The Cloud Roads

By: Martha Wells

Narrated by: Christopher Kipiniak

Moon has spent his life hiding what he is - a shape-shifter able to transform himself into a winged creature of flight. An orphan with only vague memories of his own kind, Moon tries to fit in among the tribes of his river valley, with mixed success. Just as Moon is once again cast out by his adopted tribe, he discovers a shape-shifter like himself... someone who seems to know exactly what he is, who promises that Moon will be welcomed into his community.

What this stranger doesn't tell Moon is that his presence will tip the balance of power... that his extraordinary lineage is crucial to the colony's survival... and that his people face extinction at the hands of the dreaded Fell! Now Moon must overcome a lifetime of conditioning in order to save himself - and his newfound kin.

©2011 Martha Wells (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Martha Wells' books always make me remember why I love to read. In The Cloud Roads, she invents yet another rich and astonishingly detailed setting, where many races and cultures uneasily co-exist in a world constantly threatened by soulless predators. But the vivid world-building and nonstop action really serve as a backdrop for the heart of the novel - the universal human themes of loneliness, loss, and the powerful drive to find somewhere to belong." (Sharon Shinn)

"Wells merrily ignores genre conventions as she spins an exciting adventure around an alien hero who anyone can identify with." (Publishers Weekly)

"Wells... has created a new world of dragonlike shapeshifters and human tribes that could serve as the background for future novels in this exotic setting. Concise storytelling and believable characters make this a good addition to most fantasy collections." (Library Journal)

Disappointed

Would you try another book from Martha Wells and/or Christopher Kipiniak?

Probably not.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Connie Willis' "Blackout."

Would you listen to another book narrated by Christopher Kipiniak?

Yes, if it were a good book.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

Any additional comments?

I agree with another reviewer who also bought this book because of the many high ratings. It's not a terrible book, and the world is unique and imaginative, and I gave it 3 stars for that. However, for me, good world-building is not simply about being imaginative - worlds come alive through the depth of characterization, and from start to finish, the characters never did come alive for me. I read through to the end only because of an unfortunate quirk I have - once I've started a novel, it is almost impossible for me stop reading before I've finished it. What I love is when I finish a novel and it feels as if I've reluctantly waked up from an intense dream that I did not want to end. The main emotion I felt as this book neared its conclusion was, It's almost over, I can stop reading soon. I feel no inclination to continue the series.

Interesting world, but the story doesn't hold up

This story is set on a very alien world and follows the attempts of an outsider to reconnect with his own race.
The world building is definitely its strongest point, and I wouldn't mind learning more about it and its various races.
However, the story itself isn't quite up to the task.
The dialogue is a bit staged, the characters just a bit too wooden, and the plot is farely predictable.

As others have mentioned there is a large cast of very minor characters all with similar names which can get confusing at times.

Lastly, on my recording at least, there was an odd clicking sound from time to time. Not sure if it was the narrator making this noise or whether it was a fault with the audio.
I did report it to audible, but they couldn't reproduce the issue.

All and all, an average enough listen.

Perfect on Paper.

Great book, but maybe you could find a better narrator. Jade sounded positively husky and nearing on exactly the same as Pearl. While the story kept me invested all the way through, and the characters have always made me laugh, I think I'll stick to hardback.

Not bad.

Got some issues, but it's a fun world with interesting races and magic. Some of the character motivation makes little to no sense, but if you're looking for some creative generic fantasy, you could do a lot worse than giving this book a try.

Buy It! Then buy all the rest by Wells.

I love this book and this series. It's one of the audibles I listen to over and over again. Kipiniak does an amazing job bringing life to the emotions wagging across this series. I've always loved Wells, but Cloud Roads was my first audible of hers. I'm so happy with it. The world, society, and story building are all top notch.