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Swordspoint
- A Melodrama of Manners
- Narrated by: Ellen Kushner, Dion Graham, Katherine Kellgren, Robert Fass, Nick Sullivan, Simon Jones
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
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Publisher's summary
Audie Award, Audio Drama, 2013
Award-winning author, narrator, and screenwriter Neil Gaiman personally selected this book, and, using the tools of the Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX), cast the narrator and produced this work for his audiobook label, Neil Gaiman Presents.
A few words from Neil on Swordspoint: "It's as if Jane Austen wrote fantasy... an imaginary world where the characters are real people: a Vanity Fair of aristocrats, rogues, orphans, and heroes; a book where the best swordsman in the land can make far more money dueling at private parties than he can as a knight-errant. Ellen Kushner casts her sharp eye over them all, but with great affection and lavish detaiI.... couldn't think of a better performer for Swordspoint than Ellen, and her reading is polished, intimate, and – since Riverside is of her creation – wholly authentic.
"What really makes this production of Swordspoint unique, though, is the supporting cast in this special "illuminated production". Several key scenes are fully dramatized, and throughout the entire book's soundscapes you will hear the cadences of the marketplace, the music of the drawing rooms, and of course the ring of steel drawn from the scabbard. Ellen actually wrote new dialogue for the crowd scenes, so the actors aren't just mumbling "rhubarb rhubarb" to simulate speech.... You'll be able to hear performances from acclaimed and award-winning actors, including Dion Graham, Katherine Kellgren, Robert Fass, Nick Sullivan, and the remarkable Simon Jones."
In this exciting new "illuminated production", the author herself reads her own work, supported by a full cast. Author Ellen Kushner is also a popular performer and National Public Radio host (Sound & Spirit). For years, fans have been asking her to record her own audiobook of Swordspoint. To mark the 25th anniversary of the book's publication, Ellen teamed up with Sue Zizza of SueMedia Productions, known for her signature touches of soundscapes and sound effects, multi-voiced dramatizations, and all the techniques of "illuminated production". Together they have made Swordspoint a brand-new audio experience, in which the full supporting cast dramatizes and illuminates key scenes from Ellen's compelling narration.
On the streets of Riverside, a man lives and dies by the sword. Even the nobles on the Hill turn to duels to settle their disputes. And in this city, the swordsman Richard St. Vier is the undisputed master, as skilled as he is ruthless – until a death by the sword is met with outrage instead of awe, and the city discovers that the line between hero and villain can be altered in the blink of an eye. Because every man lives at sword's point, if you can only find his weakness. And even the greatest swordsman in Riverside has one thing he cares for deeply.
Hailed by critics as "a bravura performance, a delight from start to finish" (Locus), "intelligent, humorous and dramatic" (Publishers Weekly) and "witty, beguiling and ingenious" (Interzone) , Kushner's "Melodrama of Manners" has become a classic, a favorite not only of Neil Gaiman but a host of distinguished colleagues, including George R. R. Martin ("unforgettable!"), Orson Scott Card ("powerful") and Gene Wolfe ("as if Noel Coward had written a vehicle for Errol Flynn!").
The artwork used for the audiobook edition of Swordspoint is based on the artwork and design by Thomas Canty for the original first US edition of the book.
Learn more about Neil Gaiman Presents and Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX).
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For years, the Empress of Namorn has pressed her young cousin, Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, to visit her vast lands within the Empire's borders. Sandry has avoided the invitation for as long as it was possible. Now, Sandry has agreed to pay that overdue visit. Sandry's uncle promises guards to accompany her. But they're hardly a group of warriors! They're her old friends from Winding Circle: Daja, Tris, and Briar. Sandry hardly knows them now. They've grown up and grown apart.
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from a writer's perspective
- By daniel orzechowski on 05-24-08
By: Tamora Pierce
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My Lady Notorious
- Malloren Series, Book 1
- By: Jo Beverley
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Desperate to help her widowed sister and baby escape a deadly pursuer, Lady Chastity Ware dresses as a highwayman and captures the first coach to travel down the road. Coming face-to-face with its occupant, the arrogant aristocrat Cyn Malloren, she orders him to drive her to a remote cottage. Little does Chastity realize that after long months of recovering from his war wounds, the handsome Cyn is looking for adventure, and being abducted by a cocky highwayman - obviously a lovely woman in disguise - is even more than he had hoped for.
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At Last!
- By Bee on 03-23-14
By: Jo Beverley
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Loving a Lost Lord
- By: Mary Jo Putney
- Narrated by: Kate Rawson
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
Battered by the sea, Adam remembers nothing of his past, his ducal rank, nor of the shipwreck that almost claimed his life. However, he's delighted to hear that the golden-haired vision tending his wounds is his wife. Mariah's name and face may not be familiar, but her touch, her warmth, feel deliciously right....
