Butcher Bird

A Novel of the Dominion

By: Richard Kadrey

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis 60

Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Spyder Lee is a happy man who lives in San Francisco and owns a tattoo shop. One night an angry demon tries to bite his head off before he's saved by a stranger. The demon infected Spyder with something awful - the truth. He can suddenly see the world as it really is: full of angels and demons and monsters and monster-hunters. A world full of black magic and mysteries. These are the Dominions, parallel worlds full of wonder, beauty, and horror.

The Black Clerks, infinitely old and infinitely powerful beings whose job it is to keep the Dominions in balance, seem to have new interests and a whole new agenda. Dropped into the middle of a conflict between the Black Clerks and other forces he doesn't fully understand, Spyder finds himself looking for a magic book with the blind swordswoman who saved him. Their journey will take them from deserts to lush palaces, to underground caverns, to the heart of Hell itself.

©2007 Richard Kadrey (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Great Book

What did you love best about Butcher Bird?

There is never a dull moment.

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

You could tell he got into the story. He was very enthused and brought me further into the story.

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

It was, however I listened to it while I ran.

Fun ride

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

For me Kadrey's style of writing just clicks, I enjoy the mix of fantasy and real life and the attitude of the characters. It was an enjoyable romp through an imaginative world. I also see many hints of Sandman Slim in the main character. The best complement I can give is that I devoured the book as quickly as I was able to, and then found myself looking to see if there was a sequel. The narration was adequate and did not detract from the story.

Kadrey is as gritty as ever; performance lacking

I haven't yet finished the book, but it has often become annoying and that is due mainly to the narration. I am an enormous Kadrey fan. His Sandman Slim series is unrivaled and the narration of Macleoud Anders is perfectly matched for Kadrey's gritty and intelligent writing style. And I'm a fan of Jonathon Davis so imagine my disappointment.

The problem is, Jonathon Davis is the wrong narrator for Kadrey. His pace and tone are continually off. There are pauses or emphasis that come off as the attempt to be gritty or dark and all I'm left repeatedly thinking is that Davis cannot do Kadrey. His characterizations are okay, but they are all delivered in the same stilted manner.

I seldom write reviews primarily because I'm not good at it, but I had to let other audible Kadrey fans know that if you're looking for the combination of good Kadrey delivered by good narration, this isn't the book. Part of my dissatisfaction could be that this is one of Kadrey's earlier works and he didn't received the best of editing work (that's just conjecture) and in turn Davis is struggling to narrate. What I can definitively say though is that I've been repeatedly annoyed by the narration. I've enjoyed other narration works by Davis. He's a good narrator, but this match up just didn't work.

Slow start from a younger Kadrey

This may very well be my favorite Kadrey novel.

Initially a slow start, bordering on ponderous.
Then the story starts to gain some momentum and then it starts to move deftly like a snowball heading towards hell itself, gaining both mass and inertia.

The Butcher Bird story has many of the hints of the Sandman Slim series. Bits from many if not all of them.

Mr Davis proved quite adept at differentiating the personalities and voices of the many characters. None of his voices was annoying and some were quite engaging.

3 years and still not finished it

This book may be for some but not for me. To me its just boring and I have no reason to be invested in anyone or anything. You get story here and their as it goes but its in such small snippets I have long since stopped caring. I keep thinking I will come back to it, its not terrible, and I remember where I left off, but so many other books are more gripping and keep me focused. Honestly the first hour was the best part for me. Still sitting at half way in... Oh look! More White trash zombie!

Great book, could barely hear the narrator at multiple spots

Great book, not as good as the sandman slim series, but still quite enjoyable. The narrator reads way to quietly in multiple places. Audible needs to up their volume in general.

performance review only.

Would you listen to Butcher Bird again? Why?

Wow, sorry I will keep this brief because I sincerely want to put the experience of trying to listen to this book behind me forever. I have over 100 books in my audible library and this is the first time I am ever going to return one because of the narrators performance.

I wish Jonathan Davis all the best in life, and I hope he finds his dream job out there somewhere far far FAR away from his current profession.

Darn shame, I am a big fan of the author, and I was totally excited to get the book, but I just can't listen to this. Whatever the narrator is trying to accomplish iwht his unique style: count me out!

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Hard to put into words, and if I do Jonathan Davis might narrate my words so I don't want to even take the chance of posting my opinion here...

Any additional comments?

Richard Kadrey does his best to make harmonimus bosh paintings come to life. I found it a but grotesque at times.

I never thought I'd love my heart ripped out

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

Weary find respite.

What other book might you compare Butcher Bird to and why?

I would compare it to Alice in Wonderland, for our main character finds himself tumbling further and further from the world he knows. I would compare it to the Bible, for angels, demons, and all the promises made by holy men and prophets made are writ large. I would compare it to Beyond Good and Evil by Nietzche, because it is ultimately up to mortal men and women to make good on all those promises while good and evil war for territory atop the space on the head of a pin. I would compare it to Twain, because it was in his works that he asked the question "Who prays for the Devil? The one being in all of creation who most needs our prayers?" For entertainment's sake it puts me most in mind of a more adult version of Princess Mononoke, in which our story's protagonist is a dead man walking, somehow so tired every waking second with the act of existing that there's almost nothing left in him that cares. And then things go from bad to worse. He's facing death in multiple sense of the word, when he runs into someone whose sense of purpose and fire burn so bright that they begin to rekindle whatever it was he once had. But it's not his role to be the hero. Not really. It's his job to return equilibrium between multiple frightful powers.

Which scene was your favorite?

When, at the end of the book, the story's protagonist returned to the bar where he had been first confronted by an evil creature near the beginning of the book. At the beginning of the book, he'd been helpless. Near the end, he'd have made rambo call for his brown pants.

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

Not all with sight see, not all without are lost.

Another entertaining piece by Kadrey!

Sarcasm, wit, action, demons, angels, magic, and a twist, pretty much sums up Kadrey's work. if that's what your into, and I am, then you'll love this!

Narrator review ONLY

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

Is there a number less than zero?

What other book might you compare Butcher Bird to and why?

Sandman Slim, by the same author. Similar in tone yet somehow completely different.

Would you be willing to try another one of Jonathan Davis’s performances?

Good lord, no! Haven't I suffered enough?!

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

Well, I'd have to hide anything in the house that could be used as a weapon because I might be tempted to shove an ice pick through my ear after 45 minutes of listening.

Any additional comments?

This is the worst narration I've ever heard! The lip smacking, swallowing, and sticky tongue sounds, horrible pronunciation, and relentless monotone, yet some sing-songy voice work, makes this a must miss audio adaptation of the source material. The main character of the book sounds like a cross between Jeff Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Lennie from Of Mice and Men. In fact, Lennie's brother George would have killed his brother in the first few pages of the book if he'd had to listen to this narrator. The women all sound manly and pissed off - no matter the occasion. In summary, the book is ruined by the narration. If the next book in the series has the same narrator, I'll buy the book instead because the story is a good read - just not by Jonathan Davis.