Listen free for 30 days
-
Magic Casement
- A Man of His Word, Book 1
- Narrated by: Mil Nicholson
- Series: A Man of His Word, Book 1
- Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £22.89
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Faery Lands Forlorn
- A Man of His Word, Book 2
- By: Dave Duncan
- Narrated by: Mil Nicholson
- Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Inos, the late king's daughter, had been kidnapped through the magic casement even as the Impish legions overrunning her tiny kingdom were storming the castle tower. Now she was a prisoner in a desert land ruled by a dockside whore with a talent for magic and a passion for politics. She little dreamed that the loyal stableboy Rap had jumped through the casement after her. But no one really knew how the magic worked, and Rap found himself not in a desert, but in the steaming jungles of Faerie....
-
The Cutting Edge
- Part One of A Handful of Men
- By: Dave Duncan
- Narrated by: Mil Nicholson
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beautiful Queen Inos married the loyal stableboy Rap and made him her king. They were very much in love, and they lived happily ever after. Fifteen years went by. Rap and Inos were comfortable, secure, and truly happy, raising their family in the little backwater kingdom of Krasnegar, well removed from the hurly-burly of great affairs.... But in far-off Hub, the old Imperor's health - and, some said, his sanity - deteriorated inexorably. The borderlands were seething....
-
Future Indefinite
- By: Dave Duncan
- Narrated by: Mark Ashby
- Length: 16 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Edward Exeter assumes the mantle of Liberator in the strange, alternate world called Nextdoor - a far-flung outpost of British imperialism where earthborn mortals possess the powers of gods. His decision has made him the target of betrayals and murderous plots. But Exeter has learned the Game well in his short time in Nextdoor and he plays it boldly to its unexpected, worlds-shattering conclusion.
-
Against the Light
- By: Dave Duncan
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 14 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Hierarchy, high priests of the religious order the Light, rules both the magical kingdom of Albi and its religion. Worshippers in the old ways of the Earth Mother, clandestinely scattered throughout the land, are persecuted as heretics. And when missionary student Rollo Woodbridge returns to his home in Albi, he is arrested for heresy and treason, setting off a chain of events that puts everyone’s life in jeopardy and plunges the kingdom into chaos.
-
The Reluctant Swordsman
- By: Dave Duncan
- Narrated by: Donald Corren
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wallie Smith can feel the pain. He goes to the hospital, remembers the doctors and the commotion, but when he wakes up it all seems like a dream. However, if that was a dream how do you explain waking up in another body and in another world? Little Wallie finds himself in the physique of a barbarian swordsman, accompanied by both an eccentric priest babbling about the Goddess and a voluptuous slave girl. Is this a rude awakening or a dream come true?
-
-
Superb series
- By Mumblecrust on 04-08-17
-
Fatemarked
- The Fatemarked Epic, Book 1
- By: David Estes
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 19 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They are the fatemarked. Misunderstood. Worshipped. Hated. Murdered at birth. Their time to step into the light has come. An ancient prophecy foretold their coming, the chosen few who will bring peace to a land embroiled in a century of mistrust and war. When kings start dying, that hope and belief swiftly turns to fear. Roan Loren is one of the fatemarked, but has hidden his mark of power his entire life, fearing the damage it might cause to those around him. A great evil is coming. He can't hide anymore.
-
-
Superb Series!
- By Jordan on 25-09-18
-
Faery Lands Forlorn
- A Man of His Word, Book 2
- By: Dave Duncan
- Narrated by: Mil Nicholson
- Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Inos, the late king's daughter, had been kidnapped through the magic casement even as the Impish legions overrunning her tiny kingdom were storming the castle tower. Now she was a prisoner in a desert land ruled by a dockside whore with a talent for magic and a passion for politics. She little dreamed that the loyal stableboy Rap had jumped through the casement after her. But no one really knew how the magic worked, and Rap found himself not in a desert, but in the steaming jungles of Faerie....
