The God Is Not Willing Audiobook By Steven Erikson cover art

The God Is Not Willing

Witness, Book 1

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The God Is Not Willing

By: Steven Erikson
Narrated by: Emma Gregory
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New York Times bestselling author Steven Erikson continues the beloved Malazan Book of the Fallen with this first book in the thrilling Witness sequel trilogy, The God is Not Willing.

Many years have passed since three warriors brought carnage and chaos to Silver Lake.

Now the tribes of the north no longer venture into the southlands. The town has recovered and yet the legacy remains.

Responding to reports of a growing unease among the tribes beyond the border, the Malazan army marches on the new god’s people. They aren't quite sure what they're going to be facing.

And in those high mountains, a new warleader has risen amongst the Teblor. Scarred by the deeds of Karsa Orlong, he intends to confront his god even if he has to cut a bloody swathe through the Malazan Empire to do so.

Further north, a new threat has emerged and now it seems it is the Teblor who are running out of time. Another long-feared migration is about to begin and this time it won't just be three warriors. No, this time tens of thousands are poised to pour into the lands to the south. And in their way, a single company of Malazan marines . . .

©2021 Steven Erikson, Master Recording (P)2021 Penguin Books Limited. Produced by arrangement with Transworld Publishers, a division of The Random House Group Ltd. All rights reserved.
Epic Fantasy

Critic reviews

“Erikson burnishes his reputation as a superior epic fantasy world-builder.... Erikson’s outstanding descriptive skills...enhance a complicated narrative that sweats the details. This is a treat both for Erikson’s returning readers and lovers of George R.R. Martin-style epic fantasy who have yet to discover his work.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“A master of lost and forgotten epochs, a weaver of ancient epics.” (Salon.com)

“A multilayered tale of magic and war, loyalty and betrayal. Complexly drawn characters occupy a richly detailed world in this panoramic saga.” (Library Journal)

Compelling Storyline • Vivid Characterization • Unexpected Twists • Poetic Writing • Engaging Performance
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Overall, it’s good but I just can’t believe she mispronounced Malazan. How was this allowed? Every time she says Malazan, I’m jarred from the story. The rest of her performance was fine but that one thing killed my enjoyment. Whoever was responsible for allowing this should be ashamed.

Mispronunciation of Malazan kills the book

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There’s a lot of negativity here about this narrator. While it is jarring to have words pronounced differently, and while the characters sound as if touched a bit more by malice than resignation, this narrator nonetheless demonstrates an incredible dynamic with smooth transitions. It’s wonderful to listen to.

The narrator is superb.

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The Narrator is awful! It sounds like a fairy tale.
Should have gotten Steve Pacey to do the story.
Just buy the regular book if you want some advice.

Waited years for this. Why did Steven Erikson?

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Well, great! now I need to spend yet another credit on this series...#soworthit. Can't believe Spindle is still around at the start of the book though.

Back at it again with white...Jheck?

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Narration was great, the only thing was the way she pronounced "Malazan," never heard it pronounced like that before. I got used to quickly, looking forward to more work done by her.

Can't wait for the next one.

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After finishing Malazan Book of the Fallen all the way through for the 4th time about two weeks ago; none of the other books in my que satisfied me. There was a vacuum in my book life, a void not filled by any other series’s I enjoy listening to. Until now, that is. What I was missing, what I craved, was more Malazans.

This book was fantastic! It’s absolutely stunning in its way of brining us back to the fold and letting us delve back into this world. The characters are as lovable as ever. The way they immortalize some of our favorite characters from “Book of the Fallen” and their deeds. The usual but vibrant new magic(pantheon). Consequences of “Book of the Fallen” reverberate through this tale. Where will it lead?

The new plot threads of this one have strummed my need for more of this story. I can’t wait to see where these characters fox the adventures they’ll have and the motivations behind what and why they do what they do, or refuse to do.

It has masters fully pulled me back into the Malazan world. And I love the marines more and more as I hear of their exploits. Erikson is back, and I’m in love with this book.

Wow, Just what I needed.

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Overwhelms you with so many characters but still somehow makes you care about them all.
IMO the first narrator (books 1-4 I think?) was the best. The next guy was beyond painful. I wasn’t sure about this narrator at first but she really grew on me and I’m looking forward to more from her.
Given the sheer volume of content in SE”s series, I tend to listen to the audio book twice—the second time immediately after the first. You’d think it would feel redundant and boring, but I always pick up new details the second time through and I enjoy the second time even more.
Once or twice, I highly recommend this series.

He does it again

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A fantastic continuation of the Malazan saga. I'd say it's more relatable for new readers than the last series. We have a lot of new faces and many old ones too.

I have to say that Emma Gregory is one of my favorite narrators now. Not only a pleasant reading voices but very well acted and unique character voices. She's had no trouble stepping up where Michael Page and Ralph Lister left off

Better than ever!

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I am staggered that Erikson can introduce and endear us to a new cast again and again.

So excited there is more!

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For the love of god, pronunciation is IMPORTANT. What is a "Tist"? What is a "Mulazin"? There have been 11 books in this series, is it really that difficult to find out how to pronounce "Malazan" and "Tiste"? DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

The book on the other hand is great! Steven Erikson at his usual level of excellence. Great characters, fantastic dialogue, and a plot that picks up after The Crippled God. Pretty much anything Erikson writes is excellent and something I'll read at least three times. He's in an elite and rarified class of writers. For me, it's Steven Erikson, Jim Butcher, and Joe Abercrombie, with a few others who are reasonable stand-in's for anyone who needs a sick day.

To be concise, this book is excellent, does not disappoint, and is a welcome gift to those of us who have been patiently waiting for their Malazan fix. Thank you Steven!

Finally, i'm not saying the narrator did a bad job. She actually did a surprisingly good job. Her characters are excellent, with unique voices all around. A very strong job. But PLEASE get the pronunciations right! Hearing her say "Mulazin" is like hearing a violent record skip halfway through Stairway to Heaven. It's jarring. It really detracts from the overall audiobook.

Narrators please do your homework

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