Llallume

Piranesi is a beautiful mystery.

Revisado: 09-11-21

Piranesi is a beloved child of the House.

Our main character is a logically minded, scientific man who, though he wishes to be accurate, clear, and knowledgeable, doesn't fall to cynicism and jadedness. He has a deep wonder for the world he inhabits and an unwavering respect for it and those who share it. He is called Piranesi and he lives in the House.

This story is masterfully written. We begin with Piranesi leading us through the world he lives in, introducing it to us and us to it. We are confused and unsure. He is the expert. He knows far more than we do. As the story progresses, we slowly become more and more aware of what's truly happening. Eventually, we know more than our main character. This exchange of roles is gradual and emotional.

This story is, at its core, a fantastical mystery. It is wonderful at being that. Even more than that, I feel, it is commentary on science, and wonder, home, respect, identity, friendship, and the magic of all of these things.

Our main character is incredibly likable, even lovable in his habits and philosophies. They are childlike in the best ways: Simple and true. The narrator is very good at portraying this. His voice is gentle and thoughtful for Piranesi and, as most of the book is Piranesi's narration, it is wonderful to listen to. The rest of the cast is small and the voice actor does well to differentiate their voices in small, perceivable ways. There was only one character I thought was a bit indistinct. There were a few clicks and whistles (very few, maybe only a half-dozen) which drew my attention as distracting. Other than those minor things, the narration was a joy to experience and brought the story to life.

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A story dancing between the light and dark.

Revisado: 09-09-21

This series is something that would have had me daydreaming for weeks as a teenager. It has everything I loved: magic, romance, adventure, and independent, quick-witted teenage protagonists. I have to concede, however, that I am no longer the target audience for this series.

Each individual element of the story, I think, was pretty good, but they didn't always mesh well. The romance felt believably like it belonged to teenagers. The silly arguments and pining all fit the love story well. Similarly, the darker elements felt threatening and the lengths our heroes had to go to felt mostly justified. However, the romance and the darker elements clashed when juxtaposed. I often wanted to shake our protagonists for their petty romantic pouting when people they loved were in dire situations and relying on them.

There were a few situations that felt very silly. Jack's brothers' success was a little over-the-top, as was Zuma's home life.

Ultimately, the bouncing between the light, childish moments and the honestly horrifying, darkness of certain situations was a bit disorienting.

The key notes of the story stand out as enjoyable and I think that's what kept me with series, along with some of the characters (like Ian) and the fantastic voice acting.

This is a large and varied cast and all characters are represented with a unique voice, making each instantly recognizable as they appear in the story. The narration (without character voices) is clear and gentle and enjoyable to listen to. My favorite voices were Ian's and Finley's. The characters are very different and their voices reflect those differences well (all the way down to Ian's gentle lisp from his braces).

This is a great series for a teen, or anyone who enjoys young adult novels and doesn't mind the little bit of melodrama that comes with the genre.

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A monumental conclusion!

Revisado: 02-16-21

I just finished this book and it left me dazed. It was exciting and vast without being too overly-complicated. The characters are ones we know and love and the new characters are just as interesting and likable in their own ways. I loved this book the most out of the trilogy and found myself cheering (sometimes out loud) for our heroes. The only issue I had throughout the trilogy was sometimes mixing up the names of the Scandian marauder captains (more than likely my own fault). I loved seeing so much tie up by the end of this book, even things I didn't expect to matter so much; it was great.

I love the energy and passion brought by Steve Barnes. The characters feel real and the steady narration falls to the back to highlight the characters, giving these books a movie-like quality while listening. I'm sad to see there are books in the series that he doesn't narrate. I hope that changes and I don't lose the voices of these beloved characters.

So far, this has been my favorite series in a very long time and this book was one of the most enjoyable.

Audiobook received in exchange for an unbiased review.

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A fast-paced space escapade!

Revisado: 02-16-21

No time or resources to waste in this exciting adventure! Forces are united against the Apex enemy that is ravaging humanity and Hroom mercilessly. The unpredictable Scandians, the fractured state of humanity, the continued onslaught of Apex terror, it's hard to imagine how our heroes will survive; they have some new tricks, but will it be enough?

