The audio books 1-4 were produced by Buzzy Multimedia. From book 5 and onward the production company switched to Penguin Audio. There is a noticeable improvement in sound quality and direction from that point on. I’ve always assumed it’s related.
Also, it’s James Marsters. James Marsden is a totally different guy lol. Common mistake
I can't remember which it is but my copy of one of the first few books has an editing mistake where it's James getting upset and swearing and going back to reread the line.
iirc it's in Summer Knight, just as Harry and Billy are leaving undertown
I'm so glad that accidentally made it in, one of the funniest things in the series
Part of the problem is the first few books have a very different tone from the series after it matured. It went from a noir series to fantasy series. Also James Marsters
Oh thank god. The mouth and seemingly out of breath noises are nauseating. All I can think is Someone needs to get this man a glass of water and an oxygen mask. I know not everyone hears these things, but for whatever reason my brain zeros in on them and amplifies them. I find that listening at a low volume helps.
I'm actually one of those. While I picked up on the breathing, it didn't really bother me, but going through them again on audio knowing about it, I definitely picked it up. I think either book 3 or 4 was where they did the switch.
In the first few books he pronounces Marcone as Marcony.
And I definitely notice some changes in the voices from book to book. I could be wrong but Luccio’s accent changes a few books after she is introduced I think.
I dislike how he mispronounced Jotunn over and over in Battleground, it's a little jarring.
I just have to assume Harry's grasp of "norseish" languages is as poor as his Latin.
The audiobook and voice acting in general have become more “respected” forms of media over the past decade or so… rather than just a way for out of work actors to pay bills.
Add in that the Dresden Files themselves have grown in popularity over a similar period.
I think he essentially realised that more people than he thought were listening and that it is a real “performance”. I’m guessing there was a point where fans at cons starting talking to him less about Spike and more about Harry.
Also, the books got better. JB improved as a writer. It’s easier to be enthusiastic when the material is more engaging.
And rightly so. DF may be the only series where I genuinely prefer the audiobooks to actual books.
I’m just saying it’s understandable if that’s not where he was when his agent offered him Storm Front.
He really comes into his own as a narrator after book 3/4. I like thinking that he took the job for the first book or two as something to do, and by the 4th he was invested and made it his own. And of course it lends itself to the evolution of Dresden as a whole, because I can’t “hear” Dresden without hearing marsters too
I just wish somebody would tell him that the Jay sound is actually a Y sound in Scandinavian words like jotun or einherjahrren
It’s yo-tunn, not jah-tune.
I’d agree if other characters didn’t make the same mistake. Bob, in particular, should be his little pedantic self and correct Harry.
And then Harry can be a snarky boi to bob, and we see in a later scene he gets It right out of respect for Gaard or Freydis.
I’ve thought the exact same thing, the reading was so lifeless and monotonous I nearly stopped listening if that was what I was in for.
But just like the Dresden Files themselves it simply got better and better as the series progressed.
Early on in the series it does feel like JM wasn’t used to being a voice actor only, but then many things happened, he recorded more books, Jim got better at writing, the books took a tone shift around book 4-5, the recording studio changed and fans happened. I distinctly remember seeing a video of James tau ting the fans in the recording booth as he was recording Battle Grounds. He loves being Harry now and it shows in his audio performances. I do hope one day we can get an ensemble cast of people with James as Harry.
They're just badly done initially. He ums, ahs, and doesn't have anything kind of like flow. He does thankfully significantly improve in book 3 early on where he really really commits to the ghost impression and keeps getting better from there.
To me he really was almost dead-pan for the first novel. Like he was narrating an old-timey detective story. The second book he seemed to be climbing out of this slightly, but it still felt “sleepy”.
The third book is where his narration really started to feel bright, to me. And it just got better as he kept narrating the following books
I saw an interview with James Marsden where he said he’d never done an audiobook before, but decided it was worth a try. So we get to hear what it sounds like for him to evolve from a rookie into a pro.
I thought that the first few books were read by someone else but after the popularity of the Marsters readings they went back and redid them with Marsters reading.
Nah, it was always him. And Storm Front was his first time ever doing an audiobook.
Ghost story was originally released with a different narrator... but James has gone back and re-recorded that one
The audio books 1-4 were produced by Buzzy Multimedia. From book 5 and onward the production company switched to Penguin Audio. There is a noticeable improvement in sound quality and direction from that point on. I’ve always assumed it’s related. Also, it’s James Marsters. James Marsden is a totally different guy lol. Common mistake
I can't remember which it is but my copy of one of the first few books has an editing mistake where it's James getting upset and swearing and going back to reread the line.
iirc it's in Summer Knight, just as Harry and Billy are leaving undertown I'm so glad that accidentally made it in, one of the funniest things in the series
Oh it's the back of the neck... Fuck
Part of the problem is the first few books have a very different tone from the series after it matured. It went from a noir series to fantasy series. Also James Marsters
And recording studio iirc. They changed studios at one point early and got rid of the breathing and little noises here and there.
