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City of Stairs
- Narrated by: Alma Cuervo
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
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An atmospheric and intrigue-filled novel of dead gods, buried histories, and a mysterious, protean city- - from one of America's most acclaimed young fantasy writers. The city of Bulikov once wielded the powers of the gods to conquer the world, enslaving and brutalizing millions - until its divine protectors were killed. Now Bulikov has become just another colonial outpost of the world's new geopolitical power, but the surreal landscape of the city itself - first shaped, now shattered, by the thousands of miracles its guardians once worked upon it - stands as a constant, haunting reminder of its former supremacy. Into this broken city steps Shara Thivani. Officially, the unassuming young woman is just another junior diplomat sent by Bulikov's oppressors. Unofficially, she is one of her country's most accomplished spies, dispatched to catch a murderer. But as Shara pursues the killer, she starts to suspect that the beings who ruled this terrible place may not be as dead as they seem - and that Bulikov's cruel reign may not yet be over.
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Here's why good things come in threes! Everyone knows the famous expression "Three's a crowd!"—but that sentiment doesn't ring true when it comes to books. But what are the best trilogies of all time? With thousands of amazing trilogies out there, it's hard to narrow it down. We’ve compiled some book trilogies that represent the best of the best—and don’t worry about spoilers; we’ve only described the first book of the series in each entry.
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For over 3,000 years, the Faeregine dynasty has ruled Impyrium. But the family's magic has been fading, and with it their power over the empire. Whether it's treachery from a rival house, the demon Lirlanders, or rebel forces, many believe the Faeregines are ripe to fall. Hazel, the youngest member of the royal family, is happy to leave ruling to her sisters so that she can study her magic. But the empress has other plans for her granddaughter, dark and dangerous plans to exploit Hazel's talents and rekindle the Faeregine mystique.
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Amazing! Can't wait for the next book in the series.
- By Reddings on 03-11-17
By: Henry H. Neff
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The Monstrumologist
- By: Rick Yancey
- Narrated by: Steven Boyer
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
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Overall
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Story
Dr. Warthrop is a scientist who tracks and studies real-life monsters. Assisted by his 12-year-old apprentice, Will Henry, Dr. Warthrop discovers a pod of Anthropophagi and launches a hunt to destroy the foul beasts.
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Reader Be Warned
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By: Rick Yancey
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Bloodleaf
- By: Crystal Smith
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
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Overall
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Story
Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. Surrounded by spirits and banned from using her blood-magic, Aurelia flees her country after a devastating assassination attempt. To escape her fate, Aurelia disguises herself as a commoner in a new land and discovers a happiness her crown has never allowed. As she forges new bonds and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her.
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Not Understanding All the Praise
- By GPChlorine on 08-23-19
By: Crystal Smith
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The Spirit Thief
- The Legend of Eli Monpress, Book 1
- By: Rachel Aaron
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
He's not just any thief. He’s the greatest thief of the age - and he’s also a wizard. And with the help of his partners - a swordsman with the most powerful magic sword in the world but no magical ability of his own, and a demonseed who can step through shadows and punch through walls - he’s going to put his plan into effect. The first step is to increase the size of the bounty on his head, so he’ll need to steal some big things. But he’ll start with somethingsmall. Something like a king....
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Entertaining light fantasy
- By Kindle Customer on 02-16-12
By: Rachel Aaron
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The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination
- Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius
- By: John Joseph Adams - editor
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki, Mary Robinette Kowal, Justine Eyre
- Length: 15 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Mad scientists have never had it so tough. In super-hero comics, graphic novels, films, TV series, video games, and even works of what may be fiction, they are besieged by those who stand against them, devoid of sympathy for their irrational, megalomaniacal impulses to rule, destroy, or otherwise dominate the world as we know it. It’s just not fair. So those of us who are so twisted and sick that we love mad scientists have created this guide.
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HAND DANCING
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 05-30-15
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Stations of the Tide
- By: Michael Swanwick
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
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The Jubilee Tides will drown the continents of the planet Miranda beneath the weight of her own oceans. But as the once-in-two-centuries cataclysm approaches, an even greater catastrophe threatens this dark and dangerous planet of tale-spinners, conjurers, and shapechangers. From author Michael Swanwick—one of the most brilliantly assured and darkly inventive writers of contemporary fiction—comes a masterwork of radically altered realities and world-shattering seductions.
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Hard to categorize, hard to put down
- By Robert L. on 03-25-12
By: Michael Swanwick
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Steeplejack
- By: A. J. Hartley
- Narrated by: Noma Dumezweni
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
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Seventeen-year-old Anglet Sutonga lives repairing the chimneys, towers, and spires of the city of Bar-Selehm. Dramatically different communities live and work alongside each other. The white Feldish command the nation's higher echelons of society. The native Mahweni are divided between city life and the savannah. And then there's Ang, part of the Lani community who immigrated over generations ago as servants and now mostly live in poverty on Bar-Selehm's edges.
