The Misenchanted Sword

By: Lawrence Watt-Evans

Narrated by: J. Bruce McRell

Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Ethshar and the Northern Empire have been at war for hundreds of years. Hardly anyone alive remembers why, or over what. The tempest, turmoil, and war are endless, and the killing more endless still. The war has become not just a way of life, but an institution; no one dares to dream that it could end. Not even Valder of Kardoret, Ethsharitic Scout, trapped behind enemy lines.

But now everything has changed: at a moment of great need, a hermit wizard crafted Valder a magic sword called Wirikidor - a blade at once cursed and enchanted, a misenchanted blade that makes him unbeatable.

Soon the tides of battle will turn, and once they've turned they'll turn forever.

©1985, 2008 Lawrence Watt-Evans (P)2017 Wildside Press LLC

One of the best Fantasy stories ever told

Welcome to Ethshar, one of the most detailed, original, and amazing lands you will ever see. This is a world in which the setting plays as much a role as the characters. This is a brilliant series that LWE has slowly woven into a tapestry of tales over the years, and this is the first one, the introduction. The story centers on Valder, an army scout on the run from deadly northern forces. He stumbles upon an old wizard and convinces him to power up his standard issue sword so that he stood a chance to survive, the good news is he gets his magic sword. The bad news is the sword is cursed and will eventually kill him. The sword also made him immortal, so he'll only die if he's killed, but he continues to age. He's really paying for his request.

The story isn't what you expect. Yes, there is some awesome sword fighting, and Val goes through a series of jobs and identities. What is really good is the journey through life that Valder goes through, he is clever and lives by his wits more than his blade. And that is the special thing about Ethshar and LWE's writing. You never get what you expect, and the endings are often positive and upbeat. This is an incredibly fun book, and my son asked me about it just the other day (I used to read to them when they were kids) and the book still stuck with him.

The narration isn't bad, and suits the story.

I wish that LWE released all of his Ethshar books on audible.

My first Ethshar

This was the first Ethshar book I ever read. I've read the others in the decades since, but this still holds a special place. I really appreciated the way the characters think through situations instead of just acting rashly. Similarly, Watt-Evans really thought through the way the various systems of magic in Ethshar would work and stayed consistent throughout the series.
More than a decade ago, I contacted this author and asked him if there were any audio versions of his books. He said he'd never really thought about it. I was thrilled when his books started appearing at Audible. I sincerely hope they produce the rest of the series.

“Audible 20 Review Sweepstakes Entry”

Purchased this book in grade school.

Purchased this book in grade school but lost it after moving. Nice to have found it again. brought back many memories.

One of my favorite books! Off-putting narrator.

I first read about this book in a review of it in Dragon Magazine in the mid-1980's, I've read it over and over and LOVE LOVE LOVE the book. The story of Valder and the problematic sword introduces the reader to the world of Ethshar and the variety of magical schools in use there. I highly recommend this and all the other Ethshar books to readers of all ages.

The audio performance, however, is among the worst I have encountered on Audible. Words are clear, but distractingly overly enunciated, There is little emotion or flow to the reading. It's stilted and off-putting, and the infrequent, sporadic snippets of emphasis only serve to call the listener's attention to how robotic the rest is. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that J. Bruce McRell was an advanced text to speech engine. It's that bad. It's a travesty that such a fine book is paired with such a bad performance. I will be on the lookout for this narrator and avoid his work in the future.

Great Book

I absolutely love this book and this series
I highly recommend reading it as its amazing

Not happy with the narrator.

I’ve loved this book for 30 years and have read it many times. I do a lot of commuting which is why I joined audible. I recently decided to read the book again and was excited to get the narrated version until I listened to it. I forced myself to finish it but can’t recommend it. Buy a hard copy and enjoy the story so much more.

Great classic fantasy novel

Such an awesome 80s fantasy book, vivid world, and in the 80s style, lighter and fun compared with the modern iterations of the genre where everyone is trying to out do each other. One of the first fantasy books I read as a kid in the 90s and still one of my favourites. Was so happy to see and buy this audiobook.

Looooove this story!

This is the first story by Lawrence Watt-Evans I ever read, and it's why I buy every book of his I see today.

a great story

a great story from my past great to see it in audible hope others of Lawrence Watt-Evans past Works come out in Audible also

amazing book

I have read or listen to this book for over 30 years. I have read it more than any other single book. Sadly, this reader is like listening to Alexa reading stereo instructions.