The Sorcery Code: Volume 1

A Fantasy Novel of Magic, Romance, Danger, and Intrigue

By: Dima Zales, Anna Zaires

Narrated by: Emily Durante

Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Once a respected member of the Sorcerer Council and now an outcast, Blaise has spent the last year of his life working on a special magical object. The goal is to allow anyone to do magic, not just the sorcerer elite. The outcome of his quest is unlike anything he could've ever imagined - because, instead of an object, he creates Her.

She is Gala, and she is anything but inanimate. Born in the Spell Realm, she is beautiful and highly intelligent - and nobody knows what she's capable of. She will do anything to experience the world...even leave the man she is beginning to fall for.

Augusta, a powerful sorceress and Blaise's former fiance, sees Blaise's deed as the ultimate hubris and Gala as an abomination that must be destroyed. In her quest to save the human race, Augusta will forge new alliances, becoming tangled in a web of intrigue that stretches further than any of them suspect. She may even have to turn to her new lover Barson, a ruthless warrior who might have an agenda of his own...

©2013 Dima Zales (P)2013 Dima Zales

Charming fantasy novel with an intriguing twist!

Any additional comments?

What a twist in a fantasy novel. Blaise wants everyone to use magic. This is a bit different than the usual fantasy novels I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed the spiced up plots and intriguing characters.

The authors have done extremely well entangling all the characters together creating this awesome fantasy journey. This novella has you emotionally involved throughout the book, wanting to know what happens next. You are immediately caught in their magical web of Sorcery, intrigued by mystery and majestic battles.

The Narrator – Emily Durante – did excellent in giving each character charming personas. This is really a book I will read again as it has this captivating twist from beginning to end. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys charming fantasy novels filled with a special kind of twist in magic.

A very pleasent suprise

This book really did impress. It took the charters to place that were drawn beautifully in my mind through the outstanding ability of the story teller. I found myself submersed in a world of Fantasy and magic which captured my imagination. I will definitely be moving onto book to, so I can continue to explore a world that is awash with romance danger and intrigue. I would recommend this to all lovers of Fantasy. The world created in this book will inspire, excite and deliver a story that will live on in your imagination forever.

Fast paced

Where does The Sorcery Code: Volume 1 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

So far, this book would be near the top of my pile of books I have ever reviewed.

What did you like best about this story?

I really liked the authors style of writing, and how she weaves the different stories together for form the narrative.

What does Emily Durante bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She brought a whole new world to me. A peasant and lord type realm, where it is the sorcerers who are the reigning power. I love the details about where they were living, in addition to magical items like their flying chaise.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listened to this book in one day. Every moment that I could I had this playing. While I was driving, doing dishes, and playing with my son I was also listening to this story.

Any additional comments?

I feel that you will not be disappointed if you buy this book to listen to.

Good story Line...but no wrap up..cliff hanging.

Would you try another book from Dima Zales and Anna Zaires and/or Emily Durante?

Maybe if she could develop the book with some kind of ending...even books in series have some kind of ending...wrapping up some things in a story.

What three words best describe Emily Durante’s performance?

Not a strong reader...very much like an unemotional read !

My first audible experience.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, if they like v books of fantasy.

Would you recommend The Sorcery Code: Volume 1 to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes, is they like very descriptive fantasy books.

What three words best describe Emily Durante’s voice?

Not manly enough.

Could you see The Sorcery Code: Volume 1 being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I don't see it as a tv show or a movie, although is a good story, most of the book are descriptions of feelings, places, objects, but there is a lack of dialog between characters, which made the story slow and hard to maintain my attention on it.

Any additional comments?

As a first book of a fantasy series (of which I have read enough) I understand that is necessary to introduce the reader into a new world, new characters even new languages that may include invented words, but precisely because of that, the writer(s) must compensate the large descriptions whit good dialog to keep the interest of who reads or hear, in this case is worse because even though Emily Durante's excellent reading, the male voices sounded almost the same and they were not manly enough, which also made them unreal and almost funny, and her own voice sometimes was very similar to Gala's voice, which sometimes confused me. The Sorcery Code is a very good idea for a fantasy book, but the plot and the characters can be exploit so much more. This is my first experience in audio books, for those who cant's choose the written version, it might be a pleasant experience, but for me it was a one time thing. Thanks to Anna Zaires who gave me a copy of this audio book in exchange of my honest review.

Original and Interesting Magical Story

Where does The Sorcery Code: Volume 1 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book ranks somewhere in the middle among all the audiobooks I've listened too. I can't say that Dima Zales and Anna Zaires are favorites yet, but I'll definitely try some of their other novels. I loved the story idea.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Augusta was probably my favorite character because she was so strong in her convictions and was very passionate about her beliefs and feelings. She made for a great adversary.

