The Warden is the story of a young Lyceum graduate who has earned the rank of Warden, but then is assigned to a remote outpost that feels like a punishment. The fact that she is young, a woman, and a necromancer are all strikes against her in the eyes of most of the inhabitants of this largely illiterate border skirting town. She tries to build trust and uphold the law, while also guarding the kingdom and tracking down some traitors.

This was not described as a LitRPG, but it really did read like one, with characters of different species/races in RPG lingo, a group banding together, quest-ish activities, and plenty of travelers. I would definitely read more from this series.

Great audio narration.

The synopsis of this book contrasted significantly with the actual content and plot and I think my expectations were a little skewed by that. I’m definitely going to read more from this author in the future, but ultimately, I struggled to reconcile my expectations with my reading experience. Incredible cover and great narrator, though!

The Warden by Daniel M. Ford. 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.

📚Review: The Warden 🗡️

By: Daniel M. Ford
Published: April 18, 2023

Aelis de Lenti, the daughter of a noble house and recent graduate of the esteemed Magisters Lyceum, had a plan. With the money, connections, and brains she has, she would become a talented necromancer, obtain a job in a grand city, and prove her greatness. Well, plans don’t always work out and she lands a job in the far-removed village of Lone Pine, where she’s mending fences and serving people who want nothing to do with her. However, Lone Pine isn’t the quaint town Aelis thought it would be - it may just hold connections to the greatest evil the world has ever know and she might be all that stands in its way.

I’m continuing the cozy fantasy review train with this one!

Welcome to Lone Pine, where the villagers are weird and grumpy to outsiders and fiercely loyal and nosy, one you get to know them. It’s also a town with amazing home cooked food that will leave you drooling while reading it.

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by this one - it’s starts off kind of windy and picks up steam along the way until you’re staring evil in the face. It’s parts fantasy, sci-fi, and even western with the Warden’s gunslinger vibes. There’s also a dash of sapphic romance, which you know I was all about.

I’m pumped for book two to see where

Verdict: Really Liked 🥰

Thank you so much for the #gifted copy, @torbooks! ❤️

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This definitely caught my attention at the beginning but then unfortunately lost it near the middle. Got it back again towards the end and I think if I try reading a physical copy I might really like it!

Thank you to the publisher for the ALC. I am trying to get into more sci fi and fantasy books and this Twin Peaks but fantasy/sci fi was so fun.

There were a lot of elements that were familiar to me in this story but also sufficient on the peaks-of-interest and exciting wizardry/action elements. The plot seems a bit cliche as it follows the ‘esteemed city-girl/wizard’ being assigned to act as warden in a small armpit of a town – but she’s also a badass necromancer. The townsfolk fear her and her powers and shy away when she walks through town. Though after quick-thinking and using her powers to save the life of one of the townsfolk, she earns her a slight degree of respect. Then the plot somewhat spins off into a fugitive hunt in an unforgiving fantasy forest filled with danger.

Aelis is determined to give her house, and her school a good name by strictly representing the rules and skills she has learned. We are often met with flashbacks to her classroom days and her strict instructors battering lessons into her, as she’s presented with a given situation where she needs to apply those lessons. This can upend the pacing a little, but also provides context about why Aelis is the way she is.

There are some very interesting secondary characters as well. Maurenia, The half-elf and love interest of Aelis, who just happens to stroll into town with her band of mercenaries shortly after Aelis arrives, and Tun – the strong-silent type who just about steals every scene he’s in :no spoilers:. Tun is such an awesome character

The world is mostly confined to a small town of Lone Pine, dense forested ‘Ruins of the old world’ kind of woods. Ford does well on setting the atmosphere there in Aelis’s tower and within the tavern and the surrounding trees.

The second half of the book steps up the suspense, wizardry, and action. The magic system is not complex; wards, necromancy, and doesn’t spare a lot of the ‘how’ and that it just ‘is’. Some interesting villains emerge and their sinister plots revealed. And once you thought it was over, there’s a little thread that leads off of a cliffhanger for book 2!

This book is perfect for the Skyrim fan, or the casual D&D player. There are lgbtq themes but it’s light on the romance. Wizardry, shapeshifters, demon trees, undead, and all the good stuff! The audio narration was very well done if you’re looking for a nice Fantasy audiobook as well.

Filed Under: Adventure Fantasy, Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery
Tagged With: Book Review, Daniel M Ford, Fantasy Books, The Warden, Tor Books

Slow burn fantasy with great world building. Took awhile for the plot to ramp up but once the world and characters are established the excitement picks up. Will check out next the book in the series when it comes out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for sending me an audiobook arc of this book.

4.5 stars!

I absolutely LOVED this book. The characters and world-building were absolutely enchanting, and the story had me staying up way passed my bedtime to find out what happened next! Everything felt so vivid and alive. I loved (and hated) so many characters in this world - I am SO invested in their wellbeing and success - even some of the side characters! I really appreciated the underlying themes of (not)belonging, inclusion, true friendship and community.

