Shadowdale

Forgotten Realms: The Avatar, Book 1

By: Scott Ciencin

Narrated by: Nicole Greevy

Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's Summary

An all-new audio version of one of the key titles in the entire Forgotten Realms novel line.

At the time of its original release, this series presented key events that impacted the entire Forgotten Realms world, and the effects of those events are still felt in current novels. This title was originally released under the author's pseudonym, Richard Awlinson.

When the gods are banished from the heavens, they must travel through Faern in the guise of mortals.

When four companions, last survivors of the Company of the Lynx, find themselves in possession of a mysterious amulet, they must escape death at the hand of Bane, god of murder.

When magic itself runs wild, no one can say that the most innocent of spells will not destroy the world.

©1989 TSR, Inc., 2003 Wizards of the Coast LLC (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Do like listening to Siri?

It's unfortunate that the performer for this story sounds like a robot. No emotion and really does sound like Siri or Alexa.

The story is good but you would be better off picking up the actual book.

Middling storyline and uninspired delivery

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend this for readers who want to expand their knowledge of the Forgotten Realms and provide a backdrop for other novels in the universe. I would not recommend it to someone looking to enjoy a standalone book. There is a fair amount of filler. After a somewhat jarring introduction, the plot lags for most of the book.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The latter quarter or so of the story is the most exciting, and I think the ending is well-written and rounds out the plot nicely. Of course, not all ends are tied up, as this is merely the first book in a series.

What three words best describe Nicole Greevy’s performance?

Monotone, bland, and unconvincing. The only characters who I felt Greevy portrayed well were Mystra and Midnight. When voicing male characters, Greevy often sounds as if she is making fun of them.

Do you think Shadowdale needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes, clearly. There is much more to this story arc.

Great book, not so great audiobook

What did you like best about Shadowdale? What did you like least?

The story was good and I enjoyed hearing about the early days of Forgotten Realms gods. But I had a hard time listening to it. The book is written in 3rd person omniscient voice which makes everything very passive and not that engaging a listen. I would rather hear what the characters are doing rather than ABOUT what they are doing.

Would you be willing to try another one of Nicole Greevy’s performances?

I don't think so. While I'm sure she reads well, I found her a bit monotone and her acting was not very good at all. I think an audiobook reader needs some acting ability to make the characters come to life. Hearing her do Bane, the god of fear hatred and tyrrany, made him sound like a whiny teenager.

One of the best FR stories! Worst FR narration!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narrator. seriously. how does she even get jobs?

What did you like best about this story?

Gods made flesh? Elminster of Shadowdale? Stairways to heaven? The fall of Mystra?!?! What more could you want?

How did the narrator detract from the book?

There are not words to describe the horrible job done by this lady.

Could you see Shadowdale being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes, and I have no idea.

Any additional comments?

My cat could narrate this book better.

Amazing!

What made the experience of listening to Shadowdale the most enjoyable?

This is one of my all time favorite series in the Forgotten Realms setting.

What did you like best about this story?

This is the first book in the series. It's a great beginning to an epic adventure.

What does Nicole Greevy bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I'm not sure where Nicole Greevy came from, but she does an amazing job portraying the characters in the book. It was great to hear all of my favorite characters come to life! Great job on finding Nicole Greevy audible! I would listen to more books narrated by her any time!

Any additional comments?

I can't wait to hear the rest of the books in the series!

Keystone event in the realm.

it's a shame that the centerpiece reads like a soap opera. must grrr through these... must continue on. but it is painful.

A trip back in time

What did you love best about Shadowdale?

The simple story with a great cast of characters that takes me back to the first time I read this story.

What other book might you compare Shadowdale to and why?

The other books in the series, Tantras and Waterdeep. It continues the story of the main characters with good development and plot.

Which scene was your favorite?

Cyric talking about his past to Midnight.

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

Not really, I wanted to spread it out and take my time to enjoy it more...

Good start to the series

What made the experience of listening to Shadowdale the most enjoyable?

Story built throughout with an explosive conclusion

What did you like best about this story?

How it fills into the rest of the written Forgotten Realms mythology

Did Nicole Greevy do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Yes, but I'll admit that I had difficulty with her rendition at first - I'm well used to it now.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The opening of character's backgrounds which begin to clue the reader into motivations

Any additional comments?

Because this is the first in the series the start is slow - so slow that I almost stopped the book. I'm glad I gutted through the slower parts.

Epic fantasy as read by an old GPS

I have known this story for almost 25 years and remember it fondly. I was truly hoping the other reviews were overly critical, and in that foolishness I didn't listen to a sample. I really should have, but the truth is that even though the narration is dry, flat, and monotonous,
I'm still kinda glad I bought it because I got this tale back into my life.

I fully expect I'll be suffering through this same plight for the other books in the series, but that is only a testament to how much I want this story refreshed in my mind that the narration is endurable.

Most boring reader

The performance was terrible. I listen while I drive but this lady has no acting ability at all. Just a dull monotone voice that almost puts me to sleep.

Great book though.

Good in short doses

The story itself is interesting. The narrator is otherwise good, but has a tendency to read words like 'while' as 'hwile', which gets irritating in thee long run