Devlin's Luck

Book I of The Sword of Change

By: Patricia Bray

Narrated by: Mirron Willis

The once mighty kingdom of Jorsk is in decline, its borders beset by enemies, both worldly and otherworldly. The king has retreated to the capital, abandoning the far-flung provinces. The only hope of the people lies in their Chosen One, blessed by the gods as defender of the realm. But of late every Chosen One has died, targeted by the harshest of the enemy attacks. Only the most desperate of men now seek that post.

Devlin Stonehand is a desperate man. Overwhelmed by grief at the death of his family, he has lost the will to live. But he has vowed to provide for his brother's widow and children, and the post of the Chosen One carries with it a substantial reward. For Devlin, a farmer and metalsmith, it is the answer to his prayers - prayers that include a yearning for the oblivion of death. After he has won the post, though, Devlin discovers that sometimes the hardest goal to achieve is that which had once seemed the simplest. For unlike the other Chosen Ones, he persists in surviving. Are the gods just tormenting him further, or does he have a greater destiny than he imagined? Can a man who courts death ever truly come to embrace life?

©2002 Patricia Bray (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Great book

This is one of my favorite epic series in print and on Audible. A must have

The Story, As Familiar As Ever. The Narrator...

Well, we can't have it all. Still, despite the awkward, lackluster performance, I was still able to enjoy this familiar tale of a man and his way back to purpose.

The "Devlin Series", as my stepfather and I call it, is one of a kind in it's world-building elements, if not it's story altogether. The trope of the Chosen One is well-told, but this subverting of expectations- no, this new angle from which to view it, is wonderful for exploring concepts and story-telling.

Devlin is a wonderfully written character, his pain and his journey as harrowing as it is triumphant, as his inborn nature pulls him away from the brink and into the light of leadership. Stephen, his faithful friend, has some of the most lovely and subtle character development out there, and I can't wait to hear again their story and those of this whole host of delightful characters.

narration drags story down

I really like this story, but the narrator had a droning voice that took quite a lot to get used to. I have read the books and am happy that are in audiobook format.

Nice classic fated hero story

Story is great. Reader takes some getting used to. But one peeve. Geas is pronounced Gesh plural is Ghesha. it's not an English word so cut some slack but easy to research....

Horrible narration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is without a doubt the worst narration/performance I have listened to. I could only manage to listen for 15 minutes than had to turn it off. The narrator sounds like he has a head cold, mix that with his poor timing & horrible character voices and well….. It’s a disaster!! Avoid this book!!