Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Bell Weather: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Bell Weather: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Bell Weather: A Novel
    Audiobook14 hours

    Bell Weather: A Novel

    Written by Dennis Mahoney

    Narrated by William Dufris

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A thrilling adventure set in a peculiar world, a fantastical 18th century, where a young woman must uncover the secrets of her past while confronting the present dangers of a magical wilderness

    When Tom Orange rescues a mysterious young woman from a flooded river, he senses that their fates will deeply intertwine.

    At first, she claims to remember nothing, and rumor animates Root-an isolated settlement deep in a strange wilderness. Benjamin Knox, the town doctor, attends to her recovery and learns her name is Molly. As the town inspects its young visitor, she encounters a world teeming with wonders and oddities. She also hears of the Maimers, masked thieves who terrorize the surrounding woods.

    As dark forces encircle the town, the truth of Molly's past spills into the present. A desperate voyage. A genius brother. A tragedy she hasn't fully escaped. Molly and Tom must then decide between surviving apart or risking everything together. Dennis Mahoney's Bell Weather is an otherworldly and kinetic story that blends history, fantasy, mystery, and adventure, to mesmerizing effect.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateJul 7, 2015
    ISBN9781427260901
    Unavailable
    Bell Weather: A Novel
    Author

    Dennis Mahoney

    Dennis Mahoney is the author of the novels Ghostlove (Audible, 2019), Bell Weather (Henry Holt & Co, 2015), and Fellow Mortals (FSG, 2013). He runs Equinox Society Radio, a podcast of dark and otherworldly stories.

    Related to Bell Weather

    Related audiobooks

    Fantasy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      'The Raven Tower' Rises From Shakespearean Foundations

      Feb 26, 2019

      Ann Leckie's new fantasy novel is packed with family intrigue, throne-room maneuvering and nods to Hamlet in its story of a son who comes home to find his father missing and his uncle in power.

      2 min read

    • Article

      Sistersong

      Mar 24, 2021

      416 pages | Hardback/ebook/audiobook ▶ Author Lucy Holland ▶ Publisher Macmillan Despite being based on various established sources – Arthurian myth, the writings of the monk Gildas, and the folk ballad “The Twa Sisters” among them – Sistersong feels

      1 min read

    • Article

      Jay Kristoff

      Sep 8, 2021

      MOST NOVELISTS HAVE AT LEAST ONE book in a drawer that represents an early effort, a text that will never be offered up to a wider readership. In the case of Jay Kristoff, this book was a tale of bloodsuckers he wrote in 2008. “It was right at the ta

      3 min read

    • Article

      'Provenance': A Cozy Mystery Set In Ann Leckie's 'Ancillary' Universe

      Sep 27, 2017

      In this standalone novel, Ann Leckie returns to the world of her award-winning Ancillary trilogy with a different mission — a cozy mystery about the theft of some politically sensitive antiques.

      2 min read

    • Article

      Shards Of Earth

      May 19, 2021

      Shards Of Earth
      2 min read

    • Article

      10 Quick Questions

      Jan 10, 2021

      1. Which movie begins with the words: “People do not give it credence that a young girl could leave home and go off in the wintertime to avenge her father’s blood, but it did happen”? ❑ Old Yeller ❑ True Grit ❑ The Call of the Wild ❑ Little Women 2.

      1 min read

    • Article

      Ordinary Monsters

      Jun 15, 2022

      Ordinary Monsters
      2 min read

    • Article

      Godkiller

      Dec 28, 2022

      Godkiller
      1 min read

    • Article

      The Fire Starters

      Oct 2, 2023

      The Fire Starters
      14 min read

    • Article

      Ten Must-Read Crime Books Set in the American West

      Dec 27, 2019

      This list of must-read crime titles forms part of a lesser-known West, an awesomely weird landscape in which the line between Good and Evil shimmers like a mirage. The post Ten Must-Read Crime Books Set in the American West appeared first on The Mill

      4 min read

    • Article

      For The Wolf

      Jun 16, 2021

      ⏵ RELEASED 17 JUNE 480 pages | Paperback/ebook/audiobook ⏵ Author Hannah Whitten ⏵ Publisher Orbit Books Wolves run through fairy tales, flashing a tooth here, a tail there. But if you pick this up expecting to see familiar motifs popping up, you’ll

      1 min read

    • Article

      Her Dark Materials

      May 6, 2022

      A novel-in-verse written in dense Dorset vernacular, Orlam is a curious and enchanting thing. Like a dark poetic almanac, it charts a year in which its heroine, nine-year-old Ira-Abel Rawles, leaves behind the innocence of her childhood. Orlam takes

