Jake

Most of the time, I agree with Glen Beck's philosophy. His arguments here are so compelling that it angers you, even if (and maybe especially if) you agree with him. I don't know if anyone could narrate this other than the author, and still have the passion that he obviously has and imparts. I was also surprised that a little more than halfway through his book ended. Then began a reading of the original by Thomas Paine. Though the language is hard to get used to at first, his arguments are just as compelling and give a great view of the historical setting at the time.

I have wanted to read this book/series for a while. I don't get HBO, so know nothing about it other than the buzz surrounding that TV series. I had some credits at a used bookstore that I needed to use up, and saw this at a reasonable price.

Once I started to read it, it was apparent that I would not finish it quickly (without losing sleep). I used a credit on Audible to pick up the audio book and do my own manual "whispersync" as I went back and forth between the print and audio versions. Each has its own allure for me, but the narration adds quite a bit to the experience. Someday I might even see the HBO production.

As for the story and plot, it is a space opera set in Arthurian times. I read somewhere that it was "Lord of the Rings meets The Sopranos". This is an apt description. It is a long story, and it doesn't seem to have a real ending. The characters, many as there are, are deep enough to care about (or hate), and the descriptions are not short. There are some sections where you want to skip over the tedium, but are afraid you will miss something important to the plot. I was never so bored as to wanting to stop, but it did feel tiresome at times (but then so did LOTR).

I am now invested enough that I have picked up the next book (also at a bargain price) and downloaded the audio. I don't know how many I will read before wanting a break from the storyline, but I am enjoying it nonetheless, especially with the excellent narration.