Speaks the Nightbird

By: Robert R. McCammon

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

Length: 30 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Fiction, 2013

Judgment of the Witch

The Carolinas, 1699: The citizens of Fount Royal believe a witch has cursed their town with inexplicable tragedies - and they demand that beautiful widow Rachel Howarth be tried and executed for witchcraft. Presiding over the trial is traveling magistrate Issac Woodward, aided by his astute young clerk, Matthew Corbett. Believing in Rachel's innocence, Matthew will soon confront the true evil at work in Fount Royal....

Evil Unveiled

After hearing damning testimony, magistrate Woodward sentences the accused witch to death by burning. Desperate to exonerate the woman he has come to love, Matthew begins his own investigation among the townspeople. Piecing together the truth, he has no choice but to vanquish a force more malevolent than witchcraft in order to save his beloved Rachel - and free Fount Royal from the menace claiming innocent lives.

©2002 Robert McCammon (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Edoardo Ballerini performs this story of accusation and fear flawlessly. He effortlessly switches his pitch, accents, and timbre to suit the unfortunate Rachel Howarth, the endless curious Corbett, and the various determined characters, good and evil.” (AudioFile)

"a compelling story that should find a wide readership. Highly recommended for popular fiction collections." (Library Journal)

"An excellent story, full of tension and suspense.” (Stephen King)

Extraordinary!

I never write reviews... Too lazy! But this book is so extraordinary that it deserves to be pushed into the hands (ears) of every serious reader. The plot is complex; the mystery is engrossing; the characters are perfectly drawn; the period detail is flawless; and the philosophical conclusions the reader enjoys are rich. Go for this one....

Beyond my expectations

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Reading was one of the best I have heard. I was wrapped up in the story in no time at all

I'M NOT JUST RIGHT, I AM CORRECT

IT IS THE PARTICULARS THAT MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE
After reading Swan Song, I wanted more of McCammon. This is a lot different then Swan Song and a lot the same. Both books are timepieces and both books are dark. Both books have well developed characters, such as Exodus Jerusalem, a PSEUDO HOLLY IMBECILE, with A TALENT FOR PAINTING HORNY PICTURES. In both books I felt like I was there. Both books are long, yet you want to continue to listen, as you want to know how it ends. Both books have very gory scenes and graphic sex scenes. Swan Song is a huge fantasy novel and this is a Agatha Christie type mystery.

YOU WANT TO BLAME ANYONE, GO SPEAK TO A MIRROR.
I am more of a Sci-Fi/Fantasy person, so I enjoyed Swan Song much better. This still earned four stars and I listened to all 30+ hours. I have a short attention span, so any book I stay with for this long has to be good. I did find my mind wondering at times, even in anticipated parts. I remember one scene in which I was very interested in what was making the noise, yet from the time he hears the noise to the time he investigates, is so full of second guessing, wondering, thinking, that my mind wonder elsewhere. Yet I did come to, in time to find out what he found out, as it was such a long process. Beware of chapter 23. You are thinking how well this written and then all of a sudden Pulp Fiction breaks out. I think I am very open minded, especially when it comes to sex, but this was pretty disturbing. Some have said it should not have been in the book. I am no history buff or doctor, but I believe this is how a lot of sexual diseases got started, so is it factual for the time and place? When we don't educate the public that these things happen, does that lead to more of it?

DUNG DRIPPING TONGUE
I have nothing against this narrator, in no way did he ruin the experience. I will listen to more of his work and I gave him three stars which means average. At the beginning of the book he read mostly in a breathy voice, kind of like he was reading a romance. He read very slow, which added the length of the book. He was great at voices and accents.

