The Naming

The First Book of Pellinor

By: Alison Croggon

Narrated by: Eloise Oxer

Maerad is a slave in a desperate and unforgiving settlement, taken there as a child when her family is destroyed in war. She doesn’t yet know she has inherited a powerful gift, one that marks her as a member of the noble School of Pellinor and enables her to see the world as no other can. It is only when she is discovered by Cadvan, one of the great Bards of Lirigon, that her true identity and extraordinary destiny unfold. Now, she and her mysterious teacher must embark on a treacherous, uncertain journey through a time and place where the forces of darkness wield an otherworldly terror.

©2010 Alison Croggon (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Detailed story that holds your attention.

Would you listen to The Naming again? Why?

Not sure if I would reread this book. Maybe. Will know better once I read all the books in the series.

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

Likely the rescue near the start of the heroine of the book.

Which scene was your favorite?

Not sure if it was a scene as much as the richness and depth of the story.

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

Again not really one moment.

Any additional comments?

If you like rich character and world development this is one of those books that draws you in. I enjoyed the book quite a bit and will read further.

Wonderful epic fantasy worth rereadind

The whole thing was perfect. The characters, plot, exposition, story telling, reader, balance, etc.
I was immersed into the story. I’ve listened to this series over and over again and it’s high quality does not fade.
As an aspiring author, I plan to study this.

Good story lackluster performance

I read the book years ago and like it a lot. The story has lost no charm with the telling but at times the performance dialogue is way overdone. All the passages with singing are flatly terrible, hire a story teller who can carry a tune if there is singing involved.

It feels good and bad, just like life

This world is certainly am interesting one. I love the fantasy of this kind of world and I appreciate that the hardships are very difficult. Such is our life too. Maerad is a force to be reckoned with

The Naming, A Random Find

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

No unless you like a slow and British accent. It was hard to understand some of the words that the narrator was saying.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked that this story was original and was very fantasy like.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I liked the enthusiasm of the voice and the slight twang of some of the words. I did not like that there was some words that were changed (for an abridged version of an audiobook).

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

When the main character relived her mother's life and finding her brother after she thought that he died as an infant.

Any additional comments?

This book and audiobook was a random find.

Beautiful classic adventure fantasy!

This is the first book in The Books of Pellinor series, which is a four book series. I absolutely loved this book. It is such a great epic fantasy adventure with a very classic feel to it. I loved the world with the Bards and the classic light vs dark themes here. I definitely plan on continuing with this series!

Maerad is a slave living in an unforgiving settlement who has been taught to sing and play and is very talented at these musical arts. Then one day she discovers Cadvan in the stable and he offers to help her escape slavery. However, as a result Maerad learns her true identity and ends up embroiled in the politics and dangers associated with the great Bards of Lirigon.

I listened to this on audiobook and it was well done. I didn’t like Maerad’s speaking voice, it sounded pinched...but we don’t actually hear Maerad talk a ton since most of the narration is in her head. Aside from that I enjoyed listening to this on audiobook.

This book had such a wonderful classic adventure fantasy feel to it. I enjoyed the complex characters, they are all well done (even the side characters). I also really enjoyed the adventure and all the battles and danger our characters have to fight through. The world-building is amazing and I loved the history of the Bards and the light vs dark theme to the story.

Overall this was an amazing adventure fantasy and I look forward to continuing the series. I would recommend to those who enjoy epic adventure fantasy and detailed world-building.

Better than I expected

The opening historical backstory and the audio length braced me for a long bore in a stream of detailed and foreign-name laced prose. But in fact, the tropes all felt familiar: orphans, lost & foundlings; heroic elements as in mentor, companions, evil lord, journey, and just about anything else Joseph Campbell mentioned; names and creatures from the dark a la Ged of Earthsea. The prose is unencumbered with pretentiousness. Narrator Oxer is very clear. So at a listed 19 hours, this book is easily listened to in less than 9. I feel compelled to know more of Maerad's story. She is a little unsteady on her feet, emotionally, as she lurches from slave to superhero, but she handles the transformational deluge as well as any heroic character should. And her doubts about the way to go are overcome by the knowledge that light is not as evil as dark.

Pleasantly Surprised!

I am not a huge fan of audiobooks. This book is a favorite of mine and I noticed that it was discounted because I own it on Kindle so I said "why not?". I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the book! The Narrarator does a great job. My only "complaint" is that it took me a little while to get used to Maerad's voice as I hoped she would sound closer to her age, but you can get past it easily. Well done!

Epically fantastic!

An epic in fantastic story written in a traditional style for Lord of the Rings fans that is easy to understand. Full of epic wonders and engaging story and characters. I remember reading this the first time years ago and I loved it. Now hearing it as an audiobook reminded me of how much I still love it.

The Best Series I've Read

The Pellinor series is a deeply imagined hero's journey that not only looks to Maerad's growing powers as a Bard, but into the shadow parts of herself as well. The shadow contains the parts of ourselves that we think are bad, or are cut off from us. We tend to ignore them, much to our own peril. Imagine what we could do if we embraced the gifts held within our own shadow?

While the first book is more of "who am I?" journey as Maerad leaves the tyranny of slavery and starts to uncover her own powers while facing the darkness in the world, the second book takes Maerad into a journey through the darkness within herself. As Maerad's powers grow, and unsettle the world around her, so too does a shadow grow on her Light.

The series is a powerful tool for discovering that the balance between the light and dark begins within the self, and that in order to find one's light we must journey through our own darkness. The question is: will Maerad's growing gift save the world, end it, or kill her? And the best part is: she must journey through her own darkness in order to embrace her light. I cannot recommend this series enough. It is my absolute favorite.