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  • Inversions

  • Culture Series, Book 6
  • By: Iain M. Banks
  • Narrated by: Peter Kenny
  • Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (935 ratings)

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Inversions

By: Iain M. Banks
Narrated by: Peter Kenny
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Summary

The novels of Iain M. Banks have forever changed the face of modern science fiction. His Culture books combine breathtaking imagination with exceptional storytelling, and have secured his reputation as one of the most extraordinary and influential writers in the genre.

In the winter palace, the King's new physician has more enemies than she realises. But then she also has more defences than even her most hardened adversaries could imagine.

In another palace, far across the mountains, sits the regicidal Protector General. His chief bodyguard also has enemies to worry about, with the threat of treachery and assassination never far away.

And beneath the surface of these feudal courts - behind the spies, murders, politics and intrigues - lies an entirely di­fferent kind of threat, an entity that nobody would ever suspect.

The Culture series:
Consider Phlebas
The Player of Games
Use of Weapons
Excession
Inversions
Look to Windward
Matter
Surface Detail
The Hydrogen Sonata
The State of the Art

Other books by Iain M. Banks:
Against a Dark Background
Feersum Endjinn
The Algebraist

©1998 Iain M. Banks (P)2013 Hachette Digital
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Critic reviews

"A fantastic, awe-inspiring book...I can't imagine anyone not being won over by this deeply entertaining, thought-provoking and humane story" (Express)

"Taut, hilarious and wicked" (Mail on Sunday)

"Compulsive Banksian reading...thoughtful, intelligently bloody stuff" (SFX)

What listeners say about Inversions

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  • Overall
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beautifully written and narrated throughout.

contains some of the best prose of any of Bank's books IMHO. Works both in written and talking book format

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Absolutely excellent

This may well be my favourite Culture novel for sheer storytelling excellence, despite the fact that it is only tangentially connected to the Culture at all. Really superb. Peter Kenny is, as ever, a fantastic reader/narrator.

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Iain banks and Peter Kenny: great as always.

I've read all of Ian m banks books the 'old fashioned' way and I love listening to someone else's interpretation of the words. Peter Kenny really sounds like he loves the material and is enjoying reading the books making the experience a real pleasure.

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One of the most subtle yet finest Culture novels

If you haven't read other Culture novels this book stands alone as a brilliantly conceived but decidedly non-Sci-Fi tale. If you are familiar with its universe you'll enjoy the extra depth, which is never explicitly explained here.

The performance is extraordinary, even set against Kenny's consistent excellence throughout the series.

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A nice change of perspective

It’s an easy listen, a change of pace and perspective in regards to a non uplifted civilisation and a member of an advanced one living amongst them.
Good narration, gave the characters life. Worth a listen.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable story

A under appreciated “culture” book

But if you know, you know

Peter Kenny great again

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not my favourite culture novels, but enjoyable

I can't put my finger on exactly why, but this one didn't grip me as much as the others so far. I found myself getting distracted, and often reaching for something else during my commute.

If you're set on experiencing the whole series, it's definitely worth the time, but if you're just looking for the highlights, maybe skip this one

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Peter Kenny

Bloody marvellous reading, well done sir!
A great reading of a great story.
These are words added to meet the minimum word length fkn BS.

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Another masterpiece

I thought that Excession was Banks' greatest work until listening to this. Completely engrossing - hardly a Culture novel at all until that moment in the torture chamber. Kenny's narration is as always superb.

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Inversions Indeed

This must be the least sci-fi culture novel. It would be perfectly enjoyable even if you had not read another Culture novel. However a knowledge of the ways of the culture will answer the story's apparent mysteries in a most satisfying way.

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