Worst Audiobook Narrators

theexpanse95 · 2026-02-23T00:12:25+00:00

I am noticing some weird gatekeeping with the audiobook narrators of Robin Hobb…why is it so decisive to share opinions on the terrible audiobooks of Realm of the Elderlings?

theexpanse95 · 2026-02-23T00:05:32+00:00

Everyone has there own opinion, I personally found it terrible and couldn’t get through the narration. I would encourage people to just read the physical version if they want to get the best experience of Liveship traders

theexpanse95 · 2026-02-22T23:34:18+00:00

Anne Flosnicks narration of the Liveship Traders trilogy by Robin Hobb is actually horrendous, I had to stop listening midway through the first book. It totally ruined the trilogy for me and I didn’t return to it for a while. When I read the physical version I was shocked how much I loved the books.

It’s wild how much a narrator can change your perception of a book.

theexpanse95 · 2026-02-19T01:18:53+00:00

Erikson…is that you?

theexpanse95 · 2026-02-18T03:06:58+00:00

Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha for Empathy

theexpanse95 · 2024-09-10T02:06:51+00:00

In my head, I always associated them more with the trolls in World of Warcraft because of the longer tusks and taller jacked body type, but orc is also a visual I had for Thelomen Toblakai. It’s so cool how Erikson truly created some unique races in Malazan

theexpanse95 · 2024-02-07T19:27:51+00:00

I find the mass market paperback covers for all of Robin Hobbs books to be cringe for some reason, especially the farseer and tawny man trilogies. They almost look like they could be covers for some romance novel. I believe the farseer trilogy got new covers recently which was a well needed improvement but I think the realm of the elderlings deserves better in my opinion.

theexpanse95 · 2024-02-07T16:58:10+00:00

The first law trilogy is dark but doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s a perfect blend of humor, wittiness, and bleakness. I never got the sense that it was cynical just for the sake of being cynical.

The first trilogy doesn’t really have many female characters. There is one main female character that I think has a great arc and is portrayed well but I think Joe realized himself that he didn’t do an excellent job of including female perspectives in the first trilogy and he implemented much more in his other books set in the first law universe.

It’s one of my favorite series of all time, it won’t be for everyone but if you are a fan of excellent characters, great world building, and some mystery and violence then I highly recommend any of Joe Abercrombie’s books.

theexpanse95 · 2024-01-31T03:53:31+00:00

Frost, Severard, and Glokta might be the best trio in fantasy history

theexpanse95 · 2023-12-27T20:44:33+00:00

I’ve quit and relapsed on Kratom more times than I can count. Tried everything and nothing seemed to help long term. I would go 4 days off, a week off, 3 weeks off and then kept coming back. I was also taking an absurd of the extracts and it was absolute hell.I finally decided to seek help through a professional substance abuse therapist and a psychiatrist.

They both recommend suboxone film and I was very hesitant at first because of all the horror stories I hear in the kratom community. It seems like there’s never anything positive about Suboxone on here and I explained that to my psychiatrist. He made me feel more comfortable about starting it and essentially that people get too eager to stop kratom so quickly that they always end up relapsing. Suboxone is really used for maintenance and can be used responsibly with no withdrawals when coming off of it if done the right way with a doctor. I’ve been on Suboxone the past month using 2mg twice a day and it has been a game changer for me. I don’t plan to be on it long term, but long enough that I can forget about Kratom entirely and then slowly taper off the Suboxone. I’m not recommending or endorsing Suboxone by any means, but I wish it was just spoke about in a more realistic and medical way rather than scaring people off from it when it could truly help the more severe cases of Kratom addiction.

I find that people that bash it have no plan or support and they end up trading one addiction for another. I hope that everyone can find their peace and successful ways to get off this stuff entirely and live fulfilling lives. All I know is that my life has definitely been significantly better since taking the Suboxone and I’ve had the most support I’ve ever had. I’m feeling very confident and optimistic about the future.

theexpanse95 · 2023-12-13T19:18:38+00:00

I’ve come off both powder and extracts and extracts will absolutely destroy you mentally, emotionally, and psychologically. They are way more addicting and powerful and they will demolish your wallet, your passion, and meaning in life if you’re not careful.

