Sword of Draskara

Casters of Syndrial, Book 2

By: Rain Oxford

Narrated by: J. Scott Bennett

Nathan is settling back into his old life as best as he can. His mysterious girlfriend and new writing career do not dampen his determination to get his brother back. When Thoth summons him and tells him to retrieve a magical weapon that can kill a god, Nathan has a condition. Despite Thoth’s warnings, Anubis agrees to bring back Luca, but there is a price for magic, and Nathan may not be willing to pay it when the time comes.

Nathan and Luca are back on Syndrial for another dangerous adventure. Getting the sword of Draskara will be a perilous challenge as they face the god of Kradga. Even with their combined skills, they will need the help of powerful allies.

©2017 Rain Oxford (P)2018 Rain Oxford

Picks up right where book one left off

Nathan is regretting his choices that he made at the end of the first book, and has made a deal to rectify his past judgements. Is this a good idea? It certainly doesn't seem that way. We return once more to a briliantly crafted world in which names of all types carry power, and the gods of Egypt are real. After the emotional gut punch at the end of book one you might expect a breather, but Oxford doesn't slow down at all.

Most sequels drag and do not live up to their predecessor's success, but Sword doesn't do that at all. It takes and builds on the momentum from the first novel and continues fly along at breakneck speed, dragging the reader along on its twisty path. One thing I'll say about Oxford, he isn't afraid to make you think you are on one path, only to reveal that you have been on another all along. His writing style is quick and hits you emotionally like a blast from young Mike Tyson. I cannot wait for book 3!

Bennet continues to prove his talant. His reading style really meshes well with Oxford's writing, and you won't be able to think any one else could ever narrate these stories. He has quickly become a favored narrator for me.

Interesting series development

This book was better than the first book in the series.

I like the way Ms. Oxford weaves in some of her character's from her other series. It's like visiting old friends.
You don't have to read the other series to know what is going on in this series but they are worth the read.

Can't wait for the next one.

I love J. Scott Bennett's narration. He has a wonderful voice.

This is a promotional copy and this is my personal review.

Awesome sauce!

The one liners were great! I loved all of the cultural references (especially the snickers one). Great book and aweaome narrator.

More mystery

This is a wonderful series. I love all the family "drama" (it's really mild) that goes on between Nathan and Luca. This book reminds me how no matter how hard we try to change for others, we still have to be ourself. If you haven't listened/read the first in the series, I recommend you pick it up first. While there is some backstory to know what is going on, I think it would be much easier to follow if you have listened to the first book in the series (Book of Names) first.

The narration is spot on and the book draws you in. I highly recommend this book.

This review copy audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher free of charge.

Entertaining fantasy story

This second book in The Casters of Syndrial series is an entertaining fantasy story with plenty of twists, humour, adventure and some interconnection with the authors “Sorcerer’s Saga” series of books. Nathan and Luka continue to develop their relationship, both growing and learning as they go and you cannot help but be attached to both of them. I loved Alice’s intriguing character and the author’s version Cheshire cat made me smile. J Scott Bennett narrates the story very well, making the character identifiable and consistent from one book to the next. His pace is just right and he brings the humour out in the story well. This is an engaging story with great characters and I will look forward to the next in the series

Sword of Draskara

It starts where book one left off.The brothers face more dangers and there is a lot more word and sword sparring.I lost the thread somewhere near the end,not sure why,but got it back !lol enjoyed the book.Narration by J. Scott Bennett was perfect.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.

In search for a magical sword...

The second adventure of Nathan and Luka in the world of Syndrial is again full of twists and unexpected meetings with characters who will surprise you... It takes us from place to place so we learn more about Syndrial and its culture and peoples. We also learn more about Nathan himself and about his relationship with his brother, and we discover that not what you want but what you need is the most important thing in life.

The book in general is very good, however, there are instances where there seems to be a bit too much of a description instead of action, which in turn slows down the pace at times. Ms Rain also plays with literary tropes and genres a bit, introducing characters such as Alice with her cat and vampires, and while I like the character of Alice and her version of Cheshire cat, the vampires kind of clashed for me here - the trip into the paranormal in that so-far clean fantasy world just didn't work for me. But other that that, it's a sound, good, engaging adventure book.

The narration by Mr Bennett is again very good. The characters are recognizable, acting is well-done, and the pace of his reading is just right.

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Better than the first!

Definitely for adults, if you’re under 18, sorry this isn’t appropriate for you just yet.

Story is great, good twists that keep you wondering what else could possibly go wrong. I enjoyed this book better than the first installment even though it’s even less appropriate for younger readers. If you enjoyed the first book the second is much better paced and enjoyable as long as the profanity is not off-putting for you.

Parents: not for under 18. Lots of profanity with the Fbomb being the primary favorite. There are a handful of “shower scenes” and a sex scene. Gore per usual with magical world war books.

Narrator is good with his cadence and his voices are better defined this go round. A job well done.


—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Even better than book 1!

I appreciate the brief summary of book 1 at the start, it was very concise and reminded me of all the important events in the first book. It's great if it's been a while since you read/listened to book 1; you can skip it if you just finished book 1.

What really hit me listening to this book was the wonderful pace and style of storytelling. It's been a bit since I listened to the first book and I was brought right back with book 2. It's hard to nail down but I think what I really enjoyed most is the sort of silly and casual manner presented throughout the book. There are 'serious' things happening but the atmosphere is kept light and low stress! The silly banter between characters was enjoyable and a nice change from a lot of the more 'serious' novels I have read/listened to in the past. The atmosphere sort of reminds me of Scott Meyer's "Magic 2.0" series (which i also enjoyed and would recommend checking out too).

I feel like the story wrapped up nicely here and am looking forward to book 3!

Narrator J. Scott Bennett also performed wonderfully and I think may have even grown on me more since hearing the first book. I'm not sure if the performance was better than the first but I have no complaints. Definitely a pleasant delivery and performance all around.

I am looking forward to reading/listening to more by Rain Oxford and J. Scott Bennett!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

even better than the first!

In this book the action just keeps going. The Writer and the Painter are forced to deal with several of their issues and Nathan learns what his brother is really like. The storyline and writing are done very well. the narration is perfect. I loved every second and would recommend it to all!