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Speaks the Nightbird  By  cover art

Speaks the Nightbird

By: Robert R. McCammon
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
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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)
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What listeners say about Speaks the Nightbird

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    4,423
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Story
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  • 3 Stars
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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

Super wonderful adventure of intrigue.....awesome!

Loved every moment......spellbound and intrigued to know what was to happen next! Wonderful till the very end :-)

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful!

If you could sum up Speaks the Nightbird in three words, what would they be?

Epic, historical, spellbinding

Who was your favorite character and why?

Matthew Corbett because of his quiet stubbornness

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

Eduardo's performance lifted the book to a whole new level. All the different voices for the different characters and his masterful storytelling made me "see" Fount Royal and its townspeople in a way I would not have if I had read the book because I have a tendency to skim through long descriptions.

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

Yes! Despite the length of the book, I was reluctant for it to end

Any additional comments?

I bought this on the recommendation of Audible's listeners like you feature. There is nothing I like better than finding a new ( to me ) author, unless it is a new author with a series of books. Listening to the second in the series right now

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Review

Story should be 4 stars. I couldn’t delete one. It was a good story but soooo long.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Awe struck

The narrator gave a brilliant performance. The story line kept my interest. I was surprised to find out that the killer was not who I thought it would be.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Simply the best.

Robert McCammon is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. So glad I discovered this series. One of the best books I’ve listened to on Audible!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Edoardo Ballerini is King

This is a very long story but I never lost interest. There was always something going on to keep me wanting more. The characters were developed so well I felt I knew them personally. The story was thrilling and kept me wondering who was responsible for what until the very end. I can not say enough about Edoardo Ballerini. His narration is amazing. The voices he performs for each character is incredible. I would read just about anything he narrates.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely can not stop listening!

I am in love with this whole series. I’ve just finished book 3 and I can’t stop listening to these books. They have it all - humor, suspense, mystery, thrills, lots of “ick”, and everything! In parts of these books I’m on the edge of my seat holding my breathe. Perfect narration and descriptions. The twist and turns leave the listener on a wild ride. I can’t say enough good things about this series.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great story and excellent narration!

Excellent story very well written. For the majority of the story the pace was well done, I did find it a little rushed near the end. Just my personal opinion. Don't let that detour you from listening to this excellent book.

I've read several books by Mr. McCammon and all of them have been exceptionally well written. Take a chance you won't be disappointed.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A new American classic!

McCammon at his finest! Ballerini has the perfect vocal range and presence to make this not only an entertaining listening experience, but he tells it like a traveling bard, straight out of a Tolkien story.
McCammon is a brilliant storyteller, and he pulls no punches in this lovingly woven tale that harkens back to Hawthorne, Crichton, Doyle, and Poe.

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    5 out of 5 stars

Suspenseful and well Written

Great story, grabs you right from the beginning. Very good story and a good mystery that keeps you guessing. I was sad when it ended. the narrator was amazing, the story required many accents, different language parts and he sounded authentic for all of it

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