Pip Ballantine is back with an all-new tale — Weather Child:
New Zealand’s first podiobook author, Philippa Ballantine, brings her first tale set totally in homeland. Step back in time and sideways into an alternate world, where magicians and seraphim are found only on the shores of the Long White Cloud. Between two world wars, Jack and Faith find themselves unravelling a conspiracy to turn the Awakened children of Aoteroa to dark purposes.
As of right now, the first six episodes are in the default feed, with more to be added on Pip’s schedule. If you’re more concerned about following your schedule, then you’ll want a custom feed that puts you in control of this serialized audiobook.
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on Friday, March 20th, 2009 at 7:22 am and is filed under New Books.
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March 25th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Weather Child is simply an amazing story. Full of beautiful, yet dark, imagery and wonderful characterizations, this story will grab ahold of you and will refuse to let go.
Very rarely have I ever listened to a podcast, or Podiobook, that I was impatient for the next chapter to drop. This is definitely the case with Weather Child.
Since I am the first reviewer on Podiobooks, I will provide a brief glimpse into the story.
The story takes place (so far) in New Zealand during the first 1/4 of the twentieth century. Soldiers are coming home from the first world war and New Zealand is recovering from the recent influenza epidemic.
Seraphim, a type of symbiote that imbue their host with unique capabilities are present in the main characters and may be either cherished or hated by their hosts. Weather Child is a wonderfully dark tale about several of these hosts and some of the situations they are placed in.
If you enjoy a well written, character driven story that still has plenty of action, you should be able to appreciate Weather Child.
In closing, I can honestly say that I have never listened to a Podiobook I’ve enjoyed more, and maybe only one that I’ve enjoyed as much.
April 1st, 2009 at 2:25 pm
It’s very, very dark. Extremely dark. The darkest podcast I have ever heard. I was listening to many podcasts while on psychedelic mushrooms, but to listen to Weather Child I had to use Xanax (a potent hypnotic drug) to calm myself down. I was in a mental hospital myself and reminiscences of that place resulted in fact that I shuddered at the thought people (main characters) with those exceptional gifts of Seraphim are thrown into an ugly, abusive institution (more like a dungeon) on slightest pretense by omnipresent Eyes.
The “thick” New Zelandian accent of Philippa makes the story really erotic in nature (check out her “Erotica A La Carte” podcast!). We can believe people can become overwhelmed by the power Seraphim possess and become actually *possessed* — although the “golden eyes effect” is borderline, we can excuse the author this faux pas because of overall great writing.
I am schizophrenic and manic depressive and when I was psychotic I actually heard and seen several people of both sexes in my head who gave me advice, moral support and told me I possess arcane powers, very similar to Seraphim. I didn’t actually believe I possess those powers, but I love to dream. I also, like characters in Weather Child felt warm toward some of those invisible to others faeries and not so warm to other and the ones I liked were my friends when I was kept in an institution, they told me countless stories accompanying them with images to cheer me up and help pass the time. Just like Seraphim do, when the characters are committed to institution. It’s so true, it’s scary. How did Philippa get into my head so much? I wonder if Philippa studied schizophrenia or had some lapses of it or perhaps tried ingesting psychoactive drugs that can create such states of consciousness
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May 3rd, 2009 at 12:13 am
A new tale from Philippa Ballantine. This time she gives us an alternate New Zealand where the children of immigrants can become bonded to strange, magical beings some call Seraphim and others have less flattering names for. In the days and years after World War I and the Spanish Flu, the Dark Man hunts and enslaves New Zealand’s First Children in some twisted quest for power. Faith and Jack will both walk paths of cold possibility, struggling against the darkness and their own souls. And the Dark Man walks behind them.
The sound quality and narration are up to Pip’s usual high standards and, with guest voices for some major characters and original music, she’s given us a production that shouldn’t be missed.
