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The Burning City Audiobook
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(3.00) - 462 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Each an acclaimed author in his own right, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle have collaborated on some of the biggest bestsellers in science fiction history, including the #1 New York Times bestseller Footfall. Here Niven and Pournelle have combined their award-winning talents and imaginations to produce a masterpiece of epic fantasy that rivals the works of Robert Jordan and David Eddings.
Set in the world of Larry Niven's popular The Magic Goes Away, The Burning City transports listeners to an enchanted ancient city bearing a provocative resemblance to our own modern society. There, Yangin-Atep, the volatile and voracious god of fire, alternately protects and destroys the city's denizens. In Tep's Town, nothing can burn indoors, and no fire can start—except when the Burning comes upon the city. At that time the people, possessed by Yangin-Atep, set their own town ablaze in a riotous orgy of destruction that often comes without warning.
Whandall Placehold has lived with the Burning all his life. Fighting his way to adulthood in the mean but magical streets of the city's most blighted neighborhoods, Whandall dreams of escaping the god's wrath to find a new and better life. But his best hope for freedom may lie with Morth of Atlantis—the enigmatic sorcerer who killed his father.
Both gritty and exotic, The Burning City is a fantasy tale unlike any you have read before.
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"This was quite the page turner! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is about a young man named Whandall Peacehold who lives in a town that periodically is set on fire as the citizens are possessed by their "fire god". Whandall wants to leave and have a different life and this is his adventure."
— Dodie (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Niven and Pournelle are in fine form.”
— Locus -
“The Burning City is a lively book that deftly integrates social concerns of today with the magic and mythology of yesterday.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review -
“The coauthors’ creativity is with them as they build a detailed world containing classical and Native American elements. Whether or not it marks a permanent shift from SF to fantasy for Niven and Pournelle, this is another absorbing book from them and bodes well for yet more of their collaborations.”
— Booklist -
“Vivid and unusual.”
— Kirkus Reviews
The Burning City Listener Reviews
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" I enjoyed this story quite a bit. It's classic fantasy with a little social commentary thrown in and a bit of too obvious character development to turn our hero into an economically independent free-thinker of the repressed civilization. Nevertheless, the world is interesting and the writing solid. "
— Genevieve's, 1/18/2014 -
" A very good book. It kept my attention and interest throughout. But, it just doesn't come up to the level of greatness like other Niven/Pournelle books like "The Mote in God's Eye" and "Legacy of the Heorot" "
— Davea, 11/18/2013 -
" More an exploration of an imaginative fantasy world based in western North America, and less a plot-driven novel. Interesting premise, but lacked dramatic tension, in my opinion. "
— Dave, 10/24/2013 -
" acquired this randomly.. was the first fantasy-esque book id read in years, and i've got to say, i enjoyed the hell out of it. :) "
— Devowasright, 9/22/2013 -
" The best way I can describe this book is: unclear. Why people do what they do is often unexplained. Sometimes you wonder: what just happened? There doesn't seem to be any unifying theme or real narrative. It could have been good, with a lot more editing. "
— Justin, 9/20/2013 -
" Interesting story with characters that grow and become more admirable as they go along. A fair bit of violence and etc, so not clean. "
— Hannah, 8/6/2013 -
" Honestly I didn't know what to expect from these two authors on a non-sci-fi collaboration, but they did a fairly decent job. "
— Mel, 7/22/2013 -
" I didn't like this at all, and I mostly really like his books. "
— Sherry, 7/17/2013 -
" I quite liked this despite not quite trusting the main character's cycling adventures. Great story, totally unpredictable and full of angst. "
— ananka, 4/4/2013 -
" My personal opinion is that Niven should stick to hard science fiction. While the concepts are interesting, this doesn't have the same power as the known space stories or the Ring novels. "
— Tim, 1/26/2013 -
" Loved this one start to finish "
— Kenneth, 12/7/2012
About the Authors
Larry Niven is the multiple Hugo, Locus, and Nebula Award–winning author of science fiction short stories and novels, including the Ringworld series, as well as many other science fiction masterpieces. His Footfall, coauthored with Jerry Pournelle, was a New York Times bestseller.
Jerry Pournelle (1933–2017) was an American science fiction writer, essayist, and journalist who contributed for many years to the computer magazine Byte. He wrote the popular Janissaries and CoDominium series and was the coauthor of several bestselling science fiction novels, including Lucifer’s Hammer, The Mote in God’s Eye, and the New York Times bestseller Footfall. He had advanced degrees in engineering, political science, statistics, and psychology and, in addition to his career as a fiction writer, had for many years written columns on both politics and technology.
About Tom Weiner
Tom Weiner, a dialogue director and voice artist best known for his roles in video games and television shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Transformers, is the winner of eight Earphones Awards and is an Audie Award finalist. He is a former member of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.