-
The Cutting Edge
- Part One of A Handful of Men
- By: Dave Duncan
- Narrated by: Mil Nicholson
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beautiful Queen Inos married the loyal stableboy Rap and made him her king. They were very much in love, and they lived happily ever after. Fifteen years went by. Rap and Inos were comfortable, secure, and truly happy, raising their family in the little backwater kingdom of Krasnegar, well removed from the hurly-burly of great affairs.... But in far-off Hub, the old Imperor's health - and, some said, his sanity - deteriorated inexorably. The borderlands were seething....
-
Future Indefinite
- By: Dave Duncan
- Narrated by: Mark Ashby
- Length: 16 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Edward Exeter assumes the mantle of Liberator in the strange, alternate world called Nextdoor - a far-flung outpost of British imperialism where earthborn mortals possess the powers of gods. His decision has made him the target of betrayals and murderous plots. But Exeter has learned the Game well in his short time in Nextdoor and he plays it boldly to its unexpected, worlds-shattering conclusion.
-
Against the Light
- By: Dave Duncan
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 14 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Hierarchy, high priests of the religious order the Light, rules both the magical kingdom of Albi and its religion. Worshippers in the old ways of the Earth Mother, clandestinely scattered throughout the land, are persecuted as heretics. And when missionary student Rollo Woodbridge returns to his home in Albi, he is arrested for heresy and treason, setting off a chain of events that puts everyone’s life in jeopardy and plunges the kingdom into chaos.
-
The Reluctant Swordsman
- By: Dave Duncan
- Narrated by: Donald Corren
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wallie Smith can feel the pain. He goes to the hospital, remembers the doctors and the commotion, but when he wakes up it all seems like a dream. However, if that was a dream how do you explain waking up in another body and in another world? Little Wallie finds himself in the physique of a barbarian swordsman, accompanied by both an eccentric priest babbling about the Goddess and a voluptuous slave girl. Is this a rude awakening or a dream come true?
-
-
Superb series
- By Mumblecrust on 04-08-17
-
Fatemarked
- The Fatemarked Epic, Book 1
- By: David Estes
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 19 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They are the fatemarked. Misunderstood. Worshipped. Hated. Murdered at birth. Their time to step into the light has come. An ancient prophecy foretold their coming, the chosen few who will bring peace to a land embroiled in a century of mistrust and war. When kings start dying, that hope and belief swiftly turns to fear. Roan Loren is one of the fatemarked, but has hidden his mark of power his entire life, fearing the damage it might cause to those around him. A great evil is coming. He can't hide anymore.
-
-
Superb Series!
- By Jordan on 25-09-18
-
Sufficiently Advanced Magic
- Arcane Ascension, Book 1
- By: Andrew Rowe
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 21 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Five years ago Corin Cadence's brother entered the Serpent Spire - a colossal tower with ever-shifting rooms, traps, and monsters. Those who survive the spire's trials return home with an attunement: a mark granting the bearer magical powers. According to legend, those few who reach the top of the tower will be granted a boon by the spire's goddess. He never returned. Now it's Corin's turn. He's headed to the top floor, on a mission to meet the goddess.
-
-
Fun "D&D" style adventure.
- By Joe on 05-08-17
-
Five Enchanted Roses: A Collection of Beauty and the Beast Stories
- Fairy Tale Collection
- By: Kaycee Browning, Savannah Jezowski, Jenelle Schmidt, and others
- Narrated by: Becky Doughty
- Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A ship bearing the souls of sinful sailors drifts upon a ghostly sea. An abbey looms as the final defense between mortals and ghouls of the underworld. In the stillness of a throne room, statues stand forever frozen in a moment of terror. Monsters and men stalk their prey deep in the jungle's shadows. A rose blooms in the dead of winter, sheltered in the ruins of an ancient Scottish castle.
