Kevin Potter

The author narrated this? Really?

Revisado: 01-28-25

Overall I enjoyed the book. There isn't a lot that was new to me (I gathered most of it just from my own biblical study), but I like how it's presented and there is a fair bit of modern information/history that was enlightening.

However, I have to question, is there a reason that every historical author supporting this position has their quotations omitted from the audiobook? We get their biographical details, sometimes with a hint of what they wrote, and then he introduces their document and proceeds directly to the next person.

Are those quotations in the print book? Why aren't they here?

My real complaint, though, is about the narration. Was this really narrated by the author? Are we sure about that?

Here's the problem. His pronunciations are more inconsistent than any audiobook I've ever listened to. There are lots of false starts and places where the audio just cuts off in the middle of a word then it's picked up again a few seconds later. There are a LOT of weird, random pauses, as though he's taking a second to move to the next line or turn a page in a passage that is clearly meant to be contiguous.

And, most egregious, at least for me personally, is there are numerous, numerous, numerous places where the abbreviation A.D. is being pronounced like the word "add" or "add dee" and it drives me absolutely nuts.

Did anyone even proof this audio before it was published??

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Catholic propaganda

Revisado: 06-19-24

This book really should be renamed: "The Book of Revelation: A Catholic Propaganda Commentary"

Now, let me be clear. I do not believe there is "one true church." I believe there are good, saved people in every denomination. And, similarly, there are false Christians in every denomination.

That being said, almost everything in this book is framed as why you have to be a Catholic to be saved. And it spends so much time refuting the idea that the Roman Catholic Church is the Woman Who Rides the Beast that there isn't a while lot more substance to it.

I understand that the Catholic Church has their views, but I would have been a lot more interested in a book that takes an open-minded view and reads/interprets what's actually in Scripture rather than just twisting their interpretation to fit the ideas of a single denomination while insisting that every other denomination is heresy.

So, if you're Catholic and fully agree with that ideology then you'll probably enjoy this book. But for the rest of us, there's just not a lot of substance or interest here.

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Very poor narration

Revisado: 06-16-24

Honestly a great book. I really enjoyed the way the material was presented. But not only does the narrator's voice sound very pretentious, but also his pronunciation is absolutely atrocious. He mispronounces so many words, but he's also not consistent in the way he pronounces the same words.

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So much more than I ever expected!

Revisado: 02-17-22

Here we have a retelling and expansion of the classic "A Christmas Carol" that is so much more, and so much better written, than I ever could have anticipated!

Now, about that narrator.
As always, Benjamin gives us a fantastic performance that encompasses each unique character and every nuance brilliantly. There aren't many narrators who can differentiate so many voices and all their emotional nuances with the skill Benjamin has.

I think the thing that grabbed me right away is how clear it is right from the beginning that this isn't your typical interpretation of the original story.

Not only is there so much more depth than I was expecting, it also paints every character involved in a much different light than I've ever seen before.

A small disclosure here, however. Before I listened to this book, I had never actually read the original. I listened to the audiobook once, but wasn't really paying attention as we used it as basically background noise on Christmas one year.

That being said, I did go back and listen to the audiobook (the recent edition narrated by the phenomenal Tim Curry!) immediately after finishing this one.

With that in mind I can confidently say that while there are a great many additions that I'm sure Dickens never intended, this book is true to the original in almost every way. We get a much longer, deeper story that reads much like a memoir told in the third person. We get infinitely greater character development, with nearly all of the main characters feeling like fully fledged, 3-dimensional, real people.

That is not to say they don't do things that I, as a reader, find inexplicable and unbelievable. They absolutely do. In fact, in many ways the story hinges on it. It's an inescapable truth of being true to the original, yet in this telling there are reasons for every one of those near-unbelievable actions and choices. Reasons that absolutely make sense with the way the characters are developed.

Now, you may ask yourself, as I did, can a novella like "A Christmas Carol" really be adapted into a novel of this one's length without being full of fluff and filler? To which I can say absolutely, yes, and here it has done so. If anything, there were actually a few places where time is skipped that I would have liked to have a bit more information about what Scrooge was doing.

