Eric

First off, this is a review of the "Speaker for the Dead" three-book series, which includes "Xenocide" and "Children of the Mind".

If you're considering this book, then you probably thought "Ender's Game was cool!" Ender's Game tricks you into thinking this book and its series is cool. Assuming you ignore this review, I will now tell your future...

As you finish listening to Speaker for the Dead you will think, "Well, okay. Maybe it will get better." Then, as you finish Xenocide you think, "Okay, it's not going to get better, but I might as well finish the series and see what happens." As you're listening to the long, drawn out, redundant, and contradicting dialogues and monologues of Children of the Mind, your own mind will wander and you will think "I wonder what will be the next book I listen to."

When you get to the end of the last book, when the ending is far less than spectacular, you'll sit and reflect. You'll think and reflect for a few hours about what you took out of the Speaker for the Dead series and you will finally come to your ultimate conclusion........"Well, at least Ender's Game was cool!"

First off, this is a review of the "Speaker for the Dead" three-book series, which includes "Xenocide" and "Children of the Mind".

If you're considering this book, then you probably thought "Ender's Game was cool!" Ender's Game tricks you into thinking this book and its series is cool. Assuming you ignore this review, I will now tell your future...

As you finish listening to Speaker for the Dead you will think, "Well, okay. Maybe it will get better." Then, as you finish Xenocide you think, "Okay, it's not going to get better, but I might as well finish the series and see what happens." As you're listening to the long, drawn out, redundant, and contradicting dialogues and monologues of Children of the Mind, your own mind will wander and you will think "I wonder what will be the next book I listen to."

When you get to the end of the last book, when the ending is far less than spectacular, you'll sit and reflect. You'll think and reflect for a few hours about what you took out of the Speaker for the Dead series and you will finally come to your ultimate conclusion........"Well, at least Ender's Game was cool!"

It was a good story, but also an interesting application of interesting scientific theories. The author did his homework. It's obvious that such a story is unrealistic, but this is fiction, after all, so it's okay. It is not five stars because I think that the author lacks the ability to paint a detailed picture in my head. There were some imagery that I would have liked the author to explain better. This book is a good use of a book balance credit!

Initially, the reader was agonizing because I was unfamiliar with his different voices. I didn't realize how spoiled I was with Frank. By the second part I was use to the new reader, and he did just an excellent job. I especially like his rendition of the "machine" voices (e.g. Andy).

This book was perfectly written, in my opinion. I loved book IV, but this one is my favorite so far. King gives a great balance of history telling and current storyline advancement (the only big drawback about book IV). King reveals more about Roland and his past but tactfully only enough to keep me intrigued.

In this book King paints a very detailed picture in my mind. Compared to many other non-King books, I felt like I was watching everything on a movie screen. The ka-tet embarks on what initially seems like only a side-quest, but turns out to be another piece of the Dark Tower puzzle. The end reveals another example of the amazing skill and ability bestowed upon those called gunslingers. I was only slightly bored by some of Callahan's story, but maybe the purpose of his story will be revealed in the next book.

I've invested so much time in this series. I've listened to the books once, but I've read them many times since King was infrequent in the release of new books. I really like this series, but I'm afraid that he will leave some loose ends after the seventh book. That would be truly unfortunate, so let's hope that doesn't happen.

Never EVER will I get another audio book read by George Wilson. Imagine if you had to listen to a conversation where there was a five second pause after each person finishes his/her statements. It felt like I was hitting every red light in San Francisco! Plus, he didn't have enough distinct voices to seperate the different characters. I felt that the reader read too slow, as if he were reading a children's story to some kindergarteners.

Now for the story...I read and loved Jurrasic Park. But in this book the author felt it was necessary to explain fairly simple technical bits in five minute narratives, often repeating many of his ideas throughout the book in five or more places. There were suspense "scenes" that were drawn out too long where you knew the author was just trying to prolong the uncomfortable suspense simply for the purpose of increasing the length of the book. Couple that with the slow pace or the reader and you end up with suspense scenes that seem to go on for hours, with very little progression of the story. Finally, there were WAY too many "[character] said" clauses at the end of converstation phrases.

"Bla bla bla bla", (2 sec pause) May said (2 sec pause).
"Ble ble ble ble", (2 sec pause) Ricky said (2 sec pause).
"Bli bli bli bli", (2 sec pause) I said (2 sec pause).
"Blo blo blo blo", (2 sec pause) Ricky said (2 sec pause).
"Blu Blu Blu Blu", (2 sec pause) I said (2 sec pause).

Oh the humanity!

It's not 1 star because the story was at least interesting, and the ending was slightly better written (and read), though as predictable as any action-disaster movie you've seen.