The Warden, Daniel M. Ford
The Warden, Daniel M. Ford
4 Rating(s)
List: $34.99 | Sale: $24.50
Club: $17.49

The Warden

Author: Daniel M. Ford

Narrator: Lindsey Dorcus

Unabridged: 13 hr 32 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/30/2024


Synopsis

A Recommended Reading List Pick for Locus and a Best Science Fiction & Amazon Fantasy Editors' Pick 800 miles between your local necromancer and a glass of wine… There was a plan. She had the money, the connections, even the brains. It was simple: become one of the only female necromancers, earn as many degrees as possible, get a post in one of the grand cities, then prove she’s capable of greatness. The funny thing about plans is that they are seldom under your control. Now Aelis de Lenti, a daughter of a noble house and recent graduate of the esteemed Magisters’ Lyceum, finds herself in the far-removed village of Lone Pine. Mending fences, matching wits with goats, and serving people who want nothing to do with her. But, not all is well in Lone Pine, and as the villagers Aelis is reluctantly getting to know start to behave strangely, Aelis begins to suspect that there is far greater need for a Warden of her talents than she previously thought. Old magics are restless, and an insignificant village on the farthest border of the kingdom might hold secrets far beyond what anyone expected. Aelis might be the only person standing between one of the greatest evils ever known and the rest of the world. For fans who have always wanted their Twin Peaks to have some wizards, The Warden is a non-stop action adventure story from author Daniel M. Ford.

About Daniel M. Ford

Daniel M. Ford is a native of Baltimore. He has an M.A. in Irish Literature from Boston College, and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from George Mason University. Ford lives in Delaware and teaches at a college prep high school in rural Maryland. When he isn’t writing, you can find him reading, playing RPGs, lifting weights, or mixing cocktails. His previous work includes The Paladin Trilogy and the Jack Dixon novels.

About Lindsey Dorcus

Lindsey Dorcus is a SOVAS and IAA award-winning audiobook narrator and classically trained actor. After receiving her BA in theater from Northwestern University, she worked as a theater artist and teacher in Chicago for over ten years before shifting her focus to audiobooks. The narrator of over fifty titles, she especially loves narrating YA, science fiction & fantasy, and stories with LGBTQ+ themes.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nick on April 23, 2023

THE WARDEN is definitely a book with a ton of potential. I really enjoyed the female necromancer aspect and the world that Daniel M. Ford created is an intriguing one that hints at more to be revealed later on down the road. It's also a story that I easily got lost in for stretches. In the beginning......more

Goodreads review by O. on January 24, 2023

Shouts out to Tor for sending me a free digital ARC of this book before its release. Here's the review. I've been sitting at my desk for a few minutes now, half zoning out/half thinking about what to say about this book. How do you find the words to describe mediocrity? Like, akin to vegenaise maybe?......more

4.5 stars rounded up Okay, this was a blast! I was told to expect Twin Peaks, but with wizards. And yeah, I see that thought this is much less leaning into horror and weirdness. I almost want to call it cozy fantasy. Not to the same degree as something like Legends & Lattes (there's quite a bit more......more

Goodreads review by Nicholas on January 06, 2025

This was an excellent read. It's kind of like cozy fantasy, but with a touch of "anyone could get brutally murdered at any given moment" that makes the stakes feel higher than similar books. The main character does some growing throughout the book, which is always nice, and the worldbuilding is real......more

Goodreads review by Blue on November 25, 2022

i think aelis and i should kiss......more


Quotes

Captures an endearing fish out of water vibe in this pleasantly romantic fantasy about the importance of supporting one’s local necromancer. . . . The charming misfit cast is the highlight here. Readers who enjoy the maturing mages and heroes of Robin McKinley and Melissa Caruso will find another youngster on the rise to cheer for in these pages.

"[A] precocious girl with a sense of entitlement graduates from the world's top university of magic . . . [N]arrator Lindsey Dorcus depicts the girl's transformation from an outsider who must continually battle the town goat to a champion of her charges against the forces of darkness. Dorcus's breezy delivery reflects this rambling fantasy's vivid world-building." —AudioFile