There were a handful of points where I thought the direction of the story was perhaps a bit too obvious, and I found myself getting frustrated with Scrooge for not seeing past some things, but when I look back on it I realize that his thoughts and actions are accurate to what someone in loved in his time would have done. Things that seem obvious to us in 2022 would appear far different to a man living in the 19th century.

And finally, in the latter sections of the novel we get into the events depicted in the original, and even here we have additions that serve to expand and enhance the story in ways I never could have imagined. It isn't often that I read a book with the ability to get me so emotionally invested that it can actually make me cry, but this one managed it.

More than once, I might add.

So, in closing, whether you've never read "A Christmas Carol" or if you've always found it missing something, or even if you've always been perfectly happy with it, this is one book I highly recommend you pick up.

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Save your disappointment and watch the HBO series

Revisado: 10-11-21

First, the narrator.
I am forced to admit that many of the voices sound very similar, and there is almost no emotional inflection present, almost as though the narrator is just reading off the page with no effort to make it a performance. With that in mind, however, his voice does work for the subject matter.

Now, a slight disclaimer.
I saw the TV series before listening to the audiobook, so my reactions may have been colored somewhat by that.

Now, I did go into it with certain expectations. I already knew it was (more or less) a collection of interconnected short stories, so there are challenges to its contiguousness.

That being said, there is an interesting premise here. I like the idea of a black-led cast fighting racism on the backdrop of a Supernatural underworld in the 50s.

Based on the title, of course, I was expecting a LOT more Lovecraft/Cthulhu Mythos influence, but the reality is there is almost none. There are references, based almost entirely on major characters who are fans of Lovecraft, but that's really a far as the HPL references go.

The Sorcery, as it were, bears no resemblance to anything in HPL's work. There are no Lovecraftian creatures or gods, no Supernatural horror (even calling it dark fantasy is a bit of a stretch), and the extremely slight references to insanity are limited to one character and not presented in any way that remotely resembles anything believable.

Now, I'm not a Lovecraft purist who thinks that everything with any claim to being Lovecraftian or Mythos needs to be a carbon copy of what HPL did, but I do think that if you're going to put "Lovecraft" in the title of a book, that book should at least be inspired by something of that man's work.

This book is not. Not in any discernible way, at least.

However, moving past the unfortunate title, there are some fun things done here. I myself would have been happier with a story focusing a tad more of the Supernatural and a pinch less on the real-world racism, but I do understand that was the point of the book.

I don't want to put too bold a point on this, but I feel it should be mentioned that while I do find it odd that a white guy who grew up in the 70s wrote a book with this premise, I do find the portrayal of the cast and period more realistic and fleshed out than I would have expected.

Unfortunately, because of the episodic nature of this book (which I've gathered, based on information from his Wikipedia page, is an ongoing problem for this author) combined with its skipping around between several main characters, none of them are really as fleshed out as I would have liked, so I really didn't have the time to fully connect with any of them.

They each do have their own distinct drives and goals, the just don't ever rise far enough off the page (or speaker, as it were) to fully feel like real people.

And my final issue lies in the plot. It honestly just doesn't feel that well developed. The story is extremely straightforward with very few twists and no surprises.

In closing, this was a decent attempt at an interesting premise, but unless you're really set on reading the original source material I would strongly recommend ditching the book and just watching the HBO series. It's a much more satisfying and cohesive experience.

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Maria Grace does it again!

Revisado: 01-26-21 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Herein we have a wonderfully presented conclusion to a regency romance on the backdrop of gaslamp dragon fantasy. It's hard to imagine anyone doing this better than Maria Grace.

As always, Benjamin Fife gives us an absolutely phenomenal performance. His accents are near-perfect, his voices impeccable, and his sense of rhythm and pacing are second to none. There are few audiobook narrators in the same league as Benjamin.

Now, every bit of complexity that I felt was missing from the previous book (The Dragons of Kellynch) is brought full force into this one!

