Sean

I purchased this novel based on some vague memories of the old Sean Connery movie. I was not disappointed. A very fast, suspensful listen. Imagine Sherlock Holmes as an Italian Monk and you've got the idea. I found that listening in the car at night enhanced the feel of the creepy monastary libray and definitely made the devastating climax come to life as I listened. A great mystery, vivid characters, dry humor, and some nice historical touches round out the tale.

The only drawback of this title is that some of the Italian character names deserve re-reading (it is a whodunit, after all). I found myself skipping backwards every so often to review what I'd heard. For the most part this is impractical. Other than that, an excellent listen!

I highly recommend this title: it has lead me to check out other titles by the author and I will probably listen to it again every other year or so - which for me is a sure sign of a good book.

Undoubtedly a mini-marketing piece released in conjunction with the upcoming movie, this does have some mildly interesting content about the history of the various races of Alagaesia and how they got there. The work, however, takes a back seat to the discovery that the author should in no way read audio books. This has the feeling of an un-edited one-time read aloud, which could conceivably add to its charm, except that it comes off as a rush job.

If you can get past the poor delivery, and are a big fan of the Inheritance series, this is worth the 25 minutes. Casual fans, though, should spend the time elswhere.

I can't believe how much this version makes me want to reread the next three books. The new material whets the appetite for what is to come. Now I'm going to have to use 3 more credits on this series!

The only negative about this recording is that the reader does not have the vocal variety of an A+ storyteller. He's good, but not great. Even so, this is a great listen.