Keep them coming!

Just finished listening to this (and started the next!).
For those of you liking epic fantasy, this is a must! From looking at reviews, it seems to be Steven’s first fantasy book, but it reads like he’s been around for ages, it’s fantastic and without all the usual cliches that often come with this genre. Keeps you guessing right until the end without stretching things out with the transparent naivety of characters.
Di Croft does a fantastic job with the narrating too: I love it when I find a narrator that reads the way I feel it should sound in my head with all the pauses and stresses in the ‘right’ place! She does a great job of creating atmosphere and tension where needed too! Can’t recommend this enough!
This is a freely given review of a review copy of the book.

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Narrator and Author: A Match Made In Heaven

What did you like most about The Heir to the North?

I loved the traditional storytelling feel to the book

Who was your favorite character and why?

Cassia, by a long shot.

She's a girl who's had a rough time of it and has spent her life being convinced she won't amount to anything. She's taken it graciously enough but now she's finding her own worth and making her own way in the world.

Have you listened to any of Diana Croft’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I've heard her performance in Ashes by Philip Hemplow, this one has a much wider array of characters and accents which really lets her show off her talents. I was really impressed!

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

'Things are not as they seem'

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The North will rise again!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes! The performance is top notch, with each character's voice distinct and clear as well as full of life. The story is packed with intrigue, mystery, action and more.

What did you like best about this story?

Don't be fooled by the seemingly standard epic fantasy you might think this is. Heir to the North is a surprising and beautifully crafted book that will no doubt stand apart from the crowd if enough people give it the chance it deserves.

There's much to be said about this book. A story about stories. There's a lot being done with the idea of how powerful a story can be, with how they can affect one's outlook on the world, and with how they can twist the choices people make. There's subtlety, depth, and areal sense that the author has spent long and hard crafting each and every tale into this larger tale.

Overall, this is a grand adventure and fully deserving of your attention

What about Diana Croft’s performance did you like?

Diana Croft has so much talent! This is a brilliant performance. Stunning, emotional, and dripping with depth.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wish I could have listened to it in one sitting!

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Epic fantasy

What made the experience of listening to The Heir to the North the most enjoyable?

A very likeable main character thrown into exotic locations and a world brimming with magic, politics, intrigue armies of ghosts. Brilliant!

What other book might you compare The Heir to the North to, and why?

Think of your favourite high fantasy series. Think of the first novel. This is it.

Which character – as performed by Diana Croft – was your favourite?

Cassia, our young heroine, is a great main character and by far my favourite. Although who doesn't like a sarcastic dragon!? We have some great characters in the book but the main character steals the show for me.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There's plenty going for this book and I hate spoilers so lets go for a simple statement. It's great. Cassia's journey with a great cast of interesting characters takes us on a journey. It twists and turns and the end which sets us up for the next instalment was great. Really good!

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom dot com.

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Wow! What A Book!

What made the experience of listening to The Heir to the North the most enjoyable?

This was fantastic. The narration gripped me from the off, and I utterly loved the story. I can't wait for the 2nd book!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Heir to the North?

The twist at the end ;)

What about Diana Croft’s performance did you like?

Her pacing, clear speech and use of emotions and accents

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Leads you along without effortless grace

Great listen, the narrator brings the story alive. In my mind I could see the courtyards, the mist rolling in. Its one of those books that you could see being made into a mini series along the lines of Merlin.

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom dot com

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The Heir to the North

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.

I think I should start by saying that I'm glad this was an audiobook. Had it been a physical book, I never would have reached the end. There are a lot of positives - I liked the story of a young woman setting out to make her name as a storyteller and encountering the usual sorcerers, dragons, curses etc, one might expect to find in a fantasy novel, and also encountering the usual sexism women have always had to battle. In this respect the ending was gratifying too.

It was the narration that kept me listening. Diana Crofts talents for dramatisation, accents and scene setting lent the book the excitement it needed to keep a reader involved. Her portrayal of Cassia as a naive young woman, unsure of her allegiances, working through feelings of abandonment, betrayal, loyalty and love, was beautifully performed and I was impressed by the range of accents and voices - mostly male - that she was able to bring to the book.

What I had issues with was the flow of the story, it lacked an even pace...hard to describe but at times it felt terribly slow then I found some of the action scenes hard to follow, over too quickly to make sense of the meaning the author was trying to convey. I'm not sure I will bother with part two as I don't really care what happens.

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