Jan Bryde
- 39
- opiniones
- 7
- votos útiles
- 46
- calificaciones
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Bearers of the Black Staff
- Pre-Shannara: Legends of Shannara, Book 1
- De: Terry Brooks
- Narrado por: Phil Gigante
- Duración: 13 h y 28 m
- Versión completa
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Historia
Five hundred years have passed since the devastating demon-led war that tore apart the United States, leaving nothing but scorched and poisoned ruins, and nearly exterminating humankind. Those who escaped the carnage and blight were led to sanctuary by the boy savior known as the Hawk—the gypsy morph.
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Awesome story
- De Brian en 08-11-22
- Bearers of the Black Staff
- Pre-Shannara: Legends of Shannara, Book 1
- De: Terry Brooks
- Narrado por: Phil Gigante
Really deep storybuild
Revisado: 08-31-24
I love that the backdrop of the world is told i so much detail, without it being unnecessarily political or conveluted in nature.
there are lots of intersting themes in terms of parallel societies and subcultures and factions with their interplays which defeinetely is a boon. especially since it pinpoints how difficult union can be.
I enjoyed the coming of age arcs and the arcs of realisation, which is of course also the achillies heel. in this case it supports and drives the story, which is a huge relief.
the narration is crisp and to tye point
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How to Survive Your Murder
- De: Danielle Valentine
- Narrado por: Valerie Rose Lohman
- Duración: 9 h y 38 m
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Alice Lawrence is the sole witness in her sister’s murder trial. And in the year since Claire’s death, Alice’s life has completely fallen apart. Her parents have gotten divorced, she’s moved into an apartment that smells like bologna, and she is being forced to face her sister’s killer and a courtroom full of people who doubt what she saw in the corn maze a year prior.
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Plot twist!?!?!
- De jami bott en 03-07-23
- How to Survive Your Murder
- De: Danielle Valentine
- Narrado por: Valerie Rose Lohman
Great potential...but meh ending
Revisado: 08-18-24
I loved the premise even if I've heard "the rules of the horror movie" before so it isnt new in a groundbreaking way, I like the adaptation.
It makes for a great framing for the book, and allows for the nreaking of the 4th wall (conversations with the audience) without it really feeling comedic.
the buildup is awsome. the stagesetting, the first wave of action i loved it. the pieces fit and the story flows really well in a mix of all things holy to horror and what I felt is a great narration.
I love that there are so many twists, so many "But for's" and so many new things that appear. it is easy to get lost in how the events really udfolde.
all that being great - the end...say the last 1.5h have me rattled. it felt somehow too frantic...so I kinda zoned out? it was too crescendo but with no "umpf" at the end. I am not rightly sure I understood what happended, as a matter of fact.
Narration i felt spot on for the type of book - a young (american) horror nerd - think Jessica from Twilight. I felt that the emotions and the thought processes were nailed. especially the nerdy quality vs. the sheer terror of it all was really well executed.
It felt well paced, very few "errors" (changing accents, omitting breathing and pauses...that sort of thin).
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The Priory of the Orange Tree
- De: Samantha Shannon
- Narrado por: Liyah Summers
- Duración: 25 h y 52 m
- Versión completa
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Historia
The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction - but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.
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In a word, WOW
- De Kevin Potter en 03-09-19
- The Priory of the Orange Tree
- De: Samantha Shannon
- Narrado por: Liyah Summers
not my thing. didnt come together.
Revisado: 08-07-24
for me, it was too long winded...albeit it seemed rushed several times.i struggled to get through it.
i freely admit that i suck at listening to books with parallel storylines and a "political feel" (see my review of Devia's Children, fx)...but I felt i dint have a handle on the story And the cast until 10hours or more in.
