The Reach Between Worlds (The Arclight Saga Book 1)

C.M. Hayden,
John Pirhalla
Genre: 
Audiobooks

YOUNG ADULT/FANTASY:  Taro is a young man forced into a life of petty crime in order to support his ailing parents and family.  He finds work as a burglar for a local crime boss, and quickly realizes that he is in over his head.  In order to keep his family safe, he takes a job breaking a sorceress free from her dungeon prison, but it requires him and his sister to go undercover as recruits for the Magisterium.  They quickly realize that the training is much more difficult than they imagined – will they even survive long enough to break the sorceress free and save their family?

A combination of magical fantasy, steampunk and gritty crime novel, this genre-bending tale is bound to pique a listener’s interest.  The plot and world building are outstanding, with the basic rules of magistry laid out early and confirming that magic isn’t a “cure all” in this tale.  The characters are extremely well written and the pace is perfect. One’s only niggle is that the main villain, Vex, feels a little over the top and one dimensional at times, but that may only be because everyone else is so well fleshed-out.  

John Pirhalla’s voice acting is absolutely marvelous; each character is distinct and unique, with a flawless performance throughout.

Readers will hunger for book two, so both C.M. Hayden and John Pirhella have clearly done a great job with this story. This audiobook is a pleasure to listen to, and is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a bit of excitement and intrigue paired with a superb vocal performance – and surely, that is everyone!

TJ Richards