Is this read by text-to-speech software?

I can't honestly believe how terrible terrible terrible the narrator is. It's like having a book read by a text-to-speech software.
I had to find a physical copy the book in order to finish it and it is a good book but the narration is appalling beyond words. How can this person get work as a narrator it's a huge mystery! A real shame, as I suffer from severe migraines which affect my vision and I rely on audiobooks for 'reading'

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Astonishingly good!

The story was brilliant and thoroughly enjoyable and all the characters were so interesting. I thought the sci-fi technology aspects were very cleverly and thoughtfully done and the cultural elements were really rich as well. The author created a fascinating world and described it so poetically. I can't wait for the next installment! It was read very well so that the characters were easy to distinguish and the emotion came through very powerfully. It is good to see sci-fi with such a strong cast of believable female characters leading the story. It had plenty of intrigue, politics, action, suspense and surprises!

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9 people found this helpful

Excessively descriptive.

I don’t mind slow drama, but the story unfolds too slowly for me and the naming conventions for people and places is a distraction.

Description feels like it gets in the way of feeling empathy for the main characters.

The narrator doesn’t feel invested in the story, though oration style is a personal thing.

Either way, after 5 hours, or a third of the book - I’ve had to return the audiobook.

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A brilliant, original story

This took no time at all for me to finish, I could barely put it down. The world, the characters, the plot, all great - complex, but not too much to get bogged down, and fast-paced without feeling rushed.

I had no issue with the narration as some reviews have mentioned. I felt the tone fit the sci-fi theme of the text and also the emotionless culture of Texcalaan. This also allowed characters to speak notably in a foreign or emotional way in comparison, so it really worked for thr story in my opinion.

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Exceptional start to this space opera series

Really superb and on par with recent greats like ancillary justice, the expanse series.

Features palace intrigue and politics, contains several surprises and a small bit of romance.

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poor narration

what seems like a good story is difficult to follow due to the poor narration.

as said by other reviers; sounds too much like siri with weird inflections and keeps. missing the end of. her sentences.

too little variation in different characters' voices makes it hard to tell who's talking.

Really have to concentrate to try to follow the story which is not what I want from an audiobook.

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Engaging and well narrated

A number of reviews I read criticised the narration of this book. I was concerned about that so listened to sample first and heard no issues. Having listened to the whole book I’m puzzled about different perceptions of what we hear. What was to me a coolly narrated story, but still expressive with each character having their own voice, was to others quite mechanical. I can only suggest that if you are concerned you too listen to a sample.

As far as the story itself was concerned; after the initial impression of information overload I was drawn in and definitely would want to read any sequels, which I’m sure will be forthcoming, there being a number of threads left loose to be picked up later without damaging the plot of this book. Two societies are shown ,but the space station society is only seen in its role as a contrast to the planet base empire. Will we see more of it next time, or learn more of the city’s algorithm?

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mediocre

Lots of reviews slating the readers performance, it's not that bad but it's pretty poor and certainly detracts from the story.

The story itself is fine, far from great but not terrible. There's lots of telling and not much showing. The characterisation is solid but not any more than that. The fact that this book won awards tells you all you need to know about book awards. In fairness it's reasonably well paced and there are a few interesting concept in play. Hold this up next to a Dan Abnett, China Mieville or M. John Harrison work however and it just feels dull and inconsequential.

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1 person found this helpful

An enthralling world

Quite simply put, this book presents a rich and complex world with such elegance that the very tools used to describe it are praise worthy. The plot is relentless and flows smoothly from political machinations to peril and back again. The characters are bright and engaging. Epigraphs of media at the start of chapters tells the story of two worlds. All quite excellent.

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Engaging and expansive

A tapestry intricate and interesting woven with speed and depth.
Narration allows for an immersive listening and the story keeps me there.

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