Kings of the North Audiobook By Elizabeth Moon cover art

Kings of the North

Paladin's Legacy, Book 2

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Kings of the North

By: Elizabeth Moon
Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
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Elizabeth Moon returns to the fantasy world of the paladin Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter - Paks for short - in this second volume of a new series filled with all the bold imaginative flights, meticulous world-building, realistic military action, and deft characterization that readers have come to expect from this award-winning author. In Kings of the North, Moon is working at the very height of her storytelling powers.

Peace and order have been restored to the kingdoms of Tsaia and Lyonya, thanks to the crowning of two kings: Mikeli of Tsaia and, in Lyonya, Kieri Phelan, a mercenary captain whose royal blood and half-elven heritage are resented by elves and humans alike. On the surface, all is hope and promise. But underneath, trouble is brewing. Mikeli cannot sit safely on his throne as long as remnants of the evil Verrakaien magelords are at large. Kieri is being hounded to marry and provide the kingdom with an heir - but that is the least of his concerns. A strange rift has developed between him and his grandmother and co-ruler, the immortal elven queen known as the Lady. More problematic is the ex-pirate Alured, who schemes to seize Kieri’s throne for himself - and Mikeli’s, too, while he’s at it. Meanwhile, to the north, the aggressive kingdom of Pargun seems poised to invade.Now, as war threatens to erupt from without and within, the two kings are dangerously divided. Old alliances and the bonds of friendship are about to be tested as never before. And a shocking discovery will change everything.

©2011 Elizabeth Moon (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc. Action & Adventure Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Royalty
Captivating Fantasy World • Complex Characters • Talented Voice Variation • Detailed Worldbuilding • Compelling Storylines
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I am loving this whole series! Elizabeth Moon does a wonderful job of writing so it keeps me wanting more!!!

Love!!!

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What didn???t you like about Susan Ericksen???s performance?

Imagine a Jewish mother from New Jersey with a speech impediment reading very slowly to try to mask her accent(s) and failing miserably. It is impossible to believe that this person is a "professional" narrator or that any director would let this out. 10 years and 500+ Audible books and this is the worst yet. A speech synthesizer voice would be better.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Coffee-talk Lady reads Shakespeare.

Worst Narrator in 10 years

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I read the book in paperback some years ago, so I know it's a typically strong Moon work. Good plotting, good characterization, fun read.

A good narrator will add interest to the text with emotive reading that matches the emotions intended by the writer, possibly with changes in voice, depending the character being voice, and a good understanding of pacing.

A fair narrator will not distract from the book, allowing the text to carry the story and staying out of the way.

This narrator, new for this book in the series, is ... not good.

She manages to make sympathetic characters sound alternately angry and whiny, uses pacing that gets in the way of the text, and seems not to understand what she is reading.

I hope not to hear another book read by her.

Strong Book, Weak Narrator

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just as the title says I'm happy the story continues and look foward to the next book. I will say I was bit concerned when I saw Jennifer van dyke wasn't narrating this as she did the other books, but Susan Ericksen did an amazing job. After a short time to get used to her style I settled back comfortable listening and enjoying the story and was happy with the many kinds of talents and voices she brought to the world. well done.

if you havnt yet read the deed of poxinarion then read these books I highly recommend it.

happy the story continues

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The narrator was good but having such a change from the previous narrator was not good. The pronunciations were different as well as the accents.

Why the narrator change?

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The story picks up immediately following book 1, but with a different narrator. While the pronunciations were mostly similar enough to avoid any confusion, Susan Ericksen voices internal character thoughts in a somewhat whiny way or tone. It becomes grating at times. Character voices are sometimes too similar unless the character is considered someone outside the North - then they get a unique accent. As compared to the first series, the Legend series is slightly less satisfying as the plot constantly switches to different characters. If this were a much longer book, I would not have minded so much, but the plotlines for some characters seemed rushed or sometimes inserted without a full exploration. Good, but could have been better.

Good, but could have been better

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Where does Kings of the North rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top twenty for story, lower 20 for performance.

What other book might you compare Kings of the North to and why?

The other two books in the series are comprable, but the narration is much better.

What does Susan Ericksen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I did not like the narrator, but she did get better with her characterizations as the book went on. Still, she does not have the range of talent of the original narrator for the series. I like the variation in voice technique the audio books give rather than me reading it myself with just my own mind voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. Actually listened to it multiple times over several weeks.

Any additional comments?

Since I got Bells Palsy, I am having trouble with the sight in my right eye and find it difficult to read as many books as I used to read. Auto books allows me to keep up with my reading pace.

Great book, but unhappy with the narrator

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I don't know why everyone was whining about the narrator for this book. Susan Ericksen does a great job with this book. I knew she was a good reader from other works I have heard her read. I actually liked her better than the original reader. I had no problem at all keeping up with her pronunciations. Don't let the complaints about her deter you from listening to this book because I think it's probably the best in the series.

I was irritated in the first book about how easily Ms. Moon killed off characters that she let us get attached to.but book by book she's gotten better and better at building the characters and allowing them to survive the rest of the story.

I'm going to be really sorry when this ends. I'm as attached to the Fox and Pax as I am to Jamie and Claire.

Great book AND narrator

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I have no objection to Susan Ericksen as a narrator, but I do question the choice of changing narrators mid story. The narrator becomes an element of the story because of the way she presents the different characters, the accents, the depth of voice, the pace. Trying to continue the thread of a story with a different narrator is jarring. This happened with the Artemis Fowle series and was very upsetting. I would love to understand what makes the producers, author, or whoever makes these decisions, choose to change narrators midstream.

Love the story, but changing narrator midstream?

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A thought to consider of "Kings of the North" before criticizing Susan Erickson 1: for her "mispronunciations" and 2: for her apparently flat, toneless, characterless narration and voices: Listen to the whole story.
I grant that yes, she started flat and seemingly uninspired, but by the end of the first of three parts, she was carrying the story very very well. As to "mispronunciations" of people and place names, honestly, I found very little difference in the sounds of AArenis (Ericson) vs. aarEnis (Van Dyck), and in either case, I had no trouble telling what she was saying.
I offer 5 stars, for storytelling, as well as voicing. Ericson was brought in because Van Dyck either couldn't or wouldn't do another Paks story. She did very well, and I look forward to her continued narration and dramatization of of Moon's Paks-world stories!

Evolution of a new Voice

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