Audiobook Review – Feast of Souls (Magister, Book 1) by C.S. Friedman, Narrated by Elisabeth Rodgers (4.5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 18 hours and 12 minutes (576 pages)
Publisher: Audible Studios
Release Date: May 15, 2012
ASIN: B0083EFYMY
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Magister series
Source: Audiobook from Audible.com
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

“ In the high kingdom of Danton Aurelius, magisters from across the known world are gathering for an unusual meeting. The high king’s son is dying of an apparently incurable wasting disease, and he has charged them with providing an explanation and a cure.”

Previous to reading this book I have read all of Friedman’s other novels (aside from the Magister series) and really enjoyed them. I ended up really enjoying this book first novel in the Magister series as well. This is a beautifully written epic fantasy series with engaging characters, an interesting magic system, and an intricate plot.

I listened to this on audiobook and it was very well done. I thoroughly enjoyed this as an audiobook and plan on listening to the rest of the series on audiobook as well. I would definitely recommend if you enjoy audiobooks.

The story follow a number of different characters. The first of these is Kamala, a young woman who is determined to become a Magister when previously only men have become Magisters. The second is Andovan, a young prince who is suffering from a wasting disease and decides to strike out on his own to find the cause of this illness. We also hear from a number of Magisters, the mad king Danton, and the king’s wife Gwen.

I love the magic system in this book. It is intriguing and interesting to learn about. All the characters are very engaging and easy to read about, even the evil ones. The story is complex but easy to follow and has themes of good vs evil. I also love all the thoughts and questions around how magic is used and if the Magisters lives are really worth more than anyone else’s.

Overall this was an excellent epic fantasy read. I would recommend to those who enjoy epic fantasies with interesting magic systems and classic themes of good vs evil.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Goodreads Reading Challenge
– Mount TBR Reading Challenge