The Outstretched Shadow: The Obsidian Trilogy, Book 1

I found the story itself to be brilliant my only problem was with how it was told. This is a book where you wish someone in ten years time would take it up and do a remake of it. I know I may seem harsh but it annoyed me to see a great idea mangled by detailed descriptions on things that basically irrelevant, like what elven cloth looked like in the sun, to mere skimming over important parts of the storyline, like Kellen discovering where his talent is in Wild Magic.

The Authors were lazy and sloppy with their character description and it seems to me they tried to hide that by repeating Kellen’s inner dialog to a point where you wanted the gods in the book to strike him down because someone with potentially so much power and who was SO STUPID was a danger to all around him.

As for the Narrator I can only say: There is only so much even the greatest Chef can do with a rotten egg.

The One Star is to honor a Great Idea that never made it.

I tried, gave it 4 hours.. twice. Just something about listening to someone complain about how boring their life is for 4 hours, makes the story... well, boring!!!!
I listened to this and couldn't get into it, I tried a second time and gave it 4 hours. I can't imagine how this story could get worse. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone at all. I don't understand the 4 star rating because the story just isn't good.

This story is truely uneventful. I almost can't bare the thought of listening to another chapter. The annoying way the authors would discribe the most unimportant details at the worst possible time made this book so frustrating. Ahhhh! Why did I waste so much time? Plus, NOTHING happened. I have read more eventful chapters in a fairy tale. This book was selfish, drawn, and and soooo pointless. The main character was a 17 year old boy who whined and droned on about his little girlness. Don't waste your time. You WILL be sorely dissapointed!

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.

I may have enjoyed this book when I was 13. The characters are described in hackneyed terms and resemble a child's conception of a "bad guy" or a "bored child with talent." Also, this narrator would make me dislike even the finest book -- she reads far more slowly than this material deserves, and her style is that of a condescending teacher reading to a kindergarten class. Maybe it gets better after the first few hours, but I will (thankfully) never know.

This was an excellent book, full of detail and action. Great story and well read by the narrator. A total joy to listen to. The story has a good ending that does not leave you hanging. Only leaves you wanting to listen to the next book.

Come on audible, where is it.

I greatly enjoyed this book. I was a little iffy about the narrator, as I'd gotten used to the one in the Enduring Flame series, but despite some of the different pronunciations, I liked her as well for the narrator. The story line was intriguing, and I'm more than ready for the next book. I want to hear more about Idalia and Jermayan, and more about Kellen and his newly found powers.

I thought the story was painfully slow, and written for a prepubescent child. I've listened to 5 of 22.5 hrs and it hasn't gotten any better.

The main character is reportedly a 17 year old boy, but acts like he is still 10-13. The descriptions are verbose but childlike.

Listening to him drone on and on about his boring chores, doesn't make for a very exciting or intriguing book.

After purchasing works by Sanderson, Jordan, Glen Cook, Sergey Lukyanenko, or Brooks's Shannara series this was very disappointing.

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.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book...the reader is excellent...the plot is intriguing. It was so excellent I bought the second one (hint: even better). This is a very clever storyline, with well articulated characters that you care about. Warmly recommended series.