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Slow Bullets  By  cover art

Slow Bullets

By: Alastair Reynolds
Narrated by: Susan Duerden
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Publisher's summary

A vast conflict, one that has encompassed hundreds of worlds and solar systems, appears to be finally at an end. A conscripted soldier is beginning to consider her life after the war and the family she has left behind. But for Scur - and for humanity - peace is not to be.

On the brink of the ceasefire, Scur is captured by a renegade war criminal and left for dead in the ruins of a bunker. She revives aboard a prisoner transport vessel. Something has gone terribly wrong with the ship.

Passengers - combatants from both sides of the war - are waking up from hibernation far too soon. Their memories, embedded in bullets, are the only links to a world that is no longer recognizable. And Scur will be reacquainted with her old enemy but with much higher stakes than just her own life.

©2015 Alastair Reynolds (P)2015 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A fine example of the true science fictionist's art." (Michael Bishop, author of A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire)

What listeners say about Slow Bullets

Average customer ratings
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great story ruined by narration.

Another great AR story, seemingly set in a new universe or in Revelation Space some time after the Wolves or a similar culture have shepherded humanity through the great collision.

Really nice story with all the typical scifi elements and AR twists.

Narrator is terrible. Her voice goes up at the end of every sentence, as if surprised. Had to listen at 2X to make it tolerable. Too bad, because I'd like to experience the tale again.

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Horrible performance

Horrible narrator, talks like she is announcing something at the local supermarket calling system. Recommend you buy the book instead.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great novel but..

Is the woman read this a robot? because she sounds like one. she puts a wierd inflection on the end of every sentence

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Short Story disguised as a novel.

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

I must admit I purchased the book on the weight of the author's name alone ... and I paid for it. I believe I have listened to everything published by Alistair Reynolds and just as the story beings, it ends. My bad but 4 hrs is barely an introduction to most novels. I'll look more closely next time but seems to me Audible is marketing more and more relatively short audio books and charging full price (a full credit for those who subscribe). Don't want to publish the voice artist but like I said - 4 hrs - really?

What do you think your next listen will be?

Not a 4 hr "audio book" I'll tell you that.

Which scene was your favorite?

That's just it. The "book" laid out several directions in which it could go but when you got there - nothing - it just moved on. I think the best description of the plot would be "shallow" as it had no depth and no real character development.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

It seemed to be an intro to an actual novel. Then it ended.

Any additional comments?

Seems like this may have been a contractual requirement to produce a book and he did just that.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting short story a little let down by narration

I love Alastair Reynolds' work so I was willing to pay a credit for a story only four hours long.

The story itself is worth the credit, with interesting ideas and characters. But the narration is grating: every sentence ends in the same drop in pitch. With a little more variety in tone it would have been much more engaging.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Fingernails on a Blackboard

The audible narrator has a repetitious technique with almost every sentence sounding like any other.. I find this unlistenable and gave up about 15 minutes in. I can't really comment on the story, though I generally very much enjoy Reynolds' work. Too bad I can't abide this narration.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

squandered potential

a good story idea though the characters, and their motivations, we're not fully fleshed-out. this felt more like a first draft than a finished work. Worst of all was the narration, almost unlistenable. every sentence is read aloud as a statement, ending in the same inflection. this audiobook needs to be entirely overhauled.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Narrator ruins this title

I love Alastair Reynolds' novels, but I was unable to complete this audiobook due to the narrators very narrations style.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Just, no.

Most annoying narrator ever. I could only endure a few minutes of this. Too bad, because this is one of my favourite authors.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

A bit disappointing

Story is somewhat implausible, narrator is annoying with repetitive tones at times. I enjoyed his earlier books much more than this one.

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4 people found this helpful