
The Traitor Baru Cormorant
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Narrated by:
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Christine Marshall
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By:
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Seth Dickinson
About this listen
In Seth Dickinson's highly anticipated debut The Traitor Baru Cormorant, a young woman from a conquered people tries to transform an empire in this richly imagined geopolitical fantasy. Baru Cormorant believes any price is worth paying to liberate her people - even her soul.
When the Empire of Masks conquers her island home, overwrites her culture, criminalizes her customs, and murders one of her fathers, Baru vows to swallow her hate, join the empire's civil service, and claw her way high enough to set her people free. Sent as an imperial agent to distant Aurdwynn, another conquered country, Baru discovers it's on the brink of rebellion. Drawn by the intriguing duchess Tain Hu into a circle of seditious dukes, Baru may be able to use her position to help. As she pursues a precarious balance between the rebels and a shadowy cabal within the empire, she orchestrates a do-or-die gambit with freedom as the prize.
But the cost of winning the long game of saving her people may be far greater than Baru imagines.
©2015 Seth Dickinson (P)2015 Macmillan AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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A young man in his teens is transported from our world to a magical realm that contains seven levels of reality. Very quickly transformed by magic into a grown man of heroic proportions, he takes the name Able and sets out on a quest to find the sword that has been promised to him, a sword he will get from a dragon, the one very special blade that will help him fulfill his life ambition to become a knight and a true hero. Inside, however, Able remains a boy, and he must grow in every sense to survive the dangers and delights that lie ahead in encounters with giants, elves, and wizards.
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Confusing as hell.
- By Zachary on 09-26-18
By: Gene Wolfe
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Starless
- By: Jacqueline Carey
- Narrated by: Caitlin Davies
- Length: 21 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Destined from birth to serve as protector of the princess Zariya, Khai is trained in the arts of killing and stealth by a warrior sect in the deep desert; yet there is one profound truth that has been withheld from him. In the court of the Sun-Blessed, Khai must learn to navigate deadly intrigue and his own conflicted identity…but in the far reaches of the western seas, the dark god Miasmus is rising, intent on nothing less than wholesale destruction.
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The most beautiful thing I've enjoyed this year!
- By DabOfDarkness on 08-06-18
By: Jacqueline Carey
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Of Bone and Thunder
- A Novel
- By: Chris Evans
- Narrated by: Todd Haberkorn
- Length: 16 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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In this strange, new world deep among the shadows under a triple-canopy jungle and plagued by dangers real and imagined, soldiers strive to fulfill a mission they don’t understand and are ill-equipped to carry out. And high above them, the heavy rush of wings slashing through the humid air herald a coming wave of death and destruction, and just possibly, salvation.
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Vietnam in Fantasyland
- By Michael D. Stuart on 04-19-25
By: Chris Evans
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Asunder
- By: Kerstin Hall
- Narrated by: Alyssa Appleton
- Length: 19 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Karys Eska is a deathspeaker, locked into an irrevocable compact with Sabaster, a terrifying eldritch being—three-faced, hundred-winged, unforgiving—who has granted her the ability to communicate with the newly departed. She pays the rent by using her abilities to investigate suspicious deaths around the troubled city she calls home. When a job goes sideways and connects her to a dying stranger with some very dangerous secrets, her entire world is upended.
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Asunder
- By G Family on 10-16-24
By: Kerstin Hall
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A Memory Called Empire
- Teixcalaan, Book 1
- By: Arkady Martine
- Narrated by: Amy Landon
- Length: 15 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in the center of the multi-system Teixcalaanli Empire only to discover that her predecessor, the previous ambassador from their small but fiercely independent mining station, has died. But no one will admit that his death wasn't an accident - or that Mahit might be next to die, during a time of political instability in the highest echelons of the imperial court. Now, Mahit must discover who is behind the murder, rescue herself, and save her station from Teixcalaan's unceasing expansion.
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Story is great, weird editing, not great narration
- By Nadia on 06-10-19
By: Arkady Martine
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Mordew
- By: Alex Pheby
- Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
- Length: 18 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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In the slums of the sea-battered city, a young boy called Nathan Treeves lives with his parents, eking out a meagre existence by picking treasures from the Living Mud and the half-formed, short-lived creatures it spawns. Until one day his desperate mother sells him to the mysterious Master of Mordew.
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Next level creepy fantasy with spectacular narration!
- By Casey on 10-29-22
By: Alex Pheby
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Magic for Liars
- By: Sarah Gailey
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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When a gruesome murder is discovered at the Osthorne Academy of Young Mages, where her estranged twin sister teaches theoretical magic, reluctant detective Ivy Gamble is pulled into the world of untold power and dangerous secrets. She will have to find a murderer and reclaim her sister - without losing herself.
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Meh.
- By Page on 03-25-20
By: Sarah Gailey
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Blackheart Man
- By: Nalo Hopkinson
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Veycosi, in training as a griot (an historian and musician), hopes to sail off to examine the rare Alamat Book of Light and thus secure a spot for himself on Chynchin’s Colloquium of scholars. However, unexpected events prevent that from happening. Fifteen Ymisen galleons arrive in the harbor to force a trade agreement on Chynchin. Veycosi tries to help, hoping to prove himself with a bold move, but quickly finds himself in way over his head.
