June 2018 audio releases...

...and breathe!

You find me dear reader, at the confluence of two fairly intensive periods of recording, where taking a deep breath is always a good idea.

I'm delighted that my ongoing work with the Black Library is rolling along at quite a pace and equally pleased to be embarking on the eight book series, mentioned in a previous posting, of Dorothy Dunnett's 'Niccolo Books', the first of which, 'Niccolo Rising', was completed yesterday. My sense is that the audiobook will have a running length around the 25 - 26 hour mark - and we recorded it in four working days, hence my current preoccupation with breathing...

Because of the aforementioned 'confluence', I shall be off to Nottingham tomorrow, ready to begin recording an audio book and three audio dramas next week, which need to be completed by close of play on Thursday, in time to prep for the second Niccolo book, 'Spring of The Ram', which starts recording the following Monday and which seems to be a bit longer than the first book; perhaps 26 - 27 hours running time.

Following straight on from the second Niccolo book will be the recording of a non-fiction book on the subject of 'serial killers', to be followed, guess what, by the third Niccolo book, 'Race of Scorpions', which will probably come in at around the 28 - 29 hour mark. In short; I'm scheduled to record five audio books in five weeks. No pressure then...

In the meantime, some of the stuff already recorded is, despite all efforts to the contrary, finding it's way onto the virtual and actual store shelves, all ready to be hoovered up by an insatiable public appetite for sounds to commute to, or build miniature armies to, or drive to, or whatever. Which is good!

Martyrs of Elysia

A Warhammer 40,000 audio drama

Accused of murdering a rival officer, veteran drop trooper Sergeant Zachariah must convince the ruthless Commissar Mastroval of his innocence if he is to survive.

A traitor’s death awaits Sergeant Zachariah of the 158th Elysian. Accused of murdering a rival officer, the veteran drop trooper must convince the ruthless Commissar Mastroval of his innocence if he is to survive.

As the interrogation reveals disturbing truths surrounding the high-ranking officer’s demise, Zachariah realises not all is as it seems. A secret he buried long ago, one perhaps even more condemning, is on the verge of being unearthed.

Written by Chris Dows, Produced by Matt Renshaw & Narrated by John Banks

* * * * *

Next up is this anthology of almost 'commuter length' audio dramas, which was released a couple of weeks ago by The Black Library; here are some details:

Shadespire: The Darkness in the Glass

A Warhammer Age of Sigmar audio anthology

In the shattered ruins of the City of Mirrors, three tales unfold. A Stormcast Eternal and Khorne Bloodreaver are linked by dreams of the past; a lone Stormcast seeks his brethren amidst the mirrors, and an aelven prince looks for something lost…

Long ago, the Katophranes of the city of Shadespire dared to defy their god. But in the Realm of Death, the ruler of the underworlds does not permit treachery, for Nagash rules all. To punish their attempts to cheat death, Nagash cursed Shadespire to an eternal half-life.

Now, centuries later, brave warriors enter the shattered remains of the Mirrored City in search of secrets and riches… and for other, darker purposes. The three tales in this audio drama anthology showcase the dangers and mysteries of Shadespire, as the Stormcast Eternals – and their allies and enemies alike – find themselves trapped, alone and in more danger than they could have possibly imagined.

Doombound by David Annandale

A Place of Reflection By David Guymer

The Autumn Prince by Guy Haley

Performed by:

John Banks, Ken Bradshaw, Tim Bruce, Beth Chalmers, Cliff Chapman, Steve Conlin, Matthew Hunt, Jonathan Keeble, 

Toby Longworth, Melvyn Rawlinson, Luis Soto & Andrew Wincott

Produced by Matt Renshaw

Each of these three audio dramas was previously available as part of the 2017 Black Library Advent Calendar.

* * * * * 

Released a couple of days ago, I'm very much looking forward to giving this audiobook a listen. I recorded it 'in house' at PRH Audio in London a few months ago and it's part of a series of similar history books and audio books, collectively known as 'Penguin Monarchs'.

Henry VIII: The Quest for Fame

Penguin Monarchs 

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Henry VIII: The Quest for Fame by John Guy, read by John Banks.


Henry VIII's reign transformed the physical and spiritual landscape of England. Magnificent, tyrannical, a strong ruler, a 'pillager of the commonwealth', this most notorious of kings remains a figure of extreme contradictions: a devout traditionalist who oversaw a cataclysmic rupture with the church in Rome, a talented, charismatic, imposing figure who nevertheless could not bear to meet people's eyes when he talked to them.

In this revealing new account, John Guy explores how Henry himself understood the world and his place in it - from his sheltered and increasingly isolated upbringing and the blazing glory of his accession to his desperate quest for recognition, fame and an heir, and the terrifying paranoia of his last, agonising, 54-inch-waisted years - and in doing so casts new light on his choice of wives and ministers, his impact on the European stage and his extraordinary legacy.
 

