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House of Chains
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Midnight Tides
- Malazan Book of the Fallen Series, Book 5
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 31 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 77
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 75
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Story5 out of 5 stars 74
After decades of internecine warfare, the tribes of the Tiste Edur have at last united under the Warlock King of the Hiroth. There is peace - but it has been exacted at a terrible price: a pact made with a hidden power whose motives are at best suspect, at worst, deadly. To the south, the expansionist kingdom of Lether, eager to fulfill its long-prophesized renaissance as an Empire reborn, has enslved all its less-civilized neighbors with rapacious hunger. All, that is, save one - the Tiste Edur. And it must be only a matter of time before they too fall.
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5 out of 5 stars
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hilarious characters!
- By Dorothy Holt on 2018-10-16
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Memories of Ice
- Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 3
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 43 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 109
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 97
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Story5 out of 5 stars 95
The ravaged continent of Genabackis has given birth to a terrifying new empire: the Pannion Domin. Like a tide of corrupted blood, it seethes across the land, devouring all. In its path stands an uneasy alliance: Onearm’s army and Whiskeyjack’s Bridgeburners alongside their enemies of old - the forces of the Warlord Caladan Brood, Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii mages, and the Rhivi people of the plains. But ancient undead clans are also gathering; the T’lan Imass have risen.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic
- By Langer on 2019-02-22
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The Bonehunters
- The Malazan Book of the Fallen 6
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 42 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 12
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 12
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Story5 out of 5 stars 12
The Seven Cities Rebellion has been crushed. Sha'ik is dead. One last rebel force remains, holed up in the city of Y'Ghatan and under the fanatical command of Leoman of the Flails. The prospect of laying siege to this ancient fortress makes the battle-weary Malaz 14th Army uneasy. For it was here that the Empire's greatest champion, Dassem Ultor, was slain and a tide of Malazan blood spilled. A place of foreboding, its smell is of death. But elsewhere, agents of a far greater conflict have made their opening moves.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Reader Growing On Me
- By Langer on 2019-03-19
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Reaper's Gale
- The Malazan Book of the Fallen 7
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 43 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 8
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 8
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Story5 out of 5 stars 8
All is not well in the Letherii Empire. Rhulad Sengar, the Emperor of a Thousand Deaths, spirals into madness, surrounded by sycophants and agents of his Machiavellian chancellor, while the Letherii secret police conduct a campaign of terror against its own people. The Errant, once a farseeing god, is suddenly blind to the future. Conspiracies seethe throughout the palace, as the empire - driven by the corrupt and self-interested - edges ever closer to all-out war with the neighbouring kingdoms. And the great Edur fleet - its warriors selected from countless peoples - draws ever closer. Amongst them are Karsa Orlong and Icarium Lifestealer - each destined to cross blades with the Emperor himself. That yet more blood is to be spilled is inevitable....
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4 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic Writing but...
- By Langer on 2019-04-02
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Deadhouse Gates
- The Malazan Book of the Fallen 2
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 34 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 11
Weakened by events in Darujhistan, the Malazan Empire teeters on the brink of anarchy. In the vast dominion of Seven Cities, in the Holy Desert Raraku, the seer Sha'ik gathers an army around her in preparation for the long-prophesied uprising named the Whirlwind. Unprecedented in its size and savagery, it will embroil in one of the bloodiest conflicts it has ever known: a maelstrom of fanaticism and bloodlust that will shape destinies and give birth to legends....
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Toll the Hounds
- Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 8
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 44 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 62
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 57
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Story5 out of 5 stars 57
In Darujhistan, the city of blue blue fire, it is said that Love and Death shall arrive dancing. It is summer, and the heat is oppressive, but for the small, rotund man in the faded red waistcoat discomfiture is not just because of the sun. All is not well. Dire portents plague his nights and haunt the city streets like fiends of shadow. Assassins skulk in alleyways, but the quarry has turned, and the hunters become the hunted. Hidden hands pluck the strings of tyranny like a fell chorus.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Another great one
- By Darryl Antler on 2019-01-18
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Midnight Tides
- Malazan Book of the Fallen Series, Book 5
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 31 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 75
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 74
After decades of internecine warfare, the tribes of the Tiste Edur have at last united under the Warlock King of the Hiroth. There is peace - but it has been exacted at a terrible price: a pact made with a hidden power whose motives are at best suspect, at worst, deadly. To the south, the expansionist kingdom of Lether, eager to fulfill its long-prophesized renaissance as an Empire reborn, has enslved all its less-civilized neighbors with rapacious hunger. All, that is, save one - the Tiste Edur. And it must be only a matter of time before they too fall.
