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  • The Black Witch

  • The Black Witch Chronicles, Book 1
  • Written by: Laurie Forest
  • Narrated by: Julia Whelan
  • Length: 18 hrs and 11 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (184 ratings)

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The Black Witch cover art

The Black Witch

Written by: Laurie Forest
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
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Publisher's Summary

A Great Winged One will soon arise and cast his fearsome shadow upon the land. And just as Night slays Day, and Day slays Night, so also shall another Black Witch rise to meet him, her powers vast beyond imagining.

So foretells the greatest prophecy of the Gardnerian mages. Carnissa Gardner, the last prophesied Black Witch, drove back the enemy forces and saved her people during the Realm War. Now a new evil is on the horizon, and her granddaughter, Elloren, is believed to be Carnissa's heir—but while she is the absolute image of her famous grandmother, Elloren is utterly devoid of power in a society that prizes magical ability above nearly all else.

When she is granted the opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an apothecary, Elloren is eager to join her brothers at the prestigious Verpax University and finally embrace a destiny of her own, free from the shadow of her grandmother's legacy. But she soon realizes that the University, which admits all manner of people—including the fire-wielding, winged Icarals, the sworn enemies of all Gardnerians—is an even more treacherous place for the granddaughter of the Black Witch.

©2017 Laurie Forest (P)2017 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited.

What the critics say

"This ambitious story is impressively narrated by the talented Julia Whelan, who creatively details its world of intricate magical practices and diverse inhabitants.... Whelan ably creates and sustains a wide cast of characters with intriguing and faithfully distinguished voices. Most importantly, she cultivates listeners' connection with flawed but ultimately good-hearted Elloren, whose first-person story portrays her fumbling attempts at understanding a wider world." (AudioFile)

What listeners say about The Black Witch

Average Customer Ratings
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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

Absolutely wonderful

I first purchased this book, after a while into it and loving it, I found that there is MULTIPLES!!! If you are going to purchase... which I would like to add YOU SHOULD! Also look into the chronicles as there is a before .5 book, and after this one a 1.5 before book 2.

Julia Whelan is an incredible narrator! I could not be happier. Now on to the .5 I missed... happy listening 💕

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

A fantastic enlightening read

I loved this book. I found the characters to be full of personality and loveable. The racial/religious divides in the book are at times sad to read, but I loved experiencing how the characters overcome their prejudices and grow. I couldn’t put this book down.
I enjoyed every aspect of the narration. She was fantastic and had a different voice for every character.
I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

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1 person found this helpful

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

One of my favorite books!

Definitely worth the listen! The narrator was absolutely amazing, she made it very easy to get lost in the story and was great at doing other character voices. As for the story, it turned out to be a lot better than I imagined. I was a little worried based off of some of the reviews I read but it turned out to be an amazing story.
*Warning a bit of a spoiler*
There is a lot of racism that takes place which makes lots of room for character development if written well. Laurie Forest did an amazing job at that, she made the protagonist not a terrible person in the beginning but lacked the knowledge to know better and made her develop so well by the end.
*Spoiler over*

I would 100% recommend!

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

An amazing read

Great narrator, wonderful book. I absolutely loved this story. The world is intricate. The politics interesting. And I fell in love with so many characters.

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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

Absolutely adored this

From pretty much the start of this book, right through the 4th book, I was hooked.
I loved the authors way of telling the story and I didn’t want it to end, but I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. I was carried along by the story.
The narrator was very skilled with differentiating the characters with just her voice. Very well read

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I'm Totally Hooked!

I found this book because I was searching for others narrated by Julia Whelan. She's an excellent reader/actor and I enjoyed her work previously. When I saw this series it piqued my interest so I purchased it. Within the first ten minutes or so I was hooked, and found it hard to stop. It's well-written, the characters are interesting, and the story has enough surprises and suspense to keep your interest keen. In fact, I purchased Book 2 immediately after the last words of 'The Black Witch' ceased. I think I'm going to want to listen to the entire series. So glad I found it - and so glad to find a fantasy book with a female lead character!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Ash
  • 2020-07-28

Thought Provoking

This book, and those following it, is amazing. Laurie does a wonderful job of weaving the intricate and complicated issues of our time into a captivating story that forces us, along side the characters, to question what we believe is right. I think this book is well written and well executed. The character development is the core of the story and it is easy to lose yourself in this world she created. Laurie Forest will be an author on my shelf for years to come.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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I Almost Stopped Listening

Julia Whelan's multi-voice performance is what kept me listening. A few personal erks to the writing of this first book that I quickly got over. The characters are relatable and easy to gain an affinity to. I was "incredulous" at my enjoyment of this book. I recommend it if you love Fantasy Fiction, and of course, dragons.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Engaging Enjoyable Story

Excellent narration.
This is an easy escapism story. Uses typical literary devices. Offers an implicit commentary on prejudice and how religion can be perverted without being too serious. But the main protagonist is likeable. You feel for her, you emotionally invest in her. Left me wanting to listen to the next audiobook in the series right away.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved

Loved this book and the characters. Good change of voices. Only one annoyed me but he was barely in it. It’s crazy how you can hear arrogance in a voice.

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