S. Heron

lovely prose

Évalué le: 2024-11-16

Others have commented on the inconsistent accent the reader held to. She starts out only using a regional accent when one of the major characters is speaking, but by the end of the book she is letting it creep in in all her words. My only comment would be to pick one or the other.As to the book itself, I felt like the whole novel was to give background to another, as yet unwritten novel. it was slow paced and beautiful, but not an engrossing read

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not that thrilling for. Thriller

Évalué le: 2024-04-12

I think my suspension of disbelief was strained beyond what I could handle. Scientific experiments on children based on no evidence? Familiarization of kids with death with no suggestion of why it was necessary, except to creat a creepy vibe? I have been a research scientist in my day, and this didn't work for me. The villains were obvious and there was nothing really unexpected that happened, except weird stuff that didn't make sense to me. if you can get engrossed in the characters, that might carry you through, but this wasn't my cup of tea. nNo shade on the performances though! Those were professional and enjoyable.

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best true SciFi I have enjoyed in decades

Évalué le: 2023-10-28

I used to be a SciFi junkie. Asimov, Clarke, Bradbury were the tales I read as a teen. Innovative concepts, followed to conclusion. it's been ages since I was inspired by a tale like I am by this one.
Thank you, Audible, for giving me a chance to spend a sleepless night, listening to this and getting mindless projects done. it's been great!

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2 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Complex social experiment

Évalué le: 2023-10-18

This is a thoroughly interesting reading experience, made quite exceptional by the FANTASTIC performance of the narrator. She sets new standards of skill in this one.

This is a book to admire. Women all of a sudden arise with the power to hurt men at will, and the shift from a patriarchy to something else is the subject of this exploration. Well crafted and well performed. Worth paying for.

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Dominating a world through violence and power

Évalué le: 2023-10-18

This is a complex and interesting world, with intriguing, if somewhat simple characters. The story is far sweeping, and leaves many questions that will, presumably, be answered in future novels. That alone is a bit of an issue for me, someone who believes that a story should begin and end in one saleable unit, not require multiple purchases to complete.
This novel also has a focus on physical violence which I found, over time, to be a bit boring. In a text-based book, you can easily skip a few pages, but that isn't as easy with an audiobook and I did find myself letting it run while paying attention to other things, during the many, many descriptions of physical combat between characters.

That being said, I did enjoy the novel, and may invest in future additions to the series, when they come out. There are questions I really do want answered, about the background of the main characters. They reincarnate with their same names and some potential for abilities, but with no memories. Even though they have lived many lives previously, and their previous lives seem very relevant, they are not fleshed out in any meaningful way this early in their story. The "trials" the characters undergo give us teasers, but are literally insights into single events in the characters' pasts, and are only slightly relevant to the storyline unfolding.

The society they live in is very rank/power-based, and most of the story follows the protagonist's singleminded pursuit of power. Which would be tedious if the world he lives in wasn't so fascinating. The author has created an interesting world, full of monsters and power struggles. My favourite is the "Imperial Ghost Toad", who has his own motivations for interacting with the characters.

A thoroughly decent read, but not one that will leave you gasping and wanting to start again from the beginning.

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Seriously decent story, with some depth

Évalué le: 2023-10-18

This novel appears to have started with the idea to create a culture where a BDSM submissive is a rare and valued thing. The main character is a person for whom pain elicits sexual pleasure. It is said many times in the text how this is a supremely rare gift, and how valued it is among the jaded members of the D'Angeline court. I had trouble swallowing this, and her ability to use this skill to manipulate world politics is another stumbling point for me. That aside, the story is compelling, I don't recognize the principal culture described by the author, but she draws in some pretty recognizable ones from European history.
The protagonist starts her adult life as an elite bed slave, and then, through politics, ends up travelling the known world and interacting with many cultures, making a huge impact on the political landscape of several nations. The narrator has a calm and elegant voice, doing a great job of conveying a serenity that isn't perfect for every situation the protagonist finds herself in, but overall is lovely to listen to, and elevates the protagonist in my mind.
Overall, its a great tale, and was engaging, if you buy into the premises I stumbled over - that sexual submission is a quality unique to only one person in three generations, and that her ability to have sex with the elite of several nations could save her nation, and change her world for the better. The sex part is done with a light touch, however, and this makes the story better, IMO. Additionally, there are more tenuous protagonists in many a tale, though, and it is worth the listen.

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Generally not my Genre

Évalué le: 2023-10-18

Perhaps its because it isn't my genre that I find this so refreshing.
The characters each developed in unexpected ways, which made the narrative interesting. The author has a truly elegant way of writing. I am really looking forward to other books. This is one where you wish you could go back and put all your other 5 star reviews to 4's so this stands out.

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Generally not a "crime" genre fan, but...

Évalué le: 2023-08-26

I love the care the author puts into delving into the characters here. This is a well-crafted book, and though I saw where the twist was pretty early on, it was still a joy to listen to it unfold. The author leaves a few things in the air here - the murder that gets the protagonist back from hiatus is still unsolved, and I don't see another book that is addressing this. I am sick of "series" so I am okay with letting this go, as addressing it would be awkward and ruin the flow of the existing narrative.

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Read this one first

Évalué le: 2023-08-26

If you discover this author, you are in for a treat. I didn't start with this book though, and I wish I had. His other books are where he comes into his own, researching the procedures of each discipline his characters use, so stepping back to this less complex foundation was a bit jarring. This one seems a bit fantastical - a doctor that risks his license handing over medical records to a non-family member, then commits a felony for a woman he just met. A sheriff that allies with a member of the press at the first meeting, making a deal to share information for an ongoing relationship. A chance encounter with another runner at a waterfall that results in a friendship where the woman is risking her life for the main character, and men that are so obsessed with a single woman that they risk their futures for her with very little basis. This entire book seems to assume that men are idiots that will throw away their entire lives at a glance from a pretty face. I am not a man, but the author is, so there is that.
Overall it is an engaging story, with rich detail and only a few loose ends. I still don't know the basis for the coverup that was able to influence state level law enforcement. The "protecting reputation" assumption is quite weak. It was an awesome first effort, though, and only falls short when you have already encountered the finely crafted and meticulously researched next novels this writer offers.
I kept checking my phone to see if I had accidentally set my app to "fast". The narrator was a bit quick. Overall, a good job, though.

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Complex parallel world

Évalué le: 2021-01-20

I understand they want to sell more books, but I can't think WHY the alternative Earth, upon seeing the waste that humans made of our world, wouldn't throw away the key that linked the two worlds!

Backstory - there is a link created between two Earths - one where Homo sapiens became the dominant primate, and one where the Neandertals kept that position. Theirs is portrayed as a much more idyllic world. One of their members gets trapped on the Homo sapiens side, and all the predictable things happen - love interest included.

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