MAKER MAGIC

Maker Magic by Laurence Dahners
Book 2 in the Tales Of Simple Magic series
Narrated by Jocelyn Duford
Genre: progression fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Maker Magic:

Magical ability is rare, but Ky Vaux — a peasant boy from a poor family — can not only mend and make, but is extremely powerful and hopes to fulfill his dream of working as a healer.

Ky’s gift of magic is now supporting Ky, his mother, his sister, and even his cousins.

But for Ky, taking care of his family isn’t enough. He wants to help others, the poor children of the city and those who're being tortured by a sadistic noble …

Source: Info in the "About Maker Magic" was taken from amazon on 26/04/2025.

Buy Link(s):

 

My Thoughts:

Middle chunk of a bigger book.

As expected this book ended in a cliffhanger. However this cliffhanger is better than the first book because it ended in a high note and also kind of closed the dilemma in this stretch of their lives.

Like the first book, this one also requires you to dumb down your intelligence for the story to make a little bit more sense.

Still a wonderful read! I just don't like cliffhanger endings and dumbing downs.

Jocelyn Duford did a wonderful job of bringing this book to life!

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 3
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (8 hrs and 33 mins listening time)
Plot = 3
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Tales Of Simple Magic Series:

 

Meet The Author

About Laurence Dahners:

Amazon best-selling Science Fiction writer, Laurence E. Dahners, is a former orthopedic surgeon who has written over fifty books, including eighteen in the popular Ell Donsaii series. He writes optimistic stories in which science solves problems rather than bringing on dystopias. His favorite writing strategy is to imagine, “what if,” some advance (such as teleportation, reactionless drives, stopping time, etcetera) were possible, what changes might be wrought in our world?

How might our hero utilize such an advance?

Who might stand to lose from the introduction of such changes and how might they strive to resist its introduction?

He loves to write such stories and hopes you’ll enjoy reading them.

laury.dahners.com | twitter | facebook | audible | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Jocelyn Duford:

Jocelyn is a professional actor and director of theatre and she uses these skills to bring emotion, nuance, and clarity to any production. She is an award-winning stage actor that can perform a wide range of characters. She also has experience as a high school and middle school classroom teacher, providing the voice of engaging, accessible authority. She currently teaches acting and voice lessons at a private music school in southern NH.

website | facebook | instagram | linkedin | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The book/ebook and/or audiobook were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

THE BROKEN NIGHT & MOONCLAD

The Broken Night by D.E. Sherman
Book 4 in the Keiran: The Eternal Mage series
Narrated by Rylee Kuberra and John Joseph Rogers
Genre: fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About The Broken Night:

The man who broke the world has risen from the pages of history… and Keiran is the only one who can stop him.

With the awakening of the lich lord Ammun Nescect, Keiran must contend with his greatest challenge yet. His former apprentice, an archmage in his own right, stands between Keiran and his goals of tearing down the tower rooted in the world core itself.

While Ammun remains trapped, unable to leave the world’s one and only source of mana, Keiran prepares for the battle. But he isn’t the only one who’s been preparing, and if Ammun’s machinations come to fruition, nowhere will be safe from the lich’s reach.

Keiran must act quickly, for he knows that if Ammun frees himself from his prison, the outcome of their next meeting has inevitable, and fatal, implications for him.

Can he regain enough of his lost power to face an immortal lich in open battle?

Source: Info in the "About The Broken Night" was taken from amazon on 22/04/2025.

Buy Link(s):

 

Moonclad by D.E. Sherman
Book 5 in the Keiran: The Eternal Mage series
Narrated by Rylee Kuberra and John Joseph Rogers
Genre: fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Moonclad:

It’s been six months since Keiran left his greatest enemy stranded on one of Manoch’s moons, six months of feverish work preparing for the lich’s seemingly inevitable return. Keiran is gathering allies and resources, and working to strengthen himself as much as possible.

But when he hits a bottleneck just one step short of finally regaining his full power, never mind solving it before Ammun returns, he’s not sure he’ll be able to solve it, ever. Distractions abound as payments come due for past aid, an order of archmages takes an unhealthy interest in his activities, and friendships begin to fracture under the weight of both Keiran’s responsibilities and his secrets.

Can he survive the crushing weight of a lich clad in a moon’s full power bearing down on him, or will he be washed away in the flood?

Source: Info in the "About Moonclad" was taken from amazon on 22/04/2025.

Buy Link(s):

 

My Thoughts:

The two last chunks of the book.

Wonderful read!

The entire series is just one book sold in separate chunks. Maybe bacuase it took time to write them. And they were written that way. I do not begrudge the author for wanting to earn his keep.

The ending was good but it was more of a quiet goodbye rather than a bang.

