Alan. Hardman
- 63
- reviews
- 26
- helpful votes
- 90
- ratings
-
The Dragon Reborn
- Wheel of Time, Book 3
- By: Robert Jordan
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Length: 24 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Winter has stopped the war - almost - yet men are dying, calling out for the Dragon. But where is he? Rand al’Thor has been proclaimed the Dragon Reborn. Traveling to the great fortress known as the Stone of Tear, he plans to find the sword Callandor, which can only be wielded by the Champion of Light, and discover if he truly is destined to battle The Dark One. Following Rand, Moiraine and their friends battle Darkhounds on the hunt, hoping they reach the Heart of the Stone in time for the next great test awaiting the Dragon Reborn.
-
-
Excellent, a compelling and addictive epic.
- By A. May on 26-12-12
- The Dragon Reborn
- Wheel of Time, Book 3
- By: Robert Jordan
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
The Quality Control of these Audiobooks is abymsal
Reviewed: 07-02-24
I've had 2 other reviews of the Wheel of Time series where I've stated that Mike and Kate are terrible at their jobs and given reasons for it, but more than anything else in this one there is a horrific level of quality control in the reading and work done by ate Reading.
I've listened to this on audiotape, CD and Audible more times than I can count but on the most recent one (right now) on a CD version of this copy, I am currently on Chapter 24 Questions and I've noticed 2 mistakes made by Kate in this book when reading out chapters. It brought me up short as I heard her read out
"But Mat and Perrin are ta'veren, too, and she had also dreamed of them. Odd dreams, even more difficult to understand than the dreams of Rand. MAT with a falcon on his shoulder, and Perrin with a hawk."
I stopped there as it just doesn't make sense, the Falcon and Hawk are references to Faile and Berelain's attraction to and relationship with Perrin in the coming books, why a Falcon would be on Mat of all people doesn't make sense to me.
So I checked my paperback book AND my hardback book of the series and the screw up is of her saying "MAT" instead of Perrin. It goes "Perrin with a falcon on his shoulder, and Perrin with a hawk."
Clearly describing two separate scenes one of a Hawk and one of a Falcon for the idea of Perrin's attentions.
So I came here and checked and yep, this has been the standard of the Wheel of Time Audiobooks since 1992.
32 years!! Slipshod and abysmal.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Mushoku Tensei
- Jobless Reincarnation (Light Novel), Vol. 2
- By: Rifujin na Magonote
- Narrated by: Cliff Kurt
- Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rudeus is shipped off to Roa, the largest city in the region, to tutor the young daughter of a noble family. Unfortunately, what he thought would be an easy job proves the exact opposite once he meets his student, Eris—a fierce-tempered hurricane who blows Rudy’s optimistic expectations to bits! Can Rudy devise a plan to make his obstinate pupil listen, or is he already doomed to fail his second chance at success?
-
-
WHAT THEY ARE THINKING ABOUT DOING SEX AT 10 YEARS
- By Pasha on 04-07-24
- Mushoku Tensei
- Jobless Reincarnation (Light Novel), Vol. 2
- By: Rifujin na Magonote
- Narrated by: Cliff Kurt
another absolute stunning performance
Reviewed: 01-02-24
I don't have a single negative thing to say about this series, Cliff Kurt does an absolutely fantastic performance across the board for every last character. I love this series for it's story and it's amazing how well it'd presented.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Mushoku Tensei
- Jobless Reincarnation (Light Novel), Vol. 1
- By: Rifujin na Magonote
- Narrated by: Cliff Kurt
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kicked out by his family and wandering the streets, an unemployed 34-year-old shut-in thinks he’s hit rock-bottom—just as he’s hit and killed by a speeding truck! Awakening to find himself reborn as an infant in a world of swords and sorcery, but with the memories of his first life intact, Rudeus Greyrat is determined not to repeat his past mistakes. He’s going to make the most of this reincarnation as he sets off on the adventure of a second lifetime!
-
-
Great performance and wonderful story
- By SC7639 on 12-10-24
- Mushoku Tensei
- Jobless Reincarnation (Light Novel), Vol. 1
- By: Rifujin na Magonote
- Narrated by: Cliff Kurt
Stellar performance oh all levels
Reviewed: 17-12-23
With already having a great story to work with, the voice of Cliff Kurt brings the characters of Mushoku Tensei to life in spectacular fashion, clear defined character voices for all the main cast and a wonderfully deep narrator voice for internal monologues.