I felt it too serious - there are barely any humorous passages and very few laughs and a book where u have to conciously, actively listen all the time -and remember the Lore to be able to piece it together- it fails to excite and captivate me.
it felt lik a remix pot of Pirates of the Carribian vs. Assasins Creed vs. ...idk..something with dragons, I guess and it never truly felt as though it "worked".
it does have a lot of great qualities - its not wrong to call it epic fantasy. it has many current themes and the journey a lot of the characters are on certainly have a lot in them.
unlike other listeners, the narrator in my mind pulled of a decent job. it didnt save the listen, but unlike other books ive listened to, it didnt make me cringe either. thats was pleasant.
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The Joy of Murder
- Daiyu Wu Mysteries, Book 2
- De: Gloria Oliver
- Narrado por: Brandon S. Borko
- Duración: 6 h y 42 m
- Versión completa
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When a highly respected member of the "Little Mexico" community is killed in 1930 Dallas, all the evidence points toward Grace Pierce, wife of a local businessman and a former member of the Ku Klux Klan. Grace’s son Truman turns to Daiyu Wu and her unique detective skills for help, but Dai quickly discovers that nothing about this case is what it seems. With her companion Jacques and canine bodyguard Prince Razor, Dai must navigate a family in turmoil, racial tensions, and shady business deals to find the actual killer before Truman's mother is sentenced to death.
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Not for me...but! (slightly biased review)
- De Jan Bryde en 07-11-24
- The Joy of Murder
- Daiyu Wu Mysteries, Book 2
- De: Gloria Oliver
- Narrado por: Brandon S. Borko
Not for me...but! (slightly biased review)
Revisado: 07-11-24
This one didn't quite capture me for a few reasons.
First and foremost - I have not listened to book 1. So perhaps a lot of my misgivings are buried there. I suspect that I am missing a kinship with the characters that others might have.
I am not convinced by the premise of a blind Asian socialite detective either. Set in the 1930's Dallas, that is a stretch of the imagination - either way you slice it, especially since there isn't any "mysticism" (think Jedi or similar) to "soften the blow".
But! having said that:
The mystery as such and the setting and the style are quite good. I even enjoyed the way society is represented in a way that feels pretty accurate – if it wasn’t a blind person. There are so many details and a stringent narration, which make this a pleasant listen, after all.
I am inclined to get book 1 as well, just to check if it warrants a revisit of this one.
Pretty good – potentially really good.
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Carmilla
- De: Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
- Narrado por: Phoebe Fox, Rose Leslie, David Tennant, y otros
- Duración: 2 h y 22 m
- Grabación Original
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Historia
Audible Originals bring you a brand new audiobook adaptation of J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s classic gothic novella, Carmilla - starring Rose Leslie ( Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey), David Tennant ( Doctor Who and Broadchurch) and Phoebe Fox ( Life in Squares and The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death)
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Too much breathing in my ear
- De Samantha en 10-09-19
- Carmilla
- De: Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
- Narrado por: Phoebe Fox, Rose Leslie, David Tennant, David Horovitch, James Wilby, Susan Wooldridge, Hannah Genesius
Chillingly thrilling
Revisado: 06-12-24
I loved this.
It is a short listen with all the classic slightly "over the top" expressiveness I would attribute to Victorian era stories and dramatization. It feels ...quaint? ...and I love it. I felt sated after listening to it - just the right balance for my taste.
I admit it is very much outside of my normal genre choice - primarily motivated by the cast, in particular (but perhaps unfairly) Rose Leslie and David Tennant - and yet - the supernatural and the mystery and the thrill are all right up my alley. And they are catered for exquisitely by the cast performance.
Given the short nature of the listen – I am amazed at how much depth and character is developed. Classic writing meets extraordinary performance.
I will have to listen again
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Miss Percy's Pocket Guide (to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons)
- A Miss Percy Guide, Book 1
- De: Quenby Olson
- Narrado por: Zara Ramm
- Duración: 12 h y 36 m
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Miss Mildred Percy is a spinster. She does not dance, she has long stopped dreaming, and she certainly does not have adventures. That is, until her great uncle has the audacity to leave her an inheritance, one that includes a dragon’s egg. The egg—as eggs are wont to do—decides to hatch, and Miss Mildred Percy is suddenly thrust out of the role of “spinster and general wallflower” and into the unprecedented position of “spinster and keeper of dragons.” But England has not seen a dragon since…well, ever.
