***** Compelling World of Magic
Author Steve Davala builds a world and characters that captivate the listener. The story is suitable for YA and old who enjoy magical fantasy.
The characteristics of greed, control, and corruption fill this epic YA fantasy. Magic, once prevalent in this world, disappeared. Finding the powers, then discovering why wizardry vanished and who holds control makes this story fascinating. Story evolution contains non-stop action and adventure that builds on top of a rich foundation of a thousand years of missing magic that unexpectedly returns.
Sage characters like Turic share experiences and knowledge with young learners, including Jace, Straeten, Cathlyn, and Karanne. Each character portrays realistic interactions and unique viewpoints necessary to move the journey forward. I related to Jace’s relationships with animals. His care for creatures helps him to grow and learn to forgive himself.
The Soulkind Awakening epic fantasy exposes secrets hidden for hundreds of years. Cruel creatures, magical castles, and surprising heroes exist. The secrets of the magic and who holds the keys create unexpected twists and turns. Emotions run high in this story as all senses get leveraged in the ongoing story.
The tempo at the beginning of the narration by Daniel Susco is a bit slow but matches the opening segments of the story. The voices and narration become one with the action as the story evolves. Character voices are distinctive and maintained. There were no issues with the quality of the audiobook.
I recommend this story to readers of fantasy and magic. It is the first book in the series, and I look forward to listening to the subsequent volumes. Great series start.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steve Davala is a Pacific Northwest author and high school science teacher. He loves writing fantasy, sci-fi, and even children’s books.
His first book was The Soulkind Awakening, book 1 in the Soulkind Series. This was a fantasy trilogy about magic returning to a land where it was silenced for a thousand years. He and his wife, Laurie, co-wrote the delicious “Books are for Reading, Not Eating!” And finally, he created his own sci-fi world of Magla in the book “Skywatch.”
Books are available in paperback and e-book, and on the Soulkind Series is also on Audible and iTunes.
Follow: @sciteachah on Twitter and Instagram and stevedavala.com
Narration by Daniel Susco
