the premise of a female's brain in an android's body, surviving her actual body and trying to right the wrongs of decades past. The name of Merlin intrigued me too. I'm a Merlin fan.
Once I started listening to the audiobook though (I originally borrowed this audiobook from my local library), I was completely sold on the story due to the dynamic and wonderful reading by Oliver Wyman. Scenes which, when I read them in a book are dull and tedious were brought to life in an entertaining manner. I don't think I would have enjoyed this book if I'd tried to read the paper version. Listening to it narrated here though, it was a fantastic mix of technology, slight of hand, and derring-do mixed in with the politics and strategizing.
When I'd finished, I was really looking forward to the next installment. This book was a fantastic listen. I'll be listening to it again soon.
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49 people found this helpful