Narrated by Penny Scott-Andrews

Run Time: 14 hrs and 12 min

Summary:

Azi’s recent promotion to squire heralds good things, but then, her mother disappears on the king’s quest. The one that should have been an easy quest.

Additional Comments:

  • Characters 4/5 stars: Azi and Ryan (I might be spelling that wrong as I heard the audiobook) are the sort of good-hearted characters you can root for.
  • Side characters 3/5 stars: Flit seems like a waste of space for ¾ of the book before she proves her use. I could be biased here though because the “fairy voice” was super annoying. The prince and the evil mage played their parts well enough. Azi’s parents are nice. Wasn’t completely clear on the identity of Ryan’s parents. Maya is his mother. And I think Elliot is his father. But Elliot was mentioned late in the book and my first thought was “who the heck is Elliot?” The cook side character is adorably supportive.
  • World-building 4/5 stars: There’s a lot going on and the world’s pretty cool. There are some parts that don’t jive well. I’m keeping this vague to avoid spoilers, but if the world’s set up the way it is, then things should have been way easier for the protagonists. Same thing from the other side. If the bad guys had the sort of power they did, they did surprisingly little with it. Still, the limitations exist so the protagonists have stuff to do, and to that extent, it works. The way that things work out for some situations, like with Azi’s father are convenient. Ryan being silent on some key points, couched in magic rules, also convenient.
  • Performance 4/5: Handled well. The narrator has a nice range of characters, and scenes with multiple characters are still understandable. I didn’t like most of the fairy voices. (That’s just one person’s opinion. A hundred other people will hear the same parts and be fine with it.) I’d just decided that normal fairy voice was the worst thing to hit audiobooks when “whispered” fairy voice became a thing. Thankfully, the fairies aren’t in every section. That did have a cool twist at the end though. Almost made it worth it.
  • Azi’s family is nice.
  • The world as a whole is a neat medieval fantasy with D&D style classes (mages, clerics, paladin, etc). The costs of magic were interesting.
  • Pacing 3/5 stars: It’s long. Very long. There are ages long sections about balls and sneaking around that probably could have been shortened. Given the audio length, the book’s probably 130K words.
  • Very nice cover art.
  • End fight was cool.
  • Closure 4/5: Wrap up worked. It clearly angled for a sequel, yet closed off enough threads to be satisfying.

Conclusion:

Whether they know it or not, Azi and Ryan have a quest to save the source of magic from evil.

Interested in a fun writing course designed for teens? Check out Storyquest Academy. (Note: affiliate link – if you sign up for the class through this link, I earn a commission … you get a great deal – win-win 😉 … seriously, most writing courses are a LOT more expensive.)

Audiobook Promotions …

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is rc-1-3-audio-ad-1024x536.jpg

Many of my 42 audible titles are listed on Audiobooks Unleashed.
Whether you’re looking for mystery or suspense or fantasy, I’ve got a title for you. Free codes are probably on audiobooks unleashed.
Normal links go to audible. *The Amazon labeled links are affiliate links. That means I get a very small payment from Amazon if you go through with a purchase.*
Note: Filter by US if you’re looking for those codes as many titles are out.
Ones I think may still have US codes: Reshner’s Royal Ranger, Never Again, Innova, The Golden City Captives, The Holy War, Reclaim the Darklands, Eagle Eyes, Treachery Makes it Tense, Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts, The Dark Side of Science, Ashlynn’s Dreams, Nadia’s Tears, Malia’s Miracles, and Varick’s Quest
There are plenty of UK codes, but not many US ones left.

Redeemer Chronicles (Fantasy)

Awakening – Redeemer Chronicles Book 1, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
The Holy War – Redeemer Chronicles Book 2, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
Reclaim the Darklands – Redeemer Chronicles Book 3, MG fantasy (Amazon) (free codes)
River’s Edge Ransom – Prequel to Redeemer Chronicles (Amazon) (email devyaschildren @ gmail.com for free codes)

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is DC-set-ad-1024x536.jpg

Devya’s Children Series Links:

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – short stories featuring Jillian. (Amazon) (free codes)
The Dark Side of Science – official prequel to Devya’s Children; Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live. (Amazon) (Please email devyaschildren @ gmail.com for free codes)
Ashlynn’s Dreams – Genetically altered Dream Shaper learns her gift. (Amazon) (free codes)
Nadia’s Tears – Jillian tries to awaken her sister, Nadia, from a coma. (Amazon) (free codes)
Malia’s Miracles – Jillian and her siblings try to save a friend’s mother. (Amazon) (free codes)
Varick’s Quest – Jillian and Danielle get kidnapped. Nadia’s also in trouble. (Amazon) (free codes)
More Scifi:
Reshner’s Royal Ranger (epic sci-fi) just made it there. (Amazon) (free codes)

Guardian Angel Files:

Spirit’s Bane – Allister and Mina are training to be Guardians. Satan’s out to get them. (Amazon) (free codes)
Kindred Spirits – Mina’s exiled to Earth. Allister’s stuck in the Heavens. (Amazon) (free codes)

Similar Posts