The Invisible College

The Invisible College, Book 1

By: Jeff Wheeler

Narrated by: Kate Rudd

A mortal sorcerer sets out to defy the dark magic of an ancient race awakening to wage war on mortals in an epic fantasy of adventure and love by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler.

Millennia ago, a magical race called the Aesir found a new home on a distant world. Attracted to the cold during an ice age, they hibernated for hundreds of years at a time. With each awakening, however, they saw their world changed by ever-evolving mortals encroaching on their territory and way of life. Two civilizations with opposing magic, poised to clash over and over. Now, the Aesir are awakening to wage a new war—this time to exterminate their enemy once and for all.

Robinson Hawksley is an elocutionist at the Invisible College who has perfected a way of teaching speech to train sorcerers by using the intelligences that create magic. The world needs more sorcerers to protect against the looming Aesir threat, and Robinson’s newest charge is McKenna Foster, a barrister’s daughter rendered deaf after a bout with a plague unleashed by the Aesir. As their lessons progress and they grow ever closer, there also comes a strange connection to the Aesir—one that crosses the boundaries of time itself and the unfathomable mysteries of the Unseen Powers.

Emerging from their icy fortresses, the Aesir begin their bombardment. Can Robinson and McKenna, brought together by magic, stop an endless war with powers even they have yet to fully understand?

©2024 by Jeff Wheeler. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Narrator Kate Rudd nails the main character, Robinson, who has developed a new way of training sorcerers. Rudd does well with male characters, especially Robinson, a gentle and intellectual type. Rudd bestows the other male main character, a military officer, with a more overt masculine confidence. It doesn't take long to figure out that Rudd and his new student, McKenna, are headed for romance. Rudd establishes the bond between them from the start, tentatively at first—as befits a society reminiscent of Europe in the 1800s.”—AudioFile Magazine

“Wheeler's series starter presents a sound-focused magic that provides a good foundation for the world he has populated with believable characters, with a plot that keeps the suspense high.”—Booklist

“Jeff Wheeler weaves a deep and unique world filled with magic, danger, and hope. Readers will fall in love with the characters and root for their triumphs. (And I may have a crush on Robinson now.)”—Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg

I enjoyed the narrator!

Overall I enjoyed this story. There were times it felt slow or I got a little lost, but I'm looking forward to the next book!

I enjoyed the narrator's use of different voices for each character.

Very exciting, great pace

This was a very enjoyable book. Never a lag in something going and yet well paced so the plot and characters can be developed. Kate Rudd is a wonderful performer of all the characters.

Truly Gripping

A wonderful read! Good people who triumph due to selflessness and qualities I respect mixed with a world and magic system totally original. I’m excited for the rest of the series.

Well done mystery with many twists. Makes you think about what is next.

I like to listen to Jeff Wheelers books. Who will survive and who is good or evil. At the end of each book I think about many characters trying to figure out their future.

Harry Potter meets Bridgerton

I love the magic aspect in this time period. It don’t feel overly romantic and it still had good storyline and plot intertwined. It had me captivated and guessing. The world building was also done so well I could imagine it all. I feel that this would be a great movie to watch.