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Khaim Novellas #1, 2
The Alchemist and The Executioness
It is a world where magic is forbidden - yet practiced in secret every day. But each small act of magic exacts a dreadful price - for it brings the bramble, which chokes farmland, destroys villages, and kills with its deadly thorns. In this world, an alchemist believes he's found a solution to the curse. But will the cure be worse than the disease? And a woman is forced to take up the mantle of her father, the Executioner. But it will not be the only death that she faces.The Alchemist and the Executioness is the unique collaborative effort of two leading science fiction authors, Paolo Bacigalupi and Tobias S. Buckell. Working together for the first time, the authors stepped out of their comfort zone (both primarily write science fiction) to delve into fantasy, producing these linked stories that share the same captivating 5 hours and 36 minutes
6 pages, Audible Audio
First published July 6, 2010
626 people want to read
About the author
Paolo Bacigalupi
133 books4,924 followersPaolo Bacigalupi is an award-winning author of novels for adults and young people.
His debut novel THE WINDUP GIRL was named by TIME Magazine as one of the ten best novels of 2009, and also won the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, Compton Crook, and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards. Internationally, it has won the Seiun Award (Japan), The Ignotus Award (Spain), The Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis (Germany), and the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire (France).
His debut young adult novel, SHIP BREAKER, was a Micheal L. Printz Award Winner, and a National Book Award Finalist, and its sequel, THE DROWNED CITIES, was a 2012 Kirkus Reviews Best of YA Book, A 2012 VOYA Perfect Ten Book, and 2012 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist. The final book in the series, TOOL OF WAR, will release in October of 2017.
His latest novel for adults is The New York Times Bestseller THE WATER KNIFE, a near-future thriller about climate change and drought in the southwestern United States.
His debut novel THE WINDUP GIRL was named by TIME Magazine as one of the ten best novels of 2009, and also won the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, Compton Crook, and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards. Internationally, it has won the Seiun Award (Japan), The Ignotus Award (Spain), The Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis (Germany), and the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire (France).
His debut young adult novel, SHIP BREAKER, was a Micheal L. Printz Award Winner, and a National Book Award Finalist, and its sequel, THE DROWNED CITIES, was a 2012 Kirkus Reviews Best of YA Book, A 2012 VOYA Perfect Ten Book, and 2012 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist. The final book in the series, TOOL OF WAR, will release in October of 2017.
His latest novel for adults is The New York Times Bestseller THE WATER KNIFE, a near-future thriller about climate change and drought in the southwestern United States.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
March 15, 2021
While I don't find anything objectionable about either of these novellas, the parallels between these and most of the Epic Fantasies out there at the moment are pretty plain to see. The fairly three-dimensional characters must work within and/or against a world where magical brambles slowly kill empires, but are caused by magic use.
The solution is often rougher than the original problem: kill all magic users.
Both are absolutely allegory, set in the same world, and both take on very familiar tropes. What happens when problems and solutions aren't easily fixed -- mixed with a bit of environmentalism, cultural blindness, and the rage of the righteous.
In that respect, it's very familiar.
I won't say that these are groundbreaking, but they are decent.
The solution is often rougher than the original problem: kill all magic users.
Both are absolutely allegory, set in the same world, and both take on very familiar tropes. What happens when problems and solutions aren't easily fixed -- mixed with a bit of environmentalism, cultural blindness, and the rage of the righteous.
In that respect, it's very familiar.
I won't say that these are groundbreaking, but they are decent.
March 5, 2011
3.5 stars. This is an “audio” only double-feature containing two separate novellas, The Alchemist by Paolo Bacigalupi and The Executioness by Tobias Buckell. I recently reviewed both of those books individually and you can see their individual reviews here:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/93...
and
http://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/...
so this review is really designed just to give some feedback on the quality of the narration for those of you (like me) that listen to audio books. The 3.5 stars above is my combined average rating for the two individual novellas and I will rate the quality of the audio below separately.
THE ALCHEMIST
The Alchemist is read by Jonathan Davis who also did the narration for Paolo’s novel, The Windup Girl. Mr. Davis’ narration was in a word….AWESOME and seems to fit Bacigalupi’s writing style very, very well. 5.0 stars for the narration.
