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Destiny's Road

By: Larry Niven
Narrated by: Richard Powers
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Publisher's summary

Get ready for an adventure on a world from the brilliant imagination of New York Times best-selling author Larry Niven.

Wide and smooth, the Road was seared into planet Destiny’s rocky surface by the fusion drive of the powered landing craft, Cavorite. The Cavorite deserted the original interstellar colonists, stranding them without hope of contacting Earth.

Now, descendants of those pioneers have many questions about the Road, but no settler who has gone down it has ever returned. For Jemmy Bloocher, a young farm boy, the questions burn too hot - and he sets out to uncover the many mysteries of Destiny’s Road.

©1991 Larry Niven (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
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Critic reviews

“Niven’s sure hand with details opens the story up in unexpected directions....an] admirable balance.” (New York Times)

What listeners say about Destiny's Road

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    61
  • 4 Stars
    72
  • 3 Stars
    48
  • 2 Stars
    15
  • 1 Stars
    4
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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    62
  • 4 Stars
    71
  • 3 Stars
    35
  • 2 Stars
    7
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Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    54
  • 4 Stars
    60
  • 3 Stars
    42
  • 2 Stars
    17
  • 1 Stars
    6

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

There are better Niven books

Any additional comments?

The story is not exactly boring, but not all that interesting either. The narrator is OK.

I don't recommend Destinys road. Niven has done a few good books;

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A 'road' worth travelling

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

A book I enjoyed reading so much I decided to listen to it as well...about 15 years later. A comfortable old friend to hang out with.

Any additional comments?

Well thought out universe with realistic sociological, economic an scientific features. Sure to be enjoyed by all but the most speckle-shy!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good story, but flawed execution

Really good story about breaking a monopoly. Fantastic world building. But the overall novel was damaged by flat characters, confusing dialogue and a very shallow story arc. Still, worth a read.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Booorinnnnngg....

Boring book. Listened to this as long as I could stand. The sci-fi happened long ago before the book began and the book was just one, long, soap opera. I got bogged down in the main character's life events and couldn't extricate myself from the minutiae, so I quit reading. Maybe it has a good conclusion, but I'll never know!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

No story

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A plot.

What was most disappointing about Larry Niven’s story?

No story. Kept waiting for something to happen. Had lots of potential.

Have you listened to any of Paul Michael Garcia’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Liked the narrator and would listen to him again.

What character would you cut from Destiny's Road?

Characters were all interesting just not expounded on.

Any additional comments?

Couldn't finish the book it was so boring.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

This is no Lucifer's Hammer

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I've noticed quite a large difference between the amazon reviews and the audible reviews. Perhaps it might be the narration turning people off??? But I personally didn't mind the narration.

I have a theory regarding the difference between amazon and audible reviews, and it does not involve any conspiracy theory with amazon! I think it is just the main character experiences so much, and yet just seems to take it as though it is another day. For example, Jemmy has to run away because of an accident, and yet the style of writing or the narration did not seem to indicate any crisis had occurred in the first place. As a listener it is easier to notice this lack of emotion. However, as a reader you tend to read yourself into the experience. With the audible version I tend to rely on the emotion or style of the narrator for that emotional character development (I know not all people are like this, but that is just me :-) As a reader I find myself reading more between the lines of a character.

I think this Niven book is one of those stories that is best read and not listened too. Which makes it hard for me to recommend this audible story to anyone.

What do you think your next listen will be?

It will be have to be something with a bit more action. Perhaps, a zombie quickie like 'Die Trying'. I was hoping for so much more from this book after enjoying Niven's book "Lucifer's Hammer". However, I was greatly disappointed. So the next book is one I have not read any reviews on. Perhaps, this time I will be taken by surprise for the better!!

Which character – as performed by Paul Michael Garcia – was your favorite?

The obvious choice is Jemmy, but I certainly didn't stay awake at night wondering what would happen. In a book which depends on the audience being there in 'another world' the divorce of emotion in the main character made it difficult for me to 'experience' or be immersed into the storyline.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointed, because it really could have been another ‘Niven’ classic, which I could really get into! But instead, it tuned into a bit of a chore to listen to!

Any additional comments?

My advice is while the book is not bad it is not one of Niven's best and would best when it is on special.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not the best Niven.

The book felt a bit disjointed at times. Not adequately describing what is going on.

I also sometimes had trouble tracking who was who and who was speaking since the narrator gives little variation.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Boring from the start

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Something interesting might have been nice

Has Destiny's Road turned you off from other books in this genre?

Boring narrator

How could the performance have been better?

Someone else would have made this book better

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Destiny's Road?

Not possible to make this anything but boring the way it is written. Sorry I wasted the time and money.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

This Review Needs a Title...So, I

Boring book. Listened to this as long as I could stand. The sci-fi happened long ago before the book began and the book was just one, long, soap opera. I got bogged down in the main character's life events and couldn't extricate myself from the minutiae, so I quit reading. Maybe it has a good conclusion, but I'll never know!

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

The story might be great—the narration isn't

This is like listening to a completely disconnected set of phrases. I bet the book is okay, but I can't stand more than a few paragraphs before switching to something else. How is it possible to take a collection of sentences and read them without any of the original meaning intact? Poo!

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3 people found this helpful