Magi’s Curse by Christopher James Harris
Author: Christopher James Harris
Narrator: Natalie Naudus
Format: ALC / Audiobook
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Synopsis
Four hundred years after the gods and goddesses abandoned the mortal realm, the kingdom of Emestria is at war with neighboring Rouke. With poverty and hunger spreading among its people, Captain Bronwyn Amyna of the Emestrian Royal Guard is given a mission that could change the fate of her kingdom: retrieve the legendary artifacts of the gods.
Joining her expedition is Clara, a captured smuggler who claims she may know the location of one of those artifacts, along with a small group of soldiers. Their journey eventually brings them to Miro, a scholar who is far more than he initially appears.
But their mission is connected to something much larger than the war between two kingdoms. Defurge, the mad God of Fire, remains imprisoned beneath Dalmarask, and Fria, Goddess of Ice, Fate, and Death, has foreseen what will happen should he escape.
Finding the artifacts may be only the beginning.
My Thoughts
Magi's Curse started incredibly strong, and I really enjoyed being introduced to this world.
The opening takes us back hundreds of years and establishes the history surrounding the gods before jumping forward 400 years to Captain Bronwyn Amyna and a world where the consequences of that history are still very much alive.
Bronwyn was immediately interesting to me. She's fiercely loyal to her king and kingdom and has earned her position as Captain of the Emestrian Royal Guard, yet she still faces plenty of scrutiny simply because she's a woman.
And let me tell you...
There were a few side characters I wanted to personally kick.
Thankfully, fate eventually took care of some things for me.
Justice was served! ^^
Meanwhile, Emestria is struggling. The kingdom is at war with neighboring Rouke, poverty and hunger are becoming increasingly serious problems, and winter certainly isn't making life any easier. Bronwyn is eventually tasked with retrieving the legendary artifacts of the gods in the hope that they might provide a way to save her kingdom.
Her little expedition includes an especially interesting addition: Clara.
Clara is a smuggler who has been imprisoned under suspicion of being a spy, and she claims she may know where one of the legendary artifacts can be found. The slight problem? Even Clara isn't entirely certain that the artifact actually exists.
But when you've been captured, tortured, and might die?
Suddenly that old legend you once heard about starts sounding VERY real.
I'd probably swear I knew where Excalibur was too. :D
Their journey eventually brings Miro into the group, a scholar who turns out to be considerably more than he initially appears. From there, the story becomes a proper fantasy adventure filled with magical places, dangerous encounters, gods, artifacts, and discoveries that reveal their mission is much bigger than simply retrieving an old relic.
I really enjoyed the world-building and the dynamics between Bronwyn, Clara, and Miro. Discovering the history of the gods and gradually learning more about the artifacts and this world kept me invested, and the adventure had plenty of elements I usually enjoy in fantasy.
My main issue came during roughly the final 30%.
There were still important things happening, and certainly enough to keep me listening, but somehow the intensity dropped for me. Earlier, I'd been completely invested in the journey, whereas toward the end I occasionally found myself drifting into...
zzzzZZZZ.
I needed just a little more urgency or intensity to bring back the energy I'd felt during the earlier parts of the book.
Thankfully, it wasn't enough to make me lose interest in the story or the series itself. Quite the opposite: I'm genuinely curious about where these characters and the larger conflict are heading next.
I'm just hoping book two turns that intensity dial up a few notches.
Audiobook Thoughts
Natalie Naudus was a BIG bonus here.
I've listened to several books narrated by her before and really enjoyed her performances, so seeing her name attached to Magi's Curse immediately made me happy.
Once again, she did a fantastic job. Her narration made it incredibly easy to settle into the world, and she brought plenty of personality to the different characters without making the performance feel exaggerated.
Even when the story itself slowed down toward the end, I still enjoyed listening because her narration remained engaging throughout.
I would very happily listen to the next installment in this format, particularly if Natalie Naudus returns.
Final Thoughts
Magi's Curse is a promising fantasy adventure with an interesting world, ancient gods, legendary artifacts, war, magic, dangerous journeys, and an unlikely group of characters thrown together on a mission that becomes much bigger than they initially realize.
The final portion lost some of its momentum for me, but there was more than enough here to make me want to continue the series and discover what happens next.
And with Natalie Naudus narrating? Even better.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
ALC Disclaimer
I received an advance listening copy of Magi's Curse directly from the author in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this copy did not influence my opinion of the audiobook.
Thank you to Christopher James Harris for the opportunity to listen to and review Magi's Curse. All opinions are my own.
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