The Far Wild – Alex Knight
Today’s review is brought to you courtesy of Midas PR and Audible UK: The Far Wild by Alex Knight. This is an Audible Exclusive – so only available as an audiobook. I love this concept of writing straight for audio, especially in this year of insanity, I think I and many others have been relying on a variety of mediums to get our reading fix in.
Thank you to Amber Choudhary and Audible for the advance audio of The Far Wild, as usual all opinions are my own.
STAR RATING: 3/5 ✶
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/12/20
SUMMARY: An expedition gone awry.
Suni Koudounas is enamoured with the wonders — and dangers — of the Far Wild. As a naturalist’s apprentice, she’s studied every book and expedition report about the miraculous wilderness. But when her mentor goes missing on expedition, Suni sets aside the Far Wild of ink and paper to venture after him into the primordial jungle.
A missing skyship.
As the empire’s most beloved adventurer — or most successful raconteur — Senesio Suleiman Nicolaou doesn’t want much. Wealth beyond measure, fame beyond reason and a small kingdom somewhere warm should be about enough. When news of the rescue mission reaches him, Senesio knows there’s no better opportunity to add to his living legend.
The most dangerous wilderness known to man.
With unexpected enemies above and monstrous predators in the jungles below, it’s up to Suni, Senesio and their companions to uncover the truth of what’s happening in the Far Wild. It’s a revelation that will shake the empire to its core and reshape the lives of all involved — assuming, of course, they don’t all get eaten first. (from Audible)
OPINIONS: As this is audiobook original, it was written especially for audio and performed as such. At times, the narration is almost reminiscent of an audio play rather than just a book read aloud. It has a full cast of narrators, being read by Stephanie Lane, Carlyss Peer and Peter Kenny for the different perspectives. Sadly I found Peter Kenny’s voice grating, and the narration in general to be too dramatic, which lead to me tuning out at times. I am quite particular when it comes to narrators, and found that this style and especially the male voice did not work for me. If you are intrigued by the synopsis, do make sure to listen to a sample first to ensure that it does work for you!
In terms of the content of The Far Wild, I loved the world. Reminiscent of a fantasy version of Jurassic Park, the Far Wild is a remote and dangerous region, with huge beasts threatening anyone who dares explore there. (Just look at the amazing illustration the publisher sent me to accompany my review!) That, combined with the university framing of the story made me enjoy the world-building a lot even if I struggled with the narration. Led by two main characters, Suni, an apprentice naturalist, and Senesio, an explorer who is very assured of his own worth, The Far Wild tells a compelling story of betrayal, discovery and personal growth. The story is fast paced and interesting, though I didn’t connect to the characters as much as I would have liked. Senesio, as an arrogant male, was rather annoying to me, reminding me of issues in the current world, leading my thoughts to wander. However, he did provide a great counterpoint to the naive and enthusiastic Suni.
If you are looking for a thrilling adventure I do recommend you check out a sample of The Far Wild. While the narration might not be everyone’s cup of tea, the story is fun and entertaining. Add it to Goodreads here, and order the audio from Audible here.