Chris T Langland

Fun if biased history, reading not quite there

Reviewed: 11-06-17

This is a paean to the Royal Navy and makes no bones about it. Just about every major naval and remotely related technological achievement, including the discovery of America, is attributable to the British in this book. But it’s still a fun listen and gives a great overview of the entire history of the Royal Navy.

The biggest problem with this is the recording. Several times the ends of sentences just disappear either through inflection or possibly poor editing.

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1 person found this helpful

Fun origin story kind of story

Reviewed: 07-11-16

I really enjoyed this book - it is a classic story of how a great hero is created, though it isn't exactly subtle about it. But though it is somewhat transparent in places (I pretty much saw every "twist" coming a mile away) and hero-centric (the main character, Aedan, is superior in most ways and is recognized as such by all the right people) it is still a great pleasure to listen to.

While Aedan's character is clearly hero material, he still has a lot of great depth, with significant issues to overcome and true challenges to face. His foes aren't one-dimensional archetypes, either - they all have reasons for what they do that most of us could understand. No one is perfect in Renshaw's world, and that's great. The supporting characters, while not as deep as Aedan, are also very enjoyable to watch.

The world is also fascinating. It is very well developed culturally, with multiple languages and distinct regional predilections. The fantasy aspect isn't well developed yet, but that's clearly a point of the world: it is rediscovering wonder, hence the title.

The performance is also very good. The voices are distinct, the diction clear and easy to understand. I didn't really notice the "performance", which I consider great in an audio book.

All in all, highly recommended. I'm really looking forward to future books in the series!

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Interesting story and characters, but sometimes grating narration

Reviewed: 06-29-16

I really enjoyed the storyline: people struggling to survive after a pandemic plague, and society falling apart is a very intense setting.

There were a number of different characters, and each was quite interesting and engaging, even the ones who were clearly unlikable.

But the narration left something to be desired. The reader had a near constant smugness to his voice which kind of bothered me, and his rhythm was repetitive. Plus, his voices used to differentiate characters would often drop so low in the register that I couldn't hear - this seemed to be the case for several female characters.

This is the first time I've actually been distracted by the narrator - maybe I've just been lucky.

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So cliché, no real surprises

Reviewed: 05-18-16

An good concept but really poor execution and characterization. I read somewhere that it was like reading someone's play through of a role playing video game, and that's pretty spot on. Plot movement seemed to be accomplished through set quest lines, with check points and leveling, plus being gifted new loot. I ended up listening to another audiobook and just haven't bothered to go back. Waste of time.

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Fascinating look at the Spanish Civil War

Reviewed: 05-18-16

I've been vaguely aware of the Spanish Civil War, particularly as a testing ground for tactics and equipment in the lead up to World War 2, but ultimately I knew very little about it. I was completely fascinated by the way the conflict came about and how the alliances within each side shaped the conflict. It really brought home to me the idea that in war there is no white knight, no good guys, just degrees of evil.

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3 people found this helpful

Why would anyone care about these people?

Reviewed: 05-18-16

Would you try another book from Karen Miller and/or Kirby Heyborne?

I'm very skeptical of another Karen Miller book. The characters are so one dimensional, and in particular Asher is incredibly grating. The story and world itself is interesting, but it seems like all any situation needs is for Asher to step in and everything is solved. I want more from characters.

Has The Innocent Mage turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not at all. I love fantasy and science fiction, and this was done well in most areas apart from characterization.

What about Kirby Heyborne’s performance did you like?

He caught the emotion well, as well as the attitudes of the characters. I have no complaint about his performance.

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

This was an fascinating world, and I like the concept. I just really needed the characters to be more fleshed out. Less deus ex machina (or should I say deus ex Asher) please.

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