Outcome inevitable, but route interesting

6 books later, I feel somewhat exhausted - it's like one enormous battle scene from start to finish.

Absolutely epic final battle. Although the outcome is somewhat inevitable, the wins and losses along the way were anything but predictable. It's a satisfying ending (perhaps too satisfying after such epic battles? but then, that's why we have water-crafting), with only a few threads that might have been more tidily handled (personal preference thing).

I thoroughly enjoyed this series. It's good, traditional epic fantasy: sword swinging; a sort of magic; goodies and baddies - and heroes to save the day (and the baddies even wear black!). I grew very fond of the characters, and was sad to say goodbye to this tale.

This is not a series you can join half-way through - you do really need to start at the beginning to fully understand all the characters. However, unlike my approach where I listened to all 6 books almost back to back, perhaps take a breather between instalments - might keep it feeling a little bit fresher. I've had to give this series 5 stars based on my compulsive need to download book after book - that surely says something about it.

Re narration: Kate Reading is not one of my favourite narrators, but she does an admirable job here, giving all the characters distinct voices - and she's consistent across the series, which must have been a challenge.

6 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Needs editing

They kept the trumpet noises from the cds to announce time to change the disk so you get random trumpet noises halfway through paragraphs.

4 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Obnoxious horn sounds interrupt flow

The audio book would have been more enjoyable if the producer hadn't felt the need to break up paragraphs with obnoxious horn sounds placed seemingly at random.

1 persona l'ha trovata utile

REVIEW OF THE SERIES

I have both the books and the audible version and have both read the series and listened to it.

In reading the books, I found that, although I enjoyed them and found them well written, I had a tendency to skip some of the more detailed battle scenes. Whereas I could not do that with the audible version and so I feel that I got more out of listening to the story but I think either version well worth the price.

The narrator, Kate Reading does a superb job of bringing the story, and characters, to life. In the past I have found Audible versions ruined by the narrator and so it was with pleasure I listened to these.

The books are well written and the pace stays fast enough to keep interest. Personally, I did not enjoy book 5 as much as the others, as I thought the author lost his way a bit, but still found it worth the read.

1 persona l'ha trovata utile

Could Have Been Perfect, But...

I loved this series when I read the printed version, but the audio version was spoiled for me by a lacklustre performance by Kate Reading. I will admit that I'm not really a fan of Ms Reading as a narrator, but I really wanted to listen to this series. With her plummy English accent she mispronounced the name of the main character, and several others, and each time she did it was like being jabbed with a pin. Very annoying. The name TAVI was pronounced TARVI, and the CANIM became CARNIM. That being said, the fantastic story carried the day, and I will be keeping this wonderful series despite the less than wonderful narrator. In my humble opinion, this series should have been read by a male narrator, someone like Rupert Degas, or Andrew Wincott, if an English accent was so desired. I think Nick Podehl would have made this series a magical experience, but we'll never know.

1 persona l'ha trovata utile

An epic story and rewarding listen!

It took me a while to get into book 1 and then I didn’t resume with book 2 for over a year. However in the past few weeks I have blasted through the remaining books and loved them. Fantastic world building, interesting characters and a superb plot.

quality of the Record is bad, but all else is good

The quality of the Record is wanting, but all else is good. love the story and Kate is good as always. And the Crow can take those bloody horns.

Fantastic as always

Jim Butcher know how to tell a story.
His words make it so easy to picture what is taking place

some sound issues

Great story despite some technical glitches in recording and occasional baffling pronunciation by the narrator... like sounding the "w" in "sword"...

like an old man

every now and then the author pauses the book to dsscribe something he has already established at length.

exposition like a sledgehammer, or very long descriptions