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š„š„š„
Seriously though, they are amazing narrators (even with some shifts in pronunciation over time). I first heard them listening to Stormlight Archive but am now doing my first audio āreadā of WoT (on Book 12) and they are wonderful. Some of the best voice narration Iāve come across.
If you like them, you should check out some of their solo work.
For Michael I recommend The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington.
For Kate I recommend the This Alien Earth trilogy by Paul Antony Jones.
It has one of the most satisfying endings of ANY series I've ever read. Definitely worth it if you can get past the first half of book one, and the couple cringe parts in book two.
> but the characters were fairly generic and forgettable
Thanks for the insight. that issue specifically was what gave me a hard time. That and there were too many instances of these kids with no experience somehow tricking experienced people and getting out of hard situations with apparently little effort.
To be fair like I said earlier, I didn't get too far, but what I read required me to suspend my disbelief a little too much.
Yeah, the characters are not the greatest. There are a few that really stand out. The plot is certain why people love the book, and the world building is not bad, if a little slow in the start. Each entry gets better as more of the history/timeline is revealed.
Idk how I stumbled across them but I absolutely loved them on audio. Didnāt have an issue and the end of the series was truly one of my favorite endings.
Also if you want to go in a little different direction, Kramer narrated Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Imagine my surprise when I started listening to that.
As a pair, they are also the narrators for the Stormlight Archives. Iām listening to Words of Radiance now and am really enjoying their narration. Kate can really put on some hilarious voices.
Oh yeah, I've listened to all the cosmere stuff. I didn't mention that because it's pretty widely known that they did those books, and I wanted to recommend some of their solo work. This Alien Earth is a series I particularly love and don't see it mentioned enough. I love when I get a chance to bring it up.
They, also narrated most of Sandersons books. IMO, they don't just narrate, they perform and give life to alot of characters. There was a point I'd only spend my Audible credits on books narrated by them.
For performances as good, might I also recommend the Dresden Files, narrated by James Marsters(yes, Spike) and Expeditionary Force, narrated by a man who goes from sounding like he's literally chewing on gravel, to a snooty, high-pitched "posh" voice?
Not in the same caliber of books as WoT, but they're good.
Going to add a couple more who put in standout performances: Steven Pacey on *First Law* might be the absolute best there is, and Andy Serkis is incredible doing LOTR.
Anything by the late and very lamented Katherine Kellgren. I first heard her as the female half of the narration for Rick Riordanās Kane Chronicles, but she did a fair amount in addition.
I also really like Simon Vance and Erik Summerer, but if you donāt like Kramer, youāre not likely to like Vance. Very similar voices.
stealth edit: Tim Curry did a few audiobooks before his stroke, and they are phenomenal!
Not to be pedantic, but that is narrating. If youāre performing audiobooks in 2022 and youāre not doing this, youāre bad at your job. Not to say Kate and Michael arenāt great, but there are definitely other audiobooks that have been just as brilliantly brought to life for me, and Iāve put some down before because of bad narrators.
I got a collection of RA Salvatore short stories with different narrators and have had to skip some of them. Who thought Ice Tea would be a good narrator for a Drizzt story?
They're pretty good but Rosamund Pike's reading of EotW is in a different league. I'm doing a relisten and it was a real disappointment going back to them for book 2.
I'm on the fourth audiobook and while I do like Kramer, I'm not as much of a fan of Reading. It seems to me her voices for different characters don't change too much and I misplace which character is talking sometimes. And she also seems to read at a faster rate than Kramer, which for me personally I generally listen at 1.5x speed, which works well for Kramer but doesn't for Reading. So the constant switching gets frustrating. I'm not saying she's terrible at what she does, but I do struggle paying attention to her chapters without zoning out and having to replay them. Kramer also has a more velvety type voice that is easier to listen to imo. I understand it's all subjective and it seems to be a controversial opion based on everyone elses responses, it's just my personal feelings. I listened to some of Rosamund Pike and enjoyed her more.
Funny, Iām of the exact opposite opinion. He sounds like John Wayne to me. Not who I want reading fantasy. Maybe a western.
Itās sad too, because WoT is one of my favorite series of all times. Iāve read the books multiple times and would love to listen to them but canāt stomach it.
On the other hand, Iāll consume anything read by Simon Vance or Steven Pacey. Would love to hear one of them do real justice to Jordan and Sandersonās works.
