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Archive for Simon Vance

His Majesty's Dragon cover

Review: His Majesty’s Dragon

By Jan
 on August 15, 2016

His Majesty's Dragon cover

“His Majesty’s Dragon”
Author: Naomi Novik;
Genre: Fantasy;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Simon Vance;
Publisher: Books on Tape (2007).

I’ve had this book on my TBR list for quite a while. My husband is a big fan of the seagoing adventure books of the time period (Patrick O’Brian, C. S. Forester, etc.) and I’ve read a few myself. As a fantasy reader, I thought this would be a great combination, and I was correct. When I saw the narrator was Simon Vance, it was a no-brainer.

The story: During the Napoleonic Wars, a British warship captained by Will Laurence captures a French frigate. The frigate’s prized cargo is a dragon egg, a rare and valuable commodity. Dragons are used as a kind of air force in this alternate universe, and when they hatch, they bond with a human for life. Will becomes the unwilling partner to the young dragon, whom he names Temeraire, and they must leave the Royal Navy for training in the Aerial Corps to learn to defend England from the skies. Book 1 in the Temeraire series.

Ms. Novik is a talented writer and certainly knows the time period. The dialogue was wonderful and sounded authentic to my 21st-century ears. The women in the story were plainly ahead of their time (ahem), and although that seemed anomalous, this is fantasy, after all!

The story itself was handled very well and moved along at a fine pace until we got to the training. I felt it dragged somewhat in the middle of the book. There were quite a few characters to contend with and some didn’t have much depth, but perhaps these will be further explored in a future volume.

I would like to know more about how the characters are feeling, not just acting, and I believe this was somewhat lacking. A few points were belabored, such as that Will Laurence was honorable and cared for Temeraire, and that Temeraire was special for some reason; Those were obvious and didn’t need to be repeated and/or proven so many times, in my opinion.

Meanwhile, Simon Vance did his usual exemplary work with characterizations and accents. Coupled with the fine writing, there was never a time that I didn’t understand who was speaking or what was intended.

I am looking forward to the next book and have already procured it. I’ve also talked my husband into trying this one (in paperback, no less) and am interested in the results of his read.

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Fantasy Tagged with audiobook, Simon Vance
Dust and Shadow cover

Review: Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson

By Jan
 on November 12, 2015

Dust and Shadow coverDust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson
Written by: Lyndsay Faye;
Narrated by: Simon Vance;
Format: Audiobook.

A pastiche of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, this one takes place in 1888 London. The mystery, of course, is Jack the Ripper and the horrible murders that shocked and frightened Victorian England.

Faye has a wonderful talent for writing in the style of Conan Doyle. Other than a few instances of (humorous) sarcasm, I felt like I was reading/listening to an original. Holmes and Watson are true to type. The language is entirely authentic (to my knowledge) and includes rich descriptions and dialog from the voice of Dr. Watson.

The mystery, although well-known by most, is given new life by characterizing Sherlock Holmes as the fallible but tenacious pursuer. His frustration at his inability to find the culprit is palpable, even as his arrogance is irritating. Watson is not the bumbling fool as some have drawn him, but a loyal friend and partner to Holmes. One of the main characters is a lower-class woman who has an important role as a resourceful investigator and who is shown respect by the men; this is obviously a modern affectation that most Victorian novels lack. The end of the book is satisfying and nothing was left hanging.

As for the narration, I’ve stated before that I would listen to Simon Vance read the phone book, he’s that good. He is a prolific narrator and I’m heartily glad of it. His accents in this story, varying between street Cockney and aristocrat, are excellent.

This is an adult story because of the harshness of the murders, but nothing was jarring or out of place for me. There is no sex other than a few references to prostitutes, and no foul language.

I highly recommend this story to history mystery readers, Sherlock Holmes fans, and those who love a good mystery.

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Historical Mystery Tagged with historical mystery, sherlock holmes, Simon Vance