The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches

By: Robert Stanek

Narrated by: uncredited

Length: 5 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

After the Great War that divided the peoples, the kingdoms of men plunged into a Dark Age that lasted 500 years. To heal the lands and restore the light, the great kings decreed that magic and all that is magical, be it creature, man, or device, shall be cleansed to dust. The cleansing raged for so long that no human could recall a time without it and it is in this time that the Dark Lord Sathar returned from the dark beyond. The one hope of the peoples of Ruin Mist was Queen Mother, the elf queen of old. She saw a way out of everlasting darkness, a path that required the union of the divided peoples. And so it began.

Listen to more books in The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches series.

©2002 Robert Stanek (P)2005 Reagent Press

Critic reviews

"[A] complex tale...sure to attract fans of graphic novels and classic Tolkien alike....Stanek will likely draw a cult following....This cliffhanger guarantees fans, and those fans will be ready to wield their swords against the Dark Lord in Stanek's next installment." (Voice of Youth Advocates)

Could have used a better editor

Yes this is the Great Fantasy Novel That Almost Could. Good characters, engaging ideas --only one problem. The author and his editors "tell" the action instead of "showing" the emotion. Characters are forever twisting about ANGRILY, stomping off into stereotypes, reacting like 3rd rate actors and it really detracts from the story, which is otherwise quite good. I thought this was a good first effort, not really knowing the author, but I was sadly mistaken, the second book is similar to the first, holding out a promise that is mostly fulfilled. I'm moving off in search of a better author -- i.e. there is a reason this book is half off folks.

Horrible Narration, detail missing

After coming off of writers like Jordan and Tolkien i guess i have high expectations. This book provides no detail, or not enough detail or background on any part or person of the story. The narration is equally terrible, the narrator either chooses not to recognize the punctuation or simply doesnt know how to speak it. There's no break between sentences. I cant figure out why others love this book and narration so much. I would skip this and find another fantasy novel to read.

I gave this 2 stars due to the fact that i bought all four books in the series at the same time based on the ratings, I have now suffered through 3 of them. By the third installment the story does begin to become a little more clear and some of the details that should have been in book 1 start to emerge, but the journey is not worth the reward in my opinion.

Not great

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

The story was very hard to follow. The accent and recording quality made it harder still. I am very disappointed I downloaded book 1 and 2 because we won't finish book 1 and there is no chance my kids will want to listen to book 2.

ZZZZZzzzzzz

I've been trying to get through this audiobook now for about a month. The problems are many: First of all, the narrator has a haughty, British accent that isn't very "welcoming" (to my ears, anyway). Secondly, the plot is predictable and rather silly, so if you're a fantasy fan you'll find yourself groaning at the overuse of certain fantasy cliches. The characters are two dimensional and not very interesting. I don't plan to read book 2.

Bad Narration & Character Development

I have to agree with most of the reviews here. I love fantasy and audiobooks and in the two years I have suscribed to Audible, this book is the first big turnoff for me. What I really like about Fantasy is the created mythology of the characters, races, and cultures and most authors spend some time giving the reader this background so that they can better understand what is going on. In "Reaches" the author from page one delves right into the middle of at least 3 vastly different characters stories without telling me if they are men, elves, nomes or what.
The fact the the reader is so fast does not help me to absorb what is going on. For example, in any given "chapter" there will be at least 2 or 3 different character plots that are told. I am sure that if I read the book, I would see a large space in between when one plot ends and another begins. The reader however just continues as if one sentence is ending and another beginning, with little or no indicating pause. It is not until about a minute in that I figure out that another plot has begun. Also, as someone else wrote, I just do not find his voice inviting. I am now listening to the book only to finish it, and think I'll listen to a biography next just to get away from fantasy for a while.
I think "Reaches" is a better read than listen. It is very dense, and I think it would be easier to reread passages, rather than rewind.

So far, so good

Imagine if you got halfway through the Hobbit and were told that you need to buy book 2. I have enjoyed this book so far, and several events have happened, but it's not a book. Only half a book. Enjoyable, but not enough.

Not Impressed

I've just re-read all the reviews, now that I've finished the first two books for myself, and I am mystified by all the glowing reports. I am a long-time fantasy and sci-fi fan, but this just didn't grab me. I found the characters flat and unengaging. The events were hard to follow, and unfold more as after-the-fact "this is what's been going on" rather than taking you along to discover them for yourself. There was no sitting on edge of your seat awaiting the next revelation-- it was more like riding in the back seat asking "are we there yet?"

Maybe it is more appealing to young readers-- I am an adult, I listened to this as a possible title to hand down to my daughter. If you choose to ignore my minority opinion and listen anyway, I do recommend you go ahead and get the second at the same time, as this first one stops more than ends. You might as well subject yourself both and at least get some closure. I only happened to have both becuase they were part of the summer sale and had such wonderful reviews. I understand there are third and fourth books, but I won't be bothering with them.

An audiobook is supposed to be about the audio

I chose this audiobook based on the glowing reviews. It's hard to comment on the story itself--eight chapters into the book, I still have a hard time figuring out what is going on. This is some of the poorest narration I've ever heard in an audiobook. The narrator has little inflection, reads at a breakneck pace, and leaves no pauses between sentences, paragraphs, and whole sections. I often find myself trying to absorb one section, only to realize that the narrator has moved on to a different scene and different set of characters with no break in cadence.

Especially in a fantasy novel with unfamiliar character names and geography, this sloppy diction leaves the story in a confusing muddle. For that reason, I find the narrative and characters completely unengaging; perhaps I would feel differently reading the print version.

slow down

I was unable to finish this book do to the fast pace of the narrator. I felt like I was listening to a child read without pause.

Is Audible's review system being gamed here?

Or are all the 5-star reviewers for this book on crack? Seriously, there is no objective way that anyone can claim that this is worthy of 5-stars, unless you're scoring on a 10-star system. Even accounting for differing tastes, a 5 hour story that has just two plot points, has horrible narration (is the guy TRYING to impersonate Will Farrell cheesing it up?), and that just DEAD STOPS is not worth 5-stars.

Seriously, if someone had asked me how this book was 10 seconds before I heard the "story continues in book 2" bit, I would have said that it's been a slow start but that it looks like it is just starting to pick up. I actually went back to my library to confirm that "Book" 1 has only one part.

I can maybe see if some of the reviewers have never before been exposed to the concept of fiction, but if you've ever read a fantasy book before in your life, you will be DISAPPOINTED by this audiobook selection. If you enjoy plot or dialog, look elsewhere. I agree with others that one's money/book credits are much better spent on Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin, or damn near anyone else than this audiobook.

The only reason I gave it two stars instead of one is that it might be the start of a decent book. But considering that I will have had to pay at least two book credits (or $40) just to have the possibility of reading a complete book that isn't really that great to begin with, I am definitely passing on the rest of these. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Shame on you , RP Audio!