THE EXECUTIONESS
The Executioness is read by Katherine Kellgren. This was my first time listening to a narration by Ms. Kellgren but I thought she was absolutely outstanding and will certainly be more inclined to listen to an audio book if she is doing the narration. 5.0 stars for her as well.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/93...
and
http://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/...
so this review is really designed just to give some feedback on the quality of the narration for those of you (like me) that listen to audio books. The 3.5 stars above is my combined average rating for the two individual novellas and I will rate the quality of the audio below separately.
THE ALCHEMIST
The Alchemist is read by Jonathan Davis who also did the narration for Paolo’s novel, The Windup Girl. Mr. Davis’ narration was in a word….AWESOME and seems to fit Bacigalupi’s writing style very, very well. 5.0 stars for the narration.
THE EXECUTIONESS
The Executioness is read by Katherine Kellgren. This was my first time listening to a narration by Ms. Kellgren but I thought she was absolutely outstanding and will certainly be more inclined to listen to an audio book if she is doing the narration. 5.0 stars for her as well.
August 27, 2010
This pair of short stories (maybe they're novellas) was released exclusively for audio download. Paolo Bacigalupi and Tobias Buckell are a pair of extremely talented science fiction writers who make their first forays into fantasy. What a job they do! These stories are so compelling and the shared world they created is beyond fascinating. I was left very satisfied, but I want more!
I think this would be a great introduction to audiobooks for people who haven't tried them before. The stories and the narrations are great.
I think this would be a great introduction to audiobooks for people who haven't tried them before. The stories and the narrations are great.
July 8, 2020
These were a refreshing pair of novellas with plenty of subtext to follow and enjoy. Not wanting to give away any spoilers, I am keeping it short...
December 4, 2013
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
The Alchemist and The Executioness caught my eye as soon as it went up at Audible.com. Paolo Bacigalupi and Tobias Buckell offering linked fantasy novellas that take place in a shared world? Bacigalupi's story read by Jonathan Davis? What could be more promising? (It turns out that had I been familiar with Katherine Kellgren, who read Buckell's story, I would have been even more excited about this one!)
In this shared world, the use of magic causes the growth of bramble, a fast-growing, pervasive, and deadly plant that has taken over cities, making them uninhabitable. Crews of workers must fight back the bramble daily, burning it and collecting its seeds. Magic is forbidden and those who are found using it are executed, yet some citizens are willing to risk their lives if a bit of magic might help them. Who cares if a patch of bramble sprouts in a stranger's garden if a magic spell might heal their only child?
The Alchemist is about a metal and glass worker who has given up all of his riches and is building an instrument which he hopes will destroy the bramble, restore his fortune, and give him the license to use magic to cure his daughter's wasting cough. When he presents his invention to the city government, things start to go wrong.
I liked Bacigalupi's characters — the focused scientist who's so task-oriented that he misses important social cues and the strong woman whose support is crucial but mostly goes unnoticed — and I enjoyed the laboratory setting because it reminded me of my own frustrating days at "the bench." It was intriguing to explore the idea that small and secret lawbreaking, even for a good cause, can accumulate to destroy a nation or, as one of Bacigalupi's characters says: "If we grant individual mercies, we commit collective suicide." That got me thinking of all sorts of current political, economic, and social parallels.
With The Executioness, Tobias Buckell becomes the hero of middle-aged mothers everywhere. Since I'm now one of those, I loved this story about a mom who loses her family and finds herself. Tana is a desperate woman who just does what any mother would do in the same circumstances. It's hard for me to imagine becoming a hero, but Tana's story is completely believable and after hearing it, now I wonder if maybe I could be...
The Executioness was read by Katherine Kellgren, whom I'd never heard before. She was incredible and brought so much personality to Buckell's protagonist. She sounded lost, distressed, frightened, and brave at just the right times. I already adored Jonathan Davis (I heard him read Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar books) and I now have a new favorite in Katherine Kellgren.
I can highly recommend The Alchemist and The Executioness to fantasy lovers of all ages. I wish it had been longer. It's exclusively available on audio at Audible.com. So far, everything I've listened to by Audible Frontiers has been of the highest quality — excellent sound quality, excellent narration, and a large collection of superior fantasy works.
The Alchemist and The Executioness caught my eye as soon as it went up at Audible.com. Paolo Bacigalupi and Tobias Buckell offering linked fantasy novellas that take place in a shared world? Bacigalupi's story read by Jonathan Davis? What could be more promising? (It turns out that had I been familiar with Katherine Kellgren, who read Buckell's story, I would have been even more excited about this one!)
