The Ringworld Throne

The Ringworld Series, Book 3

By: Larry Niven

Narrated by: Richard Powers

Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Come back to the Ringworld - the most astonishing feat of engineering ever encountered. A place of untold technological wonders, home to myriad humanoid races, and world of some of the most beloved science fiction stories ever written.

The human Louis Wu; the puppeteer known as the Hindmost; Acolyte, son of the Kzin called Chmeee: legendary beings brought together once again in the defense of the Ringworld. Something is going on with the protectors. Incoming spacecraft are being destroyed before they can reach the Ringworld. Vampires are massing. And the Ghouls have their own agenda - if anyone dares approach them to learn.

Each race on the Ringworld has always had its own protector. Now it looks as if the Ringworld itself needs a protector. But who will sit on the Ringworld throne?

Larry Niven is the multiple Hugo and Nebula award–winning author of the Ringworld series, along with many other science fiction masterpieces. His Beowulf’s Children, coauthored with Jerry Pournelle and Steven Barnes, was a New York Times best seller. He lives in Chatsworth, California.

©1996 Larry Niven (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Readers who remember Ringworld from earlier encounters will no doubt relish the latest installment of the saga.” ( New York Times Book Review)

Excellent Series

This is another excellent book in the series and continues the concepts and characters introduced in the earlier books. The author tries to develops the characters and story lines developed in the earlier books. It is not fast paced, but slowly adds more details to the Ring World Universe. The only problem is the reader needs to read the earlier books in the series, this is not a stand alone book. If the reader is not familiar with the Ring World Universe this book will probably loose them and leave them confused. But as a continuation of of the series it is an excellent addition to the series.

Worth a read if you like the Ringworld setting

While not my favorite entry in the series, it is not a bad read. The preoccupation with sex can get tiresome, I can't help but think the other reviews are downright prudish; it's not pornography by any means, and is more a topic of discussion between characters than events in the narrative. I was more annoyed by the different storylines. They do end up coinciding, but I found them engaging at different times in a way that detracted from my enjoyment of the story: when the vampire hunters found part of the mystery, I found the Needle crew boring, and vice versa. You only see how they fit together toward the end, and it's not satisfying enough to cover for the more boring spots. There is less focus on the sci-fi and technology too, but I was more interested in exploring the cultures and ecology of the Ringworld anyway. So, if you are looking for more of the ringworld setting, you will probably not be disappointed; just don't expect much of a pay off for the mysteries

Almost a great book

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

Depends on the friend.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Ringworld Throne?

Variety of story lines.

What does Paul Michael Garcia bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A great performance with great vocals for specific characters

Any additional comments?

Too much emphasis on inter species intercourse.

Good continuation of a good story!

I enjoyed this addition to the Ringworld saga. Although it lagged a little and spread the story out among several characters in an ensemble that sometimes tested patience, it wove together very nicely by the end!

Narration makes story hard to follow

While I appreciate the need to have distinct voices, sometimes the vocalizing is hard to follow; there are many more characters than in previous novels and a lot of threads of action.

Normally I’ve read the novel before listening to it but Ringworld Throne is the exception, so I’ve been getting lost in the narrative.

That said, it’s still a good story and enjoyable.

disappointed

hate to say it but like 70% of this was forgettable. maybe i just didn’t get it.

Should have stopped at the second book.

Unfortunately, this book is not really science fiction, or at least not the kind you normally expect from Larry Niven.

Taking place eleven years after the events in The Ringworld Engineers this book oddly is mostly about sex, and no, not romance but a kind of formalized inter-species ritual that all the the cultures on the ringworld seem to be obsessed with. They do it to seal trade negations, celebrate battle, or whenever they meet someone new.

Oh yeah, and vampires. Lots of vampires who emit a pheromone that makes everybody....you guessed it....want to have sex.

Now I don't mind sex and I don't particularly mind vampires but neither subject makes a good focus for what is supposed to be a hard sci-fi novel.

This really is a far cry from the the first book and very disappointing. I don't think I will continue with the series.

a slow decline

I loved the first two books in the ringworm series, however as we progress they seem to decline in quality. the author is too set on his party dynamics in that, while characters might change, the overall feeling doesn't.

Good but not great

Good book. I like the adventures of Loui Wu and the Ringworld people, but this one diverged significantly from the focus of the last two. Good, not great.

I skipped the first half of the book...

And missed absolutely nothing.

I had problems when downloading this to my MP3 Player and it didn't want to upload the first half of the book to the player. So I jumped into the book at Chapter 16.

The second half of the book is where anything interesting happens. If you'd read the previous book you'd already know about other Protectors being on the Ringworld and the basics of inter-species policies.