Confusing in audio form

I did enjoy the book but the story is complex, shifting as it does between the past and present. Initially the links appeared contrived but stick with the story and you will find that it does all make sense. Ultimately it is one of those books which is better in print rather than audio.

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1 person found this helpful

Enjoyable easy listen.

Aliens, the plague, historical fiction, physics, religion, friendship and philosophy all rolled into a very enjoyable listen. I have read reviews regarding the parts set in the present day being out of place, personally I found that they added to the story as a whole and I liked the way that you got snippets that the characters in the past did not know about. You do roughly know where the story is going, simply due to history, but the journey to the end of the story is quite relaxing and thought provoking in a very comfortable kind of way. The kind of audiobook I like to close my eyes to while listening, so it was obviously well narrated too.

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1 person found this helpful

Starts slowly,

Then gets slower. When the author gets into his stride, he makes it even slower.

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Well worth a listen

A superbly written book. The author is clearly an expert on medieval history and culture. He weaves a wonderfully intricate story drawing subtle comparisons between religion and science, humanity and alien mindsets. The plot itself is a little disjointed; it flip-flops between the 14th century and the present day. However, the vast majority of the novel takes place in the past, which leaves the part of the plot set in the present virtually redundant. In addition, we learn that the book's hero, the priest Father Dietrich, has an unsavoury history which receives no real elaboration over the entire course of the story. In fact, it feels a lot like this book is merely the first in a series. I certainly hope so.

The narrator got on my nerves at first; he suffers, near the start of the audiobook, from that affectation that afflicts many public speakers, namely ignoring full stops. But he soon breaks that habit and goes on to give a flawless delivery, dropping in and out of German and Latin, and a strange alien monotone. But make no mistake: this is not a sci-fi novel, it is a period piece exploring the place of rational thought in a word governed by religious superstition, and the touching plight of a stranded community trying to come to terms with its fate. If the present-day part of this story had been as coherent as the past, I would have given it the full 5 stars. Definitely give this a listen.

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6 people found this helpful

Intelligent medieval SciFi

Utterly brilliant, totally different, a blend of historical 'cadfael' style story with Quatermass and the Pit Aliens... Sounds ridiculous but reads convincingly, well researched, well written, engaging, intelligent... I feel like I'm a better person for reading this, and I haven't felt that since 'Jonathan strange'.

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1 person found this helpful