In this shared world, the use of magic causes the growth of bramble, a fast-growing, pervasive, and deadly plant that has taken over cities, making them uninhabitable. Crews of workers must fight back the bramble daily, burning it and collecting its seeds. Magic is forbidden and those who are found using it are executed, yet some citizens are willing to risk their lives if a bit of magic might help them. Who cares if a patch of bramble sprouts in a stranger's garden if a magic spell might heal their only child?
The Alchemist is about a metal and glass worker who has given up all of his riches and is building an instrument which he hopes will destroy the bramble, restore his fortune, and give him the license to use magic to cure his daughter's wasting cough. When he presents his invention to the city government, things start to go wrong.
I liked Bacigalupi's characters — the focused scientist who's so task-oriented that he misses important social cues and the strong woman whose support is crucial but mostly goes unnoticed — and I enjoyed the laboratory setting because it reminded me of my own frustrating days at "the bench." It was intriguing to explore the idea that small and secret lawbreaking, even for a good cause, can accumulate to destroy a nation or, as one of Bacigalupi's characters says: "If we grant individual mercies, we commit collective suicide." That got me thinking of all sorts of current political, economic, and social parallels.
With The Executioness, Tobias Buckell becomes the hero of middle-aged mothers everywhere. Since I'm now one of those, I loved this story about a mom who loses her family and finds herself. Tana is a desperate woman who just does what any mother would do in the same circumstances. It's hard for me to imagine becoming a hero, but Tana's story is completely believable and after hearing it, now I wonder if maybe I could be...
The Executioness was read by Katherine Kellgren, whom I'd never heard before. She was incredible and brought so much personality to Buckell's protagonist. She sounded lost, distressed, frightened, and brave at just the right times. I already adored Jonathan Davis (I heard him read Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar books) and I now have a new favorite in Katherine Kellgren.
I can highly recommend The Alchemist and The Executioness to fantasy lovers of all ages. I wish it had been longer. It's exclusively available on audio at Audible.com. So far, everything I've listened to by Audible Frontiers has been of the highest quality — excellent sound quality, excellent narration, and a large collection of superior fantasy works.
June 2, 2011
As this audiobook is split into to separate novellas by different authors sharing the same world, I give four stars to Bacigalupi's Alchemist and two stars to Buckell's Executioness, which averages out to three stars.
In the forward, Buckell tells how he conceived of the Executioness as a way to subvert a common fantasy trope by letting a middle-aged mother take on the title role. Despite his worthy attempt, I found Bacigalupi's single-father Alchemist a much more interesting, complex, morally conflicted character than the supposedly reluctant warrior Executioness. More on her later.
There's a reason Bacigalupi's story comes first. He does a fantastic job laying out and explaining this alternate fantasy world where the use of magic has caused a monstrous bramble (think sleeping beauty) to encroach on and strangle an entire kingdom. The titular Alchemist has slowly impoverished his family over the years as he seeks to develop a contraption that can kill bramble without using magic (on which the Bramble feeds), only to get caught up in the politics of the tyrannical regime. Bacigalupi's background as a sci-fi writer lends itself well here to creating a believable world with its own set of complexities, asking questions about sacrificing the needs of the few for the well-being of society (if anything, some of the world building may be too extensive for such a brief story, so some may find the exposition lengthy). He also manages to subvert well-tread fantasy cliches--losing one's family, freeing the character up to go adventuring or take revenge, for example. Despite the complex world politics, this story is really a small, even touching, character-driven one about a father trying to save his child.
I enjoyed Bacigalupi's story so much that I worried The Executioness wouldn't live up to it. I was right. Buckell made a big deal in the intro about making the Executioness character a middle-age women with children, but ultimately I found her rather bland and unknowable, her motives muddy and inconsistent. If the author didn't routinely TELL us that she's a mother and middle-aged, she might as well have been a 17 year old orphan out to save and revenge her brothers (instead of sons). I had hoped for another character-driven "small" story about a woman forced to become an executioner to keep her family alive, and her "small" internal struggles. Instead, Buckell embraces that aforementioned and overused fantasy cliche, killing off Tana's family and sending her on an adventure in which, thanks to lucky coincidence akin to the "Brave Little Tailor" ("seven in one blow") she develops an unearned reputation as a fearsome fighter. Most of her success comes from luck: a caravan saves her, it's leader takes her under his wing for some reason, she uncharacteristically asks to be trained with weapons instead of helping the caravan using skills she already has (she was a farmer's wife and ran a large household single-handedly), and suddenly after a week of training she's this master butt-kicking strategic genius. umm...how??? I had hoped there would be more overlap between the two stories, but I started to get the feeling that the two authors had some disagreements over the world mechanics. Why does Buckell take us out of the kingdom? Why does no one use magic to fight the raiders? (I'd think a little bramble here and there would be worth NOT being slaughtered by war elephants, and I won't start on the problems of using slow-loading arquebuses instead of crossbows...I digress). After a while my husband and I (we listened to it on a road-trip) just wanted it to end.
