Nina Kimberly the Merciless
She’s on a mission… To kill the man who loves her…
Why?
Because he’s an idiot.
Nina Kimberly The Merciless is the story of a teenage barbarian princess who must rid herself of an obnoxious royal suitor, replace him with a hero, and then grow into her destiny as a…
Well, that she hasn’t decided yet.
March 21st, 2006 at 3:41 am
Nina Kimberly The Merciless
This is one of the most enjoyable and unpredictable books I’ve found on Podiobooks.com. Brave Men Run set the standard for sci-fi. Nina Kimberly does the same for fantasy.
April 1st, 2006 at 10:33 pm
Surprising, witty, and darkly humorous! A wonderful escapist listen . . . keep upthe GREAT WORK Christiana!!
April 30th, 2006 at 9:54 pm
I really enjoy this Podiobook by Ms. Ellis. Its incredibly well produced and very visual as it unfolds. Definitely original and more contemporary than one might assume. Two Thumbs Up.
May 12th, 2006 at 1:55 pm
This book is tremendous fun. The narration is nicely handled, and the story has a sly comic tone that i’m enjoying very much. Highly recommended.
May 17th, 2006 at 9:03 am
Yes,yes, please work hard to get us beyond the “cliffhanger” -
Love hearing all of it thru your voice – it’s perfect -
May i ask who does the great intro music? Sometimes i replay the beginning just to listen to that -
Good stuff – Can’t wait -
May 21st, 2006 at 11:38 am
Such a fun story, and you’re a great reader… I’m so glad to see this!
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:45 am
Is anyone else having trouble with episode 21? iTunes is telling me the URL is invalid, but I’ve checked it several times and even tried resubscribing.
The suspense is killing me!
August 9th, 2006 at 7:37 pm
There were some brief difficulties with the feed, but everything should be resolved now! Thanks for letting us know!
August 31st, 2006 at 1:19 pm
Great story, great listen – Scott Siglar has nothing on you!!!
September 7th, 2006 at 1:44 pm
This is such a great story! With each new chapter, new plot twists emerge, and the cliffhangers at the end of each episode keep me eagerly waiting for the next installment. You do the voices wonderfully…sometimes I’m so completly caught up in the story I don’t notice what’s going on around me. The music at the beginning is also perfect for the story. Great job!
September 7th, 2006 at 3:43 pm
Well, it took me a while to get into the story but I’m glad I kept with it. I was having a hard time getting past her decapitating the guy for make a pass at her, that seemed a bit. . . extreme and I was worried the story would continue on that path. I’m kind of glad it didn’t, don’t think I could have stuck with a character I didn’t like too much.
Even though Nina seems to be a rather schizophrenic character (see above compared to the part I just listened to where she runs off into the woods crying, or the charm she exudes making friends with the dragon) she’s not without her charm and the reading is top notch.
September 23rd, 2006 at 8:33 pm
This book was so much fun! I had to force myself to give it up until all the chapters were completed because waiting for the next chapter was so hard. Great job and thank you for sharing your story!
September 25th, 2006 at 1:43 pm
Hello. I really loved the story. I liked the beginning intro as well. Nice job. My favorite part of the story was when the ninas said “”We’re wharing different suits you half wit,” to fransis. Man that caractor was such an idiot, but he was also one of my favorites.
October 24th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
I need to tell you, I am so very amused by this book. Nina sort of reminds me of a character I like named Lina Inverse, but different in very big ways. I love her firey personality – how she is strong, but is also still a woman with feelings like any other woman.
Francis cracks me up. He’s such a twit it’s amazing he’s still alive.
I really like Tyrnon, too, and I can’t wait to see what happens. For a while there I was wondering if this would somehow end up Tyrnon/Nina, except then William showed up.
I don’t know how I feel about William yet. He seems a little sappy to me, but I guess I’ll find out if he’s what Nina needs soon enough, or if he’s just some sort of “plant” sent out by Francis’s kingdom like I think he is. Though so far he’s only been all hero-ish. Gag me already. ^_~
February 21st, 2007 at 2:49 pm
I did not like this book at all. The story reminds me of something you could find in a 13 year old’s note pad, it’s childish, predicable and kind of boring. Not to mention the voices, ugh!