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magical!!
- By samar on 01-29-25
By: Nalo Hopkinson
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The Stardust Grail
- A Novel
- By: Yume Kitasei
- Narrated by: Katharine Chin
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Maya Hoshimoto was once the best art thief in the galaxy. For ten years, she returned stolen artifacts to alien civilizations—until a disastrous job forced her into hiding. Now she just wants to enjoy a quiet life as a graduate student of anthropology, but she’s haunted by persistent and disturbing visions of the future. Then an old friend comes to her with a job she can’t refuse: find a powerful object that could save an alien species from extinction. Except no one has seen it in living memory, and they aren’t the only ones hunting for it.
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Pronouns are out of control
- By C P on 09-11-24
By: Yume Kitasei
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The Memory Librarian
- And Other Stories of Dirty Computer
- By: Janelle Monáe
- Narrated by: Janelle Monáe, Bahni Turpin
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Janelle Monáe and an incredible array of talented collaborating creators have written a collection of tales comprising the bold vision and powerful themes that have made Monáe such a compelling and celebrated storyteller. Dirty Computer introduced a world in which thoughts—as a means of self-conception—could be controlled or erased by a select few. And whether human, A.I., or other, your life and sentience was dictated by those who’d convinced themselves they had the right to decide your fate.
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Hard to follow
- By Nikki Raibon on 04-26-22
By: Janelle Monáe
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Dragonslayer
- The Dragonslayer, Book 1
- By: Duncan M. Hamilton
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Once a member of the king's personal guard, Guillot dal Villevauvais spends most days drinking and mourning his wife and child. He’s astonished - and wary - when the Prince Bishop orders him to find and destroy a dragon. He and the Prince Bishop have never exactly been friends, and Gill left the capital in disgrace five years ago. So why him? And, more importantly, how is there a dragon to fight when the beasts were hunted to extinction centuries ago by the ancient Chevaliers of the Silver Circle?
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Show, don’t tell
- By Julie Moran on 10-16-20
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Autonomous
- A Novel
- By: Annalee Newitz
- Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Earth, 2144. Jack is an anti-patent scientist turned drug pirate, traversing the world in a submarine as a pharmaceutical Robin Hood, fabricating cheap scrips for poor people who can't otherwise afford them. But her latest drug hack has left a trail of lethal overdoses as people become addicted to their work, doing repetitive tasks until they become unsafe or insane.
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Came For The Science, Bailed For The Porn
- By Becca Mellema on 08-05-19
By: Annalee Newitz
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The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel
- A Story of Sleepy Hollow
- By: Alyssa Palombo
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
- Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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When Ichabod Crane arrives in the spooky little village of Sleepy Hollow as the new schoolmaster, Katrina Van Tassel is instantly drawn to him. Through their shared love of books and music, they form a friendship that quickly develops into romance. When romance gives way to passion, Ichabod and Katrina embark on a secret love affair, sneaking away into the woods after dark to be together - all while praying they do not catch sight of Sleepy Hollow’s legendary Headless Horseman. That is until Ichabod suddenly disappears, leaving Katrina alone and in a perilous position.
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boring, terrible bodice-ripping drivel
- By BooksAndTrouble on 10-04-18
By: Alyssa Palombo
What listeners say about The Traitor Baru Cormorant
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- Brine
- 08-23-18
How do you change the world
One of my all time favorites. I'm looking forward to the sequal when we see how far Baru goes once she has reasources.
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- David Moore
- 01-14-23
Decent story strange pronunciations
The story was good enough and it's a bit rare to have fantasy tackle broader social issues like imperialism. That said, the overarching plot undercuts the author's emphasis on economics and social structure by introducing an Illuminati equivalent that actually pulls all the strings.
The voice acting was fine except for some weird pronunciations. it would be easy to gloss over them except some were very frequently used words. in a book about a ducal rebellion is grating to hear duchy pronounced /doochie/ every couple pages.
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- Mimi
- 09-25-15
A triumph of a debut!
A terribly cunning display of the untrustworthy narrator (it's in the title, after all!) Baru is an incredibly engaging protagonist, and this fantastical political thriller keeps you guessing about loyalties, love, and what drives a person to ultimate treachery. This narrative weaves a spectacular warning to the readers: of social injustice, imperialism and the profound danger and power that comes from being truly alone in your mind. Machiavellian machinations in a spectacular feat of world building. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
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12 people found this helpful
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- Masso Nordin
- 04-22-21
If you have a problem with is pronunciation give this a miss
I thought the book was good but the narrator can't pronounce, among others the word duchy which is used in what felt like every other sentence it became struggle for me to finish it.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Shelby Knauss
- 07-10-22
Not a fan, but somehow still a fan
This is beyond amazingly well written. The apparent setting is a wholly unique world separate from our own, while still managing to mirror the hauntingly recognizable realities of what was early English/American colonization. Told from the perspective of one of those who’s small, hut-dwelling society, was peacefully yet forcefully assimilated into that of a deceptively well-meaning, advanced power hungry empire. The plot of this character’s story is strictly adhered to in a way that I have never seen so seamlessly done before. Usually a plot throughout the story remains loose, pliable, and changes based on unfolding events and the character’s motivations. This story manages to do the complete opposite. The plot remains an immovable obelisk Baru is tethered to that no matter how hard the character might pull, fight, or struggle to break away from, cannot.
