engaging story.

The historical fiction is filled with action and adventure. A really great story well performed and well read. makes one want to study again this time in history though the lens of this story-telling.

13 people found this helpful

captivating

great read, thanks to Mr Hancock for this entertaining and informative piece. two thumbs up

10 people found this helpful

Brings History to Life

Graham Hancock does a lot of really clever things with this book. I was worried that picking it up the book would hit page three and go straight off the deep end into pseudoscience and aliens, but the combination of supernatural and real history really serves to tell a better story here. Nights of the Witch is an excellent retelling of the Spanish conquest that is focused on drawing you in to the world. The choice to create characters that are not based on historic figures allows this story to explore themes and show a view of the world that normally gets glossed over. So while Hancock does take some major liberties with the events of the conquest they mostly make for a more intriguing story. For instance, in the book Malinalli is a Mayan girl who became a slave of the Aztecs. In reality she was born in the Aztec empire and became a slave of the Mayans, but that wouldn't let you see what being a slave of the Aztecs meant so he flips that relationship. Hancock's portrayal of the world is better than a lot of tv documentaries that I've seen even though this is clearly fiction, and that comes down to his excellent descriptions and his search for the motivations of the people involved. It does have some issues like too many one dimensional characters, and the story does take a little bit to get going as there are a lot of characters that it needs to introduce. Once everyone's plot lines are in action the story does become engaging though. Hancock's understanding of Aztec religion is also a little basic (much better than most people) I just think he could have told a better story otherwise. Fun fact, you actually can't open up a ribcage with an obsidian knife, and if you could that would kill the person before you could rip the heart out. You would have to make a cut below the ribcage and once you do that you could easily reach in and up and rip out the heart with your hand. Still I really enjoyed it.

7 people found this helpful

Informative, captivating and outright magical.

War God is a great fusion of Hancock's untethered imagination and his exotic experiences in understanding the roots of our "modern" civilization.

7 people found this helpful

Absolutely incredible.

This book had me from the start. Really enjoyed the flow of the book bouncing around from story to story. it really painted an interesting pucture of the Spanish Reconquista. and the crazy part is that most of it is true. Obviously excluding the supernatural aspect of the novel.
All in all I loved it, and Im just glad they made an audiobook of this finally!!!

5 people found this helpful

Yet another great work by Graham Hancock

Firstly, much praise should be given to Mr. Barnaby Edwards for the great read with a full cast made possible by his vocal variety!!! Cheers to a job well done. What else can be said about this book other that it’s is fantastically written and is capable of transporting the listener back in time to the days of Maya and the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors.

4 people found this helpful

I adore Graham and his non fictional work but...

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No. It was painful to get through and left me feeling dark and kind of soul sick.

Would you recommend Nights of the Witch to your friends? Why or why not?

No. I really dislike the penchant Hancock has for graphic physical and sexual violence. I love the history he covers but it's strung together with gruesome markers of killing and mayhem. This may in fact be an historical accuracy and part of a point he is making; however, I feel cynical and sick after listening to books like this. Sorry Graham. I'm no Pollyanna, but this really grosses me out. There are ways to talk about sex and violence without digging the knife into the listener's gut or having him/her feel like he has been raped and abused. This is my last time purchasing Hancock's fiction.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

I agree with others the accents through me a bit, but you get used to them.

Do you think Nights of the Witch needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. It should be burned by Christian missionaries and never heard from again. (ironic kidding)

Any additional comments?

Love Graham Hancock. Can't abide the violent and savage nature of his fiction. I feel tainted after I listen to his fiction books like I need to take a shower.

3 people found this helpful

I love this book. Cant wait for the third.

Where does Nights of the Witch rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I really like this series. My favorite so far.

What about Barnaby Edwards’s performance did you like?

He has great voices for the Characters.

3 people found this helpful

Pre-Hispanic Dickens?

What disappointed you about Nights of the Witch?

The reader uses English class accents to distinguish the characters. it's jarring. Why is the protagonist speaking in a cockney accent? it's set in pre-hispanic Mexico!

How could the performance have been better?

A straight reading or non British accent would have helped.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Nights of the Witch?

I'm not sure Moctezuma had the glee in taking human sacrifices as described in the book. A lot of this is up for debate and some suggest that the sacrifices were grossly exaggerated to justify the horrible looting and violence of the Spanish themselves.

Any additional comments?

I really was looking forward to this but I can't continue. It's too frustrating.

3 people found this helpful

Best Book I Have Ever Listened To

Wow, typically I listen to audio books for 30 minute to 60 minutes at a time. This was so engaging that I just listened to 5 hours in a row and could not turn it off. Usually a book this long starts to get tedious, but the author really knows how to build things up to a crescendo so that I actually felt my interest build as it went on and did not get story fatigue.

In history lessons, we get glimpses or brief paragraphs of the fascinating clash of civilizations between the Conquistadors and the Indian empires, but Hancock really brings the whole thing to life and you feel like you are there. He answers alot of questions and unravels the mystery of the encounters that is very satisfying.

His action sequences are amazing and you can tell the small details he throws in are METICULOUSLY researched. Tension, sense of dread, and the cunning and violence are illustrated well.

Narrator was also top notch, even surpassing R.C. Bray, which I thought was impossible. His repertoire of so many different voices and distinct personalities really adds to the deep characterization.

You get to see the motivations of all the different sides and this story flows really really well.

Already bought part 2.

2 people found this helpful