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5 out of 5 stars
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hilarious characters!
- By Dorothy Holt on 2018-10-16
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Memories of Ice
- Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 3
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 43 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 97
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 95
The ravaged continent of Genabackis has given birth to a terrifying new empire: the Pannion Domin. Like a tide of corrupted blood, it seethes across the land, devouring all. In its path stands an uneasy alliance: Onearm’s army and Whiskeyjack’s Bridgeburners alongside their enemies of old - the forces of the Warlord Caladan Brood, Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii mages, and the Rhivi people of the plains. But ancient undead clans are also gathering; the T’lan Imass have risen.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic
- By Langer on 2019-02-22
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The Bonehunters
- The Malazan Book of the Fallen 6
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 42 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 12
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 12
The Seven Cities Rebellion has been crushed. Sha'ik is dead. One last rebel force remains, holed up in the city of Y'Ghatan and under the fanatical command of Leoman of the Flails. The prospect of laying siege to this ancient fortress makes the battle-weary Malaz 14th Army uneasy. For it was here that the Empire's greatest champion, Dassem Ultor, was slain and a tide of Malazan blood spilled. A place of foreboding, its smell is of death. But elsewhere, agents of a far greater conflict have made their opening moves.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Reader Growing On Me
- By Langer on 2019-03-19
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Reaper's Gale
- The Malazan Book of the Fallen 7
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 43 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 8
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 8
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 8
All is not well in the Letherii Empire. Rhulad Sengar, the Emperor of a Thousand Deaths, spirals into madness, surrounded by sycophants and agents of his Machiavellian chancellor, while the Letherii secret police conduct a campaign of terror against its own people. The Errant, once a farseeing god, is suddenly blind to the future. Conspiracies seethe throughout the palace, as the empire - driven by the corrupt and self-interested - edges ever closer to all-out war with the neighbouring kingdoms. And the great Edur fleet - its warriors selected from countless peoples - draws ever closer. Amongst them are Karsa Orlong and Icarium Lifestealer - each destined to cross blades with the Emperor himself. That yet more blood is to be spilled is inevitable....
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4 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic Writing but...
- By Langer on 2019-04-02
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Deadhouse Gates
- The Malazan Book of the Fallen 2
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 34 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 11
Weakened by events in Darujhistan, the Malazan Empire teeters on the brink of anarchy. In the vast dominion of Seven Cities, in the Holy Desert Raraku, the seer Sha'ik gathers an army around her in preparation for the long-prophesied uprising named the Whirlwind. Unprecedented in its size and savagery, it will embroil in one of the bloodiest conflicts it has ever known: a maelstrom of fanaticism and bloodlust that will shape destinies and give birth to legends....
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Toll the Hounds
- Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 8
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 44 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 62
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 57
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Story5 out of 5 stars 57
In Darujhistan, the city of blue blue fire, it is said that Love and Death shall arrive dancing. It is summer, and the heat is oppressive, but for the small, rotund man in the faded red waistcoat discomfiture is not just because of the sun. All is not well. Dire portents plague his nights and haunt the city streets like fiends of shadow. Assassins skulk in alleyways, but the quarry has turned, and the hunters become the hunted. Hidden hands pluck the strings of tyranny like a fell chorus.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Another great one
- By Darryl Antler on 2019-01-18
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Dust of Dreams
- Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 9
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 43 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 56
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 48
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Story5 out of 5 stars 48
The fate awaiting the Bonehunters is one no soldier can prepare for, and one no mortal soul can withstand - the foe is uncertainty and the only weapon worth wielding is stubborn courage. In war everyone loses, and this brutal truth can be found in the eyes of every soldier in every world.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Nahruk! Great Novel
- By Langer on 2019-04-23
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The Crippled God
- Malazan Book of the Fallen Series, Book 10
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 45 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 60
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 56
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Story5 out of 5 stars 57
Savaged by the K'Chain Nah'Ruk, the Bonehunters march for Kolanse, where waits an unknown fate. Tormented by questions, the army totters on the edge of mutiny, but Adjunct Tavore will not relent. One final act remains, if it is in her power, if she can hold her army together, if the shaky allegiances she has forged can survive all that is to come. A woman with no gifts of magic, deemed plain, unprepossessing, displaying nothing to instill loyalty or confidence, Tavore Paran of House Paran means to challenge the gods - if her own troops don't kill her first.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic
- By Langer on 2019-05-11
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Gardens of the Moon
- The Malazan Book of the Fallen 1
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 26 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 27
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
Bled dry by interminable warfare, infighting and bloody confrontations with Lord Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, the vast, sprawling Malazan empire simmers with discontent. Even its imperial legions yearn for some respite. For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his Bridgeburners and for Tattersail, sole surviving sorceress of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, still holds out - and Empress Lasseen's ambition knows no bounds.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Intriguing Fantasy with great world building
- By Sean Hansen-Romu on 2019-11-12
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Night of Knives
- Novels of the Malazan Empire, Book 1
- Written by: Ian C. Esslemont
- Narrated by: John Banks
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 28
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 28
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 28
The small island of Malaz and its city gave the great empire its name, but now it is little more than a sleepy, backwater port. Tonight, however, things are different. Tonight the city is on edge, a hive of hurried, sometimes violent activity; its citizens bustle about, barring doors, shuttering windows, avoiding any stranger's stare. Because tonight there is to be a convergence, the once-in-a-generation appearance of a Shadow Moon - an occasion that threatens the good people of Malaz with demon hounds and other, darker things....