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Pride and prejudice and dragon
- De Silly pants en 11-07-22
- Miss Percy's Pocket Guide (to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons)
- A Miss Percy Guide, Book 1
- De: Quenby Olson
- Narrado por: Zara Ramm
Zara makes a fun tale epic
Revisado: 05-12-24
I love Zara's way of narration. And she absolutely nails the humor and the tone of this one. I bought this listen just because she is the narrator....and because the title indlcludes dragons..which is my Jam, really. I am blissfully reminded of The Chronicles of St. Maries.
I am one who loves a little bit of irony and sarcasm and when it is mixed in with the breaking of the fourth wall in such an intelligent and subtle way as it is, it is just enormously entertaining.
what is really interesting is that it is a coming of age story in a way...which is extremely elegant for a book about a woman "of a certain age".
the premise that we are in our realm dealing with the (super)natural is superbly interesting. I am not sure this would work in a 2000's setting as well as it does in this book.
this is the first installment of a series i am sure to enjoy a lot.
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Saltblood
- De: T C Parker
- Narrado por: Gina Marie Davies
- Duración: 8 h y 14 m
- Versión completa
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Robin didn’t mean to break the law. Didn’t know at first what law she’d broken. And now she’s on her way to Salt Rock - a new-model prison for a new kind of criminal, way out in the remote Northern Isles of Scotland. On Salt Rock, she'll meet other prisoners like her - men and women from all over the world, spirited away from the lives they knew for crimes they didn’t know they were committing.
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Fusion of fantasy, sci-fi and dystopia
- De Jan Bryde en 04-16-24
- Saltblood
- De: T C Parker
- Narrado por: Gina Marie Davies
Fusion of fantasy, sci-fi and dystopia
Revisado: 04-16-24
This is an incredibly simple and yet highly complex book, and I am really torn on its review.
It has everything I like…but also what I do not. I’ve listened twice (just because the review I had promised never got done and I wanted it to be fresh). Both times I was drawn by the mystery of “what did they do wrong” as well as the “what the beep is going on here” (both in the sense of the connections and the location). On the other hand, I felt a form of “message overload” – there were perhaps one too many style-threads that competed in my mind.
I have difficulties reconciling the fantastic/spiritual aspect of the book to the more sci fi / dystopian part. On its own – the mystery in the fantastic sense is exciting and could easily be a standalone novel. So could the more obvious prison story, which incidentally reminds me in a very nice way of “Papillion” (albeit the similarity stops quite quickly – and is likely more thematic in my mind than general). BUT it gives the book and edge and a level that is not quite common and raises the bar for the genre. That is quite cool.
There are some very interesting themes – what is the level of crazy our cancel culture could conceivably achieve? How are relationships formed – unexpectedly (and graphically, I might add)? There is also a heavy undertone of societal cohesion – what happens to a society that is disrupted?
Character-wise I like this book a lot. I love the interactions, the way the characters are brought to life in the narrative, and I love the way the different cast gravitate to/from one another for different reasons...
Gina Marie Davies lends a vibrant voice to the book.
Lots of credit for working to give each character a …character…which is not a mean feat, given the characters range from young female to gruff old men. Especially the way differences in age and socioeconomic situations shines through in some neat nuances of inflection.
I love the way GMD creates different tones in different situations, which help me personally to immerse myself more deeply into the story. As it should be…I guess.
The way pitch, speed and tone come together across the board is quite good. Granted – a book set in Scotland might raise expectations to a UK-English – but then: Who can understand a proper Scot anyway? (No offence to the Scots – I love you heaps 😉). I felt the narration came with a nice “surplus” – other narrators sound breathless or rushed – this one was on the spot.
Overall, I do like the book for all its elements, but somehow it doesn’t quite -- come together -- for me.
Still – a solid listen which I would recommend.
