Seven Surrenders (Dramatized Adaptation)

Terra Ignota, Book 2

De: Ada Palmer

Narrado por: Chris Stinson, Christopher Walker, James Konicek, Lydia Kraniotis, Nazia Chaudhry, Rose Supan, Wyn Delano, Zeke Alton, Kay Eluvian, Taylor Coan, Valentina Vinci

The second full cast audiobook of Terra Ignota, a political SF epic of extraordinary audacity!

In a future of near-instantaneous global travel, of abundant provision for the needs of all, a future in which no one living can remember an actual war, a long era of stability threatens to come to an abrupt end.

For known only to a few, the leaders of the great Hives, nations without fixed location, have long conspired to keep the world stable, at the cost of just a little blood. A few secret murders, mathematically planned. So that no faction can ever dominate, and the balance holds. And yet the balance is beginning to give way.

Mycroft Canner, convict, sentenced to wander the globe in service to all, knows more about this conspiracy the than he can ever admit. Carlyle Foster, counselor, sensayer, has secrets as well, and they burden Carlyle beyond description. And both Mycroft and Carlyle are privy to the greatest secret of all: Bridger, the child who can bring inanimate objects to life.

Shot through with astonishing invention, Seven Surrenders is the next movement in one of the great SF epics of our time.

Performed by Chris Stinson, Kay Eluvian, Wyn Delano, Valentina Vinci, Lydia Kraniotis, Nazia Chaudhry, Zeke Alton, Christopher Walker, Taylor Coan, Rose Supan, James Konicek, Nora Achrati, Ryan Carlo Dalusung, Stephon Walker, Colleen Delany, Holly Adams, Matthew Schleigh, Lise Bruneau, Brandon Burton, Dawn Ursula, Gabriel Michael, Neha Gargava, Bianca Bryan, Niusha Nawab, K’Lai Rivera, Marni Penning, Robb Moreira, Jacob Yeh, Nickolette Kong, Nanette Savard, Tia Shearer, Darius Johnson, Duyen Washington, Alejandro Ruiz, David Cui Cui, Eric Messner, Carolyn Kashner, Chris Davenport, Melody Muze, Michael John Casey, Yasmin Tuazon, David Zitney, Ken Jackson, Steve Wannall, and Karen Novack.

©2017 Ada Palmer (P)2022 Graphic Audio LLC

Marred by overacting

The story is excellent. The adaptation is also well done. It’s just a pity that Mycroft’s actor is so insistent on overacting every single emotion. Mycroft is already an overly dramatic character. A more downplayed performance could have let that shine through better. Every sentence sounds like a desperately insistent plea, leaving every line of narration feeling incredibly one-note.

How?

How does an author take a great concept - a grown-up story about magic set in 19th century England - and, using evocative, pretty langusge, turn that concept into a mind-numbingly boring story?
Read this 800 page slog to find out.