One of the narrators was awful

Would have given it 5 stars if fourth narrator hadn't been quite so jarringly poor at accents.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Superb, thought provoking and original

I’m not usually enamoured by fantasy or sci-fi, but this was a great blend of human stories, geo-political and ecological food for thought, adventure and great characters, all woven together very cleverly. My only criticism was the switching of key characters’ voices, as different narrators took over for different stages in the chronology of the story. The main protagonist became almost unlistenable at one point, but the credibility of the writing allowed me to hear past that relatively minor niggle!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Epic adventure, fantasy that comes to life

I usually struggle with the fantasy genre, I find it hard to get into and prefer gritty real life novels. This book managed to be gritty and realistic, whilst also magically fantastical at the same time.

We follow Holly through her teens to her seventies, told in 6 parts spanning different times in Holly's life, with 5 different narrators (Holly herself being both the first and the last). The first part of the book was so utterly relatable that my intrigue kept me hooked through the rest of the book. It was really exciting to see where it was going and how it would come together in the end.

I listened to it in part on audiobook and 5 of the 6 voice artists were wonderful. Sadly the 5th narrator (voicing the largest section of the book) didn't gel with me at all, and I took the advice of another listener's review and bought the paperback to get through that part. I'm glad that narrator didn't come earlier or else I might have given up entirely. The others were excellent though, and I thoroughly enjoyed their performances.

5* for this epic adventure that made my cynical heart believe in a little bit of magic

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

rivetting

I loved the story. a mixture of romance, sci-fi and sociopolitical. narrators were excellent. I listened to it for hours on end each day

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A fantasy book that is so good you don’t realise it is!

This would be a fantastic book without the fantasy aspects. The story is so engaging and well written you forgot that there’s an underlying aspect which doesn’t truly come into play until the final part.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

The best book i have ever listened to on Audible

David Mitchell is a great writer but the narrators are outstanding, they slip into different characters and different accents . I could be listening to a play its so good. I don’t think i have ever listened to an audible book that has been this gripping and it really isn’t just the plot and the writing its the actors/narrators who do an amazing job of telling the story, its absolutely gripping

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Loved this book

This story caught me and kept me prisoner the whole way through . It’s a long listen and it kept my attention from start to finish . A really good story very well told . One very very small point is that the second narrator ( Hugo lamb) seemed to be using heavy breathing as an expressive technique . I don’t want to hear the breaths and it really irritated me . But stick with it as it’s only a small section and overall didn’t stop me listening.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

outstanding

second time reading (listening) to this book. my core beliefs have shifted. david Mitchell is a genius

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

this book is everything that the reviws say it is

what a trip. a well written story, that will keep you on the edge of your seat, tgroughout. Begining with a loss, I was unsure where this story would take me. Holly is well written, and the challenges or her life, and the people she meets along the way wi have you gripped. I finished this book longing for more.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Brilliantly woven across time

This book amazed me. Beautifully told over many years, the past and the future. Interweaving the characters through mundane and fantastic stories. Loved Holly Sykes, so very human in amongst a world of magic and real monsters. I do wish I hadn’t read Slade House first but hey, it’s all good now. Loved it!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!