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Respect to the Man in the Ice Cream Van
- De: Simon Carr
- Narrado por: Kent Cadwallader
- Duración: 4 h y 9 m
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Everything was better in the '90s unless it was being attacked by ghost witches. If it was being attacked by ghost witches then it was not that great; although it happened at a great time and in an awesome setting.
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Witches potion… oldtimey drug slang
- De hexwolfx en 10-07-24
- Respect to the Man in the Ice Cream Van
- De: Simon Carr
- Narrado por: Kent Cadwallader
No spit an polish – just brutal, magical comedy
Revisado: 03-19-24
I love this one. I love the setting, I love the premise, I love the cast and …and..EVERYTHING.
I am, one might say – and forgive the pun – a raving fan.
The book could fairly (I think) be placed somewhere between a Terry Pratchet novel, in style and humor vs. “the Craft” in the “witches want to rule the world” department – as well as Pulp Fiction on speed for the language, I guess.
There isn’t much development of characters, the plot is a fast affair with not a break in the action. I love the premise and the execution – how Carr comes up with this is mindboggling. I do get a slight feeling of Deus ex machinegun (because normal divine intervention really doesn’t quite cut it in this story) with some of what turns out to work – but that’s actually what makes this listen hilarious. (among other things)
The narration is probably going to split the waters, I think. I love and have watched a lot of (British) English movies in the genre (think Hot Fuzz, lock stock and two smoking barrels, stand-up comedy, talk shows) and have a pretty strong understanding of colloquialisms, slang and dialect. I love the heavy dialect and I have hearty laughs at the not quite so refined choice of…descriptive…narrative.
Having said that - This listen had me straining my ears to the max at some points. It does take away a bit of the ease of listen. And the swearing – through no fault of the narrator – makes this not for the faint of heart
– strong language, substance abuse.
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Angel's Trap
- The Secret of the Oxpen's Angel, Book 1
- De: Lei R. Tasker
- Narrado por: Jen Ulman
- Duración: 2 h y 17 m
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Paige left the only life she’s ever known in Cardiff to move to Oxford, hoping to escape her cheating ex-boyfriend Rufus, and start anew. At Oxford, with some help, she swiftly finds a job as a research assistant to a retired yet eccentric professor, Hugh Eckland, and quickly discovers that the seemingly quaint atmosphere of her new home is only skin-deep, as unnerving secrets start to make their way to the surface.
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Keeps you on the edge of your seat
- De KelliG en 12-05-24
- Angel's Trap
- The Secret of the Oxpen's Angel, Book 1
- De: Lei R. Tasker
- Narrado por: Jen Ulman
Suspence, drama - and the cliffhanger from hell
Revisado: 03-16-24
This story is an easy listen with a twist. You KNOW it is suspense and mystery…but you do not know the extent or nature of it. To me that is the hallmark of a fine novel – and boy does this one deliver. We are quickly drawn into a mystery that deepens and gets creepier with “every turn of the page” so to speak.
The story starts out innocuously enough, with a slightly struggling academic, who leaves her home to seek her fortunes elsewhere. Entering the employ of a truly eccentric, British academic, she thinks mostly nothing ill, until several seemingly unrelated but shocking occurrences disrupt her daily – if not quite normal – routines.
This is where the web of connections is truly spun and the suspense builds. Pieces of detail suddenly start to fit eerily together and the people around her deliver certain facts and knowledge (and slightly disturbing behavior) that leave not doubt that “something bad is about to happen”. What is cool is that we get the revelations real time, as Paige figures them out (ok, granted – there is some of it we the readers could have figured). There is no parallel story arc to pre-inform or later explain (yet) what is happening as we go. That is awesome.
