The Wounded Shadow

By: Patrick W. Carr

Narrated by: Danny Campbell

The kings and queens of the northern continent lay siege to the Darkwater Forest, desperate to contain its evil. But rumors of gold and aurium have lured deserters and the desperate into its shadow, creating a growing army held in its sway.

Desperate after the death and dissolution of their greatest ally, Willet and the Vigil seek the truth of what lies at the heart of the evil they face. They delve the mind of an old enemy and find an answer far worse than they could have imagined.

Danger stalks the cities of the north, striking at the rulers of the kingdoms. As Willet and the rest of the Vigil seek to find answers, the group is scattered with an ever-growing darkness around them. Will they discover a path to keep their land safe, or will an ancient evil reclaim the world it once called its own?

©2018 Patrick W. Carr (P)2020 Recorded Books

Great series

This is an epic fantasy series that is more personal than the epic fantasy of Tolkien. The story deals with the great struggle between good and evil within the whole of creation but also within the individual human soul. Throughout the book, characters wrestle with various aspects of belief and unbelief, often due to their painful life experiences. In this, the fantasy mirrors our own world with characters trying to work through traumatic experiences with the aid of the love of friends and the wisdom of mentors. Post traumatic stress syndrome is experienced by more than a few characters.

Rape, war, and abuse are discussed and implied, but not in a graphic manner. The language used to describe the main character’s feelings towards his betrothed is very sensual.

The nature of this fantasy world is that elements of the Christian church’s liturgy and teachings manifest as literal physical characteristics and miraculous abilities.
We are told Christians will judge the world, so in this world, some can read others’ thoughts so that they know the truth of guilt or innocence. Others have the gift of healing so that they are more than doctors but also possess a spiritual gift of healing. Some have the gift of hospitality so that they not only run taverns, they make everyone feel welcome and can bring peace to stop brawls.

Many characters are funny in a sarcastic manner and the action is fairly well paced. The characters do change throughout the books, though the main character changes most in what he knows rather than who he is. I did not always understand the inferences the characters drew to explain the “whys” of the story, but I had a greater dislike for the parts of the parts of the story that were more obvious. I would rather have a few parts I did not understand than be bored by being able to figure everything out in advance. I liked the main message that love must bathe all of our lives and service in order for us to do the work of God and truly live as He intended, regardless of the gifts we posses. Another message is that power is to be used with wisdom as well as love.

Story equals good, narration equals bad

The story overall is pretty good. There are a lot of characters to keep track. However, the narration was off. He was very slow and had zero voice changes. There were multiple times when two or more characters are talking, and it was very difficult to determine who was who.