Short Review: Character-driven sweeping tale of court intrigue, thieves, and swordsmen read beautifully by many voices and accompanied by music and sound effects. Witty and funny, a great tale.

Long Review: For those of us well read in the Fantasy genre, this is one of those books that many people expect you to have read. But I hadn’t, until about two weeks of my spare time were swallowed whole by this story.

Richard St Vier is the best swordsman. He lives in Riverside, the “other side of the tracks” which in this story is the “other side of the bridge”. Riverside is the home to thieves, swordsman, and prostitutes. They have their own rules – and those not from Riverside rarely dare to cross within its borders. Meanwhile, up on the hill across the bridge, is the nice side of town – home to the rich and the people in charge.

Much of this story is what I think of as court intrigue – people in power manipulating things behind the scenes to get more power or regain power. As is often the case, those with power use everything, and everyone, at their disposal to shift things to their liking. There are lots of beautiful parties and back room negotiations. Those in Riverside are frequently entangled in the intrigue from across the bridge and it is in midst of these entanglements that we find much of the story. In Swordspoint, duels settle disputes — and when you aren’t a swordsman yourself, then you need someone to fight in your stead. Someone like Richard St Vier, if you are very lucky.

There are a lot of characters to follow. I will admit to sometimes losing track of some of the names for a bit, but anyone important enough to demand attention would soon turn up again and I shortly got everyone sorted out. I wonder if that would have been easier had I been seeing the names rather than hearing them, but the different voices of the audiobook also helped me differentiate the characters as well – so it might not have made a difference after all.

I will admit to having thought about one of my father’s adages about stories a few times during this book: “Who is there to root for?”. Such is the way of things when so many of the characters that get a lot of ‘screen time’ are scheming against each other. It takes a while to sort out everyone’s agendas (that is part of the fun!). But it didn’t take long before I found people to root for and care about. In fact, even when I didn’t like what they were doing, I was often captivated by their machinations. Swordspoint tells quite the tale. It is one of those stories in which you can lose yourself for a while.

On top of being a great story, you might also be considering listening to Swordspoint because of its connection to the new serial story Tremontaine, available in eBook and audio installments. Tremontaine is a prequel to Swordspoint. If that leaves you uncertain about which story to start with, you might want to read the tips from the author on what order to read them.

One last tidbit about the story — in the world of Swordspoint, romantic attachments are quite varied and just as likely to be between those of the same sex as those of the opposite sex. That this is just how things are is so rare as to be a bit of a revelation. We see from the very start that Richard St Vier lives with his lover Alec in Riverside… and the story just barrels onward. No excuses, no hedging – the story tells us how each pair of people relates to one another as we go along. I loved that.

I am more accustomed to listening to more traditional audiobooks which feature a single reader from end to end. This audiobook is very different. It is halfway between a full-cast audiobook and a radio play. Lots of different voices (including a fair amount by the author), intervals of music, and even some sound effects. Click on the second Soundcloud clip below for a sample. It took some getting used to, but overall I enjoyed it. You can also learn more about the creation of the audiobook as an ‘Illumniated audiobook”. The readers were very expressive – and I never found myself confused about who was speaking. Honestly, going back to a ‘regular’ audiobook after Swordspoint took a bit of adjustment. Where was my music? My sound effects?

Book sample:

Author: Isabel Miller
Readers: Janis Ian and Jean Smart

Also available directly from Janis Ian’s webstore.

GRAMMY Award nominated for “Best Spoken Word”

Short Review: Touching lesbian love story, set in early 1800s and read beautifully. The two readers each read the portion of the story told from a single point of view. It really works.

Long Review: Originally self-published in 1969, this love story is set in the early 1800s in New England. It tells the story of the love found by Patience White (maiden aunt and painter) and Sarah Dowling (farmer’s daughter, cast in life as farmer’s son for practicality) in a world that mostly believed such a thing was neither possible nor permissible. The story alternates points of views between Patience and Sarah, to great effect. They are such different people, but you can see where their love comes from. The contrast of their backgrounds, and their expectations for their lives, make the story all the more compelling.

