Ben Hale

I won this audio book in a give-away. I had entered said give-away because I like fantasy stories, and because I enjoy Derek Perkins' narration. I've listened to many hours of another series narrated by Derek Perkins, and it is like listening to a friend now.

I really enjoyed the story. There are guilds (something I've always been fascinated with), there's magic, there's friendship, and betrayal,and, of course, there is a mystery to solve and probably the world to rescue.

Jack has to learn to work in a team, and at some point, he appreciates that the benefits are greater than his independence as a solo thief.

The characters are likable, the world is fascinating. The story had a nice closure but for the epilogue. Now I have to know how the story goes on. Unfortunately, the sequels aren't available as audio book yet.

… (más)

Yes, yes, yes, it's a complete rip off of Harry Potter. Even so, Ben has done a great job world building and designing his magic system. I rolled my eyes at first but the story sucked me in and carried me along. I genuinely liked the few main characters, and the writing was pretty strong.

Dialogue among the main, modern characters sounded fairly natural, but the aspects of the story that leaned deeper into fantasy read over-the-top. The tone couldn't find a clear foothold and some of the plot was rushed.

All in all, it was a very fun, quick read. I'll be finishing the series soon.… (más)