Beautifully presented .. well done narrators!

Loved this book; Cherryh at her imaginative best!! I will say I find the end very sudden and short - and someone tell me I'm wrong ... but the follow up it suggests never happened??? Sad face!!

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Fascinating!

This book contains a brilliant worldscape. Fascinating characters in a real seeming situation.
One to read and reread.

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Good listen, but not for everyone

Rapid review
Slow paced, but interesting and entertaining for people who really enjoy concept driven sci-fi. The characters are tricky to relate too at times and the plot is very subtle. This isn’t a book for a casual listener.

Rambling Review
Ok. Well this book was tough. I shall start by saying I enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t recommend it to just anyone.
I could describe the plot in short but I don’t think that you listen to this book for the story. The reason you listen to this book is the world/ concept building. Essentially the story is about trying to build exact copies of people through a combination of cloning and something called tape learning (a method of recording and transferring skills and memories from one person to anyone who uses the tape. Cherryh uses this concept to craft an interesting world with some intense class divides and thought provoking concepts. The closest book for comparison I think is A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Some the concepts and class divisions are very similar. The world building is fantastic. It feels very real and well thought through. If you do listen to it I would recommend doing it as a buddy read so you can talk about it afterwards, because there is a lot to talk about. Or at the very least have an appreciating ear to rant at.
If you like the sound of that, then this could be a good purchase for you. However, there are some things that many people will find difficult.

The plot. If you read a summary of the book you will get told this book is about political intrigue, a high profile murder and a controlling aristocracy; which it is. However, the plot is so subtle and understated (except in a few sections) it is very difficult to get invested in the actual story. To boot the pacing is frankly awful. This might be as a result of the 3 books in 1 thing, but I think that to be a poor excuse. It starts by throwing you right into a rich world in the middle of some political machinations with no warning. Then moves into a psychological murder, before settling into a deep character development arc. Where it stays for a while. And then finally rushes into a concluding plot resolution that felt unfinished.

The Characters. There are 2 main characters through the book. Both highly intelligent and without giving too much away, one very insecure and the other confident and controlling. Neither are particularly relatable and I didn’t think either developed a huge amount especially considering the time periods the book spans. You get invested in them partly just from time spent with them, but also because there are some interesting developments and interactions with the main protagonist.

Conclusion. This is an interesting book that I personally enjoyed after getting over the slow start. If you enjoy a concept driven Sci-fi with a really well imagined world this is a good choice. If you want a suspenseful politically focused thriller try something different.

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2 people found this helpful

Value for money

I wouldn't class this as a murder mystery at all and it never really gets to where you want it to go. Some of the more fascinating aspects are never explored while others get way too much attention.

However, as a concept it's great, tells a good story and the character development is fantastic. Overall very good value for money

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1 person found this helpful

Narration spot on.

Extraordinary story. Complex in the beginning but the brilliant narration wins it. A part of the Spacer/ Merchanter universe but stands alone. I never read this book when I was younger but i did the others. I'm glad I waited as it would have been quite heavy for me back then. Great listen.

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truly awful

Please don't download it is the worst book I've downloaded. There is little story and... well I managed about 3 hours before closing it

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4 people found this helpful

Soporific boring start

Although well read, this book sent me to sleep within fifteen minutes or so, I tried several times to listen to it.
The start of the book was so boring! I like at least a little interesting action at the beginning of a book to keep my interest.
I realise a foundation must be set out to give the story structure, but if it make you sleepy then it's not for me. I guess some would love the political type boring banter it starts with.

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2 people found this helpful