By Heresies Distressed

Safehold Series, Book 3

By: David Weber

Narrated by: Jason Culp

Length: 24 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

In David Weber's By Heresies Distressed, the battle for the soul of the planet Safehold has begun.

The Kingdom of Charis and the Kingdom of Chisholm have joined together, pledged to stand against the tyranny of a corrupt Church. The youthful Queen Sharleyan of Chisholm has wed King Cayleb of Charis, forging a single dynasty, a single empire, dedicated to the defense of human freedom. Crowned Empress of that empire, Sharleyan has found in Cayleb's arms the love she never dared hope for in a "marriage of state." In Cayleb's cause, his defiance of the ruthless Group of Four who govern mother Church, she has found the task to which she can commit her mind and her courage. It is a cause for which she was born.

Yet there are things Sharleyan still does not know. Secrets Cayleb has not been permitted to share, even with her. Secrets like the true story of humanity on Safehold. Like the intricate web of lies, deception, and fabricated "religion" which have chained humanity for almost a thousand years. Like the existence of the genocidal alien Gbaba, waiting to complete mankind's destruction should humans ever attract their attention once more. Like the existence of a young woman, Nimue Alban, nine hundred years dead, whose heart, mind, and memories live on within the android body of the warrior-monk she knows as Merlin.

And so Empress Sharleyan faces the great challenge of her life unaware of all that task truly entails...or of how the secrets the man who loves her cannot share may threaten all they have achieved between them...and her own life.

Listen to more in the Safehold series.

©2009 David Weber (P)2009 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“From the clean, enunciated tones of Merlin, to the faint Scottish accent of Cayleb, to the gruff and terse voice of Grand Inquisitor Clintan, Culp manages to convey a distinct identity through tone, pitch, accent and speech patterns of each character.” —KingoftheNerds.com

“The unabridged audiobook version of By Heresies Distressed...is masterfully narrated by Jason Culp. The excitement and tension of dramatic events...come across even more strongly to a listener than to a reader.” —BookLoons.com

Vintage Weber

Not having listened to previous titles in this series I don't miss the first narrator and think that Mr. Culp does an excellent job. And since I've read everything that Weber has written, I'm not surprised by the pace and political machinations.

The focus of the story has shifted from Merlin. I actually think that makes the story more interesting. It involves mere mortals, highly and perhaps too gifted and altruistic mortals, but at least they're not mere puppets in the plot of a super cyborg. Good job.

great book bad voice acting

I usually don't mind a change in narrator mid series but this one was painfully different in every way to the first books in the series

Sucks to change narrators but a great story

Still a great read! I only wish the narrator hadn't changed. It's tough for me to get involved with a book of the first book of the series was with a different narrator. That being said, once I was adjusted to to narrator the story was just as well written as the previous.

Good book

Great book series. David weber is awesome at the art of narrating strategy. Loved it!!!!

Hooked

Great novel love the series. Like the character development, the story is very unique, wish there was just one narrator but the narration is not bad at all.

Bradbury

nearly perfect performance. just that one little slip up Kaleb not Cable lol and only once

superb narrator compared to book 1

Vocal nuance, multiple accents MD mastery of. Mr. Weber's text made. a huge. difference.

good book

the author does a great job, so did the narrator. I heartily reccomend this series.

merlin finds that even a piccu can be stretched to thin.

Webe's detail to black powder engineering.

I am so sorry I discovered this story so late. Enjoying this as much as Honor Harrington.

Oliver Whyman, Where Are You?

By Heresies Distressed is the third book in David Weber's "Safehold" series. I have to agree with a number of others who objected to the loss of Oliver Wyman as the series narrator. The change to Jason Culp caused me quite a few problems with vocal character identification. It was a terrible move on the part of Macmillan Audio. If Wyman was not available at scheduled time for recording the book, they should have waited for him to become available.

As for the book itself, I had the same feelings about the audio version that I did about the printed. Unless Weber plans to become another Robert Jordan, he needs to move the story line along a bit faster. The politics involved are devilishly delightful, but they take up too much story time. We don't really need a blow by blow account of every political and religious move on the entire planet to enjoy the action. If nothing else, that level of detail makes recapping the next volume in the series a tediously lengthly process, and makes fans lose interest before the new story lines starts. I did greatly enjoy the new story, what there was of it, but it could have been a lot better with less political detail and more action.

I give the book and audio recording 4 Stars, and Jason Culp's rendition 2 Stars for effort.