The Blue Sword

De: Robin McKinley

Narrado por: Diane Warren

From the New York Times bestselling author of Sunshine is the Newberry Award-winning classic novel that has enthralled listeners for decades.

This is the story of Corlath, golden-eyed king of the Free Hillfolk, son of the sons of the Lady Aerin.

And this is the story of Harry Crewe, the Homelander orphan girl who became Harimand-sol, King’s Raider, and heir to the Blue Sword, Gonturan, that no woman had wielded since Lady Aerin herself bore it into battle.

And this is the song of the kelar of the Hillfolk, the magic of the blood, the weaver of destinies …

©1982 Robin McKinley (P)1992 Recorded Books

Reseñas de la Crítica

“This is a zesty, romantic heroic fantasy with an appealing stalwart heroine, a finely realized mythical kingdom, and a grounding in reality that enhances the tale’s verve as a fantasy.”—Booklist

Good book, not so amazing narrator

This story has been a favorite and an annual read since high school. McKinley has a skill for world-building and creating complex, compelling characters. My main problem with this recording is Ms. Warren. She has a good voice, but her phrasing is only mildly tolerable, and sometimes long pauses in the middle of phrases cause comprehension issues. There's also no excuse for pronouncing "misshapen" as "miss-happen." Listen because of the story, and in spite of the vox.

Great book

This has been one of my favorite books for years and it is wonderful that is is now available to listen to as well. The narration is great and fits well with the story.

Narrator a bit stuffy, formal

Narrator a bit dated sounding for informal style of writing imo. My fave book and writer.

I could barely stop listening!

I have two hardcopies of this book. One of them is falling apart at the seams from having been read so many times and needed replacing for future rereading. I’d been dying to read it again but was in the middle of a craft project so I thought why not try the audiobook. I’m pretty picky about narrators but Diane Warren’s voice is just beautiful in tone. I finished the book in two sittings, it would’ve been one but I figured 2am was a good time to stop and sleep before finishing the last six hours. I’ll listen to this many more times just as I’ve read the pages right off the spine of book. Every time I interact with this story something new jumps out at me, I can easily say it’s one of my all time favorites.

Girl Power + Love Story

I have read this book twice before listening. Enjoyed it just as much this time. thank you

Epic fantasy

A well-written story with Diane Warren’s voice bringing it to life.
Robin McKinley so skillfully creates a world filled with customs that the reader soon forgets it is fantasy.

Horses and swords, and a little magic

Great book, I first read in my youth, is as enjoyable today as ever it was. Fun new cultures and heroic personalitys.

Wonderful story!

I first found this book when I was 11 and even now as a 28 year old woman I still absolutely adore it! I re-listen to this book at least once a month if not more and can genuinely say I never tire of the story or characters. Definitely give it a listen!!

Fun journey for strong female protagonist with likable supporting characters

The only negatives are just that things happened conveniently and people just accepted things your average super patient person wouldn’t. But if you just suspend your disbelief and enjoy it, it’s fine. Otherwise I enjoyed the characters and action. I liked the female protagonist’s journey. It was enjoyable and I will likely continue with the next book, the prequel. And may reread this book in the future.

Wonderful story - terrible audio quality!

I have been a huge fan of Ms. McKinley's Damar books since I was a child, so when I saw that the audiobook was available, I snapped it up instantly.

Don't get me wrong: You should absolutely, definitely read this book. But if you have any choice at all, read it yourself and avoid the audiobook until a better-quality recording has been made.

Ms. Warren's reading is decent enough, although she doesn't appear to have put much thought into the emotion behind her words. Many of the characters came off as emotionless, to my ear. But to be fair, I've got portions of the book memorized and after so many years of hearing them in my head, I came into the experience with certain expectations. I have heard much worse readers and Ms. Warren is easy to follow with a pleasant voice.

What is NOT acceptable is the terrible quality of the recording, which appears to have been converted to digital format from an old cassette that was not at its best. There are many skips and places where the sound was blurred, and the entire first half of Chapter 4 is so full of clicks and static that it's all but impossible to listen to without gritting your teeth.

I'm astonished that any publishing company would allow such a poor quality audiobook to be marketed. Shame on you, Recorded Books! Ms. McKinley's wonderful work deserves much better treatment. I join the other reviewers who are crossing their fingers and hoping hard for a new and better quality recording of this classic Young Adult novel.