S. C. Blackard

Another Brilliant Series by Harry Connolly

Revisado: 01-29-25

Not one dull moment from start to finish in this spectacular conclusion to a stellar trilogy. Wow, what an ending. Harry Connolly has got to be the most underrated, underappreciated novelist ever...only because not enough people seem to know of his work. His Twenty Palaces series is also incredible and his novel One Man is beyond any superlatives I currently have at my disposal. Love ALL of it.

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Horrible narrator...this is NOT Lestat.

Revisado: 10-25-24

Whoever chose this reader -- it's like they had no feel for Lestat or this material at all. It ruined the experience.
This version of Lestat sounds like an American, middle aged, doughy, neutered accountant. Think Colin Robinson in the TV version of "What We Do in the Shadows" (except even less charisma).
This hack didn't even have the faintest hint of a French accent. I mean...???
The reader's voice in no way evokes anything about the character we have come to know intimately for nearly 50 years.
For this person to read the last installment of these much beloved Chronicles... it's a shame. It cheats the listeners out of the ending we deserved.
Disgraceful.
Truly.

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The book(s): very good...the new narrator not good

Revisado: 04-22-24

Loved the first two books and the narrator was very good. This book was half ruined by the reader. For huge fantasy tales with multiple characters and beautiful places with much repeated place names, the experience is firmly tied to being able to identify characters voices. This reader isn't good at giving characters a believable and appropriate voice. Hence immersion is ruined frequently. Also, this reader mispronounces key names (especially of places) repeatedly. This causes confusion and immediately ruins immersion.
The reader also has a somewhat haphazard cadence at times which, again, disrupts immersion. They should really re-release this last book with a better reader. Such a shame... was so excited for this book.

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listened twice, bored both times

Revisado: 08-16-23

Jim butcher's performance was actually good, but I missed Harry's familiar voice. but that wasn't the problem. reading this felt a lot like dealing with normal problems in normal life. if I wanna be annoyed by the mundane, unsatisfying turns of the real world, what am I reading this for? Utterly failed the Calgon test -- books like this should "take me away", not make me feel like I just did chores, errands, and sorted out some confusion on my credit card statement. On the plus side, I did catch a much needed nap twice. Love Mister The Cat tho...so I'm adding an additional star just for him. Otherwise it woulda been a two star story for me.

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That was kinda lame...

Revisado: 09-27-22

Having watched my hubby play RPG video games for countless hours I thought it might be fun to experience a literary version which I expected would be more story driven and maybe have more witty dialogue being that I wouldn't get any of the beautiful visuals that come with good RPG video games. Nah...not really. Story is pedestrian, humor isn't as funny as the better video games. Plus, this book has way, waaaay too many lists of level-ups, inventory lists, etc., which are extremely repetitive. I mean, there are A LOT of long lists in this book. Most annoyingly, each item in every long droning list is preceded by an extremely unpleasant beep which sounds kinda like an extended fire alarm chirp when the batteries are dying. While the reader was fine, the noises were so irritating that it was hard to enjoying listening to his voice. That said, the reader was good...I don't want to disparage his work (not his fault he had to read a bazillion annoying lists). Its strange because level-ups in RPG video games are always accompanied by pleasant noises... sounds which you are happy to hear. Why an audio book, being solely an audible experience, would choose to repeat such such a grating noise hundreds of times in one book, I cannot fathom. It felt like punishment for leveling up rather than a reward. And unfortunately the story wasn't strong enough to make up for it.

