Why is it so good?
I recently listened to “A Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking” recently and I was NOT expecting YA fantasy fiction to go that hard on the subject of “heroism” being a term used to excuse the phenomenon of pushing people into dangerous jobs way too young to cover for the systemic failures and often outright corruption of existing power structures. I had a good few years experience in Healthcare beforehand but I graduated nursing school mid-covid and that book really spoke to me.
Somewhat coincidentally iirc it was actually released mid COVID as well, and I imagine had been worked on for years beforehand. So it’s interesting to me that the author picked up on the already existing manifestations of this phenomenon in a way that would speak so well to the epic clusterfuck that ultimately occurred.
I’ve been listening to the graphic audio versions of The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson.
I just finished listening to Joe Abercrombie’s First Law Trilogy. The narrator was fantastic. Probably the best I’ve listened.
11-22-63 by myself and The Hail Mary Project with my wife.
I just finished listening to all 14 Honor Harrington novels.
I’ve listened to 11-22-63 three or four times now, such a great book! I like most of Kings work though.
I loved 11-22-63. Reading Fairy Tale now.
Does the Hail Mary narration get better? I listened to a sample and the child’s voice in the beginning was like nails on a chalkboard to me.
Yeah, the children are only for setting some of the scene, but they come back for a few short (like less than 5 minute) scenes. The easiest solution is double speed, it is extremely listenable with that small change and well worth the effort.
I think the narration was great, the children just appear at the very beginning of the book
I’m listening to the Bobiverse again because the fifth book came out recently. The universe, pun intended, was really interesting and the entire idea of digital people is fun to think about while doing chores.
Seconded. Bobiverse is great to listen to while mowing the lawn or doing other mindless jobs.
Just finished book three myself and found myself really relating to the bobs and their feelings of loss.
Every time I relisten I a gutted around that point. Very impactful character development, such a painful loss to move through and explored so well. Honestly one of the most emotionally impactful novels I have read possibly because of how much I enjoyed the differing Bobs bouncing of each other and finding equilibrium. I’ve listened to the first 4 around 5 times through and book 5 twice now, honestly on the edge of my seat for book 6.
I’ve started reading the somewhat expansive Cosmere universe of books by Brandon Sanderson.
I like actually reading, but there is a LOT to get through, so I’m reading the series (a couple trilogies, a series of 5 books) in actual print, and listening to the standalone novels in the universe on audio.
It’s actually been a nice day to keep moving through all the different overlapping character lines. One particular character, who I’ll call H, spans the various worlds and stories often. It’s fun reading something about H in one book and then hearing him as the narrator or showing up as a character in the audio book I’m listening to later.
Check out the graphic audio versions!
Have fun! The cosmere is chefs kiss. I have listened to most of them now apart from a few standalones I need to visit and they are always outstanding!
The Lightbringer series by author Brent Weeks.
The type of “magic” in this fantasy series is unlike any other that I know of. Light can be split by some people into it’s individual colors, 1st book is The Black Prism, and those colors are able to be used/cast in a physical form with each color having specific properties and effects on the person that has the ability to use that color. Green is wild/free, red is anger/impulsive and so on. The prism, god chosen representative, is able to use all colors without limits. Murder, spies, politics, love, plot twists, magic…it’s got it all.
The reading is fairly easy and the story is easy to follow. This is, I think, the 4th time I am listening to the series. All of Brent Weeks books have been good…but something about this series is great.
It really made me start wondering how we can see infrared, ultraviolet and even the x ray light spectrums, but we have yet to do so in the microwave spectrum. It’d be awesome to see the world through such lens. Imagine being able to see through walls with WiFi and cell towers illuminating everything.
https://youtu.be/jibvu9BHV_k?si=Q80rb2tB_Cz0TdWM
Totally not book related but your comment made me think of it… Good episode on colors.
I’m currently listening to Livesuit by James SA Corey. It’s part of their new series that released this year called The Captives War. It’s a Novella/Interquel pretty typical of their release style.
It takes place in an incredibly unknowably distant future for humanity. We follow a squad of Livesuit infantry who have fused their bodies with technology to fight an unfathomable legion of alien conquerors. An enemy that has never lost a war then uses the best traits of conquered races to continue their war.
