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)

Spellbinding!

Would you listen to Pathfinder again? Why?

Yes....couldn't stop listening....fasinating story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

'Rig, and his father.

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

This reader doesn't try to do female voices, or even change his voice a lot....but wonderful sound to his voice for this kind of story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Definitely, but one has to make a living!

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend this book!

Interesting... But feels rushed.

What did you like best about Pathfinder? What did you like least?

I really liked the expendables and how they told the story of Ram.

The conversations between the characters throughout the book felt forced and not genuine. Most of the time when a story talks about how a character feels I can understand why a character feels that way based on the way they talk and act. In this story I constantly felt confused when the emotions etc of the characters were described and I couldn't understand why they felt that way and so it didn't draw me in as it should. For example, the story would say that a particular character said something and was angry, but as the reader I would wonder why the person is angry and it would never be explained not even through the context of what was happening.

What other book might you compare Pathfinder to and why?

Ender's Game. Orson Scott Card does some things really well, and that is make his characters seem really smart. I was reminded of Ender and Bean.

What three words best describe the narrators’s voice?

There are 3 narrators in this recording. The first one is brilliant. Honestly I was really enjoying the narration and story until about a 1/3 of the way through the book the narrator changed... The 2nd and 3rd narrator were both terrible compared to the first and had pretty annoying voices. They were trying to do children's voices so I don't blame them that much, but I would have much preferred if this story had just stuck with the first narrator the entire time.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes. The story is definitely there.

Any additional comments?

The storytelling is lackluster at times... and the narration of the 2nd and 3rd narrator is pretty bad.. BUT The world is interesting. Many of the characters are great.. and I think the story holds together overall. Its worth a look into, I mainly recommend it just because I think the series will turn out much better than this individual book.

Classic Card

Any additional comments?

Pathfinder is classic Card. It's a fun story with well developed characters an interesting plot and exceptional dialog. If you prefer action to plot, then this will likely be a disappointment. If you enjoy watching a story unfold then then kick back and enjoy the ride. This one feels a bit more like Lost Gate than Ender's Game but it does have a healthy dose of power and politics along with some math and physics. Don't let that scare you though. Although OSC works hard to stay true some physical laws, this is fiction and he takes his liberties also. I was moved, amused and thoroughly entertained. This is Card at his best.

intellectually stimulating & highly entertaining

I am wowed. How delightful are the speech modality changes, how refreshing is the intellectual challenge of the time paradoxes, how helpful the moral lessons - not just coined in aphorisms but enacted in life-size characters. In my middle age, I am happy to learn how to respond to stress in a dignified manner and how not to demean to react in whatever burlish way the environment has conditioned me. OSC - I am awed by you all the more, you never cease to gratify all the human needs, from my simple appetite for entertainment, to the need to think new thoughts, and all the way to the need to ever come closer to comprehend the Unlimited One. Thank you!

Card strikes again!

What made the experience of listening to Pathfinder the most enjoyable?

Having read the print versions of Card's book so far listening to the Audio version was a uinique experience. I read the summary and went in thinking that this would be an ok read but I had the impression that Pathfinder wouldn't be one of the author's better works. Boy was I wrong.

What did you like best about this story?

The lack of predictability. Often in a story I can glean at least a direction things are headed. In this book, from chapter to chapter, the story ended up nowhere near the place I'd expect it to be. Orson Scott Card has a very creative mind and an ability to take you places you'd never think were possible. This book is a prime example of that magic.

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

Sometimes the suspense. In the past I've found myself reading faster just to get through a particularly exciting part of the book but with a narration the flow is more measured and well, suspensgful.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. This was one of the rare books you don't want to put down.

Great story, confusing narration choice.

I loved the story, really enjoyed it from start to finish. I can only assume that this was done on purpose but the chapters from the perspective of different characters were done by different narrators, I can understand why this choice was made however I feel like they didn't collaborate with each other at all during the process. This minor issues does take away from the story, the changes in tones of voice used to narrate Loaf in particular was the most difficult to ignore.

Would still recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good adventure.

awesome

I always enjoy any story about time travel I didn't anticipate that's what this story was going to be about but I was really pleasantly surprised as it developed into an amazing trip thank you

Exhausting but Interesting

Plot was intriguing. Dialogue was excruciating. Narration was frustrating (multiple voice actors with completely different inflections) and lackluster save for the primary narrator. Worth a try if you have nothing else in your Playlist.

Loved this Book!

My favorite Orson Scott Card book so far! Loved the story and concept! Minor plot holes, but still really fun. Already bought the other two in the series in anticipation!

Another great adventure story.

If you could sum up Pathfinder in three words, what would they be?

Huck Finn in the Future

What was one of the most memorable moments of Pathfinder?

Finding good caring people like Loaf.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The performance lost continuity as different performers read different parts. I couldn't see a story based reason for the change in voices.