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Cursed
- Alex Verus, Book 2
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
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- Cliff
- 01-21-14
The second book is even better.
If you like Harry Dresden or Iron Druid you will like this series. This is the second in the series and it has all the action of the first and expands on character development and backstory as well. Mr Jackson does an excellent job reading this book.
The only negative (and hence the loss of stars in performance) was that the quality of the recording wasn't that good. The sound was tinny and had echoes in places. You could hear where they cut from one reading to the next. The funniest part is you could hear what was going on in the booth in a few parts. I could even hear Mr. Jackson's stomach growl twice during the reading. He's doing a great job, someone get the man a sandwhich for goodness sakes!
Overall, great story and performance. The series is fast paced and action filled without negelecting character development. The worls is rich and well developed as is the system of magic. You can't go wrong with this one.
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17 people found this helpful
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- SC123
- 10-14-15
Popcorn fantasy, just how I like it
This series is very good. It's a bit like Dresden Files but not nearly as dark--thank god. It's got a lot of similarities with the Iron Druid Chronicles but with a distinctly different set of magical abilities--Alex's future sight magic is fascinating and another character's curse magic is too (no spoilers!). It's light enough and unique enough to be a fun, interesting read. I'm on book 4 now, and the series holds pretty consistent in terms of pace and action.
My only bone to pick is my personal irritation with Alex's arrogance and the author's tendency to indulge that arrogance. If Alex wasn't around all the other characters in the series would just run around like chickens with their heads cut off because they need his Supreme Intelligence to function. I think the author doesn't let little guys like the super smart geeky history mage have their due time in the spotlight.
The only other thing I'd say is that the narrator uses a bland, high voice for the female characters, and I think Luna would be less meek-sounding in my own head.
Worth the read!! And subsequent emptying of your pockets to get the next 5 books...
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10 people found this helpful
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- Dennis Bingham
- 05-15-15
gave the series one last chance, and it fell flat.
I was trying the series after it was recommended to fill in while waiting for more of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books. I was disappointed in the first book, but felt the need to give the second entry a try before giving it up as a loss. ultimately disappointing. there was no real growth from the first book, and the same mistakes were made again. would not recommend.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Wesley
- 12-05-14
Luna can go die in a fire thank you.
Would you try another book from Benedict Jacka and/or Gildart Jackson?
Eh, I dunno. I like the stories so far, but Luna is really driving me nuts.
What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
I didn't have much reaction to it. It ended kind of....well, it just ended really. There wasn't much conclusion to things. I mean, they were concluded, but there wasn't much catharsis to most of the plot threads.
What about Gildart Jackson’s performance did you like?
Oh his performance was great. No problems there. He was very enjoyable to listen to.
Could you see Cursed being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?
No I can't see it turning into a movie or tv show. Mainly because I'm pretty sure it's already been done on something like Supernatural at some point.
Any additional comments?
Seriously, Luna can just go die in a fire. VERY SPOILER HEAVY REASON, SO SKIP IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS.**************************
Ok, so the whole thing with Luna and Alex, and Meredith was really damn annoying. Luna sends Martin over, and he's clearly got her curse on him, meaning she's been close to him. And it's revealed later that she clearly had feelings for him. So then, when she sees Meredith at Alex's place, she gets all bitter and cold, and angry, letting her curse lash out at her. Why? As if she were Alex's lover? To hell with that. She got mad at Alex for his attempt to keep her from messing with Martin when it was OBVIOUSLY a bad idea, but she didn't care, cuz she lubz him! And yet Alex can't have someone else? Sorry but I can't stand emotionally unstable female characters. And that's all she is. She's so self absorbed with her curse, and "omg my life is soooo terrible", she can't see anything beyond herself. And considering that the author tied her curse's power into her emotions, she's basically guaranteed to always be 1 step away from an emotional breakdown, just so they can have the threat of her unstable curse lashing out. And sorry, but I have zero time/patience/love of mentally unstable female characters. Seriously they're terrible literary tools. Every time she is in the scene, I grind my teeth and hope she leaves soon. The books would be GREAT, if Luna wasn't in them. Sadly, I know that's not going to happen, so I have to either not listen to them anymore, or suffer through her ever increasing involvement in the stories. I'm still debating on if I like the books enough to tolerate her and buy more books.
