Brian Marzka

Bad writing. Don't pay money for this.

Revisado: 08-29-23

I got it for free, so I can't complain too much -- but don't waste your money if 'free' isn't an option for you. The performances in this were fun, but I don't think ANY performer could have saved writing this bad.

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More of the same, but better.

Revisado: 01-23-22

Infinitely better than the first book, which was already quite good. I'm looking forward to starting the third!

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A great performance of a good story

Revisado: 10-16-21

I had fun making my way through this one. Like the earlier entries in the series, Ms Webb did a truly wonderful job with the characterization and emotion of each member of the dauntingly large cast.

The story itself was also well made, though less impressive than the way it was presented. It felt to me like the Ms Hoyle mad a decision about where the book needed to end up, and then adjusted the story to meet the pre-determined end. The result of which being an abrupt and unsatisfying conclusion that feels more like the end of a "part 1" than the end of a book.
That said, the journey there was fun as always, and was able to keep my interest through to the last word.

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Worst King novel I've read to date.

Revisado: 06-12-21

I'll start by saying that it wasn't terrible, but it was just... not good. The reader was great, and he worked well with what he was given. But the word I'd use to describe the writing itself is 'annoying'. It definitely has a great premise, and some genuinely interesting characters, but the themes of the story were just so painfully shallow. And don't get me started on the constant repetition! It's like King decided that there was no way his readers would remember the plot points from earlier in the book, so he opted to repeat them every time a relevant theme popped up again. It was difficult not to skip forward whenever he decided to repeat the same line for the umpteenth time.

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A surprisingly good followup!

Revisado: 10-21-19

I've found that, with most of the YA fiction I've read, series will tend to go downhill after the high of the first book more often than not. Going in with that expectation, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this title - I actually enjoyed it MORE than the first one! Though I did very much enjoy the first book, I found myself wrestling with the fact that I found the main protagonist utterly unlikable. While this sequel doesn't completely remove that problem for me - I can definitely say that this volume showed a marked improvement on the issue!

Protagonist aside, I found the story itself an improvement as well. The stakes may not be quite as grand, but they make up for it by being much more personal and genuine. To be honest, I thi k the only serious gripe I have with this book is that there is much less time spent with my favorite elderly wizard (and his incredibly fun portrayal by Mrs. Webb).

On the topic of Mrs. Webb, I'm not sure what more I can say - if you've already heard her performance in the previous book in this series, you already know how much feeling and passion she puts into her work. She is definitely one of my absolute favorite upcoming narrators!

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A phenominal reading of an enjoyable story

Revisado: 01-20-19

I typically don't read YA fiction, but I definitely found a lot of enjoyment out of this one! This was due, at least in part, to the narration given by Mrs. Webb. I think her way of giving each character their own voice added so much energy to the story in a way that genuinely made me care about them as individuals. (I especially enjoyed the voice given to the elderly wizard, Rubidious.)

I do have to admit that there were some moments in the story where I found myself frustrated by the main character, as she made a few choices that simply didn't make sense for her to make - even given her anxiety. Thankfully though, I don't think those few moments overshadow the story as a whole, considering that those moments helped to build a beautifully positive message — especially for the younger readers this book was written for.

The setting of the story feels truly magical, and I had a blast learning about the lore and social makeup of the world our characters are discovering. (What can I say, I'm a sucker for world-building.)
It does, unfortunately, have the issue that so many 'series firsts' have, in that there is so much time establishing the cast of characters and framing their early interactions that the real meat of the plot feels a bit rushed. That said, I am absolutely not holding that against it, as I would be extremely surprised if the later books in the series do anything close to the same. I'm looking forward to the release of the next book in the series to see how the author builds on the foundation that this title created!

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A good book with a fantastic narration

Revisado: 10-21-18

Castleberry's work here is quite good for what it is! Though I'm typically more a fan of longer, more detailed stories, I think that this does very well with the time that it has. With a compelling lead and a rather unexpected antagonist, I found myself enjoying the whole ride. My only gripe is that the final act had some pacing issues, and felt rushed compared with the rest of the book. This is forgivable, however, in the scope of the larger story - especially thanks to the relatively small time commitment.

Of course, no audiobook is complete without a narrator, and Webb does a fantastic job with her interpretation of the material. It's difficult to put my finger on it, exactly, but her vocal style lends itself very well to the fantasy genre. It feels very much like she is remembering the story herself and telling it to a friend, rather than just reading from a page. I think her performance was what helped to make the experience as good as it was.

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