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Another Amazing installment from a singular talent

Revisado: 04-27-21

Circle of Enemies continues the adventures of Ray Lily since a series of shockingly horrific events in his young life put him on a collision course with both the Twenty Palaces Society, an elite group of ungodly lethal monster hunters who decide Ray should make a useful addition to their association, and Predators from the otherworldly Empty Spaces who potentially have the power to destroy every living thing on earth (one predator loose on our planet could bring complete annihilation). And as we have learned from all of the books in this series so far, the jury is still out with regard to which of the two is more dangerous. But we do know, now that Ray is in, he is in for life. We also know that nobody expected ray's life to last this long. However, while begrudgingly for the most part, Ray has been gaining some genuine respect within the society. Especially when working with his boss and partner, the obscenely lethal Annilese Powless (sp?) who has effectively remained an enigma and yet has slowly come to trust Ray and finally we are starting to see her confide in Ray ever so sparingly...written so well we hang on every tiny bit of new information we are given. These books have always been amazing and the author has really hit his stride at this point. If ever a series deserved a larger audience it's this one. Not only is a reader guaranteed a fascinating read unlike anything else, and a faster than fast paced thrill ride (there are literally never any boring or even slow parts...these books are so exciting). But also reading these books supports a writer who may not ever release any new twenty palaces books unless the word spreads a bit. I have utter confidence that anyone who tries them will truly enjoy them. I'm an incredibly avid reader and these books rank among my very favorite ever. There is a novella called The Twisted Path which was meant to be released on audio but has yet to be released...your excellent decision to become part of the world of Twently Palaces could be the thing that tips the scales and allows that release...And I've read the Twisted Path and I for one would LOVE to have it on audio. There were also rumors of a new Twenty Palaces novel in the works. How great would it be to facilitate that awesomeness??? Seriously, this series is so very worth your time and is probably even on sale...but given that I've listened to each of my four Twenty Palaces audiobooks dozens of times, they would be a bargain at full price. If you are just entering the world of Twenty Palaces, start with Twenty Palaces and then Child of Fire, followed by Game of Cages and then this book. Pray we get Twisted Path on Audio, but if not it's WELL worth reading...And I'm praying for the new novel passionately! Oh Mr. Harry Connolly...please.allow us entry into the temple of wonders that is your beautiful brain! Pretty please? And...Amen!!
Ps...you rule. :)

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Never read anything quite like it&am SO glad I did

Revisado: 03-22-21

Game of Cages is for you if you truly want something excellent, but also different. Too many people say they want something different. But what they really want is a different series of books than the series they just finished and really liked, but really kinda the same type of thing. There's nothing wrong with liking a certain type of book and not wanting to read something genuinely different from the usual books you like...even if the genuinely different story is really, really good. So Game of Cages and The Twenty Palaces Series is not for you if you want a really well written book about a girl who is loved and pursued and torn between a vampire hot guy and a werewolf hot guy. Believe me, I have nothing against hot guys and actually I think they are either under represented as complex characters in paranormal books or turned into villains or killed off early (especially with male authors)...but I digress. Game of Cages is one of those books I have a hard time categorizing -- in the best way. I want to cut to the chase for a moment and tell you, in my opinion, some of what you will get in Game of Cages or things you won't get, but in either situation, what you will or wont get will be original, fantastic, exciting, impeccably done in every way, brilliantly written, scary, heart pumping and completely different:
A. There will be no fake frustration between the main characters fueled by the possibility of sex or a relationship which you know is coming...and no worn to dust banter to facilitate said frustration.
B. What you will get is characters thrown together to complete terrifying jobs while usually having very little information or instruction (often for their protection) and yet there is a spectacular extremely original magic system which our hero(s) have various levels of access to and adeptness with. It is SOOO cool and so unique...if you just give these books a chance, you will want to know more about where this can go because there is NOTHING like it.
C. If your hero's need to be squeaky clean or it ruins something for you, these books are not for you. You will not get anything or anyone "black & white."
D. What you will get are REAL characters with all the shades of grey that people have. One of the most fascinating aspects is whether our heros are certain that destroying "Predators" from the "empty spaces' is SO important that it basically justifies almost any type of form of ANYTHING to stop/ kill them as the stakes could not be higher, at the same time they also question the methods of some.of the eldest members of their own society. This causes an extremely facinating, layered and terrifying aspect to the stories.
E. You will not be spoon fed the plot. I truly believe that some.of.the difficulty these books have had catching fire (because they should be crazy sucessfull) is because for example, sometimes the opening scene of a book is in the middle of an ongoing investigation, extermination, etc. So it takes some level of either affinity with the written word and story comprehension or an inclination to stick to a story and maybe read a sentence twice if necessary...the type of person who doesn't give up easily.
F. What you will get is non-stop almost overwhelmingly exciting, fast moving, totally original unadulterated action, adventure, horror, adrenaline pinching, creatively and mentally challenging situations thrown at you over and over and over in the most stomach dropping way (like a rollercoaster teetering at the top of a horrendous drop...and then it drops and an invisible fleshy drape slaps you in the face and slowly erodes and eats your face while your arms are up, mouths open...but nobody except you knows why sound isn't coming out).
I guess when something is truly original and truly awesome it's impossible to describe with any justice. You just have to read it for yourself. And then find yourself ordering the next one!
Btw, the first book is:
Twenty Palaces
Child of Fire
Game of Cages
Circle of Friends
***and on audible we are still HOPING AND PRAYING for the promised release of one of the best in the series so far, The Twisted Path. Please Harry Connolly....please release this book on audio even if it is behind schedule. If there is something we could do to help make that happen, please say so. That's how good these books are...id go above and beyond to get this book made Audio (losing eyesight and I don't want to lose you!...ever!!!)
Thank you so much, as always.