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- Dana
- 03-22-14
It maintains the quality!
The first book in the series was absolutely fabulous,which seems rare in a series. Most of the time I feel that the first book in a series is simply good rather than terrific because of all the background info and character building that has to happen throughout. With the first one being wonderful, I worried that it might be a bit of a let down to read the second. I should not have doubted Mr. Jacka. This book is not only as enjoyable as the first, but the storyline manages to be very original. There is certainly no feeling like a formula is being developed. The plot is original and the characters, both new and return characters, are multi-dimensional.
As for the performance, I can be a terribly picky listener. I taught English and reading in secondary classrooms for 10 years, so every little mispronunciation, stutter or even regional dialect gets "graded" in my head. The performance of this novel, like the first one, is flawless. There was nothing to distract me from the book at all, and it often gave even greater dimension to the already fascinating characters. The narration never sounds forced, and I enjoyed every moment if it. This will definitely be a novel that I repeatedly replay in order to enjoy it again.
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- withherownwings
- 09-02-14
hoping it gets edgier
Feels so derivitive of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. Alex is okay but the disappointing treatment of all the female characters is annoying. I want it to be snappier, sharper, and to make me care more about the characters. Arachne the giant spider steals the show with her sage wisdom. Is it bad that I want Alex to embrace his Dark Mage side?
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- Mike
- 05-27-14
Good Follow-Up
The second book of this series takes the story to the next level. It does not wallow in what we already know from the first book. It does what a second book is suppose to do, advance the story. And the story definitely gets better.
The performance is first rate. The narrator becomes the characters.
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- Beatrice
- 09-28-15
Better Than The First
This one was better than the first. The characters were more developed and the story line was entertaining. But, after I read it, I still found it lacking something. I'm not sure what that something is but I won't let that stop me from getting the next book. I will say that I was very annoyed with Luna. Everything that happened in this book was her fault and I think they should have come down hard on her. All in all I enjoyed the book and I want to find out if Luna's character is finally going to mature.
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- Leanna
- 12-25-14
One specialized skill and intelligence works
Any additional comments?
Jacka has created a really fun urban fantasy series. The series follows a diviner and his apprentice through various adventures. The really appealing element of this series is the protagonist is not all powerful or really even powerful. He is a moderate talent of one very specialized skill, and his intelligence keeps him out of trouble. Give this series a try. You will enjoy it.
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- 🔥 Phx17 🔥
- 04-21-21
Really?! Damsels times three?!
With book 2, I still find this to be a sale worthy purchase. It’s a decent urban fantasy mystery procedural. This sophomore outing gets more comfortable, with less profanity (better used) and more wry humor (loved the satirical scene with a day in the life of a mage-shop facing all the amateur customers). The general mystery of disappearing magical creatures is balanced with a deeper dive into mage politics and the choices faced when magic is possible. The life, death, and moral stakes get deeper too, although this UF is still light enough for me to recommend this to my teen.
However, once again I’m disappointed to find an absence of smart, strong, sensible women. The returning females from book 1 are still silly (Starbreeze), crazy (Rachel), or juvenile (Luna), and the one smart, strong “female” from book 1, the spider Aracnee, ends up as a damsel in this book. Also, the only new female exists for her sex appeal to serve as a plot device. Worse, by the end of the book, Alex Verus sends one of the five off for her protection, reveals a second to be spineless, and then ALL three of the remaining females need to be rescued. 🙄
I’m also still trying to figure out how old Verus is, or what he looks like. Might have to go back and listen to book 1, chapter 1 to figure it out. In the meantime, the narrator still makes him sound like some cardigan wearing grandpa, even though I think he’s late twenties, early thirties.
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Story
Stephen Oakwood is a young man on the edge of this hidden world. He has talent and potential, but turning that potential into magical power takes money, opportunity, and training. All Stephen has is a minimum wage job and a cat. But when a chance encounter with a member of House Ashford gets him noticed by the wrong people, Stephen is thrown in the deep end. For centuries, the vast corporations and aristocratic Houses of the magical world have grown impossibly rich and influential by hoarding their knowledge.
