Through Fiery Trials

Safehold, Book 10

By: David Weber

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 32 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

With new alliances forged and old regimes fractured, Merlin—the cybernetic avatar of Earth's last survivor and immortal beacon to humanity—and the colonies of Safehold have many adventures ahead in Through Fiery Trials, the continuation of David Weber's New York Times bestselling military science fiction series.

Those on the side of progressing humanity through advanced technology have finally triumphed over their oppressors. The unholy war between the small but mighty island realm of Charis and the radical, luddite Church of God's Awaiting has come to an end.

However, even though a provisional veil of peace has fallen over human colonies, the quiet will not last. For Safehold is a broken world, and as international alliances shift and Charis charges on with its precarious mission of global industrialization, the shifting plates of the new world order are bound to clash.

Yet, an uncertain future isn't the only danger Safehold faces. Long-thought buried secrets and prophetic promises come to light, proving time is a merciless warden who never forgets.

“Vast, complex, intricate, subtle, and unlaydownable....The biggest thing in science fiction since Isaac Asimov's Foundation series.” — Dave Duncan on the Safehold series

Safehold Series
1. Off Armageddon Reef
2. By Schism Rent Asunder
3. By Heresies Distressed
4. A Mighty Fortress
5. How Firm A Foundation
6. Midst Toil and Tribulation
7. Like A Mighty Army
8. Hell's Foundations Quiver
9. At the Sign of Triumph
10. Through Fiery Trials

©2018 David Weber (P)2019 Macmillan Audio

I miss Oliver Wyman

While I enjoyed the story, every time Davis misprounced the words "Terran" and "Tellesberg", or was inconsistent with the accents of various characters, I wanted to throttle him. This series has had 5 different narrators by now and while I remember the egregious mistake Wyman did on the previous novel, he still managed to maintain a high degree of consistency in his performance. And Davis' performance bothered me enough to consider returning the audio book and just get an electronic copy. His voice was however as pleasant as others and wasn't as droning and sleep inducing as the narrator for the 5th novel so I hope he talks to the author about pronunciation and accents if he stays on for the next book.

Turons of Tellsburg -J Davis' Fiery Trial

After Kevin T. Collins butchered every key pronunciation Midst Toil & Tribulation; I had to ponder if it was possible to do worse. Well, it is possible.

I don't understand it, Mr. Weber. Is it Mcmillan Audio that sticks you with a narrator like Collins or Davis? Is it ARROGANCE or IGNORANCE that gives us performances like these?

How hard would it be to insist a narrator listen to enough of Oliver Wyman's 5 narrations, Jason Culps 2, or even Charles Keating?
Collins was the worst up until now:
Nimue was NIM U AY
Merlin was Athraws not Ath thraw es.

Now Davis has Tell is burg as Tells burg and
Terran becomes TUR-ON :
Both of these say PIE KA instead of Peeca

I am a confirmed SAFEHOLD addict. I have the entire audio set on my FIRE tablet and the set has played through prior to every new release. I figure I've listened to most of the series 8 or 9 times. I truly enjoy and appreciate these incredibly dense and detailed works of art.

OLIVER WYMAN IS GREAT - Jason Culp is very fine - Charles Keating was not a problem - but hearing Collins and now Davis butcher key pronunciations is like fingernails on a blackboard.

I noticed Weber's note in my Honorverse Series concerning the pronunciations where he took the blame. I wonder how Weber or McMillian can put up with narrators who can't take the time to learn how to pronounce Narman, Charleyann, Nimue, Athrawes, Terran and Tellisburg?
Davis really butchers Twerio - PICA Nimue's chosen last name. THIS IS EMBARRASSING :oops:
I am certain I would not wish to offend Safehold audio listeners with butchered pronunciations. I cannot imagine the mindset of Collins or Davis. Is it arrogance or ignorance - The Wyman and Culp pronunciations are available in 7 40 hour novels. How hard would it be to get it right?