Though I very much look forward to diving back into this world once the next audiobook comes out, I am really not a fan of having the fist book in a series end on a cliff-hanger. It should definitely be a stand-alone novel, alluding to future possibilities without having to resort to trickery to get readers coming back!!

Huge gratitude to the publisher, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for a temporary advanced copy of this audiobook, in exchange for my honest review.

I was expecting Sci Fy vibes from the book and have never been so excited to be wrong. It was very DnD and I loved it so much. I am hoping that we get more books in this series. I loved the story and the characters and I don't ever want to leave this world. Excellent book.

5 stars

3.25 stars

This was an interesting read. There wasn’t really anything wrong with it, and I know it was set up to be the start of a larger series, but I just couldn’t get into the story the way I’d hoped. If you’re looking for a fantasy series with a strong female protagonist, though, it would be worth giving this one a shot.

We were constantly pulled in different directions but the MC also seemed annoyed about being pulled in so many directions. She was a very believable character to follow. It had the cliff-est of cliff hangers that I've encountered in a long time.

I can't decide how I feel about this book! First, I'll say that I don't think the cover matches the vibe of the story that well. I was expecting this story to be darker than it was. In some ways this felt like cozy fantasy. Even though it wasn't what I expected, I really enjoyed the beginning of the story.

I liked seeing a reluctant Aelis start to make the best of things, fixing up her home, getting to know the townsfolk, and contending with a very obnoxious goat. The cozy fantasy vibes and sapphic romance should have been right up my alley. The world-building was creative, the characters were well-developed, and there were some clever and entertaining moments, but for some reason I just never felt that invested in The Warden. Even once the story picked up and the stakes got higher, I was never really worried for the characters or felt a sense of anticipation. I would read another Daniel M Ford book though because there was a lot to like about the world-building and character development.

The Warden by Daniel M. Ford - fantasy.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Narration by Lindsey Dorcus.
First off I miss this type of fantasy and was pleasantly surprised by this book.
The characters were great and, of course, the Half Orc and a goat were my favorite characters.
This was a fun story. It reminded me of classic D&D fantasy but with a twist. It was pretty fast paced and well told. There were times (during Warden Aelis's reminiscing) I wasn't sure if we were in the past or present but that didn't hurt the story in the least; and very well could have been me.
I loved this strange little village full of souls plagued by memories of past wars and superstition. Aelis was a bit of a snob in the beginning but watching her growth throughout the book was refreshing. It was so subtle you could almost miss it.
I think fans of the old Dragon Lance books would enjoy this author. I know I did. I am very much looking forward to the next book.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Macmillan Audio Tor for the audiobook ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5/5 stars
First, I would just like to say that I loved having a foul mouthed MC. Aelis was so fun to see react to different situations. I was never fully invested into the story, however, it has a lot of potential and Daniel Ford is definitely an author I will be keeping my eye on!! The pacing was a little slow and the world building felt lacking.

While the plot to this story was simple, the themes and lessons were relatable. And I adored the main character. She had spunk and was bratty, but in the most endearing way. If you like slice-of-life and fantasy with a bit of a mystery sprinkled in, this is the book for you!

I had so much fun with this audiobook! 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.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing the audiobook. Overall, the audiobook was well done. I liked the narrator, even if she spoke a bit slowly. The listener can always speed it up. She did other voices fairly well, although this audiobook would have been a hoot with a full cast.

The story itself was a lot of fun. It felt like an 80s movie. Not heavy on self-reflection, but action-packed (at least in the second half), and the heroine always triumphs without too much bother. I liked the main character quite a bit, which you needed to because she was pretty well the whole show. She could be described as an older, more foul-mouthed Hermione Granger. The first half does take some patience to wade through and the flashbacks to university days are an overworn plot device. It was still a blast. We could do with more books like this.

I loved this book!
"The Warden " by Daniel M. Ford is a fun and fast-paced read with excellent world-building and character development. The magic system also seems well crafted and is quite different than most I've read about. The story follows Aelis, a girl from a wealthy family who becomes proficient in necromancy and is assigned as Warden of the small town of Lone Pine. Aelis struggles to gain the trust of the townsfolk, who are distrustful of magic, but she is called upon to use her skills in ways she never imagined when the sleepy town becomes the site of deadly incidents. The audiobook narrator, Lindsey Dorcus, really helped the story come to life. There is a cast of lesser characters that are different enough that you'll easily be able to remember them. And in true D&D-esque fashion there were a few side quests mixed into the main story that I felt didn't detract from the overall story.
While the book ends with a cliffhanger, it seems that the author plans to make it a trilogy so I am eagerly awaiting the next installment!

I'm obsessed with this book. I love everything about this book from the characters to the setting to the magic to the relationships. From the very beginning this book drew me in and had me hooked. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in high fantasy, unique magic systems, small town relationships, or even w|w relationships. The conflicts and minor hiccups and struggles the characters experience are wonderful and frustrating but also has you constantly cheering on the main character rooting for her to succeed.