John Innes
- 6
- reviews
- 2
- helpful votes
- 167
- ratings
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Babel
- Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution
- By: R. F. Kuang
- Narrated by: Chris Lew Kum Hoi, Billie Fulford-Brown
- Length: 21 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,326
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,198
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,200
Oxford, 1836. The city of dreaming spires. It is the centre of all knowledge and progress in the world. And at its centre is Babel, the Royal Institute of Translation. The tower from which all the power of the Empire flows. Orphaned in Canton and brought to England by a mysterious guardian, Babel seemed like paradise to Robin Swift. Until it became a prison. But can a student stand against an empire?
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4 out of 5 stars
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Astounding novel; poor narration
- By B. Tovey on 12-09-22
- Babel
- Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution
- By: R. F. Kuang
- Narrated by: Chris Lew Kum Hoi, Billie Fulford-Brown
Great until half way through
Reviewed: 21-10-23
Essentially a Harry Potter about colonialism. Good fun until about half way through at which point the story logic breaks down and characters start behaving completely differently to the way in which that have come up to that point.
Some cut in recording corrections also sound particularly low quality. Would not recommend.
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The Age of Gold
- The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream
- By: H.W. Brands
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 17 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 17
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17
When gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill on the American River, it completely transformed the territory of California. Hundreds of thousands of people sped to California by any means possible, and small cities sprung up to service their needs as they sought the precious metal. By 1850, California had become a state; it had also become a symbol of where the nation was going.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Far too long
- By M.R. Bunce on 01-12-15
- The Age of Gold
- The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream
- By: H.W. Brands
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
The firsthand story of the Californian gold rush
Reviewed: 26-09-23
We listened to this on a Californian road trip adding an extra dimension to the landscapes that we drove through. Expertly written using the firsthand accounts of the ordinary, and extraordinary, people who ventured to California in the 1840s seeking their fortunes and a new life in the West.
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The Watchers
- By: A.M. Shine
- Narrated by: Jacqueline Milne
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 422
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 393
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Story4 out of 5 stars 392
This forest isn't charted on any map. Every car breaks down at its treeline. Mina's is no different. Left stranded, she is forced into the dark woodland only to find a woman shouting, urging Mina to run to a concrete bunker. As the door slams behind her, the building is besieged by screams. Mina finds herself in a room with a wall of glass, and an electric light that activates at nightfall, when the watchers come above ground. These creatures emerge to observe their captive humans and terrible things happen to anyone who doesn't reach the bunker in time.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing
- By Miss James on 29-09-22
- The Watchers
- By: A.M. Shine
- Narrated by: Jacqueline Milne
Predictable and confusing in equal measure
Reviewed: 06-03-23
I should have bailed out earlier. A quarter of the way in I could see a far-telegraphed twist but hoped that it was a double bluff and that the book was going to surprise me. Unfortunately not. Characters are one dimensional, none of the horrible things that happen seem to have any lasting impact on the other characters, and the dialogue creaks like a particularly squeaky door.
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2 people found this helpful
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The Trials of Koli
- The Rampart Trilogy, Book 2
- By: M. R. Carey
- Narrated by: Theo Solomon, Saffron Coomber
- Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 310
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 283
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 282
Koli never planned to set foot outside his small village. He knew that beyond its walls lay a fearsome landscape filled with choker trees, vicious beasts and Shunned men. But when he was exiled, he had no choice but to journey out into this strange world where every moment is a fight for survival. And it's not just Koli's life that is threatened. Whole villages just like his are dying out.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Bring on No. 3
- By maveric78 on 17-09-20
- The Trials of Koli
- The Rampart Trilogy, Book 2
- By: M. R. Carey
- Narrated by: Theo Solomon, Saffron Coomber
Loving this series
Reviewed: 27-10-20
This series is a really enjoyable listen. Carey has created a world of characters that area ll beautifully realised with their own motivations, hopes and desires. Love it.
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The Book of Koli
- The Rampart Trilogy, Book 1
- By: M. R. Carey
- Narrated by: Theo Solomon
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 462
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 413
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 411
Beyond the walls of the small village of Mythen Rood lies an unrecognisable landscape. A place where overgrown forests are filled with choker trees and deadly seeds that will kill you where you stand. And if they don't get you, the Shunned men will. Koli has lived in Mythen Rood his entire life. He believes the first rule of survival is that you don't venture too far beyond the walls.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Looking forward to the next instalment
- By Lovemykindle on 27-05-20
- The Book of Koli
- The Rampart Trilogy, Book 1
- By: M. R. Carey
- Narrated by: Theo Solomon
Great start to a new series
Reviewed: 10-06-20
Very much enjoyed this fist book in a new series from M R Carey. A dystopian world, technology venerated as if it were magic, killer trees - what's not to like.
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The Wolves of London
- Obsidian Heart, Book 1
- By: Mark Morris
- Narrated by: Ben Onwukwe
- Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,505
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,408
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1,407
Alex Locke is a reformed ex-con forced into London's criminal underworld for one more job. He agrees to steal a priceless artefact - a human heart carved from the blackest obsidian - but when the burglary goes horribly wrong, Alex is plunged into the nightmarish world of the Wolves of London, unearthly assassins who will stop at nothing to reclaim the heart. As he races to unlock the secrets of the mysterious object, Alex must learn to wield its dark power - or be destroyed by it.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Other reviewers seem confused - Compelling start..
- By ALP on 11-10-16
- The Wolves of London
- Obsidian Heart, Book 1
- By: Mark Morris
- Narrated by: Ben Onwukwe
Just awful
Reviewed: 19-10-15
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
I seldom give up on an audio book but the writing here is so awful I bailed out half way through. The book is littered with so many plot holes, get-out-of-jail-free plot devices, terrible characterisation and jarring changes of style I'm not sure how the reader managed to keep a straight face. Reads as if the author was making it up as he went along.
What will your next listen be?
Purity - Jonathan Frazen
What about Ben Onwukwe’s performance did you like?
Good reading style.
You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?
None.
Any additional comments?
I see it's part of a series. How on earth did that happen?
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