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The Cutting Edge
- Part One of A Handful of Men
- Narrated by: Mil Nicholson
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
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Publisher's summary
Beautiful Queen Inos married the loyal stableboy Rap and made him her king. They were very much in love, and they lived happily ever after.
Fifteen years went by. Rap and Inos were comfortable, secure, and truly happy, raising their family in the little backwater kingdom of Krasnegar, well removed from the hurly-burly of great affairs....But in far-off Hub, the old Imperor's health - and, some said, his sanity - deteriorated inexorably. The borderlands were seething, Prince Emshandar - or Shandie, as Rap knew him - found himself leading his grandfather's armies into terrible battles where victory and justice hung in gravest doubt.
And now the end of the millennium was at hand, ushered in by prophecies of cataclysmic upheaval on a scale never before imagined. All across Pandemia, sensible people tried to dismiss a growing sense of unease as superstitious nonsense.
Then a God appeared to Rap and warned him that the prophecies spoke the least of the truth. Devastation was a certainty; total destruction loomed. The very fabric of the world was at risk. And it was all Rap's fault.
The lasting in the world Rap had wanted was another adventure. And it might be the last thing he would ever get.
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Hugo and Nebula Award finalist Robin Hobb crafts intricate fantasy tales featuring larger-than-life characters and exotic landscapes. Nevare Burvelle survives the King’s Cavalla Academy—where nepotism and corruption reign—to become a soldier in the Gernian king’s army. As he and his fellow soldiers are thrust onto the front lines of the king’s brutal territorial expansion campaign, they struggle against the Plainspeople—forest-dwellers who possess a powerful magic long dismissed by the Gernians.
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Sometimes Magic Isn't A Good Thing
- By Therese M. Woolley on 10-18-13
By: Robin Hobb
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The Will of the Empress
- By: Tamora Pierce
- Narrated by: Tamora Pierce
- Length: 15 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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For years, the Empress of Namorn has pressed her young cousin, Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, to visit her vast lands within the Empire's borders. Sandry has avoided the invitation for as long as it was possible. Now, Sandry has agreed to pay that overdue visit. Sandry's uncle promises guards to accompany her. But they're hardly a group of warriors! They're her old friends from Winding Circle: Daja, Tris, and Briar. Sandry hardly knows them now. They've grown up and grown apart.
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from a writer's perspective
- By daniel orzechowski on 05-24-08
By: Tamora Pierce
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The Briar King
- The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone, Book 1
- By: Greg Keyes
- Narrated by: Patrick Michael
- Length: 19 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Two thousand years ago, the Born Queen defeated the Skasloi lords, freeing humans from the bitter yoke of slavery. But now monstrous creatures roam the land and destinies become inextricably entangled in a drama of power and seduction. The kings woodsman, a rebellious girl, a young priest, a roguish adventurer, and a young man made suddenly into a knight all face malevolent forces that shake the foundations of the kingdom, even as the Briar King, legendary harbinger of death, awakens from his slumber.
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Good stuff
- By Jake on 06-10-10
By: Greg Keyes
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Oath of Fealty
- Paladin's Legacy, Book 1
- By: Elizabeth Moon
- Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck
- Length: 17 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter follows her dream of becoming a hero out of legend by running away to join the army. Military life and warfare aren't anything like she imagined - yet she holds to both her duty and her dreams. Sheepfarmer's Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold tell of her rise to become the paladin who saves a kingdom. In this new trilogy, Paks's former comrades in Duke Phelan's Company assume new roles and the story turns to follow their adventures.
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More Moon Magic
- By James on 04-20-10
By: Elizabeth Moon
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Medalon
- Demon Child, Book 1
- By: Jennifer Fallon
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 17 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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The small country of Medalon lies between the vast nation of Karien in the north and the nations of Fardohnya and Hythria in the south. For centuries the Medalonians co-existed peacefully with the Harshini, a magical race that abhors killing. But now they are gone and in their place the Sisters of the Blade rule Medalon from the Citadel. An elite army of Defenders enforces the Sisterhood's oppressive rule. The Harshini and their demons are believed to be extinct and Medalon has an uneasy peace with its northern and southern neighbours.
