Madouc

Lyonesse, Book 3

By: Jack Vance

Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins

Length: 19 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

The World Fantasy Award-winning third volume of the Lyonesse trilogy brings attention to the faerie changeling Madouc. Where princess Suldrun once meekly endured the proprieties of Castle Haidion, Madouc defends herself with rotten fruit. Vexed, King Casmir arranges a contest to marry her off, but Madouc has other ideas, and enlists the stableboy "Sir Pom-pom" on an impromptu quest to find her father. During their travels, they encounter swindlers, faeries, trolls, ogres, a knight in search of his youth, and a relatively pedestrian item known as the Holy Grail. As the sorcerers Shimrod and Murgen investigate portents of cataclysm in the world of magic, Casmir plans a murder that will bring all the lands under his iron rule; however, his ambitions will be complicated by one small but important oversight-he's failed to allow for Madouc!

©1991 Jack Vance (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• 1990 World Fantasy Award, Best Novel

"It's hard to imagine a better performer of a high-fantasy novel such as this than Kevin T. Collins. His voice carries a hint of high-born caste, of chivalry, of faintly stilted dialogue in which every sentence carries multiple subtle meanings." (AudioFile)

“Vance has the narrative force, the willingness to look very coldly at violence and cruelty, to not shy away…. He has an amazing ear and writes a beautiful sentence.” (Michael Chabon)

“(Vance) gives you glimpses of entire worlds with just perfectly turned language. If he’d been born south of the border, he’d be up for a Nobel Prize.” (Dan Simmons)

This should have been a stand alone book.

This was a big disappointment. I loved the first and second book, but this one should have had the beginning and ending cut, and it should have been a stand alone book all about Madouc. I love the character Madouc and she's certaintly worth her own book. As is though, this book really felt like the beginning and the ending were a continuation of the trilogy,, but not so much the middle. Maybe Madouc should have been introduced in the first book like Dhrun was.That would have made the entire series better, but I would still love to read more about Madouc. Madouc's character was made even better by the voice Mr Collins selected for her and the way he just really brought her character to life. I'll be looking for more of Vance's and Kevin T. Collins' works.

One fantasy author to rule them all

Lyonesse is a series I will listen to over and over again. Vance is addictive, his writing style, his stories, his sheer imagination. Also George RR Martin's favourite author.

Don’t Miss Out

Jack Vance is a great writer - a writer’s writer, esteemed by other greats like JRR Martin and Roger Zelazny. What’s more, he’s a master of numerous genres. I believe the Lyoness trilogy is his best work.

And the vocal performance of Vance’s work by Kevin T. Collins is just fabulous. Towards the end of the book I found myself fairly amazed not only by Collins’ ability to come up with distinctive voices but to make them all believable. He’s a phenomenal voice actor.

Excellent ending to a masterpiece trilogy!

Jack Vance always delivers! Great reading and a deserving conclusion to the Lyonesse trilogy.
Follow Dhrun, Aillas and Shimrod one last time, as they are joined by Madouc, the quintessential Vance teenage girl, in an exciting and merry adventure across the magic Elder Isles. As always, beautiful landscapes and absurdly funny dialogs that only the great master could concoct!

A fitting conclusion to the Lyonesse trilogy

If you are reading this and have not already done so, listen to Jack Vance's Planet of Adventure. My only regret for this book is that I am closing in on fewer and fewer works of Jack Vance to listen to.

Classic fantasy

Would you listen to Madouc again? Why?

Yes. It is a complex story with many threads. The characters are interesting and the background the story is set against holds your interest. It is a lead in to Jack Vance's other works.

What other book might you compare Madouc to and why?

It is similar to the others in the "Lyonesse" series and most of his other work. If you like Jack Vance - you will like this. It is a bit more complex than some of his "straight" Science fiction work.

Have you listened to any of Kevin T. Collins’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but he is a competent performer.

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

No, but it really kept my interest.

Any additional comments?

Recommenced for anyone who likes fantasy - Jack Vance laid the foundations for many of today's authors. A warning though, as with many fantasy novels, you will need to keep track of the various sub-plots and individuals who pop up during the story.

A must read

If you read the first two, don't stop there. This is just as good and even a bit more fast paced as the first two. You'll long for more.

A masterpiece of high fantasy

This is the conclusion to the Lyonesse trilogy and every bit as good as the first two books. Jack Vance creates a beautifully drawn land and peoples it with engaging, eccentric, and sometimes sinister characters. The story is well paced and the plot is intricately woven without being obscure. Highly recommended.