Kristi

I have listened to all of the Percy Jackson books and I have pretty much lost steam at this point. Each book is more and more similar to the previous one. Sometimes that works, but in this case, there is almost no innovation to each book. I originally thought the premise of the stories was clever -- why create new stories when you can just borrow from Greek and Roman mythology? Genius! -- but it is as though the author is on auto-pilot. I made it through because I listened to it at 3x speed and even then didn't really have to pay attention to get through it. I'm not planning to read any more Percy Jackson books.

This book is an excellent example of how wonderful a listening experience can be when a fantastic writer combines with a gifted narrator. Thomas Hardy writes in a way that makes mundane details seem enthralling. While the story is entertaining enough, on its own it wouldn't compel four stars; it's the writing that does the trick. Well worth a listen.

I have read every "Percy Jackson" novel written so far. I thought this novel was just OK. I feel as though I'd like a little more originality. (Originality may be an unfairly tall order from the author who is basically re-writing Greek and Roman mythology --a clever way to craft a series of novels, in my mind -- I'm sure several people wish they had thought of it first!)

I did like learning about new characters Frank and Hazel, but I suppose the original appeal of this series (I love Greek mythology and was psyched to read the stories in a different way) is just wearing off.

This is the third Thursday Next novel I have read (I started out of order and accidentally have stayed that way). I love the idea of Thursday Next and the Bookworld. Fforde's cleverness and irreverence know no bounds! However, I think I'd like this book more if one or two of the several storylines were removed, so I could focus more on what was happening and not feel like I was consistently just a little bit lost.

The narrator is fantastic.

I found this book because I was searching for other books by the narrator, Emily Gray, and thought this one sounded intriguing. However, I just couldn't get into it. As it turns out, I'm not really that into stories with vampires (the Sookie Stackhouse novels being the one exception). It's too bad, because I love a good audiobook series, but this just wasn't for me.

I still love the narrator, though -- she sounds great even when I'm not that intrigued by the content.

I love the political commentary and irreverence presented in these novels. The characters are highly entertaining. Fforde has an unusually gifted imagination and must be remarkably well-read given the wide variety of literary references. However, I found this one to be just a little too much in that I wish there were fewer storylines happening at the same time. I found it a little hard to remain concentrated throughout the story.

(Please note that I have (accidentally) read these books out of order, and read this one second. I likely ended up a little more easily confused than the true series aficionados.)

The narrator is wonderful. I even went in search of other books she had narrated, I liked her so much.

This is the second book in the series and the second one I've read. I am amazed at how Mr. Martin ever kept all of the characters, lands, factions, families, symbols, castles, etc. straight in his head. He does a masterful job of weaving a story and his ability to write political intrigue is amazing. It's an investment to read one of these books -- all of the characters and twists and turns require a high degree of focus -- but it's worth it. Equally amazing is the narrator, who manages to narrate in a way that it makes it easy for the listener to keep the characters straight.

There is a caveman-like, primal aspect of several characters that I wish didn't receive as much in-depth description as it does -- there are some cringe-worthy scenes that I found hard to listen to. This book also relies on magic more than the first one did, which makes the limits unclear (if someone can magically come back to life, for example, how will I understand when an end is really an end?). If the focus on magic continues expanding, I wonder whether I will continue to like the rest of the series as much.

Incredible, incredible, incredible. Great story, great writing, and solid narration combine to make this a must-listen. I especially liked the dialogue and description of California such that the land almost becomes a character. Plus, the well-developed characters are all very original and you learn as much about their flaws as their strengths.

It takes place in the early 1900's and it is so well-written that you can smell, taste, and imagine the surroundings. The novel introduces several cultural references that make you feel like you really understand that time. Just incredible! I understand why Steinbeck thought this was "his magnum opus".

The narrator does a nice job given the complexity of so many characters.

I came across this book because it was an Audie Award finalist and highly reviewed. While it wasn't bad, I didn't think it was that great either. I thought the narrator was fine, but I just didn't find the story as entertaining as I thought it would be when I read the synopsis ahead of time; this was a clever idea for a story whose execution is only so-so. It was a little slow in parts, but has enough suspense to keep you reading through to the end.

I read this because it was recommended by a good friend. I am not into the chef/restaurant/foodie scene at all, and so expected not to like this. I was pleasantly surprised. This woman's life is simply an entertaining story even if you're not that into the food parts, and the food-related parts are surprisingly "accessible" (I don't really cook but didn't feel like anything was over my head).

The book unfortunately takes a nosedive in the final part of the story, where the focus is on marital discord and the resulting bitterness. But the parts before that make listening to this book worth it.

Considering she's a chef, and not a professional audiobook narrator, Hamilton does a respectable job.

This is a great story -- there's intrigue, family dynamics, fish out of water (Wyoming men in downtown Philly), horses -- all in addition to the wonderful characters Walt, Henry Standing Bear, Vic and Cady. Good dialogue and good action. Just fantastic.

The narrator is great as well.