Dies the Fire

A Novel of the Change

By: S. M. Stirling

Narrated by: Todd McLaren

Length: 22 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Michael Havel was flying over Idaho en route to the holiday home of his passengers when the plane's engines inexplicably died, forcing a less than perfect landing in the wilderness. And, as Michael leads his charges to safety, he begins to realize that the engine failure was not an isolated incident.

Juniper Mackenzie was singing and playing guitar in a pub when her small Oregon town was thrust into darkness. Cars refused to start. Phones were silent. And when an airliner crashed, no sirens sounded and no fire trucks arrived. Now, taking refuge in her family's cabin with her daughter and a growing circle of friends, Juniper is determined to create a farming community to benefit the survivors of this crisis.

But even as people band together to help one another, others are building armies for conquest.

©2004 Stirling (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"The novel's dual themes - myth and technology -should appeal to both fantasy and hard SF readers as well as to techno-thriller fans." ( Publishers Weekly)

Narrator needs to work on proper pronunciation

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator constantly mispronounced common words like rations ("ray-tions"), corpsman ("cores-man"), etc. It distracted from the story significantly.

GOOD & BAD

What did you like best about Dies the Fire? What did you like least?

I enjoyed the different groups of people and how they dealt with "the change". I found it interesting to read how different parts of the country had developed after the change.That said I have to say the books are very wordy. His descriptions are way too long. I understand he is trying to paint the story - but I didn't need to hear every type of flower growing on the side of the road or every detail of what the character is wearing or eating. I actually became very irritated with it and would skip through it.

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

He brought different voices, and accents which made the characters more interesting. I liked Todd McLaren as a narrator and would like to hear him again.

Any additional comments?

If you don't like very wordy, description heavy books don't use your credits on this series.

good start to a deep world of survival and intrege

li liked the concept of something so simple causing human kind to collapse in on itself and revert 300 years. sometimes the plot and world building slowed down the read but overall I enjoyed it.

very good

I really enjoyed the two main characters and the story made me want to buy a sword. good book

Fun to go back to an old favorite!

I have read the entire series and I’m so glad I gave the audio book a try. So fun to hear some of my favorite characters brought to life. My one complaint is that the narrator is not terribly good at Hispanic accents.

Way longer than expected

Great book and performance. Unfortunately it seems to just end and now I am searching for a sequel.

Truly Epic!

This is an amazing opening to the series. You will love the characters and story. A truly original take on the end of the world. Got my stamp... so you all know its sweet!

Well written.

Dark and gritty with a lot of thought put into the writing. Narrator was very emotive and preformed well.

GREAT STORY, A "PAGE TURNER"

What made the experience of listening to Dies the Fire the most enjoyable?

THE BOOK IS GOOD FROM START TO FINISH, WAS EAGER TO GET TO THE NEXT ONE IN THE SERIES

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dies the Fire?

THE BEAR AND JUNNIES MEETING

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

YOU FORGET THAT ONLY ONE PERSON IS READING THE BOOK, JUST AS WILL PATTON DOES IN JAMES LEE BURKE BOOKS

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

THE BEGINNING OF A GREAT SERIES

Any additional comments?

I'VE LISTENED TO IT 3 OR 4 TIMES IN THE YEARS I'VE HAD IT ON MY LIST

Back to the Middle Ages

Where does Dies the Fire rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have listened to all of this series and this lead in book is very good. Stirling fully introduces the characters and develops them. The degeneration of society may seem quick but this is fiction.

What other book might you compare Dies the Fire to and why?

Others in the series, I have read a few other post collapse novels, this less "prepper" and more fantasy.

Have you listened to any of Todd McLaren’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The narrator says BARRED instead of BARED.

Any additional comments?

No