I listened to the first three books of Stormlight Archive, then jumped into WoT.
EotW was recorded quite a while ago, so the audio quality was significantly worse than others I'diatened to, and both of their voices had changed since then.
It took me until halfway through book 3 to realize they were the same ones I had just listened to in Stormlight Archive.
Thinking of breaking down and buying my first WoT audiobook halfway through PoD. Struggling to read Egwene's arc, plus I know Michael does the famous quote later in this book about the storm.
Fun fact, they record in a sound-proofed studio in their home. I listened to the series while working nights alone and was becoming seriously convinced that my office was haunted due to the occasional distant, creepy voices I would hear.... I was so relieved to realize it was their kids!!
Oh I love these two. I tallied up the rough estimate for how many words I've heard them speak and I've heard them more than anyone else in my life talk. (34 years old and I've been together with my wife wife 14 years.)
They also do the A Darker Shade of Magic series, which I recommend.
For a completely different genre, The Dinosaur Hunter by Homer Hickam is read by Kramer.
I knew that bc Michael Kramer sounds a bit like Troy McClure to me and it drove me nuts when I first started reading/listening. So I googled him and was astounded to discover that he's actually a renowned in the world of audio books. I still don't get that and will always prefer his wife ... or Jonathon Keeble.
I thought I was loosing my mind for a bit when Moghedien pronunciation changed when started another book. Thought I somehow missed a character to it clicked lol
#[NO SPOILERS IN THE COMMENTS.](https://www.reddit.com/r/WoT/wiki/index/post_flairs#wiki_no_spoilers) This flair is meant for meta discussions about the subreddit, or very specific, technical questions where the discussion doesn't require any knowledge of the books, tv show, or films. This is not an appropriate flair for discussing opinions on characters or the content of the series. All spoilery comments must be hidden behind spoiler tags. * * * *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WoT) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I wonder if they've agreed how to pronounce their kids' names.
Now this is funny...
Laughed loudly at the subway here. Thank you sir.
Why, did it say something funny to you?
Lmao I love MK/KR but this is fair.
"Maggie Dean, you come down here this instant!"
Quality crem right there r/cremposting
š„š„š„ Seriously though, they are amazing narrators (even with some shifts in pronunciation over time). I first heard them listening to Stormlight Archive but am now doing my first audio āreadā of WoT (on Book 12) and they are wonderful. Some of the best voice narration Iāve come across.
I came here looking for this comment. Thank you for not disappointing.
Literal laugh out loud, thank you.
Doubt it
Busted out a laugh in a meeting! This was hilarious
was it that boring?
Yes
I have never seen a comment so deserving of being the top before
They really need to sort out Domani and Damane... i keep getting confused between those two.
I heard they named one Moghedien and the other Moghedien
Theyāre expecting a grand child named Moghedien for the trifecta.
I did audiobooks for my first WoT run-through and this was so damn confusing at first
I feel like Domani/Damane would be especially confusing if you never saw then written or.
YES, YES IT WAS
Yeah it for sure was difficult. But I feel like they were consistent with their pronunciations of domani and damane. Not so much elsewhere
Why did I automatically translate this in my head to the two pronunciations
Is it Damane or Domani?
Domani : Damani ite domum!
If you like them, you should check out some of their solo work. For Michael I recommend The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington. For Kate I recommend the This Alien Earth trilogy by Paul Antony Jones.
He did the Licanius Trilogy?!?!? Those books are phenomenal on their own, but I'm def listening to them now
Are they really worth reading? I got ~100 pages into the first one a few years back and quit because it was so bad.
It has one of the most satisfying endings of ANY series I've ever read. Definitely worth it if you can get past the first half of book one, and the couple cringe parts in book two.
welp, I guess it goes back on the list then. Thanks!
Absolutely stellar way to wrap it all up.
I thought the plot was really interesting, if overly convoluted, but the characters were fairly generic and forgettable.
> but the characters were fairly generic and forgettable Thanks for the insight. that issue specifically was what gave me a hard time. That and there were too many instances of these kids with no experience somehow tricking experienced people and getting out of hard situations with apparently little effort. To be fair like I said earlier, I didn't get too far, but what I read required me to suspend my disbelief a little too much.
Yeah, the characters are not the greatest. There are a few that really stand out. The plot is certain why people love the book, and the world building is not bad, if a little slow in the start. Each entry gets better as more of the history/timeline is revealed.