Bottom line, The Alchemist is definitely worth a listen, although The Executioness suffers from having to follow it, as well as from numerous fantasy cliches.
In the forward, Buckell tells how he conceived of the Executioness as a way to subvert a common fantasy trope by letting a middle-aged mother take on the title role. Despite his worthy attempt, I found Bacigalupi's single-father Alchemist a much more interesting, complex, morally conflicted character than the supposedly reluctant warrior Executioness. More on her later.
There's a reason Bacigalupi's story comes first. He does a fantastic job laying out and explaining this alternate fantasy world where the use of magic has caused a monstrous bramble (think sleeping beauty) to encroach on and strangle an entire kingdom. The titular Alchemist has slowly impoverished his family over the years as he seeks to develop a contraption that can kill bramble without using magic (on which the Bramble feeds), only to get caught up in the politics of the tyrannical regime. Bacigalupi's background as a sci-fi writer lends itself well here to creating a believable world with its own set of complexities, asking questions about sacrificing the needs of the few for the well-being of society (if anything, some of the world building may be too extensive for such a brief story, so some may find the exposition lengthy). He also manages to subvert well-tread fantasy cliches--losing one's family, freeing the character up to go adventuring or take revenge, for example. Despite the complex world politics, this story is really a small, even touching, character-driven one about a father trying to save his child.
I enjoyed Bacigalupi's story so much that I worried The Executioness wouldn't live up to it. I was right. Buckell made a big deal in the intro about making the Executioness character a middle-age women with children, but ultimately I found her rather bland and unknowable, her motives muddy and inconsistent. If the author didn't routinely TELL us that she's a mother and middle-aged, she might as well have been a 17 year old orphan out to save and revenge her brothers (instead of sons). I had hoped for another character-driven "small" story about a woman forced to become an executioner to keep her family alive, and her "small" internal struggles. Instead, Buckell embraces that aforementioned and overused fantasy cliche, killing off Tana's family and sending her on an adventure in which, thanks to lucky coincidence akin to the "Brave Little Tailor" ("seven in one blow") she develops an unearned reputation as a fearsome fighter. Most of her success comes from luck: a caravan saves her, it's leader takes her under his wing for some reason, she uncharacteristically asks to be trained with weapons instead of helping the caravan using skills she already has (she was a farmer's wife and ran a large household single-handedly), and suddenly after a week of training she's this master butt-kicking strategic genius. umm...how??? I had hoped there would be more overlap between the two stories, but I started to get the feeling that the two authors had some disagreements over the world mechanics. Why does Buckell take us out of the kingdom? Why does no one use magic to fight the raiders? (I'd think a little bramble here and there would be worth NOT being slaughtered by war elephants, and I won't start on the problems of using slow-loading arquebuses instead of crossbows...I digress). After a while my husband and I (we listened to it on a road-trip) just wanted it to end.
Bottom line, The Alchemist is definitely worth a listen, although The Executioness suffers from having to follow it, as well as from numerous fantasy cliches.
August 4, 2010
Currently available only as an audiobook, this novella consists of two short stories set in the same world. It's very good, set in a world that is late Middle Ages or early Renaissance technologically, but resembling India or Southeast Asia culturally. In this world, magic is a powerful tool that anyone can use, but every use causes Brambles to grow in the area. Brambles are a deadly, magical weed that poisons and kills anyone who touches it, and they are slowly choking the entire continent; empires have fallen to the Brambles. The only solution has been to make magic a capital crime.
The parallels to our world are obvious, and echo familiar themes in Bacigalupi's other works (the ease of using powerful tools to make life easier, at the expense of the environment, with mostly the common people suffering the consequences). Both stories -- "The Alchemist" and "The Executioness" -- are about ordinary people forced to take on the powers that be for the sake of their families. The characters (heroes and villains alike) are all interesting and three-dimensional, and there are no easy resolutions. If you like audiobooks, this is a great pair of contemporary fantasy short stories.
