Libriomancer

Magic ex Libris, Book 1

By: Jim C. Hines

Narrated by: David DeVries

Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's Summary

Isaac Vainio is a Libriomancer, a member of the secret organization founded five centuries ago by Johannes Gutenberg. Libriomancers are gifted with the ability to magically reach into books and draw forth objects. When Isaac is attacked by vampires that leaked from the pages of books into our world, he barely manages to escape. To his horror he discovers that vampires have been attacking other magic-users as well, and Gutenberg has been kidnapped.

With the help of a motorcycle-riding dryad who packs a pair of oak cudgels, Isaac finds himself hunting the unknown dark power that has been manipulating humans and vampires alike. And his search will uncover dangerous secrets about Libriomancy, Gutenberg, and the history of magic....

©2012 Jim C. Hines (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"This may be Jim Hines's best work. Libriomancer is smart, silly, and deadly serious, all at the same time. It's a book about loving books. This is the magic librarian and ass-kicking dryad adventure story we’ve all been waiting for." (Seanan McGuire, The New York Times best-selling author of Discount Armageddon)

"All writers believe in the magic of books; Jim Hines has created a system where that magic becomes real, usable, and very definitely not always safe." (Tanya Huff, best-selling author of the Blood Books)

"This funny and fast-paced series opener...will be sure to surprise and entertain urban fantasy fans.... Isaac is sure to be an instant fan favorite, and the secondary characters are vivid and multidimensional." ( Publishers Weekly)

A reasonable start

Having read this book before in written format and enjoying it, I looked forward to this new version as audiobooks add something else to the story. What I got was about the same that I felt about the original book, that the concept and setup was a good one that promises to continue to get more interesting as things continue and I certainly craved more, but at the same time there wasn't quite enough to the substance of this one to fully satisfy me, which isn't entirely a bad thing since I'll likely leap upon the next book when it comes out.

As for the narrator, while I didn't quite find him a perfect match (this is the second narrator not the original which I wonder if the other reviewers do not realize they might have) he wasn't awful. He does a serviceable job of voicing Issac, but I felt his voicing of the female characters in the story were not quite as differentiated as one might have hoped for. I would have perhaps suggested Luke Daniels as a better match since he has a good mastery of a variety of character voices and his work on Iron Druid has impressed me every time. He could still provide the youthful enthusiasm that Issac's character requires while having enough flexibility to handle the rest of the cast better. Still the narrator didn't ruin the book for me at all, just didn't give to the story quite what I would have hoped for.

Overall it's a reasonable start to what promises to be a fun series and I'm looking forward to more.

Impossible to listen to

What disappointed you about Libriomancer?

The fact that the narrator mispronounces automaton, a key word in this book, makes it impossible for me to continue to listen. The story could be great but I will never know. How hard can it be to make sure a word is being said correctly? Especially a word that is used repeatedly, at least in the chapters of this book that I did manage to get through.

Dreadful narration

What disappointed you about Libriomancer?

I have sadly had to abandon the audible version and will return to print to finish this novel. The narrator sounded so wrong for the part (look at the guy on the cover- he doesn't sound like this!!) and relentlessly mispronounces words (autoMAYton), but the killer for me was the female voices! Must they all sound so 'ditzy'?? I just couldn't get past it- I envisioned them all as candy floss haired drag queens bitching about their high heels....

Would you recommend Libriomancer to your friends? Why or why not?

I would not recommend this audible edition. Should always listen to a sample first.

Would you be willing to try another one of David DeVries’s performances?

No

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment. Received a good recommendation.

OK Story, Weak Reader

This book is imaginative. It has an interesting magical system that is enough to draw you in. Hines is obviously a fan of his own genre and that makes for some sci-fi/fantasy cannon-driven plot points. The narrative is adventurous and silly and Hines leaves enough of a mark to show that he is a fantasy fan's fantasy fan. This is an easy book to like.

