First, let me just say that I really love this book cover. It really drew me in and I like the cleverness of it, like the cover itself is a fancy book with clasps and such. I feel like a wizard-in-training just looking at this book cover.

I have to say that the main character, Mierta, has a very unfortunate name. It’s just one letter off from a popular Spanish cuss word and when listening to an audiobook a ‘t’ can easily sound like a ‘d’. It’s as if our main character was named Shet, which could easily be confused with a vulgar word. So, I had to get all the giggles out before I could take this story seriously. That done, Mierta really is a serious character and not someone I would want to cross. Indeed, I would never make fun of his name within his hearing.

This tale takes place in the 1200s and almost has a King Arthur feel to it. Several of the characters start off innocent, or at least good, and as they mature and life seasons them, some turn onto a dark path. Plus there’s Queen Anya who is power-hungry. There’s very few female characters in this tale, which also matches many King Arthur tales. I wanted more ladies and more out of them. Queen Anya is good at manipulation but she doesn’t have any power of her own; she relies on the men around her to attain and stay in power.

Orlynd is an interesting young man. He finds himself unexpectedly in the King’s circle. His family fell out of favor in a previous generation and Orlynd and his dad are still paying for it. I did find him a bit naive but he provides a good balance to Mierta, especially later in the book.

Plague! Plague is coming! You can’t run fast & far enough to avoid it. Hide if you like, but only chance can save you. Mierta is plagued by visions of this deadly plague and as he ages, it really shapes his character. He has been desperate for years to find a way to avoid the plague or to cure it. This was the aspect of the story I liked the most. After all, it’s biology versus a warlock. Who will win? You’ll need the sequel to find out. All told, it’s a fun tale with some dark edges. 4/5 stars.

The Narration: Chris Walker-Thomson does a great job with this book. I loved his various regional accents for the characters, keeping them all distinct. His female voice for Queen Anya was feminine. I really liked his accent for Orlynd, one that other characters found amusing or unique. There were no technical issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Mackenzie Flohr. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it. ( )

Disclaimer: I received this book from LibraryThing in return for an honest review.

The Rite of Wands follows two warlocks, Mierta Mckinnon and Orlynd O’Brien, from adolescents to early adulthood. At first it seems like these two young men have nothing in common but then the story lines intersect. Both warlocks are trying to prevent a terrible future they saw in their Rite of Wands ceremony aka the ceremony that determines if someone is going to become a warlock or not. Will they be able to save those they care about?

Initially I had a hard time getting into this book. The beginning is rather slow as it sets up the world the characters are in. However once the story lines begin to intersect the book picks up and I could not put it down! It is hard to tell which characters are the good guys and which are the bad ones. The characters are complex and keeper the readers guessing as to their motives. This book is the first in a series so I ends on a cliffhanger. I cannot wait to read the next one! ( )

I really enjoyed this book even though it's not my usual genre. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect going in. I liked the two main characters, and felt like, especially in the first part of the book, that I got to know them well. The book did span decades and did some skipping, and also a lot of back and forth between people and time periods, but overall I would recommend this book and it was an easy read. ( )

It took a while but I finally got VERY interested in The Rite of Wands. Some of the switching times and places was confusing until I really got comfortable with the characters. I warmed up almost immediately to Orlynd but came to enjoy trying to understand the complex character of Mierta. It was a book that I finally was getting all revved up about and it came to a very abrupt end. I had no clue I was nearing the end of book one. I was wrapped in the story not the pages. I do have to say it was difficult getting started but well worth staying with to the end. The question I keep asking my self is "Would I have finished it if the book was not an Early Reviewers copy and I felt obligated to write a summary?" I have decided that I would probably stayed with it and enjoyed the almost ending. I have high hopes for a little better flow with the second book, but I am looking forward to it. ( )

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The Rites of Wand is a young adult sci-fi book. It depicts the story of two young warlocks coming of age and embarking on a journey as an apprentice, a seer, and an advisor to the king and queen.
As you read you see how the young warlocks grow into adulthood. Many other interesting characters are participating in the story.
It is a little disappointed when you get to the end of the book, and you see “To be continued” as now you would have to wait for the next one.
Great cover and appealing interior design. ( )