I don’t want to spoil the story for you, but it isn’t hard to assume from the premise that there will be plenty of challenges laid in their paths. It is a story of what it means to both fall in love and *be* in love. We are taken into the hearts of Patience and Sarah, but at the same time given a taste of what their worlds were like. What does it mean to fight for love? When is the fight too much — what is worth sacrifice and what is not?

There are so many other things I loved about this book. I loved seeing painting and color through Patience’s eyes. I loved Sarah’s practicality and straight forwardness. The supporting characters are varied and interesting, the path of the story less predictable then you might expect. The author created a vivid world that I really enjoyed visiting.

Both readers do an amazing job, each giving us a glimpse into their respective character’s mind – as well as providing easy to distinguish voices for the other members of the story. The two SoundCloud clips below give you a small taste of each of the readers and a toe in the water of the story they tell. They both made it so easy to get lost in the story. This is definitely a “find more excuses to keep listening” audio book.

Author: Amanda Palmer
Reader: Amanda Palmer
Extras: Songs. In the book you get lyrics. In the audio book you get music. Also, the introduction read by Brené Brown and the afterword is read by Jamy Ian Swiss.

Available from Audible.com

Short Review: Intense and personal treatise on art, music, creativity, community, connection, love, loss, and asking for (and accepting) help from others. Amanda’s style of reading is intimate and confessional.

Long Review: Amanda Palmer wrote ‘The Art of Asking’ in a series of whirlwind weeks in Australia. She poured it out during what sound like intense ten hour days. To my eye it is three stories woven together. One story traces her path as an artist and musician. The second traces her journey in figuring out how to be in love. The third is about coming to terms with the threat of losing your mentor.

This is definitely a book I would recommend you listen to rather than read. Not all authors are meant to read their own books, but this book is perfect for it. You get to hear her emphasis, her emotions, and (of course) her music. She is right there with you telling you her secrets – her revelations – her wild ideas. And I love the voice she uses when recounting the words of her husband, Neil Gaiman. The Neil Gaiman fans among you will get some behind-the-scenes details of his life too.

I am so glad that there isn’t any way for me to ‘spoil’ the story for you. It isn’t that sort of book. I knew going in that parts of the book made some people cry. I was braced for it… but somehow her story snuck up on me anyway. Followed by a very sad song. All on the subway on the way to work. Thank goodness I had a tissue in my coat pocket. I tweeted what happened. Amanda replied to my tweet with a <3.

Don’t worry, the book also made me laugh (which will also gets you strange looks on the subway) and dream and want to go home and make more art.

A lot of this book talks about community. About building and connecting with your community. It is as much about finding a community to give to as it is about asking for a community to help you. This book does talk about her wildly successful Kickstarter, but there is no silver bullet here about how to do the same. The real secret is the same one that my friend Fred knows (he and his partners over at Evil Hat have had a number of very successful game related Kickstarters): first spend ten years building and connecting with a community.

This book is more memoir than self-help book, but you might walk away from it with new ideas about how to approach your life. Do you consider yourself an artist or wish you did? Listen to this. Are you afraid to depend on others, even those you love? Listen to this. Are you a fan of Amanda’s music? Listen to this.

Not sold yet? Amanda gave a TED talk in February of 2013 on ‘The art of asking’. This book is a direct result of that talk and its resonance with people. Over six million people have watched it. It is less than 14 minutes long, and if you are on the fence about if this book is for you – go give it a listen. Either she will reel you in or she won’t.

Assorted Disclaimers: I was a fan of Amanda Palmer before I listened to this book. I backed her Kickstarter. I attended a house party (the one in Ashburn that involved time in the closet where I read her a poem and gave her a mobile made of doll parts). I attended one of the book tour concerts and waited in line for my copy to be signed the day after the book came out. I attended the same small liberal arts university (though not at the same time). I asked for, and was given, a review copy of this audio book. I expect I was quite pre-disposed to like it. Feel free to take that into account as you decide if you think you will enjoy it based on my review above.

