Asurmen: The Darker Road

Somewhat astonishingly, I've had a CD copy of this story for several months, despite the fact that it's just been released from The Black Library. I've been very disciplined and only today given it its first listening; I must say, I really enjoyed it, but will obviously have to listen a few more times before a final verdict. I'm narrating on this story, which I always enjoy.

Some BL stories are only available as downloads, so most of those I have. Other BL stories are also available as a 'hard copy' on CD and unfortunately, several of those, I don't have. I might well have them in digital form, but there's something very pleasing in having a physical object to go on my shelves, especially when the cover artwork (by Alex Boyd and Nuala Kinrade) is as spectacular as it is for Asurmen: The Darker Road.


A Phoenix Lords audio drama

With the future of Craftworld Ulthwé at stake, the Phoenix Lord Asurmen joins the warriors of the craftworld on a mission that will lead them down a dark and dangerous road.

It is said the Phoenix Lords arrive on the eve of great moments... 

Guided by fate, Asurmen the Hand of Asuryan comes to the craftworld of Ulthwé. At the behest of the head of the seer council, he joins the warriors of Ulthwé and the young seer Eldrad on a quest to the Crone Worlds in search of the oracle Hiron-athela.

It is believed that this being holds an artefact that could safeguard Ulthwé's future, but in order to obtain it the eldar must travel a dark road...

Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Steve Conlin, Toby Longworth, Penelope Rawlins and Genevieve Swallow.

Written by Gav Thorpe and Produced by Matt Renshaw

* * * * *

At the moment, I'm in the process of preparing two audio books and enjoying the process as ever, although one of them is proving to be fiendishly complex...

...all for now, more just as soon as it happens!

Assail

Assail. The final novel in Ian C. Esslemont's epic seven novel Malazan saga, produced by Neil Gardner for Penguin Random House and for which I created voices for a total of five hundred and eighty-three named characters.

I look forward to receiving my contributor copies of these stories and setting aside a chunk of time to listen to them. In fact, out of sheer curiosity, I've just calculated how long it would take to listen to the entire saga. The answer appears at the bottom of this posting!

In the meantime, here are some details:

Tens of thousands of years of ice is melting, and the land of Assail, long a byword for menace and inaccessibility, is at last yielding its secrets.

Tales of gold discovered in the region's north circulate in every waterfront dive and sailor's tavern, and now adventurers and fortune seekers have set sail in search of riches. And all they have to guide them are legends and garbled tales of the dangers that lie in wait - hostile coasts, fields of ice, impassable barriers and strange, terrifying creatures.

But all accounts concur that the people of the north meet all trespassers with the sword - and should you make it, beyond are rumoured to lurk Elder monsters out of history's very beginnings.

Into this turmoil ventures the mercenary company the Crimson Guard. Not drawn by contract but by the promise of answers: answers that Shimmer, second in command, feels should not be sought.

Also heading north, as part of an uneasy alliance of Malazan fortune hunters and Letherii soldiery, comes the bard Fisher kel Tath. With him is a Tiste Andii, who was found washed ashore and cannot remember his past yet commands far more power than he really should. It is also rumoured that a warrior, bearer of a sword that slays gods and who once fought for the Malazans, is also journeying that way.

But far to the south, a woman patiently guards the shore. She awaits both allies and enemies. She is Silverfox, newly incarnate Summoner of the undying army of the T'lan Imass, and she will do anything to stop the renewal of an ages-old crusade that could lay waste to the entire continent and beyond.

Casting light on mysteries spanning the Malazan empire, and offering a glimpse of the storied and epic history that shaped it, Assail brings the epic story of the Empire of Malaz to a thrilling close.

©2016 Ian C Esslemont (P)2016 Random House AudioBooks

Running time: 22 hours 45 minutes

The accumulated running time for these seven stories is:

9,628 minutes or 160 hours & 46 minutes or... slightly over six and a half days of constant listening

...see you on the other side!

Doctor Who: The Eternal Battle

Well this is not how I intended February to go at all! At least in terms of how I had imagined posting information about this month's releases. Instead of a regular series of updates, I notice that the end of the month is almost upon us and there's still much to talk about.

Several days ago, the second release of February appeared in the form of a Doctor Who adventure from Big Finish; viz The Eternal Battle - and here are some details along with some fabulous artwork by Anthony Lamb:

The TARDIS has landed in a war zone. The Doctor, Romana and K9 find themselves traipsing through an inhospitable battlefield. Strange lights flicker in the sky, and stranger creatures lurk in the darkness.

When rescued from an attack by a Sontaran tank, the time-travellers discover they’re facing a far more dangerous foe than the battle-hungry clones. This terrifying fight has been going on longer than anyone can remember… and shows no signs of stopping.

With the TARDIS missing and their luck running thin, the Doctor and his friends’ only hope of survival is to uncover the truth about what is happening on this planet. If they can discover the secret of the eternal battle they might just survive… but it might just mean the end of them all.

Tom Baker The Doctor   Lalla Ward Romana    John Leeson K9  

Dan Starkey Field Major Lenk/Sergeant Major Stom  

Jane Slavin Captain Nina Albiston/Sycon Computer    John Banks Brennan/Trooper Varn

Written by Cavan Scott & Mark Wright
Directed by Nicholas Briggs 

NB: This title was released in February 2017. It will be exclusively available to buy from the BF website until March 31st 2017, and on general sale after this date.