The Scar

By: Sergey Dyachenko, Marina Dyachenko, Elinor Huntington - translator

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 15 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Reaching far beyond sword and sorcery, The Scar is a story of two people torn by disaster, their descent into despair, and their re-emergence through love and courage.

Sergey and Marina Dyachenko mix dramatic scenes with romance, action and wit, in a style both direct and lyrical. Written with a sure artistic hand, The Scar is the story of a man driven by his own feverish demons to find redemption and the woman who just might save him. Egert is a brash, confident member of the elite guards and an egotistical philanderer. But after he kills an innocent student in a duel, a mysterious man known as “The Wanderer” challenges Egert and slashes his face with his sword, leaving Egert with a scar that comes to symbolize his cowardice. Unable to end his suffering by his own hand, Egert embarks on an odyssey to undo the curse and the horrible damage he has caused, which can only be repaired by a painful journey down a long and harrowing path.

Plotted with the sureness of Robin Hobb and colored with the haunting and ominous imagination of Michael Moorcock, The Scar tells a story that cannot be forgotten.

©2012 Marina and Sergey Dyachenko (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Rich, vivid, tactile prose, with a solid yet unpredictable plot—and an extraordinary depth and intensity of character reminiscent of the finest Russian literature." (Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review)

Very different science fiction

Enjoyed listening to this up to the very end which was a disappointment. Liked the characters, the setting and the narrator. So, I enjoyed 14 1/2 hours of this 15 hour audible book.

a detailed analysis of fear with a tedious plot

Having just finished, I’m reminded that Russian literature is significantly different than that of the US. This reminder spurs on gratefulness for the priority put on translating works from other languages & countries so that stories are told from perspectives I wouldn’t be able to have unless intentionality is put forth. The Scar is one such work that I greatly benefitted from reading because of the focus on the subject matter of fear. Which is its strongest aspect without doubt. The focus on the analysis of fear on a person, the exploration of cowardice, what it means to overcome crippling anxiety, are all explored in a depth that feels honoring to those who have deep familiarity with them. In this regard, I deeply appreciated the story for following through with this promise to do this from the synopsis.

The Scar can be described in a great many ways. A low fantasy Crime and Punishment examining the depths of fear and redemption. One man’s pursuit to rage and cower against that which he regrets. A very Russian book with intricate detail in the minutiae of suffering. And probably most plainly, a thorough analysis of character struggle through a fairly low-key set of events. These things are fascinating concepts to explore, but to my surprise, they didn’t afford the emotionally evocative character drama I'd hoped for. It was a great character study, but not the gripping narrative that never let go. While The Scar is definitely something I’d recommend to those looking for something edifying (as if read in a classroom or book club setting), it just didn’t satisfy on the journey as much. There is much to appreciate about the narrative, the writing especially, so I don’t want to leave the impression of low quality. This book is one of great value and merit, it simply falls into the category of classic literature that, while insightful, lacks the narrative proficiently to be a personal favorite.

top 10

I have been searching for a decent book since the king killer chronicles and i would put this book up there with those. well written.

Highly enjoyable!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yeah, definitely. As a matter of fact, I already did.What I enjoyed most about this book was it's generous dose of originality. In addition the character development is both drastic and still believable and Jonathan Davis' job as a narrator was excellent. I am looking forward to hearing more both from him and from the authors who I now count as part of my favorites.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Scar?

Egert driving in a coach that is stopped by robbers.

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Davis – was your favorite?

Jonathan Davis did such a good job, it's difficult to say. Egert's change of character is very lifely performed, easy to grasp not only in what he says but also how he says it. But I also liked to Wanderers cold voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not at first. Egert's...well... predicament made me stop more than once in the beginning, feeling too ashamed for Egert to listen on. But I always did listen in the end, and later I didn't stop until well into the night.

Painful Listen

A wealthy, young, military officer uses his position and opportunities to harm others because he enjoys the attention and knows punishment is unlikely. Like most bullies, he goes one step too far, receives justice and is cursed by overwhelming fear.

This book contains hours of graphic cowardice. OK, the man is a groveling, crying, diaper wearing grown man who cannot be pitied. But, it felt unjust to punish me with chapter after chapter on the details of the man’s fears. At one point, I almost deleted the book and moved on.

Now that it’s finally over, I’m glad I had the stamina to listen to the entire book.

When will the story start?

I'm generally a patient reader (or listener) but I've stopped and restarted this book three times and still have only made it half way. It's more of an allegory than a novel, and forgoes real character development in favor of stock characters (the unloving father, the beautiful maiden, the tavern wench, the ink-stained student, the brash city guards) who fit into the author's morality tale. There's nothing subtle about the story and I just don't care anymore about the protagonist's lapse into cowardice and his (I assume) eventual redemption. Boring, boring, boring.

A deeper story then expected.

First of all this is a great listen.

At first I thought this was going to be a typical story about a bad boy warrior who all the girls love and he goes on an epic adventure, which is the type of story I am actually a fan of, but this is not that kind of story. I was surprised by how much the story changed and developed as I listened.

I don’t want to give too much information, but this story becomes a much deeper adventure that involves the struggles of a man learning difficult lessons and fighting his own weakness in order to try to become the man he wants to be. Even though the story gets deep and there is a lot about learning to overcome limitations this is still an action packed adventure. This story has drama, fighting, action, tension, humor and even several types of “love” connections what is not to like!

romantic, character development, action

I loved this book it has all the things I look for in a great story.

Well crafted tale of redemption

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, the character arc for Egert Soll was intriguing and thought provoking. There were times when I marveled at my own emtional responses to his experiences. Impeccable pacing and satisfying conclusion.

Put the effort in, you'll get rewarded

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting aspect of the story is how Edgart deals with his curse and how he overcomes it.

The least interesting is the authors' long winded way of storytelling. Sometimes it seemed like it took forever for something interesting or relevant to happen. All of the action happens in the last quarter of the book.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scenes are when Edgart has a swordfight/confrontation with the "Stranger" and the last few chapters of the book. Edgart's transformation or recovery from his scar is timed well.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This book was hard to listen to all in one sitting. I took breaks, reread some of the reviews, and stuck with it to the end. Many people said that it gets better as the story evolves.

Any additional comments?

The narrator Jonathan Davis was fabulous. He was the reason I stuck with the story, instead of abandoning it. His style of narration made me feel like I was sitting around a campfire listening to the tribal elder or tribal storyteller weave a tale passed down through generations.