There is a time jump as we get started here that, while absolutely necessary to the narrative, felt just a touch jarring, but once we get past that the story really picks up and becomes intensely interesting.

Whether you're looking for realistic romance free of contrivances, clever twists that keep you guessing, or intriguing dragon lore that continues to challenge everything you think you know, you're going to find it in this book.

I've said this before but it bears repeating. One of the things that I most appreciate about Maria Grace's brand of fantasy romance is that the situations never feel contrived just to being the couple together. The way events come together always feels natural and, for lack of a better word, real. Although there are certainly coincidences that pull people together, the same happens in real life and her books do an excellent job of simulating that in a way that feels natural.

And as always, although I don't actually like all of them, all of Maria's characters are fully fledged people that feel absolutely real in their motivations, goals, and reactions.

I must add the addendum here, however, that I can't speculate on whether that is a product of Maria's mind or if it comes from the original Jane Austen works that these are adapted from.

I think my favorite moments in this book were getting to see Elizabeth Bennett/Darcy come back into the story. She was always my favorite character and it made me really happy to see her take a direct role in the later events of this one.

Now, this isn't a detractor for me but it needs to be stated that if action-packed "adventure fantasy" is what you're looking for, this is not it. Although there is a certain amount of action here, that is far from the focus.

I find this book upholds very well Maria Grace's pattern of books that feel very similar (in tone) to the "Memoires of Lady Trent" series by Marie Brennan (which is absolutely a good thing!)

My one and only complaint is the one I've had from the start, which becomes less and less of a problem for me as each books builds on the lore, creating what appears (at least to me) to be an entirely new and unique dragon mythology.

I'm speaking, of course, of the way dragons are presented in these books. Some aspects feel a bit whimsy, a bit silly, and I do lament the lack of any truly monstrous-sized dragons as appear frequently throughout European mythology.

However, for all that I have to admit that I do rather admire the vast profusion of different types of dragons and dragon-like creatures that appear, as well as the complex sociopolitical structure of how they interact with one another.

I was told before going into this book that while it is the longest book of the series, it is also the best one. Of course, me being me, I took that with a grain of salt and went into it with a healthy dose of skepticism. But here at the end I actually have to agree! As much as I loved the first three books of the series, this one takes things to a new level that I couldn't help falling in love with!

And this comes through in the ending just as much as the rest of the book. The whole story has been building up to this climax, of course, and I loved everything about its execution.

I truly could not have asked for anything better.

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A worthy successor, though harder to get into.

Revisado: 12-21-20

Although not nearly as complex as the previous books in the 'Jane Austen's Dragons' series, this book is a reasonably worthy successor that manages to merge the travails of regency husband-hunting with the perils of coming into hearing dragons late in life.

As always, Benjamin Fife gives us an absolutely phenomenal performance. His accents are near-perfect, his voices impeccable, and his sense of rhythm and pacing are second to none. There are few audiobook narrators in the same league as Benjamin.

Now, in fairness, I struggled to get into this book. Although I should have, I didn't bother to read the description. I was so thoroughly engrossed by the previous books that I didn't think it was necesssary. So, naturally, I was caught off guard by the switch in main characters. I really liked Elizabeth, but Anne just doesn't have the same... likeability for me.

Admittedly, there are story reasons for this, which do make sense, but because of it, as a character she just didn't work for me.

That said, however, there are a number of well-drawn characters that really bring the book and the world to life. Although there isn't a lot about the Blue Order in this one, what there is does give us a deeper understanding of the Order and how it works.

I think a lot of my frustration is that, because it does take Anne so long to get on board with the idea of dragons (and hearing them) being real, I spent quite a bit of time just urging the book to "get on with it" and get to the point. I had a much easier time getting into the first book because the dragons were a natural facet pretty much from page one.

Also, I know this is a big selling point for many of Maria Grace's readers, but for me the constant politicking and min/maxing involved in a regency noblewoman hunting for a husband (or her family trying to do it for her) is ... wearying. I enjoyed the flow of the first three books largely because Elizabeth considered herself so far above all that. And while I can see what appears to be an attempt to make Anne similar in that regard (if not the same), it unfortunately just makes her come across as petulant and childish because ... well ... she doesn't seem to have a good reason to be above it.