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Good summer read
- By Melelina on 07-13-09
By: Mary Jo Putney
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New Spring
- The Wheel of Time Prequel
- By: Robert Jordan
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
For three days battle has raged in the snow around the great city of Tar Valon. In the city, a foretelling of the future is uttered. On the slopes of Dragonmount, the immense mountain that looms over the city, a child is born, an infant prophesied to change the world. That child must be found before he can be killed by the forces of the Shadow.
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Read it after reading others in the series
- By Stacy Fair on 12-13-07
By: Robert Jordan
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Quatrain
- Twelve Houses, Book 0.5
- By: Sharon Shinn
- Narrated by: Eva Wilhelm
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Sharon Shinn's Twelve Houses books have fascinated fans and critics alike with their irresistible blend of fantasy, romance, and adventure. Now in Quatrain, she weaves compelling stories in four of the worlds that fans love in "Flight", "Blood", "Gold", and "Flame".
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Lovely set of novellas, description needs updated
- By Lindsay C. on 09-25-20
By: Sharon Shinn
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Midnight Angel
- Stokehursts, Book 1
- By: Lisa Kleypas
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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A noblewoman of frail beauty and exotic mystery fakes her own death to escape the gallows. And now she must flee. In disguise and under a false identity, she finds unexpected sanctuary in the arms of a handsome and arrogant yet gallant British lord—who must defy society to keep her safe . . . and overcome a tragic past to claim her as his own.
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Can't finish. Made me cringe.
- By Lillian on 02-23-22
By: Lisa Kleypas
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Wicked Intentions
- By: Elizabeth Hoyt
- Narrated by: Ashford McNab
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Infamous for his wild, sensual needs, Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching for a savage killer in St. Giles, London's most notorious slum. Widowed Temperance Dews knows St. Giles like the back of her hand-she's spent a lifetime caring for its inhabitants at the foundling home her family established. Now that home is at risk.....
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I don't understand the bad reviews. I enjoyed it!
- By Katherine on 12-24-12
By: Elizabeth Hoyt
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One Touch of Scandal
- By: Liz Carlyle
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
All Grace Gauthier ever wanted was the security of a good marriage, family, and home. Instead, despised by her aristocratic father's family because of her mother's foreign birth, she's taken a safe position as a governess. Now, unprotected and alone in London, accused of the shocking murder of her employer, she has no one to turn to except the mysterious - and possibly dangerous - Lord Ruthveyn.
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Boring What Happened
- By Cindy Johnston on 10-13-10
By: Liz Carlyle
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The Fire Rose
- By: Mercedes Lackey
- Narrated by: Kate Black-Regan
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Accepting employment as a governess after hard times hit her family, medieval scholar Rosalind Hawkins is surprised when she learns that her mysterious employer has no children and only wants her to read to him through a speaking tube.
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Great story, poorly presented
- By Che on 02-26-10
By: Mercedes Lackey
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The Demon King
- A Seven Realms Novel
- By: Cinda Williams Chima
- Narrated by: Carol Monda
- Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
The first of a new young adult trilogy, The Demon King features a former thief, Han, who’s trying to provide for his mother and sister. One day Han, who sports mysterious (and certainly magical) silver cuffs on his wrists, confronts wizards setting fire to a sacred mountain. Now possessing one ofthe wizards’ amulets, Han faces more trouble than he ever could have imagined.
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Sooooooo Good!!!!!
- By Sharon on 06-15-13
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To Taste Temptation
- Legend of the Four Soldiers, Book 1
- By: Elizabeth Hoyt
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Britain’s high society—le bon ton—loves nothing more than a good scandal, and they’re giddy with the appearance of wealthy Samuel Hartley. Not only is he self-made, American, and in the habit of wearing moccasins, but he is also notorious for fleeing a battle in which several English gentlemen lost their lives. Lady Emeline Gordon is captivated by Samuel. Not only does he defy convention with his unusual dress, his sensual smile, and his forthright manner, but he survived the battle that killed her beloved brother.
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Loved It
- By Cathie on 10-26-10
By: Elizabeth Hoyt
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Devil's Desire
- By: Laurie McBain
- Narrated by: Marian Hussey
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
They called him the devil.... With his seductive golden eyes and sin-black hair, it's no wonder Lord Alex Trevegne has earned himself the sinister title - not to mention his reputation as one of the most notorious rakes in England. And she's the only one who can conquer him.... When fate throws Alex and Elysia into a scandalous situation, Alex suddenly finds it surprisingly difficult to tear himself away from her. As an unexpected passion blossoms between them, Elysia begins to wonder if she's finally found heaven....
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An oldie but goodie!
