Funny and fast-paced story & engagingly narrated

This is the first book of three, and I'm now waiting for the second book to come out on Audible!
Jim Hodgson's story is funny and the characters really come to life under Robert Powell's expert narrating. It felt like value for money with a good story length and lots of great moments. Robert's characterisations are wonderful and each character has their own voice and personality.
Highly recommend!

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A wondrous tale of adventure.

We all know the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”, but on this occasion I was instantly drawn to this book by the wonderful cover art which personified adventure and childhood wonder and really did grab my attention.

The story surrounds young Ozel, an orphan living at a ‘foster home’ under the tyrannical rule of Bartu, a portly, violent man who uses the children he ‘cares for’ as child labour. One day Wagast the Wizard visits Bartu seeking a young man to act as an apprentice and chooses Ozel to accompany him.

Over the next few years we see how Ozel is given a home and treated with kindness and care while acting as gardener, cook and taught how to cast and channel magics. The aim is that, through his teachings, Ozel will, one day, becoming a fully fledged wizard himself but for now he helps around the house and with Wagasts ministrations of local folk, like the local blacksmith who's daughter is unwell and Wagast suggests a change of diet as a cure.

This changes one day when Wagast receives a pigeon from a fellow wizard Gurzes, who has heard that Ozel's parents identity have been discovered and an inheritance awaits him in the nearby city of Callan and so Wasgast suggests he go on an adventure to recover his identity and become a man.

What follows is a wonderfully enjoyable tale of Ozel's adventure which, while initially less than Gurzes had expected, expands into a most grand tale of wizard, maidens and the undead.

I really can't express how impressed I was with this story. The primary characters are all extremely likeable, while the supporting cast are equally as well rounded and interesting. Also, while we don't see an awful lot of the world in this tale, what is shown is very well written and believable.

This is all brought to life excellently by the narrator Robert Powell who gave every character a distinct voice, style and even affectation which really aided in making the whole adventure so very enjoyable.

A lot of sites seem to have this listed as a Teen or Young Adult book but I would warn that there is some explicit gore and language but at no point does the story turn dark or scary. It truly does succeed at marrying danger with comedic timing in a way rarely seen outside of the Discworld.

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Highly recommended

Amazing story well written and what a brilliant narrator
Cove my look childish but don’t judge a book by its cover
Can’t wait for more by Jim Hodgson

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Excellent Story Telling!

Listening to audible books is a new experience and one I wasn't sure about. But the narrator was so good at distinguishing each character that it was easy to listen to and a great way to enjoy a book hands-free. It was lovely to be able to sew and listen. The storyline and character building was great as well. Well written and a great narration! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

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