-
Silent Court
- By: M. J. Trow
- Narrated by: Andrew Wincott
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
November, 1583. Desperate not to let the Protestant Low Countries fall into the hands of the Catholic Spain, the Queen’s spymaster, Francis Walsingham, orders Cambridge scholar and novice spy, Christopher Marlowe, to assist the beleaguered Dutch leader, William the Silent, whose court is a hotbed of intrigue and treachery. However, travelling in disguise as part of a troupe of Egyptian players, Marlowe encounters trouble even before he reaches Dutch shores.
-
The Eighth Born
- Book 1 of the Pankaran Chronicles
- By: C.S. Night
- Narrated by: Erik Sandvold
- Length: 19 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The young magic-wielder known as Rhyen Hyldhem, newly graduated from the great Academy in Ikha, knows of the story of Taida - but such events occurred millennia ago. As war brews, however, Rhyen will learn more about his powers and the identity of the fearsome Dark Rider who has stalked him since childhood. Rhyen is about to discover the past isn't dead - and that his destiny is intricately tied to Taida's betrayal of humanity.
-
-
A slow burner<br />
- By Brian P on 14-06-16
-
The Lascar's Dagger
- The Forsaken Lands
- By: Glenda Larke
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 19 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Saker appears to be a simple priest, but in truth he's a spy for the head of his faith. Wounded in the line of duty by a Lascar sailor's blade, the weapon seems to follow him home. Unable to discard it, nor the sense of responsibility it brings, Saker can only follow its lead. The dagger puts Saker on a journey to distant shores, on a path that will reveal terrible secrets about the empire, about the people he serves, and destroy the life he knows.
-
-
This book
- By Sean on 20-02-19
-
The Name of the Wind
- The Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 1
- By: Patrick Rothfuss
- Narrated by: Rupert Degas
- Length: 28 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the university at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep. My name is Kvothe. You may have heard of me.
-
-
Very entertaining but strangely flat
- By Amazon Customer on 27-05-17
-
Dragonshadow
- A Heartstone Novel
- By: Elle Katharine White
- Narrated by: Billie Fulford-Brown
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Battle of North Fields is over - or so Aliza Bentaine, now a Daired, fervently wants to believe. But rumors are spreading of an unseen monster ravaging the isolated Castle Selwyn on the northern border of the kingdom. When she and Alastair are summoned from their honeymoon by the mysterious Lord Selwyn, they must travel with their dragon Akarra through the Tekari-infested Old Wilds of Arle to answer his call. And they are not alone on this treacherous journey. Shadowing the dragonriders is an ancient evil, a harbinger of a dark danger of which the Worm was only a foretaste.
-
Lhind the Thief
- By: Sherwood Smith
- Narrated by: Julia Farhat
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lhind has been on the run all her life. Stealing what she needs, using magic for disguise, she never stays anywhere long. Lhind even has secrets from herself, for she has few memories, and those are troubling. But life is good until she gets caught by Rajanas the warrior-prince, Thianra the bard, and Hlanan the scribe. And that’s when adventure begins, because someone very powerful wants them all dead. As they evade pursuit and work to uncover their enemies, Lhind struggles with the invisible bonds of friendship and trust, while Hlanan begins uncovering her secrets one by one.
-
The Eye of the World
- Wheel of Time, Book 1
- By: Robert Jordan
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Length: 29 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When their village is attacked by trollocs, monsters thought to be only legends, three young men, Rand, Matt, and Perrin, flee in the company of the Lady Moiraine, a sinister visitor of unsuspected powers. Thus begins an epic adventure set in a world of wonders and horror, where what was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.
-
-
American narration such a turn off
- By Simon Corke on 22-04-20
-
The Alchemist
- A Fable About Following Your Dream
- By: Paulo Coelho
- Narrated by: Jeremy Irons
- Length: 4 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its simplicity and wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an Alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest.
