The Outstretched Shadow

The Obsidian Trilogy, Book 1

De: Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory

Narrado por: Susan Ericksen

Kellen Tavadon, son of the Arch-Mage Lycaelon, thought he knew the way the world worked. His father, leading the wise and benevolent Council of Mages, protected and guided the citizens of the Golden City of the Bells. Young Mages in training---all men, for women were unfit to practice magic---memorized the intricate details of High Magic and aspired to seats on the council.

Then Kellen found the forbidden Books of Wild Magic---or did they find him? Their Magic felt like a living thing, guided by the hearts and minds of those who practiced it and benefited from it. Questioning everything he has known, Kellen discovers too many of the City's dark secrets. Banished, with the Outlaw Hunt on his heels, Kellen invokes Wild Magic---and finds himself running for his life with a unicorn at his side.

Rescued by a unicorn, healed by a female Wild Mage who knows more about Kellen than anyone outside the City should, meeting Elven royalty and Elven warriors, and plunged into a world full of magical beings, Kellen both revels in and fears his new freedom. The one thing all the Mages of the City agreed on was that practicing Wild Magic corrupted a Mage---turned him into a Demon. Would that be Kellen's fate?

Deep in Obsidian Mountain, the Demons are waiting. Since their defeat in the last great War, they've been biding their time, sowing the seeds of distrust and discontent between their human and Elven enemies. Very soon now, when the Demons rise to make war, there will be no alliance between High and Wild Magic to stand against them. And then all the world will belong to the Endarkened.

©2003 Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory (P)2010 Tantor

Great Book

I love it, and have had a hard time not listening to it. My kids have also enjoyed the storyline

Mercedes Lackey Never disappoints!

It's a great page turned of a story (even though this is an audio book, so someone else is turning the pages)
Fun, fast paced and well written. The performance enhances the experience

slow starter

book took a wail to get going but was pretty good. going to get the next one

Old favorite, well read?

I read this book many years ago and thought I would enjoy hearing it now.
The story is still an interesting take on both magic and coming of age stories.
The reader did have only a few problems with pronunciation of certain words. But the Bella Lugosi-esque voice which was used for the Endarkened was very unpleasant.

good not great

it was a little slow for me, but looking forward to the second and third book

Starts slow, gets much better

This book has a slower start, but builds up the necessary background the reader (or listener) needs to understand things that happen later. It is quite enjoyable, with action, emotional ups and downs, and fun characters.

An interesting book on sword and sorcery.

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

Yes. The authors have put together a well thought out world and many of the characters are above par.

Would you be willing to try another book from Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory ? Why or why not?

Yes. I was a little worried at the start and getting into the middle of this 1st book but it did pick up a little. The Narrator was noticeably too slow but thank the heavens that the Audible App on my Android phone has a setting to play it at 1.25x speed. This is one thing I wish my Kindle did and I'd have to warn someone who had a Kindle.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Susan Ericksen?

I am listening to the 2nd book in this series by her.

Any additional comments?

To casual fantasy readers you might not like the 1st book much. Kellen does a lot of, well....whining regarding his self doubt, inability to do this or that, and almost anything he can doubt himself about. Its mostly inner-monologue but that doesn't make it any better or any easier to listen to. His self-confidence is horrible.
The World in general that the authors have created has awesome potential. Already in the 2nd half of this book you start to see it and it gets better in the 2nd book. I hope the authors keep on this tangent but I've only listened to this 1st book in the series and now am in the middle of the 2nd.

Well Thought Out World

This is a fairly detailed and fairly unique magical world. There are some minor underlying flaws in it, but they are not readily noticeable. Overall it a fun thought provoking read.

Recommended

Very interesting world. Enjoyed listening to story. Story took very surprising twists. Reader kept story moving nicely.

Nice story

Worth the credit I spent and I will keep listening to the trilogy to see what happens next. my only gripe is that the main male character can be really whiny but he is a 17 year old boy, so I suppose that's to be expected?