HOLTGART
Harkentale Saga, Book 1

by Jeremy James Smith

Narrated by: Dustin Sipes

Production by: Jeremy James Smith

Review by Rox Burkey

Extraordinary Journey!

Jeremy James Smith crafts an enchanting fantasy masterpiece that draws readers into the extraordinary journey of a unique dwarf, Angus. Angus, a humble yet endearing dwarven character, quickly wins over the reader's heart with his youthful eagerness and continuous struggle to prove his worth. His endearing qualities make him a character to root for as he faces the challenges of battle, wars, and defending others, which only strengthens his determination. The banter between characters adds a delightful touch to the narrative.

Holtgart presents an expertly woven world of a diverse tapestry of cultures and races, seamlessly intertwining them into the narrative without overwhelming the listener. The seamless integration of weighty themes such as war and survival with lighthearted moments creates an engaging listening experience that leaves the audience craving more of this story while eagerly anticipating the next installment in the Harkentale Saga.

The fabulous voice-acting rendition by Dustin Sipes vividly paints pictures in listeners' minds, while the narrator's perfect tone and pauses balance the characters’ accented dialogue. Each character's distinctive voice is perfectly executed, creating a flawless fantasy story experience that immerses the listener in Angus' journey as he meets every challenge.  Holtgart is an epic journey no fan of fantasy should miss.

Review by C. White

Fantastical Narrative!

Angus Redbeard is either accident-prone, extremely lucky, or a true hero. Regardless, he has a year to prove his worthiness! His journey to prove himself triggers many incidents and wakes many entities thus creating battles that soon escalate into wars! Throughout Angus’ adventurous journey, he encounters many with their agenda including elves, politicians, goblins, orcs, and trolls. All guarantee an adventure worth experiencing!

The author, Jeremy James Smith, weaves a fantastical narrative that is rich with action, and adventure, and peppered with moral decisions. Smith is deliberate in his world and character building providing a strong narrative that immerses the listener completely. Each plot twist is well executed and moves the story forward in a logical manner. I thoroughly enjoyed his building of the character Angus which emphasizes not only luck and hard work but also that sometimes things just happen because they are meant to. The dialogue was strong and kept the story moving forward at a steady pace.

The narrator, Dustin Sipes, vividly brings each character to life using distinct accents and rich tones. His consistency in voices and deliberate cadence further enrich the narrative. With epic-length audiobooks, a solid and entertaining narrator is necessary to keep the audience focused and entertained. Dustin Sipes delivers!

This is a highly entertaining novel that draws in the listener, keeping them immersed until the end. I look forward to hearing what Angus Redbeard does next!

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-biased, honest review.