The Phoenix Unchained

Book One of The Enduring Flame

By: Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory

Narrated by: William Dufris

Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times and USA Today best-selling authors Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory first teamed up to write the Obsidian Trilogy, which was set in a wondrous world filled with magical beings, competing magic systems, and a titanic struggle between good and evil. That world proved so popular with the creators and readers alike that Lackey and Mallory have returned to it again, with The Phoenix Unchained, Book One of The Enduring Flame, the opening volume of a new epic fantasy trilogy.

After 1,000 years of peace, much magick has faded from the world. The Elves live far from humankind. There are no High Mages, and Wild Mages are seen only rarely. Bisochim, a powerful Wild Mage, is determined to reintroduce Darkness to the world, believing that it is out of balance.

Tiercel, a young Armethalian nobleman, is convinced that High Magick is not just philosophy. He attempts a spell and draws the unwelcome attention of Bisochim. Tiercel survives Bisochim's attack and begins trying to turn himself into a High Mage.

Next in line to be Harbormaster of Armethalieh, Harrier instead finds himself regularly saving Tiercel's life and meeting magickal people and creatures. To Harrier's dismay, it seems that he must become a hero.

In The Phoenix Unchained, Harrier and Tiercel begin a marvelous journey to uncover their destinies. Along the way, they meet a charming female centaur, several snooty Elves, and the most powerful dragon their world has ever known.

©2007 Mercedes Lackey; 2007 James Mallory (P)2007 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Sets a lavishly detailed stage peopled with intriguing and well-developed characters whose futures hold both promise and peril." ( Library Journal)

Great story, horrible narrator

I love this series. I love Mercedes Lackey.
However, I cannot stand this narrators voice. Every character sounds whiny, even the dragons and old men.
I usually listen to books when driving, at the gym, working around the house, etc. but it was an absolute struggle to get through this horrible narrator’s voice.

Worth the credit

This book has been in my library for a while now. I have started it once or twice but was always in the middle of another book story line so it was shoved to the back of the pile. I finally restarted it and tho it took a bit to finally catch my attention it took off and now I find I am really looking forward to part 2. The reading style is great and I chuckle when I hear the narrator doing some of the voices. I think this book is worth the credit!

Unfinished Series-what a shame

I'll keep it short and brief, the first and second book of the Enduring Flame were lovely and tantalizing, but apparently all that is offered to us. Purchase only if you are an afficianado of partial storylines, cliff-hangers, or unfinished business..

Wait until series is complete

Mercedes Lackey is a favorite author of mine but don't bother with this book until the series is complete. Book one is one long prelude. It's very unsatisfactory to have a book end without any significant story line complete.

narrator didn't pronounce things the same

narrator pronounced all the names differently than the first series which made it difficult to follow.

Not so captivating

Unfortunately the story line is all to familiar, following the first trilogy far to closely. Classic setting, a journey with a guide and a protective friend, Wild mage intervention and mysterious evil forces pursuing the traveling trio. There were a scant number of delightful surprises toward the end of the novel, but this book is a shadow of the original trilogy that transported the reader into the wonderful world of High Mages, Wild Mages, Magical Unicorns & the Endarkened, created by Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory in The Obsidian Trilogy. Hopefully the Authors can enliven the next book considerably.

I love these books

Amazing all three series are grate I will listen too them over and over again and I hope everyone loves them too

Limited Character Development

What made the experience of listening to The Phoenix Unchained the most enjoyable?

The first trilogy went overboard in character development before starting the action. This one errs in the opposite direction. There was also an unnecessary downer in this book as well.

A disappointing second trilogy

I love The Obsidian Trilogy, the first books written in this universe. Unfortunately, this second trilogy falls far short.

The characters and events seem to largely have been chosen in an attempt at Opposite Day. Was the knight mage the central character in the OT? Let’s shift that focus over to the high mage. Was the big original magical surprise in the OT when the knight mage got his power? Now let’s make it the high mage. Sometimes it feels like a checklist.

Still, a lot of this book also feels like fan service, which can be fun. Since now it’s 1000 years after the OT ended, much of the book ends up taking the reader on what feels like a guided tour of “How the lands and cultures have changed.” It’s kinda fun, which makes this book entertaining for me, but that only really holds up for this book, & the second two books weren’t able to deliver anywhere as interesting an overall story as the first trilogy.

Also, I agree with many of the people who’ve posted reviews of the audiobook. The narrator is not enjoyable. Part of it is that he isn’t great in general, but a huge chunk is how much better the reader of the first trilogy was. You just can’t help but keep thinking how much more convincing she was. And, yes, her pronunciations of the people and place names are so familiar and cemented in my head that it made me insane having to listen to his mealy-mouthed, half swallowed versions of those words.

If you haven’t read/listened to the Obsidian Trilogy, do it! Those are great books, and the audiobooks are enjoyable.

My conclusion for this book? If you’re a fan of the Obsidian Trilogy, get a hard copy of this from the library and read it for the guided tour of a world that reveres (and humorously gets so much wrong about) the OT characters and events. If you really want to listen to it as an audiobook, prepare to look silly to your housemates when they catch you shouting the “correct” pronunciations at the narrator. Because at some point you will probably break and do it.

Great listen.

Great book done well converted to audio. Got a good deal from audible for it.