The Faceless Mage

Legends of Abreia, Book 1

By: Kenley Davidson

Narrated by: Vanessa Moyen

Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

He’ll protect her with his last breath....
Until she becomes his next target.

Leisa’s ambitions used to be simple. Guard the princess. Hide her magic. Wait for her family to return.

But all of that changes when her king demands that she use her unique abilities to spy on the rival kingdom of Garimore.

Alone, far from home, and living a lie that grows more perilous by the day, Leisa’s task is complicated by her most dangerous enemy yet—the masked assassin known only as the Raven.

Everyone in the Five Thrones knows to fear him, but the Raven is not what Leisa expected. As silent as he is lethal, he provokes her curiosity as much as her fear, and hides secrets she’s determined to learn.

When her already precarious mission takes a deadly turn, Leisa must evade the Raven himself if she is to succeed. It’s never been done before, but Leisa is nothing if not stubborn. And if she doesn’t become the first to escape his blade, her entire kingdom will pay the price—in blood.

If you love adventure, mystery, and slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, discover the Legends of Abreia, a new romantic fantasy series for fans of Elise Kova, Sylvia Mercedes, and Shari L. Tapscott!

©2020 Kenley Davidson (P)2022 Kenley Davidson

Good enough to read twice!

I really liked the concept of this story. There was enough mystery in what would happen to make it hard to put down. I appreciated the love story without the adult scenes. While it is obviously meant for a younger crowd, I felt it was good enough to be enjoyed by adults as well.

The narrator did a great job.

Love this book! It was so emotionally charged.

Leisa and Keiren's story is emotional and deep! I was definitely drawn into their world and rooting for their happy ending. They will have to wait a bit for that, but the book left you in a good place. The narrator was engaging and emotive. I can't wait to listen to the next one.

Loved it!

Amazing story. I couldn’t stop. Didn’t get any work done today because I had to know what was going to happen next.

bought the whole series before I even finished half the book

I have never been so emotional invested in a suit of armor. I was trying to explain the plot to my husband and just ended up sounding like a crazy person. But when you are reading the story it all just fits and you are rooting for the main characters while also being heart broken by their situations.

Brilliant story - OK narration

I love Kenley Davidson's stories. This series has me gripped in a full-bodied world with wonderful characters. I read this book in one day while I was on set. I couldn't put it down. (Boy, did I get a stiff neck! LOL) Really looking forward to all coming books. I will be buying everything written by Kenley.

but...

Vanessa's style is compelling and dramatic, but it is too fast. It doesn't allow the listener to digest what has just happened or been said. Plus her pronunciation of some words is really weird and inconsistent. Her dialects take some time to 'settle' and they are not internally consistent, either. Yes, this is another world with its own dialects, but her version of UK dialects is dreadful and makes me cringe. I wish Kenley had been able to stick with her previous narrator.

Strong start to compelling series

The sample made me concerned that the narrator might be a bit monotone, but I found it easy to distinguish voices. If anything, she hit some of the consonants pretty hard, but I adjusted to that pretty quickly. I did find her reading level too fast for my comfort. At 90% it was just right.

The story itself is original in design. While the MCs ability to talk to each other takes a while to develop, we get dual POV, so we still know what everyone is thinking. Leisa is an intelligent and honorable character who takes necessary risks without being foolish. The Raven is trapped in armor that enslaves him to a Very Bad King. Leisa attempts to save her kingdom, and, if possible, free The Raven from his compulsion spell.

It is the first book in a series I binge read when I first found it on Kindle.

Meh

Too predictable. Definitely meant for young readers. Has potential to be better, but I’m not moving on to the next book.