magic – Page 27

Review of Stonefather by Orson Scott Card

Wednesday, January 28, 2009Sunday, October 4, 2009 Scott D.

SFFaudio Review

Stonefather
By Orson Scott Card; Read by Emily Janice Card
Audible Download – 3 hours – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Published: 2008
Themes: / Fantasy / Magic / Nature / Politics / Youth /

Runnel is nothing special. He was never good at anything nor exceptionally bad at anything, just plain ordinary. He is frequently beat by a just as frequently angry father. He lives in a house with more than a dozen children. “Runnel” is a water name, which he was given out of piety to the god Yegut. Even though he has a water name, the only thing that Runnel is better than the other children at is rock climbing. He can find footholds and crevices where other children can’t.

As Runnel approaches his “man height” the other kids begin playing mean jokes on him. During one of these jokes Runnel finds himself on the top of a mountain all alone looking at a road heading to Mitherhome, the city of water mages. He decides to leave and starts to walk towards Mitherhome which is an island surrounded by a deep gorge in the land. He walks to the town of Hetterfairy, the only way to get to Mitherhome. Here he meets a servant named Lark who becomes his first friend. Runnel persuades her to take him to her masters house where he gets a job and discovers something amazing about himself.

This book is written by Orson Scott Card and is read by his daughter Emily Janice Card. Orson Scott Card is the famous award-winning author of the Ender series, Bean Series, and the Earthfall Series. “Stonefather” is a story set in a series he is writing, an introduction you might say.

Emily Janice Card read this book amazingly. This is the first audio book that I have heard that she has read and I was pretty surprised. She is not the best reader in the world but she is very very good. I could see the same voice in all the characters but this did not distract me from the story.

Card’s clever use of words had me from the beginning as all of his books do. I could tell each character not only from their voice but from their style of words. Some had very similar styles but there was always a little tweak in it that I could see and it made it all the better. I dislike books in which I can not tell who is speaking.

Posted by DanielsonKid (Age 14)

Review of Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

Tuesday, December 2, 2008Tuesday, December 2, 2008 Scott D.

SFFaudio Review

Elantris
By Brandon Sanderson; Read by Jack Garrett
24 CDs – 27.5 hours – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Recorded Books
Published: 2008
ISBN: 9781436155977
Themes: / Fantasy / Epic Fantasy / Magic / Curse /

Ten years ago, the magic city of Elantris failed. What had once made the Elantrians god-like beings is now a curse, trapping citizens within the walls of the city, and within their own decaying skin — unable to die, not able to truly live.

Brandon Sanderson is a relatively new fantasy writer who has been tapped to finish Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. Elantris is his his first published novel. It hit the shelves in 2005 and this unabridged audio version was published this year (2008).

Raoden is the crown prince of Arelon. He enjoyed every luxury until the fateful day when the Shaod took him. Unfortunate souls who were taken by the Shaod were cruelly exiled to the city of Elantris with a few scraps of food to take with them. Now ten years later, old Elantris is but a legend. The people of Arelon tell stories of how the very stones of its walls and buildings glowed with the magic the god-like Elantrians could produce.

Now Elantris is a place out of a horror movie. It is dark, grimy, and filled with living corpses. This is all that is left of Elantris and its Elantrians. Raoden is left to die in Elantris with no hope of a better existence, however he manages to find a purpose.

Jack Garrett, the narrator, was particularly skilled with characterization. I had easily distinguished Raoden from other characters throughout this whole story, it was quite easy to tell which character was speaking. This made the story very fluent and made it easy to understand. He made the scenes in the book very vivid. He told it in a way that made it desirable to me to listen to more.

Elantris ranks my top five by far. I recommend this audio book to teens as well as adults. Along with a great story is a great narrator, throughout this whole book I was able to almost visit Arelon, I could see it in my head so clearly it was amazing. I would be in the middle of an activity while listening to this book and I would get so caught up in it that I completely forgot what I was doing and why.

Posted by DanielsonKid, Age 14

Review of Queen Of The Black Coast adapted from the story by Robert E. Howard

Thursday, November 27, 2008Monday, August 10, 2009 Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Review

Queen Of The Black Coast
Based on the story by Robert E Howard; Performed by a full cast
7 MP3s – Approx. 3 Hours 30 Mintues [AUDIO DRAMA]
Podcaster: Broken Sea’s Hyborean Sagas
Podcast: June 2008 to December 2008
Themes: / Fantasy / Piracy / Magic / Noir /

Okay so the cover art for this one isn’t official, not in the slightest. But, since I’m making it for my own collection I thought I’d share with you. The original art came from my personal copy of issue 100 of Marvel Comics’ Conan The Barbarian. It was rendered by John Buscema and Ernie Chan as the final instalment of the Belit story, which had run since issue 58. Those Marvel comics are what got me into the original Robert E. Howard stories to begin with. And, Queen Of The Black Coast is my favourite Conan story. And, now this is my favourite amateur audio drama.

