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The Diamond Throne
- The Elenium, Book 1
- Narrated by: Greg Abby
- Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins
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Publisher's Summary
But as Sparhawk and his allies - who include Sephrenia, the ageless sorceress, and Flute, the strange and powerful girl-child - seek to save Ehlana and the land, they discover that the evil is even greater and more pervasive than they had feared.
Critic Reviews
"[Eddings] draws once more on his particular strengths, combining heroic yet humorous characters with exotic settings and tangled politics to create a fast-moving fantasy that will appeal to his large readership." ( Library Journal)
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What listeners say about The Diamond Throne
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Becca
- 12-11-09
mispronounciations make the book unlistenable
I've enjoyed Eddings' Belgariad and Malorean, so I thought I'd like this trilogy. So far, it's typical Eddings, with a bit more convoluted politics, and a fairly slow leadup to the main quest part of the story. The narrator, however, ruins whatever enjoyment I'd have, however. He's limited, and recognizes his limitations, doesn't try to voices, for example. But his mispronunciations are making the book unlistenable. One word, in particular, is "hierarchy" - it's used a lot in the book, and the narrator consistently massacres it, which jerks me out of the story every time he hits the word. I'm not sure I'm going to continue on with the trilogy because of this.
37 people found this helpful
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- Homescholar
- 02-27-13
Could have been
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Probably not. The story line is pretty good, but it was hard listening because of the reader. I think it could have been good, with a good reader.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
The narrators timing, emphasis and inflection were all wrong. I found it so irritating to listen to that I had to stop listening several times. I wouldn't normally bother finishing a book with a reader like this, but the story had potential and then, I had already listened to all of my downloaded books and had to wait for my new credits. I won't be listening to the rest of the series!
23 people found this helpful
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- Kimberly
- 02-11-13
Love the story but the narrator needed work!
Any additional comments?
I have have enjoyed this series for years but this is my first listen on audiobook. I have to say I am so disappointed that the narrator didn't bother to learn the correct pronunciation of words and names. It seems so elementary an idea to get the basics right. Each time he mangles a name or word it jars you from the story. Additionally, his voice portrayal of several of the characters are so incongruous to the story. There was so much potential to bring this story to life but it fell short. The narrator is not without talent but was apparently lacking in direction. Still love the books but I'm unsure if I can continue to listen to the audio version.
10 people found this helpful
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- Christina
- 02-03-09
Surprise book
The first part was slow and I thought for sure this book was a dud, but when Sparhawk's friends enter the story they liven it up. I am very picky about my fantasy stories and this is one that has made my list. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good book.
16 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Bryan J. Peterson
- 09-19-09
Quirky pronunciations but overall a worthy job.
I read the Elenium and Tamuli serieses back in 1996 when I was sixteen. I'd just finished reading the Belgariad and Malloreon novels earlier that spring, so I was slightly disappointed that the Elenium and its sequel series took a different turn. But the humor found in what has become one of if not my absolute favorite fantasy serieses continues in the Elenium universe. The Elenium tells the story of Sir Sparhawk, a member of an order of knights known as the Pandions, soldiers of the church of the Elene God, a deity similar in many ways to the Christian god. His worshippers often behave in similar ways as well, right down to the inflexibility and intolerance of other religions that some Christian fundamentalists display. The Pandion Knights, however, as well as the three other Militant Orders of the Church, are exempt from certain restrictions of Church law, such as the prohibition against the practice of magic.
Sparhawk, having just returned from a ten-year exile from Elenia, comes home to a much-changed kingdom. King Aldreas is dead, seemingly killed by the Falling Sickness, and his daughter, the strong-willed Queen Ehlana, is suffering from a fatal disease and being sustained by powerful Styric magic while the search for a cure is undertaken. But now the kingdom is being run by the corrupt Primate Annias, who seeks dominion of the Elene church. It soon becomes apparent, however, that something far more sinister than ordinary politics is at work.
Greg Abby's narration is very well-done, although I did notice that he tended to mispronounce some fairly common words such as Impudent or Hexagonal. His voice, however, reminds me of a combination of those of actors Neil Dickson and Lex Lang. In short, very well-done aside from the quirky pronunciations. He does manage to give life to the many characters in the story. When humor is called for he manages to pull it off quite nicely. In short I'm glad I bought the series.
