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R.A. Salvatore's epic tale of the Land of Corona just keeps getting more and more exciting, while GraphicAudio's productions accurately reflect the drama of the text with their superb audiobooks. Ascendance is book five of the series and tells the tale of Aydrian Wyndon, the lost son of Elbryan the Ranger and Jilseponie the warrior. When Jilseponie was battling with the demon-possessed Father Abbot Dalebert Markwart, the supreme leader of the Abellican Church, she thought his magic had killed her unborn son. The truth was that Lady Dasselrond, leader of the elves, rescued the baby from Jilseponie's womb and raised him as a Ranger among her people.

In part one of this book, Aydrian escapes the land of the elves and sets out to make a name for himself. As fate would have it, Aydrian crosses paths with Marcalo De'Unnero, the former Bishop of Palmaris, who has been possessed by the were-tiger spirit and is the man that murdered Aydrian's father. De'Unnero begins plotting against Jilseponie, who is now Queen of Honce-the-Bear, in the land of Corona. De'Unnero's plan is to put Aydrian on the throne, topple the church and put himself back in power. Aydrian is a powerful force with his skill in manipulating the magic gemstones used by the church and the abilities he has acquired as an accomplished Ranger. He decides to go along with these plans, while developing a few of his own.

To further the cause, De'Unnero places himself among the nobles in the kingdom and convinces Duke Callis to hold a series of contests as a show for the King's 50th birthday. Bringing to mind scenes from the classic tale of Robin Hood and the movie A Knight's Tale, nobles and peasants alike compete in melee battles, jousts and sword fights to prove who is worthy of the King's Pennant. Whoever defeats Duke Callis, the strongest man in the kingdom, may well change the course of future of the kingdom.

R.A. Salvatore shows great skill in weaving this tale of distinct subplots together in a way that enhances the climax of the story. GraphicAudio combines their cast of talented actors with realistic sound effects (especially during the jousts and sword fights) and original music to increase tension and suspense up to the very end of the story. I found myself on the edge of my seat while listening to all the battles and at the end, felt as though I was experiencing an adrenaline high from all the excitement fueled by GraphicAudio's superb production.

This is a super-exciting fantasy novel and I'm not sure how Salvatore and GraphicAudio can top it. But the next book, Transcendence, is sitting by my side as I write this -- ready to continue the adventure.

Gil T. has spent a quarter of a century working in radio and has lots of spare time on his hands and reading or listening to books takes up all that time. Check out his blog to find out what he's up to at any given moment.