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  • Shadowmarch

  • Shadowmarch, Volume I
  • By: Tad Williams
  • Narrated by: Dick Hill
  • Length: 29 hrs and 19 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (136 ratings)

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Shadowmarch

By: Tad Williams
Narrated by: Dick Hill
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Summary

For generations the misty Shadowline has marked the boundary between the lands of men and the lost northern lands that are the lair of their inhuman enemies, the ageless Qar. But now that boundary line is moving outward, threatening to engulf the northernmost land in which humans still live - the kingdom of Southmarch.

For centuries, the Eddon family has ruled in ancient, forbidding Southmarch Castle, guarding the border against the Qar's return, but now this powerful royal line has been dealt a devastating blow. The monarch, King Olin, is being held captive in a distant land, and it falls to his inexperienced heirs to lead their people in a time of growing danger and dread.

It is on the two youngest Eddons that the heaviest burdens fall. The twins Barrick and Briony, who in such evil times have only each other, may lose even that bond as darkness closes over them. As the Qar’s power reaches out across their land, will Southmarch Castle, the only home they’ve ever known, become in fact what it has long been called - Shadowmarch?

©2006 Tad Williams (P)2010 Brilliance Audio
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What listeners say about Shadowmarch

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

audio as good as paperback

as engaging as I remember.
as for others opinions of dick hills narration. his speech is pronounced correctly, not the lazy way must of us speak.
he is also very passionate when needed ,then remembers to breathe.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Shadow March

I enjoyed the story though a bit slow to start
I did not how ever enjoy the narrator he was often out of breath and so monotone in his narrative other than that it is a good story

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

What is the deal with the accents?!?

Great story but what is up with the accents? The twins sounded like he'd swallowed several accents and regurgitated a ramdom mixture!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Awful narrator

What didn’t you like about Dick Hill’s performance?

I found the pronunciation most bizarre- long as lawng, gone gawn, palm pawm, etc. Also his rendition made the female characters sounded like squeaky ninnies. In all I found his performance so irritating that I am hesitating whether to listen to the rest of the series, even though I loved the books when I read them years ago. I thought I would get used to the narrator, and I managed to get to the end of volume one, but it remained very irritating and detracted considerably from the enjoyment. Someone like Rupert Degas would have been a much better choice.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

There are better

Not one of Williams' best. The characters are animated by setbacks and suffering, and the reader encouraged pitying them. It makes for one-dimensional characters. This is exacerbated by the narrator's often whiny tone. It is however one of the few fantasy series for an older audience available on audio. With that in mind, a reader with the right attitude can find it can be quite enjoyable.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

very derivative but as always Tad's writing shines

I assume intentionally, the plot and characters are derivative of many other fantasy novels but Tad's writing brings everything to life making it a great story... although leaves you wanting the next book asap.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

3rd time round . . . i enjoyed it that much

i do sometimes feel like i am in a documentary as the narrator has that tone but other than that i get lost in the shadows everytime i listen to this story. thanks Tad for a great story

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Well written and narrated

I’m a little stuck as to what to say on this one.
I loved reading a Tad Williams when I was younger, but I think the narration spoilt it for me.
I can’t fault Dick’s reading, he’s a great storyteller, but it feels like the pacing of the story is so slow and his accent takes a bit of getting used to and his younger characters and women sound a bit whiney.
Due to the amount of hours, I’m finding the motivation to continue the series a struggle.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

playback consistently failed

playback consistently failed even after delete and download, uninstall and reinstall of app, clearing cache and memory...

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Awful, awful narration, and the book ends on a chuffing cliffhanger

I bought this book because it was on a half price sale. If it had been full price I would have returned it. The narrator puts on a weird accent, which spoils what was an annoying book to begin with. There are loads of separate strands following different characters, none of which get resolved by the end of the book (because it ends part way through the story). Most of the characters come across as whiny rather than 'intriguingly flawed'. Ugh

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