Good evening everyone.
My apologies for being somewhat mum on the whole Audiobook issue.
It's with a heavy heart that I have to inform everyone that Jeff isn't going to be working on Super Sales 2 or 3.
At this time, we're simply going in two different directions professionally.
Jeff is an amazing Narrator, and I know that he'll pick up an even better author than myself to work with.
I can't recommend him enough.
At this time, I've chosen to give the rights to book 2 and 3 to Podium. My understanding is they've hired Nick Podehl to work on the books.
I'm currently putting together time indexes with all the voices and information so that he can pick up as close to the accents and tone that Jeff laid down.
I don't have any firm details on release dates, but know that it's coming, and hasn't been forgotten.
Wow that sucks :( Nick Podehl is a really great narrator so i am sure it will be good though. I was really hoping for a Christmas release too.. Oh well
ReplyDeleteIts a bit of a Bummer that Jeff wont be on it but Nick is another great narrator. Really liked his work in The Land and Stealing Divinity.
ReplyDeleteNot going to lie, I liked Jeff Hays as a narrator. First listened to him on my first audiobook. But life goes on and for me I'd really like to listen to the second book installment. I really live for audiobooks like these so that even though I'm working at night, I don't have to actually be at work. Keep up the goodwork Mr. Arand. I'm already salivating since you have confirmed another book as well.
ReplyDeleteNot gonna lie I was super bummed reading the first part of your post about Jeff not doing the narration. Then I perked up when I saw Nick was going to be doing the narration for the next two books.
ReplyDeleteHe's got a great range of voices and is equally believable as Kvothe, Corin and Taelien. These are three very different characters and he is perfect as each one, so I have no doubt he'll make an excellent Felix.
I wouldn't know about The Land as I try to avoid listening to LitRPG on principle, it's hard keeping track of all the numbers when I can't see them in front of me.
Id forgotten that he narrated the Kingkiller series. Another great job. The Land is kinda.... Silly. So many meme and penis jokes....
DeleteThat has nothing to do with Podhel though. I agree that the Land is getting å bit silly when the MC starts as a normal straight guy to now having sex with a young man and his sister along with incest. I have no doubt that the author has fallen for the SJW pressure these days.
DeleteMaybe thats why he seems to have stopped working on it.
DeleteI really like Jeff. He did a great job on all your books so far, so it's disappointing he will not be doing this book also. That said I am very happy to hear we will get an audio book.
ReplyDeleteI liked Nick in the Gam3 and Sufficiently Advanced Magic. Even if Chaos Seeds is getting silly he is definitely enthusiastic.
ReplyDeleteFor sure, Nick will be one of the best possible replacements for Hays. Just hope the voices wont be too whiney or off putting.
DeleteThanks for the update! It'll be difficult to transition, but he's a great narrator so I have hope. When all this is done, consider asking him to rerecord Super Sales as well - it might help temper the fury of audiobook listeners. :P
ReplyDeleteAll in all, it's better to have this happen early in a series than before it gets really established.
I think Nick will nail it. He's done an amazing job with The Land and I feel like, vocally, his style will encapsulate the characters quite nicely.
ReplyDeleteGlad Super Sales 2 is number 1 like I knew it would and hope it continues to gain applause from my fellow readers!
ReplyDeleteMyself, I'm waiting for the paperback version to see what Felix and Legion will do next (Have to admit after reading the comments and your response to a question I've been wondering who is on the new cover, I thought it was Lily, but glad Kit has this picture (Can't wait to see who will be on the third one when it comes out)! ; )
Just saw the paperback version and purchased it for my personal Christmas present to myself!!
DeleteLike always will leave a review on the Amazon page once I'm done binge reading it!!! : )
That's really Kit?.... It looks exactly like how I've pictured Lily. Then again, the first cover looked nothing like I imagined Andrea. Looks like a cosplayer dressing up as her. Always imagined Andrea as just as pretty but warmer. Less sexual yet brighter and more inviting, if that makes sense.
DeleteTo each their own, John.
DeleteSad to hear Jeff Hayes won't be the narrator anymore. His ability to believably emulate actual female voices was a huge benefit to immersion because the majority of the story's characters are women. That ability seems more related to genetics than training, which is probably why it's so rare among male narrators. Does Nick Podehl have that talent as well? If not that is a major bummer.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I realized something after reading book 2. If a major guiding principle of Legion is that Races are all equally valued, why is HR called HR? That stands for "Human Resources". Seems racially discriminatory.
I believe nick truly does have that ability. He narrated the "A pattern of Shadow and Light" series which has a good number of female characters and did an excellent job with it. This is just my opinion though.
DeleteNick Podehl has great female voices, some of them might sound a little whiney which could be a issue. Being able to do female voices isnt everything though,the Alpha World series is a good testiment to that :) HR is probably used because of the demographic of the city if not just so the author dosnt have to change meaningless things like that through long explinations. This whole "victim" and "offensive" olympics that is going around these days will ruin books if allowed to enter them.