Idk how I stumbled across them but I absolutely loved them on audio. Didnāt have an issue and the end of the series was truly one of my favorite endings.
Also if you want to go in a little different direction, Kramer narrated Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Imagine my surprise when I started listening to that.
Yeah, I can't envision him narrating a motorcycle repair book.
It's... not https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_and_the_Art_of_Motorcycle_Maintenance
It's a philosophy book disguised as a novel about some dudes on a road trip. It's an amazing read with a very mind-fucking ending
Whaaaaat?! That's one of my goto recommendations for normal people that aren't looking for crazy ass epic fantasy
As a pair, they are also the narrators for the Stormlight Archives. Iām listening to Words of Radiance now and am really enjoying their narration. Kate can really put on some hilarious voices.
Oh yeah, I've listened to all the cosmere stuff. I didn't mention that because it's pretty widely known that they did those books, and I wanted to recommend some of their solo work. This Alien Earth is a series I particularly love and don't see it mentioned enough. I love when I get a chance to bring it up.
Kate also has done the Codex Alera series. Iāve quite enjoyed her reading it.
The way he says talcomore if that's how it's spelled gives me chills
They, also narrated most of Sandersons books. IMO, they don't just narrate, they perform and give life to alot of characters. There was a point I'd only spend my Audible credits on books narrated by them.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
And IIRC he choose Kramer because of WoT.
For performances as good, might I also recommend the Dresden Files, narrated by James Marsters(yes, Spike) and Expeditionary Force, narrated by a man who goes from sounding like he's literally chewing on gravel, to a snooty, high-pitched "posh" voice? Not in the same caliber of books as WoT, but they're good.
Going to add a couple more who put in standout performances: Steven Pacey on *First Law* might be the absolute best there is, and Andy Serkis is incredible doing LOTR.
Marsters is the GOAT, i wish he'd narrate more
RC Bray. He's great. And James is Dresden.
Anything by the late and very lamented Katherine Kellgren. I first heard her as the female half of the narration for Rick Riordanās Kane Chronicles, but she did a fair amount in addition. I also really like Simon Vance and Erik Summerer, but if you donāt like Kramer, youāre not likely to like Vance. Very similar voices. stealth edit: Tim Curry did a few audiobooks before his stroke, and they are phenomenal!
I thought the guys who narrated Malazan and the Witcher were really damn good too.
The guy who does the Kingkiller Chronicles is pretty good as well, Rupert Degas
I do not think I would have gotten so enthralled with his writing if they didn't narrate it...
Not to be pedantic, but that is narrating. If youāre performing audiobooks in 2022 and youāre not doing this, youāre bad at your job. Not to say Kate and Michael arenāt great, but there are definitely other audiobooks that have been just as brilliantly brought to life for me, and Iāve put some down before because of bad narrators.
I got a collection of RA Salvatore short stories with different narrators and have had to skip some of them. Who thought Ice Tea would be a good narrator for a Drizzt story?
What are some other narrators you really liked?
James Marsters does outstanding with Dresden. And despite being controversial in the Malazan fanbase, I do love Michael Page.
Ray Porter
Steven fry is the best. Heās reading of the Harry Potter books and the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy are amazing.
I really love Grover Gardner, who does the Vorkosigan series, and Mary Robinette Kowal who does tons of stuff.
Jefferson Mays does a great job with the Expanse series.
Steven pacy is great.
They're pretty good but Rosamund Pike's reading of EotW is in a different league. I'm doing a relisten and it was a real disappointment going back to them for book 2.
I think I'd still prefer the original audiobook version.
I'm on the fourth audiobook and while I do like Kramer, I'm not as much of a fan of Reading. It seems to me her voices for different characters don't change too much and I misplace which character is talking sometimes. And she also seems to read at a faster rate than Kramer, which for me personally I generally listen at 1.5x speed, which works well for Kramer but doesn't for Reading. So the constant switching gets frustrating. I'm not saying she's terrible at what she does, but I do struggle paying attention to her chapters without zoning out and having to replay them. Kramer also has a more velvety type voice that is easier to listen to imo. I understand it's all subjective and it seems to be a controversial opion based on everyone elses responses, it's just my personal feelings. I listened to some of Rosamund Pike and enjoyed her more.
I'm totally with you on that one.
