The Cloud Roads

By: Martha Wells

Narrated by: Christopher Kipiniak

Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Moon has spent his life hiding what he is - a shape-shifter able to transform himself into a winged creature of flight. An orphan with only vague memories of his own kind, Moon tries to fit in among the tribes of his river valley, with mixed success. Just as Moon is once again cast out by his adopted tribe, he discovers a shape-shifter like himself... someone who seems to know exactly what he is, who promises that Moon will be welcomed into his community.

What this stranger doesn't tell Moon is that his presence will tip the balance of power... that his extraordinary lineage is crucial to the colony's survival... and that his people face extinction at the hands of the dreaded Fell! Now Moon must overcome a lifetime of conditioning in order to save himself - and his newfound kin.

©2011 Martha Wells (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Martha Wells' books always make me remember why I love to read. In The Cloud Roads, she invents yet another rich and astonishingly detailed setting, where many races and cultures uneasily co-exist in a world constantly threatened by soulless predators. But the vivid world-building and nonstop action really serve as a backdrop for the heart of the novel - the universal human themes of loneliness, loss, and the powerful drive to find somewhere to belong." (Sharon Shinn)

"Wells merrily ignores genre conventions as she spins an exciting adventure around an alien hero who anyone can identify with." (Publishers Weekly)

"Wells... has created a new world of dragonlike shapeshifters and human tribes that could serve as the background for future novels in this exotic setting. Concise storytelling and believable characters make this a good addition to most fantasy collections." (Library Journal)

Very Interesting Creatures

I have enjoyed listening to this audio book, the creatures are very interesting and unique, I have never come across this type before. A welcome change to the urban fantasy so popular these days. The reader is alright, though his female voices are a bit funny to listen too. He seems to use the same type of voice when the character is described to be of small stature, but not off putting to the enjoyment of the storyline. I will continue with the series.

Enjoyable!

If you like fantasy and shapeshifters, this is a solid story with likeable characters within a created universe that make sense. The narrator does a good job. All in all, good fun.

Non-Biased Audible Review

The story started slow and was hard to follow at first. (First 1.5 hrs). This later played into the character development. The intro became very important later on in the book. It was a very good read/listen!

Great story and narrator!

The first book is original, but the second is kind of predictable, so book 1 is better than 2.

LOVE the story, love the author. ^-^

I loved everything about it except the narrator. Nothing against him really, he just seems to have a lot of 'mouth clicks' that are really audible with headphones. 😅

Unexpectedly awesome!

What made the experience of listening to The Cloud Roads the most enjoyable?

I fell in love with all of the characters and couldn't wait to find out what happened to them.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I can't pick just one, but I really liked Moon, Chime, Stone, and Jade the best. Each of them had such great personalities, but the interactions between them is probably what makes them my favorite characters.

Which scene was your favorite?

The entire confrontation between Moon and Shell and Grain when the listener is introduced to Chime and Flower.

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

Yes, and I very nearly did!

Any additional comments?

This is one listen you will not regret spending credits on and if you have enough credits saved up you might as well get the rest of the trilogy because you won't want to wait to start the next book!

Meh...

I was halfway through the book before i started to care even a little bit about any of the characters. it was an interesting world but without characters to care about, well, I just didn't care.

Not as good as murderbot diaries

She creates an engaging world but there are lots of plot holes and the characters don’t act in a logical manner.

The fell, the bad guys are evil yet can be killed with a potion made from a commonly found flower. However, this happens to be a well guarded secret. This makes no sense since everyone hates the fell…

The characters are annoying. I won’t get the next book

dragons👍

great world building! very engaging story about shape shifting dragon people. I really enjoyed it:D

Incredible world-building

Nonstop action, compelling characters, and a plot that keeps you deeply invested. Wells is one of the best!