Remember the Dawn

Starsingers, Book 1

By: A. M. Macdonald

Narrated by: David Pickering

Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Starlight. Steel. Ahryn and Ezai must unite.

Ten years ago, the Starsingers - tyrannical magicians who draw their power from the stars - suffered a brutal defeat at the hands of an ancient order of magic-resistant peacekeepers.

Their rebellion quelled, their magic controlled, the five families of starlight magicians have been forced to live in a fragile truce with the starless commoners...until now.

When an assassin begins killing Starsingers, the defiant peacekeepers are blamed, for who else could slay a magician?

Ezai is a storied peacekeeper. He has been tasked with finding the true killer, and he must do so before the balance of power is disrupted. But the Starsingers plot against him.

Ahryn is the eldest child of an Astral House, and she alone survives the murder of her family. She seeks justice, but the other families wish to use her fury, and her family's legacy.

As another war approaches, Ezai and Ahryn form an unlikely alliance. Together, they must unlock a secret of the past and find the assassin before it's too late, for a greater evil looms.

Remember the Dawn is the first book of the Starsingers, a sword and sorcery saga that takes place in a world with a distinct magic system and an elaborate and expansive history.

©2018 Asher Malcolm Macdonald (P)2019 Asher Malcolm Macdonald

Enjoyable listen with a unique magic system

It’s obvious that the author put a lot of time in thought into this book. The cities and scenery, magic system, and characters are all well thought out and described. The magic system is very unique, where each family will draw their magic from a specific star, and their magic will be weakened if they’re inside and the sky is blocked or it’s a cloudy night. The way homes are constructed revolves around that fact as well. The story draws you in quickly, and chapter one alone is awesome. The narrator does a great job with this book, giving all the characters unique and fitting voices. Overall, Remember the Dawn was an enjoyable listen and I’m looking forward to book two.

This audiobook was provided by the author at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.

Interesting take on magic

Full disclosure: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

In Remember the Dawn, only nobles are able to use magic and the magic is specific to each family. The magic is drawn from the stars and have different effects. In addition to a noble class that wields magic, there is a knight order that wields the power to fight against the nobles effectively. Obviously, the knights in the order have the duty to help preserve order. Of course, you have civilians that are caught in the middle.
There was a previous war and peace was restored. However, not all the nobles are happy and angst builds between the knights and the nobles. As time has passed, corruption has set in on both sides; whether out right corruption or a dereliction of duty. All this adds up to intrigue, accusations, recriminations, and fights.
Overall, I enjoyed listening to Remember the Dawn. The magic system was unique. The journey of discovery by one of the protagonists was also intriguing.

The narrator did a good job and gave the characters life.

Promising start to a new series!

Remember the Dawn is a fun read with an interesting magical system.

Astrals, the magic users of Macdonald’s world, call the power of their family's star. The Order of the Dawn is opposed to the Astrals and their attempted control. Mysterious deaths of Astrals being investigated by the Order puts the city on edge and betrayals & schemes begin.

My impression of the book is that it reads like a murder mystery set in a fantastical world with a magic system as unique as Sanderson's Mistborn series. I am really looking forward to seeing how much the Starsingers develop. David Pickering is an excellent narrator who brings the characters to life.

I received a copy of the book for free with no requirement for a review. I am providing one because I really enjoyed the book.