Plumbess Seg

By: Jude Fawley

Narrated by: Alison Campbell

For as long as she can remember, Seg has lived in the orphanage. She was brought there by her spiteful mentor, Plumbess Roc, to learn the art and danger of plumbing - to become a plumbess. But when Seg struggles, when she finds nightmares in plumbing’s dark recesses, she always turns to another plumbess - the warm, caring Plumbess Zag - for solace.

Until Zag dies.

Seg blames Eck for Zag’s death - Eck who was raised by snakes, Eck who left a scar on Seg’s neck when they were children. When Seg finally leaves the orphanage to find a pipe lord and do her work, she's weighed down by loss, hatred, and the heavy lead around her neck, which reopens her old scar. But she takes her plunger in hand and follows the pipes, even though they lead back to her nightmares - and back to Eck.

©2018 Jude Fawley (P)2019 Jude Fawley

An odd one, but not bad

As a simple disclaimer: "This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review."

I found this one odd. Hard to really describe it. But the world created was probably my favorite part. Imagining what the scale of things must be and visualizing it made it more fun. The plumbing aspect speaks to those of us who have to deal with the "fun" of fixing our own pipes (try removing a paper thin metal pipe corroded over 50 years).

The odd part of it was the personas, and that's the part I didn't appreciate as much. Many of the characters were a bit too... simple, for lack of a better term.

Narration was good, and I found her tone to be entertaining.

Overall, a decent book, and I especially thought the use of such an odd subject and creating such an odd world makes it all the better.

A Uniquely Derived World of Fantastical Plumbing

Plumbess Seg kept me entertained from beginning to end. While it isn't something I'd have normally picked up, it definitely succeeded in holding my interest. If you are in the mood to retreat from the traditional and descend into something more obscure, then Plumbess Seg will act as your ticket to the land of escapism.

I didn’t find Plumbess Seg to focus on lengthy plots or complex character development, but rather, it focuses on Seg's journey through a uniquely derived world of fantastical plumbing. There's a bit of grit, a dash of grime, and huge handful of fantasy along the way. Plumbess Seg is ultimately a tale of Seg and how she came to be, her life as a plumb(ess), and the world in which she lives - Plumbesses, Pipe Lords, plumbing, and all.

Fawley has an ability to thoroughly and imaginatively define each character/environment on paper, while the narrator, Alison Campbell, does an exceptional job of bringing it all to life. As odd as this story may be, I did find myself believing this world could actually exist in some alternate plumber-dimension near the book’s end.

So, is Plumbess Seg for you?

I think this will be a mood book for most people. Don't go into this book expecting a heavily-structured plot. Albeit well-written and well-narrated, it serves more in the form of a world-builder for something more to come. It does, however, efficiently and properly conclude its own story in the end.

With that being said, You’ll need to have the disposition to escape the traditional norm of literature. You'll also need to have the desire to experience something entirely new to ensure that you truly appreciate this book in its entirety.

If only for its eccentric concept, Plumbess Seg is deserving of a read and/or listen. So go ahead and give it a go if you find that it sparks your interest.



*Received this book for free and this is my unbiased review.*

Surprisingly compelling fantasy based on plumbing?

Just the other day I had been thinking, how does anyone come up with anything new in fantasy? It seems as if most all ideas have probably been used before, and most books are just re-skinned versions of other stories. And then Jude Fawley came along with this novel. Plumbing, while a very novel idea, did not seem a very compelling fantasy read to me. When I had read that it was fantasy plumbing, I was immediately not interested in the book. However, I wanted to give the book a listen just for the novelty of the idea. Once I was actually a chunk of the way into the novel, I was hooked. The characters seemed well-rounded and likable, I thoroughly enjoyed the new look on plumbing as being something for only the highest members of society rather than a simple blue-collar job. At this point in my read, I actually wanted to finish and start a reread of the book because I felt I would be able to see a lot more things that were going on in the onset of the story now that I was more invested.
Overall, the book was a great book with an amazing narrator that I would highly recommend to anyone who is looking for something a little different.
I received this audiobook for free, but this has in no way shaped my opinion of the book.

Certainly different.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is probably not a book I would have picked up by casually browsing the releases and that would be a mistake on my part.

While this book is not without flaws: short for 1 credit, short names can make keeping track of characters a bit difficult, bits of unexplained travel / movement making for chaotic or unbelievable plot resolution, non-existent chapter transition in the beginning, it is still a very interesting story that is worth reading.

If you are surprised that I would mention so many negatives and give a review an almost a perfect score it is because of what the story accomplishes: Building a truly unique magic system, engaging characters, real struggle/loss, incredible suspense building. Most of the positives will be lost on people who are already not a little tired of the story on rails, so that might be a consideration before picking this book.

On the final note the decision to give this book an Overall score of 5 instead of 4 stars came down to the narration. The delivery, distinct character voices, pacing, basically everything. I am currently looking at the other books narrated by Alison Campbell to listen to.

I hope to run across more works by both the author and the narrator.

An engaging introduction into an eccentric world.

I received this audio book for free. Here's my honest opinion:

Plumbess Seg is certainly unique. It's a story about pipes and drains and the heroines who maintain them. Fawley keeps a tight narrative, as he introduces few characters throughout the seven hour tale. Seg and Eck are certainly the most interesting. They are orphans who are trained to fill the coveted role of plumbess. They are strikingly unique in their own right, and Fawley does an excellent job fleshing out their emotions and convictions. The story moved quickly enough to keep me engaged. It also had some surprising twists, and it remained unpredictable throughout. It also ended rather abruptly. The final act was surprisingly truncated, but it didn't feel like Fawley left anything out. My main questions were answered.

Fawley introduced an interesting new world in the Plumbess Seg, and Alison Campbell does a superb job with her narration. She creates a unique voice for each character, which makes the narrative easy to follow. And she beautifully conveys the character's emotions in every situation. I'm excited to explore more of Campebell's work.

If I have any complaints about the book, it is that it's on the short side. I guess that simply leaves more room for sequels and prequels to follow. If you're listening Fawley, I hope you don't stop here. I'm certainly a fan of your work, and I'm excited to follow you on your next adventure.