The Shadow of Elysium
Written by Django Wexler
Narrated by Richard Poe
4/5
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About this audiobook
Django Wexler
Django Wexler is a self-proclaimed computer/fantasy/sci-fi geek. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with degrees in creative writing and computer science, worked in artificial intelligence research and as a programmer/writer for Microsoft, and is now a full-time fantasy writer. Django is the author of The Shadow Campaigns, an epic fantasy series for adults published by Roc (an imprint of Penguin), and The Forbidden Library, a classic fantasy series for young readers published by Kathy Dawson Books (an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group).
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The Thousand Names Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Shadow Throne Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Price of Valor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Infernal Battalion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Shadow of Elysium Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for The Shadow of Elysium
31 ratings13 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5*Note: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*Interesting story as the location is entirely on a ocean freighter. The story is good in that it moves fast and is easy to listen to. I don't generally enjoy audiobooks because of the narration, however this narrator actually changed voices to suit the characters. I do feel like certain aspects were drawn out unnecessarily. It felt like it was trying to be stretched to create a bridge to the next book. Although I did enjoy listening to this story I don't feel compelled to find out what happens in the next book.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book was absolutely fantastic! I loved how the author introduced Petrol and slowly revealed her character so the reader falls in love with her. She meets a stranger she names Fin and finds a few friends. Fin goes through personnel turmoil and has to decide if he is going to side with the Brothers or the crew of the Oyster. The only problem is that the next book doesn't come out until next year.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Petrel is a 12 year old outsider on a ship moving through icy seas. All other shipmates are members of one of three nearly-warring tribes. As the daughter of disgraced and deceased parents, Petrel must live in the margins and sneak food for herself in a resource poor environment. Two rats are Petrel's only friends until she alerts the crew to a boy alone on an iceberg. Action and adventure ensue as secrets are unearthed and the ship must face the outside world in this first book of a trilogy.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I like Juvenile literature even though I will never see 60 years old again. I read an article where the critic was lamenting the state of things when every adult in the country was reading Harry Potter rather than, “adult literature”. I like adventure stories. No one scoffs at adults who read Robert Lewis Stevenson and he wrote juvenile literature. This story was good enough for me to want to read the next sequel.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5received this book (audiobook) as the Early Reviewers win. It's the story of a young girl, Petrel, who lives on an icebreaker, and Fin, a young boy who has been sent on a mission to kill a "demon" that lives on the ship. I loved the main character, who has be isolated from the rest of the crew because of a "crime" her parents committed (we eventually learn what this is). Despite being ostracized by the rest of the crew, she is not without friends or resources. She is anxious to make a friend of Fin in order to ease her loneliness, but because of his upbringing, he has become closed off to his own feelings.I became quite engaged in the story, and after a certain point, I really had a tough time turning off my car's engine (I listened to it in the car) to go to work--or wherever.I highly recommend it. It was quite moving at the end.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Petrel is a 12 year old outsider on a ship moving through icy seas. All other shipmates are members of one of three nearly-warring tribes. As the daughter of disgraced and deceased parents, Petrel must live in the margins and sneak food for herself in a resource poor environment. Two rats are Petrel's only friends until she alerts the crew to a boy alone on an iceberg. Action and adventure ensue as secrets are unearthed and the ship must face the outside world in this first book of a trilogy.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Icebreaker is a whirlwind adventure set in future Antarctica on a huge ship divided into “tribes.” Only Petrel is tribe-less, called the “Nothing Girl.” Yet she knows the ship better than anyone and wanders its decks and hidey-holes with ease. Existence is harsh, but Petrel is a survivor with quick wits and courage. When she spots a boy on an iceberg, she unlocks a long-held secret that will change her world forever. Tanner writes eloquently of the frozen landscape, of people, their fears and loyalties, and of the power of trust and friendship.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Petral, an orphaned girl on the ship Oyster, whose best friends are rats, finds a nearly drowned boy. His mission is the start of the trilogy for Icebreaker. This book on disk was narrated by Anne Marie Gibson, and nicely done. Recommended for the teen reader, but not a poor choice for fans of the dystopian genre.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I won this in the early reader giveaway and was reluctant to start it. But... I was pleasantly surprised!! This is a quick paced adventure story set in the future on a sea going vessel. Petral is a girl without a past who hides on the ship away from everyone else scavanging what she can. The ship sails on through icy waters, the only known world. The crew has split into three groups barely getting by, cooperating only to survive. But one day a boy is spotted on the ice dead ahead and Petral contrives to save him and starts events in motion that will change him, her and the future of the world. I look forward to more of this series.This was a recorded audio book and was well performed and easy to listen to. Thouroghly enjoyed it !!
