Seven Forges

Seven Forges, Book 1

By: James A. Moore

Narrated by: David de Vries

Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

The Seven Forges are a range of impassable mountains, far to the north of the settled lands of Fellein. From time to time explorers venture up beyond the Blasted Lands in search of a way over them and the promise of legendary riches, but without success. Now Captain Merros Dulver has found a path, and encountered, at last, the half-forgotten people who dwell there. And it would appear they were expecting him.

©2013 James A. Moore (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Excellent first book in series.

I did not know what to expect from this book. I was pleasantly surprised and delighted. I have listened to the narrator from other series, and he is fantastic as well. I highly recommend this book.

A slow start

I started to listen to this after finishing Angus Watson Reign of Iron and I was seriously considering not listen to it all the way. But I hanged on to it and I don't regret doing it. The people and the story didn't engage in the beginning but I found myself not being able to stop listening after about half the novel. I even went straight in to buy the second novel in this triology and after finishing this review I will start listening to it too.

Better than I expected

I have seen this book for months and contemplated whether to get it or not. I'm glad I did... It is an excellent start to an epic series. I hope the rest of the books live up to the first and get even better.

Good Listen

What made the experience of listening to Seven Forges the most enjoyable?

Interesting tale...good reader...and some funny lines. :-)

What did you like best about this story?

Some of thinking behind the characters

Which character – as performed by David de Vries – was your favorite?

Hmm..not sure

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

Nope..just a good listen

Anxiously waiting

What did you like about this audiobook?

Great story. Very original.

How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?

Ready for second book.

Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he achieve this?

He created a world, which was very original.

What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?

He voice was deadpan.

Great book to pass the time

Loved the story line. Characters are great. The guy reading did a great job if you are looking for a good book get this one

Seven Forges

What did you like best about this story?

I like the introductions of the characters and the understanding of who they are and their motivations. And there is mystery in the Sa'ba Taalor in wondering what is behind their viels and why they keep their faces hidden. And I like the way they are developed as more than brute warriors with the other aspects of their skills.

What about David de Vries’s performance did you like?

Mr. de Vries did an excellent job in voicing the various characters and employing the different accents. The female characters were believeable with his vocal range and he was enjoyable to listen to.

Just so so

Seven forges is a story of two countries kept apart from each other buy a treacherous landscape for generations, whose cultures are vastly different from each other, and their attempt to establish relations. One country is quite civilized and the other is barbaric. It's also a hero's journey for one young man. Dave de Vries narration is either good (never great), or bad, and in this case it's good. I found the story to be very slow and most of the book is about violence and I don’t care for that. I think young teenage boys might like this because of all the fighting.

Solid beginning and 4-star effort..

Where does Seven Forges rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book ranked fairly well in comparison to my other favored books. I WILL be getting the next book in the series as it promises to only get better from this point on. This book only suffers to "first book" syndrome as i call it... character introductions, world introduction, mythology, and story building. All in all this book, in my opinion, would have done better with an additional 50 pages or so for further character development...solid start though.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The smiths apprentice. i will not say more as to not put any spoilers here.

Have you listened to any of David de Vries’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any of his other performances yet but he did a good job varying accents, male and female voices, etc, to produce an enjoyable tale with recognizable characters based on his voice. very well done.

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

No extreme reaction. it was not meant to make one laugh or cry.

Any additional comments?

A solid first installment with grimpses of greatness possible for future volumes.

Great Foundation for the Sequel

Where does Seven Forges rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This one has interested me enough to get the sequel ( I hope there is a sequel coming).

The first three quarters of the book was by no means slow but still I was wondering where this is all going. It was all spent building a strong foundation for the characters, for the next in the series.
A little bit predictable at times, as each scene unfolded. All very political and as diplomatic as possible, considering the circumstances of 2 civilizations that thrived for a thousand years with very different rules, customs, practices and beliefs. The reward was in the last quarter of the story.

The last quarter the story took such an unexpected turn. As events started to almost simultaneously occur, all things predictable was gone and the book ended in a series of cliffhangers and with the promise of a very unpredictable, action packed and magical sequel.

I hope there is a sequel really soon.

Would you recommend Seven Forges to your friends? Why or why not?

Absolutely would recommend it but I may have to wait for news of the sequel. Nobody likes to be left hanging.

Which character – as performed by David de Vries – was your favorite?

Suvek.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Nothing in particular stands out. There were a few moments of jesting which was funny and made me chuckle.