great story (as always); fantastic reader

fascinating story from a skillful author. this trade 2 is one of the best I have listened to, 1,000 times better than the reader for Fablehaven (no offense intended)

8 people found this helpful

A little scary at first, but a great story!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

My son, 10, and I both enjoyed this book. It seemed a little too scary early on (not good for younger kids), but very fun and interesting throughout. The action is fast enough to hold his attention, and creative enough to hold mine. We really liked it & are disappointed not to have the whole series available on Audible.

16 people found this helpful

By Surprise. . .

Read this for my class and found it get better and better with each chapter. The more involved it got, more I couldn't stop. Can't wait for Book Two.

5 people found this helpful

This is possibly Brandon's best work yet!

Would you listen to Sky Raiders again? Why?

Yes. Great story. Very well written and professional reader did a good job.

What other book might you compare Sky Raiders to and why?

It compares to like Harry Potter or the Narnia series.

5 people found this helpful

Best Series I Have Read In a While

I finished this series very quickly. I didn’t think I would grow to enjoy it as much as I did when I picked up Sky Raiders but I did, and there were more sky castles in the last book!

This series is perfect for middle school kids (or adults who love YA fiction), though the writing style is average at best. Also, I did not like the narrator. Regardless, the story and rich fantasy setting were enough to keep me from paying a lot of attention to the faults. Character development average, maybe slightly above average. They had faults and strengths and they weren’t annoying. Some of them were likable, though I think the narrator ruined Jace for me and I didn’t like his voices for some of the lead female characters either. It obviously did not ruin the series for me.

As for the best parts of the story: Brandon Mull is really good at making you think the characters are about to die (even though you know they won’t until the last one). Plans get ruined, hope is lost, there are no visible solutions to problems pretty regularly, yet the characters push on and manage to overcome the trials WITHOUT being rescued in a Deus Ex Machina. Mull really spent the time to put this story together the right way.

Furthermore, the setting is fantastic. A sky that’s never the same, Castles that float, giant pastries, portals, deadly music, robot monsters, dangerous hidden palaces and people that can turn into animals all fit together like a trippy string of dreams that someone found a way to explain.

Each book takes place in a different “kingdom” with a different kind of “magic”. You don’t start getting the whole picture of what’s happening until the fourth book, but it’s fun to learn as you go.

I also caught no whiffs of political, cultural or religious implications in any direction except basic grounded morality (like “slavery is wrong”) which was refreshing. Actually, it was pretty simple even in the politics of the universe, like good guys, bad guys simple as opposed to Hunger Games complexity where it’s hard to determine good political decisions. I was mildly disappointed but that would probably have gone over the target audience’s head.

If you are a serious writing snob, intolerant to meh narrators, or if you hate fantasy or children, then don’t read this series. If you love YA, love fantasy, love YA, and just need an entertaining read, I highly recommend this series.

4 people found this helpful

I love it!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this book for a friend. I already have! This book was very interesting and always had my attention. I even stayed up past midnight listening to this book. I loved the way the narrator did the voices, and when I had forgot the names of someone who was talking, the voice helped distinguish it.

What other book might you compare Sky Raiders to and why?

I would compare the book Fablehaven, also by Brandon Mull, to Sky Raider because, like Sky Raiders, they both kept me listening for hours at a time. It was also very well told and I always knew what was going on and was never confused. I love the story of all of Brandon Mull's books, and their points of view.

What about Keith Nobbs’s performance did you like?

Like I said, Keith Nobb's voices helped me distinguish character, create mood, and even better help deliver the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I definitely wanted to listen to all of this in one sitting! The only thing that stopped me was sleep. I listened to it till my eyes felt to heavy to hold open, then I closed my eyes. After, I still listened till I started to doze off. I listened to it in the morning as well as throughout my day even as I got ready for bed. I finished the book from 8:00pm on a Wednesday to 9:00pm on a Thursday. This book easily catches my attention.

4 people found this helpful

Just as great as fablehaven, Brandon mull is the best novel writer.

I love the way the storyline meets up to a great ending. Can’t wait for the 2nd book.

1 person found this helpful

A new family favorite

I'm always watching for series that my grade school kids and I can all enjoy (especially for summer roadtrips). This one is refreshingly imaginative and really brings you into this strange new world. The narration is unique...he varies his inflections more than his tone in order to create distinct characters. Most of the time it feels authentic and makes the characters sound like "real people" rather than caricatures. Occasionally he takes it a bit far and the dialo sounds stilted, but in general I'm a fan.

1 person found this helpful

Did not think the Narrator did Mull justice.

Great original story, however the Narrator seemed unable to separate character voices and used a speech tone that did not match main characters actions or thoughts.
I hope this is taken as creative criticism and used for the positive.

1 person found this helpful

Poor Performance

Very monotone, no feeling. I love Brandon but poor performance. It was a let down.

1 person found this helpful