Welcome to Bordertown: Special Edition: New Stories and Poems of the Borderlands

Edited by: Ellen Kushner and Holly Black
Readers: Holly Black, Ellen Kushner, MacLeod Andrews, Steven Brust, Neil Gaiman, Dounya El-Mohtar, Cassandra Campbell
Extras: Introduction by Terri Windling. There is now a Special Edition version available featuring a fully-produced track of the song “Run Back Across the Border” by Steven Brust, with the author himself on lead vocals,  and Neil Gaiman reading his own poem, “The Song of the Song.”

Short Review: A tantalizing collection of stories and poems from the city at the intersection of the elf and human worlds. We get stories featuring all kinds of characters including runaways, elves, humans, halfies, a bookstore owner, an entrepreneur, an artist, an astronomer, and more.

Long Review: If you are not familiar with Bordertown, this new anthology is a great introduction to the city on the border between the elf world and human world. In the mid 1980s, the Bordertown books paved the way for the popular urban fantasy genre many of us know and love today.

There is a lot to love here. The range of stories and poems was fairly balanced. Lots of points of view, lots of great readers. I warred with myself about posting this review before I even finished listening to all 15 discs, just so you all could know about it sooner – but I decided I wanted to get a sense of the full collection before posting my review.

The readers did a fabulous job across the board. I am often nervous when I see so many different readers for a collection like this, but I think they used the different voices to their advantage. They matched them well to the stories and poems.

One of the challenges of reviewing a collection of short stories is deciding if I am going to review each and every one of them. I have decided against it because I want you to have the joy of discovering them as you go, just as I did. I can tell you that I fell in love with Bordertown. It seemed obvious to me that the contributors to this collection love it too. There are a few stories here that I expect to stick with me for a long time.

The three introductions (one each by Terri Windling, Ellen Kushner, and Holly Black) were a treat. This collection was my introduction to Bordertown and I appreciated being given the perspective of the history of the world and earlier anthologies and novels set there.

I loved the way that the stories weave together, touching each other here and there. The landscape is the same, but from different points of view. The protagonist in story A might show up or just pass through story B.

I have to admit I am more of a fan of the stories than the poems, but maybe I should just say that I think that the stories spoil me with their rich details. I did NOT hear the special edition version, so I might have appreciated Steven Brust’s song more if I had heard it performed. (Wait, I just found a source for the song online: Steven Brust song “Run Back Across the Border” on Soundcloud!)

If you are still not sure, some of the stories are posted online or available via various podcasts. Check out the Welcome to Bordertown web page and scroll down to the bottom.

And if you do fall in love with it, there is a bunch of short stories and even novels which take place in this shared world. You can read more about the history of the Bordertown Series and see a full bibliography.

Author:  Lois McMaster Bujold
Reader: Grover Gardner

Extras: Brief tutorial from the author on the order in which her books should be read.

Short Review: Intrigue and romance dominate the scene as cousin Ivan finally gets his day in the sun. A great addition to the Vorkosigan series, this time with Miles only in a supporting role. Gardner is still as great as ever.

Long Review: While this book clearly can stand on its own, it will be a particular delight to those who are long time Vorkosigan Saga fans. Always in the past, Ivan has been the straight man to cousin Miles’s crazy mad-cap plans. I always knew he was no idiot, despite frequent claims by many to the contrary.

So this time it is Ivan’s turn. He is minding his own business, keeping his head down and doing his job well (as he is wont to do) when a lovely lady in a bad situation is dropped into his lap. Ever the gentleman and with an eye for how bad things could get if he doesn’t help, Ivan steps in to try and untangle things. The tangle resists simple resolution (this is a Vorkosigan book after all) and the full scale of it stretches from Kommar to Jackson’s Hole to Barrayar. It also stretches back in time, likely to the immense pleasure of hardcore fans as it fills in a few interesting historical tidbits. Even though I sometimes felt like Ivan would have been happier to hand this story over to anyone else, by not too far in he is as captivated as we are by those who need his help.

I smiled a lot during this book. If you have read your way through the Vorkosigan books to this point, there will be a number of familiar faces to enjoy – some in cameos, some with larger roles. I also really enjoyed the new characters – especially the leading lady Tej. Bujold has a knack for creating characters with a balance of flaws and appealing traits that blend into someone you expect you would like to meet in person.