28 people found this helpful
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- Cliff
- 02-12-14
My favorite Eddings Series
Opinions varied on David Eddings throughout his life, but I really like this series. Yes, his work is derivative but he is good at following the formula he developed. This serues was more gritty and mature than the Belgariad and Mallorean. I read this series as a young adult and was pleased to find that it holds up just as well in audio format.
Maybe I am in the minority but I had no problems with the narrarator and really liked this novel . Eddings did tend to write more for young adults (basically the J.K. rowling of my childhood) which is good because I was able to listen to a book I loved as a child with my daughter who is about the same age. After listening to the series with me she made me buy them in print and she read them repeatedly until the books fell apart. That is a pretty major endorsement.
This one is definitely worth a credit.
13 people found this helpful
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- Melanie
- 05-07-14
A classic; listen to it like you do Tolkien
All of Eddings' epic fantasy work is dated now. It seems clichéd and trite. It would never get published by today's standards. Thing is, though, this stuff became a cliché for a reason: these are powerful ingredients. Eddings uses them masterfully.
The worldbuilding here is perhaps not as immersive as his Belgariad/Mallorean series, but the story is more mature and revolves around a battered yet formidable knight instead of a Chosen One farm boy (this will be relevant to you if you, like me, are tired of the Chosen One trope).
The key to enjoying Tolkien is to use your classic ear, not your modern ear. Tolkien wouldn't get published today, either (hello, Tom Bombadil), and so many of his elements seem like clichés now, too (elves and dwarves, le sigh). If you listen to him like you do Jim Butcher, you'll get bored... but if you listen to him as a classic, an exemplar, you can see why his books are still being read. Same goes for Eddings.
An important note: Like most "classics," all of Eddings' works contain problematic racial profiling and gender roles. None are good for kids.
4 people found this helpful
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- Todd A. Howard
- 03-11-13
reader is adequate, book is good
Would you listen to The Diamond Throne again? Why?
Yes, I like the story and the characters.
What three words best describe Greg Abby’s performance?
mispronounces many words
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes.
Any additional comments?
Mr. Abby's voices for the characters are good, but he has a faulty grasp of the pronunciation of a number of words over two syllables. One is "impudent," of which he accents the "pu", and another is "ramshorn," which should be pronounced "rams-horn" and not "ram-shorn." This word occurs in the 2nd and 3rd books of the series, repeatedly.
4 people found this helpful
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- AvidReader91
- 11-27-12
Good story, so-so narrator
I first encountered this story in the early 1990's, and have re-read it many times. It remains one of my favorite fantasy series. Sparhawk's quest to find the cure to his queen's illness is filled with entertaining characters, sufficiently vile antagonists, and plenty of suspense. There are a few twists and turns to keep you guessing, as well.
Anyone who is familiar with the Belgariad will recognize specific roles (comic relief / older advisor / young rogue, etc.) It's sort of fun to analyze the characters in comparison to the other series, trying to pinpoint how they correlate. There's a lot of overlap. There's also plenty similarity in the larger, over-arcing storyline - simple human (Garion / Sparhawk), powerful artifact (Aldur's orb / Bhelliom), and evil God (Torak / Azash). Anyone who enjoyed Eddings' earlier series will likely also enjoy this one (and its sequel).
While the narrator did a reasonable job, it was not easy to distinguish between different characters' voices. This could make conversations rather hard to follow. My other complaint with the audio version has to do with pronunciations. Having such a familiarity with the book has a few drawbacks, especially when it comes to my internal pronunciation of names, places, and so on. I was constantly jarred by oddly accented words here, a strangely pronounced name there. I would estimate that a good 50% of the names in the book were said differently than I had imagined them. I don't claim to be an expert on how David Eddings intended things to be pronounced, but it made it more difficult for me to enjoy the book as much as I had hoped. Others will likely have a different experience, but if you are wary of things like this or have previously read the book, I recommend listening to the sample audio clip, to see if you like the narrator.
