Magic Casement

A Man of His Word, Book 1

By: Dave Duncan

Narrated by: Mil Nicholson

Princess Inos lived an idyllic life in her fathers' sleepy, backwater kingdom, and she was best friends with her childhood companion, the stableboy, Rap. But when a prophecy seemed to say Inos should be married, she was exiled to the Impire to learn to be a lady. She was far away when Rap's magical talents began to emerge, and it was he who told her of the fate awaiting them both.

©1990 D.J. Duncan (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Wonderful fairy tale

Captivating, classic fairy tale, with a spirited, strong-willed princess, a half-breed faun with magical powers, bloodthirsty goblins, and I especially love the Princess's Aunt Cade, a dumpy, prissy middle-aged widow with a surprising adventurous streak. A fun story for all ages. I'm buying the sequel!

Fansastic story in a fantastic world.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Although the book might sound typical, with a princess, a castle, a magical history, and an stableboy as an unlikely hero , they way author Dave Duncan sets up the rules of the world is interesting. Magic Casement introduces you to the players, and starts to introduce the world to the characters, and to the reader.

The first thing that you notice are that there are no "humans" as a separate race. There are Imps, and Jotnar, and Elves, and Goblins, and Gnomes, and others, all of which are just people.

Second, there is magic... the kingdom of Kagaznagar where the story takes place was created by a powerful wizard... But there are rules to magic, and it all centers on "Words of Power", and the great Warlocks and Witches in the capitol of the Impire. But these are things that the residents of remote Kagaznagar care little for, and know even less about.

But when the king Holindarn becomes ill, it sets in motion an incredible adventures for the Princess Inosolan, and he childhood friend, and stable-boy, Rap. As Inosolan is introduces to fine living, and the expectations of royalty, Rap is thrown into the disgusting and horrid world of goblins. As they experience more of the world around them, they begin to understand how precarious their kingdom, and even their lives, actually are.

This is the first book or 4, so it does start a little slow, and it seems to end rather abruptly. On its own, it would need to be longer. As part 1 of 4... its a good opening, and a worthwhile listen.

What about Mil Nicholson’s performance did you like?

Mil Nicholson does a good job of keeping the voices and accents separate and distinct, and her British accent lends an aura to this reading. She does the ladies' and boyish voices well, but seems to be a little lacking in some of the men's voices.

I love this series!!

I first read this series long ago. I have been waiting for ages for it to come out in audio format. It is as good as I remember. I couldn't put it down. I am hoping for the last book to come out soon. This is one I could listen to over and over.

A very enjoyable audiobook.

I picked this up based on the the fact that I pride myself on having read, or at least having been familiar with, most of the fantasy series that people consider “classics” or important... Call me a nerdy snob if you must.

That said, until I came across a book in another series by Dave Duncan in the new releases section I had never heard of him or his books. Upon further investigation I realized that there’s a hole in my snobby-nerd, fantasy knowledge. From my research I picked this book to start my acquaintance with Duncan’s work.

I have to say that I’m glad that I took a chance with this audiobook/series. The writing is professional, well considered and deep. The narration is also excellent. In fact, until the last third of the book, I was wholly enchanted. Unfortunately, Duncan made the same mistake that many authors make and decided to have the plot hinge on one of the characters being immensely dense as well as on miscommunication between characters.

This kind of writing ploy, in my opinion, is the worst tendency of authors who get lazy and stop bothering to make sure that the characters’ motivations and intelligence match their actions. Instead of coming up with novel ideas to create real tension that moves the plot, they lazily generate tension that feels cheap, frustrating, and artificial.

It was doubly annoying because up to that point this was a five star book. Still though, it didn’t manage to ruin the whole audiobook. It just knocked some of the shine off of it. So Duncan gets 4 stars instead of five from this snobby, fantasy nerd.

It’s worth the credit, and I will pick up the next book... but with a little less enthusiasm than I might have if the author hadn’t offended my delicate sensibilities.

This is how not to end a novel

Cliff-hangers can be frustrating. I felt that this book ended just before a climax and ended awkwardly.

The story is interesting, and hooks you from the beginning. If I didn't have the next book in my library, I would have gone bonkers. I decided to give the next book in the series a chance to see if it moves the story along better, and ends on a better note. That will decide the series for me.

I don't know that I will recommend this book - just be aware that if you decide to read this book, you will definitely not be satisfied with the ending unless you have the next book handy - reader beware!

Pleasant Surprise

This was a wonderful find. Fantastic (and original!) story, superb narration. It ends on a cliffhanger, so be prepared to grab the next in the series.

One of my favorite Fantasy Series

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

In the book format, this was a series I could fall back into time and time again. The audible version has great narration that is flawless, I fell in love with the characters all over again and am looking forward for the rest of the books to come out.

What other book might you compare Magic Casement to and why?

Nothing really compares to the Man of His Word series, I compare other series to it. I guess you could compare Robin Hobb or Trudi Canavan, this is Dave Duncan's strongest work.

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

This is the only book on Audible that I've heard Mil read, he does it like he's been doing it for years. He sounds like the voice in my head.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Magic, true love and an adventure that you will never forget.

Any additional comments?

Try this out, you won't be disappointed.

Thrilling! A must read

What did you love best about Magic Casement?

An incredibly well written and performed series. The various personalities were well thought out.

What other book might you compare Magic Casement to and why?

Elements of the storyline reminds me of David Farlands The Sum of All Men. Absolutely gripping and unpredictable.

An unexpected treat

This is a hidden gem in the fantasy genre. Not a well known series at all but an immensely satisfying listen. The character development and fantasy world that is created by Duncan is rich and detailed. The first book is primarily built around character development and some might find it a little slow in parts, but it still holds the interest and has a lot to offer. The story really picks up in the 2nd book and the 3rd and 4th are just epic! Highly, highly recommended.

Better than expected

Well- developed interesting characters. fantastical setting which is somehow well grounded in reality. Enjoyed the narrator.