-
-
Life changing
- By Thomas on 14-04-15
-
A Discovery of Witches
- The All Souls Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Deborah Harkness
- Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda
- Length: 23 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It begins with absence and desire. It begins with blood and fear. It begins with a discovery of witches. Diana Bishop, a young scholar and descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript deep in Oxford's Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she must navigate with a vampire, Matthew Clairmont. This manuscript, Ashmole 782, holds the secrets of their past...and the key to their future.
-
-
A surprisingly mature paranormal romance
- By Caroline Marks on 01-03-11
-
Theft of Swords
- Riyria Revelations, Volume 1
- By: Michael J. Sullivan
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 22 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Acclaimed author Michael J. Sullivan created instant best sellers with his spellbinding Riyria Revelations series. This first volume introduces Royce Melborn and Hadrian Blackwater, two enterprising thieves who end up running for their lives when they’re framed for the death of the king. Trapped in a conspiracy bigger than they can imagine, their only hope is unraveling an ancient mystery - before it’s too late.
-
-
Worked - in parts
- By Adam on 11-11-14
Summary
Princess Inos lived an idyllic life in her fathers' sleepy, backwater kingdom, and she was best friends with her childhood companion, the stableboy, Rap. But when a prophecy seemed to say Inos should be married, she was exiled to the Impire to learn to be a lady. She was far away when Rap's magical talents began to emerge, and it was he who told her of the fate awaiting them both.
More from the same
What listeners say about Magic Casement
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Marthe
- 11-10-21
A good book
I liked it. I finished it in a week. Likable characters, cool magic, interesting story. Definitely worth a listen, and it's included for free on here so you have nothing to lose. I will continue this series. A great epic fantasy book. How have I never heard of this before I wonder...
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MR LEWIS-GEORGE NASH
- 09-06-20
Hmmm potential but not completely sure
Heard this book had a great magic system. Yeah it was pretty cool. Quite a bit happened. Not a bad first book could definitely turn into a excellent series but we shall have to see how the characters continue to grow. Narrator wasn't great. Fine to listen to just not gripping enough.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Sean Dustman
- 12-10-12
One of my favorite Fantasy Series
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
In the book format, this was a series I could fall back into time and time again. The audible version has great narration that is flawless, I fell in love with the characters all over again and am looking forward for the rest of the books to come out.
What other book might you compare Magic Casement to and why?
Nothing really compares to the Man of His Word series, I compare other series to it. I guess you could compare Robin Hobb or Trudi Canavan, this is Dave Duncan's strongest work.
What does Mil Nicholson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
This is the only book on Audible that I've heard Mil read, he does it like he's been doing it for years. He sounds like the voice in my head.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Magic, true love and an adventure that you will never forget.
Any additional comments?
Try this out, you won't be disappointed.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Ryan M. Kelley
- 22-11-13
Fansastic story in a fantastic world.
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Although the book might sound typical, with a princess, a castle, a magical history, and an stableboy as an unlikely hero , they way author Dave Duncan sets up the rules of the world is interesting. Magic Casement introduces you to the players, and starts to introduce the world to the characters, and to the reader.
The first thing that you notice are that there are no "humans" as a separate race. There are Imps, and Jotnar, and Elves, and Goblins, and Gnomes, and others, all of which are just people.
Second, there is magic... the kingdom of Kagaznagar where the story takes place was created by a powerful wizard... But there are rules to magic, and it all centers on "Words of Power", and the great Warlocks and Witches in the capitol of the Impire. But these are things that the residents of remote Kagaznagar care little for, and know even less about.
But when the king Holindarn becomes ill, it sets in motion an incredible adventures for the Princess Inosolan, and he childhood friend, and stable-boy, Rap. As Inosolan is introduces to fine living, and the expectations of royalty, Rap is thrown into the disgusting and horrid world of goblins. As they experience more of the world around them, they begin to understand how precarious their kingdom, and even their lives, actually are.