The story has threads of both intrigue and romance. It didn’t have quite the breakneck pace of a Miles novel, but the story suits the characters and is captivating and entertaining.

Grover Gardner is still one of my most favorite audio book readers, and this is just another great example of his artistry. It is always clear who is speaking and his rhythm for the narration is clear and pleasing.

For those who keep track of such things, according to Bujold’s chronology, this book takes place before Cryoburn though it was published after it.

Bro Code for Parents: What to Expect When You’re Awesome

Authors: Barney Stinson and Matt Kuhn
Reader: Neil Patrick Harris (as Barney Stinson)

Extras: CD Version includes 81 page PDF including worksheets, song lyrics, and full color art.

Short Review:  Quick and amusing. Fans of the TV show How I Met Your Mother will be giggling. Neil Patrick Harris reading as Barney is basically a 2 hour standup riff on the agony and trauma of becoming a parent.

Long Review: I don’t know that I would have enjoyed this at all as a paper book. The joy here comes from the performance of Neil Patrick Harris as his How I Met Your Mother character Barney Stinson. If you don’t know the show, you might still be amused – but you will miss a lot of side jokes along the way.

This is short – 2 discs running about 2 hours – but it made a great soundtrack for a short road trip. It might make a good gift for new parents to be, if they have a sense of humor and know the character already. You MUST of course take it with a very large grain of salt (or a pound or two of salt!). One of my favorite bits is where the audio producer comes on speaks directly to the listener reminding them to not take anything Barney says as serious advice.

Neil Patrick Harris sings. He imitates various baby cries and explains their meaning. He puts on the Barney show from start to finish. Probably funnier for those who have been through parenting (or have watched friends go through it). I found myself wanting to replay particularly funny bits for friends – always a good sign.

The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1)

Author: Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith
Reader: James Marsters

Short Review: A well read interesting blend of airships, vampires, alternate history and a strong princess coming of age and discovering her strength.

Long Review: This is one of those books where you know early on that you are meant to root for the unlikely ‘bad guy’ hero and boo the shiny ‘good guy’ megalomaniac. While part of me felt a bit manipulated, the story was quite fun once I let go that I wanted it to be more inventive or surprising. James Marsters finds a way to pull you in with the voices and the pacing.

Part of me was holding a grudge for the cover art. I hate when the art doesn’t match my interpretation of the text or gives something away. But honestly, when I admitted that this was halfway to a romance novel I didn’t begrudge them their dashing couple on the cover. The fact that the female lead is strong, with hints of greater strength in her future, helped keep me interested as well.

The authors did a nice job creating an alternate history with their own version of vampires. I liked the steampunk touches in the form of airships, clothing and overall tone. There was also a dash of swashbuckling pirate flavor tossed in. As is often the case with the first book in what is known will be a series, a lot of this story lays the foundation for what I imagine must be on the way. I will say that this gave more time for character development and very vivid descriptions that give you a real sense of this alternate version of the year 2020.

James Marsters  did a great job. I am not sure I would have stuck with this book long enough to really get hooked if there hadn’t been a strong reader. Now I just have to wait for them to release the audio version of the sequel, The Rift Walker.

Seriously…I’m Kidding

Author: Ellen DeGeneres
Reader: Ellen DeGeneres

Short Review: Light and airy visit with the popular comedienne. Nothing too deep here, but it is fun to listen to Ellen share her upbeat cheerful thoughts and get a taste for her life beyond the public eye. Be prepared for some outright silliness.

Long Review: If you have seen Ellen DeGeneres doing standup or hosting her show, you have a good idea of what you are in for here. She is off the cuff, engaging, goofy and lighthearted. I gave this three and a half stars because it is not something I can imagine returning to – even though it did brighten the few afternoons I listened to it in the car. Clocking in at barely over three hours, this is a short happy ride of an audio adventure.

My favorite parts of this book are the little ‘behind the scenes’ tidbits she shares of her real life in the shadow of public moments. Parts of this are meandering thoughts, parts are closer to memoir. I haven’t read any of her other writing, so I can’t compare it to her other books. She does some fun things with the audio format, changing the text of some parts (to listener rather than reader for example) and even includes a short little chapter for her audiobook listeners.