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Return of the Crimson Guard
- A Novel of the Malazan Empire
- Written by: Ian C Esslemont
- Narrated by: John Banks
- Length: 32 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 8
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Story5 out of 5 stars 8
The return of the mercenary company the Crimson Guard could not have come at a worse time for the Malazan Empire. Drained by constant warfare, betrayals and rivalries, many see the grip of Empress Laseen weakening. Conquered kingdoms and principalities test their old independence. Into this fermenting civil war on Quon Tali - the empire's homeland - comes the Guard and the ingrained memory of their vow of undying opposition to the existence of the empire.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Outstanding Fantasy Novel
- By Langer on 2019-03-13
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Forge of Darkness
- Kharkanas Trilogy, Book 1
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Daniel Philpott
- Length: 31 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 26
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 22
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 22
Forge of Darkness takes listeners to Kurald Galain, the warren of Darkness, and tells of a realm whose fate plays a crucial role in the fall of the Malazan Empire and surrounds one of the Malazan world’s most fascinating and powerful characters, Anomander Rake. It’s a conflicted time in Kurald Galain, where Mother Dark reigns above the Tiste people. But this ancient land was once home to many a power...and even death is not quite eternal. The commoners’ great hero, Vatha Urusander, longs for ascendency and Mother Dark’s hand in marriage, but she has taken another Consort, Lord Draconus.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Pretty good
- By Langer on 2019-05-20
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Stonewielder
- Novels of the Malazan Empire, Book 3
- Written by: Ian C. Esslemont
- Narrated by: John Banks
- Length: 26 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 15
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 14
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Story5 out of 5 stars 14
Greymane believed he'd outrun his past. With his school for swordsmanship in Falar, he was looking forward to a quiet life, although his colleague Kyle wasn't as enamored with life outside the mercenary company, the Crimson Guard. However, it seems it is not so easy for an ex-Fist of the Malazan Empire to disappear, especially one under sentence of death from that same Empire.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Esselmont's Best?
- By Langer on 2019-03-26
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Kellanved's Reach
- Path to Ascendancy, Book 3
- Written by: Ian C. Esslemont
- Narrated by: John Banks
- Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 10
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 10
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 9
The incessant war between the bickering city states of Quon Tali rages. So engrossed are the warring lords and princes in their own petty feuds that few notice that an upstart mage from Dal Hon has gained control of the southern seas. Kellanved could not care less about any of this petty politicking or strategy or war. Something other and altogether more mysterious has caught his attention and he - together with a reluctant and his decidedly skeptical friend Dancer - traverse continents and journey through the Realms.
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Deadhouse Landing
- A Novel of the Malazan Empire
- Written by: Ian C. Esslemont
- Narrated by: John Banks
- Length: 15 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 31
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
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Story5 out of 5 stars 32
After the disappointments in Li Heng, Dancer and Kellanved wash up on a small insignificant island named Malaz. Immediately, of course, Kellanved plans to take it over. To do so they join forces with a small band of Napans who have fled their home. However, Kellanved is soon distracted by a strange and dangerous ancient structure. Back in Li Heng, Dassem, now the proclaimed Sword of Hood, finds himself being blamed for a plague which leads him to a crisis of faith - and searching for answers.
