Storm Warning

Valdemar: The Mage Storms, Book 1

By: Mercedes Lackey

Narrated by: David Ledoux

Length: 17 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

With her phenomenal Mage Winds trilogy, bestselling author Mercedes Lackey captivated fans across the country. Now in the first volume of the series sequel, she continues the same storyline, returning readers to a war-torn Valdemar in preparation to confront an ancient Eastern Empire - ruled by a monarch whose magical tactics by be beyond any sorcery known to the western kingdoms.

©1994 Mercedes R. Lackey (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Nice narrator

Story was very good. The narrator took a little while to get used to but he does really funny voices. He pronounces most names and places very similarly to other narrators.

The story was good, needs a new narrator

The good:
I really enjoy most of the Valdemar stories and this one was good. I liked how we were seeing the world through the eyes of a new character.

The Bad
What really put me off was the narrator. He has a great natural voice but did not do some of the characters well. The gryphons were by far the worst. They sounded like Sméagol trying to cosplay as Batman. Why oh why did he voice them like that??

I was not thrilled about how he voiced Alberich either- sounded like a nasally old man.
He also needs to familiarize himself with the series beforehand and how things were pronounced. Many words and names were not pronounced correctly or at least in continuity with the series prior.

Overall it was a good listen and I want to continue the story so I will continue with the next two books, but just because I have no time to read them physically.

Read the books in sequence

The first part of this book brings the reader up to date on characters they have met in the "Arrows" series, the "Last Herald Mage" series, and the "Mage Wind" series. While some time is spent filling the reader in on some details, it is written more to jar a memory than to explain the story. So I wouldn't advise jumping into this book as a newbie.

It does move slowly at first, but that is mostly to set up the canvas, and then the excitement and intrigue picks up. Another delightful book from Mercedes Lackey.

love the story but the narrator took time

love the story but for the first hour or so I had to get use to Ledoux dictation with harsh "s" and"check". I have gotten use to the smooth reading of Marster, Dale and the sorts to we're I notice the others pronounced words now. I also know I would not sound well myself.

Good story, bad narrator

If you could sum up Storm Warning in three words, what would they be?

Narrator needs to go back to school and learn how to correctly pronounce some words - glaring mispronunciations very jarring and offputting.

Great story terrible narrator

He mispronounces words, adds inappropriate emotion; and overall reads the book as if he’s reading to children who don’t understand nuance - which he decidedly lacks. His range of voices is severely limited, all non humans sound like villains with laryngitis, and the women are simpering.

Good story. odd narrator

Like all Mercedes Lackey books, I love this one. However, the narrator made done of the characters almost cartoonish, which detracted from the story.

Story good, narrator meh

I love the Tales of Velgarth! however, this narrator takes getting used to. His characters are strained and he sounds like he has a cold the entire reading...

I really wish all narrators will get together to agree on voices.

Whoever said that Tre’van should sound like Peter Lorie? And most Teleydras and Shin ‘a’in sound as if they have a slight Romanian accent up until this point which I did enjoy.

Storm warning

Exalant!!! I can't wait for more of her books on Valdamer to be written she is one of the best.