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Grabbed me at the beginning and then lost me after the boy got brought aboard the ship. I dont think I'll be reading the next one; just a little too weird for me.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Early Reviewer Audio Book:A mysterious demon on a perpetually sailing ship, mechanical rats, a girl who doesn't belong, a fanatical boy.Icebreaker weaves together some fantastical circumstances. The main characters are likeable and very 'human', the book seems to strike the right balance between quick moving action and detailed description.The author and narrator must be British, it's read and written in such a tone. That can be a little irritating but is totally personal preference. The narrator does an excellent job in this reading.I wouldn't mind reading the next book in this series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Scholastic Siren - Sara:*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review--Actual rating, 4.5 SkullsThis is a wonderful story! It is fast paced and well written. Set in the world of The Shadow Campaigns, this is a nice entry point to the series or a tidbit to tide you over until The Prince of Valor comes out. Either way, you will be left ready for more!This is a first person story told from the point of view of a young man who is a prisoner being transported to Elysium. There are flashbacks about his life leading up to his capture, as well as present day interactions with his guards and a fellow prisoner, a young girl named Alex. I am unfamiliar with these characters, but I understand they are favorites from the series. I can't wait to read more about them!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I’m not usually one to pick up novellas outside of a series’ main books, but for The Shadow Campaigns I’d gladly make an exception – which should give you a hint into how much I love this series. A couple of years ago when Django Wexler released the prequel short story The Penitent Damned for free, I snatched it up and read that one too. It introduced us to a young female thief named Alex who possesses a demon inside her that allows her to do some incredible things, giving her an edge over others in her trade.Now Alex’s tale continues in The Shadow of Elysium, but it is told instead through the eyes of a young man named Abraham, a character who also has a demon inside him. The novella opens with the two of them in chains, traveling on a prisoner wagon to the fortress-city of Elysium to start a lonely and brutal life under the watchful eyes of the Priests of the Black. Every other chapter we get a glimpse into Abraham’s past as he tells of his life growing up in a remote village, the day he discovers his demon and the healing powers it grants him, and the events that led up to his arrest. Eventually things converge into the present, and Abraham has decided to plot a daring breakout. But then, there’s his fellow captive Alex. The young woman’s abilities are a mystery to him, but he has no doubt that they must be dangerous if the guards feel the need to keep her sedated at almost all hours of the day – which means she could be their greatest chance for escape.The Shadow of Elysium can be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone, no prior experience with The Shadow Campaigns series is required since these characters and events are completely apart from the main story. You don’t even need to have read The Penitent Damned. It’s a great place for new readers to jump on board but also a wonderful experience for fans of the series because it adds so much in terms of world building. This novella’s main focus is Abraham anyhow, a deeply personal tale that does a way better job exploring a protagonist than most short fiction I’ve ever read. We’ve not seen first person narration used in this series until now, but it works extraordinarily well for Abraham’s story and it was probably the foremost reason I took to him so quickly in just a handful of pages. A lot of short stories and novellas have disappointed me in the past because they don’t leave much room for character development (which is why I typically avoid them), but this isn’t a problem here. In fact, I find the storytelling well-paced and very balanced.Now I realize complaining that a novella is too short is a bit like complaining that ice cream is too sweet, so I’m not going to do it here; but I do, however, want to say I wished it hadn’t ended so abruptly. It was a deflating moment when I turned the page with excitement expecting another chapter to see what became of Abraham and Alex, to discover that the remaining 25% of the book or so was actually preview for the third novel of the series The Price of Valor. To Wexler’s credit though, he definitely made me want more. And considering how I’ve been looking forward to The Price of Valor for almost a year now, I certainly couldn’t remain glum for long.What else can I say but if you haven’t picked up The Thousand Names yet, what in the hells are you waiting for, go out and get it, go out and get it NOW! But okay, if you’re still on the fence and not sure if you want to take the plunge into yet another epic fantasy series (I understand, as they do demand a lot of your time), I urge you to check out The Shadow of Elysium. Like The Penitent Damned, it serves as a fantastic introduction to Wexler’s writing and gives a taste of what The Shadow Campaigns has to offer, and it’s an even better novella. A wonderful place to get started.