
Councilor
A Novel in the Grand Illusion (The Grand Illusion, Book 2)
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Narrated by:
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Michael Bower
About this listen
L. E. Modesitt, Jr., bestselling author of Saga of Recluce and the Imager Portfolio, continues his brand-new gaslamp, political fantasy series with Councilor, the thrilling sequel to Isolate. Welcome to the Grand Illusion.
Continued poor harvests and steam-powered industrialization displace and impoverish thousands. Protests grow and gather followers.
Against this rising tide of social unrest, Steffan Dekkard, newly appointed to the Council of Sixty-Six, is the first Councilor who is an Isolate, a man invulnerable to the emotional manipulations and emotional surveillance of empaths.
This makes him dangerous.
As unknown entities seek to assassinate him, Dekkard struggles to master political intrigue and infighting, while introducing radical reforms that threaten entrenched political and corporate interests.
The Grand Illusion
Isolate
Councilor
A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.
©2022 L. E. Modesitt, Jr. (P)2022 Macmillan AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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the power (and problems )of galactic politics
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Isolate
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- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Steffan Dekkard is an isolate, one of the small percentage of people who are immune to the projections of empaths. As an isolate, he has been trained as a security specialist, and he and his security partner Avraal Ysella, a highly trained empath, are employed by Axel Obreduur, a senior Craft Minister and the de facto political strategist of his party. When a respected Landor Councilor dies of “heart failure” at a social event, because of his political friendship with Obreduur, Dekkard and Ysella find that not only is their employer a target, but so are they.
-
-
Who the hell is speaking?
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The Elysium Commission
- By: L. E. Modesitt Jr.
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
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Performance
-
Story
A brilliant scientist on the planet Devanta has created a small universe contiguous to ours - and a utopian city on one of the planets. The question becomes, though, an utopia for whom? And why is a shady entertainment mogul subsidizing the scientist? More critical than that, does this new universe require the destruction of a portion - or all - of our universe in order to grow and stabilize?
-
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its hard to create a future world and a mystery
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Of Tangible Ghosts
- Ghost Trilogy Series, Book 1
- By: L. E. Modesitt Jr.
- Narrated by: Tim Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When two real ghosts and the records of a murdered researcher enter the life of Johan Eschbach, the former spy and present professor finds himself caught with the secret of high technology de-ghosting, and the whole world, including his former spymasters, try to turn Johan himself into another ghost.
-
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All the trappings of good book
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Archform: Beauty
- Archform: Beauty Series, Book 1
- By: L. E. Modesitt Jr.
- Narrated by: BJ Harrison, Tina Wolstencroft
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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-
-
Convoluted even for Modesitt
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-
The Ecolitan Operation
- Ecolitan Matter Series, Book 1
- By: L. E. Modesitt Jr.
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Major Jimjoy Earle Wright, secret agent of the Empire, is intelligent and highly trained. But he succeeds all too well in overthrowing a military dictatorship - and the result is a new government inimical to the Empire and disgrace for Jimjoy. After surviving two assassination attempts, Jimjoy realizes that it's his own imperial superiors who want him dead; that, in fact, his worst enemies could become his best friends. He fights his way to safety on the planet Accord, where the Ecolitan Institute wins his loyalty and changes his identity.
-
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- Length: 19 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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I didn't love it
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Modesitt lover BUT
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Don't read that blurb up there
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Minalan gave up a promising career as a professional warmage to live the quiet life of a village spellmonger in the remote mountain valley of Boval. It was a peaceful, beautiful little fief, far from the dangerous feudal petty squabbles of the Five Duchies, on the world of Callidore. There were cows. Lots of cows. And cheese. For six months things went well: He found a quaint little shop, he befriended the local lord, the village folk loved him, he found a sharp young apprentice to help out, and, best yet, he met a comely young widow with the prettiest eyes.
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Terrific Book! A great adult fantasy series.
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Good story, glaring pronunciation errors by the re
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The Parafaith War
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In the far future among the colonized worlds of the galaxy, there's a war going on between the majority of civilized worlds and a colonial theocracy. Trystin Desoll grows up fighting against religious fanatics and becomes a hero, a first-class pilot, then, amazingly, a spy. What do you do if you're a relatively humane soldier fighting millions of suicidal volunteers on the other side who know that they are utterly right, and you are utterly wrong, with no middle ground? Trystin Desoll has an idea.
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I started hating this book from the beginning.
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The Octagonal Raven
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Born to privilege, with preselected genetic advantages and the best nanotech augmentation his father's fabulous money can buy, Daryn spurned the lucrative family Media Network to seek his own path, a crafty raven among soaring eagles. After serving with distinction as a space pilot in the military, he enjoys success as a media consultant. But when he finds himself the target of sophisticated murder attempts, his world is turned upside down.