- By Tracy T on 10-22-14
By: Laurie McBain
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The Lawrence Browne Affair
- By: Cat Sebastian
- Narrated by: Gary Furlong
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Lawrence Browne, the Earl of Radnor, is mad. At least that's what he and most of the village believes. A brilliant scientist, he hides himself away in his family's crumbling estate, unwilling to venture into the outside world. When an annoyingly handsome man arrives at Penkellis, claiming to be Lawrence's new secretary, his carefully planned world is turned upside down.
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Historical romance without the stupid stuff
- By April on 09-28-20
By: Cat Sebastian
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Unveiled
- By: Courtney Milan
- Narrated by: Rebecca De Leeuw
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Ash Turner has waited a lifetime to seek revenge on the man who ruined his family—and now the time for justice has arrived. At Parford Manor, he intends to take his place as the rightful heir to the dukedom and settle an old score with the current duke once and for all. But instead he finds himself drawn to a tempting beauty who has the power to undo all his dreams of vengeance….
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Excellent Historical Romance
- By Kelli on 10-19-11
By: Courtney Milan
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Moonstruck Madness
- By: Laurie McBain
- Narrated by: Marian Hussey
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
After escaping the slaughter of her clan at a young age, Scottish noblewoman Sabrina Verrick provides for her siblings by living a double life, until the night she encounters the Duke, and her secret and all she holds dear is threatened.... With his inheritance at stake, Lucien, Duke of Camareigh, sets a trap for the Scottish beauty with the piercing violet eyes, never imagining what will happen when the trap is sprung.... As their lives become irreversibly entangled, Lucien and Sabrina become each other's biggest threat, as well as their only salvation....
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What the hell is wrong with people?
- By Zachary on 01-24-19
By: Laurie McBain
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Abandoned by his father, Gareth Inglis grew up lonely, prickly, and used to disappointment. Still, he longs for a connection. When he meets a charming stranger, he falls head over heels—until everything goes wrong and he's left alone again. Then Gareth's father dies, turning the shabby London clerk into Sir Gareth, with a grand house on the remote Romney Marsh and a family he doesn't know. The Marsh is another world, a strange, empty place notorious for its ruthless gangs of smugglers. And one of them is dangerously familiar…
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Has some redeeming value, but is deeply flawed
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Empire of the Vampire
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It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Now, only a few tiny sparks of light endure in a sea of darkness.
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So good
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Kushiel's Dart
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The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good...and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.
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The Kushiel series in order
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The Blade Itself
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Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian - leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies. Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.
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Characters drive the story. The Narrator rocks!
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What listeners say about Swordspoint
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- CatMom
- 02-24-17
Yawn
This story was incredibly boring and I was quite sad by that. None of the characters had any redeeming qualities. I found the addition of sounds and the different actors more of a hindrance than an enhancement. Overall really disappointing but I don't think that's because the writing was bad. The whole premise was just not for me.
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- A. MacArthur
- 02-10-17
I tried!
Any additional comments?
I love Curry. I liked this story but I could NOT get through it! I feel like such a fraud!
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- Rue Narcimous
- 05-15-23
Finally, a casually queer book I can make fanart of
The flowery language and intense descriptions lulled me into a world that is both scary but inviting.
I love the political drama and the lovely relationship dynamics between the two men.
Thank you for your service Ellen
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- Samara Weiss
- 02-12-24
Fast-moving intrigue and drama
The partial dramatization takes some getting used to, as the actors don’t always echo the way the author-narrator reads their voices, and the sound effects are a bit cheesy. But the story is fantastic and all the reading is lively. Our protagonists aren’t especially virtuous; they’re not even nice. But they are interesting, and that’s what matters.
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- Daryl
- 12-04-11
Ellen Kushner Owes me 30$
What did you like about this audiobook?
Ellen Kushner owes me gas money! I made the mistake of putting this on my ipod to listen to on my commute back from work and I got so wrapped up in the story that not only did I miss my exit, but I drove in large consecutive circles around my city for over an hour. So wrapped up was I that pulling over didn't even cross my mind, in fact the only thing that brought me back to reality was the dinging sound my gas tank makes when it got low. Then I made a bee line for home to go and grab my head phones since I didn't even want to waste time going to the gas station.
Kushner is a rare author who has been blessed with the ability to deftly and engangingly read from her own work, something most authors, as I'm sure audible members can attest to, are not not blessed with. The story is deft, courageous, adventurous, dark and erotic. Really there's nothing more that I can say about it that so many other have already articulated in a much better fashion that I.
All I can say is thank you so much to both Mr Gaiman and, debts not withstanding, to Mrs, Kushner for putting this out there. This is what books should always be like and seldom are. From now on I'll make sure to keep an eye out for whatever these two put out in the future.
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70 people found this helpful
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- Stacy
- 04-06-12
What a beautiful book...
