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An Amazing Narrator on a Fun Fluff Story

Revisado: 06-19-18

Mercedes Lackey will never write high literature, and indeed her success has worked against her - her work has recently had a tendency to be released with only a passing acquaintance with an editor.

And yet. Even as I know these books are not well written, there’s something of the classic storyteller in her. When I read a Mercedes Lackey, it doesn’t matter if there’s typos, clichés, or the occasional overly predictable plot point. I’m always hooked anyway.

The Arrows trilogy is I think some of her earliest work, and one of her best (and less prone to later editing issues). So I already knew I liked these stories, and that I return to them again and again.

But the narrator was wonderful! This book was so very well read, with distinct characters without any becoming caricatures. I loved it even more than I did when I reading the books, even more than when I spent a day reading one on a cold, hard stone bench because I wasn’t allowed to take it out of the library...

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Long Road to Nowhere

Revisado: 04-08-18

The conflict is hinted at, starts... and then is immediately solved. And then there’s more chapters, where nothing happens. And then there’s an unbelievably long epilogue in which every single character is given a brief “and then they went on to...” like a bad documentary’s ending text scroll. Only longer.

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Great Story, Well Performed

Revisado: 11-06-17

The Circle of Magic is still just as enjoyable to me as an adult as it was when I first found it as a teenager, and as usual, Full Cast Audio has done a good job presenting it. I think it's really cool that Tamora Pierce herself is the narrator - and there's a bonus: the last 5 minutes are her talking about where the ideas for the series came from!

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Obviously an excerpt; poorly organized

Revisado: 06-20-16

There are 4 stories here - though only 2 tracks, with 2 stories squished together on each. It also rather obviously starts in the middle of the frame story that connects these shorts, without even a summary to introduce it. However... I love Miss Marple, and I love Joan Hickson as Miss Marple. Just be aware of what you're getting.

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Morality Tale

Revisado: 09-25-15

JRR Tolkien wrote about hating allegories, and how authors should never impose meaning on the story, but rather the readers should find their own relevancies. This story is exactly why. It's cute enough, and I really have no problem with its religious morals. I even agree with them... And yet, I couldn't help but feel I was being repeatedly slapped in the face with an evangelist's pamphlet.
Still, I'm glad to now know the original Snow Queen (having already read various loose retellings). And the narrator's very good. It will make a good audio to fall asleep to.

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Great Narrator, Good Fluff reading

Revisado: 09-01-15

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Possibly, if I knew they liked or thought they would like Mercedes Lackey. This is one of my favorites of hers, but she's a guilty pleasure - an author I feel I shouldn't enjoy as much as I do, and cannot really defend when someone criticizes the writing. But I enjoyed the narrator, and it's always fun to see new retellings of fairy tales, which is what the Elemental Masters series is.

Would you recommend The Serpent's Shadow to your friends? Why or why not?

Hmm.... well, see above. Although I am perhaps slightly more likely to recommend the book, as it allows for skimming sections that might not hold interest.

Which scene was your favorite?

That's actually a hard question to answer, as there's little moments all through... but I suppose, I enjoy Nory's healing. And the bit where a random man in the street tells someone else off for not respecting the doctor. Actually, every bit where one of the people whose respect she's earned demonstrates that respect. And her first encounter with Miss Smith is amusing. And knocking out... but perhaps I shouldn't give that away.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I suppose that depends entirely on what else was on offer. Did I enjoy listening, with no particular desire to stop? Yes. Was I particularly annoyed if interrupted? Only when the interruption was blaring football commentary.

Any additional comments?

I had forgotten just how much time Mercedes Lackey tends to give her villains' perspectives. It adds tension in a first read, but in subsequent reads I usually skim or entirely skip their parts. That's harder to do in an audiobook. It wasn't particularly overdone in this one, I suppose, although I still found myself skipping forward through Shivanni's first section. Which, admittedly, did set up plot details, but as I already knew the story I felt no desire to spend so much time on them. Also, this one does seem particularly outraged/preachy, in an odd way. I hadn't realized just how much of the text dwelt on how unfair ancient (to me) attitudes and marriage laws were... not that it's wrong that they were unfair, but I certainly hope it no longer has to be said today? At least not these particular wrongs in this particular context? And there is no attempt to relate it to anything outside of its own particular context, so... Anyway, when I read it, having Maya as part of the suffragette movement was just one more fun bit about the character, and her friend Amelia's enthusiasm a part of her character, but listening I realized that I must have been skimming - or at least speed-reading - bits of that too without realizing.

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I always like full cast audio

Revisado: 06-03-15

I was a little disappointed that it wasn't Tamora Pierce herself narrating this time, but Bruce Coville did a good job too, and the voice actors were great, as usual.

I love almost everything Tamora Pierce has written, both Tortall and Emelan, and enjoy their translation to full cast audio books.

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Static hiss

Revisado: 03-23-15

I've always enjoyed Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience, but this audio is nothing special. The narrators are okay, but no more than that, and there is a constant static hiss in the background - a poor quality recording

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Runs Together

Revisado: 03-05-15

I do wish he'd pause between poems, just a little. I need ten more words to submit? That's really weird...

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