The Spirit War

Eli Monpress, Book 4

By: Rachel Aaron

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

Length: 17 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's Summary

Eli Monpress is vain. He's cocky. And he's a thief. But he's a thief who has just seen his bounty topped, and he's not happy about it. The bounty topper, as it turns out, is his best friend, bodyguard, and master swordsman, Josef, who has been keeping secrets from Eli. Apparently he's the only prince of a rather feisty country, and his mother (a formidable queen who is every bit as driven and stubborn as he is) wants him to come home and do his duty, which means throwing over personal ambitions, such as proving he's the greatest swordsman who ever lived.

Family drama aside, Eli and Josef have their hands full. The Spirit Court has been usurped by the Council of Thrones, and someone calling herself the Immortal Empress is staging a massive invasion. But it's not just politics--the Immortal Empress has a specific target in mind: Eli Monpress, the greatest thief in the world.

©2012 Rachel Aaron (P)2015 Tantor

why, Luke?

Best book of the series yet, marred only by a baffling choice of the narrator to suddenly use a different reading voice for the primary narration (much deeper, ponderously slow, and slightly twangy), and different voices for some of the main characters. Got used to it after a few hours, and after increasing the playback speed to 1.20x. Like once of the other reviewers, I at first thought a completely different person was reading, and found the new voice really unpleasant and hard to listen to. Later on in the book, Luke starts to sound more like his old self from Books 1-3, and I was able to decrease the playback speed to 1.10x.

What happened to narrator?

What disappointed you about The Spirit War?

This is the 4th book of a good series, I have enjoyed listening to Luke Daniels...The info states narrated by Luke Daniels, however, either it is a misprint or he has had a voice change. Disappointing

Loved it

I loved everything except for the narrator changing his voice from the previous books.

Eli Montpress grows up.

I started this series long ago. I was distracted by the Dresden files and then came back to the wizarding world of Eli. The swordsman companion Josef unwillingly returns to his homeland (spoiler alert) Osera with Eli and Niko trailing. Their jaws drop to discover Josef is a prince and all his ailing mother wants is an heir. Drama builds in Osera while back at the council, hints of Eli’s real parents comes to light.
Osera prepares for war against The Empress, a leader from across the ocean who thinks she can win back favoritism from all powerful enchantress in the sky. The enchantress is the true villain in this story as she goads the empress to conquer Osera and the mainland just to win back her true favorite. You got it. Eli Montpress. He disdains her favors and tries to avoid calling on his true power to save Osera. Needless to say, Eli is put between a rock and a hard place. Miranda figures out part of the story and lays the guilt heavy. Eli comes through but at great sacrifice.
Love this story as heroes come in many forms.
What really sold me is the narrator LUKE daniels. His variety of voices helps to really distinguish the characters. He is the amazing voice of Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid Tales.

Good series that gets better

I am not much into fantasy, but this series has got me hook.I love all the characters and their quirks. Luke Daniels does a superb job making the voices unique. I can't wait for the next one.

Good, though some of the voices irk me

The story was excellent, however, I really didn't like some of the voices the reader used, mainly Eli's and the servants.

cliff hanger

be sure to get the next book along with it because you'll want it right away!

BEST OF THE SERIES SO FAR!

What made the experience of listening to The Spirit War the most enjoyable?

The story was relentlessly engaging, dragging me through the drama irresistibly. Rachel Aaron is a master story teller! And, Luke Daniels brought the voice of every character to life flawlessly. His performance is awarding winning!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Spirit War?

The entire story is memorable and filled with magic.

What does Luke Daniels bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I have listened to more than 500 audio books, and produced half a dozen myself. Luke Daniels is a masterful voice talent. He breathes life into every character and performs every sentence flawlessly.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The Spirit War

Great all around series.

The characters, action and how it's told really draws you in and keeps you drawn in. though I didn't like how mid way through the series the voice actors changed.

Amazing Series Just Continues to Get Better

When I first started reading this series I thought there was no way the reviews could be right about their quality. I was wrong. This series somehow just gets better as it goes on. The plot is awesome, character development amazing and the narration of this series can't be beat. Love it. On to the next one!