Enchantress

Evermen Saga, Book 1

By: James Maxwell

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 17 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

An empire divided by magic. A nation on the brink of rebellion.

After losing their parents in the last doomed uprising, two siblings will find themselves at the center of an epic struggle for power.

When Ella witnesses an enchanter saving her brother's life, she knows what she wants to be. But the elite Academy expects tuition fees and knowledge. Meanwhile her brother, Miro, dreams of becoming one of the world's finest swordsmen, wielding his nation’s powerful enchanted weapons in defense of his homeland.

After Miro departs for war, the void he leaves in Ella's life is filled by a mysterious foreigner, Killian. But Killian has a secret, and Ella’s actions will determine the fate of her brother, her homeland, and the world.

Published in 2014, the highly acclaimed Evermen Saga is a worldwide bestseller.

Revised edition: This edition of Enchantress includes editorial revisions.

©2014 James Maxwell (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Sufficiently advanced technology ....

TLDR: story very good even for hard Sci-Fi lovers, reader spectacular.

I'm usually a hard Sci-fi/historical fiction type person. I chose this book based about 90% on the fact that Simon Vance is the reader, and his treatment of the Aubrey-Maturin series was perfect -- he's a great reader.

I'm usually not into fantasy, though like many, my introduction to Sci-Fi was via fantasy (LOTR). As it turned out, the story was great and the "magic" used here, seems much less like magic and much more like some strange technology left behind by alien visitors. There were some things I think that fell together a little too conveniently, hence four rather than five stars for the story, but I'm already downloading the second book in the series as I type this. It was a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

Rich storyline, unique concept

I recently discovered the author and have to say I am so impressed by how unique and thorough the storylines are. I’m absolutely obsessed with this new series and can’t wait to see what happens next!

Epic Storytelling

This story is not going to be everyone's jam. It's extremely well done, and a wonderful story. It's also a major investment of time and uhmmm... brain cells. Okay, I went there. The cast of characters is massive, the world-building the author has created here is nothing short of colossal, and the actual story can only be described as epic. This is not your typical fantasy novel, but something more toward the likes of "Dune" or "The Hobbit."

If you're not scared off yet, awesome. If you're into world-building fantasy stories with rich characters and layers of meaning, welcome to the world of the Evermen. It is a unique and fascinating place, fraught with peril, intrigue, injustice, and war. But there are still good men and women who hold onto hope and will put their own lives at risk to do what's right. Sometimes it's just hard to discern precisely what that is...

great magic, good story, good characters

like the runes of the world, readers must investment into the wonders of the setting, the characters the tail follows, and the impact of the lore before it grants the reader any reward.

Great epic adventure

Loved the book. Epic hero adventure tale. Has two brief crass parts that don't fit the novel at all.

Great Tale, Read Brillantly

Would you listen to Enchantress again? Why?

No, but I will listen to the other 3 books in the series

What was one of the most memorable moments of Enchantress?

The final battle and Ella reunion

Which character – as performed by Simon Vance – was your favorite?

Ella

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Never considered it

Any additional comments?

Simon Vance could read the phone book and make it a great tale. He is fantastic.

Interesting tale

I enjoyed listening to this audio book. It contains adventure and unexpected situations about family, station and purpose.

Wow! They survived!

What made the experience of listening to Enchantress the most enjoyable?

The world that Mr. Maxwell built was amazing. All the different factions and cultures was skillfully wrought.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ella was my favorite. She was amazingly brave and never gave up.

What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Simon Vance is an excellent voice and has the ability to vocalize emotion and drama with skill.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No laughing or crying but I was amazed a few times in how they ever survived.

Any additional comments?

Saving up for the next installment. looking forward to what happens now.

Good!

It was a bit difficult to follow and get into in the beginning but stick with it. It starts getting great about 1/4 in the reading and then it is explosive throughout. It was very enjoyable.

Starts slow, but worth the read

The story starts off a little slow and seems discombobulated at first. However, it pulls itself together after the first quarter of the book. Worth the read, looking forward to the next book.