The Raven's Curse

The Sorcerer's Saga, Book 3

By: Rain Oxford

Narrated by: J. Scott Bennett

Ayden Dracre, the youngest son in a family of notorious sorcerers, is successfully developing his reputation as a curse breaker. Maybe too successfully. Unfortunately, the Dracre name is not easy to escape. When Dessa warns Ayden that his mother is after him and others like him, he will have to go on his toughest quest yet.

With spies on his trail and the discovery that there is something wrong with magic, Ayden will have to rely on Merlin's wisdom over his own magic to survive. He will learn that darkness is easier to give in to than it is to resist, there are secrets about his family that may get him killed, and the past does not always stay buried.

©2016 Rain Oxford (P)2017 Rain Oxford

When is Book 4 out?

I have really enjoyed this series. I listened to these 3 books in succession and it was a pleasure to do so. There have been ups and downs but I don't think there have been any lulls when I was losing interest or becoming bored. I was constantly wondering what would be coming next and how we would get there. J. Scott Bennett really brought the series to life for me and I look forward to more of his work too. Rain Oxford really found a niche that I haven't seen in fantasy before, with the dichotomy of the world and magic, and within Ayden himself. He's a bit of an antihero that is growing up into somebody that really has substance and, well, character. His powers still master him sometimes more than his mastering his powers, but he's working on that. That truly was crux of this book, too. Ayden explores his powers and begins learning who he is and what he is capable of. I recommend this book!

I was provided with this book in exchange for a review. I do not color my reviews in light of this. I read for my own enjoyment.

Amazing!

I have really fallen in love with this series. The characters are well developed and at this point, they're good friends. I love the conflict that's in the book. To me, it feels like a coming of age book in the form of a well written fantasy. The main character, Ayden, is fighting against his horrible mother, but for me, he is really fighting against himself and the expectations others have for him. He's having trouble learning that it's ok to be yourself, so long as its really YOU that you're being. The family dynamics are well written, even though you can tell the family is strained all the way around.

The narration couldn't be better. For me, Mr. Bennett gives me many of the same feelings that Jim Dale (narrator of the Harry Potter books) gave me. Jim Dale's narrations started my addiction to audiobooks and from me it is high praise to compare someone to him. There are voices for the characters and Mr Bennett's voice lured me into the story. I didn't want to quit listening until I was finished.

The book left me wanting the next in the series!

This review copy audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher free of charge.

Raven's Curse

Any additional comments?

I received this audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really good novel in the Sorcerer's Saga series. It makes me want to listen to book 4. It was exciting and fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I even finished it in one sitting.

Delightful Fantasy Adventure

I greatly enjoyed this audiobook! It is a rollicking adventure, full of friendship, drama, and a lot of humor. I laughed out loud several times. This was the third book in a saga, and it can function as a stand-alone adventure, although there are things that happened previous to this book that set the stage for some things that happen here (like Ayden meeting Merlin.) I enjoyed having the book read to me, and I plan to go back to the first two books in the saga to see how everything started.

The narration is wonderful. The narrator varies his voice to sound different for the various characters, and matches the vocal inflection suitable to the scene being played out, such as serious, sarcastic, curious, etc. It was just like people really talk, and the delivery was smooth and natural.

I received a copy of this audiobook free from the author without obligation. I voluntarily reviewed the audiobook, and I highly recommend it!

Family-friendly entertainment

This 3rd book in the Sorcerer's Saga continues to be an enjoyable family-friendly fantasy tale that is sure to entertain. It is a humour filled story with magic, dragons, Pirates, evil sorcerer's and some great adventures. The narrator of the audiobook, J Scott Bennett, did a great job of giving each character an individual voice and creating visuals that drew the listening into this entertaining world. This story can be read as a stand-alone but it would be better enjoyed if the series was read in order, as there are threads that flow from one book to the next. I will look forward to seeing how the story progresses in the next book. I received the audiobook at no cost and under no obligation to review.