The Spirit Ring

By: Lois McMaster Bujold

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

In an alternate Renaissance Italy where the church regulates magic and licenses magicians, fiery Fiametta Beneforte wants to be more than her goldsmith-mage father's unpaid apprentice. But when the Duchy of Montefoglia is laid under military and magical siege, she unexpectedly must join with Thur Ochs, a young Swiss miner and foundryman, to tap their skills in both metalwork and necromancy to rescue her father's soul and combat an evil sorcerer.

©2019 Lois McMaster Bujold (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Very nice book

The narrator has a quite strong American accent. However, after you get used to it everything is excellent and the narration is very good and clear.

An engrossing story read by a skilled narrator

Renaissance-era Italy reimagined to include magic, both light and dark. A well-told story that I just didn't want to stop reading!

Note about the narrator: While his style may not be to everyone's taste, I found him quite competent and I enjoyed this listen. Unsure if you'll like it? That's what the sample is for. But, as to those who abject because he is the same narrator as the Vorkosigan Saga (a vastly different story to this one), I can only wonder why. After all, they were written by the same author. Why not be read by the same narrator? I choose to see it as a positive thing, artistic diversity from both the author and the narrator.

not a bad one shot story

was written pretty well. the concept is pretty cool. some parts do seem a bit rushed but it still fits well into the happenings of the story.

I couldn't continue

I'd only started the book...maybe a couple chapters in...did not finish. This narration is just not for me personally. The story sounds like it has promise and it's a genre I enjoy so I will look into purchasing the physical book.

It was really hard to connect with the characters.

After experiencing the vivid characters in the Miles Vorkosigan series, I found the characters in the story fairly flat and lifeless. I did manage to finish the story, but I wouldn’t be interested in reading anything more in this storyline.