David A. Wells (1) (1969–)

I loved Thinblade! But, I am an old softy. I love stories of good against evil where the good guy who does not really know what is going on but has been drafted into this unfamiliar and uncomfortable role nonetheless goes out and, step by step, deals with all of the challenges, trials and attacks to defeat the megalomaniac who is threatening the world.
Wells has made enjoyable characters going through great difficulties and obstacles with panache and courage. Occasional moments of comfort and/or levity together with a gradually clearing of mysteries will lead (inevitably) to the victory of good.
If only life were as clear cut as this.
Did I mention that I love romances? Even fantasy novels with lots and lots of physical battles? Yeah, that kind. Now I just have to get my hands on the next volume in this series.… (mer)

This had been on my tbl list for more than six months now. I finally started listening to it, and I'm glad I did. I'm a fantasy buff, and it never ceases to amaze me that with each fantasy book I read or listen to, there are always new ideas.
Well, OK, so the subject is nothing new: bad versus evil, but then you can't reinvent the wheel.

The world building is nice, though, and the magic and how it is used is yet different from all I've read before.
Then there are the characters. A handful of people who set out to save their world.

I love Lucky the most, the alchemist mage, with his joyful nature, his amazing skills, his appreciation of good meals, and his never ending optimism.

The enemy, Phane, is driven, and I wonder whether he'll be saved, or just defeated.
I have six more books to find out.

The narrator, Derek Perkins, is doing a great job,and it is a joy to listen.… (mer)

This is a great sequel to Thinblade. I very much enjoyed the world, and I'd love to spend time to explore Blackstone Keep, which sounds like a fascinating place. I hope we'll get to know a bit more about it in the sequels.

We have new dangers and adventures here, and we find out a bit about the Reishi Gates.

Isabel and Abigail are left in quite the predicament, and the book ends fairly abruptly, so make sure you have the sequel at the ready. I subtracted one star because of it, because I really loathe open endings and cliffhangers, and here's a pretty mean one.
Luckily, that series is finished, so I don't need to wait for publication.

Again, Derek Perkins narrates this wonderfully and brings the story and the characters to life.… (mer)

The intriguing story goes on. We get to spend some time in Blackstone Keep, but not enough for my liking. Then again, there's a war going on, so we have to be up and about. ;)
Alexander and his friends do their utmost to find new allies, and they make use of the gates.

Isabel and Abigail learn a lot of things during their imprisonment, so the time isn't wasted at least.

Like the previous sequels, this one stops fairly abruptly, and although I'm looking forward to the sequels, this is a reason for me not to give five stars.… (mer)