Axiom's End
A Novel
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Axiom's End
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Narrated by:
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Abigail Thorn
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Stephanie Willis
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By:
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Lindsay Ellis
About this listen
The instant New York Times best seller
The alternate-history first-contact adventure Axiom's End is an extraordinary debut from Hugo finalist and video essayist Lindsay Ellis. Truth is a human right.
It's fall 2007. A well-timed leak has revealed that the US government might have engaged in first contact. Cora Sabino is doing everything she can to avoid the whole mess, since the force driving the controversy is her whistleblower father. Even though Cora hasn't spoken to him in years, his celebrity has caught the attention of the press, the internet, the paparazzi, and the government - and with him in hiding, that attention is on her. She neither knows nor cares whether her father's leaks are a hoax and wants nothing to do with him - until she learns just how deeply entrenched her family is in the cover-up and that an extraterrestrial presence has been on Earth for decades.
Realizing the extent to which both she and the public have been lied to, she sets out to gather as much information as she can and finds that the best way for her to uncover the truth is not as a whistleblower, but as an intermediary. The alien presence has been completely uncommunicative until she convinces one of them that she can act as their interpreter, becoming the first and only human vessel of communication. Their otherworldly connection will change everything she thought she knew about being human - and could unleash a force more sinister than she ever imagined.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press
"Axiom’s End is one of the most unique science fiction novels in years. It’s a heartfelt story of alien first contact, but, luckily, unlike so many 'big idea' sci-fi books, it’s utterly unpretentious." (SYFY.com)
©2020 Lindsay Ellis (P)2020 Macmillan AudioListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Axiom's End
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Sharon Barron
- 03-08-20
A curate's egg
The good points: quite an original take on First Contact, some strong characters, excellent storytelling. Gripping to the end.
The bad points: too much hyperbole, everyone's emotions go from 0-60 in 4.2 seconds. The narration by Willis is not to my taste, although she gets it right when she isn't trying too hard for dramatic effect.
The meh points: why did the alien refugee group need someone to rescue them? The hyper intelligent alien "&" is pretty dumb as are the entire CIA.
This was recommended by a screen writer who I respect and is getting a lot of plaudits I don't really share. Maybe the OTT narration makes a good novel something less in its audiobook incarnation. Whatever, I was glad when it was over.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kathryn
- 01-08-20
Enjoyable science fiction
Good story but found the narration took a bit of getting used to. Overall would recommend.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- vicky jones
- 28-12-20
couldn't stop listening
struggled to turn this book off each time. really was riveting. from start to finish I was constantly engaged. I've struggled to keep up with reading the last few years so this grabbing me to vigorously is a real eye opener. can't wait for the sequel, looks like it'll be my first preorder :)
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 11-12-21
compelling ya novel
ya novel with more deep thought than i ever expected from this genre. not surprising, given the author.
ya is not my genre of choice, but this book compelled me to finish it. even if the protagonist is an angsty teen making stupid decicions
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- fiddlesticks 26
- 16-11-20
Original, well written and gripping throughout
I really loved this story it's a completely fresh angle and a very well crafted story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robert Hamilton
- 02-08-20
First novel I've been able to get into in years
Excellent writing and voice acting for very relatable characters, some interesting themes as well.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 30-07-20
Absolutely worth your time
I expected good things from Lindsay Ellis - and she delivered. It got interesting commentary on politics, freedom of information, language and love. It is also excellently performed and the long haul of a book flew by effortlessly.
I am happy to have it in my collection now and I deeply recommend it.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jason cooke
- 24-07-20
Top listening
I enjoyed this very much and the performance was superb ...... ........ ...... ..... ...
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 07-08-20
Great story, terrible narration
This would have been a great audiobook but the delivery was appalling. like a 3rd rate B movie for young teens. Sadly, the narration spoiled the whole experience.
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ilse Gort
- 25-11-21
A Refreshing Alien-encounter Story
Axiom's End is the kind of sci-fi I want more of in my life. I expected good things from Ellis, what with her excellent skills as a video essayist and generally compelling, introspective and balanced views on various topics and was not disappointed. I read the physical book first, then listened to the audiobook as I was curious about the performance and also wanted a recap of what happened before I listened to the sequel.
What struck me as I read it the first time is that for those with a strong visual imagination it is written in such a way that it's very easy to envision a film adaptation of the story. There is always just enough attention paid to the surroundings, enough flavor added to the descriptions of the characters to let that "camera" in your head pan over them, take them in for a moment before the story continues. The pacing is good, the storytelling draws you in and keeps you engaged the entire time, it was difficult to put the book down, or to stop listening to the audiobook for that matter.
In terms of subject matter I found it a very compelling take on your typical "alien encounter" story. A very human one. In that, unlike most alien encounter stories, it explores the full spectrum of human instincts, feelings and behavior in response to meeting new intelligent life as opposed to the often more shallow approach to skip to the action. This is helped a lot by the fact that the main character is not a well rounded adult, not a scientist, soldier or some important politician but a college drop-out from a broken family struggling to get a grip on her life and her mental health, as so many people are at that age. And it is through her that we get to know this alien race and one individual in particular. And she's great for it exactly because she's clueless enough to ask the questions we would ask, but also old and rational enough to not make us (the reader) feel stupid or embarrassed as we experience these events through her.
The audiobook is pretty well narrated. The voices are pleasant although I personally had to speed it up as I felt that at times words got too dragged out, stops were just a bit too long and it started irritating me after listening to it at the default speed for about an hour. Sped up though the pace was just right for me. This is the only reason I give the performance four stars.
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1 person found this helpful