Joy

Classic Old Fashioned Romance

Revisado: 11-11-18

The attention of the Duke of Avon is caught by a Paris street waif. Leon becomes the charming center of his deep-laid plot of revenge against the evil Comte de Saint-Vire. The Duke of Avon himself is nicknamed Satanas. How can a street waif find happiness when caught between two unyielding aristocrats?

I defy anyone to resist the lovable Leon.

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Delightful characterization

Revisado: 04-29-15

If you like the contemporary Arcane Society novels, expect a treat. Kathy Garver's characterization of heroine Claire is a special delight.

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Please reproduce this with a different reader.

Revisado: 03-30-15

The reader's voice is excruciatingly la-di-dah. Also distracting is the fact that for male voices she pushes her range far below what is comfortable for her, so that every male character sounds unnatural. Disappointing, because I liked the print version enough to read it twice.

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My favorite of the Imager books

Revisado: 11-28-14

Rhennthyl must bring his abilities to their peak to create a highly satisfying resolution to the problems he has been fighting. IMAGER'S INTRIGUE is my favorite of the three books about Rhennthyl, all of which I like very much and continue to reread.

I think reader William Dufris misinterpreted the main character. Rhennthyl's manners are based on modesty, and his voice should not present drawling superiority.

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Classic Treasure

Revisado: 07-27-13

I hadn't forgotten what a treasure this book is, in the 31 years since I last read it, but my memory of the elements had cleared enough that the humor was totally fresh. Gervase Fen, professor of classic literature, has decided to clear the fog from his brain by running for Parliament. The characters of a forgotten mid-country collection of small towns, from the local socialist earl to the non-doing pig, work up a happy fizz that stays in your head. The vibrant, flexible reading of Philip Bird makes the effect even more long-lasting. From this page I'm going to follow the link and see what else Philip Bird might be offering.

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Deserves more credit than it's getting

Revisado: 06-09-13

I grabbed CHAINS OF FOLLY as soon as I saw it was available, in spite of the beating the new reader was taking from listeners. The Magdalene la Batarde series is a delight for medieval mystery lovers, and CHAINS OF FOLLY is no exception. I wish Gellis had continued the series after this.

It is the rare reader who can produce both male and female voices faithfully, and this reader's voice is especially high. She shouldn't even try to sound male. The more successful strategy is to create the character by temperament, not timbre. However, her comprehension of the author's intention seems superior.

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Deserves Awards

Revisado: 05-19-13

John Perry's life starts over at age 75, with his induction into the army. In humor, tragedy, and everything in between, John fights for humanity against the universe. When I read the perceptive and moving OLD MAN'S WAR at the time of its release, I thought it should win the Hugo.

I was dismayed when I fired up the audio of OLD MAN'S WAR and heard it was being read by the man whose superior drawl was such a poor fit for Rhennthyl of IMAGER. Fortunately, that voice is a much better fit for John Perry, who tackles his new life with experience and humor. The voice also has a flexibility it lacked in IMAGER. I laughed all the way through the pamphlet introducing John to his new possibilities, admired the insight of his relations with an enemy species, and hung on every word of high heroism.

OLD MAN'S WAR has surged to the top of my 2013 favorites so far, whether print or audio.

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Go for it, fantasy romance lovers.

Revisado: 04-14-13

Great fun, both as a read and a listen. Grace and Luther are sent as operatives to identify a psychic serial killer, and find themselves in the midst of a convention of psychic criminals. To their surprise, it gives them a chance to sort out their ruined lives at the same time. Krentz writes about Grace, Luther and their friends with understanding and humor.

I loved the performance, especially Sandra Burr's creation of Grace, so much so that I affectionately tolerated her attempt to sound masculine for Luther. She throws herself with contained, wholehearted enjoyment into every sentence.

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A delightful start to the series

Revisado: 11-30-12

Sarah's family is opening up their historical cemetary vault, where no one else was ever supposed to be buried. To the surprise of all present, much has changed since its official closing. The main change is the addition of an exotic skeleton with rubies set into her teeth. This is the start of a kaleidoscopic adjustment of Sarah's view of her compressed little world. Charlotte MacLeod's brilliant plot is sympathetically humanized. When I listened to my old favorite THE FAMILY VAULT, it started a whole reading and listening sequence of Charlotte MacLeod books.

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Golden Age

Revisado: 07-28-12

I'm a fan of Golden Age mysteries, and this is one of my favorite Ngaio Marsh mysteries. James Saxon made it just as much a pleasure to listen to as it has been to reread for most of my life. Nowadays it seems a mystery isn't a mystery unless it has a serial killer in it, but Roderick Alleyn's detection of his serial killer is psychologically consistent, a rational study of clues. The shipload of passengers he is traveling with are colorful and interesting, reacting in their different ways to the situation and each other.

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