Rylee Kuberra and John Joseph Rogers as usual did a wonderful job of bringing this book to life!

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (16 hrs and 29 mins listening time for book 4) (16 hrs and 2 mins listening time for book 5)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Keiran: The Eternal Mage Series:

 

Meet The Author

About D.E. Sherman:

D.E. Sherman grew up reading fantasy and tried his hand at writing his first novel on an old MS-DOS text editor program when he was seven years old. That story didn't pan out; maximum character limits were a thing back then. Undeterred, he kept writing on other platforms, reading full-time, devouring JRPGs, and playing D&D, and he is now the author of the Keiran, God Machine, and Ascendant series. He also writes under the pen name 'EmergencyComplaints.'

Timeless Wind Publishing | twitter | amazon | goodreads

The Narrators

About Rylee Kuberra:

Why hello there! What a joy that you have found this little slice of my life!

I am Rylee Kuberra and I am what I like to call a storyteller at heart and an artist by trade.

I’m an actress, audiobook narrator, and creative collaborator who’s passionate about giving voice to stories that deserve to be heard, seen, and experienced. Whether I’m on stage, in front of the camera, or behind the mic, my goal is to bring truth and honesty to every story I am breathing life into.

I’ve narrated over 150 audiobooks available on Audible, working with publishers such as Simon & Schuster, Podium, Tantor, Royal Guard Publishing and more! My voice has become home to everything from YA heroines and historical dramas to gritty thrillers and rich fantasy worlds. My goal? To make the listener forget they’re listening — and instead, feel like they’re living the story. Because, who doesn’t want to get lost in a different world for a bit?

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my little corner of the internet. It truly means the world to me. Whether you're here out of curiosity, collaboration, or just stumbled upon this page - I'm so glad you’re here.

If something sparked your interest or you'd like to create something together, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s make something meaningful.

www.ryleekuberra.com | twitter | facebook | instagram | tiktok | goodreads

About John Joseph Rogers:

From San Diego, CA, John struggled with reading until he picked up reading aloud for his family at the urging of a very dedicated teacher. Since then he has enjoyed being able to immerse himself and listeners in a variety of worlds and characters. With a background in narration and stage acting, he lends depth to characters through a grand variety of voices, accents, dialects, and mannerisms.

johnrogersvoice.com | instagram | linkedin | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

UNINTENDED CULTIVATOR: Volume 5

Unintended Cultivator: Volume 5 by Eric Dontigney
Book 5 in the Unintended Cultivator series
Narrated by Adam Verner
Genre: fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Unintended Cultivator: Volume 5:

Survival rests in the hands of a madwoman…

Leaving behind the capital and all the changes he wrought there, Sen ventures back into the deep wilds in search of the mad, nascent soul cultivator, Fu Ruolan. It is a final, desperate bid to find the manual he needs to complete his body cultivation.

Of course, in the world of cultivation, things are rarely as straightforward as they seem. Madness takes many shapes, and Fu Ruolan is no exception to this truth. With everything on the line, though, Sen finds himself reluctantly agreeing to a deal that he may well live to regret.

Source: Info in the "About Unintended Cultivator: Volume 5" was taken from amazon on 18/02/2025.

Buy Link(s):

 

My Thoughts:

Another middle chunk of a bigger book. That means the beginning was in book 1 and the ending is a cliffhanger. In which case, I do not recommend this book to be read on it's own. You need to read the books 1 to 4 of the series first, before reading this one.

Like I said before, the world building becomes even more beautiful with every installment in this series!

So, who is Yan Zixin's master?? And what is Falling Leaf's future?

Once again, Adam Verner did a wonderful job of bringing this book to life!

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = (12 hrs and 58 mins listening time)
Plot = 2.5
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Unintended Cultivator Series:

 

Meet The Author

About Eric Dontigney:

Raised in Western New York, Eric Dontigney has lived in New Mexico, Florida, Wisconsin, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. He currently resides near Dayton, OH. He is a fan of photo-realism and impressionist paintings, coffee, and well-made food.

Not wishing to tarnish the good names of writers who have come before him, he refuses to name influences. He will admit to reading Neil Gaiman, Harlan Ellison, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ayn Rand, Stephen J. Cannell, Jim Butcher, Kate Chopin, Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, Camus, James Baldwin, Tim O'Brien, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and Stephen King.

ericdontigney.com | x | facebook | instagram | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Adam Verner:

Adam Verner is a full-time narrator and voice talent with over one hundred titles recorded. He is the recipient of AudioFile Earphones Awards for Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck and The Big It by A. B. Guthrie, Jr. Adam earned his MFA in acting from the Chicago College of the Fine Arts at Roosevelt University.

www.adamverner.com | x | facebook | instagram | threads | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The print book/ebook and/or audiobook were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.