The Spell Realm

The Sorcery Code, Volume 2

By: Dima Zales, Anna Zaires

Narrated by: Emily Durante

The highly anticipated sequel to The Sorcery Code...

After the battle with the Sorcerer Guard, Gala and Blaise take shelter in the mountains, a place of unique beauty and danger. Augusta, however, is determined to exact revenge - even as Barson, her ambitious lover, implements his own plan. But amidst politics, battles, and intrigue, something far bigger is brewing...something that could disturb the balance of the Spell Realm itself.

©2014 Dima Zales (P)2014 Dima Zales

Way better than the first

This book begins as abruptly as the last one ended so you may have to pick up the last book and familiarize yourself with the characters again. Once it got started though, it was great. Characters got a lot more complex. Plots that were alluded to In the first book get fleshed out this time. Unfortunately it ends just as abruptly and I'll probably have to Reread it before the next one comes out as well.

Definitely Worth the Wait

I really enjoyed the first book of this series by Dima Zales and Anna Zaires, The Sorcery Code, and so I was very excited when the second book came out. Once again, I was completely satisfied with the story, the authors, and the narrator. And, once again, I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!

The story line of The Spell Realm begins right where it left off in The Sorcery Code, and the characters all are the same people we came to know and adore in the first story. I was very happy about that since sometimes; authors decide to take the characters in entirely new directions of personality in sequels. I was also happy to find that Emily Durante was the narrator for this second book because I loved her use of voice in the first volume. Emily perfectly captures the personality elements for each of the characters, and through her, we are right there with Blaise, Gala, and all the others as they make their way in this wonderful world of magic and mystique.

If you haven’t read, or listened to The Spell Realm yet, I suggest you do so as soon as you can. You won’t be disappointed, but you will be surprised!

Great Sequel

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and had high hopes for the sequel. I was not disappointed.

The story picked up pretty smoothly from where The Sorcery Code left off, and even though it had been a while since I finished the first book, I was able to jump right into this one. The familiar characters are back, along with a new face or two, but I won't spoil that surprise. The authors did a really nice job of continuing to flesh out the characters while keeping the story going with plenty of action and intrigue.

For some reason, I enjoyed the narration by Emily Durante much more with this book. Maybe I just needed to get used to her voice, but I thought she did a better job with this book than she did with the first one.

Thank you, Dima Zales, Anna Zaires and Emily Durante for creating another action packed, fun filled fantasy which includes some ideas not explored very often in the genre. I would definitely recommend this book and its predecessor to any fantasy lover!

Definitely Worth the Time

Would you listen to The Spell Realm again? Why?

I will, to understand the story line more thoroughly

What other book might you compare The Spell Realm to and why?

Definitely the first one of this series. Actually I liked the first one even more.

What about Emily Durante’s performance did you like?

Emily Durante was brilliant as before, however I found the story less engaging compared to its prequel.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I heard the book from audible in my car audio on a long trip to LA.

Any additional comments?

got the book now. Hope I would like it more while reading. I would definitely recommend the book to everyone who love fantasy genre in general.

Love the story, and how the magic works

What did you like best about this story?

I love how the magic works in this series, it is very mathematical oriented meaning that you as a magitcans have to write down on paper a mathematical equation and feed it to a stone.

Which character – as performed by Emily Durante – was your favorite?

Gala: Gala is an innocent being whom have been created from magic, and have the abillity to bring forward powerfull magic without these mathematical formulaes. she is very curius about the world around her and at the same time can be a little scared of that world.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Any additional comments?

is there comming a third book???
only waiting for one :)

Amazing....

What made the experience of listening to The Spell Realm the most enjoyable?

The way the story is written and Emily Durante's narration.

Which scene was your favorite?

I think my favorite was when the people where trying to escape from the storm and Gala was able to break the storm apart.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Gala knew she had to go back to the spell realm.

Any additional comments?

I hope that Dima Zales and Anna Zaires allows Emily Durante to narrate more of the books!

A Worthy Sequel

Any additional comments?

I just finished The Sorcery Code last week, and I just had to read the sequel immediately! The Spell Realm is, in every respect, a worthy sequel and a great addition to any fantasy fan’s library. I don’t want to spoil anything, but this book is packed with action, fantastic worlds, and political intrigue. The authors Dima Zales and Anna Zaires also greatly expanded on the universe that they’ve previously built in this series. They introduce some interesting and thought provoking concepts that are rarely touched upon in the fantasy genre (in my experience, anyways). Emily Durante really gives life and livelihood to the world. She does an excellent job giving a unique personality to each and every one of the large cast of complex characters. I highly recommend this book to any fantasy fan who's looking for great read!