The parallels to our world are obvious, and echo familiar themes in Bacigalupi's other works (the ease of using powerful tools to make life easier, at the expense of the environment, with mostly the common people suffering the consequences). Both stories -- "The Alchemist" and "The Executioness" -- are about ordinary people forced to take on the powers that be for the sake of their families. The characters (heroes and villains alike) are all interesting and three-dimensional, and there are no easy resolutions. If you like audiobooks, this is a great pair of contemporary fantasy short stories.
February 22, 2011
This is a collection of two short stories set in the same fantasy world that is available exclusively on Audible, for reasons I'm not clear on. Since they are by different authors, I will review them separately.
The Alchemist, by Paulo Baciagalupi
The pace was slow and tedious at times, but the story had well drawn characters and a very satisfying conclusion. Three stars for this story.
The Executioness, by Tobias Buckell
This story did not grip me enough to even bother finishing it.
The Alchemist, by Paulo Baciagalupi
The pace was slow and tedious at times, but the story had well drawn characters and a very satisfying conclusion. Three stars for this story.
The Executioness, by Tobias Buckell
This story did not grip me enough to even bother finishing it.
February 20, 2011
Never having read neither Paolo Bacigalupi nor Tobias S. Buckell, I only had hype and reputation of these authors to go on for this book. It was alright. I enjoyed The Alchemist portion much more than I did The Executioness. I wish the two stories had been linked better than just being set in the same world. The second novella, The Executioness, also felt a bit rushed toward the end. That said, I don't really mind that it was rushed, as I was kind of bored by then.
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October 30, 2011
Two good but not great stories in a shared universe. In this universe, magic is fairly routinely used however it causes a truly awful plant called "Bramble" to sprout up everywhere. I thought The Alchemist was the stronger of the two. They are both worthy but flawed. 3.5 stars
September 28, 2010
Utterly fantastic. Highly recommended. Narration is also top notch.
December 8, 2020
Two shortish stories that take place in the same fantasy world and slightly interlock. Both are quite bleak and focus on somewhat downtrodden characters.
I found both gripping and wince inducing at times when danger approached the narrator. Both also felt like they ended too soon. The second story starts to push the boundaries of credibility towards the end but is a heartfelt attempt to do something different.
In the audio version, both narrators do a good job but their non-specific foreign accents (particularly from the second one) are a bit over the top at times.
I found both gripping and wince inducing at times when danger approached the narrator. Both also felt like they ended too soon. The second story starts to push the boundaries of credibility towards the end but is a heartfelt attempt to do something different.
In the audio version, both narrators do a good job but their non-specific foreign accents (particularly from the second one) are a bit over the top at times.
July 6, 2017
These two audio stories started off strong with a vaguely Southeast-Asian magical world. Khaim (the world) is plagued by brambles that feed off magic and poison humans. The Alchemist's protagonist's life work is building a machine to destroy the brambles. There's some hints of technology destroying ecology.
The Executioness is less polished and features a middle-aged mom as an executioness on a mission to reunite her family.
The Executioness is less polished and features a middle-aged mom as an executioness on a mission to reunite her family.
June 7, 2017
two interesting but separate stories, I kept expecting them to intersect but they don't
April 18, 2018
very entertaining novella with an impressively complex world-building
July 9, 2011
Narrated by Jonathan Davis , Katherine Kellgren
5 hrs and 36 mins
I guess I'm just not much into fantasy. This audiobook was ok, but my attention kept wandering.
Audible Editor Reviews
Two acclaimed science fiction authors bring us two separate stories about magic and its consequences in the shared fantasy world of Khaim.
Magic exists and is available to all, but every use of it produces the dreaded bramble, a poisonous plant that kills any human who touches it. In the bramble-choked lands of Khaim and Lesser Khaim magic is outlawed, and anyone caught practicing it does so at the risk of facing the executioner. The people live in poverty and fear — fear of bramble, of the Jolly Mayor who controls the people with the executioner's axe, and fear of the raiders of Paika, who slaughter their men and kidnap their children.
The Alchemist, written by award-winning author Paolo Bacigalupi and narrated by the estimable Jonathan Davis, grounds us in this shared world with the story of Jeoz the Alchemist, who has committed his life to finding a way to eradicate the bramble once and for all. Through 15 years, the death of his wife, and his daughter's illness, Jeoz has persevered. He experiments in secret, lest he be caught bringing Bramble inside the city walls. If he succeeds in his trials with his invention, the balanthast, he will surely be a hero. But power and politics may stand between the balanthast and humanity's salvation.
