Haydn of Mars

Book 1 of the Masters of Mars Trilogy

By: Al Sarrantonio

Narrated by: Harriet Fraser

Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

On Mars, in the distant future, the princess Haydn's arranged marriage cannot save her beloved Republic. Her arch-enemy, the warrior-woman Frane, seeks to make herself Queen while Haydn--the legitimate heir-- must flee for her life.

A reluctant symbol for those who would restore the monarchy, Haydn is too young and unprepared to assume the throne - but determined to become a great Queen. With a bounty on her head, she will make a perilous journey to the realization that - in order to save her world - she must sacrifice all that she holds dear.

©2004 Al Sarrantonio (P)2012 David N. Wilson

Critic reviews

"Haydn of Mars is the cat's pajamas...reads as if Edgar Rice Burroughs had been born in 1973 instead of 1873, and just begun writing today." ( Science Fiction Weekly)

"Fabulous...an enthralling Martian science fiction tale."( Midwest Book Review)

"Fans of fantasy and SF alike will appreciate this genre-bending space adventure." ( Romantic Tiimes)

Worth the Read, Looking Forward to a Sequel.

It took me some time in to reading to start enjoying the novel. Overall well written.

They are cats....

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I enjoyed the book even though cats were characters in the novel, but not in the cutsie purr, purr, purr way of Sneakie Pie. I am a dog person of course. I am an easy listener meaning that I enjoy just about anything, though I can be critical. Here, the characters could have been any kind of being-cat, dog, whatever, and the science fiction blended modern and medieval weapons.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It moves the plot along, but some of the characters are knocked off before fully developed.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Harriet Fraser?

Sure--she did a good job.

Did Haydn of Mars inspire you to do anything?

Look for the second novel in the series.

Any additional comments?

I think this book was meant for a younger audience.

Good Narrative for a Foundation

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Possibly. The dialogue has several very interesting turns and twists.

Would you be willing to try another book from Al Sarrantonio? Why or why not?

Yes. The next in this series might by interesting. The table has been set in Book 1.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narration was quite good for a single voice crossing species and genders.

Do you think Haydn of Mars needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Absolutely. Otherwise Book 1 is much less interesting.

Cats riding horses ruined it for me.

What did you like best about Haydn of Mars? What did you like least?

It had good characters but stereotyped. Most irritating was the heavy pro-Islamic bias.The idea that cats would be riding horses was hard to bear and I struggled with it so much I couldn't really appreciate the rest of the tale. This was a feminin-centric tale with the queen the only one with brains - oh how original. I was very disappointed in the overall story because it hinted and rambled and got boringly predictable almost immediately. I can see why it was a reduced price book.

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

Make the creatures not be cats. Remove the Islamic influence. Add some punch and action to the story. Everything progressed so slowly I couldn't finish it.

How could the performance have been better?

Use a reader who doesn't make so many pronunciation errors.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

flat flat flat

I thought that the general story idea was good, but all the characters were very flat. there was never any motivations given for characters actions which made them seem stupid or illogical. it felt like I was listening to a shortened version of the book.

Pleasantly surprised

If you could sum up Haydn of Mars in three words, what would they be?

Engaging, fun, sad.

What other book might you compare Haydn of Mars to and why?

I cannot think of any, as it's quite unique.

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

No, but really enjoyed listening to her.

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

Yes.

Any additional comments?

Great story, characters are well defined. There is a slight editing error near the end of the book, where it repeats.

Dead Cat Bounce

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

New ideas and some semblance of an interesting plot. Not the rehashing of the lost princess plot in cats clothing.

What could Al Sarrantonio have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Write like a man.

What three words best describe Harriet Fraser’s voice?

The narrator does a nice job.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Haydn of Mars?

total rewrite

Any additional comments?

I continue to read novels ostensibly written by men using a female first person to very sad effect!

Great story, well told

I liked the archaeology ties, but felt that no aircraft we've designed would last the millions of years they believe had passed. Of course, that just makes me want to read the others to see if that discrepancy is explained later. Well done.

How has this gotten overlooked!

I love science & fantasy fiction and thus ghastly been a wonderful tale. The narrator does a great job-each character distinct Nd perfect. A couple of things were predictable, but nevertheless, it is a solid story.