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Elizabeth bear is brilliant

Revisado: 10-26-20

Elizabeth Bear's foray into this unique world (almost a new genre?) is so very worth the ticket to ride. The Karen Memory books (including this story) in all their western/steam punk glory are amazingly good -- like genuinely great stories. They are brilliantly writen, funny, exciting, heartwarming, occasionally profound...really, most sincerely fun to read. Especially the original Karen Memory book (titled aptly, Karen Memory). Thoroughly enjoyed! A+!!

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Excellent Adventure!

Revisado: 10-23-20

This is a great twist on a swords and horses style fantasy adventure trilogy. I always enjoy all of Harry Connolly's work and this is no exception. But for a really fresh twist on paranormal adventure which is more Urban Fantasy with a truly scary horror slant, a series with very original characters and stories the likes of which I've never read anywhere else, Harry Connolly's Twenty Palaces series is TRULY exceptional. These books are good...Twenty Palaces novels are fantastic. I read a LOT and listen to audiobooks day and night and there's no novels that get more repeat play as Harry Connollys novels...Twenty Palaces, certain books I've actually got some scenes memorize I've listened them so much. And that is not generally a habit of mine (which really speaks to the employability of the Twenty Palaces novels! :)

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Excellent Book from a Brilliant Series

Revisado: 09-21-20

Harry Connolly's Twenty Palaces series contains some of my favorite books, and this is one of the best. The whole concept which runs through these novels is unique and very compelling. Being an avid reader and being especially attracted to stories with some sort of paranormal twist, I can't overstate how exciting it is on the exceptionally rare occasion when I actually find something which feels genuinely new. But not only does Child of Fire feel fresh and new, it's also uber exciting and well written. Despite the original order of publication, Child of Fire is best read as the second novel in the series (after Twenty Palaces). It won't ruin it if you switch the order, but it's best that way. There's so many new ideas and the characters are unconventional (yet sympathetic) that I don't want to say too much and ruin the fun. Just know that this book is a mile a minute thrill ride which is gripping literally from page one. The audio book is very well done, too; I've read this book in print multiple times and the moment it was available in audio, I got it and have already listened to it half a dozen times at least. Granted, I do tend to replay audiobooks as I play them at bedtime, but this one I've legitimately listened to from start to finish multiple times...And it was fun every time. This book and the Twenty Palaces series...get it...read or listen to it...and next time a friend asks you for a good book recommendations you will have such a fantastic ace up your sleeve! Because, for reasons I will never understand, as of yet these books are a bit of a precious little secret. I've gifted or recommended these books a few times now and they always go over gangbusters. I can't recall the name of the actual accolade, but Child of Fire won awards for new fiction when it was released, and when you read it you will understand why. If I had my way, there would be a multitude of Twenty Palaces novels and I would absolutely own every single one.
***Update....Please please please release The Twisted Path on Audio!?!

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