I think this is one of those books that does better as an audio performance than it would on paper. Ellen clearly approaches this as a performance, and the audio book is all the better for it. If you like Ellen, you will likely enjoy this book. It would make for an easy cheerful afternoon.

Author: Veronica Roth
Reader: Emma Galvin

Short Review: Intense first-person YA tale with strong 16 year old female protagonist trying to find her place in a very complicated far future world. Fabulous reader, great story.

Long Review: ‘Divergent’ takes place in a future Chicago after some unnamed violence has dramatically reduced the population. As part of the process to broker peace, the remaining people divided themselves into five factions. Each is focused on what they believe is the key to peace. The Candor seeks total honesty, the Abnegation aim for total selflessness, the Dauntless value being brave and strong, the Amity strive for peace above all else, and the Erudite seek knowledge for answers.

Beatrice has just turned 16. She was born into Abnegation. Soon she will have to choose a faction to join for the rest of her life. This is not something that people discuss. It is a deeply personal decision – one which will make Beatrice choose between the faction of her birth and the strong feeling she has long had that she doesn’t belong. Leaving her faction means leaving her family. There is a saying that reflects the permanence of the choice: “Faction over blood”.

I really enjoyed both the story and the reader. It would have been easy for this book to be ruined by a reader who didn’t fit Beatrice. While Galvin’s voices for other characters are not as differentiated as I have heard from some other readers, she does a good enough job that you never are confused about who is speaking. The most important thing to me in the reading of this story is that Galvin’s choices for Beatrice’s inner voice are perfect. She sounds like a sixteen year old girl, but she sounds like a strong and fierce girl making hard choices and doing the best she can.

There are a number of other very interesting characters, none of which I will tell you about since I don’t want to spoil anything for you. Just trust me that there are others who you will follow anxiously, many who are more complex than they first appear.

Many people are saying that Divergent is like The Hunger Games. While I see the similarities (strong young girl in a dystopian future) I also see a number of major differences. Even though her word is constrained, Beatrice has more room to make choices for herself than Katniss ever does. While Katniss’s choice is one of self-sacrifice for others, Beatrice can and does make hard choices seeking to be true to herself. The biggest similarity I see between them is that once they make their hardest choices, they fight hard to survive and succeed. I suspect that if you liked The Hunger Games, you will enjoy Divergent.

This is just part one in a series. I look forward to see where Roth takes us. There are so many unanswered questions at the end of this book – but in a ‘I can’t wait to see what happens next’ kind of way rather than a ‘why didn’t she explain more’ kind of way. We make discoveries and learn about the world as Beatrice does. I appreciate the slow reveal and look forward to the rest of this great tale.

The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green
Reader: Kate Rudd

Extras: Q&A interview with the author.

Short Review: Heart-wrenching and uplifting roller coaster ride. Brilliant reader does justice to this amazing story.

Long Review: Hazel is 16 and she has cancer. This is her story. Life is different when you are young and dying faster than the average person. Hazel is alive thanks to a miracle tumor treatment. She has to tug an oxygen tank behind her everywhere she goes, even to the church basement for a Cancer Kids Support Group. Enter Augustus Waters, another ‘cancer kid’. A tall, handsome, funny cancer kid. The next thing Hazel knows she is starting to have the ‘teenage life’ her mother is always talking about.

Augustus and Hazel do lots of the things that a boy and a girl do when they are figuring out if they like each other. They talk about books. They play video games. They also do things most teens don’t – they deal with cancer and hospitals and their overprotective parents. On the other hand, I guess lots of teens have overprotective parents, so that one isn’t specific to their health.

The reader does a beautiful job bringing us Hazel’s story and giving voice to those in her life. It seems like getting a voice just right for a teenage girl is a challenge to many readers – but this is thankfully not the case here.

This book made me laugh out loud. It made me cry in public, forcing me to hide my tears while riding the subway to work. While there are definitely dark aspects to the story (cancer inherently brings that along), the overall sense is one of treasuring the moments and appreciating the world around you. I don’t know how to tell you anything else without getting into spoiler territory.

