Good story. Needs edits and different narrator.

There will be possible ***SPOILERS*** in this review.

The best point of Poisonwell was probably Phae watching the past. It provided answers I was craving. Shion has been a favorite of mine. There is a sadness and darkness about him. It makes him bitter sweet. Tyrus, as usual, was great, and I'm relatively pleased he got the wrap up he did. I do love the story, and at many points I was impressed and pleased with how it was twisting and turning. There's a lot to like about this story, and Tyrus and Shion are at the top of that list. There were some great reveals in the last quarter as well which were very satisfying and entertaining.

There are, however, a few criticisms I have. First off, this book really needed a few more edits. There are several points where the narration comes off as rushed, and amateurish, when I know that Jeff Wheeler can do better. When Phae is watching the past, and Shion's brother is talking about Shion's journey to find the tree, he goes into the "as you know" way of info dumping about what has happened up to that point. The second most annoying point was at the very end when Phae says "Of course. You remember everything I've ever said or done." Jeff, you're readers are more intelligent than that. The concept was only completely drilled into our heads.... The third most annoying incident of this was when Phae thought to herself that Shion's real last name sounded a lot like Shion. It added nothing, and in the "reality of the story" was no more than a coincidence. It instantly snapped me out of the story. The book badly needs more editing. Cleaned up, I know it would shine a lot brighter.

Second, the two middle quarters of the book are spent bouncing from one horrible danger to another, and somehow all the main characters are miraculously saved every single time. It's just too much. Had one of the main characters died, any of them, it would have brought a little more credence to the plot's events. Even if there was more intricate plot, and less action fill in, it would have healed the issue. In that same way, the end is so sickly sweet it's unbearable. The wrap up also felt a bit rushed.

Third, and this applies to all three books, some of the ideas are portrayed as amazing when they are simple, everyday ideas. I'm not sure how to spell it since I've only ever listened to the audio editions, but the Ud Hava is a perfect example. It was an idea that if left out, would have greatly improved the genuine quality of the story. It's a bit like when a child shows you a drawing they've done. They think a stick figure is amazing. It's not. People trying to mislead others is constant and guaranteed. It is human nature. There are also a lot of biblical references, some that are too overt. I don't feel like he'd trying hard enough, and instead taking the easy route on both accounts. It's just a matter of feeling like Jeff can do better.

My final criticism is about the narrator. Practically anyone would have been better than her. Sue Pitkin is an atrocious narrator. She spits her words, makes mistakes, performs amateurish inflections, and can't consistently assign a character a voice, or even an accent. One of the worst pitfalls (pun intended) was when she continued to do a "character voice" after the regular narration started, and several in words realized it wasn't the character speaking and mid-sentence changed back to her normal narrative voice. A lot of Audible narrators could have done much better. Michael Page, who narrated the first book would have been infinitely better. Kate Reading would have been a descent female option for a narrator. Whenever I see Sue Pitkin's name on an Audible book, you can be sure that I will avoid it like the Plague.

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Sue Pitkin almost ruins the story

Great characters and a rich world created by the author but the narration almost ruins the story.

2 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Really enjoyed the series

I did not think I would like it but I wound up purchasing all three bucks and found that I really enjoyed all three. Having understanding of Jeff Wheeler‘s writings and his background and his spiritual foundations it helps me see the deeper meaning that he’s writing about in his books, and I really enjoy that. I loved the way the series ended.

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

Poisonwell

The whispers of Mirrowen, have been heard.
lol
I enjoyed this book. Wheeler did a great job here, as the story is bold and energetic.
He writes trilogies as though they are 20 book epics, and draws you in hard, then slams an end on you that you can’t help but like, while asking where’s the next one.
I enjoyed seeing where some of the things in previous sagas came from, and even how the 1000 world collide in the stigmata, or lore.
Wheeler has kept me happy throughout his different sagas, while making me insane at the same time by not doing more than the trilogy after Kingfountain, (I still want more in that saga).

The performance from Pitkin was pretty good, I found no fault in it myself, although I could see where some people might find issue. However I thought it was good.

Hopefully the next thing from Wheeler I read will have its connection to the 1000 worlds as well.

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

trucker

I loved the whole series.. I drive a semi across country & this series made time fly by. Even after 11 hours behind the wheel, I didnt want to stop.. (I only listen when driving) At the end of the series, I found myself reflecting back on my own life and the tragitidy of it & feeling better about it all.. The narrator did a good job & I'm saddened it's come to an end.. A MUST READ!!

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

3rd in series, story kept improving

Really enjoyed this story (third book), all of the characters previously developed worked well together and details connected nicely, as the story tied up loose ends. Fewer horrid voices from this narrator, although she continues to favor craggedy evil accented male voices for her characters making them all sound old and decrepit. Doesn't work for me. Her female voices were lovely and the story was creative.

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Not the best narrator

I like the book, narrator's voice is somewhat annoying. Maybe if they had a different actor

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Story fantastic, narrator only so-so

The performance was ok, but the narrator often pronounced words wrong, even for someone with an English accent. Take the word skeletal. Sue Pitkin pronounced it skuh-LEE-tuhl. I have no idea why she said it that way, but even my British friends don't say it that way.

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

Very captivating!

I enjoyed this book quite a lot! Intriguing and varying characters. Twists in the plot that really surprised me, but added to the flow. The reader/narrator is good, but her voice changes are not particularly consistent so that gets confusing sometimes. All in all, well worth the time spent. It’s not quite as “elegant” as some books, but it’s well thought out and the descriptions of the images are well done. And I feel like I came away with some genuine wisdom from the writer’s words, which is always a treat.

Best book of the series

A good series that ended right. Jeff Wheeler writes great fantasy series. On to the next one.