What three words best describe Emily Durante’s voice?

Calm, mellow, smooth.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I didn't have any extreme reactions but enjoyed the story overall with the main character Gala being "good" and trying to do the right thing and the supporting characters being adversaries but not all together "bad." I could really feel the passion of the characters.

Any additional comments?

The story felt like a book from a fairly new author. I'm thinking that with more experience, future writings may be more complex. I would listen to the next volume to see what Blaise and Gala are up to next.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book!!

What did you love best about The Sorcery Code: Volume 1?

I loved the character development the most. The Characters were well thought out and I felt that I could connect with the characters as if they were real people.

What other book might you compare The Sorcery Code: Volume 1 to and why?

This book compares to no other in it's genre! I have never read a book like it in all my experience of reading.

What about Emily Durante’s performance did you like?

She has the ability to speak in such a way that I found myself quite literally biting my nails and sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting on every word!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I absolutely loved the battle at the the end of the book, how Gala learned to fight so quick and sewed destruction in her wake. This moment in particular moved me.

Any additional comments?

The story was slightly disturbing in the beginning, having it open with the main character staring at a naked woman, however, having persisted though with the story I find I did thoroughly enjoyed every bit of the story from beginning to end.

Can’t get into it…

I’ve started this book 3 times. Story seems good but I can’t get past the narrator.

Good world, bad characters, wrong narrator

What would have made The Sorcery Code: Volume 1 better?

The world interested me a lot, but the worn tropes and cliches that pervaded it distracted me from anything enjoyable about it. The editorial reviews promise non-stop action but even though things were technically happening, I guess, there was so much explanation and I never really felt the stakes for any character.

What could Dima Zales and Anna Zaires have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I never got pulled into the story. I wanted to latch onto something other than the idea of the world to pull me on an adventure, but I never got it.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Anna Zaires seems like she would be a wonderful narrator for children's books. If she was reading Charlotte's Web or the Narnia books, it would be amazing. For this book, it seems like she's detached from the action. Her character voices are pretty good, but outside of dialogue it sounds like a high school girl got called on in class to read. And while she's good and clear, there is a feeling like she doesn't want to be doing it, or maybe she's trying to hard to avoid vocal fry and upspeak that she's doing something else entirely that feels really fake and distracting.

What character would you cut from The Sorcery Code: Volume 1?

I didn't really feel anything for any of them, so that's a tough call.

Good Concept, But Too Simple

Since reading this one, I've been trying to figure out exactly what it was about this book that should have worked but didn't. I've come the conclusion that it's not any one thing in particular. The story is a simple and effective one, but I somehow I get the feeling it should go through more development. The concept is pretty straightforward, the accidental creation of a woman from pure magic. I almost hate drawing the comparison, but it's sort of the anti-Anakin Skywalker, created from the Force. And yet, I think this is where the trouble lies, not with the comparison, but with this book's overall story arc. Things seem far too easy for Gala, and I suppose they would as those in the world are completely unprepared to deal with someone of her magnitude. She almost seems like the perfect woman, with the exception of that extreme attitude switch when she doesn't get her way or feels challenged. And that's where the comparison to Anakin Skywalker comes in. It's not just the origin, it's the belief in his power. Remember, Skywalker started as a good kid too, and look how that turned out. The reason I draw this comparison is because when it comes to genre stories, many of them follow this kind of hero's journey or hero's fall and/or redemption. Gala has the potential to be sorcery's answer to Wonder Woman (who was also created by magic) or to be scary beyond all comprehension in a way Vader would envy. Both paths, or even something in between, offer a multitude of challenges in this world that we've not seen yet. Right now I don't have a bearing on where her trajectory is headed. I know where she'd like to go, but that's not really the same thing.

On the whole, I didn't hate the story, but it didn't grab me either. It's like cooking - you start out with the idea of a quiche and end up making scrambled eggs because you're hungry now. The execution isn't nearly as big as the concept, and that may be because it suffered from being more of a romance novel and less of a fantasy novel with elements of romance in it, or it may be because of what I've already mentioned above. The other characters in the story... their backstories are more or less in place, but I'm not drawn to any of them yet. This is where I think further development would have helped. But having said that, I don't feel like I can give up on this one either. There's some untapped potential that could be harnessed, turning this series into something special. It'll take some work, but I don't think it's beyond grasp. Curiosity for Gala's future will bring me back someday.