The performance by Mr. Barnes is always immersive, clear, and concerned with detail. Characters show so much emotion in their voices and that's very important in a book with such high stakes (not to mention the huge cast). It's hard to pick a favorite voice but developed a soft spot for the young Scandian crew member, Yarn, who speaks with a bit of a speech impediment due to surviving the plague.

This was a wonderful companion on many walks and I quickly moved on to the next book once I finished this one. It's hard not to love the characters especially.

A copy of this audiobook was received for an unbiased review.

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A great opening to a thrilling trilogy.

Revisado: 02-16-21

Catarina Vargus, the enrapturing pirate captain and would-be settler queen is back and in fantastic form in this entry to the Blackbeard series. Mr. Wallace manages to wrangle his huge and growing cast into this thrilling adventure. Things are heating up against Apex who will not hesitate to slaughter any sentient lifeform they come across in brutal and terrifying form. Not only do the scattered survivors need all the help they can get, they are facing off against the Viking-like Scandians who would sooner pillage any ship in their midst than join forces.

The performance in this book is, again, wonderful. With such a long series, it feels like we get to really know the characters as time goes by. Their voices are familiar and Mr. Barnes' performance is nuanced and thoughtful. Each character sounds different and speaks in a unique way, people from similar places have similar accents. In the story, some Scadians have had their lips eaten away by plague and that is perceptible in the performance. It's very immersive and perfect for the series.

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Join the Crew!

Revisado: 11-29-20

This is a thrilling journey through space and almost dizzying in scope. The story is filled with lore and history, which I am learning Michael Wallace is more than talented at developing. The pacing of these books are fantastic and I loved moving from vast battles between empires to the more specific stories of the Hroom and Singaporean soldiers. Moreover, the characters are well-rounded, believable, and likeable. It's hard to pick favorites but I adore spending time with Capp, Carvalho, and Nyb Pim.

These characters cannot be mentioned without also mentioning the narration and voice acting. The cast is huge and hearing a clear and discernable unique voice for each character is astounding when you remember it's all done by a single person. The voices match the attitudes and actions of the character without falling into cliché. The voices do change somewhat as this long series plays out. That's to be expected, and the voices only fit better as time progresses.

It would be difficult to gush about the story without writing a novel-length review, so I will simply say that it's immense and exciting. The enemies are terrifying, the emotions are strong, and the relationships are deep, flawed, and endearing. I could not help but feel I was part of the crew.

Disclaimer: I received a promotional code for this book. My review is as unbiased as possible.

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A Heart-Pounding Battle in a City Out of Time.

Revisado: 12-16-19

It's a fight to save Quintana! The corrupt are powerful, the good are shackled in secrets, resources are sparse, and ignorance and the old ways are smothering.

The greedy and ambitious Naila has schemed and clawed her way into an incredibly powerful position and has access to a treasure trove of strange and dangerous artifacts. Meanwhile, our heroes are racing to stop her from destroying the city as she goes from calculated to rampaging. At the center of it all is an artifact that could end Quintana or bring about the new Plenty.

As I've stated in each of my reviews for this series, Mr. Wallace has created a world within the terraced city of Quintana. A world with cultures, traditions, rules, accents, superstitions... A world which suggests a larger world beyond it.

As I got to know Quintana, I started feeling a little like a native of the city. Basdeen seemed far off and wholly different. The structure of society, however flawed, disagreeable, and sometimes outright wrong, was recognizable to me and, in that way, somehow safe. Quintana walks the line between being fantastical and being recognizable enough as to be your own home.

Adding to the realism of this world were its characters- all flawed, all struggling, all with knowledge, needs, wants, and emotions. I came to understand and care for many of these characters. We leave none of them the same as they were when we met them.

In short, this book (these books) are skillfully written and wonderfully immersive.

I cannot talk about how immersive this book is without also mentioning the narration. Mr. Barnes is a one-man show, giving life to the large cast of this book. With the incredible array of distinct voices, an unknowing person might guess this narration was done by a number of talented voice actors. Even nameless citizens get unique voices. They are the kind of voices that conjure a face in your mind, giving the world that much more life.