Bill Hollweg, who spearheaded this project, has faithfully adapted Howard’s original narrative. There are changes, but not too many, and when they exist it’s to make it work as an audio drama. This is the tale that gave Conan his gigantic melancholies. It’s a noir fantasy, rich and powerful, pulpy and inspiring. Conan, a northern barbarian, is on the run from the law and hops aboard an outbound ship. Soon after he’s fighting off pirates, and next becoming one himself. Meeting the Belit, the “queen” of the black coast, he begins a passionate romance with the rash and selfish pirate queen. Their adventures together, his loyalty, and her lust for treasure, lead them up a poisoned river, and ultimately to their doom. It’s bloody wonderful.

The audio tapestry is as rich as any amateur audio production ever recorded – with sound effects and music, narration and acting, all at the top of its form. But, the show wasn’t an instant hit with me. Stevie Farnaby’s Conan turned me off at first. His voice just wasn’t right. Episode 1’s acting, where we first hear his raspy growl, was cartoonish, too brutish, not right. But as episode 2 rolled in, and episode 3 rolled on, and episode 4 became 5, and 6 became 7, I came to the conclusion that Stevie Farnaby is the voice of Conan and I was wrong about what Conan sounded like. I’d been voicing him in my head for about 25 years, he didn’t sound like Stevie Farnaby’s Conan. Other fine work includes the narrator Ralph Walters. He’s the voice of the Zombie Astronaut and about a dozen other characters on the Freqency Of Fear podcast. He’s quite a vocal chameleon and does excellent work here. Other actors include director Bill Hollweg himself, voicing much of Belit’s crew, and Charlene Harris as the titular queen. One thing to remember going into this folks, none of the actors were in the same room when this was recorded. They did their lines in a quiet room with no feedback. This is a huge problem in amateur audio drama – the acting can often feel stiff – I’m happy to say this rarely happens in QotBC. Highly recommend listening for fans of Robert E. Howard’s Conan.

Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3| Part 3 |MP3| Part 4 |MP3|
Part 5 |MP3| Part 6 |MP3| Part 7 |MP3|

Podcast feed:

http://brokensea.com/hyboreansagas/?feed=podcast

Posted by Jesse Willis

New Releases

Tuesday, November 4, 2008 Jesse Willis

New Releases

It’s been a while since we did a new release update, though we’ve been announcing quite a few on The SFFaudio Podcast. Here are a few, expect more to follow soon.

Swallowing Darkness
By Laurell K. Hamilton; Read by Claudia Black
10 CDs – 11 Hours 30 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Random House Audio
Published: November 4th, 2008
ISBN: 9780739370445

I am Meredith, princess of faerie, wielder of the hands of Flesh and Blood, and at long last, I am with child–twins, fathered by my royal guard. Though my uncle, Taranis, King of Light and Illusion, claims that he is the true father since he abducted me from my home, betrayed, and defiled me. And now he has branded my guards as a threat to my unborn children. Bearing an heir has placed me halfway to my aunt’s throne, that much closer to my reign over the Unseelie Court–and well ahead of her son, my cousin Cel, in this race. Now I must stay alive to see my children born and claim my place as queen. But not all in faerie are pleased with the news, and conspirators from every court in the realm plot against me and mine. They seek to strip my guards, my lovers, from me by poisoned word or cold steel. But I still have supporters, and even friends, among the goblins and the sluagh, who will stand by me. I am Meredith Nic Essus, and those who would defy and destroy me are destined to pay a terrible price–for I am truly my father’s daughter. To protect what is mine, I will sacrifice anything–even if it means waging a great battle against my darkest enemies and making the most momentous decision ever made as princess of faerie.

Brisingr
By Christopher Paolini; Read by Gerard Doyle
23 CDs – Approx. 27 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Published: September 20th, 2008
ISBN: 0739368044

BRISINGR EXCLUSIVE: The audio edition of Brisingr features a revealing Q & A between best-selling author Christopher Paolini and editor Michelle Frey. OATHS SWORN . . . loyalties tested . . . forces collide. Following the colossal battle against the Empire’s warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still there is more at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep. First is Eragon’s oath to his cousin Roran: to help rescue Roran’s beloved, Katrina, from King Galbatorix’s clutches. But Eragon owes his loyalty to others, too. The Varden are in desperate need of his talents and strength—as are the elves and dwarves. When unrest claims the rebels and danger strikes from every corner, Eragon must make choices— choices that take him across the Empire and beyond, choices that may lead to unimagined sacrifice. Eragon is the greatest hope to rid the land of tyranny. Can this once-simple farm boy unite the rebel forces and defeat the king?

Red Planet
By Robert A. Heinlein; Read by William Dufris and a full cast
6 CDs- 7 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Full Cast Audio
Published: October 2008
ISBN: 9781934180518
Jim Marlowe’s Martian pet, Willis, seems like nothing more than an adorable ball of fur with an astonishing ability to mimic the human voice. But when Jim takes the creature to academy and runs afoul of a militantly rigid headmaster, his devotion to his pet launches the young man on a death-defying trek across Mars. Accompanied by his buddy, Frank, Jim must battle the dangers of a hostile planet. But it is not only the boys’ lives that are at stake: They have discovered explosive information about a threat to the survival of the entire colony—information that may mean life or death for their families. An irresistible mix of thrilling adventure, crackling dialogue, and brilliant speculation, deftly seasoned with politics, philosophy, and a touch of the mystic, Red Planet is classic Heinlein. Note: This recording uses the author’s preferred text, restoring many cuts made by the original editor.

