Looking for Dei

The Godseeker Duet, Book 1

By: David A. Willson

Narrated by: Tanya Eby

Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Join Nara and Mykel on a journey through the Great Land....

Fifteen-year-old Nara Dall has never been good at keeping secrets. Yet it seems that her life has been filled with them, from the ugly scar on her back to the strange powers she possesses. Her mysterious adoptive father refuses to say anything about her origins, and soon, she and her best friend must attend the announcement ceremony, in which youths are tested for a magical gift.

A gifted youth has not been announced in the poor village of Dimmitt for decades. When Nara uncovers the reason, she uses her own powers to make things right. The decision sets her and her friend on a path of danger, discovery, and a search for the divine. In the process, she learns the truth about herself and uncovers the biggest secret of all: the power of broken people.

"...stunning young adult fantasy tale... suspenseful... will make readers' hearts race." (Readers' Favorite Reviews)

"...one of the best fantasy novels I've read in a long time." (Online Book Club Review)

"Willson writes in a simple prose that delicately summons his fantasy world to life." (Kirkus Reviews)

"...a promising and entertaining introduction to a well-thought-out and intriguing new fantasy world." (IndieReader Review)

"Willson is such a clever, clever writer. He'll pull you in, mess with you a little and, then, just when you think you have a handle on the story, he'll pull the rug from under you. Wonderful stuff!" (Wishing Shelf Review)

©2018 David A. Willson (P)2018 David A. Willson

Fantastic

Narrator is wonderful; solid pace and differentiations.

The story is something that engulfs you and you feel like you’re right there with the characters, tensing at surprises, feeling the deep sadness of loss. I love books that involve magic and while many of them involve being transported to a magical reality, this is not that. It was refreshing to have a new approach to magic and it’s uses.

Don’t think any further, just get this book, you won’t regret it.

Parents: there is a fair amount of fighting and injuries in this book. If you or those you love are highly squeamish maybe look elsewhere.


—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Looking for Dei

Every teen is tested to see if they possess any magical gifts from Dei. The revealing of any gifts may prove to be more dangerous than Nara or Mykel could have ever expected. The ultimate battle of good vs. evil.

David A. Willson created a fabulous setting for this story, and the characters are so well developed. Everything is setup for the next book, and I can’t wait.

A fantastic narration by Tanya Eby!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

Amazing fantasy for all

Magic powers are a very different in a world where if you have abilities you can either harm or hurt the town you are born in. Those with positive magic could even gain high positions and wealth for their town. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t use them for their own selfish ideas. Nara has a power and a secret held from her. During announcement her world is turned upside down and she goes on a journey where she learns more than she bargains for.

An excellent Fantasy!

“The answer to a prophecy. Tender to those around her. Deadly to her enemies.

Looking For Dei is a different type of Fantasy novel that allows us to watch the story unfold from all directions. We switch between the point of views of Nara and Mykel primarily, but there are a few scenes from their enemies’ point of views (yes, multiple enemies) which I thought really heightened the tension. We were able to feel dread for what we knew was to come, even though where they were through most of the story didn’t require a tight grip on the book.”

The narrator did a fantastic job of capturing this story and bringing the characters to life.

At first, it took me a little bit to get used to her reading style, because it sounded a little too automated for my taste. But after a couple chapters, I began to quite like the way she read and I think she did a great job with this book I had already grown to love.

The novel itself received a full 5 out of 5 stars rating and I give the audio book version 4 out of 5 stars.

I received this book from the author via AudioBookWorm for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own. This is a LiteratureApproved review.

Decent story. Pretty good character development

A pretty decent story with workable characters. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I've been reading Jeff Wheeler of late so it's tough to judge without a bias. The book is quite fun and readable...or Audible, very much like an online RPG. This story has a conclusion without shutting the door to a sequel. When I read a new fantasy author, one of my pet peeves is not being able to find a stand alone story to see if I like that author's style before diving into an epic series.

Tanya Eby as a reader is pretty good. Occasionally her narration becomes a bit clipped, but overall she has a pleasing voice and her reading is rather enjoyable.

A solid urban fantasy

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

This was a solid urban fantasy story geared towards a slightly younger audience. I would still say it is good for all ages, though. It is fairly well written and narrated.

Looking for Dei

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from Audiobook Boom.
Looking for Dei was so-so for me.
I liked the magical aspect of using runes, the magical abilities being used and introduced were interesting. But I did not care for the spiritual/religious aspect of the book. It was too much for me.
I also was not a fan of the torture scenes and how much the training took up of the book. Plot-wise, the book dragged and I had a really hard time getting into it. I put it down for long periods before finally finishing. I did enjoy the surprises in the plot, the reveals, and the family conflict.
This being part of a series, there wasn't much resolved. It just went to set up the next book, which might be more interesting now that all this foundation is down - but the first book syndrome is strong with this one.
I did really enjoy the audio narration though. The narrator's voice is great, and looking her up it looks like she's narrated hundreds of audiobooks! I'll have to give some a listen.

Very Enjoyable Fantasy!

Wilson did an excellent job bringing his story to life! I felt connected to the characters early on and the world that was described here. It seemed like there would be more going on in the later half of the story and I was correct! It was a little slow to start off with, but once it gets into the action part of the novel, I got caught up in the story very easily. I didn’t want to press pause on this audio at all! For me this was a very engaging story that had more than just young characters falling in love in a fantasy world! I give it a 5/5 stars.

With the narration by Eby, the story was elevated more! I enjoyed her accents and different voices for each character. She made me feel both relaxed while listening and excited to get to the bottom of everything. She has a very nice voice and I would say is probably one of my favorite audio narrators I’ve listened to! Studio production seems to be great as well, no issues with background noise or weird pauses. I give it a 5/5 stars!

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by David A. Willson. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

A fantastic addition to the Fantasy Genre

David A Willson is such a talent! Looking For Dei is a wonderfully written fantasy story that focuses on the lives of Nara, her wonderful adopted father and her best friend Mykel. Nara has magic. Most people that possess magical powers have one, extremely powerful people can have up to two but Nara has many and throughout the story she learns more about herself and her powers.

There is a lot of world building within this book but it's done amazingly well, it is interwoven within the story-line. This is a fabulous story in it's own right but it is also an incredibly strong base for future stories to build upon. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of it. The story pace changes throughout the book but it's a natural ebb and flow and is necessary for the tale. Looking For Dei has left me impatient for more.

I must confess that I didn't look at who the narrator was before I started listening to Looking For Dei. I actually did a little happy dance when the audiobook started and it was Tanya Eby narrating. (I have reviewed and loved other books that she has narrated) She is without a doubt a very highly talented voice actor and her talents are perfectly showcased in Looking For Dei. The various characters were all clear and distinctive and she maintains a wonderful pace throughout. She conveys emotion, and intensity in her reading and is the perfect match for this outstanding work by David A Willson.


I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by David A. Willson. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Great!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

This was a good story. I did feel that it took a while to speed up but once it did, I was not disappointed. There was an interesting take on magic and I felt that with the twins, there was definitely a strong element of nature vs nurture. Good book and well written. The narrator was excellent and was able to convey the emotions and personalities of each character