Dark Apprentice

Fall of Magic, Book One

By: Val Neil

Narrated by: Thomas Judd, Reba Buhr

A psychopathic wizard. An immortal mage. An epic battle of wills.

Nikolai doesn’t want much out of life: sex, immortality, and the power to disembowel anyone who crosses him. But with dark magic forbidden, his only option is Medea–a mage so deadly even the Enforcers give her a wide berth. Despite dire warnings that her apprentices don’t survive, Nikolai won’t stop until she agrees to train him. After all, he’s a killer himself.

Barbaric and brutal, the training is a far cry from what Nikolai expects. When a mysterious illness strikes Nikolai down, he suspects he’s found the secret to Medea’s longevity. He resolves to find out what happened to her previous apprentices. If he can locate the source of her power, he can turn it against her.

Medea swore off training dark wizards–none of them take the craft seriously and the ungrateful bastards always try to kill her. This one definitely seems the backstabbing type, but magic is dying out and she hasn’t felt such magical strength in centuries. If she can control the boy, show him that magic is more than curses and necromancy, he might obtain the power he desires. If not, well....

What’s one more dead apprentice?

If you enjoy dark fantasy with quirky, morally grey characters and humorous banter (but no romance), this is the book for you!

©2021 Val Neil (P)2022 Val Neil

Love this

I really liked this story and its characters. As an autistic female its was cool to be able to relate to the main female character.
The voice over was great and even sounds good at 2x speed (which is not always the case).
Lastly, I love the authors notes at the end, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!!

Really like this book

The characters are fun and disturbing. Nikolai, the mage is one of the most paranoid SOB that you will ever meet. plus, he is a pure narcissist. Madia is just plain weird but very likable. I really like that Madia is not cruel or mean, but has a moral code that she has developed over her long years of life. Really looking forward to the second book in this series!!!

Psychology mixed with Fantasy!

The psychology of the characters takes this book to another level! The author did an amazing job of showing the reader the mindset of two completely different people!

Exciting and Intriguing Story of Magic

Medea is a mage with immortality and more knowledge of magic than any single person has ever known. Nikolai is a man who wants power, knowledge, and immortality using dark magic even if it means killing Medea. All through his training, Nikolai plots and plans Medea’s death; after all, it won’t be the first time he has killed, and it won’t be the last. Now magic is dying thus threatening his future.

The author, Val Neil, creates a complex story full of meaning and hidden nuances that enhances the story in ways one does not expect. Her main characters are strategically created to have a richness and depth one would not expect. Subtle nuances are provided to help define and build a meaningful bond between the listener and characters, and the characters themselves. The story moves at a steady pace with an intriguing storyline. I thought the dialogue to be authentic and further moved the story forward.

The narrators, Thomas Judd and Reba Buhr did an excellent job of performing the book. They both captured the essence of each of their main characters and portrayed them accurately. Although I normally enjoy one narrator, the use of two in this book was well done enriching the story.

I highly recommend this book and series; I am looking forward to hearing more and learning the fate of Nikolai and Medea.

Great listen!

I randomly found this book and thought it sounded interesting. I am so happy with the story. Great characters, funny, and a book based on substance rather than tropes and romance. Love the narrator!