This is a treat to listen to and such a calming one too, this is a definite win and brilliant piece for Seven Seas, I am definitely keeping up with this series as I was already a fan but the wonderful voice makes it a million times better.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
The Aeronaut's Windlass
- The Cinder Spires, Book 1
- By: Jim Butcher
- Narrated by: Euan Morton
- Length: 21 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity, towering for miles over the mist-shrouded surface of the world. Within their halls, aristocratic houses have ruled for generations, developing scientific marvels, fostering trade alliances, and building fleets of airships to keep the peace. Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship Predator. Fiercely loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy's shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels.
-
-
Fun
- By Robyn on 08-06-16
- The Aeronaut's Windlass
- The Cinder Spires, Book 1
- By: Jim Butcher
- Narrated by: Euan Morton
A slight stuttering start
Reviewed: 08-11-23
I am a big fan of Jim Butcher and his writing whether it be FPN or TPN forms, he has a cool and interesting set of worlds that are richly developed and full of stories to tell, yet in this starting novel of a series, there's been a slight - albeit fixed by the end - shakiness to it.
The world of the Cinder Spires seems to be a form of post-apocalypse in space style storyline, with a world that was colonised by Humans years ago and built up to grandeur only to have fallen into ruin, that alone is an instant win for me as I love that sort of thing. But initially there's little build up for the characters and setting, part of the grandeur is lost as we're thrust into a war too quickly for my liking.
It gets over that and the development begins to solidify around the half-way point and after this, it gets steadily better as time is given to build things up for the climax at the end.
I support all of Jim's work and will eventually get around to buying the whole Codex Alera series on here as books are great, so I am sticking through with this - I want to get the novella too soon so I can learn more about Warriorborn.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Konosuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!, Vol. 1
- Oh! My Useless Goddess!
- By: Natsume Akatsuki
- Narrated by: Kevin Steinbach, Arnie Pantoja, Erica Mendez
- Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Game loving shut-in Kazuma Sato's life as a young schoolboy in Japan abruptly comes to an early end...or at least it was supposed to. When he opens his eyes, though, he sees a beautiful goddess that offers him a once in an after-lifetime chance to be reborn in a parallel world. The catch is that the world is violent and threatened by a growing evil! Fortunately, he can choose any one thing to bring with him. So he chooses the goddess, Aqua! And so his adventure with his gorgeous companion begins.
-
-
Great start
- By Amazon Customer on 24-06-23
- Konosuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!, Vol. 1
- Oh! My Useless Goddess!
- By: Natsume Akatsuki
- Narrated by: Kevin Steinbach, Arnie Pantoja, Erica Mendez
One problem
Reviewed: 20-06-23
There's an issue when having a story that has multiple characters with distinct personalities in them, unless you're doing a full on audio drama with many voices comprising characters, you need people who can do clearly different voices for their characters. Those who are fans of Konosuba will know the basic plotline shown here and won't have that big an issue but those who come into this without a clue are going to be flummoxed when Aqua sounds like Megumin who sounds like Chris who sounds like Darkness or Kazuma who sounds like any of the males in the series.
I'm not decrying the reading, it's as all American Voice Acting is 'clear and well read' with no mouth sounds or noises, it's well done and decent. It's just neither Mr Pantoja or Ms Mendez have a vocal range that can sustain a cast of dozens.
Then theres some of the changes to terms used. Why you'd included Hikki-NEET in this but remove Loli is baffling to me when you use jailbait. It seems a formless aesthetic change that makes no sense.
And the biggest problem, 'The Crimson Magic Clan'
I'm sorry but NO, they're the Crimson Demons' (紅魔族 or Kurenai Mazoku) and the reason for that is that they are ALL Chuuninbyou and think the name 'Crimson Demon' sounds cool as all hell. They don't care that others look at them funny when they call themselves demons to fight the Devil King, they're awesome at magic and love being their own way. Why you'd choose this when you include something as insanely difficult to understand as Hikkikimori and NEET with the portmanteau Hikki-NEET.