Why it’s so good is because the author(s) have an incredible way of describing people and the world they interact with. Images are vivd and believable. While being so alien, and futuristic Corey manages to write a world you can imagine yourself in.
Additionally, their novellas always take place in the same world, but are completely stand alone stories from the main series so the depth of world building is just… chef’s kiss
Both writers were originally working on writing RPGs and TTRPGs so their style just brings me back to sitting at a table with friends, some drinks and a Character Sheet for a hopeful lvl 3 wizard.
The narration of The Expanse audiobook series was really well done.
In a wonderful turn of events: Captive’s War is narrated by the cery same narrator!
Read the first book, wasn’t impressed yet, I think it’s just so different than the expanse.
Also not a lot of room for setting, they’re kind of stuck until the plot shifts. Overall depressing too.
Just read this. Was great. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Best audio book I’ve listened to… Dungeon Crawler Carl. Great story. Amazing audio book production.
God that series it’s so good, I love the growth the characters have and the voice actor is great.
Another amazing one is The wandering Inn. Similar genres and a fucking amazing voice actress. The world building is top notch and they do something that not a lot of books do, they account for time really well. Lots of series just sorta skim through and you find yourself not being sure what the time line looks like. It’s pretty easy to follow the time line in this.
There’s a podcast done by a well known Tolkien nerd in which he reads The Silmarillion and explains it along the way. I’ve been slowly making my way through it while driving to work and falling asleep.
My goodness, falling asleep while you drive is dangerous!
Well I always wake up where I’m meant to be. When that stops happening I’ll stop doing it.
Please share the podcast name! That sounds like something I’d enjoy.
Sorry, Bilbo. The name of the podcast on Spotify is simply, “reading and explaining the Silmarillion”.
You can’t introduce that without name dropping! I need a good long nerd fix
Sorry! The name of the podcast on Spotify is simply, “reading and explaining the Silmarillion”.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In.
A funny little romance as told from the point of view of the monster terrorizing a town. She tries her best to woo a human and actually is a pretty supportive partner. It’s so weird and I love it.
Dungeon Crawler Carl 4, The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matthew Dinniman. Its just good fun and the sound effects are amazing. Though I think Carl sounds too old for a 27 year old.
It has also been a good break after Pet Sematary by Stephen King.
I highly rate dungeon crawler Carl, the narrator (Jeff Hayes) is fantastic! The plot just keeps getting thicker, I hope you relish it as much as I did!
Hell yeah, I love DCC!
Just finished Adrian Tchaikovsky’s “Service Model”. It was excellent. But be warned, if you’re looking for military, adventure sci fi with snarky AI’s this will not be your cup of tea. The author takes on modern societal issues in the setting of post collapse human society. Yes, I’m aware of the dichotomy there.
If you do want snarky AI’s and adventure, then I recommend the following series:
“Backyard Starship” series. I think it’s up to book 17 so far and the quality of the books have stayed pretty consistent. The prequel series “The Peacemaker Wars” is also pretty good.
“Expeditionary Force” The quality does NOT stay consistent in this series and quite frankly, it’s not very well written. However, it’s like Lofthouse cookies, a lot of mediocre ingredients come together to make something great. I am a die hard fan of the series and highly recommend it if you want something that just removes you from reality for a while.
The audiobook I’m listening to currently is pretty good: “The beginning after the end”. But that’s not what I’m trying to convince you to hear.
Go listen or Read “Cradle” by Will Wight. That’s a probably a 9/10. I can’t recommend it enough.
Both are fantasy novels, where the main characters gradually get stronger in principle.
Also: Travis Baldree is the GOAT for reading books.
Light Bringer by Pierce Brown. It’s part of the Red Rising series and it’s awesome.
Not listening to it at the moment, but I listened-through my Alastair Reynolds audiobook collection recently.
Aside from the quality of the stories (love me some good hard sci-fi), all of the audiobooks were narrated by the same guy. Several of the books are part of a series, and the narrator did a pretty good job, though not perfect, of using the same voices between books for all of the recurring characters.