Running length: 3 hours - 25 minutes

 Written by John Guy & Produced by Roy McMillan
 

 ©2014 John Guy (P)2018 Penguin Books Ltd
  

* * * * *

And that's just about it for this update I'm afraid to say; there's much more in the pipeline and I'll reveal details at the appropriate time. Before then, there's more work to do than I care to think about! A bit of homework for my Saturday night's frivoloity, followed by packing for my travels during the coming week.

Enjoy the sunny weather wherever you are and if it isn't sunny where you are, you have my sympathy, as I shall be confined to a variety of windowless recording studios for the next several weeks, well away from any kind of sunshine. Hope the World Cup goes well and Le Tour de France and the F1 GP season - missing you already! :-) 

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

The Puppet Show

Welcome to The Puppet Show....





                     "Expertly narrated by the annoyingly talented John Banks" M.W. Craven


A serial killer is burning people alive in the Lake District's prehistoric stone circles. He leaves no clues, and the police are helpless.

 
When his name is found carved into the charred remains of the third victim, disgraced detective Washington Poe is brought back from suspension and into an investigation he wants no part of.
He is reluctantly partnered with brilliant but socially awkward civilian analyst Tilly Bradshaw, and the mismatched pair uncover a trail that only he is meant to see. The elusive killer has a plan, and for some reason Poe is part of it.

As the body count rises, Poe discovers he has far more invested in the case than he could have possibly imagined. And in a shocking finale that will shatter everything he's ever believed about himself, Poe will learn that there are things far worse than being burned alive....

 Unabridged Audiobook Length: 9 hrs and 46 min

©2018 M. W. Craven (P)2018 Hachette Audio UK

This is a fabulous novel which I thoroughly enjoyed recording. It's published today in all formats and in a short while, I'm off to the launch party at a bookshop in central London. I'm looking forward to meeting the author, Mike Craven; I rarely get to meet authors, so it should be a fun event.

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

 

Rock and Roll is Life

Good afternoon! The quickest of quick updates I'm afraid; the current work situation involves a lot of preparation and I feel as though I'm in the foothills of the Himalayas, strapping on a couple of oxygen tanks and getting ready for the great ascent. As the information is already (!) available on the audible.co.uk web site, I can at least mention what I'm doing; which is unusual and means that I don't have to be 'coy' for the next six months!

Starting in late June, I'm scheduled to record the eight books of Dorothy Dunnett's 'The Niccolo Books' series, a project which should be fun and which certainly falls into the 'great challenge' category of narration. As far as I can estimate, the shortest of the eight books has a running time of about 24 hours; others are well up into the 30 hour plus range; a little bit like The Malazan series I did a couple of years ago I suppose.

However, in the meantime, I have three audio dramas to record next week and a non-Niccolo book in the first week of July, so, lots of prep as I'm sure you can imagine!

In the other meantime (?), here are some details of an audio book I recorded in April which was released at the end of May:

"Rock and Roll Is Life is the new novel from the country's leading man of letters, D. J. Taylor.  You may remember the Helium Kids. Back in their late '60s and early '70s heyday, they appeared on Top of the Tops on 27 separate occasions, released five Billboard-certified platinum albums, played sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden and were nearly, but not quite, as big as the Beatles and the Stones.

Three decades later, in the big house on the outskirts of Norwich, Nick Du Pont is looking back on the roller-coaster years he spent as their publicist in a world of licensed excess and lurking tragedy. What follows is not only the story of a rock band at a formative time in musical history, when America was opening up to English music and huge amounts of money and self-gratification were there for the taking.

For the tale is also Nick's - the life and times of a war baby born in a Norwich council house, the son of an absconding GI, whose career is a search for some of the advantages that his birth denied him. It is at once a worm's eye of British pop music's golden age and a bittersweet personal journey, with cameo appearances from everyone from Elvis and Her Majesty the Queen Mother to Andy Warhol.

Rock and Roll Is Life is a vastly entertaining, picaresque and touching novel inspired by the excess and trajectories of the great '60s and '70s supergroups and of the tales brought back from the front line by a very special breed of Englishmen who made it big in the States as the alchemists and enablers, as well as the old making way for the new in the era of the baby boomers.

At its heart is one man's adventure and the poignancy of the special relationships that dominate his life."

©2018 D. J. Taylor (P)2018 Little, Brown Book Group

* * * * * 

Tomorrow, 7th June, sees the release of M.W. Craven's fabulous novel "The Puppet Show", which I also recorded in April. The audio book and printed novel are being released simultaneously and I've been invited to the launch party tomorrow evening. Having had no opportunity to listen to the recording yet, my fingers are very firmly crossed in the hope that I haven't made a horrrible mess of it! That aside, it should be a fun evening; I'll let you know... !

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