February 27th, 2007 at 8:07 am
Aw, that’s a little harsh. I liked it a lot! Part of the charm was that it *sounded* like a kid – and one named Nina Kimberly!
I’m waiting for the sequel.
May 9th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Hi, Christiana,
My girlfriend downloaded your show and passed it on to me (I don’t have a computer at the moment,) this was my first Podiobook. Holly just bought me an mp3 player for Christmas and I never really got the whole big deal of it until I heard you. I kinda thought it was another thing- from walkman, to CD players to this, but it’s SO much more. Anyway, I really appreciated your show, it was so well written. Although, I do think since Kimberly isn’t that bright she should be allowed to just go off with Franses. Kimberly could just function to keep him happy while Nina runs things.
Thanks for a wonderful show,
Amandine.
July 13th, 2007 at 9:06 am
Hey Christiana,
My Dad was actually the first one to download this, and since we share an account, I decided to check it out. It was very good. I loved the music, (mainly because the last podiobook I listened to had this “New-Age” music in the background) and the sound effect in the background were excellent, except for when they either loop forever or just cut out at parts. But, the story is excellent, (I like that word.) filled with twists and turns, and the characters are just like people I actually know. Keep up the good work!
July 17th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
What a wonderful story, and what a wonderful twist on the traditional (and boring) fantasy plot! Quirky, well realized characters, good music, and a lot of truly funny moments that made me laugh out loud. I found myself quite sad when it was over, and I eagerly await a sequel. The narration and voices did take a little getting used to, but once I became accustomed to them I actually grew to enjoy them quite a lot. Francis’ voice was absolutely perfect, though the similarities between his voice and William’s were a little off putting at times. I enjoyed the fact that Nina didn’t have the typical “honeyed silk” (whatever THAT sounds like) voice that most fantasy heroines always seem to end up with. It was another tiny thing that made her seem utterly real to me. She was attractive and capable, yes, but she was still a person, with doubts, fears, and personal issues that I feel weren’t overdone in the least. At no time did I find myself upset with any of the characters for spending too much time dwelling on their inner demons, and at no time did I find myself bored. Just when things were starting to settle down and become relaxing and monotonous, BANG! Something huge happens. And for once, I wasn’t able to predict the plot twists. My only complaint is that I could hear some of the sound effects looping, such as the crowd cheers in the arena scenes, and it was a little annoying after awhile. However this pales in comparison to the fun I had listening to the story and wondering what was going to happen next.
In short, this was a truly delightful podiobook that I am thankful I got to listen to. Good job, Ms. Ellis!
August 9th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Guys, don’t let the title fool you. I avoided this one for a long time because the title made it sound like a little girly book. It’s not, even though the main character is a self-centered brat you just wanna ground for a month and send to charm school…at least at first. It’s not Barbie meets Lord of the rings with fuzzy unicorns at all, but a funny, well-read and highly entertaining adventure, even for an adult male listener like me who doesn’t normally go for the fantasy thing.
Definitely a good time.
August 18th, 2007 at 11:54 am
All I can say is WOW! FANTASTIC! BRILLIANT!
I intended to just listen to a chapter a day, but instead spent the whole day listening through! I was hooked! Did you do all those different voices? The accents are great! Well done!
More please!
August 23rd, 2007 at 5:30 pm
I seem to be of a different opinion of the masses but I guess its different strokes for different folks. The narration was good for the majority of characters but the choice for the lead heroine’s voice took me out of the fantasy. It just seemed too high pitch and unpleasant for me to enjoy. (understandably she was supposed to be a valley girl with a big sword but it could have been done less…painfully) The jokes at times where funny (ohh that’s cute funny not laugh out loud funny) but the plot they where tagged onto was not spectacular. This would be a good children’s novel but nothing beyond that.
November 26th, 2007 at 7:01 am
Loved it! Found you through Serve It Cold, highly recomended also. Nina’s voice is not so unpleasant when she is not rampaging as a twit! I enjoy the storline and humour. Great music and sound affects too. Well done, thanks
December 20th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
it looks as though i am in the minority in my opinions, but i think this book is terrible. i couldn’t stand the voices, the plotline, or the mere concept of the whole thing. i couln’t even make it through thesecond chapter. NOT intriguing, NOT imaginative, and most definitely NOT entertaining.
