Legendarium

By: Kevin G. Summers, Michael Bunker

Narrated by: Robert Rossmann

Length: 3 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

In every generation, certain writers are chosen to be protectors of The Legendarium, a metaphysical library that exists at the nexus of the multiverse. Inside this library are doorways that lead to every world ever created in literature. There are forces of evil constantly at work to destroy the library and send the world back into an age of darkness. Now, in a time of growing illiteracy, two heroes are chosen to defend The Legendarium. Bombo Dawson, newly published author and the hero of Michael Bunker's novella Hugh Howey Must Die!, and Alistair Foley, aspiring author and Bombo's harshest critic, become unlikely partners in a mission to protect The Legendarium. Their adventures will take them across the worlds of literature, but will hostile enemies learn to work together before the accumulated knowledge of all of humanity is lost forever?

©2014 Michael Bunker and Kevin G. Summers (P)2014 Michael Bunker and Kevin G. Summers

If Butcher & Fforde had a child, this would be it.

Would you listen to Legendarium again? Why?

Yes, I really enjoyed the the hero's journey through the different story settings, the full bodied feeling of the world, and the metamorphosis or the alternate earth to this earth. Well worth a 2nd listen!

What did you like best about this story?

The original setting of an alternate Earth that changes slowly to our Earth through the hero's folly. I think this is a really clever twist on the book's setting that I have not encountered before.

Which character – as performed by Robert Rossmann – was your favorite?

Allistar was my favourite. The voice that Mr. Rossmann used fit seamlessly with the description and the dialogue. It really brought the character to life. My one hang up about this story was that the dialogue once or twice sounds a bit forced, but I can't tell for sure if it is the writing style or delivery that doesn't nail it. This only happens in a couple of small spots, though.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were several places where I laughed out loud, which is rare for me in a book. I really enjoyed the dry post-zombie-apocalypse humour and the modern literary references.

Any additional comments?

This book reminds me Strongly of Thursday Next with a lot of Jim Butcher's modern, pop culture style. A really enjoyable listen for the adventure-loving geek with a splash of British humour.

19 of 20 people found this review helpful

But. But. I want more!

Liked the concept and how it was told, great perrormance. I just thought it ended too quickly, there should have been more stories, more worlds, and not just the quick fix at the end.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Bombo is the best

The Legendarium is a metaphysical library at the nexus of the multiverse and evil is at work to destroy it. Our heros, Bombo Dawson and Alistair Foley, newly published author and aspiring author, respectively, have been recruited to protect it. They travel through different worlds based in different literary works in order to defend the Legendarium from being destroyed.

The idea of the book seemed amazingly original to me even though they were traveling through existing books. I absolutely fell in love with Bombo Dawson, and although I’ve never read anything that included him before, I will be endeavoring to do so.

This book made me laugh a lot, and fantasize about donuts. I only wish the story was longer, or that there were additional stories that contained these two characters. I think it’s a great short read.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Anyone Got Any Donuts?

Short, sweet, and fun with some laugh-aloud moments! I feel sorry for all the scrooges who didn't like this book. It should be quite funny and enjoyable to the well-read, to writers and would-be writers, to Kindle groupies, to lovers of the classics, and to light fantasy fans.

It certainly isn't deep literature but there is a place for everything, and I found this a light-hearted, fun romp. It was a needed short break for me after an emotional and serious read right before it. It made me laugh and feel good and who doesn't want that? I will be looking for further adventures of Bombo.

I might add that it was a perfectly fitting narration.

Thanks, Summers and Bunker, and good luck to you in the future!

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Laughed so hard at times I cried

What did you love best about Legendarium?

How it touched on so many different stories and authors, and how Bombo and Alistair interacted. It was laugh out loud funny at times.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Legendarium?

There were several but the first that really got me was when Alistair was going to give Bombo mouth to mouth to revive him from drowning........

Have you listened to any of Robert Rossmann’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I haven't listened to Robert Rossmann before but he was wonderful and did a fantastic job with the voices and emotions.

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

There were so many laugh out loud moments in this book I just can't pick one. This is a NEW FAVORITE FOR ME.

Any additional comments?

I know I will listen to many more times because of the enjoyment this book gave to me. I recommend this to anyone who loves literature, and enjoys laughing.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

fun stuff

Made me chuckle more than a few times. Got very meta with stories within stories at places.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Love it!

Quite an unpredictable tale, not a fan of short stories but this one surely takes the cake actually the blueberry cake donut!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

The World of Books

I've always loved books, and libraries, so the premise of this story intrigued me. I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed. This book was a nice light-hearted listen, with some serious moments, and some serious discussions about literature.

The narration really brought out the personalities of the main characters and the dry wit of the writing. My favorite parts were waiting for the moments when one or the other of the main characters would have their preconceived notions shattered, and be forced to unwillingly admit they were wrong to the other party. I guess I enjoyed listening to them squirm.

The portions that involved other books (some fictional, some real), were also really well done. I felt like I caught a glimpse of the atmosphere of each of those stories as the protagonists explored them.

All in all, an enjoyable listen. I might listen to another, if the authors write more.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Great Story

Great funny story, really enjoyed it. I would have liked a bit more on the back story on how/why the writers were turning into zombies but none the less great Job in this collaboration.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

WWHHD?

Fledgling novelist Bombo Dawson and insufferable literary critic Alistair Foley are enlisted by the ghosts of famous novelists of the past to save the Legendarium, a library where literary worlds come to life. Great premise, good characters, decent result, but ultimately disappointing.

So what went wrong (for me)? The literary worlds Michael Bunker and Kevin Summers chose as backdrops for Dawson and Foley just did not do it for me. Two are among my least favorite classics, books I consider wildly overrated. The other two I never heard of -- they are likely fictitious, but I'm not sufficiently motivated to look it up. If they were made up, that would actually be better than if they were real books, but I am nevertheless underwhelmed.

This novella is a follow-up to Bunker's wonderful "Hugh Howey Must Die", also a riff on writers, novels, and publishing, with the title character hardly the only real life novelist in the story (that book is not available in audio -- I read it in print). This book starts out with a prologue titled "Hugh Howey must live!" that reprises Bunker's fictional version of Howey (although that is the last we hear about him).

I found myself wondering, as I plodded through the literary landscapes, real and imagined, that are part of this book, what would Hugh Howey do? Which books would he choose? I know which ones Jasper Fforde has used in his Thursday Next series, which has the virtue of quantity, if nothing else, since they are full length novels. And I'm thinking about these things because I'm just not enthused about the ones Bunker and Summers chose. Sigh!

5 of 6 people found this review helpful