The Fall of the Kings

De: Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman

Narrado por: Ellen Kushner, Nick Sullivan, Neil Gaiman, Simon Jones, Katherine Kellgren, Robert Fass, Richard Ferrone, Tim Jerome

Audie Award Finalist, Multi-Voiced Performance, 2014

Audie Award Finalist, Audio Drama, 2014

Award-winning author, narrator, and screenwriter Neil Gaiman personally selected this book, and, using the tools of the Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX), produced this work for his audiobook label, Neil Gaiman Presents.

A few words from Neil on The Fall of the Kings: "In the Riverside chronology of events, The Fall of the Kings takes place a generation after Swordspoint. If you are new to the world of Riverside, I hope the richness of this book will surprise and delight you, with multi-voiced scenes set like jewels in the gold of Ellen Kushner's narration…."

In this stunning follow-up to Kushner's The Privilege of the Sword and the Audie-award winning Swordspoint, co-author Delia Sherman (The Freedom Maze) joins Ellen to return to that world of labyrinthine intrigue, where sharp swords and even sharper wits rule. This time, they explore the city's University, where a troubled young nobleman and his scholar lover find themselves playing out an ancient drama destined to explode their society's smug view of itself.

In a city grown decadent, myth and magic begin to seep through the ancient stones. Generations ago the last king fell. But the blood of kings runs deep in the land - and the key may be Theron Campion of Tremontaine, a louche beauty of questionable morals seeking to escape his family heritage in the University lecture halls. When he and renegade scholar Basil St. Cloud come together, they discover that the price of uncovering ancient history may be to be forced to repeat it....

Sue Zizza of SueMedia Productions creates some truly stunning sound elements, including a full score of original music by composer Nathanael Tronerud commissioned for this series... with a full supporting cast who bring to life the rich tapestry of passionate University scholars, noblemen in brothels and Riverside lowlifes, in the sophisticated urban setting that Kushner's many fans have come to love.

To hear more from Neil Gaiman on The Fall of the Kings, click here, or listen to the introduction at the beginning of the book itself.

Learn more about Neil Gaiman Presents and Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX).

©2003 Ellen Kushner & Delia Sherman (P)2013 SueMedia Productions

Reseñas de la Crítica

"The authors tap into fantasy's genuine source of drama, its ability to haunt, appall, transform. A powerful fantasy that rises above the crowd with a vivid setting, complex characters, and elegant prose." ( Locus) "[W]itty dialogue, prose as precise as a blow to the heart... magic with a true aura of numinous danger, thrilling fights, thrilling scholarly debates, old books, swashbuckling aunts, exquisite clothing, ancient rituals, hot chocolate, female pirates, erotic paintings.... [I]t leaves one with much to consider after the book is closed." (Rachel Manija Brown, Green Man Review) "A virtual treat for all the senses! For those who like their fantasy soaked in intrigue, history and romance . . . one of the bawdiest and most intellectually stimulating novels of the year!" (Gavin Grant, BookPage)

Imaginative

I have become a fan of Riverside over the years and found this book in the true spirit of the Kushner/Sherman world. A little period, a little erotic, a little intrigue, a lot of the history of that paaartiiicilarrrr time (Swords Point Joke, Sorry). A person who likes Riverside and its surrounding world may like a wider lens of that world. If eroticism or homoeroticism are not your thing, there will opportunities for disappointment in this book for you. Though not very explicit, ubiquitous in this novel. Enjoy!

to clarify other reviews

I feel other reviews tried but ultimately failed to warn or prepare one with their comments that this book is about wizards fucking, so I will now attempt to clear that up for you.

This book is *about* wizards fucking. wizards fucking is the plot of this book. How often did wizards fuck? WHO did wizards fuck? Who was the top or bottom in the wizards fucking arrangement? were the wizards into bondage? were the evil wizards fucking the cuck virgin kings? the POINT of this book is, in every way, wizards fucking. wizards fucking is what this book is about.

to be fair to this book, I will say that it only began to read as ridiculous when the author tries her level best to make the mating habits of wizards very serious and hotly debated by scholars and people in government, where it was very clear, at least to me, the author was desperately trying to convince the reader that wizards fucking wasn't silly and was in fact politically and emotionally interesting. (I personally do think wizards fucking is a wonderful subject, but the author relentlessly begging me to take it seriously made the whole thing cheap and annoying.)

do with this review what you will! happy hunting.

Story goes nowhere, slowly and without purpose

Kushner's style is very very very dialogue heavy, I know that. This book was even more so. The story went nowhere and it went there very slowly. This story felt like a soap opera, all smut and no substance. The characters that were engaging were rare and had small parts. Then suddenly all the action happens at the end and no one really talks about anything. It's like the writers had a deadline to finish the book.

The performances of the readers are the only reason to listen to the audio. Even with such great readers, you'll find yourself struggling to stay until the end.

world building, characters

Highly thought through and worked, but overly complicated, too many characters too many personalities, too much complexity. Everything well worked, but it’s like having 1000 complicated dishes, set at the dining table. And knowing you can’t appreciate each one and ending up, feeling overwhelmed and a bit unwell! Don’t feel like the Story arc was entirely well balanced, and a bit frustrating not to be able to appreciate each dish because another one arrives too quickly…

enthralling!

i was so wrapped up in the climax of the story i drove right past my exit.