Audiobook Review: The Cinder Spires #1

The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher

Read by: Euan Morton

Publication Date: September 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity. Within their halls, the ruling aristocratic houses develop scientific marvels, foster trade alliances, and maintain fleets of airships to keep the peace.

Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship Predator. Loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy’s shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is damaged in combat, Grimm joins a team of Albion agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring his ship.

And as Grimm undertakes this task, he learns that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity’s ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake…

Confession:

This is a fast paced, character driven, epic fantasy that will keep you coming back for more. I just loved the entire cast, even the villains, and the world building and plot were well done as well. I can’t wait to start the next book.

There are many, many characters in this book, almost too many to keep track of. But they are all well fleshed out, even the minor ones, and you find yourself easily rooting for them all. Almost all of them have page time as we see the story unfold from many perspectives.

There are quite a few young adults in this story. Gwen is the head strong daughter of an aristocrat, wanting to prove herself. She was a bit of a stick in the mud, especially when it came to rules and judging people before she got to know them, but she was also brave and wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty when needed. Bridget is a bit more timid and often felt out of her depth, but she also ends up getting things done when needed. I really liked Benedict, who is warrior born, which means that he has skills that just come naturally to him, especially when in battle. But he also has a heart of gold and is especially fond of his cousin Gwen.

Captain Grimm is the main adult character, and I really enjoyed him. He is a privateer, but he is still loyal to his Spire and his crew is his family. He also reminded me of other captains from many pirate movies and books, with his ability to have a civil conversation while calmly giving commands as a battle ensues around him.

Finally, I just have to mention Rawl, who was probably the best character in the whole book. Rawl is a cat and the cats in this world are sentient, but only a few humans can understand them. In fact many of the humans consider them vermin, or only see them as something that can help control the other vermin on the Spire. The chapters from Rawl’s point of view were hilarious and spot on. Many of his thoughts are exactly what I think goes on in the mind of most cats.

The plot is very fast paced with lots of action and battle scenes. There is very little down time in which to catch one’s breath. The world building is well done, but I could use a little bit more. I had a hard time picturing what the Spires really looked like and how people lived in them. The magical/steampunk system was interesting. The world relies on ethereal crystals to run the ships and their weapons, but I’m not exactly sure what they are and how they work. I am hoping the world will be expanded upon in the next book, but if not, that is ok, because here there is enough that it feels like a real world.

Euan Morton does an excellent job as the narrator. He has a great range of voices for each character. He also does a nice job with the pacing, with the action sequences being a bit breathtaking. As I mentioned before, I loved how civil and calm Grimm was during a very tense battle. He has a very calm and noble demeanor about him that the narrator caught perfectly. His voice for Rawl was spot on to, just how I imagined a cat’s voice would sound.

Overall this was an excellent epic fantasy that is action packed and full of fun and interesting characters. If you enjoy high fantasy this is the perfect time to pick this one up. The second book is set to come out in November, and I can’t wait to settle down in a cozy chair to read it.