The Stone in the Skull
The Lotus Kingdoms, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Rendah Heywood
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Firdous Bamji
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By:
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Elizabeth Bear
About this listen
The Gage was an artist, once, and a lover. To avenge his murdered beloved, he allowed a sorcerer to sheathe his body in mirrored bronze. His vengeance is complete now; the sorcerer has long since perished. But the Gage endures.
The Dead Man had a purpose once as well: he was raised to be the protector of a Caliph. The Caliph died; the Dead Man did not. Now the Dead Man and the Gage have become companions of the sword, itinerant mercenaries. They have come east and south, through the passes of the Steles of the Sky, bearing a message to the besieged young queen of one of the Lotus Kingdoms. There, they will discover magic, mystery, betrayal, love - and, perhaps, finally, a purpose.
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When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years, a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes. But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity, only to discover that she is falling in love with Aladdin.
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Imaginative & Enjoyable Rewrite of Aladdin
- By Julia R. on 02-02-17
By: Jessica Khoury
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The Sekhmet Bed
- The She-King, #1
- By: L.M. Ironside
- Narrated by: Amanda C. Miller
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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The second daughter of the Pharaoh, Ahmose has always dreamed of a quiet life as a priestess, serving Egypt's gods, ministering to the people of the Two Lands. But when the Pharaoh dies without an heir, she is given instead as Great Royal Wife to the new king - a soldier of common birth. For Ahmose is god-chosen, gifted with the ability to read dreams, and it is her connection to the gods which ensures the new Pharaoh his right to rule.
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Never listened to a story about Egypt before...
- By E. M. on 12-14-13
By: L.M. Ironside
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The Girl of Fire and Thorns Stories
- By: Rae Carson
- Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda, Luis Moreno
- Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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In The King's Guard, watch him prove himself - and uncover a secret that he must keep forever. In The Shadow Cats, discover how Elisa's rivalry with her older sister looks from Alodia's point of view, and why Alodia agrees to marry her sister off to King Alejandro. And in The Shattered Mountain, learn how Mara survived her village's destruction before she became Elisa's best friend and handmaiden.
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Very intense
- By Bruce on 03-22-18
By: Rae Carson
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The Oremere Chronicles Omnibus
- The Complete Series
- By: Helen Scheuerer
- Narrated by: Angele Masters
- Length: 52 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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At 16, Bleak lost the only person she cared for when her mentor died at sea. Now 19, she still misses him terribly. She needs him more than ever. That’s why Bleak drinks. But the haze of the mead and wine has hidden something from her. Her powers have grown more than she knows. Others have noticed. When the king sends his top commander to take her, Bleak is too hungover to resist. But he isn’t the only one who needs her for their plans. What does he want?
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“Whut?”
- By Anonymous User on 02-08-23
By: Helen Scheuerer
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Bloodleaf
- By: Crystal Smith
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. Surrounded by spirits and banned from using her blood-magic, Aurelia flees her country after a devastating assassination attempt. To escape her fate, Aurelia disguises herself as a commoner in a new land and discovers a happiness her crown has never allowed. As she forges new bonds and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her.
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Not Understanding All the Praise
- By GPChlorine on 08-23-19
By: Crystal Smith
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Naamah's Kiss
- By: Jacqueline Carey
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 26 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Once there were great magicians born to the Maghuin Dhonn, the folk of the Brown Bear, the oldest tribe in Alba. But generations ago, the greatest of them all broke a sacred oath sworn in the name of all his people. Now, only small gifts remain to them. Through her lineage, Moirin possesses such gifts---the ability to summon the twilight and conceal herself, and the skill to coax plants to grow.
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The Kushiel series in order
- By Glen Gaines on 10-27-09
By: Jacqueline Carey
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Shadowmarch
- Shadowmarch, Volume I
- By: Tad Williams
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 29 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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For generations the misty Shadowline has marked the boundary between the lands of men and the lost northern lands that are the lair of their inhuman enemies, the ageless Qar. But now that boundary line is moving outward, threatening to engulf the northernmost land in which humans still live - the kingdom of Southmarch.
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It's the characters that matter...
- By JC on 11-09-10
By: Tad Williams
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Eon
- Dragoneye Reborn
- By: Alison Goodman
- Narrated by: Nancy Wu
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Twelve-year-old Eon has been training for years. His intensive study of Dragon Magic, based on Oriental astrology, involves two kinds of skills: sword-work and magical aptitude. He and his master hope that he will be chosen as a Dragoneye - an apprentice to one of the 12 energy dragons of good fortune.
But Eon has a dangerous secret. He is actually Eona, a 16-year-old girl who has been masquerading as a 12-year-old boy for the chance to become a Dragoneye.
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I was hooked
- By The Mankers on 04-22-12
By: Alison Goodman
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Firstborn
- Dragonlance: Elven Nations Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Paul B. Thompson, Tonya C. Cook
- Narrated by: Steve Coulter
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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When the leader of the Silvanesti elves dies, conflict threatens to drive his sons apart. While Sithas wishes the elves to withdraw more and more from any contact with other races, Kith-Kanan and his Wildrunners forge connections and trade goods with the humans of Ergoth. As the world of Krynn watches, a new elven nation rises from the strife.