Audio sample available

Mockingjay (Hunger Games, Book 3)

Author: Suzanne Collins
Reader: Carolyn McCormick

WARNING: Have you read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire yet? No? Then stop and go listen to them (in order) before reading this review. There is NO way to even begin to describe this book without huge spoilers of the first two books.

Short Review: Intense, captivating final book in the Hunger Games trilogy. Lots of twists and turns lead us through this darkest chapter of the series. Action plus emotional turmoil make this a roller coaster ride. Satisfying conclusion for most, perhaps bleaker than some readers are expecting.

Long Review: The end of Catching Fire leaves us with Katniss rescued and being transported to District 13 while Peeta remains a captive of the Capitol. Mockingjay gives us a lot more information about both District 13 and the Capitol. Finally the veils are lifted so we can see the full scale of the rivalry between the two for control of Panem. All this is revealed as we watch Katniss put through the emotional wringer time and again.

For me, the beauty of this installment of the story is the contrast between Katniss’s personal struggle and the struggle of the resistance against the Capitol. I expect that most readers are chasing after this sequel to find out if Katniss ends up with Gale or Peeta – and those readers will have their questions answered clearly. For those who have been wondering at the bigger picture of Panem and how District 13 fits in – those readers should be satisfied as well.

Mockingjay makes a clear choice to focus on Panem as a society. We learn, along with Katniss, about the politics and the powers at play. I think it is a good thing that Collins is able to surprise the readers. I know that some who loved the first two books will be disappointed by the shift in tone and scale of the story – but I hope that most of you out there will enjoy it as much as I did. And don’t worry – there is still plenty of action and suspense.

As I have mentioned in my reviews of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire,  I donâ€t love McCormick as a reader – but after two volumes with her as a reader, her voice (and those she uses for the characters) is familiar. With another reader I suspect I would push this up to a 5 star rating.

Audio sample available.

Fire Will Fall

Author: Carol Plum-Ucci
Readers: Julia Whelan, Paul Michael Garcia, Eddie Lopez, Neil Shah, Kirby Heyborne and Tai Sammons

Short Review: More character driven (but still fairly suspenseful) sequel to Streams of Babel. Round robin of readers still pleasing.

Long Review: This sequel to Streams of Babel picks up shortly after the end of the prior story. I cannot review it without sharing some spoilers of the first story, so if you think that a post-9/11 suspenseful teen driven spy thriller sounds fun, go look at Streams of Babel.

For those of you who read the first book, Fire Will Fall starts with Cora, Scott, Owen and Rain (now known internationally as the ‘Trinity Four’) on their way to a secluded location to recuperate.

Shahzad and Tyler are also in their own recovery – but many miles away. The two v-spy computer geniuses just won’t let go. They are desperate to follow through and catch the bad guys who got away at the end of the last book.

The easiest thing to say is that we get another suspenseful mystery to solve with our overly clever teens who have the shadow of illness hanging over them. Plum-Ucci shares with us the emotions and fears and confusion of these teens, who in addition to dealing with normal teenage stuff (does he like me? should I call her?) spend a lot of time worrying that the people who tried to kill them might try again. In fact, they may already have killed them – just in slow motion.

I liked the first book a bit better, but this one was still worth the time for me. I like knowing what happens next to characters I care about, so this book succeeds at least on that front. The suspense is slightly lower, the action slower than in the first volume.  In fact, the author shares on her Amazon.com blog “I think of FIRE as more of a character piece..” – and that was very clear to me.

Shahzad and Tyler also get more airtime in this book than the last one. I will admit to having a large soft spot in my heart for Tyler – and this book gives him more room to try to harness his mania to save the day. I don’t have the skills to analyze the plausibility of Shahzad and Tyler’s computer hacking brilliance – but for me it wasn’t hard to just suspend disbelief for the v-spy details and stay around for the character development.

If your favorite thing about Streams of Babel was the suspenseful thriller and you don’t care much about the teen protagonists, then you should probably give this book a pass. If you are dying to know what happens next to the six teens from the last book, I think you will enjoy this book!