      1 min read

    • Article

      TV, FILM & RADIO

      May 14, 2020

      TV, FILM & RADIO
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Bell Weather

    3.5/5

    41 ratings16 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      I was very happy and surprised with the quality of this book. Besides being well written, I thought the characters were unique and interesting. Molly, her brother Nicolas, and Tom (not to mention Mr. Bell their tyrant of a father) were original and all had unique personalities. For the first half of the book I followed along with the plot and was very interested in the story. After Molly and Nick ran away it seemed as if the story lost its focus. The first half of the book seemed focused on their father and the children learning how to overcome him and live their own lives. The second part of the book seemed mostly focused on Molly and the town of Root. In my opinion, it seemed like two different stories smashed into one with no clear plot or purpose. Although the book was well written, I ended it feeling like I had no idea what the purpose of it was. Was the story supposed to be focused on Molly and her trials of becoming a young woman? Was it about Nicolas becoming like his father? Was it about the town of Root and its people learning to accept outsiders? It felt like watching the end of an American Horror episode, in which you wonder which plot you were supposed to be focused on or what the point of the episode was. I do not mean my comment to be cruel, mostly just out of curiosity. Otherwise, the story was a quick read and I was happy to learn about Molly's trials and tribulations.
    • 3/5
      I just finished reading this book, and I admit, I feel duped. The back of the book promised a fascinating, fantastic landscape -- and it's there, no mistake, but at no point did I feel engulfed in it. There was almost no reason for this to be set in an alternate world where these anomalies existed, because none of it influenced the plot. We get glimpses at it, but the focus of the story is squarely on the events of Tom Orange and Molly Bell/Smith. I found Molly an unlikable protagonist -- she authors too many of her own troubles and spends a great deal of time defending her bad decisions. The jumps between chapters alternating between Molly's history and Tom's present I also found confusing... I wasn't sure which character I should invest in, and as a result I didn't really latch on entirely to either. It wasn't a BAD book by any means. Just know that the back of the book oversells certain aspects (the fantasy) and undersells the actual plot (bad family histories and a resident sociopath).
    • 3/5
      As spring comes to the small colonial town of Root, innkeeper Tom Orange rescues a young woman caught in the flooding river. Her name is Molly, and while she claims to remember nothing else of her life, she in truth is looking tot leave a difficult past behind and start a new in Root. While the village is peaceful and full of possibly supernatural wonders, a brutal band of highwaymen, the Maimers, threaten travelers in the surrounding woods.The novel is set primarily in Floria, a fantasy version of colonial America under British Rule. Root and its surrounding river valley are home to strange plants and animals, and experience unique changes of the seasons. The idea of a colonial American fantasy is very intriguing, and the setting feels unique and original, at first.Sadly, there is no real reason for the fantasy elements, and this world is never really explored in an interesting way. Molly’s story is actually rather intimate, revolving around her relationship with her brother Nicholas and her attempts to make a new life in Root. This story could just have easily been told as a straight historical novel, taking place in colonial New York or New England. There are even versions of real historical events, as the story seems to take place after this world’s equivalent of the French and Indian wars.Bell Weather isn’t a bad story, just disappointing given the setting’s potential. There is also a bit of “instant love” between Molly and Tom that’s somewhat unrealistic. Look here for a family drama with a historical setting; for a fantasy, look elsewhere.A review copy was provided through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
    • 3/5
      Colonial Floria -3.5 stars...

      So a tavern owner, Tom, rescues a girl, Molly, floating down the river and brings her to the town doctor to recuperate. The story is centered around Molly and her brother Nicholas and the secrets she is keeping from the town and what happens when her past catches up with her. I enjoyed the story. It was pretty dark and I liked the complex, twisted sibling relationship that played out.

