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  • The Book of Koli

  • Written by: M. R. Carey
  • Narrated by: Theo Solomon
  • Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (55 ratings)

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The Book of Koli

Written by: M. R. Carey
Narrated by: Theo Solomon
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Publisher's Summary

"A captivating start to what promises to be an epic post-apocalyptic fable" (Kirkus), The Book of Koli is the unforgettable story of a young boy struggling to find his place in a world where nature itself has turned against humanity.

Everything that lives hates us....

Beyond the walls of the small village of Mythen Rood lies an unrecognizable landscape. A place where overgrown forests are filled with choker trees and deadly seeds that will kill you where you stand. And if they don't get you, one of the dangerous shunned men will. 

Koli has lived in Mythen Rood his entire life. He believes the first rule of survival is that you don't venture too far beyond the walls. 

He's wrong. 

For more from M. R. Carey, check out:

  • The Girl with All the Gifts
  • Fellside
  • The Boy on the Bridge
  • Someone like Me

By the same author, writing as Mike Carey:

  • The Devil You Know
  • Vicious Circle
  • Dead Men's Boots
  • Thicker Than Water
  • The Naming of the Beasts
©2020 M. R. Carey (P)2020 Hachette Audio

What the critics say

"A thought-provoking and deeply engaging story...profoundly and doggedly humane." (C. A. Fletcher on The Book of Koli)

"[A] beautiful book. Gripping, engaging, and absolutely worth the time it takes to burrow yourself into its reality. I can't recommend it highly enough." (Seanan McGuire on The Book of Koli)

"The cadence and pacing of [Koli's] voice adds a depth and richness to the strange and malevolent world." (Booklist on The Book of Koli)

What listeners say about The Book of Koli

Average Customer Ratings
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story and Narrating

Enjoyable and great listening, can't wait for the next book. first time listening to this narrator and I really enjoyed it

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely Brilliant

This audiobook ticks all the boxes on my checklist:

- Clever, original premise
- Likeable and relatable characters
- Thoughtful character development
- Excellent use of voice (which is enhanced considerably by outstanding narration)
- Good plot/pacing/progression
- Lots of food for thought (social commentary and exploration of our relationships with nature, technology, and one another)
- Probably some other stuff I'm forgetting

I just finished my second listen (since books 2 and 3 hadn't yet been released when I listened for the first time and I needed/wanted a refresher), and I was no less impressed after listening to it over again. Just an all-around phenomenal audiobook. Can't wait to dive into the next two!

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent

It was excellent. I found myself thinking about Koli during the day and the world that he lived in. Definitely can't wait to read the second one!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent

I loved this book. It’s an exploration of a dystopia but also an exploration of soul, connection, and knowing. Was a joy to listen to and flew by

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Theo Solomon is incredible!

First book I’ve listened to with his narration but I’m now on a hunt for more.
Great book which gives me Stephen King - Dark Tower vibes. Just bought the next one to listen to.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

scary future ...another to contemplate

scary future ...another to contemplate ..dystopian society much like other books and films but in a way I never read

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  • Charles Elmore
  • 2020-04-22

A Very Special Book

Okay, so you've already read "The Girl with All the Gifts" and its sequel, and now you're ready for the next installment. Well, a couple of things....First, and most obvious, that doesn't exist (unfortunately). "The Book of Koli" has nothing at all to do with the broken down, hungry-ridden world that you're used to although it does have some things in common with those books in that each are post-apocalyptic tales with young protagonists at their center, but they are different in tone, setting, and in just about every other way imaginable. Second, although the description talks about "choker trees" and "shunned men," none of that really is the focus, here, in my opinion, so you may be a bit confused by what you find here as the tale unfolds. But don't let that stop you. This book is worth your time, and if you enjoyed the zombie tales mentioned above, you will find this book of similar quality. But different.

To give you an idea without spoiling anything for you, imagine for a moment a post-apocalyptic world where said apocalypse happened a really, really...really long time ago, so long ago, in fact, that the current generation has no understanding of what the world was like before it fell apart. We're talking about a world where even though, yes, it's the future, for all practical purposes, it may as well be the dark ages. And yet...it isn't the past, and so many artifacts of the "world that was lost" remain. Some of these artifacts turn out to be things that can be used as weapons even if that wasn't what they were originally designed for, but not everybody would have a clue how to harness this power. Only those who can unlock their ancient secrets, such as how to turn the darn things on (and what an "on-switch" is for that matter) can get any use out of them. To everybody else, something like a remote-controlled drone will seem like some kind of high-level magic, and those who control the devices will seem like mighty wizards.