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:20 am
Weather Child is amazing. Wheter you like fantasy or not, historical fiction or not, you will love this podcast. The quality is outstanding, you’ll be amazed that it is free. Pip Balantine is one of the greatest narrators around period in either podcasting or audiobooks.
I’ve listened to 14 episodes and still love this podcast.
August 1st, 2009 at 3:27 am
Great book with excellent narration: one of the best on the site.
August 5th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
I’m not usually one to listen to Fantasy stories as I dislike having to learn a lot of new terminology. However, I throughly enjoyed Weather Child. Philippa really knows how to tell a story and I found myself drawn to her characters. Characters much like you and I – well except for one thing. I won’t go into the story as a synopsis has been posted but I do highly recommend the book if you like Fantasy. Great narration and wonderful accent.
August 6th, 2009 at 10:21 am
This review is abridged from: http://bit.ly/174rab
Weather Child is a well crafted story of magic, adventure and horror combined with the factual history and geography of New Zealand, the home of this talented multi-facetted writer/producer/voice actress.
It is said that Pip has the sexiest voice in the podiosphere. But sex is one dimensional – Pip’s voice is multi-dimensional. Her voice control, tempo and pitch are Shakespearian in quality. Think of a sexy female younger Olivier and you get the idea.
Weather Child can be seen as a “fantasy”, a classic thriller or mystery, an “alternative history”, or even a novel describing and advertising the beauty of New Zealand and its people. It is all these things – but Weather Child is more than that – it is a very creative book about intimate relationships.
Picture yourself as part of a dual symbiotic organism. The other entity has magic power and is always with you, there to preserve and protect. It is incorporeal, cannot communicate in words and has a separate personality. Although you can harness and control its power, it is at a price, and there is a real danger that it could take over and drive you mad.
Now think about your relationship with this entity. Think of your relationships with other humans who are also symbiotes, and the relationships between your “other halves”. Now how about with other, non symbiotic humans, both those you love such as your siblings and parents, and strangers?
Weather Child shows the power and skill that Pip has at her disposal – a writer who can create a true sense of location and time; strong, complex but believable characters; and very unique interpersonal relationships.
August 7th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Weather Child is so well written and narrated that it has been a pure pleasure to hear. My only complaint is that its finished! This is a book I would certainly purchase. The writing is lush and story is satisfyingly complex. Wonderful job! Thank you for presenting your work in this format.
August 9th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
THE GOOD: Philippa (Pip) Ballantine’s second title offered on Podiobooks.com offers us a rich world populated by refreshingly new magical creatures. One of these beings are the symbiotic Seraphim [not the angels of Christian fame]. The intimate & diverse interpersonal relationships she constructs between the human characters and their Seraphim are amazing. Tee Morris joins her once again as one of the primary voice actors and performs beautifully.
THE BAD: This book is labeled incorrectly in my opinion. PB.com has it listed as ‘Historical Fantasy.’ Well, I can kind of see that. Yes, it’s definitely fantasy. Historical is a maybe, maybe not. That’s more of a setting than anything else. What really should be in there is ‘mystery.’ I went into this novel with the completely wrong expectations and it took me a long while to realize what Pip was doing. She intentionally withholds information from the reader to create suspense and make the riddle more difficult to solve. If I had known this was a mystery from the git-go, I could have enjoyed the novel more. When I go back and re-read (or listen) to the book again, I expect I will enjoy it much more even though I know how things turn out. I won’t be totally frustrated and trying to figure out the author’s presentation style all throughout the first third of the novel. I went in to this book expecting a fantasy in a historical setting, *not* a mystery with fantastic elements which was set in the 1900s. Those are two very different things. I would label Weather Child as a ‘Fantasy Mystery’ myself, but I am not the author. I am merely a humble reader of Ms. Ballantine’s most excellent prose. Pip does jump time frames several times without warning and this is somewhat disconcerting until you figure out what has happened. I was sitting there going, “Did I miss a chapter?”
