The Outstretched Shadow

The Obsidian Trilogy, Book 1

By: Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory

Narrated by: 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

Absorbing drama

I thoroughly enjoyed this book...the reader is excellent...the plot is intriguing. It was so excellent I bought the second one (hint: even better). This is a very clever storyline, with well articulated characters that you care about. Warmly recommended series.

Great Series But Not The Best

What made the experience of listening to The Outstretched Shadow the most enjoyable?

The narrator has great inflections when she speaks. I really enjoy the sound of her voice and the attention to detail she gives each sentence.

What did you like best about this story?

The story had a nice plot but my favorite part of the book was the descriptions of how magic worked in the world

Have you listened to any of Susan Ericksen’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not

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

No

Any additional comments?

The book is great, though sometimes it feels as though the authors tried a little hard to make the lexicon larger. Overall this book was great. Nevertheless the prose isn't top tier if that is important to you.

A little slow but an awesome book

This was a great book first and foremost. the pace was a bit slow through parts and one of the final scenes was so wordy it got almost monotonous, but when 20 minutes of mediocrity in a book this long is the only complaint, then overall it qualifies as a great book.

Many boring hours

I enjoyed the basic story line, and subsequent development! I did not enjoy the hours of filler, consisting of rhetorical introspection, self-doubt, self-crimination, etc!

And on the Darken, the hours of cruel enjoyment in torturing!

A little bit works, but in my opinion, the author went way overboard!

Good Enough!

When I first began listening to this series I wasn't sure I liked it .... It's a good story line that is well thought out and overall I was entertained ... but it's not a story that will task or engage the reader / listener much. Doesn't compete with other top notch series.

I ended up purchasing / listening to all 3 books in the series, however I don't believe I'll ever call this one of my favorites.

1- Overall few surprises or ah ha! moments ... somewhat predictable
2- Character development seems rushed pretty much across the board
3- Narration took some getting used do ... I couldn't decide if it is the way the book is written or the narrators style but I often felt as if I was sitting in a 2nd grade class

Not very rememberable

I love Mercedes Lackey. I've been a huge fan of hers for years. So I was really expecting to love this book.
Although it didn't live up to her usual standards.
I don't want to say it was bad because it kept me interested at the time. However it has been a couple weeks since I finished the book and looking back I don't remember much about the story or the characters.
Normally when I finish one of her books I cant wait to get the next one and see where the story goes but this time I don't really care because I didn't find the characters very interesting

amazing

this has been one of my favorite series since I was a younger man

Irritating narrator

I could hardly bear the narrator. It was like she was reading to small children. And I could not suspend my disbelief because of her portrayal.

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.