Of course, the wielder of such powerful old-world devices would be motivated to hide the truth about how the devices actually work since even low-level, leftover technology could elevate its user to a high status position of power. All of this goes to say that although this book is very different from what you might be used to, it's still a great read...um, listen. The narrator's low-key performance is completely believable and , since the book is written in first person, the whole listening experience hinges on this. I'd say that he pulls it off admirably. When the story's over, you'll be wanting more.

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206 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Jacki
  • 2020-07-27

Started off ehhhh but it's amazing!

I really couldn't get into this at first, like others have mentioned it started off reading like a YA novel. I even returned it only to buy it back again, after seeing so many good reviews and being a fan of Carey's other novels. I'm so glad I did, it really takes off after about chapter 15 and the beginning really does set the context for the world Koli lives in. I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book. Carey truly is a master storyteller, he does this beautifully and seemingly without effort. I can't wait to listen to book 2!

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57 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Anonymous User
  • 2020-04-23

A good listen

I really enjoyed m.r. Carey’s first few books. I didn’t love his last book, but part of that was that I didn’t love the narrators voice, so not completely fair to Carey.
This book took me a second to get into. The concept is interesting. I like post apocalyptic stories, and have often wondered what the world would look like post post apocalyptia.
The world in this story doesn’t really do that much to set itself apart from other fictional worlds like it, but the character is believable and the story is interesting enough.

The writing is a bit affected, the way that a lot of sci-fi fantasy is. Usually this rubs me the wrong way, but after I got used to it, I actually found it kind of interesting.

The narrator has a very easy to listen to voice and cadence. The only complaint I have is a Japanese character. I’m not fluent in Japanese but I know enough to be comfortable with the phonetics, and good god it was grating whenever that character talked. Reminded me of Jar-Jar binks.

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34 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • MCme
  • 2020-04-22

a promising beginning

Carey has a way of taking something comforting and normal, like trees or mushrooms, and turning them into something truly terrifying. I'm a big fan of Carey and was very excited when I heard of this upcoming trilogy.

Fom the start, his world is massively engaging. I love the references to the "ancient tech" and all the musical components. The futuristic grammar. all great.

Theo's narration is excellent. I love listening to his voice, and felt that it perfectly represented Koli.

I'm excited for the next installment.

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25 people found this helpful

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  • Brian Bearden
  • 2020-07-09

Superb write and the best narration I’ve ever heard

I listen to audible books a lot, at least a book a week. Theo Solomon narration is the best I’ve ever heard, truly perfection. M.R. Carey doesn’t disappoint, story is beautiful , the world he creates is believable and fascinating. Can not wait for the next in series.

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23 people found this helpful

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  • R. Taylor
  • 2020-07-11

Carey can't write fast enough!

One of my all time favorite story tellers does it again! Really enjoyed all aspects of this book. The reader is a joy to listen to.
This is one of those books that you think might be shallow but gets deeper and deeper as you go. It is as expected at times but that is because it is following a classic story line of the hero. Listen for the deeper message.

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15 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Estela
  • 2020-09-12

Last half just comes apart

Story was well constructed and well conceived for the first half or so, and then it seemed to me the author started taking short cuts and getting cute, and the story just fell apart into a Lifetime TV feel good mode. None of the grit of the first half. I had to go back to the Audible site to see the book category to see if I had fallen into that familiar YA trap. It was obviously, at least to me, a rickety bridge to the second book of the trilogy. Or worse, the publisher forced a deadline. No more flesh eating plants or nasty animals, just a vulnerable bratty girl with daddy issues.

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9 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Marie Brundage
  • 2020-09-01

CHARACTERS!!+DYSTOPIAN WORLBUILDING!+ NARRATION!+

ALLLL AMAZING. I WAS SUCKED IN IMMEDIATELY IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND I SIMPLY COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.

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8 people found this helpful

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  • Stephanie Espinoza
  • 2020-05-21

great adventure

loved this story and the narrator is the best I've ever heard. Cannot wait for the next two installments.

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8 people found this helpful

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  • John D. Lorbiecke
  • 2020-05-05

Fantastic!

Loved it! Amazing story with a phenomenal reader! I can't wait to read/hear part two!

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8 people found this helpful