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After all this time
- By Jesse on 04-17-13
By: Paul B. Thompson, and others
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The Book of Kells
- By: R. A. MacAvoy
- Narrated by: Alan Robertson
- Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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A contemporary man, John Thornburn (a meek, non-violent and unpredictable artist) and woman, Derval (his tough, confrontational, strong and warrior-like lover) time travel to ancient Ireland to avenge a Viking attack. Packed with fascinating details of historical time and place in Irish history and delicately balanced on the border between realism and fantasy, the story centers around one of the most famous and beautiful illuminated manuscripts in history, the legendary but entirely real Book of Kells.
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The Book of Irish Fantasy
- By S. Wells on 12-10-12
By: R. A. MacAvoy
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The Moon in the Palace
- The Empress of Bright Moon, Book 1
- By: Weina Dai Randel
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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There is no easy path for a woman aspiring to power. A concubine at the palace learns quickly that there are many ways to capture the emperor's attention. Many paint their faces white and style their hair attractively, hoping to lure in the One Above All with their beauty. Some present him with fantastic gifts, such as jade pendants and scrolls of calligraphy, while others rely on their knowledge of seduction to draw his interest. But young Mei knows nothing of these womanly arts, yet she will give the emperor a gift he can never forget.
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One of the most annoying narrations
- By Foodiewife on 01-28-17
By: Weina Dai Randel
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Luck in the Shadows
- Nightrunner, Book 1
- By: Lynn Flewelling
- Narrated by: Raymond Todd
- Length: 18 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things, none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected was brewing. Before long he and Seregil are embroiled in a sinister plot that runs deeper than either can imagine and that may cost them far more than their lives if they fail. But fortune is as unpredictable as Alec's new mentor.
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Fantastic Series! Homophobes, shut up!
- By Ted on 09-23-11
By: Lynn Flewelling
What listeners say about The Stone in the Skull
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Michael G Kurilla
- 08-16-24
A tale in the Lotus Kingdom
Elizabeth Bear’s The Stone in the Skull is part buddy tale between an automaton and his bodyguard, the ‘dead man’ carrying a secret message and part succession obsessed with two women, one a widow and son and the other never married, each trying to hold their realms together while war is brewing. The automaton and the dead man provide the environmental overview as they traverse the lands on their mission to deliver their message, while both women are struggling with maintain their positions of leadership against growing headwinds.
Bear offers an extremely slow intro, setting up what begins as three separate storylines. The ‘bromance’ supplies background on the political and military situation throughout the region. Each woman has unique issues as they struggle to retain power and influence in their respective realms.
The narration is adequate with the choice of two narrators highlighting shifts in perspective. Character distinction is reasonable. Pacing is slow.
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- Jesslyn H
- 12-07-17
Wonderful
While I was listening to this book on audio, I kept thinking "This is like beautiful poetry. This is like a 5 course dinner". I don't even LIKE poetry and am not sure that a formal cruise ship dinner rates as any 5-course, but it was the only way my brain could interpret and define how beautifully Ms Bear put her words and this story together.
This story is about as far from fast-paced as you can get, but it builds and builds and builds while you realize what it's all about. Women and (in)equality of power, prejudice, religion, gender identity, life, love....and magic.
All of that sounds like an exhausting list, but is done so subtly that you don't get hit over the head with anything. Much like the exquisite unwinding of her language, the plot slowly unwinds as well. Right up to the bang at the end.
I cannot express how eager I am to get my hands on the rest of the series. This book was VERY well done. Hm....re-reading my review. Perhaps I used the wrong analogy; some of you lucky souls will get what I mean. :)
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5 people found this helpful
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- Radagast_Brown
- 09-17-19
Great World Building
Loved the world Elizabeth Bear built, and all the vivid, living, breathing, flawed characters.
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- Bells
- 08-19-21
not her best book
Elizabeth Bear is an amazing author... but I'm 3/4 of the way through this book and I have no idea what the point is. it's 3/4 of the book is character development... without any idea of what the story is... I kind of feel like that's not a great example of her writing.
most of her books have excellent character development but also have an excellent plotline. intricate and interwoven... but not this book.
I definitely recommend reading all of Elizabeth Bear's other works before you start him on this one because this one might turn you off from her writing.
and 3/4 of the way through the book and I am giving up on it 😓 usually if I start a book I finish it even if I hate it... but this book made me want to not listen to my audible and instead I began reading books again to avoid it... I decided that's a really reasonable bar for abandoning it.
but again she is an amazing writer... I just have no idea what the point of this book is and I don't think I should have to read the whole thing just to find out.
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- E. Dent
- 04-13-19
I have the digital print book and love it
The two readers are an interesting approach - though they use different pronunciations for some of the character names with is a bit jarring. The story itself is wonderful - interesting characters, beautiful settings, intriguing magic and political situation - there is at least one more book forthcoming in this series. If you liked STELES OF THE SKY you will like this - it's set in the same world some 40 years after that story ends.
My low overall rating is because this is billed as "unabridged" and the tech support person confirmed this. It isn't. It's missing a segment that's in the printed book and while the love scene that's been clipped isn't critical a further part of the story IS. I've already talked to tech support and we re-downloaded the book to no avail, it absolutely is not in there. And that, far more than the two readers differing pronunciation of the names, is quite disappointing to me.
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9 people found this helpful