Shaun

An absolute blast

Revisado: 02-26-23

It's Doc from beginning to end. It's totally over the top, it's funny, it's clever, and it's entirely in character. If you're a Champion, you will not regret this listen.

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Got good about 70% of the way through

Revisado: 08-20-18

I love Sanderson. Mistborn and Stormlight Archive are national treasures. Warbreaker...it's hard to follow and get into, at least for me personally. Here are some reasons why:'

1) The magic system is not explained until well past the halfway mark of the book. That's kind of a problem as often as Breath is used and discussed. When it is explained, it's interesting though, and it really is a neat system.

2) The narrator isn't bad, but her voices are hard to handle for some of the characters. Lightsong and Denth are big offenders on this one, though she does execute there personalities rather well. I also noticed that Bresnahan's voice kind of cracks a lot, like it's a dramatic scene where the character is sobbing, but she's just narrating something. Maybe that's a bit nitpicky, because she otherwise did a good job.

3) The characters can be irritatingly one-dimensional and slow to develop. The first chapters with the sisters are them each lamenting the arranged marriage from there own perspective. I zoned out a lot because I heard their perspectives several times and they kept talking about it. Lightsong was an atrocity. He's supposed to not care and be annoying, and wow was that successful. Humor can fall flat a lot in writing, and Lightsong's jokes made me long for the poor humor from Star Trek: The Next Generation when Data is trying to be funny. The character would drone on and on. Second to him is Blushweaver. Back to single dimensions, her singular, laser-like focus on sex got old in her introduction. Literally everything in her life revolves around it and it became tiresome.

Once big reveals happen, characters start making it through their arcs, and you learn more of how the world actually works, it starts to get really good. I was satisfied with the story when done despite the work it took getting through it. If there is another in the Warbreaker series, I will be sure to check it out!

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A triumph

Revisado: 03-29-18

Would you listen to Oathbringer again? Why?

I just may, actually! I devoured all of it voraciously. This is my favorite of the Stormlight Archive so far. Brandon Sanderson must have gloryspren throwing parades in his honor!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Oathbringer?

One word: Elhokar.

When you get to it, you will know what I am talking about. Sanderson's writing is so cinematic, I could just see the scene playing out as Kramer narrated it perfectly. Some combination of their combined work made this probably the most powerful moment in the entire story, and possibly in any story I have read/heard so far. I felt I was right there, witnessing the scene as if it was happening to a friend I had known for a good while. It's hard to explain, but it's really great.

What does Kate Reading and Michael Kramer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Skilled narrators just add so much life to a story. I love how I can just hear a voice/accent and know immediately which character is speaking. And with Michael Kramer in particular, he puts a lot of feeling into the narration. I noticed this in Mistborn as well - he really gets into the scenes. When there is excitement, his voice gets tense and excited, same for desperate scenes. Reading does this too, I have just heard a lot more Kramer and have gotten really familiar with his narration.

Any additional comments?

I saw earlier reviews saying this was a weaker work than the other books. I'm not sure those folks were reading the same thing I was listening to. Oathbringer is an epic story. It will not disappoint you.

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More! I must have more!

Revisado: 01-09-18

Who was your favorite character and why?

Wayne got a chance to shine a bit more. I really like how he does his work.

What does Michael Kramer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Michael Kramer's portrayals add so much depth to the characters, and so does his general narration. You can feel the scene, whether it be exciting or tense.

Any additional comments?

I have mentioned before that Brandon Sanderson is masterful at making the final chapters really nail it. This one had a pretty sharp twist that I did not see coming and was quite impressive.

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New setting, same great Mistborn!

Revisado: 01-09-18

If you could sum up The Alloy of Law in three words, what would they be?

Wild West Allomancy

Who was your favorite character and why?

Waxilium. He's quite capable and clever, and it was fun hearing his story.

Which character – as performed by Michael Kramer – was your favorite?

That might be Miles. He just sounded dangerous - really well done!

Any additional comments?

This new world brings a lot to the table. If you enjoyed the first Mistborn series, I think this is a great way to satisfy the craving for more. Allomancy and Feruchemy work surprisingly well and the new stuff became fascinating.

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What an amazing conclusion!

Revisado: 01-09-18

Would you listen to The Hero of Ages again? Why?

Who wouldn't?

Who was your favorite character and why?

I still find Elend to be my favorite. He has changed so much, and not just from his power but as a leader. He is a really good contrast to Vin, who is more headstrong and can be a bit reckless.

Which character – as performed by Michael Kramer – was your favorite?

Michael Kramer is so talented with his voice work that I often forget there is just one narrator. I would say Sazed would rank at the top because of his unique voice and accent, but everyone is well done.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The final confrontation with the Steel Inquisitors was incredible. I could just see in my mind's eye how it would look in a movie and it was glorious. I believe Sanderson mentioned writing the scene sort of like that in his log when he finished the book, and he did a great job.