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Great start to new series, content warning
- By patrisi on 10-24-23
By: Benedict Jacka
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Highfire
- A Novel
- By: Eoin Colfer
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In the days of yore, he flew the skies and scorched angry mobs - now he hides from swamp tour boats and rises only with the greatest reluctance from his La-Z-Boy recliner. Laying low in the bayou, this once-magnificent fire breather has been reduced to lighting Marlboros with nose sparks, swilling Absolut in a Flashdance T-shirt, and binging Netflix in a fishing shack. For centuries, he struck fear in hearts far and wide as Wyvern, Lord Highfire of the Highfire Eyrie - now he goes by Vern.
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Fun
- By Alex Sumner on 02-28-20
By: Eoin Colfer
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Day Zero
- A Novel
- By: C. Robert Cargill
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
It was a day like any other. Except it was our last.... It’s on this day that Pounce discovers that he is, in fact, disposable. Pounce, a styilsh "nannybot" fashioned in the shape of a plush anthropomorphic tiger, has just found a box in the attic. His box. The box he'd arrived in when he was purchased years earlier, and the box in which he'll be discarded when his human charge, eight-year-old Ezra Reinhart, no longer needs a nanny. As Pounce ponders his suddenly uncertain future, the pieces are falling into place for a robot revolution that will eradicate humankind.
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Calvin and AI Hobbs
- By Michael G Kurilla on 06-13-21
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Inside the Devil's Nest
- By: John Durgin
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Real estate agent Anthony Graham has his family on the run after witnessing a murder at the hands of the powerful Costello crime family. They’re forced to hide at one of Anthony’s properties, a deserted campground with a sinister past. No one is safe from the men that hunt them, or the terrors that await them inside The Devil’s Nest.
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Highly recommended
- By timj26 on 05-22-23
By: John Durgin
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Speaks the Nightbird
- By: Robert R. McCammon
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 30 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Carolinas, 1699: The citizens of Fount Royal believe a witch has cursed their town with inexplicable tragedies -- and they demand that beautiful widow Rachel Howarth be tried and executed for witchcraft. Presiding over the trial is traveling magistrate Issac Woodward, aided by his astute young clerk, Matthew Corbett. Believing in Rachel's innocence, Matthew will soon confront the true evil at work in Fount Royal....
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Dark, Twisted Period Piece with GREAT Characters!
- By aaron on 06-05-12
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Sawkill Girls
- By: Claire Legrand
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Who are the Sawkill Girls? Marion: The newbie. Awkward and plain, steady and dependable. Zoey: The pariah. Luckless and lonely, hurting but hiding it. Aching with grief and dreaming of vanished girls. Val: The queen bee. Their stories come together on the island of Sawkill Rock, where gleaming horses graze in rolling pastures and cold waves crash against black cliffs. Where kids whisper the legend of an insidious monster at parties and around campfires. Where girls have been disappearing for decades, stolen away by a ravenous evil no one has dared to fight…until now.
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Disappointed
- By Shell on 12-09-18
By: Claire Legrand
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An Inheritance of Magic
- By: Benedict Jacka
- Narrated by: Will Watt
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Stephen Oakwood is a young man on the edge of this hidden world. He has talent and potential, but turning that potential into magical power takes money, opportunity, and training. All Stephen has is a minimum wage job and a cat. But when a chance encounter with a member of House Ashford gets him noticed by the wrong people, Stephen is thrown in the deep end. For centuries, the vast corporations and aristocratic Houses of the magical world have grown impossibly rich and influential by hoarding their knowledge.
-
-
Great start to new series, content warning
- By patrisi on 10-24-23
By: Benedict Jacka
-
Highfire
- A Novel
- By: Eoin Colfer
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the days of yore, he flew the skies and scorched angry mobs - now he hides from swamp tour boats and rises only with the greatest reluctance from his La-Z-Boy recliner. Laying low in the bayou, this once-magnificent fire breather has been reduced to lighting Marlboros with nose sparks, swilling Absolut in a Flashdance T-shirt, and binging Netflix in a fishing shack. For centuries, he struck fear in hearts far and wide as Wyvern, Lord Highfire of the Highfire Eyrie - now he goes by Vern.
