Mage Quest

The Royal Wizard of Yurt

By: C. Dale Brittain

Narrated by: Eric Vincent

Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Western wizardry meets the mages of the exotic East. Neither will ever be the same. Daimbert the wizard is on the road to adventure with five guys from Yurt. Their search for a missing lord soon becomes a quest for a fabled blue rose and for an unthinkably powerful magical artifact from the time of Solomon.

Along the way they face intrigue, treachery, black magic, and a big green djinn. Only Daimbert may be able to save their lives - and their souls - as the line grows thin between a fatal curse and finding one's heart's desire.

©1993 C. Dale Brittain (P)2014 C. Dale Brittain

LOVE this series

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This series is such fun. The audio books are well read and I find the interplay between magic and religion quite interesting.

Have you listened to any of Eric Vincent’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

It is excellent. All three books in the series are excellent.

Any additional comments?

This is a fun series, with this book being my favorite so far. I hope to see the rest come out as audio books soon. I like that the world seems to be Earth, but has magic. We see Christianity as well as Islam in play as well. Very interesting and lots of fun.

Daimbert's Best Quest Yet!

Even though this adventure takes place mostly outside of the realm of Yurt, you never feel too far removed from the kingdom. Britain's world building ability is magnified in Mage Quest, as she expands the universe in which her characters exist, taking them to far off lands and mysterious locations. Eric Vincent's Djinn is excellently performed, as the character truly feels otherworldly! A great continuation of the series and my favorite book so far!

Delightful immersion in a well written fantasy

An absolute must for the fantasy fan who appreciates mature character development, thoughtful conflict, and an intricate multi-thread plot.

Considerable time is invested in the development of the individual backstories of the questing ensemble which pays tremendous dividends as the adventure unfolds drawing the reader (listener) deeply into a tightly interwoven story. We avoid the omnipotent super heroes so common in today's video games and focus on characters with very real human foibles that work alternately together and at odds to resolve both the surreal and mundane. The backdrops of both medieval Europe and the middle east with their political and theological references lend a tangible grounding to the fantasy allowing the listener to easily suspend disbelief and fully embrace magic, monsters, and brigands.

A talented narrator brings the story to life with both energy and a vivid presentation. His range of character interpretation is remarkable and this is an absolute must given the size and diversity of both the questing ensemble and the multiple encounters along the way. The accompanying music was carefully selected to compliment the narrative and sets the tone perfectly for each of the ensuing sections.

Overall, a well written storyline in a delightful presentation. Highly recommended.

Thoroughly Entertaining

Quest fantasy is not my normal genre but at the recommendation of a friend I gave it a listen. The story held my attention throughout and I was especially charmed by the bits of unexpected humor sprinkled into the story, like a sly wink to the listener.

The narration was exceptional. After recently listening to British-accented narrators drone on and on in that narration-monotone, this was a refreshing change. Eric Vincent is a storyteller of exceptional skill who unfolds the narration in such a natural way that it really enhances the story. His voicing of the Ifrit character, an evil genie, was actually chilling. I think he is one of the best narrators I've heard in years and I will definitely seek out his work in the future.

The production values are terrific and include music at transition points in the story. Technically and artistically, very well done.

great story

I have enjoyed all the books sofar in this series. the story keeps me well engaged through the entirety of the story. I enjoy the author and the narrator immensely.

I hate when they add music and sound effects

I hate when they add music and sound effects to audiobooks and this series is full of bad music. The previous book The Wood Nymph and the Cranky Saint has a chapter where you miss key plot points because they messed up and put loud music over the narrator so you can't hear it.

Plot is okay, slow and it feels like it is mostly a setup for a future book. What is missing is the humor I enjoyed in the previous two books.

What made it enjoyable to me originally was a fresh from school bad student wizard fumbling his way through his first career. This book jumps ahead a good amount of years so you lose all that as he is now a presumably fully competent wizard with many years of royal wizard experience under his belt. Had they had the adventure without the jump in time from the previous novel. The opportunities for humor and character growth could have been there without any significant plot changes.

I will continue with the series but with reservations.