I like that many details seem so random at the beginning – but become very important. Quirky turns of a phrase – miss it and you will MISS it. That is the twist with this book. Paranoia is your best friend – take it ALL in. This is what makes this a storywise impeccable peace of work: It is so cleanly executed. It is easy in the sense there is little furfarah – very little ornamentation to distract you – so the little things matter and you cannot “afford” to miss anything. So listen up! :)
There are some occurrences in the book, which I would call “plot breakers”. Things that make me think “well..if that hadn’t just happened – the book would have stopped”. Call him Rufus. Nevertheless, it does not stop. On the contrary. Weirdly, impressively the web just tugs at the corners, bringing even more detail and coincidence to light – which is a delightful experience. Without spoiling too much I think it safe to say that there are layers to the scheming and levels to the book I have not yet realized – so there are contingensies and explanations for everything.
Unfortunately, just as the plot thickens to the point of “and here we go” the book ends. Just as we realize just how deeply involved the complete cast (save for precious, innocent few) are. Leaving me wondering and asking for more.
Words on the narration:
Jen Ulman is not a native Brit. I am a stickler for accents matching the setting, so to me that was somewhat of a detractor, given story takes place in the most British of the UK. I think most others would easily let it slide.
In my opinion, the narration could be clearer and I did feel that commas, punctuation and flow did not quite hit the mark, giving the odd break in the delivery. In longer books I might be more forgiving on this, but in this very condensed narrative, it really did take away some.
BUT! (Now comes the praise)
I did really enjoy the tone set by Ulman. She certainly manages to convey the suspence and the dramatic events very convincingly. The way she manages to instill a sort of muted unease and even the slightly humourous quirkyness of her employer is captured really well. Characters seem alive, even if they did not have defined voices, which is a fine example solid narration.
Having a female narrator -yeess the male listener goes gender - gives this an interesting spin on the dark thriller voice I would usually expect a deep voiced man or perhaps a softspoken Zachary Quinto to deliver. (I consider him one of my favourite suspence narrators). In my mind, there is a sneaking deviousness in it, which I thought work really well - if for no other reason than that the protagonist is a woman.
All in all, a very clean, enjoyable listen - without a HEA (yet) and a cliffhanger that begs listening to book 2.
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The Field Where I Died
- De: Melissa Bowersock
- Narrado por: Jonathan Waters
- Duración: 4 h y 18 m
- Versión completa
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Devon Muir has always been fascinated with the Civil War. When he discovers that his fourth great-grandfather fought at pivotal battles like Antietam and Gettysburg, he is compelled to follow in his ancestor's footsteps and experience the battlefields on his own. What he doesn't count on is dreaming about a battle every night - and being killed every time. Now his exploration of battlefields becomes a different kind of quest as he struggles to understand who is the soldier he becomes in his dream, and who is the woman whose face he sees as he lays dying.
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I wish the dog was more important ;)
- De Jan Bryde en 03-13-24
- The Field Where I Died
- De: Melissa Bowersock
- Narrado por: Jonathan Waters
I wish the dog was more important ;)
Revisado: 03-13-24
I love it.
This is a fun little read. It is short but manages to captivate and provide closure, which is impressive. It is a simple read, there are very few cast and only really one and a half storyline to keep track of. There is a HUGE difference to other books by Bowersock, in that this isn't timetravel, per se - which means this isn't one of the "causality loop" stories I both love and loathe.
I love the idea of a “temporal echo” that manifests as dreams and starts having a profound effect on the protagonist. This listen is as much a detective story as it is a love story – set in the past as much as in the present. The plot continues to thicken and deepen - and it is almost impossible not to spoil anything when diving into what happens. Suffice to say, the book is studded with more than meets the eye – and the protagonist faces some really hard experiences and choices.
Waters once again proves his superior consistency. The listen isn’t long – and yet it is easy to get drawn in. I found the mystery of the plot well represented. I did feel the personal “split” could have been deeper in the sense that it didn’t seem too emotionally invested – but all said, I really enjoy the listen.
I listened to this one “on autopilot” and it took me a while to realize that this was not a story in the same series as “Finding Travis” and “being Travis” by the same author and narrator – which perhaps isn’t too strange, given that the theme is similar, and the cast are voiced by the same narrator with similar roles.
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