Those familiar with Jonathan Davis' narration will not be surprised by his evocative performance here. The desperate but gentle Jeoz, his charming daughter Jiala, the pitiless Magister Scacz — Bacigalupi's varied cast is voiced with Davis' usual convincing care.
Best-selling novelist Tobias Buckell gives us The Executioness, the story of Tana, the executioner's daughter — a middle-aged mother of two whose entire life is thrown into upheaval with the swing of an axe. When she is forced to stand in for her father she earns the title of the Executioness, a name which will follow her when her children are taken by Paikan raiders and she alone must find them.
Narrator Katherine Kellgren brings an exotic flavor to her performance of Tana's tale with a fantasy dialect, perhaps inspired by the spice road that the Caravan travels. Kellgren's performance makes the dialog ring true in a way that a less creative narration might not.
The two stories are vastly different in tone. The Alchemist is a darker fantasy, where magic is so prominent it is nearly a character in the story, while The Executioness eschews magic and intrigue in favor of action and adventure. Both are rich tales performed by gifted narrators. You won't find The Alchemist and The Executioness in print--it is an Audible.com exclusive, and one you'll want to listen to again. —Christie Yant
5 hrs and 36 mins
I guess I'm just not much into fantasy. This audiobook was ok, but my attention kept wandering.
Audible Editor Reviews
Two acclaimed science fiction authors bring us two separate stories about magic and its consequences in the shared fantasy world of Khaim.
Magic exists and is available to all, but every use of it produces the dreaded bramble, a poisonous plant that kills any human who touches it. In the bramble-choked lands of Khaim and Lesser Khaim magic is outlawed, and anyone caught practicing it does so at the risk of facing the executioner. The people live in poverty and fear — fear of bramble, of the Jolly Mayor who controls the people with the executioner's axe, and fear of the raiders of Paika, who slaughter their men and kidnap their children.
The Alchemist, written by award-winning author Paolo Bacigalupi and narrated by the estimable Jonathan Davis, grounds us in this shared world with the story of Jeoz the Alchemist, who has committed his life to finding a way to eradicate the bramble once and for all. Through 15 years, the death of his wife, and his daughter's illness, Jeoz has persevered. He experiments in secret, lest he be caught bringing Bramble inside the city walls. If he succeeds in his trials with his invention, the balanthast, he will surely be a hero. But power and politics may stand between the balanthast and humanity's salvation.
Those familiar with Jonathan Davis' narration will not be surprised by his evocative performance here. The desperate but gentle Jeoz, his charming daughter Jiala, the pitiless Magister Scacz — Bacigalupi's varied cast is voiced with Davis' usual convincing care.
Best-selling novelist Tobias Buckell gives us The Executioness, the story of Tana, the executioner's daughter — a middle-aged mother of two whose entire life is thrown into upheaval with the swing of an axe. When she is forced to stand in for her father she earns the title of the Executioness, a name which will follow her when her children are taken by Paikan raiders and she alone must find them.
Narrator Katherine Kellgren brings an exotic flavor to her performance of Tana's tale with a fantasy dialect, perhaps inspired by the spice road that the Caravan travels. Kellgren's performance makes the dialog ring true in a way that a less creative narration might not.
The two stories are vastly different in tone. The Alchemist is a darker fantasy, where magic is so prominent it is nearly a character in the story, while The Executioness eschews magic and intrigue in favor of action and adventure. Both are rich tales performed by gifted narrators. You won't find The Alchemist and The Executioness in print--it is an Audible.com exclusive, and one you'll want to listen to again. —Christie Yant
April 13, 2015
I absolutely loved the world these two authors co-created for these linked novellas. That there would be negative consequences to magic is a completely unique idea, in my experience of fantasy literature. Bacigalupi took the concept and ran with it. His story, The Alchemist, featured a fully realized main character and was beautifully written, only faltering slightly at the end, which seemed to not really fit the rest of the story. The Executioness suffered in comparison. It felt one-dimensional and skirted dealing head-on with the essential dilemma. At the end, I was left with an unfinished feeling, as if there should have been a third story that would have solved the problem once and for all.
[I listened to this as an audio book read by Jonathan Davis and Katherine Kellgren. Both did excellent jobs narrating. It seemed they coordinated their performances, deciding that the denizens of this world would speak with vaguely African sounding accents. This helped me feel like I had been transported to another realm and made the world of the book more real.]