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Fall of Light
- Kharkanas Trilogy, Book 2
- Written by: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 44 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 9
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 9
It's a conflicted time in Kurald Galain, the realm of Darkness, where Mother Dark reigns. But this ancient land was once home to many a power...and even death is not quite eternal. The commoners' great hero, Vatha Urusander, is being promoted by his followers to take Mother Dark's hand in marriage, but her Consort, Lord Draconus, stands in the way of such ambitions. The impending clash sends fissures throughout the realm.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great story, terrible pronunciation
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-10-09
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Orb Sceptre Throne
- Novels of the Malazan Empire, Book 4
- Written by: Ian C. Esslemont
- Narrated by: John Banks
- Length: 25 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 12
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 12
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12
Darujhistan, city of dreams, city of blue flames, is peaceful at last; its citizens free to return to politicking, bickering, trading and, above all, enjoying the good things in life. Yet there are those who will not allow the past to remain buried. A scholar digging in the plains stumbles across an ancient sealed vault. The merchant Humble Measure schemes to drive out the remaining Malazan invaders. And the surviving agents of a long-lost power are stirring, for they sense change and so, opportunity.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great chapter of the Malazan histories
- By Sally on 2019-06-26
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Dancer's Lament
- Path to Ascendancy, Book 1
- Written by: Ian C. Esslemont
- Narrated by: John Banks
- Length: 16 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 25
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
Esslemont's all-new prequel trilogy takes readers deeper into the politics and intrigue of the New York Times bestselling Malazan Empire. Dancer's Lament focuses on the genesis of the empire, and features Dancer, the skilled assassin, who, alongside the mage Kellanved, would found the Malazan empire.
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5 out of 5 stars
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does a great monster voice for ryllanderas!
- By Sarah on 2019-02-27
Audible Editor Reviews
Publisher's Summary
In Northern Genabackis, a raiding party of savage tribal warriors descends from the mountains into the southern flatlands. Their intention is to wreak havoc amongst the despised lowlanders, but for the one named Karsa Orlong, it marks the beginning of what will prove to be an extraordinary destiny.
Some years later, it is the aftermath of the Chain of Dogs. Tavore, the Adjunct to the Empress, has arrived in the last remaining Malazan stronghold of Seven Cities. New to command, she must hone 12,000 soldiers, mostly raw recruits but for a handful of veterans of Coltaine's legendary march, into a force capable of challenging the massed hordes of Sha'ik's Whirlwind, who lie in wait in the heart of the Holy Desert.
But waiting is never easy. The seer's warlords are locked into a power struggle that threatens the very soul of the rebellion, while Sha'ik herself suffers, haunted by the knowledge of her nemesis: her own sister, Tavore.
And so begins this awesome chapter in Steven Erikson's acclaimed Malazan Book of the Fallen.
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Hasan
- 2018-03-29
Different narrator
Still a amazing story but you’re better off reading them because the narrator really does a horrible job continuing on after the first 3 books. Not sure what was the reason behind the change but at least they could have tried to keep the pronunciations consistent with the first 3 books. Ruined a amazing experience
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dorothy Holt
- 2018-09-13
Malazan at its best!<br />
The desert claims a big toll. this book introduces Kara's Orlong....... WITNESS! the Malazans will never be the same!
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2019-09-14
Dive into perspective
Don’t discount this book until you have given it adequate time. Erikson is a master of writing from a particular characters perspective, and it takes seeing the world from a variety of these perspectives to get a true sense of what is going on. The growth of the “main” character here is fascinating and evident in his reactions to the people and events around him as his journey away from his homeland takes him deeper into the world.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Langer
- 2019-02-28
A great novel marred by bad narration
This is the Fourth in the Book Of The Fallen series. Fantastic story and introduces great characters like Karsa Orlong and Trull Sengar. Ralph Lister (reader of the first three books) is a far better narrator and this book would easily rate five stars but for the performance. Still, well worth reading
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joe
- 2013-12-25
New Narrator is a Bummer
If you’ve listened to books by Steven Erikson before, how does this one compare?
This fourth installment os more or less on par with the pervious three but it is getting kinda carried away. One of the main reasons I loved the first three books as much as I did was because while there were wildly powerful characters in the story, many more were normal people in the midst of extraordinary situations. In House of Chains most of the characters have near god-like powers and I think it is getting a touch extreme.
Any additional comments?
As has been noted in other reviews the new narrator leaves a lot to be desired. The new voices for old characters is pretty jarring, Quick-Ben, for example, sounds nothing like he did in the first three book and it is distracting. There are other voices as well that have been dramatically altered.
