Too Like the Lightning

Terra Ignota, Book 1

By: Ada Palmer

Narrated by: Jefferson Mays

Length: 20 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Mycroft Canner is a convict. For his crimes he is required, as is the custom of the 25th century, to wander the world being as useful as he can to all he meets.

Carlyle Foster is a sensayer - a spiritual counselor in a world that has outlawed the public practice of religion, but which also knows that the inner lives of humans cannot be wished away.

The world into which Mycroft and Carlyle have been born is as strange to our 21st-century eyes as ours would be to a native of the 1500s. It is a hard-won utopia built on technologically-generated abundance, and also on complex and mandatory systems of labeling all public writing and speech. What seem to us normal gender distinctions are now distinctly taboo in most social situations. And most of the world's population is affiliated with globe-girdling clans of the like-minded, whose endless economic and cultural competition is carefully managed by central planners of inestimable subtlety. To us it seems like a mad combination of heaven and hell. To them, it seems like normal life.

And in this world, Mycroft and Carlyle have stumbled on the wild card that may destabilize the system: the boy Bridger, who can effortlessly make his wishes come true. Who can, it would seem, bring inanimate objects to life.

©2016 Ada Palmer (P)2016 Recorded Books

Trying a Little Too Hard

I liked the story and wanted to like it more, but in an attempt to create a good stew, the cook included something from every recipe. In an attempt to be learned with good world building with well developed characters, the story lags and limps. Half the time, I wanted to pull out pen and paper to keep track of the dozens of characters. The other half, I wanted to put it on the shelf with the other books that were supposed to be good for me, but I found tedious and pretentious. Don't get me wrong, I like the book much better now that the work is done. While reading, I just wanted to reach the end.

Jefferson Mays was amazing as usual. He could read the soup label and make it compelling.

Amazing!

Is the book challenging? Oh dear JEDD Mason, yes! But what intrigue! The story, the narration, the cliffhanger - perfection, every bit of it!

Why doesn’t Jefferson Mays read everything on audible

Already pissed he isn’t reading the next one. If I had know that(. And I should have looked). I might not have started the series

Dense but Good

While it ends suddenly, it's thought provoking and consistent: in general everything sci-fi should be.

Dense but satisfying

Speculative fiction that is both intriguing and sensible. The use of an unreliable narrator gives the story a slightly unbalanced feel. It was tough going at first and I admit to using a Wikipedia entry to keep the hives straight, but it is worth the effort. Of course I have yet to listen to part two. Fingers crossed.

Memorable characters and well thought out plot

At some points in the book I struggled to keep reading, but without exception after some time I started to itch to know more of what would happen to Bridger, Mycroft anf Carlisle. I liked this book a lot and I recommend this to anyone.

Fantastic in every way

I’ve never read a better story, this is a class of its own. Can’t wait for the next one.

Great narrator, but may be a better read.

A good story and interesting, completely unique world. The storytelling style, however, did not lend itself to an audio-only experience. There were too many characters with similar names, and a very complex social and political system to gain an understanding of that would be much better served by reading than listening.

Amazing book and fantastic performance

Highly highly recommended book. which spans ideas about history, philosophy, gender, sexuality, and the future

crazy complicated, but real fun!

This book has a lot going on... politics, science, miracles (magic)! I was sceptical at first, but I'm now convinced. This is a great book!