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Steeplejack Audio Climbs the Tops of Storytelling
- By Kerra Bolton on 12-08-16
By: A. J. Hartley
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A Shadow on the Glass
- By: Ian Irvine
- Narrated by: Grant Cartwright
- Length: 21 hrs and 26 mins
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Once there were three worlds, each with their own human species. Then, fleeing out of the void came a fourth species, the Charon. Desperate, on the edge of extinction, they changed the balance between the worlds forever. Karan, a sensitive with a troubled heritage, is forced to steal an ancient relic in repayment of a debt. It turns out to be the Mirror of Aachan, a twisted, deceitful thing that remembers everything it has ever seen.
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Not quite good enough.
- By Scott S. on 03-13-12
By: Ian Irvine
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The Final Empire
- Mistborn Book 1
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 24 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison.
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Prepare for sleepless nights
- By tercia on 10-21-18
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Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes
- By: Jonathan Auxier
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is the utterly beguiling tale of a ten-year-old blind orphan who has been forced into a life of crime. One fateful afternoon, Peter steals a mysterious box that contains three magical pairs of eyes. When he tries the first pair, he is instantly transported to a hidden island where he is presented with a special quest: to travel beyond the known world and rescue a lost kingdom from its treacherous ruler....
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Enjoyable listen but not for the youngest kids
- By Marie on 12-10-15
By: Jonathan Auxier
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The Thousand Names
- By: Django Wexler
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 22 hrs and 13 mins
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With this stunning series opener, Django Wexler leaps to the upper echelon of today’s best fantasy authors. The Thousand Names opens his Shadow Campaigns series with a tale of bloody rebellion that will reshape an empire -- and a world. Captain Marcus d’Ivoire and Winter Ihernglass see their fortunes rise under the command of military genius Janus bet Vhalnich. But Janus’ obsession with the supernatural portends a dire fate for the realm.
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90% battles and 10% character development
- By Kathleen on 11-15-14
By: Django Wexler
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Three Parts Dead
- By: Max Gladstone
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A god has died, and it’s up to Tara, a first-year associate in the international necromantic firm of Kelethras, Albrecht, and Ao, to bring him back to life before his city falls apart. Her client is Kos, recently deceased fire god of the city of Alt Coulumb. Without him, the metropolis’ steam generators will shut down, its trains will cease running, and its four million citizens will riot. Tara’s job: resurrect Kos before chaos sets in.
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Great story, but the narrator was off
- By John on 07-27-14
By: Max Gladstone
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What listeners say about City of Stairs
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Scott S.
- 10-17-14
Something Different
Wanting a break from my usual listening fare, I decided to give City of Stairs a listen. The book is described as a fantasy, but it is definitely not your typical story of Kings and Knights set in a world of Elves and Ogres. City of Stairs is set in a world with magic and wonders, but also some modern conveniences.
This book would seem to have all you need for a fantastic journey, starting with a very good performance by Alma Cuervo as the narrator, who's voice seemed perfect for the main character Sharra. The premise of the story is good as well. In a city built by gods, Sharra is a secret agent who has come to investigate the murder of a top government employee by the long suppressed people of the city. The gods have been killed by a long since dead relative of Sharra herself, and their country has been occupied ever since.
I liked the premise of this story right from the beginning, however quickly found out that there are some issues with this book as well. To start, the first half of the book starts to bog down as there is nothing really happening other than long sequences of info dumps. Characters seem to sit around and tell the story of how the city came into being rather than the story naturally laying out what had happened as the story progresses. In one example, Sharra is confronted by a city leader over her questioning of a citizen of the city. She reluctantly lets the citizen leave, and then is so angry that she invites everyone around her to the kitchen where she cooks a meal for them and proceeds to tell the entire history of every god, including what their beliefs are, their relationship with the other gods, and how they died. All interesting stuff, but the scenario made no sense, and the telling drug out miserably.
Other issues were the setting itself. I was intrigued by the setting initially as fantasy type books usually don't include such things as cars, trains, and guns. The odd thing though is that even though Sharra arrives and departs on a train, then rides in a car to the embassy, and speaks about the use of guns hundreds of years before, none of these things are featured much in the story. Cars are available, but everyone walks everywhere. Guns are available, yet everyone uses swords, knives, and cross bolts. Trains and cars have been invented, but modern conveniences like lights, plumbing, or phones have not. It's a little confusing.
Overall, despite the slow start, once the story gets going and the action picks up, I did find myself enjoying this book. The characters were mostly likable, and that carries a story with some holes in it.