She has this nebulous feeling of not wanting to do as is expected of her, but there's no reason I can see for her to think of things any differently than any other young woman in her position.

All that aside, there are some interesting things going on, particularly with the estate dragon and a few mysteries that I will not spoil here.

Overall, as always, building believable characters that feel compelling and real is Maria Grace's greatest strength. Almost every character that appears in the book has a unique personality and their own goals. No one is there just to serve the plot. Of course, having not read the original source material, I can't say if this is Grace's doing or Austen's (except in the cases of the dragons, of course), but it makes for good reading either way.

My biggest complaint is the one that I had for the first three books about Elizabeth Bennet as well. In short, it comes down to the fact that this book is not a complete story but a fraction of one. The first three books were, in sum, one story, and I suspect that will be the case here as well. Which is borne out by the shortness of each book. For audiobooks consumers like myself, that makes them a hard sell no matter how well written they are.

I think if I were to make one suggestion to the author/publisher, it would be to stop adapting one Jane Austen book into three books and make them one book as they should be. I know I'm not the only reader/listener who is frustrated by coming to the end of a book only to realize that you're only holding half (or less) of a complete story.

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OH. MY. GODS! Holy emotional epicness!

Revisado: 09-03-20

Well, well, well.
I have to admit that this book has been on my agenda for quite a long while. It first came on my radar almost a year and a half ago when another author I admire posted a review about it.
Sadly, I have to be very choosy which books I physically read (as opposed to listening to audio) due to time constraints.

So of course, when I heard there was going to be an audio edition I was one of the first to get in touch with the author about an early review copy of the audio!

After all the hype (especially winning the fifth SPFBO contest!), I was expecting something big. Something powerful. Something intense and emotional and amazing.
And let me just say that this book did not disappoint!

Before I go any further, let's talk about the narrator for a moment.
Andrew Tell is a new name for me. I had never even heard of him before this book, much less heard his voice. What becomes immediately clear is he has a powerful, nuanced voice. I was a bit concerned about his ability to present the female voices, and while I can't say he does so with believable accuracy, what I can say is that he found a natural way to differentiate gender voices that comes off exceptionally well. Apart from that, his voices in general are brilliantly crafted and distinct. He has particular skill in creating nuanced vocal inflections that match the emotional resonance either described or implied from the text. And his shifts in tempo throughout the novel are nigh on a perfect match to the tone and tension of each scene.

Now, as is my wont, I will largely dispense with a discussion of the plot of the book. There are plenty of other reviews that summarize the story.

So, what is the Sword of Kaigen?
Well, here we have a large, sprawling creation that spans multiple nations yet still manages to keep things impressively personal. It is full of action, yet is emotionally resonant to a surprising degree. It is definitely what I would call a slow-burn, yet once we pass a certain point fairly early on, it becomes so engrossing, so fascinating, so viscerally real that I just couldn't put it down.

One thing I have to admit is in the earliest chapters, I found my attention waning. At first I found it difficult to connect with Mimoru, on account of his youth, his arrogance, and his utter faith in a system he has never seen any proof of.

Misaki I found little better in those early chapters, though for wholly different reasons. She's a woman who does not, in any way, belong in the life she's in, and it wasn't until much later in the story that I finally understood why she found herself living that life.

But I digress.

In short, this is the epitome of a slow-burn story in which you really don't understand who people are or why they are the way they are until much later. It requires a fair leap on faith in the author's ability to bring it all together and craft something beautiful.

And make no mistake, M.L. Wang accomplishes that with finesse and style.

I've seen other reviewers criticize the writing style as indulgent, needlessly complex, and overly wordy.
Well, I have to disagree on 2-and-a-half of those points.

Yes, you read that right. 2.5 of the three points.
Allow me to explain.

Although the writing is complex, with a good number of new words, ideas, and customs, I find that complexity fits this novel with near perfection.

