EMPEROR: The Field of Swords, Book 3 (Unabridged)

By: Conn Iggulden

Narrated by: Paul Blake

Julius Caesar has taken his legions north into mighty battles with the Gallic tribes. But as his successes mount, overwhelming ambition and new alliances begin to threaten his friendship with Marcus Brutus, brother-in-arms and fellow warrior. Although the conquest of Gaul has made Caesar a hero all over again, his victories on the battlefield cause still more rivalries at home. And ultimately Caesar and Brutus will have to choose whether to cross the Rubicon - together or singly - and to take the fight to Rome itself.©2005 Conn Iggulden (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Fine centerpiece of the sequel damaged by narratio

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

Had the narrator of the first two books read it. I wouldn't have spent hours wondering who 2 of the main characters were. Carto and Serwilia? Just pronounce them as written, please.

What did you like best about this story?

The character of Caesar is so visceral, he is truly sympathetic. Iggulden was able to do this with Ghengis as well, to his great credit.

Would you be willing to try another one of Paul Blake’s performances?

I have to, to continue the series.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from EMPEROR: The Field of Swords, Book 3 (Unabridged)?

Some of the politics while Caesar is offstage can be tedious, but it is necessary knowledge to understand just what is going on in Rome.

Any additional comments?

Iggulden has quickly become one of my favorite authors.

Different take on both history, and pronunciations.

Not a fan of the pronunciations of some names by this narrator. I've listened to the previous books in this series and this performance is hard to follow when familiar names sound almost completely different.

Takes a dip here

I really wish they would have stayed with the original narrator in this series. The change here was difficult to get used to. I might not even do the next book in the series. I've seen other people complain of the poor history in these books. I can tolerate that in a historical novel. Unforutnely, the characters even changed a lot in this book from the previous books in the series.

Diff reader than the first two. NOT an upgrade.

Another great story by a great author. The reader of the first two was incredible, bringing each page to life. The one, however, is just bad. The mispronunciations, the strange pauses between words where no pause should be. Honestly made me want to stop listening. The story is good enough to pull you through, though.

Disappointing

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would not recommend this audible performance as, inexplicably, the pronunciation of names has changed from the last two books. For example, Octavian has become Octawian. Very distracting.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot is great, as it has been in the previous 2 books in this series.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narration in this book, the 3rd in the series, is far below the narration in the other 2 books.