William's Book Blog
Mostly book reviews. Very rarely I'll allow William Campbell Powell (author) to write a blog entry on publishing activity, but he's under orders to keep that stuff over on his Facebook page and on http://williamcampbellpowell.com
Currently reading
Wild Seed winnowed from my collection
DNF - and worse. Returned for refund.
Most of this has already been said in my interim post. I did a quick review on Audible.co.uk - this is the gist:
If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?
I think the book's flaws transcend personal taste, though I can see that other reviewers didn't always even perceive the flaws that so irritated me.
What will your next listen be?
Iain M Banks, Excession, narrated by the excellent Peter Kenny. Already bought and waiting to go.
What do you think the narrator could have done better?
Every sentence was read with almost identical cadence - it became truly irritating very quickly. Yes, Dion Graham has a very pleasant vocal timbre, but unless he learns to inject variety of emphasis, he's not doing the book a service.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Apathy - The author failed to give me a reason to care for either of the protagonists in the first hour of listening. They were two spoilt immortals engaging in selfish dominance games.
Any additional comments?
Too much infodumping and didactic exposition. The author has forgotten about showing rather than telling.
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