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43 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-21-15
Good story, wrong narrator.
Any additional comments?
OK, so here's the deal. I rarely feel the need to write any reviews for audiobooks, but I must warn you that the narrator's performance is just... not good. There are many awkward pauses and pacing issues with her speech. On top of that, her vocal characterizations just felt wrong, including Shara's. (There are many reviews that disagree, which is why I must dissent.)
The book is good. That, at least, got through. However, I barely finished it. I couldn't help but feel that I wasn't experiencing it as I should while listening. One day I'll have to break down and just buy the physical novel.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Jared
- 01-28-19
Almost hurt by a lackluster performance
I loved the story but was very disappointed in Alma’s performance. It often felt like she hadn’t reviewed the work beforehand. This got better as the book went on but was never great.
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- Juan Gomez
- 05-24-18
Great on all counts
The story uses a murder mystery as a platform for a fantastic world of Gods and miracles. Pacing is excellent. The narration is as well, although there are a few breaths that are noticeable.
I mostly came here to say that it was hilarious when the narrator broke out the Flushing, Queens accent for a seemingly arbitrary 5 minutes near the end. I don't think it was intentional, and the character never speaks that way before or after the moment, but you'll definitely hear it, and think of this review.
Overall, worth the buy 100%, and I will now move on to the sequel!
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- Classical Guy
- 09-27-18
Do yourself a favor and listen to this
This book was phenomenal and I couldn't stop listening. It is perfect on so many levels. I don't spoil anything though. I went in blind and that's the best way to experience this
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- Anonymous User
- 05-14-24
Wow
Fantastic narration and just really impressive world building and everything! 10/10 recommend- have patience but stick around
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- Dave
- 09-18-16
Everything You Didn't Know You Wanted in Fantasy
I don't know why it took me so long to listen to Robert Jackson Bennett's City of Stairs -- I've loved everything I've read or listened to by him -- particularly the Troupe and American Elsewhere. Whatever the case, I'm glad I got around to it at last. City of Stairs is everything I didn't realize I wanted from fantasy fiction -- espionage, magic, murder, dead gods (and maybe not-so-dead gods), sheer WTF-ery, and even a criticism of cultural appropriation (without losing sight of telling a rollicking a story).
The story unfolds when a diplomat is found murdered in his office in the occupied colonial city of Bullikov. A spy, an aging military general, and a bodyguard come together to investigate not only a murder, but a conspiracy that leads back to the city's brutal origins, when gods once ruled and enslaved humanity. Now, Bullikov is occupied by the forces that killed the gods, and has done their best to confiscate and destroy as much of the city's religious artifacts, books, and arts as they can. As you can imagine, not everyone's happy about the way things are going, and the author does an excellent job of weaving uneasiness and tension into every character's perspective.
One of the things I've always appreciated about Robert Jackson Bennett's books is that they stand alone -- and up until now, he hasn't dabbled in series and trilogies which have come to dominate fantasy and science fiction. This book marks the first in the Divine Cities Trilogy, and maybe that's part of what put me off some. I'm happy to report that while it's the first in a trilogy (or series), and I can imagine some places it might go -- it's a complete story on its own, and doesn't feel like a set-up for whatever is coming next. If this was the end of the story, I would be completely satisfied. As it is, I'm very curious to see where RJB goes next with City of Blades.
Alma Alexander's narration isn't too flashy, but it is perfection. She captures the different characters perfectly. Shara, the protagonist, is a very complex character and Alexander nails her hard edges as well as her vulnerability and since of longing. SIgurd, her bodyguard, is something of a monster, and it's a delight to see him unleashed. But my favorite character was the jaded, sarcastic military general Mulaghesh -- mainly because her dry tone reminds me of my podcasting friend M.K. Hobson.
If agents Mulder and Scully had become spies and were sent to different countries to investigate the deaths and possible resurrection of god, with Hellboy as their assistant and accidentally stumbled over warehouse containing the ark of the covenant -- well, we'd be lucky if it was as good as this book is. City of Stairs is one of the best fantasy books I've listened to in recent memory. Just writing this review makes me want to return to the mysterious streets and alleys of Bullikov on the next train ride.
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13 people found this helpful
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- CJRoark
- 11-15-16
Different
Slow start, odd ending not sure if I will order the second in this series.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Joseph Gray
- 10-17-19
4.5 overall, rounded up to 5
Great, well written, very original Fantasy book.
The narration was ok, but a lot of the voices sounded the same.
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- R. Maines
- 09-28-15
Bloody brilliant
Great world building and a plot that rattles along.
Good narration and Alma Cuervo has a voice that is understandable at x2 playback speed.
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