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Fantasy, politics and religion
- By Chris on 05-18-14
By: Jennifer Fallon
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Ascension
- The Trysmoon Saga, Book 1
- By: Brian K. Fuller
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Gen was a bard's apprentice, his nimble hands meant for the lute and his voice for a song. Then the half-mad and completely bored Shadan Khairn invaded Gen's village to winter there and start a war. He shoved a sword in Gen's hands and tormented his body, shaping a bard into a warrior to be killed for sport. As the days of torture pile up like the snow, Gen searches for death. But the day is at hand when the shattered shards of the world will knit together again, and the world's slain god will be reborn.
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Fantastic Epic Fantasy
- By Andrew Stone on 05-14-15
By: Brian K. Fuller
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The Second Generation
- By: Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 16 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Years have passed since the end of the War of the Lance. The people of Ansalon have rebuilt their lives, their houses, their families. The Companions of the Lance, too, have returned to their homes, raising children and putting the days of their heroic deeds behind them. But peace on Krynn comes at a price. The forces of darkness are ever vigilant, searching for ways to erode the balance of power and take control. When subtle changes begin to permeate the fragile peace, new lives are drawn into the web of fate woven around all the races.
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Good story
- By Tom Hiltbrunn on 01-04-15
By: Margaret Weis, and others
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Royal Exile
- Book One of the Valisar Trilogy
- By: Fiona McIntosh
- Narrated by: James Adams
- Length: 15 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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From out of the East they came, riding like a merciless plague - destroying kingdom after kingdom and the sovereigns who had previously mocked the warlord Loethar and his barbarian horde. Now only one land remains unconquered... the largest, richest, and most powerful realm of the Denova Set: Penraven. > The Valisar royals of Penraven face certain death, for the savage tyrant Loethar covets what they alone possess: the fabled Valisar Enchantment....
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Poorly Written Female Characters
- By A. Christiano on 05-02-13
By: Fiona McIntosh
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The Innocent Mage
- By: Karen Miller
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 20 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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"The Innocent Mage is come, and we stand at the beginning of the end of everything." Being a fisherman like his father isn't a bad life, but it's not the one that Asher wants. Despite his humble roots, Asher has grand dreams. And they call him to Dorana, home of princes, beggars, and the warrior mages who have protected the kingdom for generations. Little does Asher know, however, that his arrival in the city is being closely watched by members of the Circle, people dedicated to preserving an ancient magic.
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Heroic Fantasy well written
- By Bruce on 03-29-12
By: Karen Miller
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The Book of Magic
- By: Gardner Dozois - editor, Scott Lynch, Elizabeth Bear, and others
- Narrated by: Karissa Vacker, Sile Bermingham, Maxwell Caulfield, and others
- Length: 24 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Hot on the heels of Gardner Dozois's acclaimed anthology The Book of Swords comes this companion volume devoted to magic. How could it be otherwise? For every Frodo, there is a Gandalf... and a Saruman. For every Dorothy, a Glinda... and a Wicked Witch of the West. What would Harry Potter be without Albus Dumbledore... and Severus Snape? Figures of wisdom and power, possessing arcane, often forbidden knowledge, wizards and sorcerers are shaped - or misshaped - by the potent magic they seek to wield.
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some stinkers mostly good
- By M.T. on 12-11-18
By: Gardner Dozois - editor, and others
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Cephrael's Hand
- A Pattern of Shadow and Light, Book 1
- By: Melissa McPhail
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 32 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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In Alorin...300 years after the genocidal Adept Wars, the realm is dying, and the blessed Adept race dies with it. One man holds the secret to reverting this decline: Bjorn van Gelderan, a dangerous and enigmatic man whose shocking betrayal three centuries past earned him a traitor's brand. It is the Adept Vestal Raine D'Lacourte's mission to learn what Bjorn knows in the hope of salvaging his race. But first he'll have to find him....
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This is a great book!!!
- By Dason on 07-30-16
By: Melissa McPhail
What listeners say about The Cutting Edge
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Ryan M. Kelley
- 04-08-14
High expectations
I was a big fan of the "Magic Casement / Man of his Word" series, also by Dave Duncan and read by Mil Nicholson. Its the same world, same cast of characters... but 15 years later. Rap and the queen have children, and Prince Shandy has grown up, and the world keeps turning.
Its not necessary to read the previous series... But it really would help. You get a much better sense of things... Like why someone's name is important, and what events set up such a precarious situation that opens in book 1 here.
It was very nice to pick up with the same characters in the same narrator's voice. It made it especially easy to slip back into this world.
