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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
2,905 global ratings
5 star
64%
4 star
26%
3 star
7%
2 star
1%
1 star
2%
The White Tower (The Aldoran Chronicles: Book 1): An Epic Fantasy Adventure

The White Tower (The Aldoran Chronicles: Book 1): An Epic Fantasy Adventure

byMichael Wisehart
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Top positive review

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Lesa L Craig
4.0 out of 5 starsinteresting storyline
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on January 18, 2023
I love the storyline, very interesting & unique characters. I did find the long battle scenes and introduction of many, many characters slowed the pace of the story.

Its not a quick, page turner read. The many characters & their journeys kept me reading even though I often had to put it down to take break from the slower pace.
The last 200 pages really got interesting and I didnโ€™t stop reading!

Now Iโ€™m interested in reading more. Hereโ€™s hoping the second book in this series has a faster pace.
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Top critical review

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MK
3.0 out of 5 starsEngaging beginning to the series
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on August 13, 2022
Enjoyed the world-building, introduction to the characters, and a solid action scene narration. It's a solid start to a fantasy series, with a ton of potential.

As for negatives, I'm really hoping as the series progresses, the characters gain more originality. I shouldn't simply equate characters with Aragorn, Gandalf, Harry Potter, and Viserys Targaryen, but alas, too many gave me the impression that I'd seen the character many times before that they never shook free from. I've not been left with that feeling in the best works from veteran authors like Sanderson, or even newer authors like Islington. Was also hoping some of the plot "twists" were more rewarding; some came out of thin air, others were telegraphed to the point that there was little payoff.

I enjoy the world, find the magic and history in particular quite intriguing. Despite several weak points, look forward to continuing the series.
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From the United States

Lesa L Craig
4.0 out of 5 stars interesting storyline
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on January 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
I love the storyline, very interesting & unique characters. I did find the long battle scenes and introduction of many, many characters slowed the pace of the story.

Its not a quick, page turner read. The many characters & their journeys kept me reading even though I often had to put it down to take break from the slower pace.
The last 200 pages really got interesting and I didnโ€™t stop reading!

Now Iโ€™m interested in reading more. Hereโ€™s hoping the second book in this series has a faster pace.
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D. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars Onward we go~
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on January 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
I read what is available of the street rats first, and then the prequel, which helped a lot since I was able to understand all of the references, and I can't wait to see where the story goes next. Time for the next book!
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Teresa Holman
4.0 out of 5 stars The story is imtriguing
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on January 9, 2023
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this story...i got to the place...i put it down because i needed something good to happen. I needed good to at least show up. I needed the torture to end and finally i was grateful that at least some good rose up! The main characters are likeable and i will enjoy finding out where this goes!The battle was forever...and everyone was involved! I stood up to read the end, too anxious to sit still.
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Kevin Potter
4.0 out of 5 stars Big, sprawling, epic; but awkwardly handled at times
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on October 7, 2019
Verified Purchase
When I read the first edition, I was decidedly less than impressed. Especially for a book with the awards backing this one, it had a lot of problems.

I'm pleased to say that with the second edition release, this book is vastly improved!

It still has a few problems, but with the changes and cuts made to the text the majority of my criticisms are gone, leaving this as an enjoyable story that doesn't take itself too seriously.

As always, Tim Gerard Reynolds gives us an only slightly less than stellar audio performance. His voices are varied and distinct, his tempo shifts are impeccable, and his vocal inflections are 100% on point. My one critique is his oh-so-common problem of being unable to produce believable opposite-gender voices.

Now, right off the bat we are introduced to Nialis, an aging wizard saving a child from a (presumably) horrific fate. These first few chapters are full of action and magic and battles and can't help but draw you in.

Unfortunately, the next POV character we meet is 16 years later with no section break or other notification to tell us that. I think the Nialis chapters would be more accurately labeled as a prologue.

Following is an introduction to numerous POV characters, and at times it does get tricky trying to keep them straight. Especially as we don't see the same character in a second chapter until about 4 hours into the audiobook.

My major complaint about the POV switching from the first edition is still present: there are several (at least 5, by my count) characters who have just a single POV chapter and either aren't seen again or at the least don't get another POV chapter. And in my opinion, none of their chapters add anything vital to the story.

Also, it's a little strange to see POV shifts being denoted by chapter breaks while still having consecutive chapters from the same character's POV. At a few points, there are a many as 3 or possibly 4 chapters without a POV shift.

Secondarily, there is an issue with the various POVs feeling perhaps a bit too disparate. Yes, especially by the end, it's not too hard to see how these different stories interrelate, but earlier in the book those connection points are not so clear.

