Liked the series but....

Really loved the story premise but hoped they would bring back the first narrator...but they stayed with the second and, while she has a pretty voice, her "acting" is very limited. The narrator has such a huge impact on how the story is viewed, and it becomes difficult to separate the two.....

22 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

A YA Mystery that Isn't... Quite

Would you try another book from Susan Elia MacNeal and/or Susan Duerden?

Probably not.

Has His Majesty's Hope turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. This series just doesn't measure up.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrator has a pleasant voice, and does accents well. If she wanted to imitate a German accent, though, she should have researched it a bit better. Her "German" comes across a bit too much like what you'd hear in a cartoon. A little too much V for W and little else that sounds German. Her narration tends to have a sing song quality that could be improved on.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from His Majesty's Hope?

The decision to include a PG sex scene was awkward and didn't fit. This series seems to be aimed at YA, and the sex neither added to the characterization nor moved the plot along.

Any additional comments?

The author has obviously done a lot of research on swing dance and jazz. She includes too much, though. Describing a swing dance would be fine, and in keeping with the book... Including a long list of dance moves was out of place.

The book doesn't seem to be able to decide what audience is wanted. The writing style and characterization is more Young Adult than adult, but the author includes a homosexual character and his affairs as well as an awkward sex scene. Sex can be included in YA if it is handled properly, but this scene comes across as awkward and self conscious.

The characterization and action remind me of the Nancy Drew books I read as a child. I have read three by this author, because I hoped the awkwardness of the first one might have been a fluke. The author writes smooth, easy to read prose, but the characters are rather flat and the plot is very predictable.

12 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Narrator.She doesnt end sentences & is breathy

Would you consider the audio edition of His Majesty's Hope to be better than the print version?

Yes. The narrator does not complete sentences as one would expect to have a fullstop at the end of a sentence. She draws out the last word of a sentence and seems to be "breathy". I almost stopped listening because of the monotonous narrator

How did the narrator detract from the book?

She was monotonous and boring.

Who was the most memorable character of His Majesty's Hope and why?

Maggie. Heroine

Any additional comments?

A narrator should make you believe that you are watching a movie. This narrator made me want to switch off audible and watch a movie

9 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

A good book ruined by bad narration

What would have made His Majesty's Hope better?

The narration for this Maggie Hope book was really awful. I will not be listening to anymore by this reader.

5 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Seems to be meant for young people

I enjoyed the first 2 of the series, but this one seemed too juvenile, with the adult characters one-dimensional and mean. The narrator didn't bother me as much as it did others. It was all part of the slightly cartoonish approach. I'll be skipping the rest of the series.

4 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Great series!

I love this series and want to listen to each book as long as it lasts. The story line is a good one, and the historical bits are interesting. I am not sure though that I will be able to listen to another book narrated by Susan Duerden. PLEASE return to the original reader!

4 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Engrossing story that stretches one’s imagination.

History and fiction work well to give the reader a better understanding of actual events and or eras. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I am on to the next Maggie Hope Mystery in this series. I only hope that the multifaceted relationships and unbelievable coincidences do not continue at levels my mind rejects as impossible to believe.

2 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Nazis were not as naive as portrayed

I enjoyed the first two of the series, but I did not enjoy the exaggerated ease with which the main character tricks high-ranking nazis. If they were half as naive as portrayed in this book, WW2 would have ended in a few weeks. I listened until the end, partly hoping the plot might improve, but primarily because I enjoyed the performance.

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

Maggie's "successes" seem accidental...

...not a result of her skills. In fact, she's borderline hysterical at times. Rather odd for a MI5 agent. Wish the author would grow her up.

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

Maggie is losing her charm

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I'm not sure what I'd change about the book, other than not dragging out the ending by multiple chapters. I wish I'd read it instead of listening. It may have made my opinion more positive.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes and no. There were parts of "oh no is she going to get caught?" that could be intense. But there was also a lot of Maggie just being Maggie, impulsive and reckless to the point of near silliness. The story was quite serious so that didn't really fit. Some parts were simply like watching a predictable train wreck.

How could the performance have been better?

The narration, sadly, was plagued by some of my worst pet peeves. There was hardly any differentiation between the male characters. Almost all of them sounded like they had laryngitis, or like they were trying to do a smarmy Mae West impression. It was really hard to tell them apart, and made their characters boring. Also, I can't stand sing-songy B-roll (the stuff in between the actual dialog). Like she's reading on a roller coaster or badly reciting poetry. Kinda made me mentally motion sick listening to it. It also sounded like she was spitting at the end of emotional sentences. I hope the reader improves on those things, but I think I will start reading the books on my kindle rather than listening to her again. On the plus side, her portrayal of Maggie was good.

Do you think His Majesty's Hope needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

YES! So many of the characters had stories that were hanging in the air, and Maggie had a lot of unresolved personal issues and relationships. Melodramatically so. If nothing else, one more book to wrap everything up.

1 personne a trouvé cela utile