The Spirit of Things: A Gripping Young Adult Coming of Age Fantasy

Beyond Horizon, Book 1

By: Ben McQueeney

Narrated by: Nigel Peever

Growing up in a village of elves is hard when you’re the only human. Especially when humans are hated by all other species in Tellusm. But Fulco is determined to fit in.

After discovering he has the magical power of "sapience" to control beasts, he makes it his mission to join the elven Portare team. A sport where players must ride upon a beast, beat each other with bats, score goals, and influence the outcome of the game with magic.

But Tellusm is uncertain and troublesome. A place where three-headed lizards roam wild, a curse runs rampant turning its inhabitants into mindless monsters, and a violent storm separates it from the rest of the world.

With three gods fighting over the fate of the land, mysterious dreams, alluring strangers, and awakening powers lead Fulco toward the destiny from which his elven parents have been trying so desperately to shield him. As his power grows, so does the trouble that stalks him.

An exciting and immersive coming of age fantasy packed with spellbinding magic, astounding mythical creatures, a threatening menace, growing romance, and a bow tie-wearing werewolf called Gary. Perfect for fans of Patrick Rothfuss, J.K. Rowling, Brandon Sanderson, and Terry Pratchett.

©2020 Ben McQueeney (P)2020 Ben McQueeney

The spirit of things

I loved it! It was full of adventure. A human child in a world of elves, is useful, but not really accepted. Narration by Nigel Peever is excellent. The sound effects are entrancing. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I’ll listen to this one again.

Nigel is an excellent narrator. Very imaginative sounds. I struggled to stay connected to the story but am thinking I’m just distracted with life so I will have to listen again to be fair to the author.

Loved w

I loved it. I will definitely be listening to it again.The narrator was really good. The story pulled me in and I just wanted to keep listening.

People are all the same underneath

Into a village of elves a human, or Hume in the elven language, was adopted. Fulco’s differences had always been evident to the elven children, and children being cruel had caused him much grief growing up, but at 17, he began to realize that he had magic. And as he learned to access his magic, or Sapience, and to gain strength in his abilities, He grew more confident in himself as a person, but would he ever be fully accepted in his world? This is a beautiful tale about coming of age and of learning to overcome the bigotry of his community.

It is wonderfully read by the marvelous Nigel Peever.

A superb magic tale to keep you on your toes

This book is brilliant! Between McQueeney's writing and Peever's performance, this book leapt from printed page to a true piece of life that kept me eager to hear what happens next as Fulco, a hume in the world of elves, tries to understand the visions he's been having, tries to find a way to belong in a world he's not welcome in, and tries to find his way into the world of magic.

Coming Of Age Story

Ben McQueeney has created an exciting world with interesting characters, fantastical creatures, and an innovative game. I enjoyed this tale very much and recommend it to others who like this genre. Please note that this book starts and ends with a prologue and an epilogue which are like bookends that hint at another layer to the story, but are not actually represented in the core of this book. Nigel Peever's narration was great but it took me a short while to get used to the way he spoke. I was given a free copy of the audiobook and I have voluntarily left this review.

Good story

This is a good story with excellent narration! I look forward to hearing more in future books. I would recommend it.

Nice story

Nice story line, narrator very good, interesting development & would like to listen to next book.

Fascinating Fantasy World and Storytelling

I'm horrible at spoilers, so I'll try to keep it brief. Starting with the narrator, Nigel Peever, he had generally good pacing and clear voice. Also got into the theatrics changing vocal tone for every character, which was impressive. Included background sound effects were also a nice touch (clopping horse hooves, scuffles in fight scenes, white noise in scenes with crowds, etc.).
Getting to the story, a YA high fantasy with vivid imagery and was an interesting fantasy world to explore. The Main Character, a human (or "hume") named Fulco, had a fairly distinct personality and goal and was fun to follow. His family were fairly well-rounded in character, as well, As any YA might have, the story included a romantic interest- Lisythia (I hope that's spelled right), an "elfen," which many fantasy readers could relate to an elf. The way they meet and find interest in each other is adorable. I personally loved the magic system in place in this story, what's known as "sapience." As a stickler for "logic" in fantasy, I found the magic system made sense in how it was created, produced, and used. You will NOT be disappointed. My only major critique as a listener was how noticeable the use of synonyms were, and certain words had some heavy repetition. It's not that they were bad, many were interesting comparisons, but it took me out of the story every now and again when I would notice the repetition. Otherwise, I think it's a good story for anyone to pick up!

Mature YA Fantasy

The writing in this first book of the series was truly excellent. So much so that I'm surprised it's labeled "YA!" However, it is a coming-of-age story so... At any rate, the world building is strong and on 2 levels, which you'll find when you read it. The characters, both "gods" and others are fully developed over the course of the story. Fulco, our main protagonists, and the only Hum (human) in his village, goes through many changes and develops the ability to control the Spirits and begins to perform great feats in the "Portare" games (and here we have some LitRPG features!). Looking forward to reading/listening to book 2!