-
-
Fun
- By Alex Sumner on 02-28-20
By: Eoin Colfer
-
Day Zero
- A Novel
- By: C. Robert Cargill
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It was a day like any other. Except it was our last.... It’s on this day that Pounce discovers that he is, in fact, disposable. Pounce, a styilsh "nannybot" fashioned in the shape of a plush anthropomorphic tiger, has just found a box in the attic. His box. The box he'd arrived in when he was purchased years earlier, and the box in which he'll be discarded when his human charge, eight-year-old Ezra Reinhart, no longer needs a nanny. As Pounce ponders his suddenly uncertain future, the pieces are falling into place for a robot revolution that will eradicate humankind.
-
-
Calvin and AI Hobbs
- By Michael G Kurilla on 06-13-21
-
Inside the Devil's Nest
- By: John Durgin
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Real estate agent Anthony Graham has his family on the run after witnessing a murder at the hands of the powerful Costello crime family. They’re forced to hide at one of Anthony’s properties, a deserted campground with a sinister past. No one is safe from the men that hunt them, or the terrors that await them inside The Devil’s Nest.
-
-
Highly recommended
- By timj26 on 05-22-23
By: John Durgin
-
Speaks the Nightbird
- By: Robert R. McCammon
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 30 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Carolinas, 1699: The citizens of Fount Royal believe a witch has cursed their town with inexplicable tragedies -- and they demand that beautiful widow Rachel Howarth be tried and executed for witchcraft. Presiding over the trial is traveling magistrate Issac Woodward, aided by his astute young clerk, Matthew Corbett. Believing in Rachel's innocence, Matthew will soon confront the true evil at work in Fount Royal....
-
-
Dark, Twisted Period Piece with GREAT Characters!
- By aaron on 06-05-12
-
Sawkill Girls
- By: Claire Legrand
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who are the Sawkill Girls? Marion: The newbie. Awkward and plain, steady and dependable. Zoey: The pariah. Luckless and lonely, hurting but hiding it. Aching with grief and dreaming of vanished girls. Val: The queen bee. Their stories come together on the island of Sawkill Rock, where gleaming horses graze in rolling pastures and cold waves crash against black cliffs. Where kids whisper the legend of an insidious monster at parties and around campfires. Where girls have been disappearing for decades, stolen away by a ravenous evil no one has dared to fight…until now.
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Disappointed
- By Shell on 12-09-18
By: Claire Legrand
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Lore
- By: Alexandra Bracken
- Narrated by: Fryda Wolff
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals. They are hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality. Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world, turning her back on the hunt’s promises of eternal glory after her family was murdered by a rival line. For years she's pushed away any thought of revenge against the man - now a god - responsible for their deaths.
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Fast Paced And Really Enjoyable :D
- By Doha on 01-12-21
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12 Miles Below
- A Progression Fantasy Epic
- By: Mark Arrows
- Narrated by: Scott Aiello
- Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Extreme sub-zero temperatures suffocate the surface. Frozen structures of bygone eras span across massive ice-wastes. And the survivors closely guard any technology rediscovered within them. The only escape from the deadly climate is beneath the surface, but that doesn't mean it's safe... Monstrous machines lurk in the depths. Unhinged demigods war against them, dying over and over, treating it all like a game. The depths themselves shift over time, more contraption than rock.
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Cool world, depressing
- By SpookySquid on 09-21-23
By: Mark Arrows
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Dark and Stormy Knights
- By: Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher, Shannon K Butcher, and others
- Narrated by: Renee Raudman, Joe Barrett, Marc Vietor, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
It was a dark and stormy knight, and nine dark defenders embarked upon a most perilous quest. They're the ultimate defenders of humanity, modern day knights who do dark deeds for all the right reasons. In this all-star collection, nine of today's hottest paranormal authors bring us thrilling, all-new stories of supernatural knights that are brimming with magic mystery and mayhem.
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Bought this for Dresden, loved the rest!
- By Moon River on 06-27-12
By: Ilona Andrews, and others
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Blood Rituals
- Boston Preternatural Investigations Unit, Book 1
- By: Aoibh Wood
- Narrated by: Abby Craden
- Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Boston Homicide Detective, Caitlin Reagan, walks a razor's edge, propping up her life on emotional constructs designed to help her manage grueling PTSD. She keeps her mother, boyfriend, and work separated and controlled, all in service to one horrible, tragic act she committed amid the Iraq war.
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Naw Fam..
- By AmandaB on 07-16-23
By: Aoibh Wood
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The Watchers
- By: A.M. Shine
- Narrated by: Jacqueline Milne
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance