Warmage

Spellmonger, Book 2

By: Terry Mancour

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 27 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's Summary

The goblin invasion is on...and a wizard's work is never done!

After facing a hopeless siege, an implacable foe and an impossible escape, you would think that Minalan the Spellmonger would be able to rest - but the armies of the undead goblin shaman Shereul (known as the Dead God to his human victims) are rolling over the western reaches of the rustic Duchy of Alshar and is headed toward the heart of the Duchy of Castal. Thousands are fleeing for their lives as hordes of goblins pour out of Boval Vale and devastate the rugged fiefs of the Alshari Wilderlands. And the super-charged shamans of the Dead God are making defending the realm almost impossible for the outnumbered Alshari country knights.

While the two Dukes play feudal politics to further their own ends, the only people who seem to care about the invasion are Minalan and his outlaw warmagi friends - and they're busy dodging agents of the sinister Royal Censorate of Magic.

But if someone doesn't organize an army in northern Alshar soon, then there will be nothing to stop the armies of the divinely powerful Dead God from conquering all five Duchies in his genocidal quest for vengeance.

But things are just not that simple: he has to cope with a sexy young Shadowmage assassin who works for a mysterious spymaster, a cocky new manservant, a dysfunctional group of suddenly-powerful warmagi, the Censor General, and a bunch of whiny nobles before the Dukes will grant him the troops and money he will need - and the Dukes have plans of their own. If Minalan the Spellmonger can't lobby the courts of Alshar and Castal to work together - and quickly - the hordes of the Dead God will sweep over the frontiers of both states. Worse, the mysterious Umbra veil he has erected around Boval Vale may come to imperil all Five Duchies.

Minalan would rather just go home and let the Dukes handle it, but his conscience won't let him. Someone has to stop the Dead God...and that someone happens to be him. Beyond politics and plots, goblins and trolls, mercenaries and magic, the Soulless and the shamans, Censors and secret orders, for Minalan there is only the thought that his child is to be born in a world with such dangers, and that is something he cannot permit.

It is time for the Spellmonger to pick up his mageblade, summon his allies, and go to war again...as a Warmage!

©2016 Terry Mancour (P)2017 Podium Publishing

Horrible anti hero books.

My wife got me the first 2 books in this series, based on the recommendation after reading Johnthan Renshaw's first book. I'm not a big fan of the justification of poor behavior, so this author's narrative doesn't really speak to me. I don't know if it was meant to be funny, but the lead character has to sleep with his ex at the end of the first book to save the people he's meant to be protecting, while his pregnant girlfriend cheers him on.
The second book is ripe with him cheating on his girlfriend with justifications to the like of she reminds me of my girlfriend, and I might be dead tomorrow anyway. By the end of the second book I was relieved that I wouldn't have to read anymore of the lead characters self important drivel. These books left me disliking the pompous lead character more than I disliked his enemies the goblins. No one likes a hero that says he wants a simple existence, and then accepts the bribe of land and power.
Building a consistent character from start to finish would have been nice. I would have even taken a character that seemed to know himself a bit more. Instead the author gave us a character that lacked integrity and made excuses for every decision he made.
If you are the type of reader that believes a character is a hero because the author tells you he is then you will enjoy this book. The author references how heroic the lead character is regularly though the plot doesn't really back up his claims.

Great plot. But women are relegated to sexy roles

The author writes an interesting intricate plot. But too centered on one character and way mysogenistic.

Juvenile fantasy for the sexually repressed.

The main character is completely unlikable, and a total lech. I wish I hadn't spent a free credit on this garbage.

Great story...confusing way to write it.

What made the experience of listening to Warmage the most enjoyable?

I liked the story and love the characters. Excellent sequel from book 1.

Any additional comments?

The way the story was written with 3 months separating the events all in 1st person was confusing and hard to follow. It would have flowed much better chronologically. Great story, don't get me wrong, but I think the author was trying too hard to be clever with the writing style and it did not serve this excellent story justice.

An amazing story, written in a frustrating format

**First off, and to make no misunderstandings, I want to say that I enjoyed this story as a great continuation of the first book. Incoming gripes aside it was still fun and kept me listening, even if at a few points I wanted to grind my teeth in annoyance.**

Ok now with that said let the rant commence.......the format that this book was written in is just damn awful. The story is split between two threads that keep swapping back and forth as both move forward. Where the first book had the occasional flashback to Min's youth to fill in bits about his story and give us something more, the two threads in this book are only about 6 months apart. Maybe this could have worked out if somehow the writer had made it less straight up and open about what happened in the opening parts of the book, and giving him the credit of the doubt perhaps he was trying to keep the political parts of this book interesting by splitting up those sections with battles from later. That is not at all how it ends up working though. If the book had just been a single continuous thread going through and picking up right after the end of the last book there would at least be some suspense or worry about things going on in the political parts. There are chapters of that thread that literally end in lines like "When the cencorate gets here he is literally going to want my head." That in and of itself would be something to worry about....if we didn't already know not a damn thing was going to come of it because he's still alive and fighting a battle in just the last chapter which is some odd months in the future. Is he going to get the courts support? Is he going to get an army to fight back the goblins? What's going to happen if they turn him down? None of these questions have any sway when the other plot thread basically just tells you all you need to know aside from "are they going to win the war". It is so damn frustrating, especially when the story is decently written and has all the right parts just in the wrong places.

