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The Sandman: Act II  By  cover art

The Sandman: Act II

By: Neil Gaiman,Dirk Maggs
Narrated by: Neil Gaiman,James McAvoy,Emma Corrin,Brian Cox,Kat Dennings,John Lithgow,Bill Nighy
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Some of our favorite moments from The Sandman: Act II

Welcome to the Garden of Destiny
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Destiny calls Death to a family meeting
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The demon Azazel makes his case
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Emperor Augustus on the power of ‘true dreams’
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Thessaly tells the neighbors where George is
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King Haroun al Raschid summons Morpheus
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  • The Sandman: Act II
  • Welcome to the Garden of Destiny
  • The Sandman: Act II
  • Destiny calls Death to a family meeting
  • The Sandman: Act II
  • The demon Azazel makes his case
  • The Sandman: Act II
  • Emperor Augustus on the power of ‘true dreams’
  • The Sandman: Act II
  • Thessaly tells the neighbors where George is
  • The Sandman: Act II
  • King Haroun al Raschid summons Morpheus
Listen to The Sandman: Act 2 absolutely free | No trial or credit card information necessary
An Audible Original series by Neil Gaimain
Featuring

Featured Article: An Essential Guide to the Characters of The Sandman Universe


Nerds of the world, rejoice: It has been a great year for awesome news about older favorite books and comics! Looking for a refresher on the major players in The Sandman? Maybe you're new to the Sandman comics, or maybe—gasp!—you've never even heard of them. Read ahead for details on Neil Gaiman's Sandman, the important characters in the series, and what to expect from the Netflix series. Be prepared: the article ahead may contain some spoilers.

The Sandman: Act II Official Trailer

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What listeners say about The Sandman: Act II

Average Customer Ratings
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

A real review after having fully read this book

This book started with a bang. Unfortunately, it didn't last. The main story ended less than a 1/3 of the way in, leaving me dissatisfied, confused, and asking a lot of questions. What follows is a collection of unconnected short stories which may or may not feature Morpheus. The short stories are very entertaining for the most part but they never again pick up the thread of the main story. By the end of this book, I was wishing it would hurry up and end.
The first book was 100 times better. I wouldn't recommend this Act 2, but I wouldn't discourage reading it either. I'm disappointed.
The performances were very good and it was a treat to hear some of my favorite voice actors.

116 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Bazinga

The Sandman: Act II is a phenomenal production. Neil Gaiman and Dirk Maggs have created another masterpiece. The first thing I noticed was the transition music was not as obnoxious as the first Act. The overall story was not as good as Act 1 but still worth a listen based on solid performances by all involved. The narration performances were all excellent. Put on some headphones and get immersed in the story. This is worth the price of admission.

Disclaimer: My enjoyment of the narrator is based on my listening speed. I only leave 5 stars for books I've listened to or will listen to multiple times. I'll update my review if I listen again.

46 people found this helpful

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As Above, So Below…. Another Masterpiece.

I tore through act one in a few days in preparation for this release. I’ve been listening since it was available and I am not disappointed. The acting remains superb and Neil’s narration is a work of beauty and true artistry. His voice weaves a spell that the listener never wants to be free of.

I think next time I listen I will follow along in the comics, which necessitates that I pull them out of storage. A worthwhile endeavor to be sure.

It is awesome to have an aural track to put to the visuals and I can listen to this with or without the accompaniment of a real world visual. The pictures painted in my mind by this cast are vibrant and unmistakably Gaiman-esque in their depraved gorgeousness.

I can’t wait for act three.

42 people found this helpful

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Half full of short stories that drag on.

The first part focusing on The Dream Lord was fantastic, once again. Dealings with demons, and the Endless have such potential. However, there are several short stories that are just plain boring, and drag on. It was a real struggle to listen to the last 2-3 hours.

38 people found this helpful

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Another epic audio production

Yesterday morning found me eagerly awaiting the release of act two of the Sandman saga. Exquisitely written and adapted for Audible by award-winning creatives Neil Gaiman and Dirk Maggs, this is the highly anticipated continuation of last year’s Audible original.
Another epic adventure witch will appeal to those fascinated by comics, superheroes, fantastic creatures and exotic stories. I can confirm that I love it as much as I did Act 1.

Intense action, captivating characters, the authors' rich imagination and superb audio production. Add to that the talented cast of actors returning for part two and you will realize that this is definitely a must buy four fans of the series.

