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Lord Valentine’s Castle Audiobook
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(3.01) - 3,596 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The search for his lost past leads to a battle for his future.
The planet Majipoor is shared by humans and several alien races, including four-armed Skandars, three-eyed Liiman, and the native, shape-shifting Metamorphs. All are watched over by the King of Dreams, the labyrinth-dwelling Pontifex, and the Lady of the Isle of Sleep, while the Coronal officially rules from atop Castle Mount.
One of the best-loved and bestselling fantasy classics of all time, the Majipoor Cycle begins as young Valentine, a man with no memory, is hired as an apprentice juggler by a group of eccentric performers. While the traveling troupe takes to the road, Valentine's sleep is disturbed by nightmare visions of warring brothers and difficulties on faraway Castle Mount. In a quest to discover Valentine'strue identity, his wise and peculiar companions resolve to help him claim the rewards of his birth. But another trial awaits Valentine that will test his belief, resolve, and strength of character.
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"A real joy to read. Imaginative, complex and epic. A rare breed of sci-fi/fantasy crossover set against a beautifully realised world full of contrasts and with a real narrative drive. Unlike most fantasy this book is also very well written, avoiding cliches and stereotypes."
— Libby (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A surefire page-turner…A brilliant concept of the imagination.”
— Chicago Sun-Times -
“A grand, picaresque tale…by one of the great storytellers of the century. Lord Valentine’s Castle has everything.”
— Roger Zelazny -
“[A] heady blend of rigorous SF worldbuilding and the poetic sensibility of fantasy fiction…[which] casts light on a variety of pertinent social concerns.”
— Sci Fi Weekly -
“The first installment of Silverberg’s celebrated Majipoor Cycle makes for relaxing listening. In an unhurried bass voice, Stefan Rudnicki calmly escorts the listener through the expansively descriptive world of Majipoor, an ancient and fantastical kingdom which, having forgotten conflict, is, nonetheless, on the brink of civil war. Particularly difficult vocal challenges include a bureaucratic two-headed alien, who is achieved though vocal skill rather than special effects…Rudnicki ably performs a myriad of characters, most notably the whimsical Lord Valentine.”
— AudioFile -
“Robert Silverberg’s writing and imagination soar with nary a false step. It is truly a extraordinary tale, well told. The story is enhanced by Stefan Rudnicki’s nuanced reading. For a narrator with such a deep voice, Rudnicki is able to tweak his reading to provide a wide range of characters, from the dour Skandars to more delicate female characters…Highly recommended.”
— SFFAudio.com -
“[A] wonderful science fiction tale…Rudnicki’s excellent semi-voiced reading adds a great deal to the enjoyment of this tale. He has won numerous audiobook awards as a reader and as a producer, including a Grammy. He uses his sonorous voice effectively to capture the various personalities of Valentine and his multicultural friends.”
— SoundCommentary.com
Awards
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Winner of the 1981 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel
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Finalist for the 1981 Hugo Award for Best Novel
Lord Valentine’s Castle Listener Reviews
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" I love Robert Silverberg, but this book is predictable and unbelievable. "
— Saldana, 2/17/2014 -
" A rollicking good road-book read. "
— Pikei, 2/13/2014 -
" I read this for the first time in 1982 - in the piney woods of northeastern Texas - and it's as enchanting now as it was 31 years ago. "
— Gary, 2/6/2014 -
" An other-world Bildungsroman with a twist--the hero starts his journey as an adult with no past. A compelling read. "
— Bill, 1/24/2014 -
" Very good book, interesting settings, creatures. Beautiful plot and surprise ending. "
— Aiden, 1/24/2014 -
" I probably read this book 30 years ago but I remember really enjoying the way Silverberg used juggling as a major part of the plot. The rest of the book I don't remember. "
— Deborah, 1/19/2014 -
" This book inspired me to learn to juggle. "
— J., 1/18/2014 -
" This was one that my husband and I read together during our evening chores. It was long. Silverberg is a great world-builder, but it was long. "
— Jessica, 1/7/2014 -
" Nice story, interesting concept - a few too many meaningless name and place references, but otherwise an enjoyable read. "
— Kathleenmarrs, 12/30/2013 -
" I remember loving this book and loving my best friend for sharing it with me. "
— Anita, 12/17/2013 -
" Welcome to the world of Majipoor, a world that will draw you in and have you revel in its vast magnificence. "
— Hthayer, 11/28/2013 -
" This book was the first by Robert Silverberg I ever read. I loved it (still do). Silverberg continues to be one of my favorite authors. "
— Sarah, 6/15/2013 -
" Pretty fun read with an imaginative world and fascinating descriptions of cities. However, the plot is very predictable and the writing is a bit too geared towards children (which it is entirely possible the book/series was written for). "
— Vamshidhar, 2/9/2013 -
" One of the few books that I enjoyed as much the second time (around age 30) as I did the first time (around age 15). Majipoor is one of my favorite fantasy/sf settings ever; it fills me with a sense of wonder. "
— Jon, 1/16/2013 -
" Silverberg is a fairly "big" name in the SF world and although this is a well thought out world, I find the memory loss of the lead charachter a bit too common in SF as an excuse for explaining how things work. Still a fairly unchallenging fun read. "
— Robin, 8/26/2011 -
" I remember loving this book when I first read it. A recent review by Kathleen made me sort of want to read it again. I wonder if I would still like it. "
— Valerie, 4/16/2011 -
" More people should read this book, its amazing. "
— Kevin, 2/11/2011 -
" An other-world Bildungsroman with a twist--the hero starts his journey as an adult with no past. A compelling read. "
— Bill, 2/2/2011 -
" Yep, another reread. Great classic. "
— Kama, 1/31/2011 -
" Nice story, interesting concept - a few too many meaningless name and place references, but otherwise an enjoyable read. "
— Kathleenmarrs, 12/31/2010 -
" it was intresting reding "
— Henriette, 11/19/2010 -
" One of the few books that I enjoyed as much the second time (around age 30) as I did the first time (around age 15). Majipoor is one of my favorite fantasy/sf settings ever; it fills me with a sense of wonder. "
— Jon, 8/26/2010 -
" Bland and underdeveloped with very flat characters. "
— Kate, 1/20/2010
About Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg’s first published story appeared in 1954 when he was a sophomore at Columbia University. Since then, he has won multiple Nebula, Hugo, and Locus awards. He has been nominated for both awards more times than any other writer. In 1999 he was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, and in 2004 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America gave him their Grand Master Award for career achievement. He remains one of the most imaginative and versatile writers in science fiction.
About Stefan Rudnicki
Stefan Rudnicki first became involved with audiobooks in 1994. Now a Grammy-winning audiobook producer, he has worked on more than five thousand audiobooks as a narrator, writer, producer, or director. He has narrated more than nine hundred audiobooks. A recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards, he was presented the coveted Audie Award for solo narration in 2005, 2007, and 2014, and was named one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices in 2012.