Weebs understand that, we know the jokes, but newcomers are going to have a massive hill to climb for that, but you remove references to Megumins Chuunin lifestyle or her over the top laughing?
I have worries about this but will see it through with a second volume.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
The Great Hunt
- Wheel of Time, Book 2
- By: Robert Jordan
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Length: 26 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For centuries, gleemen have told the tales of The Great Hunt of the Horn. So many tales about each of the Hunters, and so many Hunters to tell of.... Now the Horn itself is found: the Horn of Valere long thought only legend, the Horn which will raise the dead heroes of the ages. And it is stolen. In pursuit of the thieves, Rand al’Thor is determined to keep the Horn out of the grasp of The Dark One. But he has also learned that he is The Dragon Reborn - the Champion of Light destined to stand against the Shadow time and again. It is a duty and a destiny that requi
-
-
Narration ruins the enjoyment of the story
- By Alison Shaw on 13-12-21
- The Great Hunt
- Wheel of Time, Book 2
- By: Robert Jordan
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
let's be honest here
Reviewed: 02-05-23
One of the never-ending problems of these versions of the audiobooks is their frank shoddy production value.
The Wheel of Time is an Epic that is the modern Fantasy Fiction version of Tolkien, with a world so jam packed with history and characterisation that it isn't matched by anyone doing something similar, it will be a while before something comes along that equals it.
For that, getting the amount of pronunciations wrong in the audio is unforgivable, especially when you've got a litany of names, terms, meanings and items that are introduced in this book that make such a massive impact on the series overall. Again, I wouldn't hold it against Mike and Kate if there weren't the glossaries in every book that give description to terms and names, but the unfortunate reality of it is that they didn't care about quality when doing this.
They get praised for it but the quality isn't there, oh sure Mike's voices are stellar and I don't need to hear the name of a character to know who is speaking, but it's the endless use of terms by both that take you out of it when listening.
It gets worse the longer the series goes and there's a total of 2 books where there's not a single mistake made in using the correct pronunciation, and they're slap bang in the middle of the series, everywhere else it's terrible.
I won' ever buy the series Amazon are doing with Pike, but something different needs to happen because these are just bad.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
The Eye of the World
- Wheel of Time, Book 1
- By: Robert Jordan
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Length: 29 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When their village is attacked by trollocs, monsters thought to be only legends, three young men, Rand, Matt, and Perrin, flee in the company of the Lady Moiraine, a sinister visitor of unsuspected powers. Thus begins an epic adventure set in a world of wonders and horror, where what was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.
-
-
American narration such a turn off
- By Simon Corke on 22-04-20
- The Eye of the World
- Wheel of Time, Book 1
- By: Robert Jordan
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
I don't know how they got the work they did
Reviewed: 21-04-23
Mike and Kate are a couple who are very well known for their audiobooks and their voices are seen as the epitome of skill when making audiobooks but I have to point out that the quality control on this series any literally everything else they do is so poor it is unimaginably bad to suggest they're even passable.
There are a lot of words terms names and places in this book alone and every single other book in the series of the Wheel of Time that are spelled strangely. Aes Sedai. Moghedian. Terangreal. On and on it goes with insane sounding names that when said in modern English - depending on your location - would sound nothing alike. For instance the three words I used are
Eyes-Sed-Eye.
Mog-Head-Ee-Ahn
Ter-Ang-Ree-Ahl.
and if it weren't for something I'd be a real heel saying that they are bad at their jobs. BUT unfortunately for Michael Kramer and Kate Redding, a Canadian couple who are lauded as the best audiobook voices in the business.
The Wheel of Time has appendices that give descriptions for what words mean, what terms are used and how to say said words, given exact English pronunciations (albeit with American spelling as a Yank wrote the books) and for out of 14 books and a prequel, for both narrators to constantly get certain words wrong is not only abysmal but negligent of the people who publish this.
Part of the Story of the Wheel of Time is that the people we're meeting are the people that we base legends on. The Aes Sedai are the origin point of the Irish mythical Aos Si a race of Fairies or Elves in said mythology. Robert Jordan was very precise with name creation and usage, and for them to get nearly a dozen mistakes of names repeated over and over in every book and flitting between them, saying them right one minute to wrong in another is not just shoddy workmanship but laziness to the extreme.
