• Fires of Invention

  • The Mysteries of Cove, Book 1
  • By: J. Scott Savage
  • Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
  • Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,829 ratings)

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Fires of Invention  By  cover art

Fires of Invention

By: J. Scott Savage
Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
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Publisher's summary

Trenton Colman is exceptionally creative, with a knack for all things mechanical. But his talents are viewed with suspicion in Cove, a steam-powered city built inside a mountain. In Cove, creativity is a crime, and invention is a curse word.

Kallista Babbage is a repair technician and daughter of the notorious Leo Babbage, who died in an explosion - an event the leaders of Cove point to as an example of the danger of creativity.

Working together, Trenton and Kallista learn that Leo Babbage was developing a secret project before he perished. Following clues he left behind, they begin to assemble a strange machine that is unlike anything they've ever seen before. They soon discover that what they are building may threaten every truth their city is founded on - and quite possibly their very lives.

©2015 J. Scott Savage (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about Fires of Invention

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Wrong protagonist

The story follows Trenton, an aspiring mechanic that has the backbone of Charlie Brown and the social aptitude of a brick. He meets Calista, who is written as the girl he will eventually realize that he loves, but she’s the real protagonist - just the author never seems to figure it out.
Trenton’s obtuseness, wildly swinging emotional pendulum (yelling at the heroine and then “trying to talk sense to her” is NOT a literary device that you should just use at the drop of a hat), just stupid judgement for being a “genius” strains plausibility, which takes away a lot of the enjoyment from the story.

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Definitely Worth Your Time

I've listened to a lot of "included" and "Audible Originals" and always end up dropping them at worse or feeling very indifferent after finishing them at best with them. This book was a big surprise, not only in the fact that it was amazing and well written/paced while being an "included" title, but in the twist I honestly didn't expect from a plot I figured would be nothing new in the realm of post-apocalypse. It's such a weird and kind of unrealistic twist that, if someone told you a spoiler synopsis you would think it stupid and maybe even cringy, but the setup and reveal, the characters and the world, are built up and crafted so well that I fully buy into whatever the author has planned for this series. Time to move on to the two sequels, which are also "included" titles, but I would gladly pay money to listen to them.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

great story

so, not what I thought it was going to be, but definitely worth listening to

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

A book for young children

Children’s books don’t necessarily have to be childish, this one unfortunately is. I think it’s trying to pass as a YA novel, but I don’t think that’s appropriate. The protagonists don’t act their age, they behave like 10 year olds instead of tween/teens. The adults in the story act more like teenagers. The writing is simplistic and very superficial. The world building is really well done, so I understand that that might be the appeal to people. The story in itself has potential, but it just doesn’t really go anywhere. It’s missing layers and a dose of realism that even fantasy novels need. Everything just ‘works out’ because it’s convenient and the characters all act very unrealistic. It’s such a shame because this story really had potential. I got it for free and I downloaded the sequel too, but I’m going to give it a miss. This author isn’t for me.

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A completely new take on fantasy

I really enjoyed this book, along with the other two as well, it is a very creative and emotional book, the plot is great, I really enjoy the characters, and am definitely listening to it again!

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

So entertaining listing to this with my 13 yr old

Love the characters, following them as they follow their strong desired need, to seek knowledge explore what they are talented at doing, and challenge themselves and the rules they have been taught. Can't wait to see what will happen next!

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very Enjoyable

It was a bit slow at the start but I quickly became hooked. Kirby is a great narrator and the story was engrossing and relatable for me.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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A Nice Dystopian YA Book

Oh lord this narrator! I sped him up to 1.2x and I honestly cannot imagine listening to it at the normal pace. He’s does a great job with the characters and I’m still listening to the book, but dear Lord I had to warn you guys. Haha!

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

We first got this as a audiobook from our local library, we got to chapter 28 then the CD stopped working. For the past 2 months I have tried to get it and now o have and it’s an amazing book. There are 2 more books that I need to get now. The knot thing that I don’t like about it is the fact you aren’t aloud to create or improve things, I would die if I couldn’t do that. 1000000/10.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Narrator screaming is best I've heard

The story is interesting, fine. I think the most memorable aspect is, however, the passion expressed by the narrator during those moments a character is meant to scream or otherwise engage in communication that conveys maximum emotion with minimal need to render such things into more concrete information.

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2 people found this helpful