The Audible Included library has some real highs and lows, which this fits rather neatly in the middle of.

If I was told there was a story about Queer Black pirates that includes coming to terms with being disabled and a discussion about how gender hierarchy is not a good thing, I would be ready to bite your hand off. Sadly, this one didn't quite deliver for me.

The writing itself is decent and the worldbuilding, in the cultural stories and some references, is pretty good, but I just didn't find the story or characters engaging, despite really being my kind of thing on paper.

The narration is pretty great.

Your mileage may vary, but this wasn't my cup of tea. ( )

Very much enjoyed this short book. Listened to it a second time with my wife and liked it even more. Definitely recommended. ( )

Audible Original 2019;

I don't remember which month this one went to, but I picked it up in a persnickety month. It and I did not gel well the first time, or the second, but it wasn't so bad that I didn't want to know where it was going, to leave aside this female-dominated world of Ship Captains and scholarly men as second class citizens (or farmers, who were considered even less than the scholars).

It was an interesting story all told, but it wasn't long enough or deep enough. I did almost tear up at one point, but it's not going to be deeply memorable even just among my Audible Originals in the long run. ( )

For once an Audible Original that delivered. Michael Livingston has done some very nice work in this short story, packing in a sense of grandeur to his worldbuilding and hinting at depth unrevealed. The characters were sharp and drove the action. He managed to sprinkle in layers of conflict including a crisis of conscience before a rather magnificent little payoff.

Most of the criticism of this story in the comments on Goodreads are complaints that there's not enough of one thing or another. For its format I think it packed quite the punch. I hope that Mr. Livingston is expanding this world into something bigger for us in the future. I'd also like to see more of the Fair Isles and their war, and learn more of the people we've just gotten to know. ( )

A forgettable short story about a fantasy/magic themed adventure world where gender roles are swapped (women act like masculine conquering Vikings and men are rare and in this case a eunuch scribe). Really nothing to the plot beyond that setup. ( )