The Original

By: Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Hugo Award-winning authors Brandon Sanderson and Mary Robinette Kowal team up in this exclusive audio-first production of The Original, a sci-fi thriller set in a world where one woman fights to know her true identity and survive the forces that threaten her very existence.

In the near future, humans choose life - for a price. Injectable nanite technology is the lifeblood that flows through every individual wishing to experience the world through the lens of their own theme. While death from mortal wounds is still possible, life is made easier in a socially liberated society where automation and income equality allow passion pursuits to flourish over traditional work. Renewal stations are provided to every law-abiding citizen for weekly check-ins, which issue life-sustaining repairs in exchange for personal privacy. But what becomes of those who check out, of those who dare to resist immortality and risk being edited under the gaze of an identity-extracting government surveillance system?

When Holly Winseed wakes up in a hospital room, her memory compromised and a new identity imposed on her, a team of government agents wastes no time stating their objective. With intent to infiltrate and defeat the terrorist group ICON, the agents tell Holly that she is now a Provisional Replica and has one week to hunt down and kill her Original for the murder of her husband, Jonathan. If she succeeds, she’ll assume her Original’s place in society. If she fails, her life will end. Holly’s progress is monitored by an assigned contact that feeds her information as she confronts the blank, robotic world around her, discovering that others view life through the theme of their own choosing.

With her newly implanted combat and deduction skills, Holly fends off both attacks by terrorists and doubts about her own trustworthiness as clues lead her to her Original - and to the truth about Jonathan. In the end, one body remains and one walks away. Although questions persist, one thing is certain: Life will never be the same.

©2020 Dragonsteel Entertainment and Mary Robinette Kowal (P)2020 Mainframe, LLC

it was good until it wasn't

Love Sanderson, mostly. He's a true artist. And I enjoyed this one, until the ending, which made the entire book feel like a waste of time. Also I kept wondering why I was hearing stuff music in some other room of the house. Finally I realized it was part of the audiobook. Not a fan of that, but at least it was quiet and didn't have cheesy sound effects like gun shots or foot steps. I have to return those. Imagine drifting off to sleep with a good story and BANG! Gunshots in your earbuds....

Great story as usual, but...

Loved the story. Lots of imaginative, yet believable world building going on. However, I didn’t like the music. It felt like it was forcing my emotions, like a movie does. Not that the writing didn’t lead into those same emotions, but it was distracting. The ending, while satisfying on most levels still left enough holes for me to be wishing there was just a bit more to wrap it up better. Either way, it’s well worth the listen.

Lives up to admittedly high expectations

if you are a loyal Sanderson fan as I am, you will not be disappointed by the psychological complexity of this story. not to mention his ability to surprise you with his endings! The collaboration has paid off as it seems to incorporate the skills of both accomplished authors. The audiobook format is intriguing, but for those of us who listen to audiobooks frequently and usually turn the speed up, the background music actually ends up being distracting. I tried to slow it down to enjoy the music, but found the dialogue and narration to be too slow to enjoy. That is probably a personal taste that others would see differently. All in all, this is a storyline that is ripe for many installments to come, and hopefully one that gets picked up for a Netflix or Amazon original mini-series.

What cursing?

This was an entertaining listen. But who are these prudes who think that the language in this audiobook is offensive? I don't even recall any cursing. The things that people get their panties in a wad about.. smh.
Oh yeah, also, in contrast to some reviewers, I liked the ending. I plan to check out more from both authors.

good

I disliked the music and have to make this 15 words so I wrote this part