Wizards and Weavers by Nazri Noor
Summary: Wizards and Weavers is the story of Braiden Beadle, who inherited and is about to lose his grandmother's craft shop. A new dungeon that has just appeared near the town of Weathervale has brought plenty of business to town, but none to Braiden's shop. So he decides to venture into the dungeon to find a way to save his grandmother's legacy. The trouble is that Augustin Arcosa, the famous (to everyone but Braiden) Wizard of Weathervale, has come home to close the dungeon to protect the town.
They set off together to explore the dungeon and see if a compromise can be made. As they adventure deeper, they meet a random assortment of friends. They also start to notice each other a bit more closely. The no-spice romance leads you toward a fade to black moment at the end, but the thrill is sometimes in the chase.
Setting: The story takes place in a fantasy realm where elves, orcs, and other races live side by side. Magic is part of daily life. Questing boards are posted outside of pubs and taverns for adventurers to find employment. I felt like I had stepped into a fantasy RPG and started wondering what kind of game logic might apply. Overall, this gave the story a light, campy feel. It made it fun to read. Nazri Noor does a great job of keeping the story moving through the levels of the dungeon.
Characters: Since the story reads like a Dungeons and Dragons-style adventure, you can divide the characters into main adventurers and the NPCs. And Nazri Noor does a great job of filling out the characters as needed for the story. They are all dynamic and have real depth. The relationship that slowly blooms between Braiden and Augustin is sweet and warm. Even without the spiciness of some of his other works, you can still feel the tension building throughout the story. I would have liked a little more spice between them, since all we get is a kiss and a possible fade to black at the end.
Story: The story is cute and funny. Nazri Noor does a good job of staying light and positive even as the characters go through the various challenges they face, both in and out of the dungeon. It is a wonderful romantic comedy whose job is to entertain and give us a happy-ever-after, or at least a happy-for-now. And he meets that goal beautifully in this first book of the series. Book 2 is due out later this year, and I can't wait to get my hands on that as soon as it is available.
Narrator: Since this was an audiobook version, my review would not be complete without mentioning the narrator. Jon did a great job narrating this story. He brought the characters to life with distinct voices and kept the story's pacing moving. I enjoyed listening to him read, and I think he definitely enhanced my experience of the book.
Overall: I really enjoyed the light-hearted comedy and storytelling. I went into the story with some expectations based on some of Nazri Noor's other works, but I was not disappointed. It just took me a couple of chapters to adapt to his very different world.
You can purchase it in paperback, ebook, and audiobook here.