This is the first book or 4, so it does start a little slow, and it seems to end rather abruptly. On its own, it would need to be longer. As part 1 of 4... its a good opening, and a worthwhile listen.
What about Mil Nicholson’s performance did you like?
Mil Nicholson does a good job of keeping the voices and accents separate and distinct, and her British accent lends an aura to this reading. She does the ladies' and boyish voices well, but seems to be a little lacking in some of the men's voices.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Laura
- 28-11-12
I love this series!!
I first read this series long ago. I have been waiting for ages for it to come out in audio format. It is as good as I remember. I couldn't put it down. I am hoping for the last book to come out soon. This is one I could listen to over and over.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Coral
- 20-08-13
A Princesss, the stable boy and the shapeshifter
For me Dave Duncan worlds always are set somewhere in our own world then expanded by a touch of magic. Actually in this case much more than a touch. Here is a mostly Celtic set at the high of the another Empire (much like later Rome Imperim).
I liked the main character - cheering for many. None are too sweet and they believable flawed. The book is wonderful and if the story is not totally original it is satisfactory told.
For Duncan normal habits are broken a bit - told story is told from a couple of character views; magic is a much bigger deal than in the Venise or Seventh Swords series. But the magic is clearly understandable rules and in keeping with general modern ideas of Celtic magic.
My only problem with the book is that it ends so quickly that one feels that there should be a second download not another book. Not totally cliff hanger just rather incomplete ending.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Skipper
- 27-09-16
Fantasy with slight romance
I enjoyed reading this fantasy, and eventually the whole series. Actually, I read and listened, alternatively. To me, Nicholson's narration sounded a bit fuzzy at times, not always crisp enough to easily distinguish words.
3rd person POV (my favorite for fiction) set in a medieval world called Pandemia. Plot involves a variety of races of humans/humanoids: humans, elves, goblins, dwarves, djinn, imps, pixies, faeries, trolls, mermen, gnomes, etc.
Magic centers around words of power: 1 word makes a genius, 2 words makes an adept, 3 words makes a mage, 4 words makes a sorcerer, etc. Words are highly coveted and guarded. There are ways to get words and ways to share words. It's not clear where the words come from, but Rap speculates on the subject.
So, Duncan's magical fantasy series begins here, with a stable boy, a princess, magical words, politics, and several mysteries. There is tension between the four ruling warlocks and between the Imps (organized, socially savvy, elegant) and the Jotun / Jotnar (rough seafaring Viking types from Nordland). Goblins also play a big role in this series, as do the Djinn from Zark (much like Arabia, stereotyped).
No sex or swearing, but it does get grisly at times, especially in goblin land. It's also fairly heartwarming at times, and occasionally just mildly amusing. A thread of romance runs through it -- a stableboy yearning for a princess.
I enjoyed the plot. Not crazy about the princess, but I'm rooting for Rap, the stableboy who grew up by the end of this first book. Hooray also for Fleabag the wolf. I am also strangely attached to Little Chicken, the goblin.
Good map in the book -- even higher resolution map at the author's website.
Quibble: Duncan writes very well, but IMO, he uses too much anachronistic language in this series which yanks me out of the medieval setting.
Key Characters to make listening easier:
Holindarn, King of Krasnegar, his sister Aunt Kadolin (Kade), his daughter Princess Inos (Inosolin), Rap (Raparakagozi), factotum Foronod (a Jotnar / Jotun), stable-master hostler Hononin, Guard Master Thosolin, psychotic killer Thane Kalkor of Gark (a Jotnar pirate raider from Nordland), Duke Angliki in Kinvale, duchess Ekki, chaplain Mother Unonini, Djinn sorcerer Rasha aq'Inim Sultana of Arakkaran, Imperor Emshandar, Yggingi Pronconsul in Pondague, Little Chicken goblin from Raven Clan.
