The Wizard Hunters Audiobook By Martha Wells cover art

The Wizard Hunters

Fall of Ile-Rien, Book 1

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The Wizard Hunters

By: Martha Wells
Narrated by: Talmadge Ragan
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Ile-Rien is in peril. A mysterious army known only as the Gardier has surrounded the country, attacking in ominous black airships. Hope is not lost though, for a magical sphere created by Ile-Rien's greatest sorcerer may hold the key to defeating the faceless enemy. But the sphere is unpredictable and has already claimed several lives. When a magical spell goes disastrously awry, young Tremaine Valiarde and a brave band are transported to another world-a world of rough magics, evil mages, honorable warriors, and a secret Gardier base.

©2003 Martha Wells (P)2013 Tantor Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Magic Magic Users

Critic reviews

"The subsequent story seems intended to combine elements of high fantasy and cross-time travel, as if it were a collaborative work by Andre Norton and S. M. Stirling. Thanks to Wells' narrative skill and considerably above-average characterization, it largely succeeds in those intentions." ( Booklist)
Imaginative Adventure Saga • Fascinating World • Pleasant Voice • Engaging Characters • Gripping Plot • Good Diction
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I love this author and this series and was looking forward to listening to this book instead of just enduring interminable rush hour traffic. Unfortunately the narrator has made sitting in rush hour seem even longer with her over enunciated and oddly emphasized reading. I an trying to finish this but don't know if I can.

Great story, awful to hear

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It took me a while to get into the story enough that I stopped hating the narrator, whose need to pronounce every terminal consonant added syllables and delays all over the place. “He couldntuh try again”. You’ll know if this is a thing that bothers you.

Wells has created another fascinating world with peoples and magics we don’t understand. I guess there’s a sequel to justify all the world-building, because it stopped a little abruptly, although the short-term goals we’re accomplished…

Good story, dense world

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I think this is a good story, but it is difficult… to get over… the narrator’s horribly timed… pauses mid-sentence. Every scene (be it dramatic or general information) and all the characters are read with little differentiation or inflection. Then there is the mispronunciation of words- names of places and people that were featured prominently in the 2 preceding novels. I cringed every time the narrator said “Ile-Rien”. I can only hope for improvement in the next novel, because the reading can’t get much worse!

If Siri read a book, this is what you would get

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A great start to a gripping trilogy. Well crafted, interesting characters and fascinating world building.

And it never fets boring.

Fast paced but not lacking in anything

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I wish I had bought the actual book instead of the Audible version. I have already gotten the Audible versions of other books in this series with the same narrator, and I sincerely wish I had not wasted the credits on them. There is no way I'll suffer through another book read by this narrator. Weird over-pronunciations, uneven pauses, bizarre word emphasis, and snail's pace of speaking ruined the experience of this book for me. It's like the narrator was reading a single word at a time without regard to how spoken language is supposed to sound. I finally sped it up to 1.5x, but even so, the narration was jerky, halting, and just plain strange. No one speaks like this in real life. No one.

I would have liked the book better if the narration had not jarred me out of the story so many times. Despite an undercurrent of a completely unnecessary romance, the world-building and magical system were interesting. The plot moved well, and the characters were well-developed.

The narration absolutely ruins the book, though.

Terrible narration, decent story

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I have enjoyed the book so far DESPITE the narrator's best efforts. Her blocked-nasal tone and odd enunciation, intonation and pace are bizarre, distracting, and bad enough that I will actively search for her in future to avoid her.

The narrator ruined the audio version.

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What made the experience of listening to The Wizard Hunters the most enjoyable?

I love this story. The books in this series are three of the most worn-out books on my shelves, and I was excited to get it on audio book. The worldbuilding is rich, and done so effortlessly by the author. The characters come alive, and will often surprise you - the characters and plot keep the story moving at the perfect pace.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Wizard Hunters?

I don't think I could pick a single moment. The best element of the book - it's a toss-up between the way the various culture clashes are navigated, and the unfolding secret of the Damal sphere.

What three words best describe Talmadge Ragan’s performance?

Decent. Warm. Over-enunciated.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! I've read it countless times, but I still had to force myself to save it for my work commute instead of listening to it all in one go.

One of my favorite books

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Great Story, I loved the first series and was looking forward to this one, but for one teensie little thing, the narrator. For some reason, the natural momentum of her storytelling is all over the place, which can mean fast paced moments grinding to a snail's pace mid pronunciation. it boggles the mind and I should have listened to the other reviewers warnings. That being said I will persevere with the rest of the series as the story really is wonderful.

Great Story, but...

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I have been enjoying series very much, but I really struggled with the narration for this book. She over enunciates and her cadence is almost robotic. The result is choppy and distracting. I am disappointed to see the same narrator for the next two books.

Really good storyline, really bad narration

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Voice actor did an excellent job! Interesting subject and well written. Light and fun listen with an interesting twist.

Great Narrator

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