December 20th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
I don’t know why it took me so long to listen to this! Funny, well written, voiced and produced. Well worth the time it takes to download! Christiana takes the typical fantasy quest and stands it on its head.
Stop reading now and hit subscribe!
JT
January 14th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Its fun, funny and incredibly enjoyable…
Thanks Christiana, for making this fun filled roller coaster of an adventure.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Absolutely fantastic. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good story with interesting characters, humour and very well done narration. I also really enjoyed the author connecting to her audience at the end of every episode. It not only provided a way to get to know her but also gave non-diagetic life to the characters. Podcasting at its finest.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
I liked it. Almost felt like she left room for a 2nd one…
May 9th, 2008 at 12:27 am
This was a fun and funny read. Nina is my kinda gal and Francis, while not the character everyone loves to hate, is at least the character everyone can collectively groan at. The first episode didn’t do much for me, but I’m sure glad I kept listening because it got soooo much better. Terrific story; highly recommend.
August 28th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Pretty good story, creative and kept me listening. Great sound effects and I really wanted things to turn out for the characters. I have to mention though, the thing that detracted from the story the most was the irritating nasal voice of the main character. Several times I found myself pausing the podcast to make fun of the voice and scream with frustration at having to listen to it to get the story.
I know this is not Christiana’s real voice and I know she very talented and has a wide range of voices from other podcasts. Knowing this made me puzzled as to why she would choose such an irritating voice for the main character. Why, WHY!!!??
Having said all of that, it is a good story and I’m sure 95% of the people listening to it won’t have a problem with the voice of the main character. I’m pretty sure there is something wrong with me.
Good job Christiana!
September 21st, 2008 at 9:31 am
Many podiobook authors choose to use their own voice to narrate their books when they probably shouldn’t. Selling your work is hard enough without alienating listeners in the first few seconds. I almost didn’t give this book a chance because of that, but I decided to try and hold out and was glad I did. I enjoyed this book and as the time went by became less distracted by Nina’s voice. I chuckled out loud in some parts and really enjoyed myself. Eventually, to get the notice this work deserves, the narrator will need to be changed, but if you force yourself to wait it out, I guarantee you will enjoy the trip.
April 14th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
I would give the story a 4 out of 5. However the main character (Nina) doesn’t seem to stay consistent. She goes from killing a random guy for flirting with her in the bar to crying her eyes randomly. The voice used to portray Nina was very distracting as well as some of the music scattered throughout the story during the reading.
Some of the story didn’t flow well together and timing was definitely off. There were a few suspenseful moments that had me completely immersed but quite often something a bit off would happen and keep me from becoming to engrossed.
Example: I was really looking forward to the arena fight between one character and another character but even though it started off well, it seemed to fizzle out and even though I wasn’t expecting it to end the way it did I wasn’t that stunned or impressed.
Overall, It was an entertaining story that made me smile and laugh aloud a few times but I can’t help but wonder if the voice acting was different, the storyline polished and ironed up a bit along with cleaning up certain other flaws that this would be an amazing story. 4/5 nonetheless. Because a dragon used sign language.
April 19th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
My 2nd time listening to this. I turned my wife and three daughters on to this as well. There have only been a couple of podiobooks that made me laugh out loud in public. This is tops. It is clean, funny, and my whole family loved it. Christiana has a great sense for comic timing and uses sound effects beautifully (except for the aformentioned crowd looping). Some of the funniest moments come without any dialogue, just the use of one or two sound effects and the theater of the mind does the rest. Of course the voices are irritating. They are caricatures. I think they do exactly what they need to do.
May 2nd, 2009 at 8:37 pm
So, what’s this I hear about “Nina Kimberly: Remastered,” if you will?
Griz
May 16th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
I love your book it was such a joy to listen to! I have listened to it 3 times now and finally decided to show it some love ^_^ Ive got a lot of my friends and family hooked as well and we are all waiting to hear something about a second book. Hope it will be soon!
With love,
Heather
December 29th, 2009 at 2:07 am
I have just completed listening to this book. I loved it. The story was unexpected, the audio quality and and voices where great!
This is a must listen for all podiobookers!