The Ships of Air

Fall of Ile-Rien Series # 2

By: Martha Wells

Narrated by: Talmadge Ragan

Known for her lush, intricate worlds and complex characters, acclaimed author Martha Wells has delighted readers with her extraordinary fantasy novels of daring and wit.

With The Wizard Hunters she launched her most ambitious undertaking yet-the return to the beloved world of the Nebula Award-nominated The Death of the Necromancer and The Fall of Ile-Rien.

Now the saga continues in a triumph of suspense and imagination. Despite a valiant struggle against superior forces, the country of Ile-Rien has fallen to the onslaught of the relentless Gardier, a faceless army of sorcerers determined to conquer all civilization.

To save the remnants of her country, former playwright Tremaine Valiarde undertakes an epic journey to stop the Gardier. Rescuing the proud ship Queen Ravenna from destruction, Tremaine and a resolute band of sorcerers and warriors set sail across magical seas on a voyage of danger and discovery. For the secret to defeating the enemy - and to rescuing the world from the Gardier's inimitable hatred-lies far beyond the walls of the world, and only the tenuous ties of friendship and honor will keep the band together.

But the Gardier are not the only evil in this tumultuous world, and an ancient terror stalks the ornate rooms and shadowy decks of the Queen Ravenna-a force so malevolent and enigmatic that even the growing power of the sorcerer's sphere may not be enough to save Ile-Rien from utter ruin.

©2004 Martha Wells (P)2013 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Fascinating. . . . A vastly entertaining and refreshingly different fantasy adventure with a surprisingly satisfying conclusion." ( Locus Magazine)

Horrible performance

Os Talmadge AI? She reads like a robot unfamiliar with the cadence of human speech.

Excellent follow-up to The Wizard Hunters

The rich worldbuilding and strong characters continue from the previous book. The narrator tends to over-enunciate, but the story itself is so compelling that it hardly matters.

Unbearable narrator, DNF

I wanted to return to this series after having read it many years ago. But, the narrator makes it impossible. Her narration is like having tinnitus; can't figure out a way to listen without being distracted. It took a bit of time to figure out the problem. She pronounces EVERY SINGLE CONSONANT and every single syllable. Every d, and t, and n, which is especially apparent at the end of words. Ex: the word started will be pronounced start...ed. and it just goes on and on
I know this is an older recording, but I looked, and she has narrated many books. I can't be bothered to check whether this verbal tic is still present. Of course, these 3 volumes were "free", and they are not on kindle unlimited, so not "free" on Amazon. Regardless, the narration is impossible to overlook, and I cannot appreciate this early Martha Wells. So, DNF

Over annunciated narration became annoying

The story was not as engaging as the previous in the series. The main character became more annoying than likable as the story went on. The narrator's over annunciation led to to odd pauses and became distracting. One of only a few of over 500 titles in my library from the last 20 years that I've not finished listening to.

I like to be in intricacies of the characters and the story.

I did not enjoy the narrator style of reading. She had odd breaks in the middle of sentences, which I did not enjoy.