[I listened to this as an audio book read by Jonathan Davis and Katherine Kellgren. Both did excellent jobs narrating. It seemed they coordinated their performances, deciding that the denizens of this world would speak with vaguely African sounding accents. This helped me feel like I had been transported to another realm and made the world of the book more real.]
February 7, 2011
Written exclusively for audio I picked this up at audible on sale for under $5.00. They are a combo of shorter stories by authors that normally write science fiction. They have an introductory read by each at the start of this book giving their reasons for writing such a fantasy. They had been challenged to use a middle aged family woman as the hero. They had spoken about that most all women heroines of these fantasies are big breasted bad ass tough chicks who are without families and they thought, why couldn't the heroine be a middle aged mother? Who else would have the drive and will to save the day if their children were taken? It really was a fun story, well written two unique ideas with an interconnect theme. Fabulous narration! The Alchemist narrated by Jonathan Davis an the Executioness narrated by Katherine Kellgren. So if you're in the mood for something quite
different I would recommend this.
different I would recommend this.
April 14, 2011
I'm not sure that audiobooks are quite right for me while running. I've finished the Alchemist, but I've also noticed that a) sometimes my mind starts to wander and then I miss a few sentences and can't go back or b) the traffic noise on a few streets is occasionally too loud to hear the narration. It also bothers me that I can't easily skip around and re-read sections. I guess I'm not cut out to be an audiobook listener. Thankfully, the novella was simple enough that missing sentences here and there wasn't too much of a problem.
I'll still listen to the Executioness at some point, but probably no more audiobooks after that.
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I take it back.. it's back to music while running for me for now.
I'll still listen to the Executioness at some point, but probably no more audiobooks after that.
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I take it back.. it's back to music while running for me for now.
January 5, 2014
Paolo Bacigalupi has recently become one of my favorite authors. He creates this magnificent worlds that full of magic and wonder and so very well developed. I was little unsure of this story with an additional author unknown to me (sorry Tobias Buckell). But I shouldn't have worried. This are two beautiful interlinked stories and I fell in love with all the characters (although I have to admit that I was quite upset to leave the Alchemist and move to the Executioness). The sentences were just beautiful in these stories. If I had been reading a physical book, I would have stopped more than once to marvel over their composition. Jonathan Davis and Katherine Kellgren were wonderful narrators (as usual).
May 2, 2011
This was a tag team by two authors and the stories overlap each other, but only refer to each other briefly. I loved Jeoz the alchemist and his plight. However, I really loved the strength and power Tana, the executionist, showed in her fight to get her children back and freeing her people from the savage nature of The Way. Basically all magic folk are in trouble in both books because it's side effect if a scurge called bramble, which is like a thorny vine that grows over everything the more magics are used. Its a sad set of stories full of loss, but there is strength and change. It's also a fast listen.
November 12, 2011
This book contains two slightly-connected stories set in the same vaguely Near Eastern fantasy world.
Bacigalupi's piece, "The Alchemist", is the real gem of the pair, an eloquent parable on what has to be sacrificed to deal with an environmental catastrophe caused by human short-sightedness. The story is readable for its dark twist and the moral question at its heart, as well as its even-handed, credible character voice.
Buckell's piece, "The Executioness", a story about a middle-aged woman who discovers her inner hero, treads standard fantasy ground. I found it enjoyable enough to justify the purchase, but not especially memorable.
Bacigalupi's piece, "The Alchemist", is the real gem of the pair, an eloquent parable on what has to be sacrificed to deal with an environmental catastrophe caused by human short-sightedness. The story is readable for its dark twist and the moral question at its heart, as well as its even-handed, credible character voice.
Buckell's piece, "The Executioness", a story about a middle-aged woman who discovers her inner hero, treads standard fantasy ground. I found it enjoyable enough to justify the purchase, but not especially memorable.
May 22, 2013
this was a good book. i have read a number of bacigalupi books but this was my first foray into bucknell. the styles were markedly different but i didnt really think about who was writing which part while listening to the book.
i prefer bacigalupi's dystopian worlds to this fantasy world, but if more different authors wrote in this bramble world, i would read/listen to the books until they werent any good. i like collaboration and the idea of different authors writing in the same world truly gives a world perspective.
also, i really liked the executioness voice actress. i didnt at first, but she grew on me and i really liked listening to her.
i prefer bacigalupi's dystopian worlds to this fantasy world, but if more different authors wrote in this bramble world, i would read/listen to the books until they werent any good. i like collaboration and the idea of different authors writing in the same world truly gives a world perspective.
also, i really liked the executioness voice actress. i didnt at first, but she grew on me and i really liked listening to her.