Mr. Barnes’ narration is smooth, well-paced, and carefully read in gentler tones which allows his voice acting work to shine during dialogue. I never mistook narration for a character speaking or vice versa which made the story easy to follow and a bit like a radio play. As stated in another review, he also has a talent for lending realistic emotions to dialogue without coming off as melodramatic.

Lady Mercado was one of my favorite voices to listen to in this book. Mr. Barnes gives her an air of regal authority tinged with age, powerful if a bit pompous. Carbon’s voice is smooth, carefully paced, and strong, thoughtful and backed with hope. Naila’s voice is dark and syrupy and only a thin veil for her wickedness.

The ending of the story is satisfying and rounds out the trilogy well, but I imagine there could be more. If Mr. Wallace and Mr. Barnes team up again to bring us back to Quintana, I’d love to return.

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A City on the Bitter Brink.

Revisado: 08-27-19

A new artifact is found in Lord Carbon's mines, leading to a desperate struggle to gain control over it despite the dangers that seep from the depths. Power shifts, alliances, treachery, and technologies no one knows quite how to use- all this in the highest ranks of the illustrious city of Quintana. And that's all just the top terrace balanced precariously on the broiling social climate below.

Something I find to be very rare in books, but seems to come easily to Wallace's Quintana is a distinct history. Here, in book two of the series, the world is deepened. I was reminded by characters like Grosst, a foreigner to Quintana, that the issues at play were distinct to the city, as are (we can guess) many of the beliefs, rituals, and rules. Not only does it make for an amazing setting with a distinct (but familiar) society, it makes me curious how unique Quintana actually is. It really is something that shines about the story.

Character relationships and standings are also more clearly outlined as we go along. No longer are we meeting our heroes, villains, and those in-between, but we're learning their motivations, hopes, and plans, and witnessing how they carry them out. Carbon is level and thoughtful throughout, Naila is brash and reaching, Pedro is perhaps a little too sweet and gentle for the world he lives in.

All these characters come to life with more beautiful narration. Each character's voice has just gotten better in this second volume, fitting each personality very naturally. My favorite voices in this volume are Carbon who has a steady and warm sound to him, and Grosst who is often quick with her words and a little sharp with a charming accent. The narration is smooth and clear, very easy to listen to and enjoy, often with pronounced consonants at the end of words. No slurring here.

A wonderful listen that's sure to send you to the stacked terraces along the Rift for an exciting adventure.

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An Immersive Opening to a City in Silent Struggle.

Revisado: 02-11-19

The world Michael Wallace creates in this book is amazing. It isn't so alien as to take a lot of time to get used to, but is new and fascinating and left me wanting to explore more of it.

Quintana is a city where tradition, code, and hierarchy rule. These elements are reinforced by each other and not only keep the society running, but locks people into their place; the only way to go is down. Even the terraced housing- with the wealthiest five families at the top in lavish luxury, and the poorest of the poor levels beneath in squalor- echoes the strict social ranking.

The Festival of Fools felt dizzying and exciting but for all of its joviality, the hard backing of tradition, code, and hierarchy was still felt.

The world is lush with lore and detail that Wallace expertly weaves into the story without bombarding the reader (or listener) with too much information at once. As I moved through the story, I remembered details almost as if I'd known them all along.

The narration is wonderful and gives a lot of life to an already rich world.

Steve Barnes' voice is gentle and clear and easy to listen to. The voices he gives each character stand out against his general narration as if another person were speaking altogether.

Each voice matches its character wonderfully. Carbón's strong, resonant voice captures his thoughtfulness, patience, and kindness and was my favorite. Lord Torre had the careful cadence of a once strong man diminished physically by time but still just as quick and astute as ever. And Torre's nephew, Pedro, is so full of quiet sweetness and youth.

Each voice is so distinct that I never had trouble knowing who was speaking.

This was a wonderful introduction to this world and to the author. I bought the second book before even finishing this one. Highly recommended!

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