Kings of the North

Paladin's Legacy, Book 2

By: Elizabeth Moon

Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Elizabeth Moon returns to the fantasy world of the paladin Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter - Paks for short - in this second volume of a new series filled with all the bold imaginative flights, meticulous world-building, realistic military action, and deft characterization that readers have come to expect from this award-winning author. In Kings of the North, Moon is working at the very height of her storytelling powers.

Peace and order have been restored to the kingdoms of Tsaia and Lyonya, thanks to the crowning of two kings: Mikeli of Tsaia and, in Lyonya, Kieri Phelan, a mercenary captain whose royal blood and half-elven heritage are resented by elves and humans alike. On the surface, all is hope and promise. But underneath, trouble is brewing. Mikeli cannot sit safely on his throne as long as remnants of the evil Verrakaien magelords are at large. Kieri is being hounded to marry and provide the kingdom with an heir - but that is the least of his concerns. A strange rift has developed between him and his grandmother and co-ruler, the immortal elven queen known as the Lady. More problematic is the ex-pirate Alured, who schemes to seize Kieri’s throne for himself - and Mikeli’s, too, while he’s at it. Meanwhile, to the north, the aggressive kingdom of Pargun seems poised to invade.Now, as war threatens to erupt from without and within, the two kings are dangerously divided. Old alliances and the bonds of friendship are about to be tested as never before. And a shocking discovery will change everything.

©2011 Elizabeth Moon (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Good book, horrible reader

What a great story, ruined by a horrible story reader. You can't tell the difference between the different people she doesn't use different voices. it makes it very difficult at times to follow the story. The story itself is wonderful. I hope someday they replace this version with the original reader.

The sound was awful!

I like the two series. This book sounds like a throw away, not a second series’s and sounds like it’s being recorded in someone’s kitchen. It awful. Doesn’t audible have any consistent standards? I’m very disappointed that we did not get the same caliber performance for both series:( how hard is it to get people to a studio?!? I live in tiny Green Bay and they try to have all professional performances. SMH

Good Story, Bad Reader

I have enjoyed the previous Paksenarrion books a great deal. I was very disappointed in this case -- and the problem is entirely because of the narrator. The story is good, but I found I just could not listen to the narrator.

She seems to have very limited ability to vary accent, pitch, and other vocal qualities to represent different speakers. Here principle method of creating a difference between characters is to have one character shout, while other character speaks in a normal voice. The shouted voice reminds me of a child shouting his or her lines in a school play -- including being overly precise with pronunciation.

Most readers are remarkably good at creating an alternative reality just through their voice. In this case it was the opposite. I would love to have book done again with the original narrator.

WTF?? Horrid narrator

You would think they would have learned after peoples ratings, but they used her for another book!! 1st year acting students would do better. Recording quality tinny and shallow. Pronunciation of numerous names and places are inconsistent with prior books. Sloppy and shameful. I doubt I will listen to the other book she is reading. It will have to wait till I have time to sit and read. The narrator ruins it. So sad.n

Good book, bad narrator.

Jennifer van Dyck is a wonderful narrator. Books 2 and 4 in this series have horrible narrators.

Mixed feelings

Loved the ending. I prefer the other narrator nothing against this one. Looking forward to the other books.

Unlistenable Ears Bleeding

Elizabeth Moon is incredible. Story is rich...

Only positive things I have to say. The narrator is terrible. Previous one is better. Nearly every city name and country has not only a different pronounciation but a different accent point. what happened? Did someone just have a stroke or something. I will never understand how you expect to make money when you take something people are passionate about and identify with and just change it.

Brewsters Bridge?! Is that related to Brewsters Millions? What happened to Brewers Bridge? How are you just changing things?

DO NOT BUY THIS AUDIOBOOK. READ IT ONLY!

Kings of the North

Elizabeth Moon's saga in the Paksennarion series is as compelling as her other works. However, the reader, Susan Eriksen, is a disastrous choice. Her reading is labored and occasionally shrill ; her continual mispronounciation of place names is grating to the ear. Jennifer Van Dyke read all the previous Paksennarion works and should have read this book; since she did not, it should have been incumbent upon Eriksen to at least listen to her predecessor's reading.

not the best episode in the series

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

Essential for aficionados of the 'Paks' books but a poor narration spoiled my enjoyment. Elizabeth Moon's ability to create such a detailed complex world whose geography is an integral part of the storyline, whose cultures are so plausible and varied is wonderful. Her characters are great and while I find Lyona a bit of a bore am quite prepared to put up with it for the sake of the rest.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Kings of the North?

Of the three strands in the novel the story of Arcolin's cohorts campaign in Arenis(?) is my favourite.

How could the performance have been better?

I felt a lecturer was hammering home important points and spelling things out very clearly just to ensure that a not so bright listener got all the points. Pace and excitement was lacking for me.

Absolutely worthless

I have tried to listen to this book 3 times now, and the last two times I get so frustrated with not being able to follow the dialogue that I quit in less than 30 minutes. I gave the story 2 stars but, honestly, I don't know whether it is good or bad. I'm going to borrow the book from the library and read it so I can listen to the other 2 books in the series which are read by Jennifer Van Dyck.

Susan Ericksen is on my list of never listening to ever again. In fact, she is the first one on the list. All of her characters sound the same, the women sound like men, everyone sounds like he has angry all the time, and there's as much nuance to her reading as a reading of names at a high school graduation. Don't get me started on her lack of preparation for reading the **fourth** book in a series after the first 3 were so capably read by JVD. If nothing else, she should have learned how to pronounce names the way a listener of the first 3 books expected them to be pronounced. Maybe she will be a good reader someday, but I will never know.

If you liked the first 3 audio books in the series, my recommendation is to skip this one and read a print copy. Then pick up the audio books for books 5 & 6 which have JVD reading them.

To the publisher: Don't change the narrator for a series - ever. We'll wait for the audio book if there is a scheduling problem. Look at the reviews for Jim Butcher's "Ghost Story" audio, which did not have James Marsters reading it. John Glover isn't bad, but he isn't the guy who has read the 12 books before that one. Someone in management made a dumb decision when he or she decided to replace JVD with S.E., and I personally think you should have JVD read "Kings of the North" and then give it for free to all the people who bought this awful version.