I love the Wheel of Time books, they're my favourite fantasy fiction for the reasons that there's stunning character development and workmanship put into the whole series, but having the reality show itself that these two make repeated mistakes irks me to no end.
And it doesn't help that one of the two can't do different voices to save their life, they all sound identical to each other.
It comes to a point that makes it impossible for me to recommend as the quality control isn't worth it, yet the story is definitely worth it as it's brilliantly done.
If ever the series is remade and actual talent is put into it (not the version Amazon has done themselves as any connection to that isn't helpful or wanted by fans of the series) then I'd re-buy the whole collection. It's that good a series.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Book 5
- By: J.K. Rowling
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 29 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Treat your ears to a performance so rich and captivating you'll imagine yourself in the halls of Hogwarts. Wherever you listen, the unmistakable voice of Stephen Fry is guaranteed to guide you ever more deeply into this magical story and transport you to the heart of the adventure.
-
-
Deeper, Darker, Longer . . . Brilliant!
- By Simon on 11-12-15
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Book 5
- By: J.K. Rowling
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
2020's cover redeisgn
Reviewed: 09-03-23
I don't have issue with the series, it's a good one but...
Why's Hermione the central figure on the cover? She's not the central focus of the book and it makes no sense in the point of the story that this is from?
Seems sort of stupid if you ask me...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Spice and Wolf, Vol. 4
- By: Isuna Hasekura, Paul Starr
- Narrated by: J. Michael Tatum, Brina Palencia
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Continuing their journey north, Lawrence and Holo stop in the village of Tereo in hopes of finding a local abbey where they might uncover more information regarding the fate of Holo's ancient home, Yoitsu. Soon after their arrival, though, the companions are caught up in a local dispute between Tereo and the neighboring town of Enberch that could cost Lawrence and Holo both their fortunes and their lives! With the Wisewolf's help, can Lawrence devise a way to save an entire town from ruin - and his skin and that of his traveling companion in the process?
-
-
Good book
- By oskari tukiainen on 08-01-23
- Spice and Wolf, Vol. 4
- By: Isuna Hasekura, Paul Starr
- Narrated by: J. Michael Tatum, Brina Palencia
there hasn't been a bad one for these yet
Reviewed: 02-02-23
For a series that devotes itself to the travels of a salesman and his immortal wolf waifu partner, you'd think that getting a story that is a furthering of the romance between the two would be something boring - but it's 100% totally not that.
The story is just building more and more with both of them, from Lawrence and Holo's teasing of each other to the unsure nature both have as they're getting closer and closer to Yoitsu and the supposed fulfillment of the bargain the two made together and I love that in every way possible there's development.
Heck there's a competing cute romance in this one that is just as heartwarming and you don't even really know that much about them, add to that the further complexities of the world around this story and its transtionary period between Paganism and Christianity teachings in the wilds of Europe,. its sort of amazing how well this is done.
I'm just upset I have to wait for the next volume now...oh well
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Spice and Wolf, Vol. 3
- By: Isuna Hasekura, Paul Starr
- Narrated by: J. Michael Tatum, Brina Palencia
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Having narrowly escaped financial ruin, Lawrence turns his attention to helping Holo find her ancient homeland in the North. But how long can a traveling merchant afford to wander the countryside looking for a village that he suspects may have ceased to exist long ago? When a rival merchant sets his sights on Lawrence's beautiful companion, though, can Lawrence truly be confident that Holo will remain by his side? Has the time come when Lawrence must ask himself whether his relationship with the Wisewolf is business or pleasure?
-
-
Great book
- By oskari tukiainen on 06-01-23
- Spice and Wolf, Vol. 3
- By: Isuna Hasekura, Paul Starr
- Narrated by: J. Michael Tatum, Brina Palencia
Another Amazing performance
Reviewed: 02-01-23
I was honestly hesitant when I saw that Holo had her Eng VA doing the lines for her in this volume, J Michael Tatum performed well enough that I was sure it would set me off when things were jumping back and forth - luckily I was very wrong about this, Brina performed amazingly well in all the parts and it made my heart ache at some of the emotion she put into Holos pain.
This is one of the best audiobooks I've gotten yet, can't wait for volume 4 next month.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!