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  • Mark of the Fool

  • A Progression Fantasy Epic
  • Written by: J.M. Clarke
  • Narrated by: Travis Baldree
  • Length: 19 hrs
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (128 ratings)

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Mark of the Fool cover art

Mark of the Fool

Written by: J.M. Clarke
Narrated by: Travis Baldree
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Publisher's Summary

The gods chose him. He said no.

After his parents died, Alex Roth had one desire: become a wizard. Through hard work, he was accepted into the University of Generasi, the world’s greatest academy of wizardry....

Fate, however, had another plan.

On his 18th birthday, he is Marked by prophecy as one of his kingdom’s five Heroes, chosen to fight the Ravener, his land’s great enemy. But his brand is "The Fool". Worst of the marks.

Rather than die or serve other Heroes like past Fools, he takes a stand, rejects divine decree...and leaves. With his little sister, his childhood friend, and her cerberus, Alex flees for the university, hoping to research the mystery of the Ravener. He’ll make lifelong friends, learn magic from mad wizards, practice alchemy, fight mana vampires, and try to pay tuition.

There’s one small problem. The Mark insists on preventing the Fool from learning and casting spells, while enhancing skills outside of divinity, combat, and spellcraft...that is, unless he learns to exploit the hell out of it.

Explore a coming-of-age magic academy fantasy with a weak-to-strong progression into power, a setting inspired by D&D, detailed world building, and magical science, action, comedy, slice-of-life, and GameLit elements.

With nearly 10 million views on Royal Road, this popular web serial has been completely revised and relaunched into this definitive version now coming to Audible, narrated by Travis Baldree!

©2022 Aethon Books (P)2022 Aethon Audio
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What listeners say about Mark of the Fool

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Solid adventure

it's half a Dungeons and dragons adventure, half Hogwarts and entertainingly straddles both fairly well. performer tended to get noticeably louder when raising pitch for female speakers which made listening to sleep to difficult at times. solid adventure and entertaining dialogue. some of the magic of this high magic world is lost by making magic too scientific.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A fun story despite a rather anticlimactic ending

I loved this book and I can't wait for book two. I'm surprised I feel that way given the lack of climax after over 20 hours of listening, but I think that speaks volumes to the engaging characters and the fascinating world building.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good pacing and narrator

Overall very solid book. I really liked the author writing style and story. Travis, the narrator, is well suited to the cast of character also!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A great intro to an interesting world.

Travis Baldree was a fantastic narrator. The world building was really quite good and character development was not lacking. Overall, a fantastic start to a hopefully long series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this 1st Book

I have never been one to randomly chose Aurthors ingrown to me. So glad I didn't bypass this one. Love to proceed to Book 2. I enjoyed this narration was very easy listening. Give it a try, you just may get hooked on the Seriies, like me. 👍 👌 😉

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Ending wasn’t anything special

Slow story. Lots of building, for a book 1 ending that didn’t come. Felt let down at the end. Here goes book 2!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A New Favourite!

Loved it!! This is the first book I’ve completed since I burnt myself out in high school. 😅 Loveable characters, great plot, and AMAZING voice actor. I can’t wait to read the second! Darn cliff-hangers… (Love ‘em.)

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A chosen one who prefers to go to wizard school

I really enjoyed this. It's a great twist on the trope of the chosen one.
In this case, the chosen one doesn't want to throw his life away. He's given a role that usually doesn't save the day, but where the death of that chosen one motivates the others. You understand why he walks away, and it doesn't come across as cowardice. Just enlightened self interest.
After a harrowing journey full of adventure, Alex reaches wizard university. Which is for adults. And the story shifts into him learning to use his magic.
The chosen one trope remains in place, but in a reduced role. He hasn't turned away entirely, which again re-inforces self-interest vs. cowardice.
The book is obviously book 1 in a series. Up to book 4 is available on Audible. I think this series is still being written. It ends at a satisfying place, but leaves the story somewhere to go. 

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

pretty great story

pretty great story I thought it was slow at first but I started apriciating it more and more

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Fun, worth going into and book two

For those into progressive fantasy this is as other reviewers have pointed out, a slow burn. That being said the characters are all enjoyable, and it doesn’t fall into boring gamelit tropes that I’ve come to find to be massive red flags. The world building is interesting and I think book two will be quite good.

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