Just grab your headphones, close your eyes and discover a completely immersive narrative experience brought to life beautifully by award-winning voiceover artists. Enjoy the elevated and enriched authenticity thanks to high quality music and sound effects. It’s a treat from the first second to the last. I can’t wait for act 3 to be available, hopefully next year.

I hope you found this short review helpful, take care, stay safe and don’t forget, always listen with your heart!

34 people found this helpful

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Great Production with Tepid Stories

The cast and production of the Sandman books are top-notch and probably the best I've ever heard. The actors, sound effects, and the quality of the editing make the book. Unfortunately the main Sandman storyline was a bit weak at best. There just wasn't much suspension, action, or drama. And it ended quite anti-climatically. The chapter "A Game of You" following Barbie was dull to the point that I struggled to get through it without quitting the book altogether. The other short stories were mixed with one or two being slightly entertaining and one or two had me questioning why the were included at all.

The possible potential for all of the mischief and machinations of the gods, demons, and the Endless was there, but the author didn't make much use of it, if any at all. Morpheus (the Sandman) was mostly insipid and bland with only a bit of interest or emotion. Lucifer, the main antagonist, was equally uninteresting and mostly absent. John Lithgow's Emperor Joshua was a bit more interesting and Cain was able to add a very small bit of unpredictability, but overall, the stories were basically disjointed and boring, without the substance and suspense that drives you to want more.

28 people found this helpful

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Great performances, dull stories

Let me start by saying the first book is one of my all time favorite stories. I'm also a Neil Gaiman fan generally. The performances and production of this book were stunning - it was aurally beautiful.

The stories were, however, incredibly disjointed. That is not necessarily a bad thing. A series of short stories can still be plenty entertaining. But these individual stories weren't all that entertaining. I mean, we got about 3 or 4 hours just of Barbie exploring her own dreams... if they cut her story in half it could've still been entertaining without getting boring. It honestly felt like they were trying to fill for time.

20 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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High Quality Woke-scolding that's extremely boring

I like the first iteration a great deal. McAvoy is a great voice actor and the sound production value even in the second season is top notch. Unfortunately the story is just downright boring. Completely boring, even with a VERY dramatic buildup! Loaded with woke virtue signaling, packed to the brim with misandry... it simply falls quite short of being worth the money.
A huge and unfortunate disappointment that you'll mostly sleep through.

20 people found this helpful

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This book in the series or acts, drags.

It drags on or drones, the first one was far better, this book doesn’t have the same feel. It’s a bunch of nonsense stories just jumbled all together.. hopefully if there’s a next book it’s better.

19 people found this helpful

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As good as act 1, and better.

A worthy follow-up to the first one. I hope to hear more comics adapted to this format in future. All cast members return, I believe, some I recognize, while others I don't. Excellent score, sound design, and more.

18 people found this helpful

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  • Jakki B.
  • 09-30-21

Enjoyable but not sandman 1

I still enjoyed listening as the performances of the characters are great but the stories are nowhere near as good as part 1. I would have stopped listening if it wasn’t for the fact that it is really well made and I was just waiting for it to pick up again but it never seemed to really get going for me. I won’t listen again but I will listen to part one again and I will buy part 3 when it comes out.

25 people found this helpful

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  • Naqvi
  • 09-27-21

Obsessed!

I’m seriously obsessed with the Sandman, and act was even better than I expected. Season of Mists was so good, I love Michael sheen as Lucifer and really want to know what he’s doing now.
I really enjoyed the muslim viewpoint of Morpheus, it felt really great to see how different faiths view the dream lord.
And I cannot write a review without mentioning the chapter with Orpheus and his amazing singing and I actually felt like crying. It was so beautiful. I really hope we get a father-son reunion!

Seriously I am obsessed with the Sandman now and the whole cast!

17 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Rachel
  • 09-25-21

Absolutely enchanting

Absolutely loved this audio book. The performance matches the amazing wit and orginality of Neil Gaimen's work.

The stories that intertwined around the Dream Lord are sad, joyful and everything inbetween. The song of Orpheus, left me contemplative and I listened to it numerous times.

I throughly recommend this audio book

15 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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  • Georgia
  • 10-06-21

Unnecessarily gruesome, not a patch on Act 1!

