The Elvenbane

Halfblood Chronicles, Book 1

By: Andre Norton, Mercedes Lackey

Narrated by: Aasne Vigesaa

Length: 18 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Two masters of epic fantasy have combined in this brilliant collaboration to create a rousing tale. This is the story of Shana, a half-breed born of the forbidden union of an Elvenlord father with a human mother. Her exiled mother dead, Shana was rescued and raised by dragons, a proud, ancient race who existed unbeknownst to elven or human kind. From birth, Shana was the embodiment of the Prophecy that the all-powerful Elvenlords feared. Her destiny is the enthralling adventure of a lifetime.

©1991 Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A splendid blend of the talents of two excellent storytellers” (Anne McCaffrey)

"One of the season’s liveliest and most appealing fantasy epics.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“A brisk, glittering yarn that packs as much action, suspense, and twisting of conventions into one novel as many writers invest in whole trilogies.” ( Amazing Stories)

Best narrator ever!

I red this book in high school and fell in love with it. NAILED IT

Great Fantasy Fiction!

Would you listen to The Elvenbane again? Why?

Yes. I love this type of book. Mythical Creatures, Magic Powers, and only subtle romantic innuendo.

What other book might you compare The Elvenbane to and why?

The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings. All the "Mythical Creatures & beings". A great adventure.

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

The narrator makes this such a joy. You don't even have to guess which character she is being after the 1st or 2nd time she becomes them. She is extremely versatile with her voice. Also, the story flowed without hesitation. Much like the story tellers of old (before most people could read).

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

Enter a world of magic, mystery, and conflict.

Any additional comments?

This is a "Must" to add to your library.

Good book

What did you like best about The Elvenbane? What did you like least?

And book I had read many years ago. I enjoyed in then and it was nice to return to the story in audible formate

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

Good ending. Redemption. Revenge. Hope.

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

Audio always bring book to life. And can be heard in the car on my commute

Was The Elvenbane worth the listening time?

Yes

Nice relaxing read.

Thoroughly enjoyable story. Great for listening in the car, as the names & places were easy to remember & follow.
The issue I had with the narrator was the choice of voice for the young dragon. When he was young, the little boy's voice was fine but as the book progressed & the war was raging, it became silly. He still sounded like an 8 year old.
I do want to listen to the next book in the series.

Well written and a good listen

Takes a little while to get through the background character build up but once it gets rolling it is very captivating.

less than the sum of its parts

I liked a lot of things about this book, and the end had me in tears... but most of it just wasn't as fun as a description of the plot would make it sound like. a lot of scenes felt redundant, and things that felt like they should have had a scene were only implied by what I initially took to be foreshadowing. it's disappointing, frankly, because this story does a lot of things that are direct answers to issues I've taken with much of the medium & high fantasy I've read-- both old and new.

also... I wish it didn't have to be said, but that a fantasy novel with a young teenage girl as the lead character, it was refreshing that there wasn't a hint of rape scene anywhere. sex was actually pretty absent, though romance wasn't exactly-- but it got put on a shelf because Plot was Happening, and was one-sided to begin with. the end of the story leaves open the possibility of romance between our leading lady and a different character than her initial crush, and if/ when I ever read the sequel I'm excited to see how it goes-- I'm not against romance in stories, but it's annoying when it becomes a plot tumor; the characters & their interplay all felt very natural in that regard.

still... it was a very long book and I don't know why it just didn't feel like fun for most of it.

also keman (sp??), Shana's foster brother, is a sweetheart and the best boy and deserves the best of everything.

Suprisingly Brilliant

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely!

What did you like best about this story?

I've been a science fiction reader for as long as I can remember, and I loved hearing about the private lives of two very different worlds - shamanistic dragons and royal courtesans. It melded a story between the two. I plan to buy the sequel and continue on with the brilliant world created by the author. However this story was more than a simple introduction. It was a complete epic masterpiece that could stand on it's own. Although I am quite pleased to find out that there is even more to come!

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

Yes.

The Elvenbane, draon and suppernaturals

A good story but i found my-self loosing interest in several parts. I basically enjoyed the story though and found the narrator good.

This book has it all!

Strong female lead, humans, elves, & dragons. I've read the book dozens of times and love it.

Love the different characters

What made the experience of listening to The Elvenbane the most enjoyable?

I looked forward to what kind of characters was going to come along next.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Elvenbane?

When everyone realized they could not just sit and do nothing, they had to make a change for a better future.

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

No, I liked knowing that I could make this story last. Didn't want it to end.

Any additional comments?

I thought there would be a different ending, wonder if there will be a continuing book. I would get it if there was.