Pathfinder

Pathfinder, Book 1

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki, Kirby Heyborne, Don Leslie, Kristoffer Tabori, Scott Brick

Length: 17 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Rigg is well trained at keeping secrets. Only his father knows the truth about Rigg’s strange talent for seeing the paths of people’s pasts. But when his father dies, Rigg is stunned to learn just how many secrets Father had kept from him - secrets about Rigg’s own past, his identity, and his destiny. And when Rigg discovers that he has the power not only to see the past, but also to change it, his future suddenly becomes anything but certain.

Rigg’s birthright sets him on a path that leaves him caught between two factions, one that wants him crowned and one that wants him dead. He will be forced to question everything he thinks he knows, choose who to trust, and push the limits of his talent... or forfeit control of his destiny.

©2010 Orson Scott Card (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The implications of the boys' power to manipulate the past unfold cleverly…, feeding into the Machiavellian political intrigue for a pulse-pounding climax….Card's many fans will be thrilled by this return to his literary roots.” ( Kirkus)

interesting book

it was fun to listen to the characters in this story figure themselves out and their journey. also, it was entertaining to, as a reader, try to tie all of the story lines together and figure out mysteries ahead of the characters.

Starting on chapter 42 : narration terrible.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

One good narrator for the entire book.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The first part of the book was fine but in Chapter 42 that narration changed to an extremely annoying voice actor. Just as I getting into the mood and groove of the story, this "talk like a pirate" narrator shows up, out of nowhere, and ruins the whole mood of the book. The first part of the book has a nice mellow narration style then out we are subjected to this grating voice that over plays the characters. I went from liking the characters to wishing they would go rescue the real characters from the "talk like a pirate" narrator, that hijacked the story half way through. I don't know if can adjust and finish this book, having to listen to this new grating voice.

Good but not great.

i actually really enjoyed this book and even bought book two. The story itself was fun and it wasnt slow paced. the whole time flow paradox thing is fun to think about and play around with and the characters are plenty likeable and there even a few twist and turns to keep everything interesting. All that being said, im just not excited about this book like i am about others and im giving three stars because of that. i like card and have read four of his books before this and ill read others as well. This is a fun fanatasy to fill some space between fantastic epics.

Hard to beat Ender's Game, but still pretty good

Orson Scott Card has a ridiculous imagination. If you like science fiction this is a good one. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.

inconsistent

It is a fantasy book, and I have no problem with suspension of believe, but I found this one hard to chew because of inconsistencies. OSC spends a huge amount of time justifying how the powers are to work, which detracts from the real story. Given what they can do and the overall plot do not mesh well. If they were trying just to escape death, they could have done so at any time; just go back a generation and live happily. I had a hard time with Loaf's motivation; he left his wife after all. The bad guys: Why do the protagonists need to die exactly? What plan could they not enact without their deaths? These just scrape the top layer of problems I had with the book. I will not be picking up the sequel(s).

Great!

This is the 2nd OSC book I've listened to. As with the other, Pathfinder is challenging and keeps you thinking! I didn't give it 5 stars because it does drag at times, but my 11 year old son and I loved listening to it and talking about it and making guess all along the journey!

Good Book.

I Love OSC books, and this one did not let me down. Good book but overall not one of his best.

Sorry OSC

My over all review is on the final book of the Pathfinder trilogy. Each book I have their own desperate rating and I'm the final book I have my final opinion of the series.

young-adultish and delightful

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

Probably would not recommend it to a friend because I am 28 and the book is not mature enough for my accidental peer-group.

Would you ever listen to anything by Orson Scott Card again?

On the basis of this first of Card's writing that I have listened, I indeed sought another Card book immediately after.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Solid narrator is a gem, and here there are four. The female narrator gives only chapter titles.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Three young friends find their identity across folds in time.

Any additional comments?

Young people should listen to this book. The physics, space-time, erudite dialogue between the captain Ram and the Expendable companion, and sci fi elements all satisfying. Characters are well created and given heart. The writing is not challenging, in fact, it's almost challengingly basic when depictions are made and internal thought processes given. Find the right gear and this book reads effortlessly, well-paced.

Too many narrators...

I liked the story. The main narrator sounded, at times, like he was translating a story into English. It seemed slightly choppy and over-enunciated. I think I'll pass on the audio version of these stories and just read the book.