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The
Jester (Review
Two)
By James
Patterson, Andrew Gross
Read by Neil Dickson
James Patterson is back with another
coauthored book. Although the The Jester begins in the
present, the rest of the tale is an historical mystery. At the start,
an artifact, rumored to be linked to a Jester, is uncovered.
Quickly,
the readers are taken back to 1096 to witness the lives of innkeeper
Hugh de Luc, his wife and his fellow French villagers. When their
village is attacked, Hugh decides to join the Crusades and heads
off to Jerusalem. It becomes a long, horrible experience. Sheer
chaos ensues towards the end and Hugh wants to escape. After a climatic
moment at a church, Hugh takes a few objects and heads back to France.
Hugh's
true test begins when he arrives home to find his child murdered
and his wife gone. He hits the road on a personal crusade to find
his wife and bring down those responsible for attacking his village.
A redheaded, kindhearted jokester turns into a plotting, patient
jester who lives by his wit (and way too many male-oriented riddles)
as he extracts his revenge.
When
you pick up The Jester audio-ebook, be prepared to react.
It's fast, it's gritty, and it's unpredictable. Expect key moments
to explode off the e-book pages as the audio plays along. Readers
and listeners should be reminded that Patterson has written a realistic
version of medieval life. There are plenty of colorful moments,
explicit language and love scenes. If you like your books raw and
suspense filled, then you will like The Jester.
The
narrator of the audio book is Neil Dickson, a London theatre actor
with American TV and movie credits to his name. Some will most likely
know him from Freedom Fighters, Murders in the Rue Morgue, and
Lionheart. His narration carries off the intensity of the storyline
without missing a beat. I found it to be a remarkable listening
experience, as he skillfully tackled each character's dialog. Warning:
in mixed company or if younger ears are near, earphones are recommended.
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