      The alternate world, on the other hand, was under developed though. It was set in a very strange 18th Century colonial fantasy world but the world was hard to imagine and grasp. I honestly felt like I was more of an outsider looking in without a clear understanding of where I'm at instead of feeling like I was transported completely into the world, which is how I prefer to feel when reading fantasies. It could have been a really cool world but I definitely think the author needed to do a little more world building. A great story otherwise though.
    • 5/5
      In the land of Floria and the town of Root, in the time of the regular flower flood, tavern owner Tom Orange rescues a woman desperately clinging to a branch in the Antler River. The woman is named Molly, but tells the townspeople that she is unable to remember anything else. The Florian’s wonder if she is the first victim of the Maimer’s attacks, a gang of masked marauders who take what they believe is most valuable to a person, whether it be an item, body part or life. As Molly recovers, she finds her place within Root; however the secrets and mystery of her past weigh on some of the townspeople, especially since trouble seems to follow wherever Molly goes. First of all, I fell in love with the world that was created for Bell Weather. Similar to the American Colonies, but with a magical wonder within the natural world such as flowers that rise from the bottom of the riverbed, bears that awake only in winter, storms that glow, fog that consumes, ghosts that only appear once you have made them comfortable and crabs that fly. The land, weather and animals became as much of a character as the people. Speaking of people, Molly’s character grabbed me from her birth. Molly and her brother, Nicholas’ story bounces back and forth from present to their childhood as Molly’s mystery unravels. Molly is feisty, energetic, imaginative, adventurous, but most of all, she is full of heart. Her mischief often causes trouble, but she only causes it because she would never stand by idly while someone she loves gets hurt and would never let herself be a damsel in distress. On the flip side, her brother Nicholas is an enigma; his intellect and logic causes him to become manipulative and harsh, even though he cares for Molly very much. Overall, Bell Weather is a fun mix of fantasy, mystery, humor and adventure.This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
    • 3/5
      I have to give this book full credit for its creativeness, the blend of fantasy and historical fiction for a compelling world and intricate character relationships. Still, it just didn't really work for me - I spent a good portion of the book attempting to figure out what historical period and geographic area the story was set in before simply accepting it as fantasy and moving on. Also, there are a few time jumps in the novel, some of which I struggled to recognize - although the author does do a wonderful job of merging the two timeline half way through the book. This wasn't a bad read, I just can't really find much to praise in this one.
    • 4/5
      The story was interesting and the suspense did keep you hooked to the end. Characters are well developed and either likable or not.
    • 4/5
      I haven't read anything in the magical realism genre in quite a while, and this felt pretty close. I reflected several times that this novel had a One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez feel to it. The characters were well fleshed out and interesting, though I'll admit to not feeling terribly connected to them. Molly kind of irked me, as some of her behavior felt over the top. Tom was interesting, and I would have probably enjoyed reading the entire novel about just him. It's funny how that happens--being drawn to one character and not the rest. Otherwise, the novel was well written and set up, though there were some slow parts and I did feel as drawn into it as I would have liked. I guess I would say it's just not my kind of book.
    • 4/5
      Bell Weather had, for me, a sort of Firefly/Serenity feel to it, though set in a colonial/revolutionary war type alter-world rather than the future. The land of Floria, with its quirks and foibles of St. Verna's Fire, winterbears, and deadfall, that brutal end of summer, were as much characters of the book as the humans whose stories unfold and intertwine. I truly hope that Bell Weather is a bellwether for more from Dennis Mahoney featuring the world and characters he so skillfully related. Quick plot summary: Tom Orange pulls a woman from a raging river, thus changing the world as he knows it forever. Molly claims to have lost her memory, but it soon becomes clear that she is hiding much, and that the as terrors of the world of Floria will come to the village she now resides, truths will have to be untangled. The tale is told in alternating time frames, with the backstory as compelling as the main.An Advanced reader copy turned up at my door in a brown paper parcel. No clue how it got there, but I'm glad it did. Scheduled for publication in July 2015.tags: Bell Weather had, for me, a sort of Firefly/Serenity feel to it, though set in a colonial/revolutionary war type alter-world rather than the future. The land of Floria, with its quirks and foibles of St. Verna's Fire, winterbears, and deadfall, that brutal end of summer, were as much characters of the book as the humans whose stories unfold and intertwine. I truly hope that Bell Weather is a bellwether for more from Dennis Mahoney featuring the world and characters he so skillfully related. Quick plot summary: Tom Orange pulls a woman from a raging river, thus changing the world as he knows it forever. Molly claims to have lost her memory, but it soon becomes clear that she is hiding much, and that the as terrors of the world of Floria will come to the village she now resides, truths will have to be untangled. The tale is told in alternating time frames, with the backstory as compelling as the main.An Advanced reader copy turned up at my door in a brown paper parcel. No clue how it got there, but I'm glad it did. Scheduled for publication in July 2015.tags: advanced-reader-copy, didn-t-want-to-put-it-down, fantasy, i-liked-it, read, read-in-2015, read-on-recommendation, will-look-for-more-by-this-author