ReplyDeleteeh.. it's never a wise idea to change narrators when they've done a good job. Always makes me much more hesitant to continue series when this happens. Quite a shame.
ReplyDeleteTo each their own John. :)
DeleteIt is what it is.
Is there a ETA for the audio book to be released?
ReplyDeleteI don't have one yet, sorry.
Deletei realy hate it when they change voices it ruins the whole thing
ReplyDeleteSorry. Unavoidable. :)
DeleteGreat concept on the books Mr. Arand. Made me think of D & D the whole time. Sorry you lost the relationship with the audio book narrator, but there are a bunch of narrators out there and I am sure it will work out. (Use Jim Butcher's Guy) Hint Hint :-)
ReplyDeleteLol. Thanks. We'll get there :)
DeleteWhat did you mean when you said you and Jeff Hays are going in separate directions professionally? Is he no longer doing superhero fiction? Or is it some other facet of your series' genre that he's dropping?
ReplyDeleteI can't really comment on that as it wouldn't be professional. :)
DeleteJeff and I are going separate ways. That's really all that needs to be known.
R.I.P. Andrea's amazing voice. May the great here-after be filled with pancakes.
Deleteoh wow thats really a bummer. love the first book & Jeff is great, I must have listened to the first one around 10 times. I hope Nick can live up to it. Im off to check out some Nick Podehl work to see what I'm in for
ReplyDeleteI looked him up too. I was surprised, but it seems he's capable of doing convincing female voices too. Not as many different voices as Jeff, and most of them tend to sound a bit less feminine. But still convincingly enough that if you clipped a line of him doing one of his more feminine voices and played it for a random person, that person would definitely think it was a woman talking. He and Jeff are still in a league of their own when it comes to male narrators doing female voices. Does anyone else know other male narrators that can do this? Before hearing about Nick, I thought Jeff was the only one.
DeleteHonestly, I don't know of any others, sadly.
DeleteI'm pretty confident it'll be fine. :)
DeleteListen to the Chaos Seeds series. Nick is pretty good at both male and female voices. Lots of variety and range.
DeleteI have lots with nick he is great but Jeff was amazing still looking forward to the next book. I check everyday for it
Deletemaybe redo the first with nick in time. I have seen audible do this.
ReplyDeleteIll definitely be reading it now that you filled us in, nick podehl does good work but I personally think he reads it to fast so it sounds stringy, that being said hes got a good voice good luck with sales my man.
ReplyDeleteWill nich redo the first auido book?
ReplyDeleteI want a ringtone of Andrew's voice yelling, "Pancakes!" AND I'M willing to pay for an authentic/custom rendition from him! Credit to him, but truly a testament to the writing. Such a fun and borderline psychotic character taken in a positive direction.
ReplyDeleteSo easy to make her regress into a feral trope like so many others. This was unique and light, while still maintaining an air of danger had different actions/responses been made regarding her alias and past actions. And I "second" the interest in having Marsters (SPIKE!) voice to subsequent entries.
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ReplyDeleteGotta say that it’s always a bit odd if not outright jarring when a series changes narrators between books without it being due to a death. Then again to me any narrator that is NOT James Marsters is just starting off far back from the front of the pack to use a racingish metiphor. Granted that Will Wheaton is a close second, so Marsters in pole position Wheaton and all others lining up after them!
ReplyDeleteIt's been a few months now any update as to when we can expect book 2 audiobook?
ReplyDeleteDifferent post. May 8th.
DeleteTy for the update
DeleteWow, glad I found this page. I was checking Amazon for the past 4 months. Lol
ReplyDeleteSucks about Jeff, I like the rest really liked him (he's how I found your series Otherlife). Yet, I understand and want this audio book so bad I can deal with change just fine.
Any update on release date?
ReplyDeleteIf anyone has any reservations about Nick coming in for the second book, I recommend that you check out the David Wong series "John Dies At The End." The first installment is done by Stephen Thorne, and the second is narrated by Nick Podehl. The transition irked me at when I saw it, but after listening, I was left thoroughly satisfied. For some reason I actually have more defined images for the setting and events in my imagination after listening to Nick read than I did with the other two Stephen did. (Stephen comes back for the third book.) All in all, it changed little, and with a book as interesting as this, me reading it to you would probably be just fine. But really, go check out John Dies At The end. It's great.
ReplyDeleteWill there be a book4 in the series of super sales on super heroes
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to Hays in the first book and the way he brought the characters to life, I just can't listen to Podehl. I think the author really went the wrong way with this one, kinda wish I would've listened to the sample before making the purchase on book 2.
ReplyDeleteSorry you feel that way. I hope you enjoy the other books.
DeleteDude, give it a chance. Nick Podehl dies Jeff Hays' work justice and works incredibly hard to embody the voices of all of our favorite characters. No one really changes in their style of voice, and the stories (for 2 and 3) are so good that it really draws you away from the change. Also, it's an Audible book, bro, try it out and if you don't like it chunk it back, but you'll like it.
DeleteSource: Dude, trust me.