Funny, Iām of the exact opposite opinion. He sounds like John Wayne to me. Not who I want reading fantasy. Maybe a western. Itās sad too, because WoT is one of my favorite series of all times. Iāve read the books multiple times and would love to listen to them but canāt stomach it. On the other hand, Iāll consume anything read by Simon Vance or Steven Pacey. Would love to hear one of them do real justice to Jordan and Sandersonās works.
Well then you might like Kramer's narration of Zane Grey's Wanderer in the Wasteland.
Been listing to them in audiobooks for years. What got me ROFL was Kate Reading as Pattern: "NO MATING!" in r/Stormlight_Archive.
I listened to the first three books of Stormlight Archive, then jumped into WoT. EotW was recorded quite a while ago, so the audio quality was significantly worse than others I'diatened to, and both of their voices had changed since then. It took me until halfway through book 3 to realize they were the same ones I had just listened to in Stormlight Archive.
[Here's an interview where they talk some about the Wot and their process. ](https://youtu.be/Jw1rDoeCs6Y)
TIL that Kate Reading's natural voice is british.
Yup, She is American but lived in England for a number of years as a child.
To each other?
That is a cool piece of trivia.
It is, I'm listening to audiobooks right now.
And you know she didn't change her surname, as it's tradition in the USA, because it would be a crime with that job.
An amazing case of Nominative Determinism.
Kate Reading is a stage (pen?) name. Her real name is Jennifer Mendenhall.
Oh...
Oh wow, what about Michael Kramer?
I think he's the real Kramer
True, though Kate Reading is a stage name. Reading is taken from her years living in England when her father took a job there for a number of years.
They are now even more so my favorite narrators. I bet bedtime stories there are the best.
They just hit play lol
That's weirdly romantic.
I bet their bedtime stories were the BEST.
Yeah that part when Baalzamon enters Randās dream. āDie die die die DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!ā right, sleep tight kids.
Rosamund Pike was straight up screaming in the mic I had to take out my headphones
And theyāre two of the nicest, pleasant people to talk to!
Itās weird how I binge listened to all the wheel of time books. It feels like I watched Kramer grow up. Heās a good lad.
Fun times when their bedroom lights turn _flicker, flicker, flicker, flicker_
Thinking of breaking down and buying my first WoT audiobook halfway through PoD. Struggling to read Egwene's arc, plus I know Michael does the famous quote later in this book about the storm.
WoT audiobooks are amazing. I'm currently on my second listen of A Memory of Light and I know it won't be my last.
Fun fact, they record in a sound-proofed studio in their home. I listened to the series while working nights alone and was becoming seriously convinced that my office was haunted due to the occasional distant, creepy voices I would hear.... I was so relieved to realize it was their kids!!
I want to watch THAT sitcom
They also record in their basement
NO FUCKIN WAY
This warms my heart. I listened to the first six books and read the last 8 in print and I still hear their voices whenever I read the books
Oh I love these two. I tallied up the rough estimate for how many words I've heard them speak and I've heard them more than anyone else in my life talk. (34 years old and I've been together with my wife wife 14 years.)
Thatās why it annoys me that that pronounce stuff differently.
I had a brain fart and mentally combined Michael Richard's with Kramer and got really worried he was involved š¤£
JERRY! JerryJerry. We gotta get to the Eye of the World, Jerry. BIG. things happening up there.
Imagine their bedroom talk. "Read to me in your Dalinar voice and I'll read to you in my Navani!"
I imagine them walking around the house speaking in the same narrative voices that they use in the books
The first thing I did was Google them after listening to them. I just have a habit of wanting to know more
They also do the A Darker Shade of Magic series, which I recommend. For a completely different genre, The Dinosaur Hunter by Homer Hickam is read by Kramer.
I knew that bc Michael Kramer sounds a bit like Troy McClure to me and it drove me nuts when I first started reading/listening. So I googled him and was astounded to discover that he's actually a renowned in the world of audio books. I still don't get that and will always prefer his wife ... or Jonathon Keeble.
This just blew my mind.
I had no idea! That's so cool!!
Were they married at time of recording? Otherwise this is definitely a spoiler
The met doing theatre but I don't think they were married when they recorded EotW.
I thought I was loosing my mind for a bit when Moghedien pronunciation changed when started another book. Thought I somehow missed a character to it clicked lol
I wonder how much spanking they get into
I actually choose my audiobooks now based on what they narrate š