Priestess of the White: Age of Five, Book 1

Don't know if it was the story or the narration but it didn't fully grab me - interesting enough to finish but not enough to look for the next book.

I love Trudi Canavan's work. I've really tried to get into this story, honestly. I've put 5 hours into it and still, I don't really know what's going on because my mind wanders from it so easily. The problem I'm having is that there is not a lot of differentiation between characters and scenes in Sarah Douglas' narration. It's not exactly monotone, but it certainly is not as dynamic as I'm used to (spoiled by great narration, I suppose) Her diction is great, she has a pleasant voice and I think she'd do a fantastic job narrating a non-fiction/self-help book or something. It's just that Ms. Canavan's characters are multi-dimensional and deserve a more dynamic interpretation. I'm going to keep at it because I think the story is going to be great, it's just going to take a lot of concentration which means getting it on audible is a waste of money for me. I'll purchase the kindle version for the next two books. (I may have to get it for this one if I continue to have difficulty)

Somewhere in the past I have listened to the abridged versions of Trudi Canavan's "Age of Five." I couldn't resist buying the unabridged audio-books.

Personally I prefer the fantasy universe of the "Age of Five" beyond that of the Canavan's Magician's guild and its offspring. That said, if you like those books, "Priestess of the White" will not be altogether alien. By now I think I can safely say that Canavan likes the idea of magical healing. The good guys in her books are always healers. The lead character is a woman that discovers her own strength and has an open-minded approach towards a seemingly "forbidden" sexual relationship with a man. Furthermore, like all other Canavan books, war is eminent or looming.

So why do I give four stars? Because, I think that the "Age of Five" trilogy is definitely better than her "Spy Traitor" trilogy. It doesn't get entangled into literary devices that makes the book almost completely predictable. Furthermore it relaxing.

I am not sure which is the best, the abridged or the unabridged version of "Priestess of the White." While Samantha Bond has an extraordinary voice with which she brings Canavan's universe to life in the abridged version of the book, Sarah Douglas can also be credited with a lot of talent. (All three books in the unabridged version is read by her, while it is not the case with the abridged versions.)

Story-wise, I didn't feel that I missed much by listening to the abridged version over against the unabridged one. Yet, I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the world Canavan has created.

"Priestess of the White" is a good story that is quite enjoyable and much better that Canavan's "Spy Traitor" trilogy. I suspect that you might find a lot of the author herself in Auraya, the lead character, and that is probably why it is a success.

It sets the stage for an enjoyable adventure in which no one seems to be who they are or know who they will be in future...