3 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 07-14-12
A Favorite
Would you consider the audio edition of The Diamond Throne to be better than the print version?
No, the audio edition would have been better with a different narrator..the narrator made Flute sound like an old women instead of a young girl and i didnt like the way he pronouced Sparhawk's name or any of the names..every time he mentioned a named, it would draw me out of the story
What did you like best about this story?
i love the story itself, i have read the story several times..its one of mine favorites - that is the main reason i purchased it in audio
Would you listen to another book narrated by Greg Abby?
No, there was no really differentiation in the character's voices..
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
yes, love the story but the narration was okay - would have been better if Mr. Abby was able to show each character's personality more
3 people found this helpful
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- Joe Cairnes
- 08-01-13
Cowboy Knights
What didn’t you like about Greg Abby’s performance?
Greg Abby has the ability to impersonate all the voices of Clint Eastwood, Clint Eastwood and Clint Eastwood in bringing alive the characters. Brings the excitement of a movie trailer voice-over to the rich world of the Elenium.
41 people found this helpful
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- MR
- 11-14-16
Read it yourself instead
Just awful. I know this book inside out and still I couldn't listen to it being read by Greg Abby; I gave up after two chapters. His tone is completely monotonous without any inflection at all, and he uses ridiculous pronunciation. He seems not to have any grasp of punctuation or cadence, often stressing entirely the wrong words and thereby changing the meaning. Worst of all, his reading is entirely without humour, as though he has missed the tone and style of the book. Just awful. I will be getting a refund.
39 people found this helpful
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- Rachel Hollway
- 09-25-12
Awful narration
I don't usually write reviews but if I can prevent somebody making the mistake I did it would be worth it.
From the reviews I've read of the book I'm sure I'd enjoy the story, sadly the narration is so awful and monotonous that I just can't bring myself to listen to it.
I've now started listening for the 3rd time and think it's probably time I gave up on it altogether.
There are plenty of books on audible narrated really well, get them instead, or buy the book.
49 people found this helpful
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- DT
- 02-17-19
Great story, awful narration
Great book. Read several times over the years. Thought I'd try the audio version. Gave up after a few chapters due to the godawful narration. So bad
17 people found this helpful
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- Andrew
- 06-24-09
Just say no !
David Eddings books are really little more than generic fantasy, however this series is probably his best and I was hoping for some light bedtime listening.
However this reading is awful - not just delivered in a monotone with minimal character variation but a monopace whatever the situation - I gave up after the first hour. Basically it is the most unlistenable title I have ever downloaded in three years of Audible membership.
51 people found this helpful
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- GrumpyBadger
- 08-10-11
Good story, shame about the reading
Basic skills for a reader should include the ability to follow punctuation rather than insert random pauses and a basic grasp of english pronunciation; unfortunately this reader fails to meet these minimum requirements.
22 people found this helpful
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- Richard
- 04-12-19
An old favourite ruined
Trying to distinguush between any of the characters is nigh on impossible; when Sephrenia and Sparhawk sound broadly the same or when there is no distinguishable difference in accent between different nations one can't help but think that the narrator needs to have a good long chat with himself.
10 people found this helpful
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- Paul Kielty
- 12-09-18
Exceptional fantasy, abominably narrated
Wonderful, wonderful story. Horrible, horrible narration.
Voices don't suit characters and often swap around. Names are pronounced ridiculously incorrectly, since when is Chyrellos pronounced Krelos?
If you can stick the narration then the story will entertain with adventure, mystery, magic, mirth and love. The Eddings were truly talented.
10 people found this helpful
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- CeNedra Red
- 10-09-16
One of the Worst Audio Books I've Ever listened to
What would have made The Diamond Throne better?
Another Narrator. If I could give the Performance negative stars, I would have.
Who was your favorite character and why?
When I read the books, ( in printed form) many years ago, I liked most of the main characters, and all for different reasons. It would simply take too long to describe all the myriad qualities that made them so enjoyable. Unfortunately Mr Abby's performance rendered all the characters as flat and uninspired nonentities.
Would you be willing to try another one of Greg Abby’s performances?
NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! I didn't believed that anyone could be worse than Cameron Beierle and Maggie Mash, I was wrong. Mr Abby should be banned from coming near any book, lest he destroy another well loved tale.
You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?
Not in the Audio version. I absolutely loved the printed version, and read the whole series many times, until I had to replace my copies, since they started to fall apart from frequent use.
Any additional comments?
Keep Greg Abby away from books, any books. I think a cordon of about twenty miles should work to keep him from ruining any others. I was appalled by his total lack of skill. His mispronunciations were bad enough but when he seemed to have trouble reading ordinary words, I just couldn't stand any more. I am absolutely devastated that The Belgariad, The Mallorean, and now The Elenium, have been so totally destroyed by dreadful narrators. These were among my favorite books and they have been utterly ruined. As an act of kindness to other listeners, I suggest that the books mentioned here be removed from circulation, and that they be reworked by other more skillful narrators. Might I suggest either Derek Perkins, Andrew Wincott or Kevin Stillwell.
22 people found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 08-25-08
Deserved Better
As soon as i found that Audible had more David Eddings books they were on my wish list and I downloaded the first two parts. This is typical Eddings and deserves the criticism of being formula fantasy but it is enjoyable nontheless.
My dissapointment came when I heard the narrator Greg Abby. He keeps the pace going but that is obviously the extent of his tallents as a narrator. He has a similar voice to Frank Muller without the range. He makes no attempt to individualise each or indeed any of the characters. I am only grateful that he at least makes the women and children's voices a little higher even if they do sound like they have a bad cold. If you can live with all the characters sounding the same then this could be the one for you. I found it very irritating and wonder, if they auditioned for a narrator who they didn't pick.
22 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 01-24-19
narrator needs to work on english skills
this is a great story but the narrator pronounces every "ing" on the end of a word as "een".might not bother many but personally i hate it and as a person who is paid to read aloud its disappointing that this was not addressed.
2 people found this helpful
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- Letty
- 11-13-17
Great book but the bad audio
The music over the top in in parts is terrible and the voice in this doesn’t do the great book justice
1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 06-17-22
Good book
Great story, I had read it when I was young and enjoyed re visiting it.
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- Anonymous User
- 10-23-21
Narrator was terrible
Whoever chose the narrator for this reading really didn't read the book. This series is one of my go to series and I was excited to see it was available on audible, but once I started listening I was really disappointed. The voice of the narrator is more suited to a David Baldacci rather than a fantasy book. Doesn't have the range of voices/tones needed for the characters.
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- Anonymous User
- 07-17-21
Great but….
My friend, you should have asked as female to read the voices. Your female voice io is the male youths circa Shakespeare
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- Darryl Miller
- 04-24-21
Great story
Great story that stands the test of time. Narrator does a great job portraying the various characters
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- Anonymous User
- 04-17-21
got me hooked
I've read most of Eddings work and this reading of it really does it justice
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- Anonymous User
- 02-10-21
A Great Epic some what undermined
I have read the majority of the Eddings novels and was excited when I saw they were present here in audiobook form. I decided to start from the first Eddings offering, just as I had with the paperback release. My excitement was soon dashed within the first couple of sentences by the ridiculous narration of Greg Abby (hence the one star rating for performance). The ridiculous hushed intonations in the voice nearly made me quit the book prior to the commitment of Chapter one. However, knowing the story to be of epic proportions and the quality of Eddings's writing, I persisted.
The narrators poor vocal characterisations of the male characters was bad enough but the stupid vocalisation of the female voices was ridiculous to say the least. And the music mid way through????
The story is a brilliant one and flows intricately, the characters themselves are wonderful and compelling in the evocative style of the author, David Eddings. If you can disregard the narrators vocal delivery you are in for an incredible adventure.
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- Anonymous User
- 01-27-21
Great Story. Poor Reading
David Eddings books are always great read so I thought I would enjoy the audiobook. unfortunately the reader had poor pause rate, seemed to insert his own punctuation and sounded like he was advertising on the radio. Another words the reading wasn't smooth and even and that made it difficult to listem to
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- Andrew Wallace
- 10-31-20
Not bad, not bad at all
I liked the story but the narration left a little to be desired. Maybe he will improve with experience.