Shadowlith

Umbral Blade, Volume 1

By: Stuart Thaman

Narrated by: J. Scott Bennett

Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's Summary

From the author of The Goblin Wars and Killstreak comes a new epic fantasy adventure wrought with peril....

Alistair the Fourth was a mighty general from a long-forgotten war. Four hundred years later, Alster Lightbridge is barely a shadow of his legendary namesake. Crippled and confined to his family's estate, he spends his days dreaming of something larger than himself - something worthy of his name.

Encouraged by his tutor to explore the Lightbridge archive, Alster discovers a magical dagger with the power to cleave shadows from their bodies. Blade in hand, Alster finally understands his purpose, though he needs to find a four-centuries-old grave in order to fulfill it.

©2017 Stuart Thaman (P)2018 Stuart Thaman

Critic Reviews

"Shadowlith has a dash of sword and sorcery that goes along great with modern fantasy. Its chapters are fast and the stakes are high, and you won't be away from the action for long. The timing is that of a good thriller, and it has a curb-stomping of a climax." (Hugo Huesca, author of Rune Universe and Dungeon Lord)

World building to rival Brooks

1st in what will hopefully be a long and fulfilling saga. The authors world building reminds me of terry brooks. Great character development, twists on traditional magic. Good vs evil, a past rich with battles and mighty Magic’s. A young warrior/mage coming into his own. The shadow magic of the shadowlith will leave lots of room for growth and the revelation of the truth behind the legendary hero our protagonist is descended from will shock you to the core. It’s meanings for our hero is even more shocking. Great read and awesome narrator. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher

The story of a hero's growth

This story involves a young boy who as crippled by the anger of his father and who is shunned by that father while he bestows his favor on his older son. The young boy is forced to flee his home and his young friend who is an orphan goes with him.

The journey they undertake teaches the young man in many ways and helps prepare him for the future that await him and his companion. It is a well written story that is enjoyable to listen to. It flows from topic to topic and makes you want to keep listening even though the book is too long to finish in one sitting.

The narration is outstanding and the voices of the characters are well done and the narration is understandable.

This book was provided free of charge with the expectation of a fair and honest review.

Great Start to Series with a Great Narrator

I received this book for free. I voluntarily left this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

This is the first book I have read by this author and what an introduction. This is the first book is the series Umbral Blade. The story revolves around Alistair, who is crippled as a result of his father's brutality. His father has a position high in the King's Army and values nothing more than the willingness and ability to fight - something Alistair's brother possesses but unfortunately Alistair does not. Alistair, with his friend Elsey, runs away from home. However, his father is informed that someone has kidnapped Alistair. His father is, of course, indifferent to this news. Of course, it is during the adventure in which Alistair begins to grow and learn about his background -- all of which eventually comes into play in the end. This story has some great action sequences and some touching moments. Alistair is a very sympathetic character, while is father is clearly the villain [with no real redeemable features, so a bit cardboard but still a good counterpoint to Alistair.] I really liked the friendship between Alistair and Elsey. This is very well written and I am interested to see how the story progresses.

The narrator, J. Scott Bennett, was a great fit to this story. He did voices for the various characters and set a wonderful tone to the story. Part of the enjoyment of this book was the narration -- as a badly narrated story will distract or ruin a well written book, so too a good narrator can add or enhance a well written book. In this case, J. Scott Bennett enhanced and added polish to this diamond.

A chilling but wonderous tale full of magic!

The story was a wonderful tale full of danger and magic! the characters were very lifelike and relatable. The narration breathed life into an already amazing story! I was captivated by the scenery and characters to the point tgat I could not stop listening! I am eager to experience tge second book! I truly enjoyed every second of this journey and reccomend that you listen to this book as well! it is quite well done and a marvolous tale on top of it!

I really wish

there was a book 2. I just recently found this author and love this book, but for the life of me, could not find the sequel to this book.

into the shadow

Locked away in the highest room in the tallest tower.. Ok ok not exactly but kind of.. The mc does get locked in at night, and doesn't have free run of his home. Trapped by his abusive unloving father he decides to make a change. He decides to run away.

This is the beginning of a journey by a weak cowardly boy crippled by his fathers rage. Who's trying to make a change in his life, seeking answers through his lineage.

The world is well developed, you can map it out in your mind as you go along. Clever twist to magic and a unexpected twist at the end of the book. I really enjoyed this story, cant wait for it to be continued.

A promising start.

Stuart Thaman has created a world filled with potential and characters that I want to learn more about. This story takes a little while to get going, and does seem a little cliched at first, but once it gets going it gets quite good. My only real complaint is that this book feels more like a prelude than a fully realized story in its own right. That said, I'm really looking forward to seeing where the series goes.

slow start, great finish!

hate the narrator's voice with a passion, but overall this was a solid book. starts a little slow setting it all up and then takes off like a rocket. well worth a read (or listen) and I look forward to the next one!!

Great start to the series

This is a great start to the Umbral Blade series, you are immediately enamored by Alistair's plight and your heart breaks for the cruelty and brutality he endures from his father. Hidden powers,
adventure, struggle, action, magic, battles and shades hold you captive in this action filled story. The narrator fit the story well and gives individual personalities to the characters, bringing out the tension and emotion in the story. I will look forward to seeing how things develop in the next book.

Captivating Fantasy

I really enjoyed this first book of the "Umbral Blade". The story was captivating. Once I started the audiobook, I found it hard to drag myself away from it. Having stated that, I did manage to finish this audiobook in one day. The story moved from one action packed scene to the next. The characters were fascinating. I'm hoping that there will be another book in this series soon. J. Scott Bennett's narration was great, and his performance kept my attention. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.