Who sits down to read a new addition to an established series without knowing how to pronounce the KEY NAMES?
THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS INATTITION TO DETAIL Weber's work is too good to be butchered like this.

Can someone explain to Jonathan Davis

How to pronounce Terran. After hearing his pronunciation the 1st time i couldn't work out what Teran federation he was talking about .... apart from that - pretty good, coming from a fan though.

Another winner!

I love the way this book brings the characters' personal stories forward in time, as well as continuing to develop Safehold's industrial revolution.
The narrator has a pleasant voice and reads well; HOWEVER, he doesn't seem to know that "Terran" is pronounced "TER-ren", NOT "Ter-RUN."

Might be the best book (so far) in the series.

I have been engaged with the drama of humanity's last bastion from the beginning.

The explanation of scientific progress, told as a gripping story, left me smarter without even trying. Just holding on and enjoying the ride.

Here we get that same educational entertainment with a new emphasis, later in the book, on the science of economics. And while that is certainly interesting and, again, left me smarter, or at least better educated, it didn't make me want to five star this entry. What did is the deeper dive into the human stories.

Over the course of the series the characters came to life in my imagination - living, loving, trusting, hurting, growing - they became more solid and the story more personal.

In this book, the main themes continue, but the heartfelt human character studies and the examination and evolution of those, take the spotlight.

"Moments" is a storytelling style, set on an intimate stage, where some things are happening to push a person to think, grow, or change.

If you like "moments" in your art and entertainment then you may also enjoy this entry in an epic series.

A lot of fiddly bits

This book isn't exciting and full of small details. what I hoped for in this book was a quick update from the last book to the time of the archangel return and than the main story. He didn't return until the very end of the book. I love the Safehold series, I've listened to it at least 4 times. I will not listen to this book again. I didn't like the Narrate either,

Terrible narration- please bring back Oliver Wyman

I have listened to this series 4 or 5 times, each time a new book comes out. I drive truck, and this series helps the miles to fly by. This narrator is terrible. Mispronounced many things, places, and people. But my biggest complaint with his narration was the volume difference. One chapter would be almost whispered, causing me to turn the volume way up, then the next chapter was almost shouting at me. Continously having to readjust volume. If the next book is narrated by Jonathan davis, I may have to decline purchase. Please bring back Oliver Wyman!

Narrator change!

Be aware of the change of narrator so I highly recommend you do not listen to this back to back with the previous books. I spent the first third of the book annoyed, however, by the end I was used to him and all was well. The story in this book is very good but not as compelling as the others. There are significantly fewer combat sequences which I liked but you may not. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series but don’t expect it for two years or more.

Another new narator. Getting old.

While I like the Safehold series, I have never enjoyed the series as much as I did the Honor Herrington series. David Weber is known for his detailed world-building and this book is chocked full of new details and with the introduction of a bunch of new characters and intrigues.

I get the feeling that the 10th book in the Safehold series, now that the Jihad is over, was written as a transitional shift between major storylines. Some people die, some get married, but not too much happens to move the plot forward. While I love the central characters and the story, I found this book slow, with an imbalance of action to conspiracy, and way too much politics and graft.

Mr. Weber has a nasty habit of referring to characters by title in one section, and then by name in a subsequent section. When combined with the hundreds of locations on the Safehold world, I find I am always searching for a map or reference text to figure out where we are. Lastly, this book and involves the 5th different narrator across the 10-book series. I really do not understand why this is occurring, but it is very frustrating.

Good Book, Horrible Narrator.

The Narrator didn't bother learning how to properly pronounce a single proper noun. For a series on its 10th book that is extremely unprofessional. In addition, he cannot even pronounce Terran properly. A word so commonly used in Sci-Fi that it has to be deliberate as there is literally no way he has not heard it.

Jonathan Davis is a disappointment in every way I can think of and I will dodge books read by him from now on.