That said, each character does feel distinct, with their own drives, goals, quirks, and mannerisms. Characterization is skillfully done, and I couldn't help caring for the fates of these characters.

And blessedly, the over-emphasis on back story from the first edition was largely eliminated, allowing me to get to know these characters in the present of their stories without being bogged down by boring life stories.

My favorite character, by leaps and bounds, is most definitely Ferrin. Just like in the prequel, Shackled, he has a fantastic sense of humor that I strongly identify with and I love the way his personality comes out throughout the story.

The prose itself is quite good. Although there are still a number of cases of passive voice that felt unnecessary (and didn't add anything to the story), and a few POV violations (the author occasionally tells another character's thoughts or gives details the current POV character couldn't possibly know), in all other ways the writing is practically flawless.

Without spoilers (particularly because I'm not 100% certain I'm right, I could be remembering incorrectly), there does seem to be a minor inconsistency regarding the nature of Kellen's father's magic.

I've talked about this before, but I feel it bears repeating: I'm really not a fan of just one aspect of the magic system, that being the transferrals. I have major personal issues with magic being 99% reliant on an object. It might as well be that it isn't really the wielder who has magic, but rather the object (yes, that is addressed somewhat in the book, but it doesn't change how I feel about it).

And yes, I have the same issue with the Harry Potter universe.

In other regards, however, I love the magic system the author has created. My only real complaint, as other reviewers have noted, is that magic is supposed to be exceedingly rare, yet almost every character in the book is secretly a wielder.

Now, the ending.

Between the different storylines, there are several great twists and reversals. There are some awesome character moments, several cheer worthy victories and more than one heart-wrenching tragedy. It all comes together quite brilliantly.

If the next book is as much of an improvement over this one as this edition was over the first, then Mr. Wisehart will have earned a lifelong fan.
13 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars well done!
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on January 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
really creative, great adventure! i will buy the next book! great character development with strong storyline, and original with much more adventure ahead!
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J. Chang
5.0 out of 5 stars After a long fifteen years, I think Iโ€™ve found my new favorite author.
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on November 7, 2022
Verified Purchase
WOW. Just wow.

I saw this book all over Amazon, and as an avid epic fantasy fan, decided to give it a try. Iโ€™m so glad I did.

I first fell in love with epic fantasy thirteen years ago, through Eragon, and since then it was rare that I found another another book that could really touch me. This one did.

The beginning and middle moved a bit slow; the conflict wasnโ€™t always clear. But towards the end I found myself unable to put this book down in bed. My goodness, the intrigue during the battle, and the endingโ€ฆ! Didnโ€™t see that coming.

The book was well researched and I was in awe over the battle tactics during Tomlin and Asaโ€™s chapters. So often you read big battle scenes in fantasy that just donโ€™t make sense, but there was clear strategy here. Special kudos to the author for also managing to keep the book clean.

Well done! After a long fifteen years, I think Iโ€™ve found my new favorite author.
8 people found this helpful
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Julia
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book but the fights lasted FOREVER
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on November 29, 2022
Verified Purchase
I loved the characters and the story. The author knows how to make the characters come alive for the readers and you want to keep reading to to learn what happens to them. I just had to skip a lot of the minutia in the fighting parts. Which were really not needed.
3 people found this helpful
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Amanda
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing read!!!
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on December 17, 2022
Verified Purchase
It kept my on the edge of my seat and wanting more. Not mention the surprising twists along the way. Absolutely loved the story and cannot wait to read the next book.
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Whiteb52
4.0 out of 5 stars Worth the read
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on November 20, 2022
Verified Purchase
The battle scenes towards the end got a little excessive, but all in all a worthwhile book. Loved the ending which clearly leads you to grab book two in the series. Thank you for the entertainment Michael W.
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Christa
4.0 out of 5 stars I liked it
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on July 7, 2022
Verified Purchase
I rather enjoyed it.
A good, clean read is pretty refreshing. It has all the fantasy elements... mysterious towers, magic, villains, young heroes, weird creatures, and familiar faces to interact with new characters.

This takes places almost twenty years after the Street Rats of Aramoor. There are more magical elements than in the previous series.
There are more characters to follow, but the author doesn't elaborate on them very much. Side characters are more main characters. Battle scenes are fun, though there are some stumbles, like:

1: one character gets bit by a giant spider and while the poison is taking effect, the other characters stand around asking more questions than being in a hurry to save him.

2: one moment the character is fainting with emotions, the next he's not feeling anything a d fighting again...

3: the villain is probably trying a little too hard here...

Ah, well. It was nice meeting some familiar faces though, and you love them just as much. On to the next book!

Christa
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