Ruins

Pathfinder, Book 2

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: Orson Scott Card, Stefan Rudnicki, Kirby Heyborne, Emily Janice Card

Length: 14 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Features a new exclusive introduction read by author Orson Scott Card.

From the author of Ender’s Game, the major motion picture!

A complex fate. A deadly path. Book two in the New York Times bestselling series Publishers Weekly calls “an epic in the best sense.”

When Rigg and his friends crossed the Wall between the only world they knew and a world they could not imagine, he hoped he was leading them to safety. But the dangers in this new wallfold are more difficult to see. Rigg, Umbo, and Param know that they cannot trust the expendable, Vadesh - a machine shaped like a human, created to deceive - but they are no longer certain that they can even trust one another. But they will have little choice. Because although Rigg can decipher the paths of the past, he can’t yet see the horror that lies ahead: A destructive force with deadly intentions is hurtling toward Garden. If Rigg, Umbo, and Param can’t work together to alter the past, there will be no future.

The adventure, suspense, and time travel continue in this second installment in the critically acclaimed New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling Pathfinder series.

©2012 Orson Scott Card (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Really great!

Another OSC book that contains lits of creative ideas and storylines. I am really stoked on this one!

Why a Different Narrator for each Chapter?

I really enjoyed the book and the whole story line. I can't wait for Book 3! My problem with this audiobook is the fact they used different narrators for each chapter. I'd just get use to one reader and hearing the characters, then they'd change to another narrator for the next chapter. For me, this took some getting use to and I question why?

This book is a tease!

What did you love best about Ruins?

The character development was not sidelined. The story was just as much about Rigg, Umbo, Param, Loaf, and Olivenko as it is about saving the world. And OSC never lets you forget that Rigg is 14. Or.. 16.. Depending on how you look at it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Vadesh. I can't tell why without being a spoiler, but there's more to 'everybody lies to Vadesh' then meets the eye.

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

This is right up there with everything Rundnicki does. It took a while for Kirby to grow on me, I did not like his performance in the Alvin Maker series, but he has gotten much better, and does a much better job as the whiny brat in this series as he did in Maker. And ESC's voice is so sweet, it deserves to be in every OSC book. I just wish they could have fit Scott Brick back. Since there was no Point of View from Ram Odin, I guess that's why he's not there.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It did make me laugh out loud several times, especially the relationship between Umbo and Param. When Umbo tried to philosophize about peeing while skipping forward through time, it was so...Umbo...that I just couldn't help it.

Any additional comments?

While there's heavy sci-fi in this series, it is not very serious, and if that is something that you must have then you might not like it too much. But I seriously doubt any Orson Scott Card fan has that expectation. Now Mr. Card, get into gear and finish Ender, and finish Alvin Maker. I'm so mad at you for leaving Alvin Maker hanging for so long.. Two have made me cry and my life, the first was Fahrenheit 451 and the second was Bean's death in Shadow's in flight... You stand in good company.

Great Listen - Fun for all

Where does Ruins rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

it is better than half of what I have listen to.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Loaf is the best character due to his blunt and memorable lines.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

They all did fine. Please stop the whining!

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

Moving through time comes at a cost.

worth it

Worth suffering through a lot of the dialogue. Some of it was really starting to get to me.

Time Travel Story to Fool With Your Head

Would you consider the audio edition of Ruins to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the Print Version so I cannot compare.

What other book might you compare Ruins to and why?

The Time Traveller's Wife. It has the same Time Paradoxes and twists and turns. You really have to keep your mind on the action to stay with the story.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

Telling the story from the various characters' viewpoints was quite excellent. I gave one an understanding of the motives and needs of each one.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I can't say that any particular passage in the book moved me, except maybe the frustration with the end, in that it didn't 'end' and therefore I am assuming there will be a sequel.

Any additional comments?

Overall, the intrigue aroused by the time paradoxes really kept the mind on the edge of reality. A truly enjoyable book excepting for the end, which I trust will mean a sequel is in the making.

Another OSC masterpiece

Well thought out, and very well researched. I read just today that researchers actually have added a human gene into the brain of mice to see what it would do. (They navigated mazes three and a half times faster.) great, just what the world needs, smarter mice...

Worth the listen

What did you like best about this story?

The story moved pretty quickly and kept me interested and engaged. I enjoyed the plot twists that Card introduced throughout. It was definitely not the storyline I was anticipating.

The constant whining by one or more of the characters got on my nerves and detracted from the pace of the story, but I suppose it served to develop the characters.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I did not like that the narrators switched based on who's perspective we were hearing the story from. I understand why the story was produced this way, but it was a little annoying. That said, it didn't annoy me NEARLY as much as it did with the first book.

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

There were definitely times when I did not want to put this down. Especially when they were dealing with the computers and expendibles. The story definitely kept me interested and I will be purchasing the next book when it is completed.

How long will you make me wait....

How long will you make me wait for the last installment Orson Scott Card? I t really has been a long time!

Loved it!!!

Really enjoyed book 2 and I'm looking forward to book 3. I can't wait to see what happens!!!