    • 4/5
      There were so many things that I loved about this book. The world that Dennis Mahoney has created has elements of reality but also fantasy. The land of Floria, and around Root in particular sounds incredible with all of the various weather phenomena, such as St. Verna's Fire, and wildlife, such as the winterbears. The author describes everything in rich detail but not to the point where the descriptions clog up the story. The entire plot was so intricately woven that it kept me on my toes. The characters are all unique and fascinating in their own ways. When I first read about the sickly brother named Nicholas as a child, I never dreamed that he would become a master manipulator and conspirator. From the moment that Tom pulled Molly from the river, I wanted to know everything about her. I was not disappointed because I was soon treated with learning about her from birth through childhood and how she came to Floria from Bruntland. I became attached to her character and hoped she would get the happy ending she so deserved.There were only a couple of things I felt were missing from this book. There are many mentions of Abigail being a Lumenist and a few mentions of John Lumen, the man the religion is based on but there aren't any real descriptions of what the religion entails. I think it would have been interesting to get a little more background on Lumenism. There were also mentions of the different indigenous people that inhabited Floria but never got to meet any of them in the story. Looking at other's reviews I've seen mentions of this being a possible series (I hope so!) and perhaps the author will go into more detail in future books?Overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will definitely be recommending it!
    • 2/5
      I have to overall rate this book a 2 but if I could rate aspects of this book I would give the opening chapter a 5 - awesome opening chapter. I loved the discovery and rescue of Molly - hooked me right away. We move almost immediately to Molly's backstory and while I feel it went on for way too long I did enjoy the early Molly years. After that I couldn't figure out what the author wanted us to get out of this book - was it about Molly now or were we just teased with this woman meeting this man and coming into this town dealing with the trials of life in a remote area? I just felt the pages went on and on with no point, then bam we are back in town and we have the outlaws, we have Tom and the Sheriff animosity, we have the doctor and his wife but really no development of any of it. I guess I would say I liked the ending but I would have preferred we had more time in Root then in Molly's backstory.
    • 3/5
      I did enjoy this book and I thought it was good. The characters were interesting and I found myself wanting to read the story- about half way through; however, the story lost me at times as it seemed to waver in and out of focus. It is definitely worth the read, but the trajectory of the characters, especially Molly, seem to be forced in the end and I was left a bit unsatisfied by how the characters evolve.
    • 5/5
      This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. There are several reasons starting with the fact that the characters were original and unique, with personalities that jump off the pages. The way the book mashes a bunch of different genres together including: adventure, romance, mystery, and fantasy. It is all done in a way that doesn't seem to over done or mushed together, it is done in a way that fits and creates a unique and beautiful stage for the characters to play in. Yet, the best part is the fact that it kept me guessing to the end. I didn't figure out everything 3 chapters into the book. The fact that it kept me guessing makes it 5 stars. There are a couple of things that I didn't agree with. Both involving a 6 year old girl commenting for almost a page about her Governess's breasts...which I doubt a child that age would ever do and when she is older it is implied that she went on a pretty frequent basis to watch the servants have sex with each other. It didn't fit the character and it didn't fit in the story to me so it made me wonder why it was in there in the first place. Yet, those are just 2 pages compared to the whole book so it isn't a big deal and is easy to over look. Overall, the story is enchanting and beautiful. If you want to read a mystery, history, fantasy novel then this is the book for you.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book. The plot was entertaining and unpredictable (though a bit unbelievable at times) and the characters were interesting and well-developed. Right from the start I was drawn into the character of Molly and wanted to find out the mysteries from her past as well as learn what the future would hold for her.
    • 3/5
      I was impressed by the quality of the writing in this book but not so much with the plot or the development. It all begins well with the tyrannical and unpredictable figure of Lord Bell, easily the most entertaining character. But he shuffles off to Buffalo around page 60 and takes the better part of the novel with him. The remainder plods along with increasingly unlikely events, one in particular that's so far-fetched as to be next to impossible. A group of nasty individuals called the maimers appear early on but wind up being akin to window dressing and don't contribute to the story. And I had a tough time believing who was behind them. Essentially four star writing with a two star plot.
    • 4/5
      I received a free advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed Bell Weather. It played out like a mystery in the way the story was presented to the reader. The characters were interesting and Molly Bell was a great heroine. I liked her pluck from the very beginning of the book. She was clever and headstrong and managed to get herself in and out of a lot of trouble. Very entertaining read.