Similarly, while the writing absolutely is wordy, this is a case of characterization more than anything. You'll find many novels written in the third person that are written with considerable distance from the characters, as though the narrator is "God" or a similarly omniscient figure, thereby giving descriptions and background in a clinical way.

Not so here. Every word of this novel is written in the voice of a character, and the wordiness is 100% in keeping with the way these characters see the world.

Now, on indulgence I give a half-point.
Allow me to explain.

The author goes to considerable length to explain some things that I found obvious, and does go to great lengths to clarify cultural aspects that I suspect are well known among those more familiar with eastern cultures.

However, I didn't find any of it to be excessive.
I give it a half point largely because I can see it being tedious to those who might be more familiar with such things.

If I had to name a single thing this novel does extremely well, it would be characters. Every major character has an incredible arc and it was far beyond a joy to witness the growth of these characters.

The author also manages what I consider the "holy grail" of storytelling, which is the combination of plot and character. The characters are the plot, and the plot is the characters. You truly cannot separate the two in this novel. Every aspect of each character's arc is a major plot point, and every major plot point creates progression along those character arcs.

Needless to say, I can't give you specifics about exactly what in those arcs I loved so much without giving spoilers for the story. So what I will say here is that if you read this book (and you should), go into it with the commitment to finish it. Even if you find the opening dull, trust the author to lead you on a wonderful adventure that has one of the most fantastic endings I've seen in a standalone novel.

Another aspect of this story that I found absolutely incredible is the mixture of magic system and world building. I place the two together (against my usual method) because they really are inseparable. The magic system is as much a living, breathing part of the world as the culture of the Kaiganese or their enemies. And I find it fascinating. It does have something of an Avatar-meets-X-men vibe to it, in that certain characters or families have their own things that they can do, while pretty much everyone who can manipulate it has access to some variant of the natural elements. But it's so much more than than. There are so many specialized uses for the abilities they possess, and so many ways they turn those abilities into so much more than a normal individual would expect.

It was phenomenal, and in the large battle where we get to see almost everything at work, the complexity and the setup that went into it blew my mind.

It's a rare thing for me to laugh hysterically, stand up and cheer, and bawl my eyes out all within a single book. Much less a single chapter.

This novel accomplished all three extremes in a single SCENE!
Take a moment to absorb that and think about what that would take.

Now, this is the part where I would normally talk about things that I found problematic in the novel. I'll admit that earlier in the book I had a couple things, but later on it proved to be merely that I didn't have a full understanding yet of the characters or the way this world works. I was under some mistaken impressions.

I think the closest thing I have to a critique is the slow progress at the start of the book. I think I was probably 5 hours into the audiobook before I got so engrossed in it that I only put it down when I absolutely had to.

I spent so much of the book in complete awe, which was only exacerbated by the fact that for much of it I just couldn't fathom how the story was going to keep going long enough to take up the rest of the runtime!

So, let's discuss the ending for a moment.
As I alluded to above, there are some major emotional extremes to be found in the climaxes (there are several). Every time you think you've reached the emotional high and it's going to start to wind down, you find an even higher emotional extreme that you have to find a way to come down from. Only at the very end, when you feel so wrung out that you wouldn't survive another emotional dropkick, does it finally end and bring everything around full circle for one of the most incredible endings of any book I've ever read.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is absolutely my #1 novel of 2020.
Really, if you read only one fantasy this year, it should be this one. Even if fantasy isn't normally your thing, read it. If superhero-eske books aren't your thing, read it. If semi-historical isn't your thing, still read it. And even if eastern cultures don't normally do it for you, read this book!

You'll be glad you did.

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Inventive and entertaining, despite it's problems

Revisado: 06-03-20

This is a curious admixture of Western Mystery/adventure and fantasy that, despite a number of issues, is a quick, fun listen.

Jack De Golia does an excellent job with the audio. His narration tone and pace is excellent for the subject matter and his character voices are well crafted, consistent, and distinct. His vocal inflections are near-perfect, and his shifts in tempo throughout the story are subtle but effective.

The first thing that becomes apparent right away is the author's word choices are absolutely spot on to fit the Old West world the story takes place in.

