The Outstretched Shadow

The Obsidian Trilogy, Book 1

By: Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory

Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

Length: 30 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Kellen Tavadon, son of the Arch-Mage Lycaelon, thought he knew the way the world worked. His father, leading the wise and benevolent Council of Mages, protected and guided the citizens of the Golden City of the Bells. Young Mages in training---all men, for women were unfit to practice magic---memorized the intricate details of High Magic and aspired to seats on the council.

Then Kellen found the forbidden Books of Wild Magic---or did they find him? Their Magic felt like a living thing, guided by the hearts and minds of those who practiced it and benefited from it. Questioning everything he has known, Kellen discovers too many of the City's dark secrets. Banished, with the Outlaw Hunt on his heels, Kellen invokes Wild Magic---and finds himself running for his life with a unicorn at his side.

Rescued by a unicorn, healed by a female Wild Mage who knows more about Kellen than anyone outside the City should, meeting Elven royalty and Elven warriors, and plunged into a world full of magical beings, Kellen both revels in and fears his new freedom. The one thing all the Mages of the City agreed on was that practicing Wild Magic corrupted a Mage---turned him into a Demon. Would that be Kellen's fate?

Deep in Obsidian Mountain, the Demons are waiting. Since their defeat in the last great War, they've been biding their time, sowing the seeds of distrust and discontent between their human and Elven enemies. Very soon now, when the Demons rise to make war, there will be no alliance between High and Wild Magic to stand against them. And then all the world will belong to the Endarkened.

©2003 Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory (P)2010 Tantor

amazing

this has been one of my favorite series since I was a younger man

Irritating narrator

I could hardly bear the narrator. It was like she was reading to small children. And I could not suspend my disbelief because of her portrayal.

Fascinating World

This book dragged me in to its strange and wonderful world. I enjoyed the contrast of the two lifes Kellen lived and really the two worlds that existed in the book, that of Amathalia and the one outside it's gates. I like how the authors keep you guessing about Lycelons intentions, if he's innately evil and selfish. Or if his concerns actually have merit. I cant wait to listen to the next book in the series, so please Audible put out the last two books in this series.

playback

playback very choppy. it cuts out chunks of sentences. meanings are lost. a tortured listen.

a very good book

it’s not the best fantasy novel i have ever read but i very much enjoyed the characters, world, and story arch.

super

Good story line let's you know the people and get an at oneness with them sense of reality.... Paul T.

whiny teenager

Susan's narrative was amazing, but I am a bit tired of the main characters self doubt

Mercedes Lackey rarely disappoints

I have read her books for years. Years! I love this series so far. I am listening my way through book 2. My only complaint is the narrator. She has a slow, meticulous style that made it hard to listen to at first. I felt like leaning in hoping that she wouldn't forget to speak the next word. I actually caught myself holding my breath once. I changed the speed to 1.25X speed and that fixed that. She has enough subtle inflection to distinguish the characters and a wonderfully modulated voice but the speed, oh the speed!

good story

This was a good story with the exception of some small plot mistakes and unnecessary lengthy internal dialog.

Yes and no.

On the whole an enjoyable enough read but one thing bugged me no end, the never ending self doubt of the lead character. I get it, I do, but the teenage angst thing went on and on and got annoyingly repetitive. I felt it interfered with the pace of the book. The narrator is good but she has a slow delivery which fails to pick up speed and energy when the action gets going.

It is classic genre material and good enough in its class.