Seriously, this second act is nothing but over-indulgent gore. The story and plot line are thin, heavily veiled with gruesome and explicit portrayals of torture and mutilation. I absolutely loved the first Act and was so excited when I pre-ordered the second Act. I managed the first hour then had to give up. It is just not enjoyable, the graphic images it puts in your head - it made me feel quite sick. I love a good horror story but this is a poor excuse at anything other than shock tactics. I kept waiting for the story to pick up, hoping it was going somewhere more interesting than just gratuitous gore, sadly it didn’t seem to be going anywhere other than from one gross scene to the next sickening scene. Such a waste of opportunity. If this is what the original novels are like then count me out. Disappointing and disgusting tbh.

14 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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  • Paul
  • 10-08-21

Act 1 superb….ACT 2….WTF!

ACT 2 - Couldn’t be more confusing if they tried…. Took effort to listen to all the way through.

9 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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  • Kindle Customer
  • 10-07-21

It's ok

Not as good as the first one, infact the first half is good but then it just depends into something I could barely listen too. I would wait until its free (included) the listen to this.

7 people found this helpful

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  • Anonymous User
  • 09-27-21

Excellent

A breath of fresh air, humerus, well worth the credit. A must listen to, can't wait to act 3.

7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Amazon Customer
  • 09-24-21

amazing, enthralling, exciting!!

listened to this in 2 days! great production, totally bereft now that I've finished!

7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • David Townend
  • 09-24-21

OUTSTANDING!!

One of the best audiobooks I've ever enjoyed. Masterful acting from the cast and amazing story. Just as good as the first book.

6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Amazon Customer
  • 09-24-21

😍 very wonderful!

I have already left a review, halfway through this. It says something that I couldn't wait for the end to say how much I love this. Can't wait for the next part, heartbreak and all!

6 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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  • Dave
  • 09-27-21

shorty storys not a full book

I hoped for a complete book but instead this is a collection of short stories. I enjoyed the first part but it ended and then the short stories began. Personally I prefer a book, a complete book with a story arc. Not being introduced to characters and where they live just for it to end a few minutes later.

15 people found this helpful

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  • Anonymous User
  • 10-04-21

Good follow up but more central story preferred

This is a good follow up to the first Sandman audio book which is definitely one on the best ones I've listened to yet, Act 2 has an excellent cast, orchestration etc, but after finishing it and throughout the 2nd half, I just kept thinking that I wanted to hear more Morpheus centered stories rather than ones where he pops for a few minutes throughout. That being said, the stories themselves are fantastic, but I just wish there was more time given to the central plot of morpheus and whatever he is up to. In short, I would recommend this definitely, but this feels closer to an anthology of stories than a novel with a clear through line.

(Note the 1st sandman also used separate stories, but they always felt as if they connected to the overall plot whereas Act 2's stories feel more that Gaiman wanted to write specific unrelated stories then wove them into the lore, not the other way round).

3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Phoebe
  • 10-07-21

Overall very gruesome and enjoyable.

The only criticism I can make is in some of the accents. U.K actors voice the swedish, japanese & egyptian gods to poor effect. Thor is Scottish. It makes no sense that a production of this size & budget couldn't choose actors actually of those nationalities who would bring more credibility and context.

2 people found this helpful

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  • Kara Montgomery
  • 10-01-21

Love love love

Great stories, excellent readers please can there be another act 🙏 it made the hours at work much more exciting 💖

2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Kiyanna
  • 11-09-21

The best

This is one of the best audio performances I've listened to. Interesting and riveting

1 person found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Anonymous User
  • 11-06-21

What the F did I just listen to?

Good personal performances but the storyline was just horrendous. I had a lot more expectations for this book after the first one cos let's face it, the first one wasn't great.

1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Anonymous User
  • 09-28-21

Brilliant

Got a little weird in the middle with all the squelch and blood noises TW, but over all was great !

1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Leonardo pouyanfar
  • 03-08-23

GREAT

I enjoyed listening to this audio book but it wasn't as good as first one.

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Amanda Smith
  • 03-03-23

No disappointment with second act

Love the first act enjoyed this just as much even though more shorter tales but just as good for me.great ferfomances👍👏 would recommend to anybody over 18

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  • Gregorio
  • 02-28-23

Enchanting

Different stories, scenes, settings and characters, treated individually but at the same time, all intertwined with the “Dreaming”, loved it