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Shadowdale

Forgotten Realms: The Avatar, Book 1

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About this listen

An all-new audio version of one of the key titles in the entire Forgotten Realms novel line.

At the time of its original release, this series presented key events that impacted the entire Forgotten Realms world, and the effects of those events are still felt in current novels. This title was originally released under the author's pseudonym, Richard Awlinson.

When the gods are banished from the heavens, they must travel through Faern in the guise of mortals.

When four companions, last survivors of the Company of the Lynx, find themselves in possession of a mysterious amulet, they must escape death at the hand of Bane, god of murder.

When magic itself runs wild, no one can say that the most innocent of spells will not destroy the world.

©1989 TSR, Inc., 2003 Wizards of the Coast LLC (P)2013 Audible, Inc. Action & Adventure Dragons & Mythical Creatures Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Mythology
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The story itself is interesting. The narrator is otherwise good, but has a tendency to read words like 'while' as 'hwile', which gets irritating in thee long run

Good in short doses

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I’m on a nostalgia trip I loved this trilogy and it’s two spinoffs.
However the narrator is horrendous! Her voiceovers for the characters dubious at best.
The screechy scratchy tone she elected to use for Bane Lord of Strife was absolutely laughable and made him more comical than actual evil god.

No sense of drama in the battle scenes just incredibly lack lustre.

Do not let her near another book.

Narrator needs a new vocation!

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I read these books when they originally came out, and I'm on a bit of a nostalgia hit at the moment. The story was as I remember it - writing is not awful, but not great either. The books were essentially written to bring the Realms into line with the new (at the time) 2nd Edition rules, and sometimes it shows in the sometimes clunky writing.

Unfortunately, the narration is terrible. At first I thought I was listening to a computer-generated AI voice - the narrator's voice is flat, with no inflection or emotion, even in times of excitement. It sounds more like she's reading a shopping list rather than the Battle of Shadowdale. It's compounded by the fact that she can only do two voices - a deep one that all men use, and a higher tone for all the women.

To be frank, the narration is a great let-down, it makes it really difficult to finish listening.

Good memories

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I really wanna listen to this story but oh my god the narrator is so bad. It's just flat and monotone. Same voice for every character in every moment. I'll see if I get the time to read it myself.. this was just.. no.

I didn't get past chapter 3

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I read the print version of this book years ago and was excited to see an audio version.

but, the narrator is flat, and doesn't voice act. boring.

Good story, let down by poor vocal delivery

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