Sword-Dancer

Tiger and Del, Book 1

By: Jennifer Roberson

Narrated by: Stephen Bel Davies

Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

He was Tiger, born of the desert winds, raised as a slave and winning his freedom by weaving a special kind of magic with a warrior's skill. Now he was an almost legendary sword-dancer, ready to take on any challenge - if the price was right…or if the woman pretty enough.

She was Del, born of ice and storm, trained by the greatest of Northern sword masters. Now, her ritual training completed and steeped in the special magic of her own rune sword, she had come South in search of the young brother stolen five years before.

But even Del could not master all the dangers of the deadly Punja alone. And meeting Del, Tiger could not turn back from the most intriguing challenge he'd ever faced - the challenge of a magical, mysterious sword-dancer of the North…

©1986 Jennifer Roberson O'Green (P)2013 Audible Inc.

good sword story

it was average book. i did not like the incredibly detailed explanation of surroundings using a vast vocabulary of colors. too much color-splaining. others may like it. tried to give 3 stars but only allowed 1?

Worth the Read/Listen

I for one loved the narrator. He sounds like the dean from Community and overall added to the enjoyment of my experience. Still sexy in its own way. Pleasant, entertaining listen.

so so

did not care for the narrator or story. disappointing very predictable story to say the least.

wicked good

A well paced and written story. The characters were well balanced and sharply defined. Read and enjoy

Fun and Unique

Keeps you listening. love the narration. Fun and funny story. Characters are unique, as is story line.

Good story, annoying narrator, I didn’t finish it.

It may be just me, but I can’t stand this narrator. His emphasis is strange and seems out of place most of the time. He has a good voice, but it sounds like someone who has confidence but lacks talent.

The story, on the other hand, is quickly paced and enjoyable. I’ll probably read the physical book. It seems, so far, to be an entertaining, run-of-the-mill fantasy story.

Not to bad

Could’ve been better with a different narrator At times hard to listen to at the beginning.

Not a bad performance by Bel Davies

What made the experience of listening to Sword-Dancer the most enjoyable?

Ok I agree with other reviewers that Stephen Bel Davies was probably not the best choice.
He is not horriable though. Look at it like he is reading the story to you.
I know the book is first person but his voice is not Tigers. Instead of being dissapointed by what is my favorite series,I chose to enjoy it.
Besides its kind of fun to imagin Del as Catwomen.
Common now she sounds like Eartha Kitt. lol

What other book might you compare Sword-Dancer to and why?

There isnt one.
If you like a well written story with strong character development and a wonderous world for them to play in. Then give this book a try.

Which character – as performed by Stephen Bel Davies – was your favorite?

There isnt one
He dosent kill the book for me.
He seems to have fun with it and he takes it seriously.
I listen to tons of audio books ( I have a boring monotous job )
And their are a lot of performers who dont even try.
Just because he is not Tiger dosent mean he cant read a good book.
Hes having fun with Tiger and Del.
Jennifer Roberson has fun writing Tiger and Del
For many years I have had fun reading about Tiger and Dels adventures.
Now im having fun listening to them.
Keep an open mind and you can also.

Any additional comments?

Jennifer Roberson is my favorite author.
Her ability to paint a picture in your head with her writing is just increadible.
To me that is one of the most important skill for a writer to have.
If you like some of these other authors as do I. Then you may want to give this book a try.

Lacky
Rawn
Bradley
Zelzany
Elliot
Reichert
Huff
Tarr
I can go on but i think you get the picture

TIGER AND DEL AT LAST!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. It has been among my favorite books, read and reread many times, and I was soo happy to see it on audible

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sword-Dancer?

My favorite moment was when Tiger finally realized Del was for real.

What didn’t you like about Stephen Bel Davies’s performance?

I liked nothing about his performance--it was terrible. His voice is totally wrong for Tiger; he sounds like some city song-and-dance man speaking to those he considers ignorant and impressionable clods. He would be better doing Music Man. His voice for Del is not much better; he simply adopted what he must consider a northern Europe accent. I just hope he isn't used for future Tiger and Del books. He came very close to ruining the entire audiobook. I hope people won't judge the book by the narrator.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me cheer many times.

Any additional comments?

Jennifer Roberson's Swordancer series is among the best in the genre. I'm very glad I had a chance to listen to it on my ipod. I hope there are more, and I hope we have a better narrator for future books.

A childhood favorite but…

I’m not sure they could have used a worse narrator for this. Like others, I had ignore how the reader was just a poor, poor choice. And that should say enough. If you were a fan before, give it an actual read again. Skip this audio book