Be sure not to forget that we are not reading as if we are Baru. We are reading as outsiders and guests in her mind. We only truly know what she sees and what does. Just as some thoughts go unspoken out of fear, so too do thoughts that go unthought. Baru is wading through territory where many thoughts are too dangerous to think.
So amazing is the writing that you will push through every agonizing step Baru takes in order to achieve her revenge against that which destroyed her culture, her family, and her home. Her victories are hard earned and briefly enjoyed, if enjoyed at all, but no matter how rare, it is enough to keep going.
It is certainly a story you must take your time with in order to fully understand and follow everything happening, or else you risk reading as if one of the sheep of the Empire. At he same time, being able to understand this story as Baru’s true equal is as futile as her own struggle to escape the obelisk. Her layers run so deep you do not realize you do not truly understand her until the very last moments in this book.
It is there at the end where I say I was not a fan; but literally only in the sense that Baru is so brutal a tactician it was too much for me to handle. I understand Baru to the point where she genuinely scares me. She is so much the antithesis of who I am as an individual, that rather than make me angry, dislike, or even resent her; it makes me genuinely afraid of that little feeling I get that makes me believe how I could become someone like her. The fact that the next book is called The Monster Baru Cormorant unsettles me enough to avoid, but I will recommend this series to everyone I know.
The performance is impressive, I only give 4/5 stars just because I’m picky and not a huge fan of her particular style of enunciation.
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- Matthew Harvey
- 08-23-16
Great story, terrible reader
This is an incredibly incentive and gripping story. The audio book narrator, however, seems not to have been familiar with the English words "duchy" and "elided," which was frustrating and distracting.
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16 people found this helpful
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- Noah Smith
- 02-25-17
Libertarian fan fiction
The Evil Empire is coming to kill all the gays! And their weapon is...fiat currency! Fortunately, our hero, armed with gold (the one true money) is here to infiltrate their evil statist bureaucracy and bring them down!
OK, this is a caricature, but the number of libertarian tropes in this book made me laugh. I listened to it for a book club, and the main question people asked was "Is this fantasy?". I answered "Yeah...the economics is the magic."
That's far from my only criticism, though. The protagonist's motivations are never really explored in depth. We know she's out for revenge for the death of her father and the conquest of her hometown, but that hometown culture just isn't developed very thoroughly. We never get that warm, homey feeling of pre-colonial society the way we would in, say, an Ursula LeGuin book. Instead, Baru seems to be making a bunch of dire decisions and dreadful acts of will for...what? We never really know.
So I'd say this is a fun book, but ultimately unsatisfying.
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2 people found this helpful
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- P Fooshay
- 05-13-23
This is like Siri or Alexa Reading a Book
I have been reading this book on a kindle and bought the Audible recording for when I could not read. I have hundreds of audiobooks and the narrator is terrible. I believe this is a computer narrator, no real human feeling. It’s a terrible shame; the book is excellent. I am writing this as a warning to those who value a dramatic performance with subtle tones and inflections. You will not find this here. Ugh.
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- Kindle Customer
- 01-09-22
Fantastic story marred by subpar narrator
This is one of the most original and gripping fantasy books I've ever read. It shares the trope of the child prodigy with many works, but twists it in very interesting ways. Baru Cormorant is not like your other child prodigies. Her genius is political and financial, and seeing how she plots her way up, around, and through various obstacles is gripping.
Unfortunately the narrator is quite hard to follow. Her inflection is often rather odd and in general she speaks too quickly. There is also not much variation between different character voices making it hard to follow at times.
I'd recommend reading this, but if you prefer listening it isn't as bad as some reviews make it sound. If you play the title at reduced speed it becomes more listenable. I'd suggest 70 to 80 percent speed.
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- Howard
- 11-28-16
Worth the price
as a good, but not great, read. The premise of the book is how a "good" person becomes evil as she works to avenge a real wrong done to her homeland by the empire. Well written with many twists (no spoiler here) it demonstrates how the "ends justify the means" approach destroys lives and damages the humanity of a person pursuing such a path.
A "low magic" and realistic setting (that allows the willing suspension of disbelief) the Traitor Baru Cormorant is a solid addition to the low fantasy genre that does not throw up one fantasy trope after another I have grown use to encountering but ploughs new ground. Yet I found I never really cared about her family and really about her, I am not sure why that is, but I suspect it is due to the author's focus on events and keeping Baru's inner thoughts hidden (because if he did not he would blow up the surprise ending). Having said that the story and writing were good enough (or great enough) to maintain my interest in the book and the coming sequel.
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3 people found this helpful