Geomancer

By: Ian Irvine

Narrated by: Grant Cartwright

Two hundred years after the Forbidding was broken, Santhenar is locked in war with the lyrinx - intelligent, winged predators who will do anything to gain their own world. Despite the development of battle clankers and mastery of the crystals that power them, humanity is losing. Tiaan, a lonely crystal worker in a clanker manufactory, is experimenting with an entirely new kind of crystal when she begins to have extraordinary visions.

The crystal has woken her latent talent for geomancy, the most powerful of all the Secret Arts - and the most perilous. Falsely accused of sabotage by her rival, Irisis, Tiaan flees for her life. Struggling to control her talent and hunted by the lyrinx, Tiaan follows her visions all the way to Tirthrax, greatest peak on all the Three Worlds, where a nightmare awaits her....

©2001 Ian Irvine (P)2013 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

"Ian Irvine is arguably the most inventive fantasy author to emerge in recent years.... A page turner of the highest order. Formidable!" ­( SFX)

"Ian Irvine has produced one of those rarities in the fantasy genre, and that is a unique, well-thought-out world coupled with a well-written storyline. A gripping read for Irvine fans or a fresh new series for any other readers." ( Enigma [UK])

"Readers of Eddings, Goodkind, and Jordan will lap this one up." ( Starlog (UK))

unnecessary sex

so much unnecessary sex it just interferes with the slow storytelling that I don't find that interesting. Sorry. Not my cup of tea. I don't think a good story needs smut to carry it along or keep the readers interest.

Hear this book now!!!

Soo good . I ordered book 2 as soon as i was finished with ;book 1..Your world and the characters you have crafted absolutely brilliant.You made this grown man ..laugh.yell..smile ..then cry..Well done by all..oh 'and the narrator.with his many voices..sir you are a great talent. I do truly thank you.

Just good enough.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

If they are huge into fantasy like me, yes, if not no.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The way the government is portrayed gives this book a 1984 feel. The least interesting part for ME is the In-depth mechanical aspect.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Grant Cartwright?

If he narrates a book I'm interested in, but I wouldn't search him out.

Was Geomancer: Well of Echoes, Book 1 worth the listening time?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

This book had some really great ideas and intrigued me just enough to continue the series.

About As Satisfying as Coitus Interruptus

The good writing and excellent narration of this book portends a great deal more satisfaction than it delivers. Almost to a person the characters are duplicitous, self-serving and deeply flawed. The central character — a rather Justine-like innocent (for those familiar with the Marquis de Sade) — is so self-depreciating that one becomes inured to her travails. I kept looking for some resolution, some justice or some internal morality right up to the non-climax. The book had its moments, strung together in a promising narrative that never delivers. I am not tempted to continue the series of which this is the first book. A wasted credit.

Not a bad story, but performance hurts

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

It's not the best series ever because characters are quite often overly emotional and lay within extremes of the various emotional categories they are in.
There was a lot of super complicated theories and such but quite often it can be very disorienting to visualize.
I would give it a moderate recommend to pass the time waiting for another series.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Grant Cartwright?

No.
Pronounciation is atrocious. Character voicing is often similar and hard to discern. Everyone sounds the same and there's no attempt to diversify the character voice.