Everything about the final chapters was great. I was growing tired of Sazed's religious stuff, but how that played into his arc at the end was superb.

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Just keeps getting better!

Revisado: 01-09-18

What did you like best about this story?

I like how the story continues to build up (or snowball, depending on your perspective). Final Empire was great, and Well of Ascension keeps it going and the stakes get raised all the time. I also really enjoyed Elend's development - he became one of my favorite characters.

The ending was, as is customary for Sanderson, a total surprise and got me jazzed for the third book. I am somewhat genre-savvy so I do see some things coming, but that was on a level I did not expect, especially when you learn more of it in Hero of Ages.

Which scene was your favorite?

I know it's weird, but for some reason, I really like when Michael Kramer reads lines like, "burned duralumen". It's just a cool word and concept, and there are always fun results from it. After finishing the entirety of Mistborn books available, this is still something I think of when remembering the series.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I'm not sure a film would do it justice, unless it got the same care Peter Jackson gave to the Lord of the Rings and Brandon Sanderson himself was right there to veto bad changes. And frankly, I love the series too much to come up with anything other than, "Just shut up and buy a ticket now!"

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'A thrill ride that never lets up'

Revisado: 09-10-17

Would you consider the audio edition of The Final Empire to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the book, but I think good narrators add a lot to the enjoyment of a story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I had to admit, I liked them all. Everyone was well-written and well-performed.

Have you listened to any of Michael Kramer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to his work in the Stormlight Archive. He is good in both of them, and I recognized similar voices for characters. He had the opportunity to do some other, creepy voices with the Inquisitors with this one. In either story, Kramer is the kind of narrator that might make you forget it is one person, not a cast of voice actors, with how many voices and accents are performed.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I had some chuckles and some "oh snap!" reactions while listening. Sanderson really nailed it with this book. And there are five more novels! What a treat!

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Mostly Pointless

Revisado: 08-03-17

What was most disappointing about Kate Russell’s story?

I didn't finish the book. The character is terrible and routinely makes the dumbest decisions imaginable, and I can imagine a lot. The story doesn't feel like it has anything to do with Elite besides the names of things. There is a colossal amount of sexual description going on and it got to be like some erotic fantasy story. I have no idea where this could possibly go but I am not interested.

What didn’t you like about Kate Russell’s performance?

She actually narrated her story as well as anyone could, but the problem is the extra effects they added. I don't know why but they decided that all conversation everywhere except while on board a station must echo. It is incredibly distracting. The sound effects are annoying as well. You just told me they excited hyperspace. I don't need the sound effect to go with it.

The characters I think were poorly written and their dialogue was...well pretty bad. I mean you know the sorts of scenes where good/bad guys have to provoke another character? Whether it be the classic D&D tavern scene where someone's trying really hard to start a fight, or the good guy is trying to get someone else to stumble into a trap? That happens here and in all cases it's always so forced and obvious. That it includes a lot of vulgarity does not help either.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Elite: Mostly Harmless?

It was doomed from the start. Anyone in the Angel Rose's position is a member of the Pilot's Federation and is not incompetent like she was portrayed to be. The description even says she's a CMDR and has years of galactic travel experience. There is no way she should be anywhere near the circumstance she is in at the beginning, much less continually making idiotic choices. I realize there has to be a plot setup, but perhaps that plot needs to be re-thought as well.

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Confusing unless you have ready all 30 prior books

Revisado: 08-03-17

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Anyone that has read all 30 novels up to now is likely thrilled by this.

What was most disappointing about R. A. Salvatore’s story?

I have gone through the first books up to where Matron Baenre's reign ends. I'm aware of other Drow houses and characters like Quenthel from the War of the Spider Queen series. But that made things really confusing. There are so many characters that come and go and are doing stuff that I have no idea what is going on. That's not unreasonable since I've got such a huge gap I skipped over I guess. As characters talk/think about events, you can't help but notice that the series is following (or driving) the Dungeons & Dragons story/product line, and that becomes a real irritant too. Why is everything on Faerun tied to Drow antics? And what in the world is going on in this story? Bruenor is being a belligerant jerk until other Dwarves - who all revere him for some reason - just go along with whatever his desires are. Jarlaxle is apparently not quite BFF but might as well be. Cattie-Brie is a completely different character now, as is Wulfgar, so I guess reincarnation is a thing that I missed, but I don't know why that is a thing if the characters change completely. Just make new characters. There certainly are a ton of those in this book already, what's a few more? Why can't we let Yvonell go, but we have to have her memories in two different characters? Drow politics are all but moot now and that's one of the best parts of the older books. It's like I stumbled into a totally different series.

Have you listened to any of Victor Bevine’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

It's fine, though I miss having more Matrons in power to argue with each other. Bevine handles them so well. And I can't help but notice that Gromph sounds very similar to Jarlaxle now.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Not for me, but for someone fully-versed on the series this is probably excellent and I'll bet the others after this are great too.

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