Unproven

When Technology Advances and Magic Evolves, No One Is Safe

By: Drew Briney

Narrated by: Jeffrey Howard

Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

When Shadow, a powerless mage, chose exile to preserve family honor, he didn’t expect a mysterious call to defeat psionic, camouflaging dragons - nor did he expect them to offer him a glimpse into a life wielding a mage’s power.

Surprises mount when a steampunk army invades his homeland and Shadow is tasked with uncovering the secret behind magic’s evolution while leading a youth team infested with at least one traitor. Distracted by an unwelcomed romance, losses mount as he stumbles through treachery, vampiric vines, ancient disembodied mages, and the legendary Mists of Ishmandool where few escape with their sanity.

By the time Shadow announces he’s found the solution, it may be too late. Even if it’s not, it risks the complete annihilation of his people and it’s unproven.

Unproven has drawn comparisons to Ursula Le Guin (Harry Potter’s biggest influence), Elaine Cunningham (the queen of dark fantasy and Forgotten Realms), and Fydor Dostoevsky (psychological godfather of Crime and Punishment). With strong female characters, a dark M. Night Shyamalan twist, dragons on steroids, a Brandon Sanderson-esque tight plot, and prodigious world building, Unproven is destined to satiate listeners who enjoy sword and sorcery, mythical creatures, ghosts, dark fantasy, psychological thrillers, and Dungeons & Dragons.

©2018 Drew Briney (P)2019 Drew Briney

Good concept

This was a Good concept but story was long and for me to slow and drawn out. Cause of this it was difficult to keep my interest. Might be just the book for others but did not keep me engaged.

Superb

I definitely enjoyed this story. The characters had me hooked from the beginning. Loved the narrator’s voice.

Dragons, griffins & mages, oh my!

This is a pretty dense listen & sure to be part of a trilogy. Very complex world-building. I am intrigued by the human-designed flight machines—though they seem pretty flimsy compared to a fckn dragon—but it’s a nice touch, a little steampunkish really.

Good read

Unproven: When Technology Advances and Magic Evolves, No One Is Safe. My third read from author Drew Briney was longer than my first two reads and more enjoyable. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reading & reviewing it. Jeffrey Howard’s narration adds to the book's enjoyment. I'll be reading more from this author. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

A Reluctant Prophet

I received this audiobook free in return for an honest review.

Honestly, I was surprised at this book. In a good way! The description included terms like “magic versus technology” and Steampunk, and it had a picture of a dragon on the front. Oh good, I thought, steampunk with dragons, how fun!
And it WAS fun, but it was way more than that. First, the characters were all complex and well-drawn, which I find is often not true in adventure reads. Second, this is a story about a reluctant, deity-drafted Warrior Priest with elements of biblical Prophecy. OMG, what a meaty subject!

Poor Shadow, humiliated all his life by his lack of magic among magical peers, suddenly gets powers when the rest of his people lose them; when the Earth, who literally speaks to her chosen people, decides they have become complacent and unworthy, and changes her magical rules to teach them humility. The meek suddenly inherit the Earth, and humbly devoted Shadow must become a hero to save his people from a sudden incursion by the neighboring technological culture. A culture that, by the way, heavily resembles our own.

Shadow, of course, doubts his fitness for the job. He questions himself, questions the Earth’s guidance, but ultimately does what she says because he bows to her wisdom over his own, and suffers the resulting pain and guilt, because that is the burden of Prophets.

I was prepared to enjoy this book, to have a fun, adventure-filled read. And if I had wanted, that’s what I would have gotten. But there are layers here that include a fantastic allegory full of ethical and moral questions and a honking huge mirror held up to my own life and times. And that, I believe, is the true purpose and worth of good fantasy writing.

Bravo, Drew!

Great story, could use a better narrator

I found this to be a wonderful story! Very well developed characters, great world building and plot twists! I very much enjoyed it and will look for more books by this author. The narrator, in my opinion, wasn't the greatest. He didn't do a terrible job, but I think the story would have popped more with a different style of narration. Overall, I highly recommend this story!

Unproven

A fantastic read. The Author has brought forth a fantastic read. That had me on the edge of my seat. It has lots of twists and turns that keep you intrigued throughout the whole listen. The Narrator does a fantastic job at bringing the characters to life. This is a big listen but it is worth it. This is definitely more than a 5 star read.
Shauna Joesten

Complicated Dark Fantasy

I enjoyed this story, but it was complicated and involved. There were many varied characters, and because some of the characters' names were unfamiliar, they were difficult to keep straight in my memory. The worldbuilding was extensive. I liked all the twists and turns that occurred, and the machinations that led to surprising situations. The vampiric vines were creative and cool. Jeffrey Howard's narration was fine, and his voice was pleasant. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

liked it

good book, kept my attention all the way to the end, amazing audio delivery, loved it. Will be reading again. Every chapter was received amazingly. I do recommend you give it a read.

Great Story, Bad Reader

I loved the actual story, however the reader did a horrible job. The reader read with the same monotone voice the entire time, and there are several spots in which it seemed as though the readers mike had issues. there was no change in tone or voice for characters thoughts or words. This is the first audio book that I ever fell asleep while trying to listen to. I love the story itself, it just needs a much better presenter.