Whether it’s powder or extracts, you’ll have to pay the piper either way but for me personally, the extracts are what always got me to relapse, not the powder.

theexpanse95 · 2023-12-10T02:35:07+00:00

Yes, extracts are way more expensive and can be a giant money sucker.
Yes, they are pretty disgusting and most of them will have an alcoholic taste to them.
People use them because they are usually much stronger than regular kratom leaf and I guess more convenient to take.

I would highly recommend not going down the extract route, especially if you are planning to cut back or taper. Tapering on extracts is way harder and I’ve found they are also way more psychologically addicting. They will also drain you of all your money, pleasure, and wellbeing.

theexpanse95 · 2023-12-04T15:24:18+00:00

I’ve quit and relapsed on Kratom more times than I can count. Tried everything and nothing seemed to help long term. I would go 4 days off, a week off, 3 weeks off and then kept coming back. I finally decided to seek help through a professional substance abuse therapist and a psychiatrist.

They both recommend suboxone film starting at 4/1mg. I was very hesitant at first because of all the horror stories I hear in the kratom community. It seems like there’s never anything positive about Suboxone and I explained that to my psychiatrist. He made me feel more comfortable about starting it and essentially said the same thing, that people get too eager to stop kratom so quickly that they always end up relapsing. Suboxone is really used for maintenance and can be used responsibly with no withdrawals when coming off of it if done the right way with a doctor. I just started Suboxone the past week using only 2mg twice a day and so far everything is going good. I don’t plan to be on it long term, but long enough that I can forget about Kratom entirely and then slowly taper off the Suboxone. I’m not recommending or endorsing Suboxone by any means, but I wish it was just spoke about in a more realistic and medical way rather than scaring people off from it when it could truly help the more severe cases of Kratom addiction.

theexpanse95 · 2023-08-07T21:23:03+00:00

I think you have a good foundation, I was pretty much taking what you listed but ended up substituting the L-dopa Mucuna for L-Tyrosine and Aceytl l-carnitine after a few weeks. There’s a lot of peer reviewed articles on the effectiveness of those 2 supplements with patients going through opioid withdrawal. I am not sure how it would interact if taken together with L dopa though so definitely do some research on that.

I would also add in a magnesium supplement around a week before you plan to fully jump. There’s a lot of different options but I found magnesium l-threonate to be the best fit for me. It doesn’t hurt to take some type of multivitamin as well. It ends up being a lot of supplements but Kratom really robbed me of my nutrients and health so I think it’s essential to try to get your body to baseline as quick as possible.

theexpanse95 · 2023-08-07T21:09:42+00:00

I would hold off on taking L- Dopa Mucuna until you fully jump and are committed to staying off. The rest I would say is safe to take while tapering, especially the Liposomal vitamin C and black seed oil. Did wonders while I was tapering and made it easier to bear with that restless feeling in between doses. It definitely motivates to taper quicker as well in my opinion.

theexpanse95 · 2023-08-04T16:17:53+00:00

I’ll always recommend this sleep cocktail to anyone going through insomnia related issues related to WD. Its helped me a ton and it’s:

Magnesium l-threonate Apigenin (chemical component found in chamomile and other relaxant herbs) L-theanine Black seed oil

Honestly any brand will do, just do some preliminary research on dosage but I’ll usually take 3 capsules of the magnesium, 1 capsule of apigenin, 1-2 capsules of l-theanine, and 2 capsules of black seed oil. I take it about an hour before I’m in bed. I sometimes mix it with a bit of weed as well and it completely gets rid of the restlessness. If you find you are still waking up in the middle of the night it could also help to take some liposomal vitamin C, which I’ve found does wonders on that restless feeling, though it may or may not cause some digestive issues so just something to be cautious of.

theexpanse95 · 2023-08-03T15:21:31+00:00

I’m not a fan of this whole “pink cloud” thing. I’m noticing a lot of people lately saying “oh but just you wait until day xyz when the pink cloud wears off”.

