Magical

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This audiobook was a rather entertaining listen. This was my first experience with the writing pair of P.T. Hylton and Michael Anderle and I was pretty impressed with it overall. I decided to listen to this book because the premise appealed to me and I have really enjoyed Gabra Zackman's narration in the past. I was hooked really early in the story and listened to the book in just a few short days. I had a lot of fun with this entertaining story.

The book is focused on two main characters. Abbey is the daughter of the local blacksmith. She is tough, smart, and has a little bit of magic. Abbey and her father are very close and many in their city consider them to be outsiders since they come from another area. Dustin has been training to be a storm caller for years and is facing the final test as the book opens. Things don't go exactly as Dustin hopes in his test but he plans to make the most of the situation.

I really enjoyed the world that was created in this book. The magic is really interesting and I liked how Abbey questions it. The book had a bit of a pirate feel with the ships and some of their actions. Each of the ships has their own storm caller that can shape the weather in their own favor. The ships were very important to the towns and ruled by the captain and storm caller in most cases.

The book was exciting from the beginning. There are a few battles and fights spreads through the book that provided plenty of action. The mystery centered around Abbey's father was very interesting and I really enjoyed learning more about his past. I loved watching Abbey and Dustin both deal with the reality of what they learn about their world.

I enjoyed Gabra Zackman's narration of this book. She handled a fairly large cast of characters very well by using a variety of voices. She was able to put a lot of emotion into her voice and made the exciting scenes seem a bit more thrilling. The dialogue in the book flowed very well and I thought she was able to really bring the story to life.

I would recommend this book to others. I had a lot of fun listening to this action packed story filled with wonderful characters. I would love to learn what happens next for this group.

I received an review copy of this book from LMBPN Publishing via Audiobook Access.

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awesome

awesome book and series love it this series is so cool and recommend it to anybody and everybody

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I'm hooked

Wow! From beginning to end of this story, the listener is taken on an action packed journey of wit, danger, treachery, sword fighting, sea faring, treason, mystery, and acceptance. Storm Raiders is a really entertaining story! I would have preferred to have listened to the entire story in one setting instead of over several one hour increments. Gabra Zackman did a great job as well! Her voices and inflections were spot on. I will definitely be buying additional audiobooks in this series by Michael Anderle & P.T. Hylton. Only one warning! If you're listening to this book while driving, it is very easy to become distracted by this story. Please be careful!

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I need more bada$$ books like this in my life!

Note: This series is part of a much bigger series and is technically Book 59 of The Kurtherian Gambit Universe. This book works just fine as a stand alone.

This was the book of badassery I needed and didn’t even knew existed until a few weeks ago. Perhaps I’ve been living under a rock. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. The characters were fun, the plot was full of action, and the world building drew me in completely.

Abbey is my favorite character. She’s been working in her dad’s blacksmithery all her life and playing with sharp pointy things since she could stand. She’s a full on action hero in this book but she’s also NOT a cliched broken character that needs to find redemption or her place in life. She comes from a loving single-parent home and has self-confidence.

Sid was my second favorite character. She’s a warrior on board the ship that Abbey sneaks onto after her dad is falsely accused of murder. She’s bald headed and swings two swords like nobody’s business. She’s also a great commander in battle. Such a practical woman! Then there’s Dustin, who took longer to grow on me. He’s just recently gotten his cloak and staff and is officially now a Storm Caller. Yay Dustin! Dustin initially is a little standoffish to Abbey but he comes around, especially after Abbey saves his life a time or two.

Benjamin, Abbey’s dad, has a past that adds some mystery to the mix. He also has a special staff that is a bit of magictech from his hometown of Arkadia. Tor and Dallia are the foremost Storm Captain and Storm Caller of Holdgate. They sail the Thunderclap and they and their crew are always treated as heroes when they return to port.

The plot has these Viking-like reavers that the Storm ships are suppose to repel, protecting Holdgate and nearby settlements. However, Abbey and Dustin find out that not all is on the up and up on their first trip out. Once I learned the full extent of it, I briefly wondered how such a secret was kept with perhaps as many as 300 Holdgate citizens involved. Later we find out that certain people have been suspicious that something was afoot but hadn’t put it all together yet. Plus, you need a very strong case to take down the instigators.

They story was well paced bouncing between quieter moments where someone is learning a bit of magic or have a useful conversation and bigger moments where buildings are on fire and juiced up warriors are trying to take your head! Plenty of snarky comments are tossed around, making me laugh out loud at times. There’s a real sense of camaraderie among the main characters.

All told, this was a delight. It has the epic fantasy feel to it while being a book you can listen to in a day. This tale ended well, answering most of the questions presented but leaving just enough open for the sequel. I’m ready for Book 2!

I received a free copy of this book.

The Narration: Gabra Zackman was great for this book. She was the perfect Abbey, pulling off the snark and Abbey’s emotions with ease. Her male voices were all distinct and sounded like men. I love her calm, collected voice for Sid even in the heat of battle. Zackman’s narration really added to suspense and action. Awesome narration all around.

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I want MORE

I love this story. You get to know enough about the characters without getting bored. The story keeps moving forwards with a few predictable and many more surprise turns. It took me about 20 min of listening to get hooked but after that I found myself listening as often as I could. There is some mature language (swears) and I would not recommend this book to be listened to around young children. I found the reader to be clear and her performance really added to the novel. This is a book I will listen to at least twice. Maybe more. Cannot wait to get the next book.

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Amazing!!!

I loved all the action and intrigue. How did I not know about The Kurtherian Gambit Universe!

Storm Raiders is a fantastic stand alone story that is also book one in the Storms of Magic series. The authors pulled me in with their vibrant descriptions and the narrator brought it all to life.

I can't wait to check out the rest of the books is the series and the Kurtherian Gambit Universe!

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Adventure on the high sea!

I enjoyed listening to Storm Raiders Age of Magic. This is my first glimpse into this magical world and I'm looking forward to continuing. Abby is a great character and so is Dustin. The story is filled with adventure and excitement.
I give Storm Raiders 4 stars for its adventurous read.
I would recommend this book to paranormal fans.

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Magic, Pirates, and Swordfights

Storm Raiders: Age of Magic begins with the end of technology on earth. Everything has changed where magic exists. Abby and her father, Benjamin have moved to live in Holdgate and always been an outsider. The only friend that Abby has was Dustin. Since Dustin entered into his apprenticeship as a Storm Caller, he has made himself scarce to Abby.

When her father is accused of murder, Abby was going to prove her father's innocent. Dustin feeling bad for the way he has abandoned and treated Abby was willing to help her to make up his absence to her. What both discovered is that there is something sinister going down and it is bigger than her father's being framed for murder.

I love, love how the story portrayed Abby and Dustin's relationship. Even thought they are young adults, they have more growing to do and much to learn. They bickered like teenagers and from time to time, have a bit of a swagger before realizing that they need to rely on each other and the crew of Foggy Day to stop the storm raiders and traitors within Holdgates.

Storm Raiders has a very good start for A Kurtherian Gambit Series. I definitely would follow this series just to see Abby and Dustin's characters develop and if they can save their world from the storm raiders.

The narrator, Gabra Zackman does a wonderful performance of female and male voices. I couldn't tell the difference because each of the voices made the characters unique and each of the characters stands out on their own.

I was given the audiobook by the Audiobook Access. I have volunteered to write an unbiased review for the book. I was not compensated or influenced in any way in writing my review.

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A GREAT NEW ARK!

Love the pace and plot. I got sucker into the story and it was over before I knew it. ANOTHER GREAT STORY MA!

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Overall excellent read

This was a fantastic book. There was great story building. I didn't feel like I was just dropped in the middle of the story, but I didn't feel like I had to be spoon fed the minor details. The author did a great job weaving it all together so that I understood what was going on even during the world building.

I thought the story line was enjoyable. There were some definite surprises. I enjoyed the characters. There was like absolutely no romance, but I didn't feel like the story needed it or missed it. (And I love romances!)

There were a few things I thought were a little confusing (such as why Abbey couldn't do certain things with her magic to move the story along). And there were a few open ended things that will probably be resolved in the next book.

I did have to dock the rating for swearing. There was a lot of "minor swearing", and one f-bomb. I felt like it totally detracted from the story. I cringed every time! I just felt like the book didn't need that.

The narrator was FABULOUS. She has such a clear, enjoyable voice. Her tempo was fabulous. I enjoyed listening to her, and I feel like she really added a lot to the quality of this audio experience.

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