"fair"
Not spellbinder- reasonably entertaining. Narrator good.
"Not your parent's Dark Tower"
Written for a preteen. Narrated for a preteen. I could not get more than 3 hours into this.
This prequel is a teriible downer for a Dark Tower listener eager for more.
"Fugetit"
I read this as a teenager but had no recollection other than I remember enjoying it and several of the sequels. Just goes to show kids don't know much about literature.
The concept is interesting but character development is poor. If you're a feminist- I am not- this read will repulse you. This book reminds me of Robert Heinlein's general pontification and interest in free love with women with no brains. Moreover, Mr. Farmer is likely a socialist considering his apparent opinions about human motivation.
Interestingly, Hermann Goering plays a prominent role in this book. He is important in the book I'm listening to now, THE WINDS OF WAR, of course.
I might have ventured another credit on the sequels but several reader's reviews disuaded me.
There are thousands of books, including scifi and fantasy, beter worth your time.
"Too slow/too fast"
The story started out quite slowly, built up gradually and ended too quickly. Perhaps the lack of a detailed ending is an invitation to a sequel- I'd RSVP in the negative.
The "science" aspect of the fiction is odd and inadequately explored. I never quite got the significance or origin of the coexistence of 2 cities occupying the same physical space.
Mostly this is a murder mystery with the fantasy serving only an important piece of background.
Overall an adequate listen and fairly short, so nothing lost.
John Lee is my favorite narrator and did not disappoint.
"Try Peter Hmilton's Dreaming Void series instead"
This is a collection of short stories which are interesting in isolation but put together seem pointless. The ending proves beyond any doubt this is actually one very long book broken up to maximize profits. The futuristic technology description is inconsistent and unbelievable.
I am not a fan of the ensemble cast method of narrating books and this read reinforces my opinion. This would have been a much more enjoyable listen if it had been narrated by one competent professional. Allyson Johnson is simply awful. Her character is the most powerful of the lot but Ms. Johnson's rendition is so weak as to make the character into a misguided teenager.
I've just started the sequel and will likely finish the series, but I do a lot of driving and my time in the car is free.
If you value your time and money (I purchased this book with audible's 3 for 2 offer) buy Peter Hamilton's Dreaming Void series instead.
"good story, excellent narrator"
Not quite as enjoyable a story as "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". The character development was not as in depth. The "mystery" was not as mysterious. Simon Vance performs well with the right amount of acting and excellent voice modulation to separate out the various characters.
"less than captivating"
This read tended to the slow side. It ended too precipitously. It is not nearly as captivating as "The Count of Monte Christo". The narrative centered too much on the demonic antagonist rather than on the honorable protagonists. Nonetheless, it is still a worthwhile listen.
The author's account of the historical characters of the times is fascinating. One of my next listens will be a historical review of French politics of the early 1800's.
The use of the English language in the 1800's is wonderful. I wish we still talked as they did.
Mr. Lee is, as always, a superlative narrator.
"The best by the best"
Most enjoyable read ever, at least partly due to Mr. Lee's narration.
"for too long"
This book went on forever. 95% of the book described horrible things people will do to each other when induced to do so. The 5% of the time when the main protagonists were demonstrating reasonable human qualities was not enough to make this a worthwhile listen.
This seems to be a Steven King characteristic and a reason I like him less well than other horror writers.
The narrator was fair. He had a good voice and was easy to listen to but is "acting" left something to be desired.
"just as good as the others"
This is just as good as the other stories in the "Oliverr Stone" books.