• The War with the Mein

  • Book One of the Acacia Trilogy
  • By: David Anthony Durham
  • Narrated by: Dick Hill
  • Length: 29 hrs and 27 mins
  • 3.7 out of 5 stars (1,104 ratings)

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The War with the Mein

By: David Anthony Durham
Narrated by: Dick Hill
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Publisher's summary

Leodan Akaran, ruler of the Known World, has inherited generations of apparent peace and prosperity, won ages ago by his ancestors. A widower of high intelligence, he presides over an empire called Acacia, named after the idyllic island from which he rules. He dotes on his four children and hides from them the dark realities of traffic in drugs and human lives on which their prosperity depends.

Leodan hopes that he might change this, but powerful forces stand in his way. A deadly assassin sent from a race called the Mein, exiled long ago to an ice-locked stronghold in the frozen north, strikes at Leodan in the heart of Acacia while the Mein also unleash surprise attacks across the empire. On his deathbed, Leodan puts into play a plan to allow his children to escape, each to his separate destiny. And so his children begin a quest to avenge their father's death and restore the Acacian empire, this time on the basis of universal freedom.

Acacia is a thrilling work of literary imagination that creates an all-enveloping and mythic world that will carry readers away. It is a timeless tale of heroism and betrayal, of treachery and revenge, of primal wrongs and ultimate redemption. David Durham has reimagined the epic narrative for our time.

©2007 David Anthony Durham (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.

Critic reviews

"Enthralling, literate and increasingly suspenseful." (Kirkus)
"Sprawling and vividly imagined....Durham has created a richly detailed alternate reality leavened with a dollop of magic." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about The War with the Mein

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  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Just Okay

The story line was good, but not gripping. I thought it was "just okay." Worth listening to, but nothing special or exceptional. Haven't decided if I'll listen to book 2 yet. For now I'm taking a break from the series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Slow but good!

This book started out so slow, it was hard to get into it. I understand after getting into the main plot of the book why it took so long, but stick it out and you'll enjoy the out come.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Great story, characters and narration

I am really enjoying this listen. About halfway into this book, I find it to be a compelling political intrigue / empire vs. rebels war novel more than a sword and sorcery fantasy story. The narrative and character development strategies are quite similar to GRR Martin, but the tone is less full of doom and foreboding ("winter is coming"!). So far this story could have been set in the Roman Empire, the Shogun era, or any traditional empire/vassal setting. There are hints of magical developments to come, but as yet it's all about humans killing other humans to gain or keep power. But it's well-plotted and fun to listen to.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Unexpectedly drew me in - narrator was good too

I purchased this book by accident. I mistook it for another - so the first time I listened to the first few chapters, I was disappointed and put it down. By chance, I was bored one day and started it again - this time, I was involved with it from the beginning. Some things I found very interesting may be commonplace to other readers -it's not my genre. Sometimes the author does throw you back and forth through time, letting you figure out where you are (this is done so that the story flows better - a trade off some may not appreciate). Sometimes the author seems very clever, and other times he misses obvious alternatives - more likely/realistic - outcomes. Sometimes characters "have no choice but to..." or "can think of no further argument against ..." when I can think of four or five things/ways to avoid a bad situation. I understand that authors use occasional character stupidity to advance the story, but I don't like it at all. I like clever characters and more importantly, clever authors.

That being said, I really enjoyed the story. Overall the author is clever, the characters are clever, and their actions are believable/ realistic. I'm easily "hooked" to characters, but even I didn't really become too attached to any one of them. Unlike other readers, I still "cared" about them, but as a family, not individuals. If I had to pick a main character, it would be Hamish Mein, as he seemed to receive more attention than any of the actual main characters. I didn't really care when people died - actually I felt more at the final death in the book than any other - I would have felt more except I don't think the author intended you to feel sympathetic - so the dialog was very flat instead of dramatic.

So I enjoyed the story very much - even if no one character seemed the focus. The narrator was one of the best I've heard and I hope to hear him again in the future. People who value story above all will like this book.

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  • Overall
    out of 5 stars

Awesome

Absolutely fantastic story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Very Enjoyable -Great Characters

Very enjoyable listen. Great Character development. The author leaves you with a cliff hanger at the end of each chapter wanting more and having to continue to find out what will happen next.

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  • Overall
    out of 5 stars

Acadia

Thoroughly enjoyed, very imaginative.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Very good fantasy book

I notice there are some complaints below that there are no clear-cut "good" and "bad" characters. Well who wants such a bland form of fantasy? David Anthony hasn't penned the best fantast novel ever here, but it's very good listening. Recommended to fans of the genre.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

An engaging story

I am a big fan of fantacy books, like George RR Martin's A Song of Ice & Fire, and Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time and Robin Hobb's Farseer and Live Ships. Acacia: Book one is similar, but overall less complex. I was disapointed with the beginning, and almost stopped reading, but it really picked up within a few hours. The author has created a few new "twists" and I am looking forward to hearing the rest of the series.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

great book

This book inspired a large variaty of emotion. The characters were very deep,and the plot was intense. The auther has a way of describing things, that I personally have not seen before. He knows how to get the blood pumping. The plot twists were great, even if some of them pissed me off. The narrator for this one, was a perfect choice. He had a great range and deep voice that that fit the mood of the book exactly.

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