Did it again!

I was very eagerly awaiting the sequel to The Sorcery Code by Dima Zales, and I have to say that I wasn’t disappointed. The story picks up exactly as I had wanted it to, and I was left feeling as though I had to keep listening to hear what would happen next. All of the elements that I love about a story can be found in this series. Great characters that you want to scheme along with. Exciting plot that keeps you on the edge wondering what each character is going to do next. Fantastic imagery that helps put you into the story. The fantasy elements add just the right touch without taking away from the story itself. Overall, this is a series I suggest that anyone loves a good story should pick up as this has a little bit of everything. Romance, revenge, intrigue are all intertwined throughout the story that keeps it anything but boring.

Less than expected

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No. Basically this book wasn't worth my time. The performance was subpar, the storyline flawed. It couldn't hold my interest

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Never made it all the way through I couldn't stand it

How could the performance have been better?

Perhaps some life would be nice

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No definitely not.

Any additional comments?

This is a classic case of the sequel wasn't as good as the first.

Captivating and every bit as good as the first!

Would you listen to The Spell Realm again? Why?

I definitely would. Emily Durante's narrative style is in many ways an ideal to uphold, and an absolute pleasure to the listener. She strikes the perfect balance between a neutral tonality for the narrator, and a diverse spectrum of emotions and modulation for the various characters. But what is even better is that through all the subtle variations that she manages in order to portray the different lead characters, you always feel Durante herself coming through. I've heard audio-books where the narrator tries too hard to create too big of a distinction among the different characters' voices, and it ends up sounding fake and forced. Durante, on the other hand, maintains a consistent and pleasant tone throughout the 7 hours of narration and imbibes enough personality into each characters' words, that listening to the book is as exciting a journey as it is a comfortable one.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I cannot choose between Gala and Barson, so I'll say: both! In the first part, we see significant changes in Gala's understanding of this world, as she accumulates experience and exposure to wondrous and incredibly trying situations. In this second installment, that journey continues as she is tested again and again, as she becomes familiar with new emotions, and discovers newfound ambition. Barson, on the other hand, takes on a much more central role in this book than in the first one, and for me personally - he replaces Blaise, as the pivotal male character, filled with naive ambition and hubris. Right from the beginning of this part, we see Barson taking matters into his own hand about turning the calamity of the battle and the ensuing disturbance in the kingdom to his advantage. Also, I always have had a soft corner for flawed characters, especially in a central role, which is what drew me to Blaise in the first part, and to Barson in this one.

What does Emily Durante bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I have always preferred reading a book and am fairly new to the world of audiobooks. I have been disappointed more than once, because as I mentioned earlier, narrators have often turned out to be more of a distraction from a comfortable flow of a story, than an aid to help with it. In this case, though, Emily Durante brought with her voice a distinctive extra element, that I couldn't quite put my finger on, but it positively added to my experience. She set the mood brilliantly for each scene - whether a sombre one between Augusta and the councilmen, a sensuous one between Gala and Blaise, or one filled with deviousness between Barson and Larn. This is a narrative that shifts among the points of view of the lead characters, and Durante does a great job of exploring the subtle changes in voice and expression with her vocal control and modulation.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

In general, I found Zales' descriptions of the natural surroundings in this fantastical world quite beautiful and moving. World-building is most definitely one of his strengths, and crucial for high fantasy such as this. In particular, though, I loved the parts where Blaise and Gala were taking shelter with peasants in the mountain villages, and their general interactions, with folks whom the sorcerer population mostly never bothered to know about. Gala's wonder at the terrifying storm that shook the village, her and Blaise's protective instinct for these people made for quite a touching passage in this book.

Any additional comments?

Just like the first book, the story has a very smooth and well-paced progression, which I prefer in light reads such as The Sorcery Code. The world-building even though just as deftly handled in this book as the first, was ever so slightly less belabored; while in the first book much more attention was given to characterizing the physical and magical world that was Klodun, this book did far more in terms of exploring the depth of individual characters, their intentions, and interpersonal relationships.

Overall, quite an enjoyable read. Zales is able to achieve exactly what he set out to with this light but engrossing, high fantasy sequel to a rather promising series. With sufficient twists in the plot, and a rather interesting new character introduced in this book (who will likely play a very important role in the next part), he makes sure that his readers definitely come back for thirds!