Fabulous book

This book was amazing! I loved the twists and surprises, and the characters were wonderful. The narrator was astounding.

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Absolutely Incredible!

This is a stunning story, I bought the books since I couldn't wait for Second Son to come out on audio to see what happened next. I would recommend this story for anyone who loves adventure and a storyline that will constantly surprise you. Does contain battle scenes and destruction of villages that may upset some readers.

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YA Fantasy

This was my first experience with Jenelle Leanne Schmidt's work and I found it entertaining. In her fantasy, she created a beautiful and textured world. She populated this world with so many different characters, each having their own story to relate, their own points of view, and their own growth and development. In this story, the dragons have their own society, which is led by a king who is advised by a council and they have problems of their own that need to be addressed. I do think that this story was written for a younger reader; however, the story is so complex and fun that I think all those that like this genre will be entertained by this novel. Benjamin Fife's narration is great as he provides many different voices for the characters and this adds to making the book more enjoyable. I was given a free copy of the audiobook and I have voluntarily left this review.

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Appropriate for preteens and up

This is the first book I have read/listened to by this author and I look forward to listening to another. I am very curious where this story/series is headed. It started out with what seemed to be a couple main characters and then we kept picking more up along the way. Including an entire world of dragons and other magical creatures. Each character is not quite what they initially seem. There are some coincidences that make events happen easily, but I was not rolling my eyes, it’s more like fate had a hand in events. I think this style also makes it easier for younger audiences. With so many characters, there are a few tangents that are followed, so it is switching from location to location, but it was not difficult to keep track of. By the end of the book, each tangent has come to a kind of conclusion and it seems we will be left off with the characters all in certain roles and then in the next chapter everything changes. We are still left with the main threat in this story over, but it is very open (without many hints) to the next book. In some ways, I think the end ties up the tangents a little too nicely and easily, but again, this is listed as a children’s book, so if I keep that in mind, I think the ending is appropriate. It also makes this book sort of a stand-alone. The next book feels to me like it will be an entirely new story. I will not stop at this book however, I definitely wish to read the remainder in this series.——-
With this being a kids book, I like how the female characters are all strong and capable,. I do wish however the author didn’t state that a woman’s place was not to be a knight in battle. The king does come up with a solution that will still honor and recognize the strength of women, but I do wish it wasn’t stated as such. ——-
This is the tenth book I have listened to by this narrator ( Benjamin Fife ) and I would definitely listen to another. He uses various accents to great effects. They are smooth and natural. He has a wide array of character voices, both male and female, and they are all well done. His creature voices are also appropriate. He has a woman sing a couple songs in book. She had a very lovely voice. ——-

There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence, or swearing. ——-

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.
Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.

Story 4/5
Narration 5/5

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WARRIOR ON A JOURNEY

THIS IS A WONDERFUL STORY WITH ADVENTURE, BENJAMIN FIFE IS AN AMAZING NARRATOR! I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE OF THIS STORY! AND THE MANDOLIN STRUMMING MUSIC REALLY SETS THE MOOD FOR THE STORY!!!!

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Well written and narrated adventure.

l was recommended this book by someone who knew of my love of Dragons, adventure, the struggles of good and evil , some romance and a well written book. l have listened to this story...twice, with satisfaction and happiness. It is all of the above but made magical by the descriptive and melodic voice of the experienced Benjamin Fife who's other dragon books l hearty recommended along side this. l am looking forward keenly to the second book. This is a clean book suitable for young adults to 90 year Olds.

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A page turner

The dark country is set to invade … They appear to be looking for someone … Who? Princess Camari is sent to find the King’s Warrior - a retired warrior who had been her father’s right-hand man, till he settled down with his wife. But when she and her companions arrive, his village has been destroyed. There are dragons, and wizardesses, and a fabled dragon blade. This is a wonderful tale of youths coming into their own; of betrayal and friendship … I listened to the audiobook, wonderfully narrated by Benjamin Fife. I received a free copy, with no obligation.

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This is a Epic Story and Quite a Pagetuner

Man I really loved this 1st Book in this Series. I do not believe I have ever read/ listen to this author before and Now have to find out what other books were written by her!!! This is a Well written, wholesome Medieval adventure story with Great Characters and Wonderful Storyline. Narrator did a wonderful job of making the story and characters come to life, love the Scottish style brogue used for several characters.

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A wonderful surprise

After several dud audiobooks, this was a very nice surprise. The book is well written, the world well thought out, and the characters on the quest likable and realistic. Even better, the narrator of the audiobook really added to the experience. He had the perfect blend of changing voices for different people just enough that it flowed naturally without feeling like he was trying too hard.

Now, having listened, I'm not going to know how to spell anyone's names, so bear with me. We have a princess who has secretly been training as a squire, a squire who just might be a descendant of an ancient king, a young dragon boy (who didn't know he was a dragon, an enchantress (and her sisters), and Brandt, a formidable warrior who simply wanted to live a quiet life with his wife and children. Together, they face heartbreak, treacherous journeys ad attacks by dark warriors, and in the process they begin to learn who they really are and what they are capable of.

The story is well told, and it was easy to get lost in. The only issue I had is the head hopping. The book isn't written in omniscient point of view, but whenever the author wishes to get a different perspective, she jumps to a new point of view without scene or chapter breaks. At first it was jarring because I was always having to shift around. It also made it so that I didn't connect deeply with any one character. There are lots of points of view, and we get a general camera shot from all of them. The book would be an excellent movie script and a wonderful movie. There were times that I wished to feel more connected to the characters as a reader though.

I give this a solid 4 rating for the book and a 4.5 for the narration.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

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Fantastic to listen while working

I emphatically rate this as five stars and would recommend it to any audience of YA reading level or above who is interested in fantasy.
I read this book by listening to an audio version of it. This means the characters and the plotline must be exceptionally strong or I find myself distracted. Likewise a strong narrator is needed to read clearly. The only surprise I had from it being an audio book was that suddenly music erupted, I was not expecting it and found it startling, but I grew to like it.

The plotline is steady and the dialog and actions believable. There is a lot of foreshadowing, but this helps us to adjust to and believe in the fantasy. There is no unnecessary or stilted dialog, instead it helps us to really understand the characters.

My favorite aspect of the story is the magical characters. First, some of these creatures who removed themselves from mankind are distrustful and angry at the humans. But moreover, it is the dragon personalities that I enjoy. So often in fantasy novels the dragons are portrayed as evil to be slayed or wise beyond years. In this story, the length of years leads to wisdom, and their sense of honor is there as we might expect, but there is also hot-headed rebellion and disgruntlement. The dragons are not all-knowing, nor the other magical creatures, and even they make errors or can be tricked. This lends a level of credibility not often felt with YA fantasy.

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4 people found this helpful