This delicately drawn tale takes place between the high and low neighborhoods of a fantasized city vaguely like 16th-17th century Europe. As with all good fairy tales, there's blood, squalor, beauty, mystery, and maybe even a wicked witch of sorts, although no spells or sorcery. The protagonist, Richard St. Vier, is a swordsman, and thus, a professional killer, and he does what no professional killer should ever do--he falls in love. The object of his affection is Alec, a brittle, self-destructive, secretive refugee from university. When Richard and Alec inadvertently become entangled in the complex political maneuvers and personal vendettas of the city's nobility, trouble (and occasional mayhem) ensues.
The great strength of the book is its exquisite prose, perfectly polished, each phrase lovingly considered; the description of the fireworks at a party is enough to take your breath away. And then its primary characters: Richard and Alec are both so damaged that they can barely make up one heart between them, but their flaws and their strengths are realistically portrayed, and you want them to win for each other's sake.
This is not a "world-building" fantasy. Everything in it, all the jockeying for power, even the many vibrant and detailed secondary characters, is set dressing for the drama involving the lovers, although it's gorgeous set dressing. Wondering exactly how the Council of Lords got that way, or why there's a Dragon Chancellor or a Crescent Chancellor? You'll never know. You'll get just enough detail to work out the unfolding situation and no more. You won't even learn how Richard and Alec found each other in the first place, because it doesn't matter to the plot. This leads to what I consider the book's major flaw: because the supporting action is so richly presented, it's a disappointment when parts of it fail to resolve. In particular, we spend a lot of time with a secondary character who then gets shuffled offstage with only an inconclusive parting glance, and we're left to surmise about his fate, despite his prior importance.
All of which won't matter at all if you find the prose and the lovers sufficiently compelling, which I certainly did, and even if all the political plots don't entirely unfold, they're still great fun to watch.
Performance-wise, Kushner is an excellent reader of her own work. This recording is partially dramatized, with actors reading the characters in selected scenes and added sound effects. It's pleasant enough, particularly with the musical interludes, but occasionally an annoyance (oy, whose idea was it to use an old mechanical typewriter to imitate the sound of a crackling fire?), and by and large I don't think I would have missed it; Kushner does well enough on her own.
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- Kindle Customer
- 07-29-12
Splendid :) A real treat!
I've loved this book for years for its elegant prose and detailed and interesting world and sense of honor, danger and romance. It is a great example of the 'show don't tell' theory of storytelling and really sets the standard for classic modern fantasy.
I've never been a huge fan of full cast recordings of audiobooks. I find many of them to be sort of overdone- all the background noise, various voice actors, etc. can just turn the story into a mish mash that can ruin the prose you enjoyed in the book in the first place.
So when I read that Swordspoint was being produced with a full cast, I was not enthused. Until I saw that it was being produced by Neil Gaiman and read by Ellen Kushner herself. I knew that if anyone could do it up right, it would be these two and my trust in them more than paid off.
This is simply lovely- deliriously fun and witty and clever to listen to. The background noise and actors are unobtrusive and a perfect counterpoint to Ms. Kushner's reading as well as the other actors who also portray the main characters. If you love fantasy, just get it and let yourself fall into Riverside. You'll be glad you went.
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- Kindle Customer
- 12-08-11
Marvelous, Fantastic, Wow
Loved the story, loved the narration, loved everything about this one. Listened to it twice in a row and will enjoy it again soon, I am sure. Just great. The enhanced sound effects were great without being overwhelming or distracting. The differing voices were fantastic. It was just a really great listen. Lovely realistic politics, very Machiavellian.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Jon
- 11-26-12
A nice break from the usual fantasy
If you could sum up Swordspoint in three words, what would they be?
Swords, sex, and subterfuge
Who was your favorite character and why?
Both St. Vier and Alec were interesting characters and an equally matched pair. Alec was a bit irritating at first and seemed irrational, but once you began to understand more of his psychology and the reasons for his odd, self-destructive behavior, he became quite likable. Of course, everyone in this story is ethically gray, but that works within the context of the book's world. I don't necessarily need characters to be likable, just three-dimensional and with realistic motivations.
Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
This was the first of Kushner's books that I had experienced and the first time hearing her narration. It was fantastic. I wish that every writer was this good at reading their own work (many aren't). I definitely want to listen to more.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I didn't really have an extreme reaction, but I enjoyed slipping back into the atmosphere of the world and its various locations (taverns, mansions, theaters, and courtrooms). The setting and the recording itself were wonderfully engrossing.
Any additional comments?
Thank you, Neil Gaiman. I wish every book received this quality of production. The music, the sound effects, the background noise, the voice actors, everything greatly enhanced the listening experience and brought the whole thing to life.
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- Opal
- 11-07-12
Spellbinding
Murder, swordsmen, intrigue and a complex maelstrom of human emotions move through this novel like a river. Masterfully executed and riveting from beginning to end.
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4 people found this helpful