Epic Eight by James Maxwell

Time for a Recent Reads post ...

I had a three month Kindle Unlimited deal, and I was trying to "read" books that had audio options also. Because I can multi-task ... listen while driving, cleaning, mowing the lawn, etc., I can get through more books than I would otherwise. I listened, and loved, both of these four-book epic fantasy sets by James Maxwell. Narrated by Simon Vance.

 I started with The Evermen Saga ... I love the consistency of the covers.

The first book is 600+ pages. The others are around 500 pages each.

We are first introduced to the Alturans, land of the enchanters (other Houses are elementalists, illusionists, animators, builders, sailors, artificers, cultivators). We follow Ella and her quest to become an Enchantress, and her brother Miro, as he becomes a Bladesinger. Listening, at first I wondered if the narrator had said "Bladeswinger or Bladeslinger" but no ... singer. The magic is done with runes and then chanting/singing to activate the spells. In addition to a "Zenblade" (I'm thinking a little like a lightsaber) they have Armorsilk, a thinner, but enchanted covering. Depending on which spells they envoke, the armor can become stronger for protection against attack, or allow flexibility, shed rain/head, or even camouflage them with invisibility. Kind of cool. I love the imagination of authors! Of course these warriors need to be singing most of the time to keep the spells up. A little hard to do when fighting and running. There are TONS of enchanted things. Small lighters, lamps, little prismatic orbs (bombs). A touch of steampunk with dirigibles and mechanical creatures. A "drudge" pulling carts, golems that glow, colossus, woodmen/ironmen, and a sacred book for each house, the "Lexicon" which fuels all the magic, and must be renewed to keep it all going. There are epic battles in each installment while coming to the final conclusion.

While the author included a map at the beginning of the book (obviously not something that could be captured in the audio edition ... so I was very glad that Kindle Unlimited allows for both the digital download in addition to the audio. I did refer to the map, and the text, numerous times during the book). I would have appreciated somewhere having a list of all the houses, their specialty/color/symbol, maybe a list of characters that I could reference to remind myself who was who.

This had a bit of a "Lord of the Rings" or "Game of Thrones" feel to the expansive world. I haven't read those books, but have watched the movies/series. In addition to the broad scope of the storyline and the many characters and fantasy feel, there were other parallels. The "living" trees, an army of the dead, etc ...

I devoured these books. I listened whenever I could, and read when I could.  I was sad when it all ended. All the names had become second nature by the time I finished the fourth book. The narrator was excellent, and his refined accent added ambience to the fantasy feel. 

I saw there was a second quartet by the same author.
The Shifting Tides series.

While a similar set-up with the map, this was a completely different world.  

This series started with a bit more of a historical, rather than fantasy, feel. While not placed in ancient Greece, this setting seemed very similar. From the very title of the book, to names of the people (ie Aristocles), and names of places (Phalesia, Sarcican Sea, Temple of Aeris, Gates of Annika), to Greek words like lyceum and agora, and then there's the oracle, and many references to "the gods" ...

... of course, there were dragons. And giants, and serpents, and ogres, merfolk and furies. So, there's the fantasy. These creatures are actually people/shifters, the eldran. If they stay too long in one of these forms, they "lose" themselves and become wild (wildren) and attacks by wildren have strained relations between eldran and humans. There is also magic tied to metals...thus the theme of the titles. Again, wonderful consistency of covers!

I'd become so entrenched in the world of the Evermen, I wasn't sure I was going to like this new series as much. And I don't think I did to start. But then, I was finishing up the fourth book and again I had fallen in love with the world and the characters, and again, was sad to say goodbye. 

These books were also around 500 pages each. While I love reading, and I'm a fast reader, I just don't know how long it would have taken me to get through these two series if I hadn't had the audio option.  

You can check out my Good Reads profile ... sh(e)reader ... for more in depth reviews on each on of these books, and my other recent reads.