The Aeronaut's Windlass

The Cinder Spires, Book 1

By: Jim Butcher

Narrated by: Euan Morton

Length: 21 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Jim Butcher, the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Dresden Files and the Codex Alera novels, conjures up a new series set in a fantastic world of noble families, steam-powered technology, and magic-wielding warriors....

Since time immemorial the Spires have sheltered humanity, towering for miles over the mist-shrouded surface of the world. Within their halls aristocratic houses have ruled for generations, developing scientific marvels, fostering trade alliances, and building fleets of airships to keep the peace.

Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship Predator. Fiercely loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy's shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is severely damaged in combat, leaving captain and crew grounded, Grimm is offered a proposition from the Spirearch of Albion - to join a team of agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring Predator to its fighting glory.

And even as Grimm undertakes this dangerous task, he will learn that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity’s ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake....

©2015 Jim Butcher (P)2015 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Obie Award winner and Scottish-born Euan Morton narrates this sprawling opening volume of The Cinder Spires with the spirit of a buccaneer and an ear for a couple of dozen different vocal rhythms and dialects from the British Isles. Morton is especially adept at naturally carrying on the conversations between the growling shipmates and the highborn Gwen. Morton keeps the action moving and speaks 'cat' perfectly." (AudioFile)

“This is Jim Butcher at his best, drawing a fully realized, richly detailed, and downright fun literary world where fearless aeronauts ride the aether, brilliant wizards struggle with doorknobs, and a thirty-pound feline warrior keeps a pet human named Little Mouse. It’s steampunk meets magic with a dose of sci-fi for seasoning. Buy it and read it. You’ll be glad you did.” (New York Times best-selling author David Weber)

"Butcher, the best-selling author of the Dresden Files, now launches the Cinder Spires, a new epic fantasy, steampunk hybrid series that has shades of both Naomi Novik and Cherie Priest.... With shifting points of view, short chapters, fast-paced action, and awesome battle scenes, the large cast of characters, elaborate world building, and intricate plot are revealed quickly and realized fully. It all reminds readers of when they first fell for Harry Dresden.” (Booklist, starred review)

“Butcher opens the imaginative Cinder Spires series with this sweeping fantastical epic.... [It's] a fascinating, adventurous, and intricate story. Butcher brings a fresh and exciting perspective to secondary-world steampunk, giving the reader a thrilling ride.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

First Jim Butcher but not my last...

What made the experience of listening to The Aeronaut's Windlass the most enjoyable?

The narrator is excellent. I look forward to listening to other books he has done.

What other book might you compare The Aeronaut's Windlass to and why?

It's definitely an adventure with lots of battles. There wasn't much time to catch one's breath. I would say it's a lot like Star Wars in comparison.

What does Euan Morton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Like other wonderful audio books, a great narration brings the book to life in ways that are different from just reading the words. Characters personality and traits are expressed and become almost tangible.

Any additional comments?

I haven't read much Steampunk so it's hard to compare it to anything in that genre, but I will look forward to readying the the sequels. And I LOVED the cats! I have 4 myself and I believe Jim's characterization of them was spot on!

another great series from Butcher!

this is the first time I've read a steampunk style book, and while I'll read anything Jim Butcher writes, I wasn't totally sure what to expect. I absolutely loved the blend of post-apocalyptic, fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk and adventure in this series! the characters were all complex and fascinating. I especially loved the cat's perspective! such an interesting viewpoint to show readers. I adore Grim and am SO curious about what really went down when he was in the fleet. every single character pulls you in and the overall story is expertly crafted. I can't wait for the next book in the series :)

simply the best

if you're a fan of Jim butcher's work you're going to love this I was a little bit thrown at first by the different reader on the audio book book a British accent really fit and makes it interesting change of pace still of James Marsters I cannot wait until the next book in the series simply the best

Yet another awesome book by Jim Butcher

I love this book like I've loved all his other books. A great story with great characters, all wonderfully depicted by this narrator. I'm waiting impatiently for another one!

Jim Does It Again

Such a wonderful addition to the epic legacy of Jim Butcher. engaging stroy, excellent characters, and I can not wait for the next one.

I highly recommend this book for people who enjoy character development and unique world building. I would give this a high school reading level because of some words and complex sentence structures. (all of which are awesome)

Another great book from Butcher

All of the story, character development, action, and emotion you should expect from Jim Butcher.

Marvelous new fantasy world! Thrilling story!

See my Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1415010708

The reader, Euan Morton, artfully crafts the many voices of the characters. I will be seeking out more books he narrates.

another great series from Mr. Butcher!

the only bad thing is waiting for the next book! love the characters and want more.

Wonderful

The perfect mix of performance and author. I can't wait to see more of this remarkable world and set of characters.

Slow Start But Worth it

I am not a Jim Butcher aficionado, but I have read 4-5 of his Dresden books. Some of his charm is lost from the deviation from Harry's witty first person narration, so hardcore Dresden fans might find that disappointing. This book starts rather slow and the first act seems to drag. What kept me interested though was the imaginative world, which is expertly crafted, and the cast of truly interesting and memorable characters.

If you don't love the characters then the slower pace might cause you to put it down, but the pace might be why the characters are so well done. In most books I'm used to liking one or two, but in this one I liked them all. Each one is exceedingly unique and there is not a cliché to be found. I lived rooting for the good guys and booing the bad guys.

The best part was that if you love the characters, as I did, you will not have any idea what's going to happen to them next. Several points literally had me in tears because all I wanted was for my favorite characters to be able to go home and get some rest but the devious Mr. Butcher kept making things worse on them.

Once past the first Act, the pace suddenly ramps up and the book becomes a nonstop rollercoaster of action. The stakes are expertly increased little by little and each scene is packed with as much conflict as possible. The climax is exciting and everything is tidied up in the end with a little hint about the next book in the series, which I will be pre-ordering as soon as possible.