THE BOTTOM LINE: New York publishing houses said Americans wouldn’t be interested in reading Weather Child because it is set in New Zealand. Well, I can’t speak for all Americans, but I really enjoyed this novel. I don’t think the setting is material in a positive or negative way. It took a little while for her to get me sucked into Weather Child, but once Pip had her claws in me, they never let go. This novel is a well written fantasy set in the early twentieth century, overflowing with magic and driven by a compelling mystery. The characters are intriguing and easy to relate to. I believe this is another case of the publishing houses simply not being willing to try anything new (eg give content away for free via podcast to promote a novel’s sales). Weather Child is an excellent book, and if you enjoy a good mystery enmeshed within the fantasy genre, you’ll almost certainly love it.
August 14th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Weather Child is another amazing story by Philippa (Pip)Ballantine. The one thing I have come to expect from Pip is a good story with strong, interesting characters. This story delivers that and more. I love how she has set the story using New Zealand as her backdrop. The production quality is, as always, excellent and is a joy to listen to.
August 15th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
I am a relative newcomer to the worlds of Phillipa Ballantine, having finished Chasing the Bard just last week and Weather Child just 15 minutes ago. I listened to Chasing the Bard with a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction. It was one of the finest stories I’ve experienced in some time. Then I got my mp3 player’s ‘hands’ on Weather Child and it exceeded my already high expectations.
I knew I was wrapped up in the story when I found myself talking, and occasionally shouting, at the characters as the story progressed. (Note to future listeners, restrain your verbal commentary in public places). As I listened to this story I was, by turns, enthralled, angered, saddened, and overjoyed. I questioned the decisions made over the course of the story. I became upset when characters engaged in, what I perceived as, stupid or pointless actions. I was dumbfounded by choices that seemed I mean this as high praise for the story and author. I became so engrossed in the story it had a real impact on my emotions.
I also questioned so much as the story progressed; where was the story going, what was going on in the background, how & why did the villains do the things they did, and how did they keep getting away with it all? One of the most frustrating yet intriguing questions was not understanding how “the villains” were able to operate within this setting. To my great joy all my questions were answered as the course of events unfolded. In the end, the reveal smacked me right between the eyes. Seemingly obvious in retrospect it was well concealed in the story and the ramification are amazing. I’m ready to go back and listen to it all over again with new insight.
Download and listen to this story today. Put your other shows on hold and fire this one up.
August 17th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
P. B. has in my humble opinion, put her self at the Table of Top Five Fiction Podcasters. All Five could swiftly unseat the paper sales top Five but a different topic indeed.
Back to Philippa; she is a quality bit. A lot like Edgar Allen Poe in a way. The distinction or difference being that Philippa takes one into a world that sometimes has elements of ghastly horror.
But she has this intuitive way as a writer of dealing the horror but at the very same time comforting the reader. As Philippa unfolds the horrible and challenging plot-lines she makes the reader / listener feel safe in her aural embrace.
namaste,
Michael
August 28th, 2009 at 7:24 am
This is a wonderful story. I absolutly loved it.
December 17th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
First book I ever downloaded by podcast and it is definitely a winner. Descriptions and narrative were so well done that it was easy to visualize the scenes! Now, on to Chasing the Bard. I have a new favorite author!!
December 25th, 2009 at 6:49 am
Well, well, what a great read. Toothless was my first podiobook and it was smokin’ then Pip’s Weatherchild has out done that. It is unbelievable that this book has not found a publisher in US ( I’m an Xpate Aussie in NYC for the last two decades) on the heals of Peter Jackson’s rich use of NZ’S wonderfully rugged and timeless landscape in Lord of the rings. I think most people have a sense of the uniqueness and spiritualism of NZ and it’s people and this story would only enhance that. Shame Shame Shame on US publishers. Oh yeah this could be an awesome movie with the right director, P.Jackson or maybe James Cameron, send it out to some screenwriters I want the movie, All this and I’m only two thirds into the book. Well Done.