42 of 43 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Hal
- 2013-12-28
Ralph Lister is missed
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
Yes, but only in the sense that I want to continue with the Malazan series but do not have the time to read traditionally (I listen while commuting etc). While Page is competent, the memory of how vastly superior Ralph Lister was makes it difficult to enjoy the performance (as opposed to the book itself).
How did the narrator detract from the book?
It is a huge shame that Ralph Lister seems to no longer be narrating the books. While Michael Page is generally decent enough as a narrator, he simply doesn't have the range of voices, accents and intonations that Lister used. Admittedly, he makes an effort to distinguish characters (more than most narrators do), but he simply isn't as good as Lister. Lister's Kruppe will be missed!
What is also off-putting is that no effort seems to have been made to match pronunciation with the previous books. While I have no idea what led to the (very unfortunate for us readers) decision of letting Ralph Lister go, Michael Page should have acknowledged that he is picking up a series part way through and therefore should have made sure to maintain a consistent pronunciation. It is incredibly jarring to hear Page pronounce things in a manner which I (thanks to 3 gigantic books prior to this) think of as incorrect. Every time this happens I am brought out of the narration; constant interruptions to the flow of the narration like this make it difficult to enjoy the book. Unfortunately, with a book series like this with so many fictitious names and terms, it happens a great deal.
79 of 82 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Rylan
- 2015-02-09
No Brilliance in this audio
This is my first review which should give some clue as to how important it is for buyers, producers, and anyone having anything to do with this series.THE NARRATION BY MICHAEL PAGE IS TERRIBLE. I don't see why audio production companies are so geared towards ruining longer series. At the very least they could have made Page listen to Lister's narration so the names, titles, and places would sound the same as in the earlier books.
Even if he couldn't pull off close to the same voices as Lister he could have tried to make the characters sound like different people or beings. It is clear there was no effort put in to this production.
I am half way though the book and probably have twice the hours of the length of the book into it. Why?, you ask. Because of rewinding from confusion of who is who. Little difference in characters' voices make hard to know what is going on and that is a shame because this world is a complex and diverse world ruined by a bad narrator and producer. There is a reasons people listen to audio books and for me one of those is not having the time to pick up a book. I listen as I work or do chores and now I fear I will miss out on the rest of this series due to horrendous narration and oversight.
17 of 17 people found this review helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mike
- 2013-12-10
New Narrator ruins experience.
Malazan Book of the Fallen is one of the most complex Epic Fantasy series every written. I listened to book one, and book two, then book 3. When I listened to book three, everything clicked. I went back and listened to the series again from the beginning, and this vast world is amazing. Gods walking among men, warrens, magic.. I could go on and on.. Ralph Lister was amazing. And now we have Michael Page... Who I've never heard narrate before... And to be blunt, all his voices are the same voice, with different variances of 'grate' to it. And I couldn't concentrate on the book. I couldn't connect to the characters. I was sad to look on Brilliance Audio's website to see the rest of the 10 book series will be released over the next 3 years, and they all have this new narrator. I've never reviewed a book where I focused on the narration before, but wow. This world is too rich to go from someone who narrates a character like Fiddler with a very fast, witty voice... Then have the have the same character turn into a gruffy sounding soldier who just grunts.
I'm just... Disappointed.
80 of 84 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- J Hgar
- 2013-12-27
Write Brilliance Audio to get Ralph Lister back!
This book made me realize how spoiled I was by Ralph Lister with the first three books. Love this series so far but handing narration duties over to Michael Page was a big mistake. I'm not saying that Michael Page is a bad narrator, he does a wonderful job with the Locke Lamora series by Scott Lynch, he just is not the right guy for this series. They had the right guy, he read the first three books. Maybe it was a scheduling issue, but on the Brilliance Audio website it has Michael Page listed as the reader for the rest of the books in the series. Hopefully they come to their senses and switch back to Ralph Lister, if not I will probably be reading the rest of the series in print.
50 of 54 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- alexander
- 2014-02-13
Viewing a landscape through a keyhole.
What did you love best about House of Chains?
Erikson's ability to construct the rich and historically vast world that is unveiled to us through his endearing character's adventures is mastery.
What other book might you compare House of Chains to and why?
This is a parallel closest to the Deadhouse Gates in terms of timeline and the continent it mostly takes place on.
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Michael Page?
