Book Buddy
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City of Stairs
- By: Robert Jackson Bennett
- Narrated by: Alma Cuervo
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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The city of Bulikov once wielded the powers of the gods to conquer the world, enslaving and brutalizing millions - until its divine protectors were killed. Now Bulikov has become just another colonial outpost of the world's new geopolitical power, but the surreal landscape of the city itself - first shaped, now shattered, by the thousands of miracles its guardians once worked upon it - stands as a constant, haunting reminder of its former supremacy. Into this broken city steps Shara Thivani.
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Something Different
- By Scott S. on 10-17-14
- City of Stairs
- By: Robert Jackson Bennett
- Narrated by: Alma Cuervo
Lost interest
Reviewed: 07-08-25
Engaging and interesting to start. Characters are unique and so are some of the story lines. I thought the dialogue between characters was well done..
But at the 7 hour mark the story began to drag.
Focus on developing the characters decreased dramatically about half way through the book. As the story got more and more complicated with random supernatural acts and solutions I got less and less interested in sorting it all out.
As my interest waned I decided I was not up for four more hours of listening just to see how things turn out.
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The Reality Dysfunction
- Night's Dawn Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Peter F. Hamilton
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 41 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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In AD 2600, the human race is finally beginning to realize its full potential. Hundreds of colonized planets scattered across the galaxy host a multitude of prosperous and wildly diverse cultures. Genetic engineering has pushed evolution far beyond nature's boundaries, defeating disease and producing extraordinary spaceborn creatures. Huge fleets of sentient trader starships thrive on the wealth created by the industrialization of entire star systems, and throughout inhabited space the Confederation Navy keeps the peace.
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Finally on Audible!! My favorite Hamilton series!
- By Patrick on 04-05-16
- The Reality Dysfunction
- Night's Dawn Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Peter F. Hamilton
- Narrated by: John Lee
Too Violent
Reviewed: 06-30-25
Peter F. Hamilton is one of my favorite writers but this book is too violent for me. The violence and abuse was getting worse and worse, and there did not appear to be an end in sight. I thought, why am I listening to this? I quit a few hours into the book.
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Wild Seed
- The Patternist Series, Book 1
- By: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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For a thousand years, Doro has cultivated a small African village, carefully breeding its people in search of seemingly unattainable perfection. He survives through the centuries by stealing the bodies of others, a technique he has so thoroughly mastered that nothing on Earth can kill him. But when a gang of New World slavers destroys his village, ruining his grand experiment, Doro is forced to go west and begin anew. He meets Anyanwu, a centuries-old woman whose means of immortality are as kind as his are cruel. Now they begin a struggle that will last centuries.
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A Tough Review To Write...
- By AlTonya on 04-05-21
- Wild Seed
- The Patternist Series, Book 1
- By: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
Was there a point?
Reviewed: 06-22-25
Violence and sexual abuse are rampant throughout the book, and it seems gratuitous.
After four hours of listening, I debated whether to continue. By the seven-hour mark, I seriously considered quitting—but I stuck with it, hoping the ending would redeem the story. Unfortunately, it didn’t. I was relieved when it was over.
The narrative perspective also felt off. Told through the two main characters, the story often describes the events they experience in a detached, observational manner, making it difficult to connect emotionally to either of them. Both were unlikeable - one causing pain, the other submitting to it.
I’ve enjoyed Octavia Butler’s work in the past, but this was a major disappointment.
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The Things We Leave Unfinished
- By: Rebecca Yarros
- Narrated by: Tim Paige, Carly Robins
- Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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A heart-wrenching new novel from best-selling author Rebecca Yarros that examines the risks we take for love, the scars too deep to heal, and the endings we can't bring ourselves to see coming.
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Touch my soul
- By Diane's Kindle on 02-27-21
- The Things We Leave Unfinished
- By: Rebecca Yarros
- Narrated by: Tim Paige, Carly Robins
Nothing Like Empyrean Series
Reviewed: 02-05-25
I got this book after reading the Empyrean series (so far 3 books). The first two book were excellent, the third was very good! Great story, developed characters, intrigue, a powerful love story and a lot more.
This book in contrast is a typical romance novel. From the first chapter you know where it is going. The story around it is all fluff, as in who cares?
If you love simple romance stories you will like this if you are looking for something with depth like the Empyrean series, skip it.
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Prince of Thorns
- By: Mark Lawrence
- Narrated by: James Clamp
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Author Mark Lawrence has won over audiences everywhere with Prince of Thorns, his exciting debut novel. Nine-year-old Prince Jorg is forced to watch as his mother and brother are slaughtered. Fleeing the palace, Jorg joins a bloodthirsty band of thugs. But he’s determined to take back what’s rightfully his, so he returns to the castle a few years later - unaware of the dark and powerful magic that awaits.
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It sticks in your head.
- By Door on 09-07-13
- Prince of Thorns
- By: Mark Lawrence
- Narrated by: James Clamp
Good Story But Violent
Reviewed: 01-22-25
Mark Lawrence is an excellent writer and story teller.
