The Summoner and the Seer

Darklight Universe, Book 1

By: C. Gold

Narrated by: Ulf Bjorklund

He murdered her family; she sentenced him to eternal torture. Now they have to work together to save the world from the coming darkness.

Radcliff was widely known as the most ruthless wizard of all time. Nicknamed Destroyer, his brutal actions forced even the most recalcitrant kingdoms to surrender. When the west defied him, he immolated their entire city and thousands died. But this action was the last straw for many. Betrayed by his lover, stripped of power and memory by his mentor, he was locked up and tortured for 1,000 years.

Amira’s seer talent has always been unpredictable but accurate. So when it shows her the wizard responsible for slaughtering her friends and family is the key to saving the world, she has no choice but to rescue him. But Radcliff is no longer who he was and certainly not what she expected. It isn’t long before she regrets her part in his sentencing.

Radcliff doesn’t know he’s the most reviled person in history. In fact, he doesn’t know anything because when he wakes up each morning, he forgets his past. A journal lets him relearn basic spells, but it can’t help him build a relationship, and he’d really like one with his beautiful traveling companion.

Together, they must evade their enemies and restore Radcliff’s memory before the world is consumed in darkness. But bringing back the Destroyer may not be wise. It may also break Amira’s heart.

This can be heard as a stand-alone fantasy novel set in the Darklight universe.

©2017 C. Gold (P)2019 C. Gold

Unique story, unexceptional execution

This was a very different story than I'd expected, but I found it surprisingly enjoyable. The narration took a bit of getting used to, but wasn't bad.

The premise is great. Radcliffe the Destroyer, widely hated and feared for his ruthless efficiency in crushing resistance and uniting the world for his Emperor, is betrayed by his lover and sentenced to death. Amira the Seer, whose erratic yet powerful gift shows her things other seers scoff at, knows that her people's greatest enemy is the only one who can save the world, and argues for a different punishment. Stripped of his memory and much of his power, sentenced to live with his memory vanishing with the sunrise, Radcliffe must somehow fulfill his destiny despite these handicaps.

It's also a romance. I wasn't expecting that. The hints of worldbuilding that are there are enough to intrigue me, but the story is very much focused on the day to day interactions of Amira and the adorably ignorant former-Destroyer. It's fun, different, and a bit meandering.

It's almost a standalone; there are hints of a followup book, but it works fairly well on its own.

Definitely not a waste of time, but for such a great premise the execution could've been better.

enjoyed for most part

for the most part I enjoyed listening to this story and will see what else this author has to offer.

Good story well performed, but not for the young.

Entertaining tale of good versus evil, where determining which a character is, isn't always immediately evident. Everyone is a mixture of both and must ultimately decide which they are. The author chooses an unusual central villain in a fast paced tale of conflicts within conflicts which I would recommend for young and old alike if it were not for a couple brief graphic scenes which I feel are inappropriate for the young. The narrator is easy to listen to and keeps your attention.

with impending doom, seer turns to worst enemy

one off story do can be listened to as single novel.
it was a slow start for me. About three quarters into story, did it gain traction with me.
Radliffe the designated bad guy is laden with curse/spell that limits him to a day's worth of memories. Each day is a restart but the magic is bubbling in him.
That foreshadowing leads to a big ending. The last quarter of the book exposes the Big Bad and what scared the Seer do. The nature of the threat could have been another highlighted foreshadowing
Robust ending

entertaining

This story was fast paced, then slowed way down. Was interesting with the whole group, enough heroes? Was good read.