There is also a charismatic imp named Andor, Jalon the half-elf minstrel, Darad the Jotun ogre, Dr Sagorn the old scholarly Jotun, and Thinal the thief, an imp.
The Four Warlocks: Bright Water goblin sorceress of the North, Lith'rian elf sorcerer of the South, Olybino imp of the East, and Zinixo dwarf of West.
I read this series and the follow-up series "A Handful of Men" which also features Rap as hero.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amanda
- 01-11-13
Last paragraph of the story is missing
What made the experience of listening to Magic Casement the most enjoyable?
I enjoyed the book and I'm looking forward to listening to the second, however - This recording is missing the last paragrah of the story. The way it ended seemed a little off so I checked an online version of the full bood and there is a very important part missing.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Joe
- 27-10-13
This is how not to end a novel
Cliff-hangers can be frustrating. I felt that this book ended just before a climax and ended awkwardly.
The story is interesting, and hooks you from the beginning. If I didn't have the next book in my library, I would have gone bonkers. I decided to give the next book in the series a chance to see if it moves the story along better, and ends on a better note. That will decide the series for me.
I don't know that I will recommend this book - just be aware that if you decide to read this book, you will definitely not be satisfied with the ending unless you have the next book handy - reader beware!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- B. R. Jones
- 01-05-13
Supposed to be a classic... it just didn't grab me
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
I'm not really sure what it was about this book - it's been recommended to me by several people, but after reading through about half of it, it just dragged on and on without anything of substance ever happening that warranted enough interest for me to keep reading.
I might come back to this one, but there just didn't seem to be an engaging plotline; In several hours of listening, nothing happens besides following an adolescent girl through an exceedingly boring court life, listening to her whine about how boring it is, and then following the plot line of an unremarkable stable boy that was gaining magical powers (although they very well may be the more dull magical powers ever to grace the written page).
What do you think your next listen will be?
Something more modern...
What do you think the narrator could have done better?
The narrator was fine, really. No complaints there.
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Magic Casement?
The entire first half of the book.
Any additional comments?
Nope. This isn't bad writing, it just wasn't my preference. Perhaps I'm just desensitized by more modern fantasy writing that includes more structure, world building, and conflict.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Christopher
- 11-11-19
A very enjoyable audiobook.
I picked this up based on the the fact that I pride myself on having read, or at least having been familiar with, most of the fantasy series that people consider “classics” or important... Call me a nerdy snob if you must.
That said, until I came across a book in another series by Dave Duncan in the new releases section I had never heard of him or his books. Upon further investigation I realized that there’s a hole in my snobby-nerd, fantasy knowledge. From my research I picked this book to start my acquaintance with Duncan’s work.
I have to say that I’m glad that I took a chance with this audiobook/series. The writing is professional, well considered and deep. The narration is also excellent. In fact, until the last third of the book, I was wholly enchanted. Unfortunately, Duncan made the same mistake that many authors make and decided to have the plot hinge on one of the characters being immensely dense as well as on miscommunication between characters.
This kind of writing ploy, in my opinion, is the worst tendency of authors who get lazy and stop bothering to make sure that the characters’ motivations and intelligence match their actions. Instead of coming up with novel ideas to create real tension that moves the plot, they lazily generate tension that feels cheap, frustrating, and artificial.
It was doubly annoying because up to that point this was a five star book. Still though, it didn’t manage to ruin the whole audiobook. It just knocked some of the shine off of it. So Duncan gets 4 stars instead of five from this snobby, fantasy nerd.
It’s worth the credit, and I will pick up the next book... but with a little less enthusiasm than I might have if the author hadn’t offended my delicate sensibilities.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Cavedragon
- 01-04-15
Love the story, but the production values...
Loved the book when I first read it. Great world, interesting development.
But the sibilance in every sentence with an 's'!!! Dropped me right out of the story a number of times. The rest of the books appear to be from the same team, so I'll tough it out eventually, but I'll work through most of my library first!
1 person found this helpful