My problem is that characters are what really draw me in. Hines's characters are not poorly described, but they are very poorly portrayed by DeVries. For someone who really counts on characters to cheer for or against or who really wants to inhabit their trials, that puts one off.

Also, he does mispronounce, "automaton," which you probably know by now if you're reading other reviews. I read that myself and thought, "Well, how often can that word come up? Shouldn't be too much of a problem." The book is silly with automatons, ok? If mispronunciations are like nails on a chalkboard for you, get the print edition.

Good story, but the narrator is a little grating.

The narrator seemed wrong for this book. The main character was fine, but the females were all very nasally. The story itself was entertaining though, and the magic system was pretty novel. If you're looking for something to tide you over until the next Dresden book comes out this one isn't bad.

Save yourself! Read the book instead!

Would you try another book from Jim C. Hines and/or David DeVries?

Yes, if read by a different narrator. He has a fun style, good sense of humor and good character development. The premise of this book was outstanding and lured me in. Why, oh why did I not listen to a sample, or read the reviews more carefully? Because I'm a sap, that's why. Bringing objects from books to life? How could it not be fascinating? Every book lovers dream, right? And in fact, the story is fascinating. If you can get past the horrible narration.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The tree nymph. Great sense of humor, interesting premise.

Would you be willing to try another one of David DeVries’s performances?

Not only no, but by cracky, heck no. It was absolutely horrible. Nothing personal, David. Some people are just meant to be narrators, others are not. I hope you didn't quit your day job.

Could you see Libriomancer being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

That's a silly ass question.

Any additional comments?

I may very well get the Kindle edition of the sequel. I'd very much like to know what happens to these characters. I just couldn't stand to listen to it.

A fun and funny surprise!

Libriomancer was recommended to me, but I was skeptical about heading into another variant on the paranormal-contemporary world theme. I quickly discovered that I couldn't stop listening and picked up the second volume minutes after finishing this one.

The heroes of this story, Isaac Vainio and Lena Greenwood, were refreshingly real and accessible while still being unique and multidimensional. If you're a fantasy & sci-fi geek or fanboy (or fangirl, for that matter) you can't help but like Isaac and want to be with him every step of the way.

Acting as a backdrop to the whole story is the tapestry of sci-fi and fantasy stories that so many of us have loved for so long, from the awful, guilty-pleasure pulps to the great works of speculative fiction. Hines manages to pay homage with a fine sense of humor that manages to make jokes without every allowing the story to become one, evoking nostalgic moments, eager anticipation, and shouts of delight as you see in your fanboy/fangirl heart exactly what's about to happen.

This was my first experience with David DeVries as a reader. I was immediately struck by his skillful rendition of character dialogue, but initially found his narration a bit stiff. That impression didn't last, however, as the story continued to be skillfully delivered.

This is a series I hope to see go far, and I doubt you'll be disappointed if you give it at try.

Fast-Paced Fun

I absolutely looooove the idea of this book. The rules are there, the idea is simple and effective, and the possibilities are endless. If you could pull objects from books into the real world, what would you pick?

The story itself is light and fast, but there's still plenty of room for some character development, most of which is definitely aimed at a teenage audience. But for every misstep or perceived shortcoming, this book offers a great deal of fun and imagination.

The narrator is decent. What would have been a higher score for performance is dropped by his inability to pronounce the word "automaton." This word is used a LOT, especially in the second half of the book, so the more it's mispronounced, the more it grates. Apart from that, it's clear the narrator had as much fun with this as I did.

Love the concept...hate the narrator

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

I would recommend the book, but not the audiobook. The narration is just bad, particularly the voicing of the female characters.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of David DeVries?

Luke Daniels or James Marsters.

Great book, terrible narration

I love the book. Cool idea. Neat execution. Bad narration.
Whiny voice, annoying accents, and the strangest pronunciation of automaton I've ever heard. It is not "otto-mah-tun"
Still well worth getting if you can get past the narrator. Otherwise, buy the book.