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The Crown Tower  By  cover art

The Crown Tower

By: Michael J. Sullivan
Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
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Publisher's summary

Michael J. Sullivan garnered critical raves and a massive readership for his Riyria Revelations series. The first book in his highly anticipated Riyria Chronicles series of prequels, The Crown Tower brings together warrior Hadrian Blackwater with thieving assassin Royce Melborn. The two form a less-than-friendly pairing, but the quest before them has a rare prize indeed, and if they can breach the supposedly impregnable walls of the Crown Tower, their names will be legend.

©2013 Michael J. Sullivan (P)2013 Recorded Books

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What listeners say about The Crown Tower

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    14,143
  • 4 Stars
    2,928
  • 3 Stars
    492
  • 2 Stars
    110
  • 1 Stars
    57
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
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    14,144
  • 4 Stars
    1,781
  • 3 Stars
    299
  • 2 Stars
    48
  • 1 Stars
    26
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    12,866
  • 4 Stars
    2,743
  • 3 Stars
    498
  • 2 Stars
    111
  • 1 Stars
    54

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

I love these guys....

If you could sum up The Crown Tower in three words, what would they be?

Two lost am almost forgotten misfits who do extraordinary things and sometime even for the right reasons!!

What about Tim Gerard Reynolds’s performance did you like?

There are some voice actors who do a good job, there are some who do a great job and then there are the few who do the best job. Gerard is one of those voice actor's who I actually search for before I do the author. I want to see what he has recorded and often buy based on that!

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12 people found this helpful

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

Great read!

If you could sum up The Crown Tower in three words, what would they be?

Nailed it again!

Any additional comments?

Have read all of his books so far and loved them and this one didn't disappoint! Really looking forward to the next book!

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

outstanding!

I can't possibly say enough about this series. I was a little apprehensive about this set of books being a pre-quel to the "Theft of swords" in that maybe it would be another failing trail to string out the original story, but it is wonderful in it's own right. You could read these first and have the story in order or read them after Theft as a background fill in for all the characters and places. This is the most entertaining series that I have read in a very long time.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

First Impressions and first meetings..,

Would you consider the audio edition of The Crown Tower to be better than the print version?

Didn't read the print version.

What other book might you compare The Crown Tower to and why?

DD Barant's Dying Bites. Mainly cause Hadrian is thrown into a completely new situation and meets a person whose reactions and life outlook are so completely alien from his own that coping and communicating are an adventure outside the storyline.

Have you listened to any of Tim Gerard Reynolds’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Riyria Revelations and the characters are the same. Wonderful.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Top 3 of All Time!

Would you listen to The Crown Tower again? Why?

YES. This is one of those classics like The Lord of The Rings that is so well done you will never tire of revisiting these wonderful characters.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Crown Tower?

Listening to how the characters became partners. Hearing how their friendship grew from disdain and misunderstanding to mutual respect and admiration. Their banter is classic!

Have you listened to any of Tim Gerard Reynolds’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes! He has become my favorite narrator! What I believe makes a great narrator is one who can seamlessly and effortlessly change his voice to such recognizable, individual characters. Finding the perfect tone, accent & fluency to match how the author meant the characters to be. He obviously studies the material, knows when change pitch etc. Rather than just reading and not knowing what the next few words will be or what the scene truly is about, as so many average narrators seem to do.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

An incredible story of love, friendship, bravery, all tied into an amazingly thrilling adventure.

Any additional comments?

This is by far one of the best books and best Audible performances I've ever experienced. I have over 240 Audible Book titles and this ranks in the top three! Magnificent story, humorous, thrilling and unpredictable. I couldn't wait to listen every day and hated to have it end. I highly recommend starting with this book in the series and not in the order of when the books were written. This book is the true beginning of the wonderful story.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very good book

If you could sum up The Crown Tower in three words, what would they be?

Very fun story

What did you like best about this story?

The relationship between main characters

What about Tim Gerard Reynolds’s performance did you like?

I thought he did a great job, with the male characters

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4 people found this helpful

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

Dynamite! Best Riyria story yet

Sullivan is an author at the top of his game here. I have enjoyed reading several Riyria Chronicle books, the Crown Tower takes it up a notch.

This story is just so damn fine. Its simple, its not an 'end of the world over the top super human' fantasy novel. Its downplayed. The characters are real. They are well defined. Its almost all character development in fact. And this makes it just soooo good.

There might be a couple of other fantasy authors I would rate as being 'the best' working today. Rothfuss. George RR Martin. Brandon Sanderson... For myself, Michael Sullivan with this story joins this pantheon of greats. Beautiful work.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

FOUR TIMES FOR A FIVE STAR

I have repeated this review for other books in this series, but wanted to include it especially for the first book. I can't get enough of it.
I really can say it all, when I state that I have read this book four times. Also the first book. this happens to be my idea of great entertainment.The Rose and the Thorn, and Heir of Navron, were my least favorites so I only read them twice!! I LOVE the characters, and the narration takes it to my five star experience. It is often quirky when it comes to idiomatic plausibility, but I just chalk it up to daring writing and making the characters have real personality. It would be hard to create the intimacy one feels with the main characters, if we were subjected to the language that would have been appropriate for its' time. It would have distanced us from the engaging nature of Hadrian, and the powerful magnetism of Royce. I really enjoyed this series. !!!!!!!!

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2 people found this helpful

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

Want more!

Only one book left for now. Please Michael hurry and write more after Rose and thorn. Got 12 years of their partnership right?

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1 person 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

Good Mindless Entertainment

Good fun, suspenseful and a good way to take my mind off work and school.

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