This is the first book in a series and though I wholly appreciate it’s value I can not continue listening through the rest of the books because of the extreme violence - it starts on page one, continues through out the book with a reprieve only on the last few pages, which suggest more violence is yet to come.
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Iron Flame
- Empyrean, Book 2
- By: Rebecca Yarros
- Narrated by: Rebecca Soler, Teddy Hamilton
- Length: 28 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College-Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky. Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.
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I wish I could throw this book off a cliff.
- By Rebekah L Johnson on 11-10-23
- Iron Flame
- Empyrean, Book 2
- By: Rebecca Yarros
- Narrated by: Rebecca Soler, Teddy Hamilton
Amazing Narration
Reviewed: 01-17-25
Story is well conceived, main characters interesting and believable with a healthy sex life, and relationship struggles. Respect between men and women is a underlying theme and well executed.
The narration adds so much to the story! Her voice, tempo, and changes for different characters are spot on and especially effective during the fight or drama filled scenes.
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The Great Divide
- A Novel
- By: Cristina Henriquez
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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It is said that the canal will be the greatest feat of engineering in history. But first, it must be built. For Francisco, a local fisherman who resents the foreign powers clamoring for a slice of his country, nothing is more upsetting than the decision of his son, Omar, to work as a digger in the excavation zone. But for Omar, whose upbringing was quiet and lonely, this job offers a chance to finally find connection.
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Story went nowhere
- By Michelle Maple on 04-11-24
- The Great Divide
- A Novel
- By: Cristina Henriquez
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
Boring and Annoying
Reviewed: 11-09-24
This book came highly recommended, and I was eager to learn more about the stories surrounding the building of the Panama Canal.
While the topic appears to be well-researched, the characters feel lifeless, manipulated like cardboard pieces on a game board to follow a predetermined path. The author focuses heavily on the drama in their lives but fails to delve into their personal connections or relationships, leaving the characters flat and lacking depth.
The narration didn’t help; it fell short and drew attention to itself with bland, uninspired emphasis on uninteresting descriptions and dialogue. Rather than blending seamlessly into the story as a good narrator should, she seemed to play a starring role of her own.
After 1 1/2 hours, I couldn’t continue.
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Another World
- By: Pat Barker
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Booker Prize-winning author Pat Barker is one of Britain's most powerful contemporary novelists. This eerie story of a troubled family in the north of England lets you experience the full force of Barker's original talent. Filled with startling images and incisive character studies, Another World reveals an uncanny reality where emotions and events from the past resurface in the present.
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explorations of memory, and death
- By Kelly on 11-12-19
- Another World
- By: Pat Barker
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
Really about death and dying
Reviewed: 10-13-24
The summaries of this book focus on the blended family and the uncovered picture that appears to be them.
But the bulk of the story is about a grandson and his grandfather who is over 100 and has cancer.
That story reaches a conclusion.
All other storylines are left incomplete, as if the book is incomplete.
Well written but unsatisfying.
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The Appeal
- A Novel
- By: Janice Hallett
- Narrated by: Daniel Philpott, Aysha Kala, Rachel Adedeji, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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The Fairway Players, a local theatre group, is in the midst of rehearsals when tragedy strikes the family of director Martin Hayward and his wife Helen, the play’s star. Their young granddaughter has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and with an experimental treatment costing a tremendous sum, their castmates rally to raise the money to give her a chance at survival.
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A good book, just not made to be an audiobook
- By Snipy on 04-07-22
- The Appeal
- A Novel
- By: Janice Hallett
- Narrated by: Daniel Philpott, Aysha Kala, Rachel Adedeji, Sid Sagar
Boring, I couldn’t finish it
Reviewed: 10-08-24
Up until 10 hour mark almost all content is reading of emails. Reading the date, time, subject, to from and sign, and offs like “kiss, kiss, kiss” or “XXX” for every email = 25-50% of the content. It may have continued through the end of the book but I couldn’t go on…
Weird too, all of these characters respond to the emails immediately or quickly, as if they were text messages. Things like “I am waiting for you, where are you?” or “Are you coming to work today, you are not here yet.” no email material.
There are some paper russlings and comments very infrequently which I finally figured out was suppose to represent the women looking through the emails for clue to a murder. Not helpful comments at all, could have been left out.
Once the person who was murdered was revealed in a very nonchalant way, I couldn’t go on to find out who was the muderer because there was not one engaging character - and how could here be if all we learn about anyone the are emails to and from them.
And some characters did not send emails (or they were not included in the pile) so anything we know about them is hearsay, which makes no sense because they are important to the plot.
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Normal People
- A Novel
- By: Sally Rooney
- Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Connell and Marianne grew up in the same small town, but the similarities end there. At school, Connell is popular and well liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation - awkward but electrifying - something life changing begins. A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years at university, Marianne and Connell circle one another.
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Difficult, but Worth It
- By kdiz on 04-03-20
- Normal People
- A Novel
- By: Sally Rooney
- Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
Very Impressed With Insights Revealed
Reviewed: 09-30-24
This is an honest inside look of the struggles between people, with one having been damaged by her family. A story rarely told, especially in an empathetic and compassionate manner.
Striving together to grow and change, through their up and downs, their story provides insight into the complexities of finding true love.
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