Dancing on the Wind

By: Mary Jo Putney

Narrated by: William Kirby

Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's Summary

From New York Times best-selling author Mary Jo Putney - a classic love story that has become one of her most beloved and acclaimed historical romances.

©2014 Mary Jo Putney (P)2014 Mary Jo Putney

Wonderful book, Lacklustre narrator

Would you consider the audio edition of Dancing on the Wind to be better than the print version?

No, I usually do feel the audio versions are better but not this time and there have been a lot of great Narrators so far for the Mary Jo Putney novels, but William Kirby is not very exciting. He mainly talks in a monotone and does not have a good female voice which is essential. I really enjoy men reading romance novels but not if they are bad.

What other book might you compare Dancing on the Wind to and why?

I think Mary Jo Putney's whole Fallen Angel series is fab! and have really enjoyed all the stories. My favourites are Petals on the Storm (which I hope will be next!), One Perfect Rose and Angel Rogue.

Would you listen to another book narrated by William Kirby?

Not, if I could help it.

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

It would have been, this book is a combination of Spy novel, Romance novel and Indiana Jones (I swear at the last chapter Mary Jo knew the historical details and saw how she could fit a overtop action sequence in and it worked wonderfully, except for the which was as dry as dust).

Any additional comments?

it is a fab fab story but it won't make your heart sing like so many of the Mary Jo Putney audiobooks do, perhaps try another Mary Jo Putney Audiobook, they might re-do it with a better Narrator.

Mary Jo Putney Always Amazes Me

At first I chose randomly one of her work "The Bargain" and didn't expect much, but then it surprised me and wanted for more of her work. Now I venture the second of the Fallen Angels series, and I love it too. As always the characters and the storyline is richly developed, and full of unexpected twist as her distinguished uniqueness that hooked me for the first time.
I wonder how the author has vast and unlimited imagination. I definitely look forward for the upcoming audiobook of the series.

Rather far fetched connection

This book was okay. I particularly liked Lucien, aka Lucifer. He was a great character. I was not too fond of the female lead, Katherine. She was way over the edge. The plot line concerning Katherine and her twin sister was really stupid. They could read each others minds even when miles apart and could talk to each other through their thoughts. Absurd. The narrator was very good and was adept at female voices as well as his deep male voices.

This book was not a favorite

I have read a number of MJP's books and this by far is one of my least favorite. It rambled on, the narrator was subpar, and a great deal of the subject matter relating to Satanism I found distasteful. This one is not a keeper for me!

Wonderful story horrible narrator

Just as in the first book in this series, I found the story interesting, entertaining and intriguing. The characters are also interesting ad easy to relate to. The narrator is one of the worst, I've heard. Absolutely no emotion and certainly does't do justice to the characters or to the story. Regardless of the narrator, I couldn't stop listening.

Fascinating story

I listened to this book on Audible. The story itself was great. It had depth, it was well paced, and it kept my interest. However, while the narrator did very well in the non-dialogue areas, he missed the mark in dialogue. The voices were fine. But the emotions in the voices most often seemed to be flat and lacked a reflection of the action going on and the emotions being portrayed. I think I’d have preferred to have read this book rather than listened. That aside, great story.

big disappointment

the start of this series was so promising, it made this installment just that much of a miss.

Boring, monotone narration ruined a good story

Where does Dancing on the Wind rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Unique, well written stories such as this can be ruined by the narrator. This is one audio book I won't listen to again, not because the story wasn't well written and interesting but due to the narration.

What three words best describe William Kirby’s voice?

Boring, monotone and disappointing

A most enjoyable book

I really enjoyed this! Very entertaining. The narrator did a fine job and the story kept me interested from the opening line. Kit and Lucien were great together. Overall, very enjoyable.

Wonderful novel, terrific narrator

What made the experience of listening to Dancing on the Wind the most enjoyable?

Excellent characters and story experienced as fine performance art.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I enjoyed both Lucien, the hero, and Kit, the heroine. Lucien, the mysterious spymaster, and Kit of the many disguises, are both alienated survivors, negotiating a dangerous world of terrible enemies all on their own. I love it in a romance novel when equally strong protagonists such as these two, against all odds, find each other and work together against a common enemy.

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

For an audiobook to work well, it requires two things: First, the book must be outstandingly enough written to not just survive but prosper under the intense scrutiny of being read out loud at a quarter of the speed it would take a reader to read the book silently to herself. Dancing on the Wind is absolutely a novel of that sterling quality. Second, the narrator must be a good performer, able to convincingly portray every kind of character, from old to young, male or female, and often different nationalities. Mr. Kirby is a fine performer able to deliver these dramatic necessities really well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book offers sensual romance, action, adventure, pathos, and moments of humor. In short, it has it all.

Any additional comments?

Fans of Mary Jo Putney will be pleased at an opportunity to enjoy this, one of the very best of her historical novels, in the form of an excellent audiobook.