
Libriomancer
Magic ex Libris, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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David DeVries
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By:
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Jim C. Hines
About this listen
Isaac Vainio is a Libriomancer, a member of the secret organization founded five centuries ago by Johannes Gutenberg. Libriomancers are gifted with the ability to magically reach into books and draw forth objects. When Isaac is attacked by vampires that leaked from the pages of books into our world, he barely manages to escape. To his horror he discovers that vampires have been attacking other magic-users as well, and Gutenberg has been kidnapped.
With the help of a motorcycle-riding dryad who packs a pair of oak cudgels, Isaac finds himself hunting the unknown dark power that has been manipulating humans and vampires alike. And his search will uncover dangerous secrets about Libriomancy, Gutenberg, and the history of magic....
©2012 Jim C. Hines (P)2012 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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The city of the gods. Elantris once stood as the symbol of all that is beautiful. A sprawling metropolis of unrivaled grandeur, it was a symbol of power and strength, built to be as imposing as it was magnificent. The only thing more glorious than the city itself was its inhabitants, Godlike beings, with silvery skin and hair of the purest, flowing white. Able to create powerful magics with a mere wave of their hands, the Elantrians were able to heal mortal wounds and create any object they desired. To be an Elantrian was to be without sickness, without pain and without want.
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15 minutes in ..
- By Anjelique on 10-07-20
Critic reviews
I enjoyed the book, but in the end I didn't feel inclined to continue the series. What I mostly liked was the idea behind the book, and the storyline to some degree, but I didnt become very attached to the characters and cant say I care much what happens to them further on. I didn't like Lena at all, Isaac was alright, but like I said, I didn't get emotionally attached to them. (Smudge was my favorite character by far)
I'm not sure if I'll finish the series at some later point, but right now I don't have any plans of continuing.
Interesting idea, but lacks engaging characters
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Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
I was so excited about the basic premise of this book - Libriomancers, people with the power to manifest magic from books. What a great idea! But I felt that at one moment the action was rushing by too quickly and at other moments the reflections of the main character were slowing things down. I think the author has great ability but it just didn't hit the mark for me.What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
There was a certain amount of the end that was very foreseeable, not surprising. But it was fairly excitingly written, enough that I wanted to finish. I was disappointed by the two main characters and their back and forth feelings that didn't entirely resolve at the end. Not everyone has to walk off into the sunset happily but sometimes, its best to let things be messy than to tie up loose ends disappointingly.Who would you have cast as narrator instead of David DeVries?
While the reader was good at carrying emotion in his voice, his tone for the female voices was poor and, for me, it took away from the implied sexiness of those characters.Good but not what I was hoping for.
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Awesome story to read
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Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
No, I kept getting irritated with the narrator. I bought the Kindle version so I could read the story. I understood that this book was actually removed from the store and would be replaced later after some problems were taken care of. When I noticed the sequel was ready for pre-order I went back and checked out this one again. I checked the last part of the book where I had to stop reading and there was still the mispronunciation of automaton which is used extensively in the last half of the book. I'm not willing to listen to the whole thing again to see if anything at all has improved.Who would you have cast as narrator instead of David DeVries?
anyone who could properly pronounce automaton!narrator ruined story for me
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The heroes of this story, Isaac Vainio and Lena Greenwood, were refreshingly real and accessible while still being unique and multidimensional. If you're a fantasy & sci-fi geek or fanboy (or fangirl, for that matter) you can't help but like Isaac and want to be with him every step of the way.
Acting as a backdrop to the whole story is the tapestry of sci-fi and fantasy stories that so many of us have loved for so long, from the awful, guilty-pleasure pulps to the great works of speculative fiction. Hines manages to pay homage with a fine sense of humor that manages to make jokes without every allowing the story to become one, evoking nostalgic moments, eager anticipation, and shouts of delight as you see in your fanboy/fangirl heart exactly what's about to happen.
This was my first experience with David DeVries as a reader. I was immediately struck by his skillful rendition of character dialogue, but initially found his narration a bit stiff. That impression didn't last, however, as the story continued to be skillfully delivered.
This is a series I hope to see go far, and I doubt you'll be disappointed if you give it at try.
A fun and funny surprise!
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Libriomancer
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Would you try another book from Jim C. Hines and/or David DeVries?
Yes, if read by a different narrator. He has a fun style, good sense of humor and good character development. The premise of this book was outstanding and lured me in. Why, oh why did I not listen to a sample, or read the reviews more carefully? Because I'm a sap, that's why. Bringing objects from books to life? How could it not be fascinating? Every book lovers dream, right? And in fact, the story is fascinating. If you can get past the horrible narration.Who was your favorite character and why?
The tree nymph. Great sense of humor, interesting premise.Would you be willing to try another one of David DeVries’s performances?
Not only no, but by cracky, heck no. It was absolutely horrible. Nothing personal, David. Some people are just meant to be narrators, others are not. I hope you didn't quit your day job.Could you see Libriomancer being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?
That's a silly ass question.Any additional comments?
I may very well get the Kindle edition of the sequel. I'd very much like to know what happens to these characters. I just couldn't stand to listen to it.Save yourself! Read the book instead!
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Interesting
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Original fantasy/sci-fi setting. Fun plot.
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As for the narrator, while I didn't quite find him a perfect match (this is the second narrator not the original which I wonder if the other reviewers do not realize they might have) he wasn't awful. He does a serviceable job of voicing Issac, but I felt his voicing of the female characters in the story were not quite as differentiated as one might have hoped for. I would have perhaps suggested Luke Daniels as a better match since he has a good mastery of a variety of character voices and his work on Iron Druid has impressed me every time. He could still provide the youthful enthusiasm that Issac's character requires while having enough flexibility to handle the rest of the cast better. Still the narrator didn't ruin the book for me at all, just didn't give to the story quite what I would have hoped for.
Overall it's a reasonable start to what promises to be a fun series and I'm looking forward to more.
A reasonable start
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