May 14, 2011
Two stories, one by Paolo Bacigalupi and the other by Tobias Buckell, set in the same world, both exploring the needs of the few against maintaining the world for everyone. In this world, magic is banned as it stimulates the growth of Bramble, a deadly invasive bush which is gradually reducing the availability of land. Both stories are riveting.
While they are in the same world, the stories do not relate to each other, and the story 'the Alchemist' has a very open ending. Does this mean there will be a second set of stories with these characters? I hope so.
While they are in the same world, the stories do not relate to each other, and the story 'the Alchemist' has a very open ending. Does this mean there will be a second set of stories with these characters? I hope so.
November 14, 2015
4/5 for The Alchemist
3.5/5 for The Executioness
Two novellas set in the same world, where use of magic causes a bramble to grow, choking the cities. The world is a impressive world, for such a short book, with history and depth. This book, especially The Alchemist, left me wanting more stories set in this world.
The two stories are set concurrently, dealing with different main characters and their efforts to look after the families. The protagonists of the stories are both non-traditional heroes for fantasy books, older parents - not your typical leather bound sword swinging fighter.
3.5/5 for The Executioness
Two novellas set in the same world, where use of magic causes a bramble to grow, choking the cities. The world is a impressive world, for such a short book, with history and depth. This book, especially The Alchemist, left me wanting more stories set in this world.
The two stories are set concurrently, dealing with different main characters and their efforts to look after the families. The protagonists of the stories are both non-traditional heroes for fantasy books, older parents - not your typical leather bound sword swinging fighter.
January 26, 2013
Bacigalupi does not disappoint, the Excecutioness is a bit disappointing.
This is a Fantasy written by SiFi authors. The main gist is that an environmental problem is being presented in a fantastic setting.
My main issue with the Excecutioness is that victory comes too easy.
We are told which tactics are smart, and then shown how they work perfectly in practice. There is conflict within her soul, but she uses the recommended tactics and wins every time.
This is a naive representation of combat.
This is a Fantasy written by SiFi authors. The main gist is that an environmental problem is being presented in a fantastic setting.
My main issue with the Excecutioness is that victory comes too easy.
We are told which tactics are smart, and then shown how they work perfectly in practice. There is conflict within her soul, but she uses the recommended tactics and wins every time.
This is a naive representation of combat.
February 4, 2011
Nice, but ultimately not very satisfying. I found the world interesting, the characterization was good but there were too few surprises for my taste. I liked the story of the Alchemist better. The story of the Executioness caught my interest very much at the start but I would have liked that story to have stayed somewhat "smaller", more personal. At the end I noticed that I wanted the story to be finished.
June 12, 2011
I bought this for the Bacigalupi, which was a fine story, though the end might have delivered more punch. Similarly, the second part of the book by Buckle was fine, though I mostly finished it on account of inertia.
If you're a fantasy fan, these tales are pretty hum drum. If, like me, you came for Bacigalupi (via Windup Girl), and just want more from him, dig into the short story collection 'Pump Six' post haste and you won't be disappointed.
If you're a fantasy fan, these tales are pretty hum drum. If, like me, you came for Bacigalupi (via Windup Girl), and just want more from him, dig into the short story collection 'Pump Six' post haste and you won't be disappointed.
March 26, 2012
The Executioness was a 4-star story -- I really appreciated the main character, and while the plot was nothing new, it was solid and interesting. The Alchemist, much as I like Bacigalupi, was only a 2-star story. It was far too formulaic and trite. The common world is interesting, and I'd be willing to read future stories set there, but over all these were a bit weak (though probably good for newer fantasy readers).
September 1, 2012
The Alchemist is a 2.5 and the Executioness is a 4.5.
The Executioness is if you can imagine Conan as a pissed-off, middle-aged mom who's on a mission for revenge because her children were taken from her. This was brilliant all around! Not only does the story unfold with an older female as the major character but you get a glimpse into the beginnings of great myth and the complexities of war. Amazing speculative fiction!
The Executioness is if you can imagine Conan as a pissed-off, middle-aged mom who's on a mission for revenge because her children were taken from her. This was brilliant all around! Not only does the story unfold with an older female as the major character but you get a glimpse into the beginnings of great myth and the complexities of war. Amazing speculative fiction!
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