The Warden

Engaging characters and dialogue, but weak in story, stakes and even the romance the cover teases.

The magical system developed throughout is interesting, but somewhat overwrought in excessive explanation and pace-disrupting flashbacks. The last 40-odd pages felt like an afterthought to justify the protagonist being marked out for being a Necromancer specifically, despite there being very little in the way of necromancy in other 250~ pages beforehand.

Seems like the sequel might have a lot more to say and do, so will probably continue with it.

I was apparently approved for this from NetGalley, but then I got so busy that I completely missed it. So, very sorry about that! The narration by Lindsay Dorcus was awesome.

Wardens are like rangers and wizards mixed into one. Our main character, Aelis, is a sword wielding, wand caster, and the new arriving overseer of Lone Pine. She is a necromancer, an anatomist, and pretty good with a sword too. The world pieces Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and even Harry Potter, and I could see people thinking Gideon the Ninth too. With all that in mind, the blend read very unique to me, as well as fully fleshed out.

The inner thoughts of Aelis, somewhat sarcastic and even self-deprecating, mixed with the more deadpan and steadfast personality of her half-orc guide, Tun, read as a great dynamic. I did struggle a bit with the half-elf love interest though. It felt kind of like pushing for a sapphic subthread that didn’t really need to be there. Or at least it wasn’t fleshed out enough for me.

I’d also liken it to some older fantasy series in the sense that it doesn’t deliver on some gigantic climax. That didn’t really work for me in the moment, but I think I’ve just become so engrained in the modern delivery of heavy action before the end. This does not have that, and that’s actually okay. It’s not without action, nor is it boring at all!

Personally a 4/5*. The peppered in flashbacks from school at the Lyceum really added depth to the world and the MC.

I went into Daniel M. Ford's The Warden not expecting too much and came away pleasantly surprised.

The Warden is a fantasy book that's not like most fantasy books. There's no saving the world scenario and huge world sprawling adventures and battles. Instead, we get a cozy novel with heartwarming characters and a town that you can root for.

Besides fantasy, we get a little sci-fi and some western genres mixed in. The Warden is like a Sheriff/Marshall/Gunslinger set to protect towns and villages. And Lone Pine is a backwater town that's all about sheep.

The author does a great job of making us fit into this quiet little down. And just like Aelis, we slowly start fitting into the town and caring about its villagers.

I really enjoyed this book. It's different enough to be special. The ending was kind of weird and sudden but leaves me begging for Part 2 to hurry up and release. I'm ready to move into Lone Pine!

I had so much fun with this book! Is it weird to use the term “cozy” to describe a book about a necromancer? Because that is exactly the kind of vibes this book has.

Yes, this story had an engaging plot with enough of a mystery to keep me hooked. Yes, the solid world-building of this “mid-level” fantasy would make it appealing to both readers who enjoy diving into a new world as well as readers who appreciate something more recognizable. And yes, there was a nicely established magic system clearly infused with Ford's experience of playing TTPRGs. Yes, there is all of that, but ultimately the charming cast of characters is the real highlight of this book; led by the main character herself, Aelis. Aelis is immediately the type of character you can understand, want to root for and care about. She is capable, compassionate, eager, queer, and only just starting out on her hero's journey.

If I have one grievance, it's that this book ends on a cliffhanger, I prefer books in a series to have their own complete story arc (especially the first book of a new series) while still setting up things to come. That said, I had a great time listening to this audiobook and am looking forward to the next book in the series. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.