Absolutely change the narrator. Micheal Page tries but his range is too narrow to even attempt to pull this off. He mindless ploughs through the deadpan humor of the soldiers and doesn't grasp the subtle performance needed to breathe life into dialogue. He approaches every interaction from the same perspective and it unfortunately removes any identity from the characters whilst making the scenes seem repetitive. But Mr. Page is not to blame, Brilliance Audio gets an F for not recognizing that this was not a good match.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The scenes that would have moved me were lost in the abyss of the narration.
Any additional comments?
Huge fan of the series. Don't think I'll subject my beloved characters to anymore of this narration. If the plan was to release these over the next couple of years, its a stupid policy. Re-record these wonderful books and allow some life back into the story.
16 of 17 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2013-12-24
Story is Great, Narriation is Disappointing
Any additional comments?
I was introduced to this series through audible.com - as such I connected with these characters through the interpretive narration of Ralph Lister. I have to agree with other comments concerning the change of narrator. I think that had the series started with Michael Page - I may not be writing this review. But that is not the case - not only does the characterization of Fiddler, Sorry, and Cutter not match the mental picture I have of those characters - the pronunciation of certain words takes some getting use to (Felisin, Taverore, and Raraku). At this point, I am not certain I will continue with the remainder of this series - sorry Steven.
29 of 32 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- luke
- 2013-12-23
Narration is pretty bad
Would you try another book from Steven Erikson and/or Michael Page?
Steven erickson is great but Michael dosent do the series justice
What other book might you compare House of Chains to and why?
The other malazan books
How could the performance have been better?
If the narrater had been different
Could you see House of Chains being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?
Yes
Any additional comments?
The first 3 books were a great listen if you like big fantasy series and the naration was great. Michael page was not a good choice to replace R lister, the characters are a bit grey in a good way but lister brought them to life giving them each a uniqueness. Michael gives them all a similar drab voice along with severely different pronunciations. I found it hard to stay engaged in the story. The book is great just not brought to life as well as the first 3
16 of 18 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robert
- 2015-04-06
Michael Page -- Where epic fantasy goes to die...
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
The book is amazing. I thoroughly enjoy Steven Erikson's story telling. His characters are deep and evolve in a realistic and compelling fashion. His plots are big complex arcs of glimpsed experience that leaves my imagination exercised and my concentration tested.
What was one of the most memorable moments of House of Chains?
Karsa Orlong is the uberprotagonist. He's one of my favorite characters of Erikson's.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
I'm not sure how Michael Page still has a job doing readings. That may sound harsh but seriously, this guy phones it in. Did he even bother to listen to the previous books for an idea of what he was reading? You know, for some semblance of continuity? His reading is just jarring. His pronunciation of unique-to-the-world words is completely off in left field [soul-taken becomes soleytak'ken for instance]. Each one of his characters is COMPLETELY different from the previous books - so much so that it makes following dialogue almost impossible in some instances. Other instances, the voice he uses for bigger-than-life demigod types sounds like a tavern drunk… Its distracting to say the least.
Its the same crap he's pulled in other series when he comes in halfway through to wreck the experience (like when he follows Pacey and mangles Joe Abercrombie's Best Served Cold).
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
You probably just read it...
Any additional comments?
A message to Audible -- Start treating trilogies and series like single books and hire voice-over actors accordingly.
You wouldn't change voice-over actors halfway through "Gone With the Wind" so why is it OK to do it halfway through a trilogy series?!
Write up a contract for the life of the series instead of per book or whatever. I'm pretty hard on Michael Page above, but its probably more your fault or whomever contracts the voiceover work (after all, I really enjoyed The Gentlemen Bastard Sequence).
I know. You know. Michael Page knows. We can do better than this.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mike Hanby
- 2016-04-09
Narrator was so poor I Couldn't Follow the Story
What would have made House of Chains better?
They should have kept Ralph Lister as the narrator. The first three books were incredible on audio.
Michael Page does have a great voice, unfortunately every single character, male and female, sound the roughly the same. The Malazan books have so many characters that each having their own uniq voice is critical.
What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
I honestly can't say as I wasn't able to follow much of the book so the ending was full of gaps.
Would you be willing to try another one of Michael Page’s performances?
No, especially not a series as complex as the Malazon series.
Any additional comments?
I really wish I could justify getting the remainder of the series on Audible, but I can't with Michael Page as the reader. I guess I'll get the Kindle versions at some point when I have time to read such lengthy books.
Really really disappointed!
3 of 3 people found this review helpful