So long story short, there is a great story in here, and even as I wanted to pull out my hair I did like seeing where things went in the book. But for the love of all that is holy it just feels like someone took a well planned and finished book, cut it in half then just staggered the chapters for some stupid reason that for the life of me I just don't freaking understand. If and when they roll out the third book, if its written like this again I don't think I will be following on past that though. Personally I'm just praying this was some kind of artistic experimentation that didn't pan out and gets discarded in the series.

I just can't make myself like the main character

I tried. I really did. I love fantasy series and was so excited to discover this one! I appreciated that Minalan didn't take himself too seriously, that is nice in a fantasy hero. That was Book 1. I wasn't crazy about Minalan, but he was tolerable, and I buy audiobooks based partly on length (the longer the better!) so I really wanted to like this series. But then in Book 2, Minalan cheats on his pregnant fiancee. I mean come on! I am all for the flawed hero, but blatant assholery is a no-go. Even cheating and then feeling regretting it is fine. But he was just like "meh, okay."

The things that I didn't like but was willing to put up with until the cheating thing were...the narrator. So breathy. Every female and the older males all sound like they are gasping all the time.

Sex magic? like really? Call me a prude, but throwing something kinky in there just to be kinky is a cheap trick. Authors shouldn't stoop to cheap tricks. Going to return this one with some regrets.

Thought I'd like it, wanted to like it; didn't

Tedious, meandering detail of magical combat leader, that goes on forever. Listened for hours hoping I'd would pick up or improve, but finally had to stop.
Solid narrator, and subject matter I typically enjoy, but... nope. not for me.

I needed more!

I wish each of these books were hundreds of pages longer. I also wish i could give the narrator a higher rating than 5.

no

I gave up. Between his boasting about how good at see he is and the constant repetitions on everything...
the political side Is off as well.

He does do battles well though

I think the author needs to talk to women more.

Compared to book 1, this book was significantly better. The story is actually highly engaging and the battles and politics are well gathered. The issue I have is that the main character seems to attract every female in the world and every female seems to use her "womanly woes" with him. It's actually quite irritating and would love to cut out every sex written scene in this book and I'd give it 5. Let's also not forget the copious amounts of cheating by the main character because that's totally cool. The narrator is also lacking. He often changed voices or seems to forget the characters voice and his staccato tone leaves the story feeling bland and all the jokes landing flat. His woman voices are also all the same so that just adds to my gripe with the lack of depth the author gives to the women in this book. I honestly believe he needs to talk to women more because it's heavily drowned in Male fantasy.

Decent but not as great as thr first book.

It actually got great at the end and had some interesting moments along the way. The battles never really got me. But it's a good book regardless. I'm just not loving it as much as the first. Let's see how the next one works on me.

Loved it!

Medieval politics, awesome battles and dark humour in just the right amounts. Not to mention one of my favourite narrators make this a great damn book.

A great performance can't save this story.

The story has all the elements to be a decent fantasy epic. However it's let down by the protagonist being an utter Mary-Sue, and it never felt to me like there was any mystery or danger. The writing is bland and unexciting with occasional words being completely wrong.
All this means this story is not worth your time or money.

Great!

High fantasy with great humour and likeable heroes, cant wait for the next one. Isis pert little nipples!!!

a great listen can't wait for the next installment

a great listen can't wait for the next installment. They are big books but gripping

great story and performed very well

loved the characters, the plots and the intrigues. very entertaining. great story and performed very well

great storytelling

Really enjoying this series of books cant wait to see more.
loving the cast of characters and how they are fleshing out.
the voice acting is well done.
keep up the good work!

Amazing Series!

I just can't praise this series enough. The authors style is brilliant- although set in a fantasy world the characters are all so believable and human. There is loads of humour and the way the magic is intertwined in the story is brilliantly done. And lastly the narrator is a true master at his craft- this is the second series I have listened to others by John Lee and once again I am not disappointed. If you like adventure and a good tale, just get this series.

A good listen, but dragged on

I'm enjoying the Spellmonger series so far. This one took a while to get going. I understand that the author is setting the tone for the book and probably the whole series, I just think he could have gotten there a bit quicker.

leaves you wanting more

loved it from start to finish can't wait to start the next book. Amazing characters