The second is that this is a fantastic premise!

As a general rule I'm not fond of guns in fantasy, but this isn't a fantasy world so much as an Old West world with fantasy flavor, and that aspect of it is executed brilliantly.

Now, for many I'm sure this won't be an issue, but I wasn't fond of the omniscient perspective. I much prefer stories that are grounded in one (or more) character's point of view.

Especially since for most of the story it actually comes off as more objective than omniscient as there is very little insight into internal motivations, and almost all of what there is was given in the form of either dialogue or expository back story.

I would have liked seeing a lot more internal motivation, thoughts, feelings, and reactions.

While I understand the reason an author might omit contractions for this kind of book, the unfortunate reality is that all it does is make it sound stilted. The idea that using contractions is a modern creation is not only historically inaccurate, it also makes dialogue sound silly.

There are a few scenes that are a little on the nose, with things being spelled out unnecessarily. We don't need a verbalized agreement/explanation when a simple nod or grimace would have done the job.

To address the ending.
Again, some parts were a little on the nose and over explained, but once we get into it things quickly start to bubble over and the action gets very exciting.

There's a nice call back to an earlier event in the ending that does tie things together quite nicely.

It's fairly common in novellas, but I did find the very end quite abrupt with no real wrap up.

Despite its relatively minor issues, this was a fun story to listen to and I hope the author starts writing some longer, more complex stories in this world.

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Harry Potter meets Katniss Everdeen (in a bad way)

Revisado: 05-24-20

This is very much a trope-ridden YA fantasy romance, with all that entails.

This was my first experience with narrator Devan Mcgaughey and I have to admit she was impressive. Her voices are varied and distinct, with even her male voices being on the cusp of believability. Her vocal inflections were largely spot on and her tempo shifts throughout the text were effective while still on the subtler side.

Okay, let's start with the good.
I enjoy the author's writing style. In most instances she provides just the right amount of detail and there's plenty about the character's internal motivations without being bogged down in internal monologue.

The world painted here is interesting and at least somewhat realistic in it's details, though there are a few problematic areas.

The main characters are well drawn, being distinct with their own quirks and goals alongside those of the main character.

When she was first introduced, I actually liked Vhalla. The trouble is that the more time I spend with her, the more I realize she's the quintessential YA heroine, with all the negative connotations that come with it.

She's whiny. She's self-centered. She has the oh-so-common duality of not caring a whit about anyone while simultaneously acting as though every little thing that happens in the world is her personal responsibility (these very traits are exactly what I hate about The Hunger Games).

So, when she decides she deserves the prince even though he's a douche and way above her, I get it. She's just send centered enough to think she deserves whatever she wants regardless of how far above her it is. Most especially when the person who's actually good for her is practically throwing himself at her.

Similarly, I believe her motivation when she thinks she can have her cake and eat it too regarding her magic and unwillingness to submit.

But these traits make me hate her and question why any male would want her.

Now, that aside, there are some elements to the world that irk me. Such as the whole, "submit to our rules or we'll burn out your magic" thing. I mean, really?

And why are these princes out in public among the common folk without escorts? Magic or no, that seems absurd to me.

I'm not going to get into my issues with the magic system, as these are largely a matter of personal preference.

The truth is, I almost DNF'd this book on multiple occasions. What kept me reading is this feeling that something better was coming. The pacing was excellent and the writing so good that I felt like it had to get better.

Sticking with it is what saved this book from a 1-Star rating. Although the main character remains equally unbearable throughout 95% of the book, good side characters, a fascinating mystery, and excellent plotting saved it.

I don't like spoilers in reviews, so I'll just say this. If you find yourself wanting to put the book down anywhere in the first 70%, stick with it. The last 30% or so of the book are much better and actually make the rest a lot more bearable.

Although I still think that certain elements of her choices in the book make the main character an idiot, in all other ways the ending of the book is set up and executed brilliantly. It neatly closes this book's story while setting the stage for the next step in the series arc.

In spite of my hatred of the main character as a person, I will be continuing this series.

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