The Canticle Prelude

The Canticle Kingdom #0.5

by Michael D. Young

Follow the magic of music in this enchanting trilogy, taking place first at the height of WWI in Germany, and then in the Canticle Kingdom within the music box of a great and evil musicanter. Heroes abound without and within the music box, but many are lost throughout this epic journey, some to dark magic. First following the brothers Jorgen and Karsten, The Canticle Prelude leads into Michael Young's already published novel The Canticle Kingdom, weaving music into dark fantasy like never before.

230 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2012

About the author

Though Michael grew up traveling the world with his military family, he now lives in Utah with his wife, Jen, and their three children, where he creates online curriculum for Brigham Young University. He is a graduate of BYU and Western Governors University with degrees in German Teaching, Music, Educational Leadership, and Instructional Design. He enjoys acting in community theater, podcasting, playing and writing music, and spending time with his family. He played for years with the Bells on Temple Square and is now a member of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.

He is the author of the novels in The Canticle Kingdom Series, The Last Archangel Series, the Chess Quest Series, and the Penultimate Dawn Cycle (The Hunger), the Wonderful Week for a Quest Series, as well as several non-fiction works, including An Advent Carols Countdown, Sacred Days, Sacred Songs, The Song of the Righteous, As Saints We Sing, and The Song of the Saints. He has also had work featured in various online and print magazines such as Bards and Sages Quarterly, Mindflights, Meridian, Nugent Magazine, The New Era, Keeping Tab, Allegory, Liahona, and Ensign.

Reviews

[Paula Dyches · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grimm Style Dark Fantasy with Music Mages

Parents- PG- middle school and up
Language- None
Violence- PG- normal to genre nothing too graphic
Sexual Content- none

This is a prequel to The Canticle Kingdom series. Its setting is Germany in the 1930's with a nod to the Grimm Brother's Fairytales. This one had a new fun spin on magic with very unique type of mage whose powers come from music (which makes sense if you know anything about the author's background). With these powers, this evil mage can control people through their emotions and can create new worlds inside objects. The world-building was great as he created a world inside the elaborately carved music box. It's a fun story that draws you in.

Narrator- He did a great job with the differentiations, all the accents, and you could tell he had some fun in the more dramatic parts. Several sound edit parts got missed with some repeated lines and a couple of long dead pauses.

—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook: I was entertained by this "Prequel to the Canticle Chronicles". The world-building was unique. The use of music to perform magic was creative. This prequel introduced the brothers, Jorgen and Karsten, who approached life through different values. These values guided their actions throughout the tale, and provided many of the twists which added to the story's excitement. I'm looking forward to reading "The Canticle Chronicles Trilogy". William P. Ryan's narration was fine. There was an error in his performance where he had to start the chapter over, but on the whole his performance was good. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

[Nemesis Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "The Canticle Prelude," Michael D. Young's masterful writing takes you on an enchanting journey through the magic of music amidst the chaos of WWI in Germany and the mystical Canticle Kingdom within an evil musicanter's music box. William P. Ryan's narration brings the characters to life with skill and flair, making this prequel a captivating experience. Dive into this epic dark fantasy, and let the melodies of intrigue and heroism carry you through an unforgettable adventure!

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really, really loved this book until it abruptly ended! I liked the characters, the world building was great, and the magic was super cool. I'm so disappointed in the 'ending'. Just a few more pages and it would have been enough to make it feel more complete.
I don't feel like I wasted my time reading it, and I'd definitely like to read the rest of the series.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the prelude to the Canticles Kingdom, a dark fairy tale. I listened to the audio version. I found the story and characters to be interesting and entertaining. It was well written. The narration was excellent. I received a free copy of this audiobook and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Amanda Meuwissen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Canticle Prelude was an amazing dark fairy tale ride from start to finish, with a mix of music and magic I had never seen before in prose. As a prequel to Michael Young's The Canticle Kingdom, this book made me instantly interested in what happens next in the continuing story. It felt like stepping into an old time myth, and as wonderful as the story was to read, listening to the audio version is just as enjoyable, narrated by the author himself. Highly recommended!

[Roxana Chirilă · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark fairy tales, musical enchanters, lost loves, faithful knights and a kingdom led by an endless list of queens. This was an interesting, fun book, with a little something special to make it memorable.