Guest Law
By John C. Wright; Read by Tom Dheere
1 CD – 52 minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Infinivox
Published: October 2008
ISBN: 9781884612831
There be pirates in the vast void of space! Does not the poet say: “Beware the strangeness of the stranger. Unknown things bring unknown danger?” The noble ship Procrustes was silent as a ghost. Warships can be silent if they are slow; only their missiles need speed. And so it was silently, slowly, that the Procrustes approached the stranger’s cold vessel.

Posted by Jesse Willis

Review of If I Were You by L. Ron Hubbard

Sunday, November 2, 2008 Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Review

If I Were You
By L. Ron Hubbard; Read by various
2 CDs – 2 Hours 7 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Galaxy Press
Published: 2008
ISBN: 1592122906
Themes: / Fantasy / Consciousness Transference / Magic /
Circus dwarf Little Tom Little is the king of midgets, loved by crowds and carnival folk alike. Only he doesn’t just want to be a bigger circus star, he wants to be just like the circus’ tall and imposing leader. Trouble begins the moment that a set of ancient books containing the secret of switching bodies finds its way into Tom Little’s tiny hands. When he magically trades his small frame with that of the circus chief, finds himself in a giant-sized heap of trouble—his craving for height has landed him smack in the center ring surrounded by forty savage cats!

If I Were You (Approx. 95 Minutes) – Nancy Cartwright, best known as Bart on The Simpsons, voices Little Tom Little, the little person who has big dreams. Tom Little wants to become the circus ringmaster. So, when the resident circus magician is at death’s door and offers to teach Tom the ancient art of consciousness transference Tom jumps at the chance. Of course the having is not always as good as the wanting as things soon go awry for the tallest little person in the circus. A little drawn out, this tale was first published in a 1940 pulp magazine called Four Novels. It’s plot goes basically where you’d think it’d go. There’s nothing particularly wrong with it, but it doesn’t capture your imagination the way maybe you’d like.

The Last Drop (Approx. 32 Minutes) – This is a fast paced cartoonist fantasy in the tradition of Bugs Bunny, The Food Of The Gods and The Incredible Shrinking Man. A bartender receives a mysterious syrup in the mail from his brother in Borneo. After a little experimentation he discovers that it has the power to change the size of whoever consumes it. The Last Drop is cute, completely ludicrous, and fairly entertaining. As with the other Galaxy Press Hubbard collections, The Last Drop uses multiple actors, voice and sound effects – it’s not an adaptation, but easily could be adapted into a Pixar or Warner Brothers style cartoon. Normally I’d criticize the use of all these enhancements, but with the cartoonish nature of the story, these enhancements don’t spoil the storytelling as badly as they do in other more straight tales. One thing that is rather annoying though, the audio track doesn’t acknowledge the co-authorship of The Last Drop. There is, however, a small print notification on the bottom of the packaging. And, it’s significant. This is the only story that Hubbard collaborated on during his lifetime. The Last Drop was co-authored by L. Sprague de Camp.

The two CDs are handsomely packaged in a cardboard sleeve along with a booklet featuring a brief biography of Hubbard’s career and influences, and an essay by Kevin J. Anderson about the pulp era. The Anderson essay is rife with enthusiasm for the pulps. The author of the Hubbard biographical essay isn’t named, but is nevertheless informative and includes more than a dozen photographs. Curiously, the author of the bio detours for a quick attack at western author Max Brand, when talking about Hubbard’s western stories. This is the same booklet as appears in The Great Secret collection.

Posted by Jesse Willis

Tor.com has FREE Scalzi and Stross audio shorts

Monday, July 28, 2008Monday, July 28, 2008 Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Esther writes…

“You’ve probably caught the news about the launch of the new look of the Tor web site, but you might not know about the audio versions of the featured stories.”

WOW! I certainly did know about the Tor launch, but hadn’t been too excited about it. A free ebook giveaway isn’t all that exciting to me, because no matter how fancy the ebook reader you have, the file is still essentially a .txt and that’s about 10,000 times less interesting than an .mp3 – but now we all have reason to be excited about Tor.com!

“After the Coup”
By John Scalzi; Read by John Scalzi
1 |MP3| – Approx. 47 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Tor.com
Published: July 2008
“A story in the world of Old Man’s War.” This short story features Harry Wilson, one of the
characters in Old Man’s War.

“Down on the Farm”
By Charles Stross; Read by Charles Stross
1 |MP3| – Approx. 78 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Tor.com
Published: July 2008
“A new tale of the Laundry.” This is one of Stross’ Lovecraftian inspired stories. Well, a cross between Lovecraft and Jeeves anyway.

[Thanks Esther!]

Posted by Jesse Willis