The Very First Damned Thing

An Author-Read Audio Exclusive

By: Jodi Taylor

Narrated by: Jodi Taylor

Length: 2 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Audible is delighted to bring you an exclusive, author-read production of The Very First Damned Thing. Hear it here first, months ahead of the EBook publication.

Jodi Taylor reads the long-awaited prequel in her Chronicles of St Mary’s series, as Dr Bairstow struggles to set up St Mary’s as we know it in a world still scarred by the ravages of civil war.

Ever wondered how it all began? It’s two years since the final victory at the Battersea Barricades. The fighting might be finished, but for Dr Bairstow, just now setting up St Mary's, the struggle is only beginning.

How will he assemble his team? From where will his funding come? How can he overcome the massed ranks of the Society for the Protection of Historical Buildings? How do stolen furniture, a practical demonstration at the Stirrup Charge at Waterloo, students’ alcohol-ridden urine, a widowed urban guerrilla, a young man wearing exciting knitwear and four naked security guards all combine to become the St Mary’s of the future?

©2015 Jodi Taylor (P)2015 Audible Ltd.

Not a great way to start this series...

I think this is a prequel that would have had more impact if I had read it after the first few books in the series. I picked this up for free on Audible and, while it was well-written, I was mostly confused by what was happening.

I listened to this on audiobook and the author reads it. Taylor did a good job reading it and I would recommend if you enjoy audiobooks.

This book follows a character named Dr Bairstow as he gathers funding and people for his time-traveling historical society that is being house in St. Mary's.

A lot of characters are introduced rapidly. The book is broken into very short vignettes that show how each of these characters comes to join Dr. Bairstow's group. Unfortunately, I haven't read any other books in the series and don't have any reference for all these characters, so this didn't have a lot of impact for me and was mostly just confusing.

Overall this was okay but a bit hard to follow and choppy for me. I might have to come back and reread this after I read some of the series itself. I guess I would recommend this to fans of the series who want some more background. However, it doesn’t seem to be a good starting point if you are just starting to read the series.

I love this series!

I've read all the books in this series on Kindle, and will now listen to them on audible. This "time travel" series is smart, funny and engaging. And, I was shocked to find out after listening to this prequel, so ably read, that the author is narrating this one. Usually, that is the death knell for any audible selection. What a talented author. Even if this is not your genre (it wasn't mine), give the series a try (book one is "Just One Damned Thing After Another").

Zzzzzzz

Narrator speaks well but doesn’t vary her voices. Book is a snooze fest, maybe good for those looking for something slow?

Beginner

I think I might have liked it more if I had read the books in the series because it felt like it was covering things that I should know something about.

Great intro to the series

If you could sum up The Very First Damned Thing in three words, what would they be?

Time travel politics

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Very First Damned Thing?

Newcomers wonder at traveling at the first

What about Jodi Taylor’s performance did you like?

Pronunciation and crisp tones

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Maybe a smile or two

Quick Fun Listen - Introduces the Series Nicely!

This is the prequel to the Chronicles of St Mary’s series. It is a quick introduction to the primary characters and how the time traveling troupe of St Mary’s began. Dr. Bairstow, the founder and head of the Institute of Historical Research, first has to convince his benefactors to provide the funding… such as it is. Perhaps giving them a demonstration in time travel observation is the best method to win them over? Next Dr. Bairstow has to recruit his staff, from security to cook to crazy scientists.

Once he is awarded the old campus of St Mary’s to house the organization, he has to manage to work around the Society for the Protection of Historical Buildings so that he can remodel the buildings for labs and travel base with all the necessary security and precautions. Since funds are scarce, the staff find an interesting source for furniture to help make the place a home.

I enjoyed the humor especially as Bairstow found just the right team and brought them together one by one. If you have read (or listened) to any of the series, you will get to find out how the Institute came to exist and how the staff came to join St Mary’s. If you have not yet experienced the fun of meeting the characters then this is a quick, enjoyable way to do it. I also enjoyed the bit of history that comes along with the story.

I recommend this as a quick, fun way to get a feel for the series. It is lovely that this is a free audiobook.

Audio Notes: I enjoyed the audio presentation by the author, Jodi Taylor. Her voice suited the tale and it was interesting to get her personal inflection on the characters as they were rounded together. Although I imagine the reading would be good too, I was glad to get to listen to this short beginning.

Leaves you wanting more...

I haven’t listened to any of the Chronicles of St. Mary adventures yet. I consider myself lucky this short introduction is available, so I could listen and know the background before diving into the series. I have already purchased the first book in the series. As there are more than 8 books I decided it might be more frugal to buy the books that are $11, and use credits for the books that are more money.
I am a huge fan of time travel and historical fiction (Outlander series; A Time Traveler’s Wife; Narnia) and historical fiction (anything by Ken Follett). This introduction sets a promising foundation for an intriguing series. I also love the British accents! I plan to begin book 1 right away.

Mixed feelings

Maybe the following books picks up speed but I never quite stuck with the story. It had some good stuff but it didnt quite have anything to hit me with in the end. It just stopped and the book was over.

One of the FEW author read books that I enjoyed.

IMHO, not my usual genre but a great start to a for me new series.

The next book, already purchased and downloaded, is creating apprehension due to a different narrator; We shall see. Off we go as the adventure continues. :-)

Dreadfully Dull

It was only two and a half hours. Even that seemed too long. I had ordered the next two volumes in the series and sent them back. This was not the winner I had hoped it would be.