Loved it!

The entire series was great and Luke Daniels brought it to life. Truly. great story.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Is this the end for Dustin?

This is the book we have all been waiting for. In this installment, Dustin has his final battle against Agatha Black and her coven of thirteen witches. Outnumbered, even with the help of all his friends and allies, Dustin turns to Hecate for the answer. How will he defeat Agatha Black and what will become of Dustin? Will he survive? If so, what will he become? What lies in store for Dustin and his friends? What will happen with Dustin and Harold? This book answers all these questions.

I have really enjoyed this series and there is one more book to wrap everything up. I wanted to cry at times during this one when I thought it was the end. Nazri Noor does an amazing job bring this misfit group to life and making your care about them. You want this family of those you choose to stay together forever. Nazri never fails to bring his A-game to his books and I have yet to read a dud. He consistently delivers top quality stories.

Luke Daniels does his amazing job voicing these characters with affect and affection. He clearly enjoys giving these boys life!

I highly recommend this series to those who like urban fantasy with a bit of romance. Yes there is a wee bit of M/M romance but its really about the amazing bond of friendship among this unique and misfit group.

**I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my own, unbiased, review.**

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Amazing

I've read this book several times but finally hearing Luke Daniels perform it is beyond words. Back then I thought this was the last in the series and if literally made me cry. It's rare to find a series that captures you in a way that the characters become more than just names in a story. Nazri does that in the Darkling Mage series. This book series is one that will always be the go to one that gets read over and over again.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Found Family!

I loved the Darkling Mage Series. i am so glad that all of the books are now on Audio! The best way to describe Nazri's masterful world building is with 2 words... Found Family. I am so glad that he has continued to expand on the series with his many subsequent series which are equally worth the listen.

Luke Daniels continues to hit it out of the park by bringing the family and adventure to life through his narrative talents.

I received a free copy of this audiobook for my honest review.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Absolutely love this series

This is a series that hook me on this author and I've loved everything that he's written. It's something I wish was around when I was a young adolescent discovering my own gender identity. Thank you so much for this.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Some interesting concepts, poor execution

Spoilers ahead, but barely given how it's written. The Darkling Mage saga went on for far too long, it became very apparent that ideas were running thin several books ago. The idea of ascension, first postulated as a massive sacrifice in the last book, ends up being very low cost and treated almost like a video game quest. Dustin is told exactly how to do it, and each sword required, which ordinarily might take an entire book to acquire in other circumstances, takes roughly one chapter, easily obtained first try. After the final boss coincidentally (literally, by chance) shows up at the location of the final ingredient, Dustin simply carries through with the ritual and it works, easy peasy. There's no mystery, no twists, no surprises. You are told exactly what is going to happen at the beginning, then it happens with no hurdles or difficulty. The final fight is much the same as all the others. The big bad is invincible until Dustin does something crazy that one-shots it.

Even the consequences of ascension, having to remain cut off from the world for decades, are hand-waved away. They just say "nah, you can actually be summoned back whenever". Actual practical consequences are not mentioned at all, like the fact that Dustin is now immortal. He's still ageless, but he carries on his relationship with Harold, who is mortal, as though it will be fine. Neither of the immortals from the Boneyard bother bringing it up, either. Sterling's anger, which was initially portrayed as being due to Dustin's willingness to give up his humanity and become an immortal being, much like a vampire, is forgotten since he can visit. As though that changes anything.

I listened to the Sins of the Father Omnibus before this, since it wasn't in audio at the time, so I knew how the book ended, but I was really let down by the sloppy execution. So much of the series went off the rails after the first couple books. Plot threads abandoned, character development stagnating, the loss of the Eldest's Eldritch idenity to instead become a generic evil force, it was all such a mess.

Two stars only for Luke Daniels. He's a delight and an excellent narrator, even when given a lackluster script.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!