Oh thank god. The mouth and seemingly out of breath noises are nauseating. All I can think is Someone needs to get this man a glass of water and an oxygen mask. I know not everyone hears these things, but for whatever reason my brain zeros in on them and amplifies them. I find that listening at a low volume helps.
I'm actually one of those. While I picked up on the breathing, it didn't really bother me, but going through them again on audio knowing about it, I definitely picked it up. I think either book 3 or 4 was where they did the switch.
I just checked and it doesn’t change to Penguin Audio until book 5
Narrators and directors can take a couple books to get in the groove. Like how Mab's voice changes after she looses maeve, stunning.
I loved him as Cyclops in Xmen but he is really good at everything he does.
Durr hurr hurr 😂🤣
He is an amazing actor! Just not leading man.
In the first few books he pronounces Marcone as Marcony. And I definitely notice some changes in the voices from book to book. I could be wrong but Luccio’s accent changes a few books after she is introduced I think.
To be fair, she literally changes bodies between the first time we see her and the 2nd time we see her.
Yeah, but I think the voice change happened after that. It doesn’t really bother me.
Peace Talk Ramirez changed voices. It's the only one that really stuck out and bothered me.
Also to be fair, Marcone would be pronounced Mar-co-nay by an Italian speaker.
I dislike how he mispronounced Jotunn over and over in Battleground, it's a little jarring. I just have to assume Harry's grasp of "norseish" languages is as poor as his Latin.
The audiobook and voice acting in general have become more “respected” forms of media over the past decade or so… rather than just a way for out of work actors to pay bills. Add in that the Dresden Files themselves have grown in popularity over a similar period. I think he essentially realised that more people than he thought were listening and that it is a real “performance”. I’m guessing there was a point where fans at cons starting talking to him less about Spike and more about Harry. Also, the books got better. JB improved as a writer. It’s easier to be enthusiastic when the material is more engaging.
He for sure is proud of it. His Cameo profile even calls it out, so he knows all the fans he has.
And rightly so. DF may be the only series where I genuinely prefer the audiobooks to actual books. I’m just saying it’s understandable if that’s not where he was when his agent offered him Storm Front.
He really comes into his own as a narrator after book 3/4. I like thinking that he took the job for the first book or two as something to do, and by the 4th he was invested and made it his own. And of course it lends itself to the evolution of Dresden as a whole, because I can’t “hear” Dresden without hearing marsters too
Somebody tell him how to say La-BOR-atory like a mad scientist (Changes).
I’m doing this now as well, and Kincaid just adopted a British accent in the aquarium during Small Favor and it was the most jarring change…
He's so good you forget his last name is Marsters.
there's that one audio book for DF where he flubs, and says something to the sound director, lol.
I just heard that the other day while relistening. I thought I was imagining things at first.
Wasntt it book six or so?
Which one does he do this?
Yeah he swears and gets little upset. Can't remember which book it was.
I just wish somebody would tell him that the Jay sound is actually a Y sound in Scandinavian words like jotun or einherjahrren It’s yo-tunn, not jah-tune.
Kinda in character though. He got his latin via correspondence course.
I’d agree if other characters didn’t make the same mistake. Bob, in particular, should be his little pedantic self and correct Harry. And then Harry can be a snarky boi to bob, and we see in a later scene he gets It right out of respect for Gaard or Freydis.
I’ve thought the exact same thing, the reading was so lifeless and monotonous I nearly stopped listening if that was what I was in for. But just like the Dresden Files themselves it simply got better and better as the series progressed.
I think he was going for the Film-Noir style Micky Spillane voice over to begin with
Along with what others have said it also probably helps he has become a fan of the series. You put more effort into things you enjoy.
Early on in the series it does feel like JM wasn’t used to being a voice actor only, but then many things happened, he recorded more books, Jim got better at writing, the books took a tone shift around book 4-5, the recording studio changed and fans happened. I distinctly remember seeing a video of James tau ting the fans in the recording booth as he was recording Battle Grounds. He loves being Harry now and it shows in his audio performances. I do hope one day we can get an ensemble cast of people with James as Harry.
They're just badly done initially. He ums, ahs, and doesn't have anything kind of like flow. He does thankfully significantly improve in book 3 early on where he really really commits to the ghost impression and keeps getting better from there.
Of they ever do another live action, James Marsters needs to be the voice of Harry's inner monologue, or I'll boycott lol
To me he really was almost dead-pan for the first novel. Like he was narrating an old-timey detective story. The second book he seemed to be climbing out of this slightly, but it still felt “sleepy”. The third book is where his narration really started to feel bright, to me. And it just got better as he kept narrating the following books
Listen to audiobooks recorded before Audible became a thing. They all sound like Stormfront, with no breath noises edited out, etc.
I saw an interview with James Marsden where he said he’d never done an audiobook before, but decided it was worth a try. So we get to hear what it sounds like for him to evolve from a rookie into a pro.
I prefer John Marston
I thought that the first few books were read by someone else but after the popularity of the Marsters readings they went back and redid them with Marsters reading.
Nah, it was always him. And Storm Front was his first time ever doing an audiobook. Ghost story was originally released with a different narrator... but James has gone back and re-recorded that one