THE GARDEN OF STONES Echoes of the Empire, Book 1

This first book in a fantasy series harks back to the ancient past for connections to the present and involves complex world-building and fascinating characters. Narrator Nick Podehl does an excellent job describing a world populated by hybrid Avans, Wyverns, centaurs, humans, and Fenlings, as well as finding unique voices for this array of creatures. Indris, the hero, is a powerful warrior who uses magic to help his father-in-law escape a battle he's losing, Mariam is the heroine, and Corajidin is the villain. The clash of cultures and family power struggles are the story's themes. Podehl engages listeners, but challenging foreign words and the array of characters make the complicated plot difficult to follow. Though Podehl provides a skillful narration, this work is not well suited to the audio format. S.C.A. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2013]