As with Duncan's last series... The first book is heavy on character development, set up, and foreshadowing. Things are happening... But you don't yet know how, or why, or what is going to be done about it. But PAY ATTENTION... It will all be tied together in the end.
Duncan's writing is again nearly without foul language. He makes reference to "nautical terms" when someone would be "swearing like a sailor".... But never actually drops an F-Bomb. I like that I can share these books with my middle school kids, and not feel guilty. Thats not to say its a child's book. There are some very adult themes in this world, and still may not be appropriate for all children.
I would highly suggest this book to anyone, and even more so to any fan's of Duncan's previous series.
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8 people found this helpful
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- Chris Kessel
- 03-07-17
Great story, narrator struggles with male voices
The story is excellent, switching between multiple views. Each character is interesting and well fleshed out over time. There are very few pure shallow archetypes.
My only real complaint is the narrator. While her (Mil's) voice is nice on general narration and fine for female characters, with male voices she chooses a very nasal, whiny voice rather than pitching down. I often had a hard time distinguishing who was speaking and it gave me a mental image of everyone as small pinched faced looking people.
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- Marcus Baier
- 04-29-15
Not quite a man of his word
Not quite a man of his word but close so far... I will most certainly follow it all the way thru :)
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- Rachael and Jay
- 02-07-13
At Last! Please Rush The Release Of The Next Three
What did you love best about The Cutting Edge?
I love the continuation of the story of Rap & Inks. The story provides a wonderful escape and is one of my all time favorites!
Who was your favorite character and why?
Rap has always been an interesting character as he has many contradictions and above all, a conscience. He is a very realistic hero, very stubborn, makes good/bad choices that you can't wait to see the consequences of.
What about Mil Nicholson’s performance did you like?
Mil Nicholson does a great job with male voices. It's easy to stay lost in the story, she doesn't have any annoying habits. I look forward to hearing more from her.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Adventures in folly.
Any additional comments?
Please hurry as fast as you can to release the next three books.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Summer Triangle
- 01-06-19
Pleasantly surprised (again)
I saw a few online reviews that said "A Handful of Men" wasn't as good as the first series, so my expectations were low. But Duncan surprised me yet again - I enjoyed this just as much as the first series. Unlike the first book in the "Man of his Word" series, the first book in this series sets pretty high pace from the onset with a lot going on. The scale of the story gets more and more epic as the series progresses as well. If you loved (or even just liked) the first series, pick this one up.
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- Ron
- 02-11-13
Great Continuation of a "A Man of His Word"
What made the experience of listening to The Cutting Edge the most enjoyable?
Seeing how the characters are further developing and learning more about the word they live in (including the different races). Also the introduction of interesting new characters.
What did you like best about this story?
The introspections of the characters are wonderfully written, funny, and clever.
Which character – as performed by Mil Nicholson – was your favorite?
All of them.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
It really gets going halfway through the book.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Skipper
- 09-27-16
Rap and his queen, 15 years later
This fantasy series picks up 15 years after the forerunner series A Man of His Word, which ended happily enough for all the good guys with Emperor and Clown (A Man of His Word, #4).
Plot: The turn of a new millenium approaches, when the gods have predicted that all hell breaks loose in Pandemia (partly because of some decisions Rap made when he was a 5-word sorcerer). If Rap and Inos and "a handful of men" don't think fast, the world may never recover, and every race is at risk: humans, elves, dwarves, goblins, pixies, imps, jotuns, trolls, mermen, etc.
This follow-up series is darker, sadder, and some known characters behave differently than I grew to expect in the first series. Granted, people change, and the world changed — for the worse. I was the most disheartened by the change in the old imperor, Emshander.
Excellent characterization of Ylo, who — across this 4-book series — gradually becomes a man I can love and hate and pity. However, I could have done without the woman he loved. I didn't like her.
Cross-over characters in both series: Rap and Inos (now with 4 children), Shandie the imperor's heir to the throne, goblin Little Chicken / Death Bird, the sequential 5-in-1 man, Warlocks Olybino and Lith'uian, and some secondary characters, including those at Kingdom Krasnegar.
Duncan has quite a knack for selecting relevant poetry to wrap up each chapter.
Narration sounded a bit fuzzy to me, but for others it may be fine. For me, Ms Nicholson's voice isn't crisp enough to make listening easy. It is not easy to distinguish words. I dislike over-articulation, but I also dislike fuzziness.
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1 person found this helpful