The Jewel and Her Lapidary

By: Fran Wilde

Narrated by: Mahvesh Murad

The kingdom in the Valley has long sheltered under the protection of its Jewels and Lapidaries, the people bound to singing gemstones with the power to reshape hills, move rivers, and warp minds. That power has kept the peace and tranquility, and the kingdom has flourished.

Jewel Lin and her Lapidary Sima may be the last to enjoy that peace.

The Jeweled Court has been betrayed. As screaming raiders sweep down from the mountains, and Lapidary servants shatter under the pressure, the last princess of the Valley will have to summon up a strength she’s never known. If she can assume her royal dignity, and if Sima can master the most dangerous gemstone in the land, they may be able to survive.

PRAISE FOR THE JEWEL AND HER LAPIDARY AND FRAN WILDE
“The Jewel and Her Lapidary is a splendid tale of courage and transformation in a world as exquisite as Wilde's prose. You will be utterly entranced.”
-- Ken Liu, Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award winner and author of The Grace of Kings

“Extraordinary world-building and cascading levels of intrigue make Wilde’s debut fantasy novel soar.”
--Publishers Weekly on Updraft

Audio issues

Fascinating world concept, well written. The narrator has a lively voice, unfortunately the editing of this audiobook was flawed and there are many repeated lines and glitches, which frequently interrupted the flow of the story. Maybe pass on the audio and read this one on paper if you can.

Serious technical issues with the audio

The audio file is in desperate need of editing. There are repeated sentences and background noises that constantly pull me out of the story. I like the world and what is set up here, but listening to this is a bit painful.

Story Good - Editing Bad

There were several instances where sentences that were said twice with different intonations were left in. It was confusing and distracted from the plot.

Great story, bad audio editing

I listened to this audiobook in one go today, Completely entranced by the characters and the story. The plot is simple, but there are so many layers to the conflicts, family dynamics, honor, duty, and leadership that it's easy to get drawn in and emotionally enmeshed. It's great stuff and exactly what I expect from Fran Wilde.

The problem was the poor audio editing. As in, none at all. The narrator was the perfect voice for the book, but none of her second takes were edited out. She would read a line, then a pause, then the same line with different intonation. This was happening with increasing frequency so much so that there were several instances with two flubbed lines in a row. THIS IS NOT THE NARRATOR'S FAULT. Apparently the publisher didn't want to spend money on getting it edited by a halfway competent audio engineer. Do better.

Serious technical issues with the audio

There are multiple glitches in the audio, including an entire missing chapter right at the climax!