Rain Oxford

Synopsis:
The brothers Nathan and Luca are mysteriously transported to a foreign world which is very different to Earth. The new (to them) world is called Syndrial, and it is ruled by priests and gods and goddesses.

Nathan finds that he has magic, and that he is considered to be the saviour of this world if he can learn to control his magic and find a powerful book: the book of names.

He and Luca face great danger in trying to achieve that goal.

What I think:
Although the idea that the real, secret names hold power, and that whoever knows them can wield power over the person holding them is not a novel idea, the way it is presented in this book is novel and intriguing.

Syndrial is a colourful world, and it is a world of inequality. The ruling priests pretty much do what they want, and they don't shy away from being very cruel in order to get even more powerful. The gods don't usually interfere, and it is up to a couple of semi-gods to stop the priests.

I was drawn into the book right from the start, and there wasn't a dull moment.

There are very many twists and turns, and nothing is as it appears. Poor Nathan has to learn the hard way, and in the end he has to make a very difficult decision about a loved one.

Scott Bennett did a marvellous job at narrating the story, his characters were convincing, his pace exactly right, just the way I like it.

Going by the subtitle (Casters of Syndrial, Book 1) it seems to be the start of a series; however, it can well be read as a standalone -- there's no mean cliffhanger, which is great.

This was my first book by both the author and the narrator, and I'll certainly check out more of their works.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this audio book and I chose to willingly post an honest review.… (mer)

Okay, so this has been a fairly serious series, with some fun, quirky characters (think Harry Dresden meets Harry Potter) and there was this moment, for me, when I laughed so hard I needed to take a break. Seriously, there are some pretty good one-liners scattered throughout the series, but there was this one... The epilogue also raised some really interesting questions, so I'm dying for the next book! If you haven't started the Elemental series yet, do so. It's excellent and complicated, without being overwhelming. The voice actor does a great job with the material, so it's definitely worth the credit to listen.… (mer)

This series is very diverse and entertaining. The author takes you through multiple layers of intrigue, multiple well-fleshed worlds, and keeps you hanging until the very end! Between the alt-Earth setting and the Hell-dimension, along with time disparities, you can never guess what is going to happen next! I love this quality of books! Magic is real, but hidden. Towers can take you to parallel universes, but also transport supreme bad guys... what's a guy to do? Conundrums abound and are masterfully acted out throughout the series by Todd Manassas. My 13 yr. old son and I are both ensorcelled by this series!… (mer)

First of all I want to say that I loved that the lead character was named Dylan! That is my brothers name, so I naturally enjoyed that aspect of this book right away!

Aside from the name, however, the whole book was a great read. I did not get much sleep last night since I was up reading it! Once I started the book it was just so hard to put it down! I wanted and needed to keep reading. I think the fast pace nature of the action make it a worthwhile read for anyone!

One problem I have with a lot of books with battles and sword fights and action is that I cannot always follow along. In this book, however, Oxford used a voice to describe everything that made me feel like I was right there for the action! Never did I need to go back and re-read something a few times before I could feel like I really understood it! And that is quite the accomplishment since epic books often leave me behind when things get heated!

All in all this book did not disappoint! It had a little something than any reader could enjoy, and was a lot of fun from start to finish. I like the characters, the action, and also the fact that I could not always guess what was coming next! A great book that I look forward to reading again!… (mer)