Storming the Stairway to the Stars

Tales of Shattering Worlds, Book 1

By: C. D. Tavenor

Narrated by: Michael Westmoreland

Inside a decrepit space station, destiny awaits.

Prince Arin’thal has ambition checked only by the limited power of his tiny city-state. At the Conclave of Nations, he endeavors to shift the balance of geopolitical influence.

Yet disaster waits beneath the shadows of the great tower and its mysterious roots.

If Arin’thal is to survive, he must prove his wits, courage, and moral grit are up to the task. An ancient entity will test him. And he might break before he uncovers the future of the world.

There's more than one way to shatter a world.

Storming the Stairway to the Stars is the first part of Tales of Shattering Worlds, four short stories included in Shattering Worlds: A SciFi and Fantasy Story Collection by C. D. Tavenor. Start your journey today.

©2020 C. D. Tavenor (P)2020 Two Doctors Media Collaborative LLC

A Series Beginning

I purchased and listened to this Audible book. This is a story of a group of political parties that want rulership over each other. The MC is a prince who believes he can unite them all in Peace.

Action filled read

This is a nice beginning to a short series. I really like the set up of four stories in a series as they are bitesized narratives that can be read or listened to within an afternoon. Even though it was a short read, there was a sufficient plot and action. I wish there was a bit more explanation and world building, but I understand the stakes and motivation of the main character. The narrator is good at breathing life into the characters, although he sounds robotic during some moments. It was confusing as to why the audiobook formatted the story as only one chapter even though it is divided into 5 chapters written out. But overall, I am interested in seeing what happens next as I read the next books.

Quick & Exciting

Great "prequel" to what could be an exciting series. This short read/listen quickly pulls you into a dystopian future in the stars and launches the protagonist into a powerful role in the new order of the galaxy and beyond.

Interesting story line, great narration

I don't usualy listen to Sci-fi, but thought I would try a short story, enjoyed the story and thought the narrator did a great job distinguishing between characters ,the narator made the story come to life.

Might need to relisten

This is the fifth book I have read/listened to by this author and I would listen to another. I really enjoyed The Chronicles of Theren and these short stories. After listening to Remnants, I now wonder if this also is linked to the Theren story. I’m afraid I had to re-listen to many parts of this book. I’m not sure if my head just wasn’t in line with it, or if this book simply has holes. I think I need to go back at another time and start from the beginning again since I still don’t quite get the full premises of this one. ———

This is the first book I have listened to by this narrator ( Michael Westmoreland ) and I enjoyed this listen. His pacing gives a feel that this story is being read faster than it actually is. It’s not an issue however. His style here is more reading than performing compared to the others. ———

There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive / overly descriptive violence, or swearing. ———

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.
Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.

Story 3/5
Narration 3/5