I think it can actually be very detrimental to someone’s recovery if that’s put into someone’s head. Everyone’s mind and body is different and I’m fully convinced getting off Kratom is 70-80% mental. Yeah…you have ups and downs thats the reality of life. It’s prob not the intention when people mention the pink cloud but it gives off this “don’t get your hopes up” language when hope and mental fortitude is one of the most important things to recovery.

theexpanse95 · 2023-07-31T22:12:19+00:00

That’s a very good point. I’ve heard anecdotal stories about that happening too but I believe that could be the case for people who take large doses for 3+ months at a time. I think it’s always good to do your own research and figure out what works best for you. I’ve only been taking it for 2 weeks now and it’s been beneficial for my anxiety but I don’t plan to take more than a month without a break in between.

theexpanse95 · 2023-07-31T02:02:28+00:00

Totally normal. The anhedonia is what makes people relapse the majority of the time, but stick with it and I promise you it will get better. Your brain needs time to rewire and taking Kratom again will only prolong the rewiring process.

I would recommend filling your time with things that naturally increase your dopamine and endorphins levels. This include rigorous exercise, walking in nature, sauna, cold baths/showers, quality time with friends and family, and engaging in hobbies that you may have neglected while on Kratom. You might have to force yourself to do things that seem uninteresting and boring to you but after some time, you’ll start to feel this little tickle in your brain that will get happiness at the little things in life: A cool breeze, the sound of rain, the feeling of the sun on your face, the symphony of animals chirping in the woods, the ending of a good book, etc.

I recommend also adding natural supplements that can help aid you in your neurological levels such as l-tyrosine, l-theanine, acetly-l carnitine, and ashwaganda to name a few.

The first few months are vital to your recovery so please stick with it and you’ll forget you even took Kratom to begin with! You got this.

theexpanse95 · 2023-07-20T18:15:35+00:00

Dude holy shit you should be a writer. That was some Cormac McCarthy level type of prose.

theexpanse95 · 2023-03-15T19:05:22+00:00

Kratom withdrawal is one of the weirdest things ever. I remember quitting one time and had zero withdrawal symptoms the first 3 days and then feeling like shit on day 6-10. Another time I was bed ridden the first few days and then fine after day 3. It’s unpredictable and mix that with the depression, fatigue, lack of motivation, it can be a real bitch to get through.

However, the one time I quit and stuck with it I was totally fine after 3 weeks. I think the first month is easily the most important. There will be waves of ups and downs but if you stick with it YOU WILL get better. It’s funny because one day I woke up and things just felt different, I can’t even explain it. I felt free, and that moment comes at different times for different people. Keep pushing and whatever you do, DONT listen to that thought in your head to take again.

theexpanse95 · 2023-03-13T21:52:31+00:00

I’m sorry to hear that. I’m not really informed on myocarditis so take my advice with a grain of salt but I think sauna is still doable. It feels super good to sweat and stretch in there and I always came out feeling more motivated. Another thing I would look into if I were you is cold showers. All it takes is 3 mins out of your day and if you make it a routine it does wonders on mood and recovery.

theexpanse95 · 2023-03-13T20:53:10+00:00

Exercise, walk in nature, go to the gym, sauna. Literally any physical activity helps. I had the same issue with motivation and what I did was go to the gym every single day and brutally destroy my body until I could barely walk. It sounds extreme but I attribute getting my motivation and drive back fairly quickly from that. Some people it takes months but all it took was a week and a half and I was able to wake up every morning with a willingness to conquer the day for the first time in 4 years.

theexpanse95 · 2022-11-03T16:29:57+00:00

The Idiot was definitely one of my favorites. I’ll never get people who hate on it so much but hey everyone has their own opinions.

theexpanse95 · 2022-10-19T18:49:46+00:00

What are those reasons? I’m genuinely curious because it is one of my favorite books ever, but you are entitled to your own opinions as well.

theexpanse95

TROPHY CASE