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The Seventh Son

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The Seventh Son

By: Sebastian Faulks
Narrated by: Miranda Raison
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A CHILD WILL BE BORN WHO WILL CHANGE EVRYTHING

When a young American academic Talissa Adam offers to carry another woman's child, she has no idea of the life-changing consequences.

Behind the doors of the Parn Institute, a billionaire entrepreneur plans to stretch the boundaries of ethics as never before. Through a series of IVF treatments, which they hope to keep secret, they propose an experiment that will upend the human race as we know it.

Seth, the baby, is delivered to hopeful parents Mary and Alaric, but when his differences start to mark him out from his peers, he begins to attract unwanted attention.

The Seventh Son is a spectacular examination of what it is to be human. It asks the question: just because you can do something, does it mean you should? Sweeping between New York, London, and the Scottish Highlands, this is an extraordinary novel about unrequited love and unearned power.

©2023 Sebastian Faulks (P)2023 Penguin Audio Fiction Genetic Engineering Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction Genetics Thought-Provoking Highlander

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Critic reviews

'Faulks writes with great emotional authority' SUNDAY TIMES

'Faulks is a prodigiously talented writer' NEW YORK TIMES

'The best novelist of his generation' SCOTSMAN
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Beautifully written and read. As my grandmother once said ‘there’s nothing as queer as folk’ and she appears to be correct. I would be very grateful if Seb would continue writing because he makes enjoyable reading.

What Ken did

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The narrator was outstanding. She was able to replicate a number of accents with ease. The story was interesting and engaging.

Superb narrator

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I got this based on a book review - the concept is promising as is start
Sadly it’s bogged down in scientific details ( might suit some listeners) and book drags out towards an all to predictable ending
Narration is good but annoyingly interrupted at times by what sounds like AI narration - almost as though how to pronounce words was checked by narrator but wrong part edited out

Promising start week ending narration interrupted by AI

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A truly riveting read
SF tells a wonderfully believable story of the future and of the dangers of money being no object

Excellent

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The main idea behind the story was one that could have been interesting but I found it mind numbingly dull trying to wade through something that never really reaches its potential.

Overall the story is a bit of a one trick pony with so many avenues that could have been explored but weren't. There are lots of threads that are never really explored or pulled together, giving a feel of a short concept essay that has been made into a novel when it should have remained an essay or short story.

There was also a lot of description of the science behind the story, I am not a geneticist so can't comment on the feasibility of most but the mental health bits made my teeth itch as they are several inaccuracies giving the sense of a topic poorly understood and under researched by the author.

Undeveloped potential

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Enjoyed from start to finish - reading on holiday was the perfect time to reflect . For me the mental health component really lifts my spirits . It has connections with my favourite of all of his books human traces. Great ideas and a future that’s not too far away

Love how the author creatively writes the future that could be so real

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Intelligent and believable projection of a near-future event. Current band recent events in history well imagined and influences of what’s to come. Well performed.

Intelligent and believable projection of a near-future event.

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Compelling but very odd - and didn’t see THAT coming…! Not my favourite Faulks novel (and I’m usually a big fan)

Compelling but strange

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Beautifully written and read and compelling. Within a very short while you are completely overtaken by the narrative. Extraordinarily good.

Superb

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Beautifully written. Beautifully read. It’s all I needed. The very best Faulks work since Birdsong.

There is no-one like Faulks

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