Excellent

Solid, enjoyable whodunit, much in the style of an Edwardian mystery with keen-witted Matthew Corbett, judicial clerk, as its Sherlock. Set in the late 17th-century Carolina colony, Matthew and his master, Magistrate Woodward, have been summoned to the small village of Fount Royal in order to try Rachel Howarth for the crime of witchcraft. Matthew does his own sleuthing on the side, finding out that Fount Royal is dealing with an insidious villain much more dangerous than its citizens realize. The prose is masterfully paced and full of excellent detail. Author McCammon frames his young protagonist in heroic style, and the reader can't help but root for the boy throughout the story. Everything sets up for a series surrounding his further crime-foiling exploits, and indeed, there are now four other books in the Matthew Corbett set. I'll definitely be checking them out.
Narrator Edoardo Ballerini is superb.

Well thought out, beautifully written

. . . And fabulously narrated, this book has it all! It is a gripping tail of fear, greed, adventure and love. Not the mushy kind. This is definitely not your romantic "chick flick" material although there is a very unusual love story. It is just a good book, a great story the kind that keeps you turning pages, or in this case, keeping the player going well into the night. Can't wait to start the next book in the series.

Very Enjoyable

I was very surprised how much I liked this book. This is a great listen and the narrative was spot on.   The descriptive writing helps to really draw you right into the heart of the story and brilliantly brings the characters to life.  I was taken aback several times when the story went from elegant to graphic in the flick of an eye. Just one of the things that made this a winner for me, definitely recommend. 

The Witching Hour Romance

Where does Speaks the Nightbird rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would say it ranks in the high five.

What did you like best about this story?

The transformation of the storyline from a witches brew to a romance.

Which scene was your favorite?

Gosh golly it's hard to say, there's so much action in this audiobook. I would say, the escape from the .....can't tell because it would ruin the story for someone.
The most interesting point that stands out in this book is you never know if Matthew really and truly loses his virginity or not.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, actually the audio span was so long and the storyline so massive I enjoyed listening to this in intervals.

Any additional comments?

This was my first Robert McCammon novel however I see that his character Matthew has a series of novels where I believe he becomes a detective. I am certainly interested in reading up on young Matthew and seeing how things go for him from this point on in his life.

Not the typical Robert McCammon

I was excited to see this series by Robert McCammon. I was hooked on his previous books. Swan Song and Stinger were well worn paperbacks in my collection. I can't say I felt the same about this one. This story was very long. Longer than it needed to be I think. I would have probably enjoyed an edited version of this much more.

The narrator could sometimes be distracting as well. Sometimes he seemed to fit in perfectly and at other times the voice seemed to be completely off the mark.

I haven't completely discounted getting the 2nd book in the series to see if it improves but I can't say for sure I'll keep reading them.

Incredible story but...

What did you love best about Speaks the Nightbird?

I thoroughly enjoy historical novels and this one was not disappointing. The author gave the reader clear pictures of life in 1699. He also described the characters quite well. But as much as I enjoyed the many different plot lines, those became part of the reason why I had some difficulty toward the end of the book.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I will not give away the ending. However, the relationship between the primary figures was something that was built up throughout this very lengthy novel. The ending left me wishing the author had done more. Perhaps the relationship I hoped for will surprise me in the other Matthew Corbett books.

What does Edoardo Ballerini bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I haven't heard him before, even though my Audible library collection consists of well over a few hundred books. After listening to Mr. Ballerini, I will be looking for books he has narrated. He has an excellent command of various accents and it was truly a delight to experience such a talented narrator.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Occasionally I laughed, at times the violence was exceptionally sobering, but from my history classes, I am certain the author did enough research into the miserable lives people had during that period of time, to be accurate.

Any additional comments?

Other than being disappointed with the ending, the story was so rich and the narrator was so excellent I purchased the next several books in the series!

The best audiobook EVER!

What made the experience of listening to Speaks the Nightbird the most enjoyable?

The narrator was exceptional. It was such a pleasant listening experience. I couldn't wait to get out on my mail route to listen to more of the story. I love the fact that the book was over 30 hours long. It could have been twice as long and I would have still been bummed when it ended.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot was very well devised.

Which character – as performed by Edoardo Ballerini – was your favorite?

Matthew Corbett was my favorite character.

Any additional comments?

I absolutely loved this book more than any other book that I have read or listened to. You will not be disappointed with this book!