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one of my favorites! author and story
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Legacies
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Millennia ago, a magical disaster caused the fall of a great worldwide civilization, the end of a golden age. New civilizations have fought their way up from the ancient destruction and chaos, knowing little of the lost world that preceded them or the details of its fall.C orus today is a world of contending countries, of humans, but also of strange animals and supernatural creatures. It is a place of magical powers and of a few people who are talented enough to use them. Alusius, the hero of the story, is one.
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Legacies Corean Chronicles
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The Eternity Artifact
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- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Five thousand years in the future, humankind has spread across thousands of worlds, and more than a dozen different governments exist in an uneasy truce. But human beings have found no signs of other life anywhere approaching human intelligence. This changes when scientists discover a sunless planet they name Danann, traveling the void just beyond the edge of the galaxy at such a high speed that it cannot be natural. Its continents and oceans have been sculpted and shaped, with but a single megaplex upon it - close to perfectly preserved.
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Excellent story, mediocre narration
- By Ira Elton Eure on 05-31-24
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Dawn for a Distant Earth
- Forever Hero Series #1
- By: L. E. Modesitt Jr.
- Narrated by: Kyle McCarley
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- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Thousands of years in the future, Earth is a desolate ruin. The first human ship to return in millennia discovers an abandoned wasteland inhabited by only a few degenerate or mutated human outcasts. But among them is a boy of immense native intelligence and determination who grows up to become the force behind a plan to make Earth flower again.
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Early work, but really good Modesitt, Jr book
- By Eric G. Peters on 10-23-15
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Quantum Shadows
- By: L. E. Modesitt Jr.
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
On a world called Heaven, the 10 major religions of mankind each have its own land governed by a capital city and ruled by a Hegemon. That Hegemon may be a god, or a prophet of a god. Smaller religions have their own towns or villages of belief. Corvyn, known as the Shadow of the Raven, contains the collective memory of humanity’s Falls from Grace. With this knowledge comes enormous power. When unknown power burns a mysterious black image into the holy place of each House of the Decalivre, Corvyn must discover what entity could possibly have that much power.
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The least Modesitt book
- By 1stnlst on 07-28-20
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Rosemary and Rue
- An October Daye Novel, Book 1
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- Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The world of Faerie never disappeared: it merely went into hiding, continuing to exist parallel to our own. Secrecy is the key to Faerie’s survival—but no secret can be kept forever, and when the fae and mortal worlds collide, changelings are born. Half-human, half-fae, outsiders from birth, these second-class children of Faerie spend their lives fighting for the respect of their immortal relations.
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Missed Matched Pair
- By G Reinhardt on 11-26-11
By: Seanan McGuire
What listeners say about Councilor
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- 1stnlst
- 08-30-22
A good listen.
Modesitt has moved away from my two favorites (Saga of Recluse & Imager). Some are more successful than others. Some do not even seem to be by the same author. Thankfully this one seems to be more in line with his work. It is entertaining and moves well, though not on par with his best known series, it is still a good listen.
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- Shane R Hess
- 08-21-22
Major improvement
the previous installment was a great set-up for what was to come. looking forward to the next in the series.
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- William Smith
- 01-30-23
excellent series
this is the middle book of the trilogy and definitely leaves enough unanswered questions to bring you back for the third. Excellent characters and storyline and details about the environment that make it easy to imagine your there.
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Overall
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- Westley Giles
- 08-19-22
Fantasy & Politics
If anyone hasn’t noticed by now, Mr. Modesitt Jr. does Political Fantasy. This isn’t sword and sorcery or heavily action laden. It’s meant to move slower and have you thinking.
Even his writing style in these two books of the series are not exactly simple third person. You’re in Dekkard’s head a great deal more. It’s like a hybrid of first and third person. Not quite Third Omniscient, but leaning towards it. It’s a well written book overall and I personally was never bored or felt the story was moving too slow or was hard to listen to/ read.
The performance by Michael Bower was just as solid as in Isolate. The voices felt distinct and gave enough separation that I never was confused. Outside of a few places where he obviously stopped the recording and was a touch out of character, I had no issue with the solid vocal performance.
As for the story, a few things surprised me, but I mostly could tell by the way things went that there had to be a third book coming. I wasn’t disappointed by my own ability to figure out what would possibly happen. That was because enough happened that I couldn’t deduce easily that I felt the breadcrumbs were purposefully set to keep me coming back.
Simply put, the book is well done. If you’ve read Isolate, this is a solid and worthwhile sequel. However, if you read this and get off the train, I would believe Fantasy & Politics isn’t for you.
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- caroline van winkle
- 08-10-22
Terrific book
Can hardly wait for Wednesday when book 3 is released. Told my daughter to bring home dinner as reading not cooking. This is somewhat indicative of confrontation in our own country. Interesting to see how he finishes book since he is a liberal. Since I have almost all of his books, either in Kendal, audible or book form, I do not allow his liberalness to bother me. I adore his characters, actions, world building and politics.
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